SHOCK INDEX VS GLASGOW COMA SCALE: COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO CLINICAL METRICS AS PREDICTORS OF NEED FOR INTENSIVE CARE (ICU) IN THE ADMISION OF TRAUMA VICTIMS

Abstract

Predicting the severity of admitted patients and the need for ICU admission is a frequent issue in a hospital to better allocate human and material resources. The objective of this study was to compare the shock index (SI) criterion) as a predictor of severity in relation to the Glasgow Coma Scale. The studied sample consisted of 47 trauma victims and compares the outcome with or without the need for ICU admission. It was observed that despite the measurable increase in shock index means, there was no statistical significance with the outcome (p = 0.3992). On the other hand, there was a strong association between the drop in the ECG and the ICU outcome (p <0.0001). Considering 1.2 as the most recent SI cutoff point, sensitivity drops to 22.2%, but specificity rises to 97.4%. In conclusion, it is possible to conclude that the ECG is a better predictor of the need for intensive care than the SI. However, with a larger sample in future research, it may be possible to infer a more reliable cutoff point for CI.