ICU-Managed Patients' Epidemiology, Characteristics, and Outcomes: A Retrospective Single-Center Study

BACKGROUND: Resources are limited, and it is exceedingly difficult to provide intensive care in developing nations. In Somalia, intensive care unit (ICU) care was introduced only a few years ago. PURPOSE: In this study, we aimed to determine the epidemiology, characteristics, and outcome of ICU-managed patients in a tertiary hospital in Mogadishu. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the files of 1082 patients admitted to our ICU during the year 2021. RESULTS: The majority (39.7%) of the patients were adults (aged between 20 and 39 years), and 67.8% were male patients. The median ICU length of stay was three days (IQR = 5 days), and nonsurvivors had shorter stays, one day. The mortality rate was 45.1%. The demand for critical care services in low-income countries is high. CONCLUSION: The country has a very low ICU bed capacity. Critical care remains a neglected area of health service delivery in this setting, with large numbers of patients with potentially treatable conditions not having access to such services.