Objective: to determine the proportion of mortality and related factors in ICU, Bach Mai Hospital from January 2003 to June 2004. Method: all medical records of deaths in ICU during this period are assessed retrospectively. Results: the mortality rate in ICU was 27.73%. Some factors related death were: age (mean ages 55.3  18.25); severe chronic diseases (62.3% of deaths); average APACHE II score at the admission was 25.7  8.34. There were differences in severity level according to APACHE II score among disease groups; multi-organ failure accounted for 24.6% of deaths, common seen in shock and sepsis patients); the decrease of albumin concentration was observed in more than 90% of patients at everytime tested); nosocomial infection rate was 39%; and inaccuracy diagnosis at basis medical was 50.7% of rate.
Mortality ; Epidemiology

Electronic tongue is one kind of bionic detection technologies, which can objectively reflect the taste of drugs based on electrochemical principle. In this paper, the development histories of electronic tongue both of potential type and voltammetry type were introduced, including their detection principles and key innovation technologies. In order to comprehensively improve the understanding of electronic tongue, its technological progresses, such as the study of dedicated sensors or biosensors for specific tastes, and the development of miniaturized or hybrid devices, were also discussed in detail. And the challenges and countermeasures in the application of electronic tongue were analyzed to provide some suggestions for its further technology promotion.