APACHE III, also known as Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III, is a scoring system and severity-of-illness classification tool used in critical care medicine to assess the severity and predict the prognosis of patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs). It is an updated version of the previous APACHE II scoring system.
APACHE III takes into account various physiological parameters, chronic health conditions, and age to calculate a numerical score. This score reflects the severity of illness and provides an estimation of the patient's mortality risk. It considers factors such as respiratory system status, cardiovascular status, neurologic status, renal function, hematologic parameters, and chronic health conditions.
The scoring system helps clinicians classify patients into different risk categories, allowing for a standardized method of assessing patient acuity and predicting outcomes. It aids in identifying patients who may require more intensive treatment and monitoring, as well as those at a lower risk of mortality.
APACHE III scores are calculated within the first 24 hours of ICU admission and are commonly used for research purposes, benchmarking, and quality improvement initiatives. The system has undergone multiple revisions to improve its accuracy and usability based on new clinical evidence.
Overall, APACHE III plays a crucial role in critical care medicine by providing a comprehensive assessment of a patient's severity of illness, aiding in clinical decision-making, and contributing to the evaluation of ICU performance and outcomes.
