Differentiated Acute Care Unit: One Year of Activity

Abstract

Introduction: The Acute Differentiated Care Unit of Hospital Center of Cova da Beira was created in August 2013 with the aim of functioning as an internment unit with capacity to provide medical care corresponding to level II of critical care. Methods: A retrospective, observational study of descriptive character that focused on patients treated in the UCAD during its first year of operation (from September 2013 to September 2014). On each inpatient episode was collected information about demography; diagnosis and comorbidities of the trea-ted patients; intra-hospital transfers; reasons for internment; rates of utilization of advanced hemodynamic and ventilatory supports and mortality results, average time of internment and outpatients’ destination of the patients admitted in the Diffe-rentiated Acute Care Unit of Hospital Center of Cova da Beira during the period in study.
Results: The patients treated in the Acute Differentiated Care Unit of Hospital Center of Cova da Beira belong to higher age groups with the average age being 73 years. The inpatient average time was only 2 days and the unit´s occupancy rate was around 88%. The main reasons for hospitalization were diseases of the respiratory tract, followed by cardiovascular disease. A substantial number of patients had, as secondary diagnoses, cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the endocri-ne glands, nutrition, metabolism and immune disorders and diseases of the respiratory system. Of the various performed procedures, stands out the use of intravenous antibiotics and oxygen therapy.
Conclusions: The creation of this unit has reinforced the growing need to integrate the different levels of care within the hospital structure, allowing to fill some gaps of Hospital Center of Cova da Beira.