Need for intensive care after operations for head and neck cancer surgery

Who receives postoperative intensive and intermediate care?

“…The limitations of this study are that it is a singleinstitution study and thus reflects the institution's clinical biases, operational realities, facilities, staffing patterns, and practices [23][24][25]. Furthermore, this was a health services study that recorded and analyzed the actual practices of the hospital staff.…”

Management of Post-Operative Maxillofacial Oncology Patients Without the Routine Use of an Intensive Care Unit

“…In 1999 Godden et al, conducted a retrospective comparative review of two head and neck cancer units [2]. One unit sent the patients to a general ward with 'special care' for 48 h and the other sent the patients to ICU (without ventilation).…”

“…There is little information available about the level of utilization of ICU by patients with head and neck cancer [2,15]. Some centers admit all patients to an ICU after head and neck procedures [4].…”

“…This need has led, in some centers, to the routine use of intensive care in the immediate post-operative period [1]. However, the potential disadvantages include increased interventions, hospital acquired infections, frequent cancellation of operations because of lack of beds in intensive care, and increased cost [2,3].…”

“…In 1999 Godden et al [2] showed that it is safe to care for such patients outside an intensive care unit (ICU), provided this is done in an appropriate environment and with adequately trained nursing staff. By using the High Dependency Unit (HDU) with appropriately trained staff, as well as trained maxillofacial residents, it is possible to carefully manage selected patients without the need for the ICU.…”