[Predictive factors for inappropriate hospital stays in an internal medicine department].
BACKGROUND
We aimed to know which factors are associated with inappropriate stays in an internal medicine department.


METHODS
We included 1,046 hospitalisations and evaluated the justification of the admission using the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol.


RESULTS
176 (16.8%) stays were considered inappropriate. In a multiple regression model, variables defining an inappropriate stay were the number of days in hospital, diagnosis on admission and the weekly day.


CONCLUSIONS
There are determining factors for inappropriate stays in an internal medicine department.
Luis Zambrana García
J
J
Area de Medicina, Hospital Alto Guadalquivir, Andújar, Jaén. jzambrana@ephag.es
Delgado Fernández
M
M
Cruz Caparrós
G
G
Dolores Martín Escalante
M
M
Díez García
F
F
Ruiz Bailén
M
M
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006300:Health Services Misuse; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors