Short-Term Outcomes in Surgical Patients with Esophageal Cancer Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit

Esophageal cancer is the eighth common cancer worldwide. In recent years, the improvement in surgical procedures and pre and postoperative care has reduced its incapacity and mortality rates in the intensive care unit. The aim of this study was to investigate the early outcomes of patients with esophageal cancer who were admitted to the intensive care unit of Urmia Imam Khomeini Hospital during 2011-2017.

This retrospective cross-sectional study was performed in the intensive care unit of Imam Urmia Hospital during a 7-year period (2011-2012). , Type of surgery, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay in intensive care unit, mortality were extracted. The data were analyzed using independent t-test and chi-square test

The mean length of admission in the ICU among patients with SCC esophageal cancer was 8.46 ± 5.86 days and among adenocarcinoma patients was 6.74 ± 3. 59 days (P = 0.001). The mean length of hospitalization among patients with SCC esophageal cancer was 13.19 ± 6.4 and was 12.02 ± 6. 02 days, respectively (P = 0.04). Mean duration of mechanical ventilation among patients with SCC esophageal cancer was 5.58 ± 5.31 days and 4.69 ± 2.91 days among patients with adenocarcinoma. (P=0.001). Of 481 patients with esophageal cancer, 375 (78) discharged and 106 (22%) died.

The results of the present study confirm the limited results of limited studies on the outcome and characteristics of patients with operated esophageal cancer admitted in ICU.