Does the simplified acute physiology score (SAPS) accurately reflect the risk of death in ICU patients compared to the acute physiology score (APS)?
The SAPS provides a simple, less time-consuming method to accurately assess the risk of death in ICU patients compared to the more complex APS.
We used 14 easily measured biologic and clinical variables to develop a simple scoring system reflecting the risk of death in ICU patients. The simplified acute physiology score (SAPS) was evaluated in 679 consecutive patients admitted to eight multidisciplinary referral ICUs in France. Surgery accounted for 40% of admissions. Data were collected during the first 24 h after ICU admission. SAPS correctly classified patients in groups of increasing probability of death, irrespective of diagnosis, and compared favorably with the acute physiology score (APS), a more complex scoring system which has also been applied to ICU patients. SAPS was a simpler and less time-consuming method for comparative studies and management evaluation between different ICUs.
Gall et al. (1984) studied this question.