title: Is Emergency Department length of stay associated with inpatient mortality?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether Emergency Department length of stay (EDLOS) greater than 8 hours (EDLOS > 8 hours) and less than 4 hours (EDLOS < 4 hours) were independently associated with inpatient mortality taking into account patient comorbidities and age; and to determine the impact of EDLOS on inpatient length of stay (IPLOS).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective data analysis of emergency presentations and inpatient admissions during 2007 at The Northern Hospital, Victoria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Taking into account age and disease states, EDLOS > 8 hours was not associated with inpatient mortality (odds ratio 1.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.9-1.4, P = 0.4), nor was EDLOS < 4 hours (odds ratio 0.9; 95% CI 0.6-1.4, P = 0.6) associated with reduced mortality. EDLOS > 8 hours was significantly associated with longer inpatient length of stay (IPLOS) (P < 0.001) adjusting for medical comorbidities. Mean EDLOS and IPLOS were significantly longer for patients over 75 years of age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EDLOS > 8 hours and EDLOS < 4 hours are not independently associated with mortality. A longer EDLOS is independently associated with longer IPLOS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Aged Care and Northern Clinical Research Centre, The Northern Hospital, Epping, Australia. carol.chong@nh.org.au
authors.forename: Carol P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Cilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haywood
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: Wen Kwang
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult