title: Homeless Patients in the ICU: An Observational Propensity-Matched Cohort Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe epidemiology and outcome of critically ill homeless patients, as compared with those of nonhomeless patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Homeless and nonhomeless admissions were matched on the basis of a 1:4 ratio, using a propensity score-based procedure involving age, sex, date, and main diagnosis at ICU admission.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 18-bed closed medical ICU of a French tertiary care university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  All consecutive admissions from July 2000 to December 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 421 homeless and 9,353 nonhomeless admissions. Considering homeless admissions, 50% patients had no health insurance, 56% had no financial resource, 91% were socially isolated, and 69% lived in street. In a multivariable analysis of homeless admissions including age, sex, and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, living in street was significantly associated with hospital mortality (odds ratio=2.94; 95% CI, 1.30-7.10; p=0.012). As compared with nonhomeless, homeless admissions more frequently concerned men (89% vs 57%; p<0.0001) and younger patients (49 yr [43-57] vs 62 yr [46-76]; p<0.0001), whereas Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (37 [24-50] vs 37 [25-52]; p=0.99) and distribution of the number of organ supports (p=0.49) were similar. ICU mortality concerned 19.1% and 18% of matched homeless and nonhomeless admissions, respectively. The corresponding figures for hospital mortality were 20.8% and 20.6%. In multivariable analysis, homeless status was associated with neither ICU (odds ratio=1.27 [0.92-1.73]; p=0.14) nor hospital mortality (odds ratio=1.07 [0.77-1.49]; p=0.68), while it was independently associated with longer ICU (means ratio=1.16 [1.01-1.34]; p=0.035) and hospital (means ratio=1.30 [1.12-1.49]; p=0.0002) stay of survivors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Critically ill homeless patients benefit from the same level of care and have globally the same prognosis than housed patients but experience longer lengths of stay. Most precarious patients living in street have a higher mortality rate. The study perspective is not ICU centered but also concerns the global organization of healthcare since homeless patients are referred by numerous sources and discharged to different wards.
authors: 1Service de Réanimation Médicale, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France. 2Faculté de Médecine Pierre et Marie Curie, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France. 3U1136, INSERM, Paris, France. 4UMR_S 1136, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France. 5Unité de Santé Publique, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, AP-HP, Paris, France. 6Service Social Hospitalier, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, AP-HP, Paris, France. 7Département de l'Information Médicale, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, AP-HP, Paris, France.
authors: Naïke
authors: N
authors: Bigé
authors: Gilles
authors: G
authors: Hejblum
authors: Jean-Luc
authors: JL
authors: Baudel
authors: Annie
authors: A
authors: Carron
authors: Sophie
authors: S
authors: Chevalier
authors: Claire
authors: C
authors: Pichereau
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Maury
authors: Bertrand
authors: B
authors: Guidet
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors