CRITICAL CARE IN A RESOURCE-LIMITED SETTING: AN ANALYSIS OF CLÍNICA CASTELO IN LUANDA, ANGOLA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63330/sasciencesv6n2-028Keywords:
Intensive Care, Mortality, AngolaAbstract
Introduction: Managing critically ill patients in resource-limited settings presents unique structural and clinical challenges. Epidemiological characterization is the first step toward improving hospital management and clinical outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa.
Objective: To describe the clinical-epidemiological profile of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Clínica Castelo, within the context of a resource-limited setting.
Materials and Methods: An observational, descriptive, retrospective study. All adult patients admitted between 2022 and 2024 were included. Demographic variables, origin, syndromic diagnoses, interventions (invasive mechanical ventilation, central venous catheterization), and severity—assessed using the SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment) score—were analyzed.
Results: A total of 74 patients were included (median age: 45.0 years). The primary source of admission was the Emergency Department (56.8%). Overall crude mortality was 9.5%. Invasive Mechanical Ventilation (IMV) was required by 17.6% of patients; this subgroup accounted for all deaths. A significant difference in SOFA scores was observed between survivors (median 5.0) and non-survivors (median 12.0). The most frequent conditions were stroke (25.6%) and severe malaria (21.6%), while hypertensive emergency was associated with the highest specific mortality rate (33.3%).
Conclusions: The unit demonstrates efficient clinical performance, particularly in cases of moderate severity. However, early mortality is closely linked to delayed clinical presentation and severe multiple organ failure upon admission.
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