Conclusion
In the context of the need to limit the access of some patients to ICU because of lack of intensive care resources in public hospitals, these recommendations were developed to improve patient care, and guide policy-making in SA. While several of the consensus group were chosen for their clinical expertise and experience in triage and the practice of intensive care in resource-limited environments
In the context of the need to limit the access of some patients to ICU because of lack of intensive care resources in public hospitals, these recommendations were developed to improve patient care, and guide policy-making in SA. While several of the consensus group were chosen for their clinical expertise and experience in triage and the practice of intensive care in resource-limited environments, a limitation of the statement was the lack of additional external expert review during the development process. Nevertheless, we believe the statement substantially reflects current available evidence and a responsible body of expert opinion in SA. While there will inevitably be situations where decision-making may be individualised for justifiable reasons, these recommendations and the accompanying guideline are intended to be a tool to guide current and future best practice for admission, triage and rationing. The recommendations and the accompanying guideline should not be considered a complete plan for quality practice, but rather the beginning of a long-term strategic initiative to engage clinicians, the public and administrators in appropriate triage decision-making, as well as to promote audit and research that will lead to systems enhancement that will ultimately maximise the fair use of ICU resources.
The Critical Care Society of Southern Africa Consensus Statement on ICU Triage and Rationing (ConICTri)_SAMJ/SAJCC_July 2019, Vol. 35, No. 1