Heterogeneity of Critical Illness: a Cohort Study

Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and group relatedness: <All patients will undergo physical examination, including ultrasound evaluation upon ICU admission according to standard practice care. The burden will be a blood sample (and urine sample) at admission. Blood sample will be obtained by arterial line (or venous access) which is part of standard ICU care. So there will be no additional puncture for this study. Collection of variables during ICU stay will all be either part of standard clinical care or include extra physical examination or ultrasound evaluation. For follow-up patients will be evaluated by phone at 6 months and at 12 months by home-visit. This is also already part of the investigator's evaluation of quality of care. Except for blood sampling, all study related procedures have previously been approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The patient will experience no individual benefit.

Inclusion criteria

• Adults Definition: age ≥18 years.
• Emergency admission to the ICU Definition: patients who are acutely admitted to the ICU due to acute or unexpected critical illness, either from the emergency department or the ward or transferred from an ICU (or a ward) from another hospital.

Exclusion criteria

• Planned admission
• Absence of an invasive arterial or venous line for blood sampling.
• Any continued cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts upon admission which limit access to the patient for research activities.
• Main ICU admission reason chronic (non-invasive) home ventilation
• Main ICU admission reason normothermic treatment after cardiac arrest
• Main ICU admission reason ischemic stroke, intracerebral bleeding, or isolated neurotrauma
• Main ICU admission reason Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• Solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplant during current hospital admission
• Strict isolation due to any contagious disease
• No informed consent