ICU physicians are unable to accurately predict length of stay at admission: a prospective study

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of prediction of intensive care unit length of stay made by physicians at patient admission. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Three medical-surgical intensive care units in an oncology hospital. PATIENTS: All patients admitted between January and December 2014. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay was estimated by the physicians responsible for patient admission and categorized as 5 days were significantly less accurate than those of <48 h and of 2-5 days (31.1, 59.8 and 53.1%, respectively, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The intensive care unit length of stay prediction in these oncological intensive care units is inaccurate and, ideally, should not be made at admission.