Clinical characteristics of patients discharged from a palliative care center to home care: a retrospective cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study was to establish the clinical characteristics and their impact on the length of stay (LOS) of patients discharged from a palliative care center (PCC) to home care (HC). Methods: Our cross-sectional study retrospectively analysed 314 patients who were discharged from PCC to HC between 1 January 2015 and 30 September 2018. The patients were divided into two groups based on their LOS in the PCC. Prolonged hospitalisation was defined as hospitalisation for more than 30 days. Clinical characteristics associated with prolonged hospitalization were analyzed. Results: The study included 314 patients, with 129 (41.08%) female and 185 (58.92%) male. The mean age was 68.41±18.91 years and the LOS in PCC was 36.27±40.34 days. Of the patients, 186 were hospitalized for 30 days or less, while 128 were hospitalized for more than 30 days. The most frequent diagnosis was cerebrovascular event (CVE) (37.57%). The most common accompanying chronic systemic diseases were hypertension (20.70%), followed by diabetes mellitus and heart failure (9.87%; 6.68%, respectively). Out of the total number of patients, 9.87% (n=31) were mobilized. Among them, 55.09% (n=173) were able to receive oral nutrition, 42.03% (n=132) had percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), 23.88% (n=75) had pressure ulcer (PU), and 27.07% (n=85) had tracheostomy. Additionally, 6.68% (n=24) of the patients were receiving respiratory support with a home ventilator. It was observed that the LOS of patients who were mobile, able to feed orally, and diagnosed with cancer was shorter. The presence of CVE (p=0.001), head trauma (p=0.013), hypoxic brain diagnosis (p=0.001), PEG (p<0.001), tracheostomy (p<0.001), PU (p=0.011), and home ventilator (p=0.024) were identified as predictors of long LOS. Hypoxic brain diagnosis was found to be the clinical feature most strongly associated with long-term hospitalization (OR:6.8), followed by PEG feeding (OR:6.6) and the presence of tracheostomy (OR:5.2). Conclusion: In our study we observed that time to discharge is extended due to training on care and nutrition for patients undergoing tracheostomy, PEG and PU.

Keywords

• Palliative care
• home care
• length of stay
• discharge
• prolonged hospitalisation

Palyatif bakım merkezinden evde bakıma taburcu edilen hastaların klinik özellikleri: retrospektif kesitsel bir çalışma

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, palyatif bakım merkezinden (PCC) evde bakıma (HC) taburcu edilen hastaların klinik özelliklerini ve bunların kalış süresine (LOS) etkisini belirlemektir. Yöntemler: Kesitsel çalışmamız, 1 Ocak 2015 ile 30 Eylül 2018 tarihleri arasında PCC'den HC'ye taburcu edilen 314 hastayı retrospektif olarak analiz etti. Hastalar, PCC'deki LOS'lerine göre iki gruba ayrıldı. Uzamış hastanede yatış, 30 günden fazla hastanede yatış olarak tanımlandı. Uzun süreli hastanede kalışla ilişkili klinik özellikler analiz edildi. Bulgular: Çalışmaya 129'u (%41,08) kadın, 185'i (%58,92) erkek olmak üzere 314 hasta dahil edildi. Ortalama yaş 68,41±18,91 yıl ve PCC'de kalış süresi 36,27±40,34 gündü. Hastalardan 186'sı 30 gün ve daha az, 128'i ise 30 günden fazla hastanede yattı. En sık görülen tanı serebrovasküler olay (CVE) (%37,57) idi. Eşlik eden kronik sistemik hastalıkların en sık hipertansiyon (%20,70) olduğu, bunu sırasıyla diyabet ve kalp yetmezliğinin (%9,87; %6,68) takip ettiği görüldü. Toplam hasta sayısının %9,87'si (n = 31) mobilize idi. Bunların %55,09'u (n=173) oral beslenme alabiliyordu, %42,03'ü (n=132) perkütan endoskopik gastrostomi (PEG), %23,88'i (n=75) bası yarası (PU), %27,07'si (n=132) n=85) trakeostomi mevcuttu. Ayrıca hastaların %6,68'i (n=24) ev ventilatörü ile solunum desteği alıyordu. Mobilize, ağızdan beslenebilen ve kanser tanısı alan hastaların hastanede kalış süresinin daha kısa olduğu görüldü. CVE (p=0,001), kafa travması (p=0,013), hipoksik beyin tanısı (p=0,001), PEG (p<0,001), trakeostomi (p<0,001), PU (p=0,011) ve ev ventilatörü (p=0,024) uzun LOS'nin belirleyicileri olarak belirlendi. Hipoksik beyin tanısının, uzun süreli hastanede yatışla (OR:6,8) en güçlü şekilde ilişkili klinik özellik olduğu, bunu PEG beslemesi (OR:6,6) ve trakeostomi varlığının (OR:5,2) takip ettiği görüldü. Tartışma: Çalışmamızda trakeostomi, PEG ve PU bulunan hastaların bakım ve beslenme eğitimi nedeniyle taburculuk sürelerinin uzadığını gözlemledik.

Keywords

• palyatif bakım
• Evde bakım
• yatış süresi
• taburculuk
• uzun süreli hastanede kalma

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