Quality management in health care
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Qual Manag Health Care · Apr 2014
Factors influencing the length of hospital stay in patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admitted to intensive care units.
The cost of hospital admissions for acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) accounts for 70% of total costs for the treatment of COPD patients. We wanted to identify clinical parameters associated with a longer length of stay (LOS) in these patients. ⋯ Our study demonstrates that intubation for mechanical ventilation increased the LOS in patients with AECOPD. More intensive interventions in these patients might decrease the LOS and improve outcomes.