Length of ICU stay for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease varies among large community hospitals.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether differences exist among large community hospitals in length of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay, hospital stay or hospital mortality for patients admitted to ICU and whose most responsible diagnosis was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).


METHODS
Retrospective cohort study.


METHODS
All seven large community hospitals in British Columbia, Canada. PATIENTS. All 296 patients who were admitted to ICUs and whose most responsible diagnosis was COPD during the 3 fiscal years 1994-1997.


METHODS
None.


RESULTS
After adjusting for age, gender, case-mix group, and co-morbidity, we found a significant difference in length of ICU stay for these patients among hospitals ( P <0.03). No differences were found in hospital mortality or length of hospital stay for the same patients among the same hospitals.


CONCLUSIONS
There is significant variation in length of ICU stay for patients who are admitted to ICU and whose most responsible diagnosis is COPD, among large community hospitals. These small area variations may point to opportunities to improve efficiency of care. Further prospective, detailed data collection is required to validate these observations and to identify factors responsible for any differences found.
Keenan
Sean P
SP
Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences, St. Paul's Hospital 620B-1081 Burrard and University of British Columbia, V6Z 1Y6, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Dodek
Peter
P
Chan
Keith
K
Hogg
Robert S
RS
Craib
Kevin J P
KJ
Anis
Aslam H
AH
Spinelli
John J
JJ
D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000401:mortality; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric