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To investigate the length of hospital stay (LOS) after stroke using the database of the Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service.
We matched the data of patients admitted for ischemic stroke onset within 7 days in the Departments of Neurology of 12 hospitals to the data from the database of the Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service. We recruited 3,839 patients who were hospitalized between January 2011 and December 2011, had a previous modified Rankin Scale of 0, and no acute hospital readmission after discharge. The patients were divided according to the initial National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score (mild, ≤5; moderate, >5 and ≤13; severe, >13); we compared the number of hospitals that admitted patients and LOS after stroke according to severity, age, and sex.
The mean LOS was 115.6±219.0 days (median, 19.4 days) and the mean number of hospitals was 3.3±2.1 (median, 2.0). LOS was longer in patients with severe stroke (mild, 65.1±146.7 days; moderate, 223.1±286.0 days; and severe, 313.2±336.8 days). The number of admitting hospitals was greater for severe stroke (mild, 2.9±1.7; moderate, 4.3±2.6; and severe, 4.5±2.4). LOS was longer in women and shorter in patients less than 65 years of age.
LOS after stroke differed according to the stroke severity, sex, and age. These results will be useful in determining the appropriate LOS after stroke in the Korean medical system.
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To describe inpatient course and length of hospital stay (LOS) for people who sustain brain disorders nationwide.
We interviewed 1,903 randomly selected community-dwelling patients registered as 'disabled by brain disorders' in 28 regions of South Korea.
Seventy-seven percent were initially admitted to a Western medicine hospital, and 18% were admitted to a traditional Oriental medicine hospital. Forty-three percent were admitted to two or more hospitals. Mean LOS was 192 days. Most patients stayed in one hospital for more than 4 weeks. The transfer rate to other hospitals was 30-40%. Repeated admissions and increased LOS were related to younger onset age, higher education, non-family caregiver employment, smaller families, and more severe disability.
Korean patients with brain disorders showed significantly prolonged LOS and repeated admissions. Factors increasing burden of care influenced LOS significantly.
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To provide the latest statistics about the length of hospital stay (LOS) and the number of hospitals where the patient was admitted (NHA) for patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to investigate the correlated demographic characteristics.
In total, 277 patients with SCI who were members of the Korea Spinal Cord Injury Association were included in the analysis. The survey was conducted by self-completed questionnaires to collect data on LOS, NHA, and demographic variables.
Mean LOS was 13.5±9.7 months and the mean NHA was 2.7±1.4. Patients who suffered from SCI by traffic accidents showed a longer LOS and larger NHA than those with other causes. The mean LOS for patients with traumatic SCI was longer than that whose cause of injury was disease. Patients discharged in the 2000s had a longer LOS and a larger NHA than those discharged earlier. Other factors such as gender, age at the time of injury, neurological category, and ambulation capability did not result in a significant difference in either LOS or NHA.
The mean LOS of domestic patients with SCI was longer than the values reported in foreign studies. Interestingly, neither neurological category nor functional status were related to LOS. These findings suggest that other factors such as socio-psychological factors, other than the medical state of the patient, have an effect on the LOS of patients with SCI in Korea.
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