J Healthc Qual. 2023 May-Jun 01;45(3):177-190. doi: 10.1097/JHQ.0000000000000377.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Delirium or a fall are associated with many negative outcomes including increased length of stay (LOS) and discharge to a facility; however, this relationship is incompletely understood.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study of all hospitalizations in a large, tertiary care hospital evaluated the effect of delirium and a fall on the outcomes of LOS and risk of being discharged to a facility.
RESULTS: The study included 29,655 hospital admissions. A total of 3,707 (12.5%) patients screened positive for delirium and 286 (0.96%) had a reported fall. After adjustment for covariates, relative to patients without delirium or a fall, patients with delirium only had a 1.64-fold longer LOS; patients with fall only had a 1.96-fold longer LOS; and patients who had delirium and fall had a 2.84-fold longer LOS. The adjusted odds of discharge to a facility, relative to those without delirium or a fall, was 8.98 times higher in those with delirium and a fall.
CONCLUSIONS: Delirium and falls influence LOS and likelihood of being discharged to a facility. The joint impact of falls and delirium on LOS and facility discharge was more than additive. Hospitals should consider the integrated management of delirium and falls.
PMID:37141572 | DOI:10.1097/JHQ.0000000000000377