Cost effectiveness analysis of an initial ICU admission as compared to a delayed ICU admission in patients with severe sepsis or in septic shock.

Objective: To assess the cost effectiveness of an initial ICU admissionforpatients with severe sepsis or those in septic shock following the initial resuscitation in the emergency department.

Material And Method: Mortality data was generated through retrospective data obtained from 1,048 adult patients with severe sepsis or in septic shock from one tertiary care and eight community hospitals in Phitsanulok during the period of October 2010 to September 2011. These patients were categorized into two groups; as either admitted from the emergency department directly to the ICU (stated as an immediate ICU admission) or admitted from the emergency department to the general hospital ward due to an unavailability of lCU beds (stated as a delayed ICU admission).