The objective of this study was to analyse and report on the distribution and attributes of intensive care services in Australia and New Zealand for the 2005/2006 financial year. A survey was mailed to 155 Australian and 26 New Zealand intensive care units (ICU) listed on the database of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society. A descriptive analytical approach was used. Of the 181 ICUs, 177 provided data. In Australia there were 100 public sector and 51 private sector ICUs and in New Zealand, 24 public sector and two private sector ICUs. These units contain 1485 available beds in the public sector and 538 available beds in the private sector. Calculations to determine beds per 100,000 population, medical specialists per 1000 patient days and registered nurses per 1000 patient days showed wide variation. International comparisons are limited by lack of data; however it does appear that intensive care patients in Australia and New Zealand have very good outcomes.
WarneckeK., SteedK., HartG.Descriptive Analysis of Intensive Care Facilities in Australia and New Zealand.ANZICS ICU Registry, Melbourne1998.
2.
WarneckeK., SteedK., HartG.Descriptive Analysis of Quality Characteristics of Australasian Critical Facilities.ANZICS ICU Registry, Melbourne1998.
3.
AndersonT., HartG.Intensive Care Survey 1998: An Overview of Australian and New Zealand Critical Care Resources.CCR, Melbourne2000.
4.
AndersonT., HartG.K.Review of Intensive Care Activity 1999/2000.ANZICS, Melbourne2001.
5.
AndersonT., HartG.K.Review of Intensive Care Resources and Activity 2000/2001.ANZICS, Melbourne2002.
6.
HiglettT., AndersonT., HartG.K.Review of Intensive Care Resources and Activity 2001/2002.ANZICS, Melbourne2004.
7.
HiglettT., BishopN., HartG.K., HicksP.Review of Intensive Care Resources and Activity 2002/2003.ANZICS, Melbourne2005.
8.
MartinJ., AndersonT., TurtonC., HartG.K., HicksP.Intensive Care Resources and Activity: Australia and New Zealand 2003–2005.ANZICS, Melbourne2006.
9.
MartinJ., WarneC., HartG.K., HicksP.Intensive Care Resources and Activity: Australia and New Zealand 2005/2006.ANZICS, Melbourne2007.
10.
Joint Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine.Minimum Standards for Intensive Care Units. Review IC-1. JFICM, Melbourne2003. From http://www.jficm.anzca.edu.au Accessed May 2006.
11.
Australian Bureau of Statistics.6102.0.55.001 Labour Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods, 2006.ABS, Canberra2006. From http://www.abs.gov.au Accessed April 2006.
12.
Statistics New Zealand.Glossary Term – Full Time Equivalent Employees.Statistics New Zealand, Wellington2007. From http://www2.stats.govt.nz Accessed May 2007.
13.
Statistical Products Services and Solutions (SPSS), SPSS Software, Version 15.0.SPSS, Chicago2007.
14.
Microsoft, Microsoft Office Excel.Microsoft, Seattle2003.
15.
Australian Bureau of Statistics.Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2005–2006. 3218.0. ABS, Canberra2007.
16.
Statistics New Zealand.Subnational Population Estimates: At 30 June 2006. From http://www.stats.govt.nz Accessed May 2007.
17.
HalpernN.A., PastoresS.M., GreensteinR.J.Critical care medicine in the United States 1985–2000: an analysis of bed numbers, use, and costs.Crit Care Med2004; 32: 1254–1259.
OffenstadtG., MorenoR., PalomarM., GulloA.Intensive care medicine in Europe.Crit Care Clin2006; 22: 425–432.
22.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.Australian Hospital Statistics 2005–2006. AIHW cat. no. HSE 50, AIHW, Canberra2007. From http://www.aihw.gov.au Accessed May 2007.
23.
New Zealand Health Information Service. Unpublished Data. Personal correspondence 2007.
NegriniD., SheooardL., MillsG.H., JacobsP., RapoportJ., BourneR.S.International programme for resource use in critical care (IPOC) – a methodology and initial results of cost and provision in four European countries.Acta Anaesthesiol Scand2006; 50: 72–79.
31.
PronovostP.J., DangD., DormanT., LipsettP.A., GarrettE., JenckesM.Intensive care unit nurse staffing and the risk for complications after abdominal aortic surgery.Eff Clin Pract2001; 4: 199–206.
32.
KaneR.L., ShamliyanT.A., MuellerC., DuvalS., WiltT.J.The association of registered nurse staffing levels and patient outcomes: systematic review and meta-analysis.Med Care2007; 45: 1195–1204.
33.
NumataY., SchulzerM., van der WalR., GlobermanJ., SemeniukP., BalkaE.Nurse staffing levels and hospital mortality in critical care settings: literature review and meta-analysis.J Adv Nurs2006; 55: 435–448.
34.
BellomoR., StowP.J., HartG.K.Why is there such a difference in outcome between Australian intensive care units and others?Curr Opin Anaesthesiol2007; 20: 100–105.
35.
MoranD., BristowP., SolomanP.J., GeorgeC., HartG.K., Australian, and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Database Management Committee (ADMC) Mortality and length-of-stay outcomes, 1993–2003, in the binational Australian and New Zealand intensive care adult patient database.Crit Care Med2008; 36: 46–61.
