[APS-2: comparative study on populations of critical patients in Chile, United States and New Zealand].

Abstract Between 1988 and 1991, the Acute Physiologic Score (APS-2) was applied to 1000 critically ill patients admitted to an intensive care unit of a general hospital in Chile. Its predictive capacity was assessed and compared with two series from United States and New Zealand. The mean admission APS-2 in Chilean patients was 12.8 and there was a progressive increase in mortality with elevating scores; no patient with an APS-2 over 30 survived. Admission APS-2 scores in USA and New Zealand were 10.7 and 14.2. Overall mortality in Chilean patients was 28%, compared with 12% in USA and 15% in New Zealand. Within different score ranges, mortality was higher in Chilean patients than those from USA or New Zealand. It is concluded that the assessment of admission APS-2 score underlying diagnosis, physiologic age and previous health status of a patient may help to predict the success of intensive care.