Clinical aspects and follow up of suicide attempts treated in a general Intensive Care Unit at Landspitali University Hospital in Iceland 2000-2004

Objective: To gather information on patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) after a serious suicide attempt (SA). Methods: Retrospective analysis and follow up of admittances to ICUs of Landspitali University Hospital after SA years 2000-2004. Results: Admittances because of SA were 251 (4% of ICU admissions, 61% females, 39% males, mean age 36 yr +/- 14). Ten percent were admitted more than once and 61% had prior history of SA. Drug intoxication was the most prevalent type of SA (91%) and the most frequent complication was pneumonia. Following ICU stay 36% of the patients were admitted to psychiatric wards and 80% received psychiatric follow up. The main psychiatric diagnosis was addiction (43%). Majority of patients were divorced or single and the rate of unemployment was high. Mortality during ICU stay was 3%. During 3-7 year follow up 21 patients died (10%), majority due to suicide. In a survival analysis only the number of tablets taken, APACHE II score and number of somatic diseases predicted risk of death. Conclusion: The patient group is young (36 yr), majority are women (61%), repeated attempts are frequent, social circumstances are poor and death rate after discharge from hospital is high (10%) even though the vast majority (80%) receives psychiatric follow up. This raises the question if the offered treatment is effective enough.