Background and Aims: Extended hospital stays are linked to increased morbidity and significant healthcare expenses. This study investigates factors contributing to prolonged hospitalization in patients with cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs).
Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, medical records of CVA patients hospitalized over two years (2014-2015) were analyzed. A total of 190 patients were included using systematic random sampling, and their demographic, clinical, and paraclinical data were recorded. A prolonged length of stay (LOS) was defined as an in-hospital stay of 12 days or longer.
Result: Among 190 included patients with acute stroke, 146 (76.8%) were male, the median age was 72.56 ± 9.55 years, and 80 (42.1%) had a prolonged LOS. Univariate Poisson regression analysis showed a significant association between infection and prolonged LOS with a p-value of 0.010. Meanwhile, ventilator use demonstrated borderline significance with a p-value of 0.065. In the multiple Poisson regression analysis, only infection was significantly associated with prolonged LOS (p-value = 0.014).
Conclusion: The results indicated that infection was associated with prolonged LOS. This factor should be considered an independent predictor of hospital stay duration in patients with stroke.