Factors affecting length of stay in hospital of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury in China.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate factors associated with length of stay in hospital of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury in China, based on recent data spanning a period of 10 years.

METHODS

The study was conducted in the China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, which is the largest rehabilitation hospital in China. Associated variables were statistically analysed, including sex, age, marital status, patient's home address, and payment method as demographic variables, and cause of injury, severity of injury, level of injury, spasticity, osteoporosis, neurogenic bladder, and complications as clinical variables. Univariate analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to determine the association between length of stay and these var-iables.

RESULTS

A total of 2,110 participants were included in this study. Median length of stay in hospital was 113.5 days. Longer length of stay correlated significantly with higher age, single status, being struck by an object, motor vehicle collision, complete injury, and complications. Patients whose injury resulted from a fall from a low height, those with neurogenic bladder, and/or patients of older age had shorter lengths of stay.

CONCLUSION

Analysis of data for patients with traumatic spinal cord injury, spanning a recent period of 10 years in China, shows that close attention should be paid to those patients with osteoporosis, spasticity, complete injury, injury caused by object striking or motor vehicle collision, patients with single status, or who are in the age range 15-29 years. Active measures should be taken to reduce length of stay in patients with complications, such as urinary tract infection, respiratory infection, or neuropathic pain.