Aklilu AzazhTigist WorkuKalkidan Philipos2026-06-182026-06-182025-12-01https://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/8218Background: Broadly, Critical Illness Constitutes a State of Illness Involving Vital Organ Dysfunction, A High Risk of Imminent Death If Care Is Not Provided, And Potential for Reversibility with Appropriate Intervention. This Condition Manifests as Acute Impairment of One Or More Vital Organ Systems, Such As the Central Nervous System, Cardiovascular, Or Respiratory Systems, Resulting in a High Risk of Life-Threatening Deterioration. In Clinical Practice, Such Patients Necessitate Intensive Monitoring, High-Complexity Decision-Making, And Organ Support to Prevent Further Decompensation (1). The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Plays A Vital Role in Managing Patients with Life-Threatening Conditions Requiring Advanced Organ Support. Over The Past Decades Advances in Ventilatory Support, Hemodynamic Monitoring, And Renal Replacement Therapy Have Improved Survival Rates Among Critically Ill Patients (2). However, The Demand for ICU Care Is Still High. It Continues to Rise Due To Aging Populations, Increasing Chronic Disease Burdens, And Frequent Infectious Outbreaks (3). Critically Ill Patients Thus Require Prompt Assessment and Aggressive Management to Improve Survival and Reduce Complications. The Transition from the Emergency Department (ED) To the ICU Is a Vital Step in the Continuum of Care. Delays In This Process Often Associated with Poorer Clinical Outcomes (4,5). Globally, Prolonged Waiting Times Before ICU Admission Have Been Linked to Increased Mortality, Extended Hospital Stays, And Increased Resource Utilization. This Emphasize That the Importance of Timely Transfer for the Best Outcomes (6–8). High Income Countries Typically Maintain 10–25 ICU Beds Per 100,000 Population. This Is Supported by Favorable Nurse to Patient Ratios and Policy Driven Expansions to Address Rising Demand. In Contrast, Low- and Middle-Income Countries (Lmics), Including Ethiopia, Average Just 0.3 ICU Beds Per 100,000 Population, With Ethiopia's 51 Public Icus Providing Only 324 Beds Nationwide (9). These Stark Disparities Can Result in Differing ED Boarding Time Alongside Short- and Long-Term Outcomes. Despite Existing Evidence, Prospective Studies in Ethiopia Directly Linking ED To ICU Admission Delays to Specific Patient Outcomes Remain Scarce. Most Of the Research Limited To 1 Retrospective Audits or Descriptive Analyses. This Study Aimed to Address That Gap Through a Prospective Observational Design. It Examines How Prolonged Boarding Times in the ED Influence Early Prognosis at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) And Zewditu Memorial Hospital (ZMH) In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Hoping It Will Outline the Bottlenecks and Guiding Targeted Interventions For Better Critical Care Pathway.enDeterminants of Early Mortality for CriticallyIll Patients Awaiting Intensivein Ethiopian Emergency Department at Tikur Anbessa Specialized HospitalThesis