Nighttime Intensivists Reduce Mortality in ICUs with Low-Intensity Staffing Models

For hospitals with low-intensity daytime staffing models in their intensive care units (ICUs), the addition of nighttime intensivist staffing was associated with a reduction in mortality, concludes a study published online May 21, 2012, in theNew England Journal of Medicine. The researchers defined “low-intensity” daytime staffing models as those in which consultation with an intensivist is optional and “high-intensity” daytime staffing models as those in which consultation with an intensivist is mandatory for all admissions or for those in which the intensivist has primary responsibility for patient care. Although nighttime intensivist staffing was associated with decreased risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality in ICUs that used a low-intensity physician staffing model, no additional mortality reduction was observed when nighttime intensivist staffing was present in ICUs that used a high-intensity staffing model.