Characteristics and outcomes of patients with solid tumors admitted to the intensive care unit in Saudi Arabia

Background: Critically ill cancer patients present complex challenges due to the combined effects of malignancy and acute critical illness. This retrospective cohort study evaluated the clinical characteristics and mortality outcomes of adult patients with solid tumors admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) in Saudi Arabia. Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective analysis of all adult ICU patients with solid tumors between January 2018 and October 2021. The primary endpoint of the study was to describe their clinical characteristics and outcomes, while the secondary endpoint was to identify risk factors for ICU and in-hospital mortality. Data collected included demographics, tumor types, recent treatments, severity scores such as Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), functional impairments, complications, and outcomes. Determinants of mortality were identified using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: Of 3224 screened patients, 273 were included. Patients were 58 ± 14.4 years old, with 52.4% males. Lower gastrointestinal tract cancer was the most common (51.2%) diagnosis. Recent chemotherapy and radiotherapy rates were 65.2% and 12.1%, with mean APACHE II and SOFA scores of 14.8 ± 6.8 and 3.3 ± 3.2, respectively. ICU and in-hospital mortality rates were 26.4% and 37% respectively. Recent chemotherapy and higher severity scores were independently associated with increased mortality risk. Conclusions: This study highlights key characteristics, mortality patterns, and predictors in critically ill patients with solid tumors. The association of recent chemotherapy and severity scores with mortality underscores the utility of these variables for disease severity assessment and risk stratification.

Intensive care units; Mortality; Critical illness; Neoplasms; Risk factors

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