GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY PATIENTS IN THE SURGICAL ICU - IMPACT ON OUTCOME

OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk factors and outcome for survival of g ynecologic oncology patients in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU ). STUDY DESIGN: A chart review from January 1987 through May 1992 yie lded 73 gynecologic oncology patients with a malignancy who had underg one surgery with a minimum stay of three days in the SICU. Of these 73 patients, 49 patients died of malignancy, 5 were alive with disease, and 19 were alive without evidence of disease. RESULTS: The median sur vival of the 73 patients teas 123 days; that of 48 ovarian cancer pati ents was 50 days. Twenty patients (27.4%) died in the hospital.CONCLUS ION This study, with multivariate analysis, showed that multiple medic al conditions, especially cardiac disease, and a stay of longer than f ive days in the SICU had a significant impact on survival, with ovaria n cancer patients staying longer and having poorer survival. These res ults will help in triaging patients for post surgical management.