Medicina intensiva
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An evaluation is made of the hospital mortality predicting capacity of the main predictive scoring systems. ⋯ APACHE IV showed the best discrimination, with poor calibration. MPM II showed good discrimination and the best calibration. SAPS II, in turn, showed the second best discrimination, with poor calibration. The APACHE II calibration and discrimination values currently disadvise its use. SAPS III showed good calibration with modest discrimination. Future studies at regional or national level and in certain critically ill populations are needed.
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To identify knowledge, skills and attitudes among physicians and nurses of adults' intensive care units (ICUs), referred to advance directives or living wills. ⋯ Although health professionals displayed poor knowledge of advance directives, they had a favorable attitude toward their usefulness. However, most did not know whether their patients had a living will, and some professionals even failed to respect such instructions despite knowledge of the existence of advance directives. Improvements in health professional education in this field are needed.