DISEASE PATTERNS AMONG PATIENTS SEEKING EMERGENCY AND INTENSIVE CARE: A SINGLE-HOSPITAL STUDY IN NORTH CENTRAL VIETNAM IN 2020

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study aims to describe the disease patterns among patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) in a public provincial hospital in North Central Vietnam in 2020. DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective descriptive study. SETTING: The study was conducted in the Thanh Hoa General Hospital, Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. The study included all emergency and critical care admissions hospitalized from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data on age, gender, hospital admission, and discharge dates, length of hospital stays, illness chapters (based on ICD-10 codes), and treatment results determined at the hospital discharge of 27,152 episodes of ICU admission were collected. RESULTS: The three illness chapters of ICD-10 with the most patients were Chapter IX -Diseases of the Circulatory System, Chapter XIDiseases of the Digestive System, and Chapter XIX-Injury, Poisoning, and Some Other Consequences of External Causes, with 21.6%, 21%, and 20.3% of patients, respectively. Most episodes (n = 21,999, 81.0%) showed improved health at the time of hospital discharge, with up to 87% of patients finding a cure. CONCLUSIONS: The insights gained from this study can inform healthcare strategies, resource planning, and policy decisions to enhance the delivery of critical care services in the region. Further research and ongoing surveillance will be essential to adapt healthcare systems to the evolving landscape of diseases and to ensure the continued improvement of patient outcomes in intensive care settings.