Mortality Related to Delay of ICU Patient Transfer from the Emergency Department

Critically ill emergency department (ED) patients that require admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) often utilize significant personnel, time, and equipment when compared to patients who do not require ICU level care. In many EDs, critical resources can quickly be depleted. This has the potential to adversely affect the care provided to these critically ill patients and runs the risk of diminishing care to all ED patients. In this practice guideline we evaluate the literature related to the length of ED stay and its effect on patient mortality for critically ill patients awaiting ICU admission.