Resource Allocation in Neonatal and Medical ICUs

To the extent that allocation decisions are driven by concerns about distributive justice and the efficient use of scarce resources, it would be more justifiable to ration intensive care for the very old than the very young.

Abstract

This study compared resource allocation to patients who eventually die in neonatal ICUs (NICUs) and adult medical ICUs (MICUs). It was performed via retrospective, chart review study at ICUs at the University of Chicago-an inner city, tertiary care, academic medical center. All patients were admitted to the neonatal, general medical, or coronary ICU during 1 calendar yr. Overall mortality in the NICU (66/827; 7.9%) was significantly lower than in the adult ICUs (219/1320; 16.5%) (p 54 yr; 30% mortality) (p = 0.05). Fifty-six percent (37/66) of all neonates who died in the NICU did so within the first 48 hr of life. In contrast, nearly two-thirds (134/219) of adult ICU deaths occurred after 48 hours in the ICU (p 84 yr) this value exceeded 50%, for ICU patients > 84 yr old who required mechanical ventilation, the percentage of ICU bed-days allocated to nonsurvivors approached 90%. Care for the elderly in MICUs involves a far greater proportional expenditure of money toward those who will not survive than does care for newborns in NICUs. To the extent that allocation decisions are driven by concerns about distributive justice and the efficient use of scarce resources, it would be more justifiable to ration intensive care for the very old than the very young.