[Influence of length of hospital stay on mortality after discharge in older patients with acute medical diseases].
OBJECTIVE
To analyse whether hospital length of stay is associated with mortality at six months after discharge in the elderly.


METHODS
An observational longitudinal study of patients surviving at hospital discharge. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed to study factors related to extended stay (> 12 days). The relationship between mortality at 6 months and length-of-stay quartiles was studied using a Cox regression analysis.


RESULTS
1180 patients were studied with a mean age of 86.6 years (standard deviation: 6.9). The median length of stay was 8 days (interquartile range: 5-12). Six-month mortality was 26.1%. After adjusting for age, gender, main diagnosis, comorbidity, albumin at admission, functional deterioration at admission and functional and mental status at discharge, hospital stay above the median was associated with mortality at 6 months: 9-12 days, HR=1.79, 95% CI: 1.01-3.14; and > 12 days, HR=2.04, 95% CI: 1.19-3.53.


CONCLUSIONS
Prolonged hospital stay is an independent risk factor for mortality at 6 months after discharge.
Servicio de Geriatría, Hospital Central de la Cruz Roja, San José y Santa Adela, Madrid, España. Electronic address: plpardo@hotmail.com.
Patricia
P
López Pardo
Servicio de Geriatría, Hospital Central de la Cruz Roja, San José y Santa Adela, Madrid, España.
Alberto
A
Socorro García
Servicio de Geriatría, Hospital Central de la Cruz Roja, San José y Santa Adela, Madrid, España.
Juan José
JJ
Baztán Cortés
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors
D012709:Serum Albumin
Ancianos; Elderly; Estancia hospitalaria; Health services for the elderly; Length of stay; Mortalidad; Mortality; Servicios de salud para los ancianos