Cox regression analysis of 6246 critically ill patients with prolonged stay in emergency room / 中华急诊医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore factors associated with prolonged emergency room (ER) stay of critically ill patients admitted so as to accelerate throughput of emergency patients.Methods Data of critically ill patients admitted into the emergency room of a tertiary teaching hospital in 2010 were retrospectively studied.Stepwise Cox regression analysis was used to determine factors likely associated with prolonged stay in ER.Results ( 1 ) A total of 6246 critical illnesses were admitted into emergency room,the ER length of stay [M (Qr)] was 11 h (3 ～23 h).Of them,56.6％ patients stayed in ER more than 6 h and 21.6％ over 24 h.(2) Univariate analysis showed the major factors contributing to prolonged stay in ER were insufficient inpatient bed capacity,followed by poor family finances,complicated diseases needed care from multiple departments,emergency operation,lack of specialty wards,lack of department bearing main responsibility of critical care,age,gender and arrival time to ER.(3) Multivariate analysis showed that the main factors contributing to prolonged stay were insufficient inpatient beds,poor family finances,complicated diseases needed treatment from multiple departments,emergency operation,lack of specialty wards,lack of department bearing main responsibility of treatment,gender and arrival time to ER.Age was not an independent factor.Conclusions Plenty of critically ill patients admitted to this hospital had prolonged stay in emergency room with variety of factors.The possible factors contributing to this were insufficient inpatient bed capacity,poor family finances and complicated diseases needed care from multiple departments,and this investigation deserves a further study.