Avoiding unnecessary critical care costs.

Critical care services are major contributors to rising healthcare costs, with intensive care units (ICUs) consuming nearly 20 percent of the country's healthcare expenditures. This article examines ways of controlling and avoiding unnecessary ICU costs. A case study shows how a thorough examination of admission, discharge, and transfer practices and provision of the appropriate number and mix of ICU and step-down beds can significantly reduce the use of critical care resources.