Related Experiment Videos
Factors associated with longer ED lengths of stay
Rebekah L Gardner1, Urmimala Sarkar, Judith H Maselli
1Department of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. rgardner@medicine.ucsf.edu
Objective:
The aim of the study was to identify and quantify patient, physician, hospital, and system factors that are associated with a longer ED length of stay.
Methods:
Data were from the 2001-2003 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. The primary outcome was length of stay in minutes. Predictor variables were patient level (eg, age, triage score), physician level (eg, level of training), and hospital/system level (eg, geographic location, ownership).
Results:
Admitted patients' median length of stay was 255 minutes (interquartile range, 160-400); discharged patients stayed a median of 120 minutes (interquartile range, 70-199). Factors independently associated with longer ED stays for admitted patients were Hispanic ethnicity (+20 minutes), computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging (+36 minutes), and hospital location in a metropolitan area (+32 minutes). Intensive care unit admissions had a shorter length of stay (-30 minutes).
Conclusion:
Several factors are associated with significant increases in ED length of stay and may be important factors in strategies to reduce length of stay.
Related Concept Videos
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin create...
Restorative Care
Pharmacokinetic–Pharmacodynamic Relationship: Influence of Elimination Half-Life on Effect Duration
Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...