title: Factors influencing length of stay in neurosurgical intensive care unit.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The demand of occupancy in neurosurgical intensive care unit (NICU) has extremely risen up in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital but the intensive care personnel have not proportionally increased with the demand identifying especially for intensivists. The possible management that may be help to solve this problem is identifying the factors which may be involved in prolonging length of stay (LOS) in ICU and modifying of those risk factors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the factors which influenced the LOS in NICU.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neurosurgical intensive care unit (NICU) in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital which is the tertiary care hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective observational study
  
  
  METHODS
  All data of NICU had been gathered over the period of October 1st, 2004 to December 31st, 2004. The patient characteristics; age, gender diagnosis, underlying diseases, and length of NICU stay were recorded. Postoperative events were stratified into 4 groups involving pulmonary complications, cardiovascular complications, neurological conditions and others.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 178 admissions utilized 605 ICU days. Short-stay patients (LOS < or = 3 days) accounted for 76.4% of total admissions which consumed only 32.1% of ICU days. The patients who were admitted between 3 to 14 days had 20.8% but mostly utilized 49.4% of ICU day. Cerebral aneurysm had the highest proportion (41.03%) in LOS more than 3 days group. The major causes of prolonged LOS are triple-H therapy (28%) and mechanical ventilation assisting (28%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The major causes of prolonged LOS are triple-H therapy and mechanical ventilation assisting in neurosurgical ICU. Early tracheotomy and using the proper weaning protocol might help reducing LOS in ICU with limited specific care procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. kun_jung@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Kanya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kumwilaisak
authors.forename: Oranuch
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kyokong
authors.forename: Toonchai
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Indrambarya
mesh_terms: D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013785:Thailand; D013997:Time Factors