title: [Analyses of factors prolonging the length of hospital stay in elderly patients beginning hemodialysis].
abstract: The aim of the present study is to clarify the factors causing prolongation of the length of hospital stay in elderly patients beginning hemodialysis. Patients aged over 60 years who had newly started hemodialysis (98 cases) were studied. These were 59 men and 39 women. The age was 73 +/- 7 years (mean +/- standard deviation). In each patient, the cause of renal failure (non-diabetes/diabetes), body mass index, comorbid conditions (cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, etc.), ambulation, cognitive function, urgency of the initiation of dialysis, occurrence of access failure, marital status, younger cohabitants, and the length of stay after initiation of dialysis were surveyed. The median and the mean of the length of stay were 37 and 49 days. Because of this disparity, a normal distribution of the length of stay could not be obtained. However, the distribution was transformed to close to normal by logarithmic conversion of the number of days. We used the log-converted value as the length of stay for statistical analyses. We investigated the influence of the differences of each factor on the length of stay. The subjects were divided into two groups for each factor. The mean and standard deviation of the length of stay was calculated respectively. Comparisons were carried out by unpaired t-test. Multiple regression analysis was also performed using background factors as explanatory variables, and the length of stay as a dependent variable. The factors presented by the nominal scale were converted to dummy variables. Eight variables in the unpaired t-test and seven variables in multiple regression analysis were statistically significant. All but one variable were common to both analyses. The gender was statistically significant only in the unpaired t-test. It could be explained by close correlation of gender with marital status. Access failure and urgent initiation of dialysis were dominant factors for the prolongation of the length of stay. Ischemic heart disease, diabetes, inability to walk, impaired cognitive function, and absence of a partner also prolonged the length of stay.
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujimaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kasuya
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirashima
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kagami
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mizuno
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*