In some hospital settings the APACHE II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II) model is used to determine risk of mortality in obstetric patients. The model is flawed in that it does not accurately predict mortality risk, but researchers in Cartagena, Columbia recently evaluated possible changes to the protocol that could increase accuracy. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Intensive Care Medicine.
Information was collected from 726 obstetric patient files. When the original APACHE II model was run, the system accurately predicted mortality only 30% of the time. With adjustments to the model that accuracy increased to 85%.
Results: In the current form, APACHE II does not provide an accurate estimation of mortality risk, according to researchers involved with the study. With a few adjustments, however, the accuracy percentage can be increased dramatically. Details about the new formula were not revealed.
Source: Paternina-Caicedo AJ, Rojas-Suarez JA, Dueñas-Castel C, Miranda-Quintero JE, Bourjeily G. Mortality Risk Prediction With an Updated Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II Score in Critically Ill Obstetric Patients: A Cohort Study. J Intensive Care Med. 2013 Sep 3.