title: Clinical characteristics associated with days to discharge among patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of lower limb cellulitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinicians have limited ability to classify risk of prolonged hospitalization among patients with lower limb cellulitis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to identify characteristics associated with days to discharge and prolonged stay.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted retrospective cohort analysis including patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of lower limb cellulitis at community and tertiary hospitals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 4224 admissions for lower limb cellulitis among 3692 patients. Mean age of the cohort was 64.4 years. Frequencies of tobacco smoking, obesity, and diabetes mellitus were 25.1%, 44.9%, and 19.3%, respectively. Patients having decreased likelihood of discharge included those with the following: 10-year age increments 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88-0.92), obesity 0.90 (95% CI 0.83-0.97), diabetes mellitus 0.90 (95% CI 0.82-0.98), tachycardia 0.76 (95% CI 0.67-0.85), hypotension 0.77 (95% CI 0.65-0.90), leukocytosis 0.86 (95% CI 0.79-0.93), neutrophilia 0.80 (95% CI 0.73-0.87), elevated serum creatinine 0.74 (95% CI 0.68-0.81), and low serum bicarbonate 0.84 (95% CI 0.75-0.95).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This analysis is retrospective and based on coded data. Unknown confounding variables may also influence prolonged stay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with lower limb cellulitis and prolonged stay have a number of clinical characteristics which may be used to classify risk for prolonged stay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, New York. Electronic address: amgarg@northwell.edu.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, New York.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lavian
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, New York.
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Unit, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, New York.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sison
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, New York.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oppenheim
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, New York.
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002481:Cellulitis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007964:Leukocytosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers
chemical_list: D001639:Bicarbonates; D003404:Creatinine
keywords: cellulitis; discharge; length; limb; lower; prolonged; stay