The Implications of Long-Term Acute Care Hospital Transfer Practices for Measures of In-Hospital Mortality and Length of Stay

The goal of this study was to describe the characteristics, clinical management, and patient outcomes during, and after, acute COVID-19 phase at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a long-term acute care hospital in Wallingford, CT, USA. In this study, we conducted a single-center retrospective analysis of electronic medical records of patients treated for COVID-19-related impairments, from March 19, 2020 through August 14, 2020, to evaluate patient outcomes in response to holistic treatment approach used at our facility. Of the 127 total COVID-19 related patient admissions during this time, 118 were discharged by the data cut-off. Mean patient age was 63 years, 64.1% were male, and 29.9% of patients tested-positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection at admission. The mean (SD) length-of-stay at was 25.5 (13.0) days and there was a positive correlation between patient age and length-of-stay. Of the 51 patients non-ambulatory at admission, 83.3% were ambulatory at discharge. Gait increased 217.4 feet from admission to discharge, a greater increase than the reference cohort of 146.3 feet. 93.8% (15/16) of patients mechanically ventilated at admission were weaned before discharge (mean 11.3 days). 74.7% (56/75) of patients admitted with a restricted diet were discharged on a regular diet. In conclusion, the majority of patients treated at our long-term acute care hospital for severe COVID-19 and related complications improved significantly through coordinated care and rehabilitation.

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Patient Outcomes and Lessons-Learned from Treating Patients with Severe COVID-19 at a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.31502 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Peter Grevelding ◽

Henry Charles Hrdlicka ◽

Stephen Holland ◽

Lorraine Cullen ◽

Amanda Meyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Length Of Stay ◽

Acute Care ◽

Patient Outcomes ◽

Acute Care Hospital ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Patient Age ◽

Holistic Treatment ◽

Patient Âgé

BACKGROUND Patients hospitalized with severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) may face long hospital lengths-of-stay, making it unreasonable to expect a discharge to home without long-term consequences.Post-acute care, such as that provided at long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) can provide rehabilitation and/or palliative care in the post-COVID phase, as well as provide an alternative to conventional short-term acute care hospitalization (STACH) for active treatment, thereby reducing the burden on the STACH system. OBJECTIVE To describe characteristics, clinical management, and patient outcomes during and after acute COVID-19 phase in a LTACH in the Northeastern United States. METHODS A single-center retrospective analysis of electronic medical records of patients treated for COVID-19-related impairments, from March 19, 2020 through August 14, 2020, was conducted to evaluate patient outcomes in response to the facility’s holistic treatment approach. RESULTS Of the 127 total COVID-19 related patient admissions during this time, 118 admissions were discharged by the data cut-off. Mean patient age was 63 years, 64.1% were male, and 29.9% of patients tested-positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection at admission. The mean (SD) length-of-stay at was 25.5 (13.0) days and there was a positive correlation between patient age and length-of-stay. Of the 51 patients non-ambulatory at admission, 83.3% were ambulatory at discharge. Gait increased 217.4 feet from admission to discharge, a greater increase than the reference cohort of 146.3 feet. 93.8% (15/16) of patients mechanically ventilated at admission were weaned before discharge (mean 11.3 days). 74.7% (56/75) of patients admitted with a restricted diet were discharged on a regular diet. CONCLUSIONS The majority of patients treated at a long-term acute care hospital for severe COVID-19 and related complications improved significantly through coordinated care and rehabilitation.

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Appropriateness of Long-Term Acute Care Hospital Transfer: A Multicenter Study of Medicare ACO Beneficiaries

Journal of the American Medical Directors Association ◽

10.1016/j.jamda.2021.01.067 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ross C. Schumacher ◽

Michael Chiu ◽

Jean de Leon ◽

Kate Krause ◽

Anil N. Makam

Keyword(s):

Acute Care ◽

Multicenter Study ◽

Acute Care Hospital ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Hospital Transfer

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Epidemiology of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1086/596103 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 319-324 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Allan J. Walkey ◽

Christine Campbell Reardon ◽

Carol A. Sulis ◽

R. Nicholas Nace ◽

Martin Joyce-Brady

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Ventilation ◽

Length Of Stay ◽

Acute Care ◽

Acute Care Hospital ◽

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Specialty Hospital ◽

Control And Prevention ◽

Vap Bundle

Objective.To characterize the epidemiology and microbiology of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in a long-term acute care hospital (LTACH).Design.Retrospective study of prospectively identified cases of VAP.Setting.Single-center, 207-bed LTACH with the capacity to house 42 patients requiring mechanical ventilation, evaluated from April 1, 2006, through January 31, 2008.Methods.Data on the occurrence of VAP were collected prospectively as part of routine infection surveillance at Radius Specialty Hospital. After March 2006, Radius Specialty Hospital implemented a bundle of interventions for the prevention of VAP (hereafter referred to as the VAP-bundle approach). A case of VAP was defined as a patient who required mechanical ventilation at Radius Specialty Hospital for at least 48 hours before any symptoms of pneumonia appeared and who met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for VAP. Sputum samples were collected from a tracheal aspirate if there was clinical suspicion of VAP, and these samples were semi-quantitatively cultured.Results.During the 22-month study period, 23 cases of VAP involving 19 patients were associated with 157 LTACH admissions (infection rate, 14.6%), corresponding to a rate of 1.67 cases per 1,000 ventilator-days, which is a 56% reduction from the VAP rate of 3.8 cases per 1,000 ventilator-days reported before the implementation of the VAP-bundle approach (P<.001). Microbiological data were available for 21 (91%) of 23 cases of VAP. Cases of VAP in the LTACH were frequently polymicrobial (mean number ± SD, 1.78 ± 1.0 pathogens per case of VAP), and 20 (95%) of 21 cases of VAP had at least 1 pathogen (Pseudomonas species, Acinetobacter species, gram-negative bacilli resistant to more than 3 antibiotics, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) cultured from a sputum sample. LTACH patients with VAP were more likely to have a neurological reason for ventilator dependence, compared with LTACH patients without VAP (69.6% of cases of VAP vs 39% of cases of respiratory failure; P = .014). In addition, patients with VAP had a longer length of LTACH stay, compared with patients without VAP (median length of stay, 131 days vs 39 days; P = .002). In 6 (26%) of 23 cases of VAP, the patient was eventually weaned from use of mechanical ventilation. Of the 19 patients with VAP, 1 (5%) did not survive the LTACH stay.Conclusions.The VAP rate in the LTACH is lower than the VAP rate reported in acute care hospitals. Cases of VAP in the LTACH were frequently polymicrobial and were associated with multidrug-resistant pathogens and increased length of stay. The guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that are aimed at reducing cases of VAP appear to be effective if applied in the LTACH setting.

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How Long Does it Take to Initiate a Child on Long-Term Invasive Ventilation? Results From A Canadian Pediatric Home Ventilation Program

Canadian Respiratory Journal ◽

10.1155/2015/107914 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 103-108 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Reshma Amin ◽

Aarti Sayal ◽

Faiza Syed ◽

Cathy Daniels ◽

Andrea Hoffman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Length Of Stay ◽

Acute Care ◽

Acute Care Hospital ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Invasive Ventilation ◽

Coordinated Care ◽

Median Length ◽

Rehabilitation Hospital ◽

Long Term Ventilation

OBJECTIVE: To assess the length of stay required to initiate long-term invasive ventilation at the authors’ institution, which would inform future interventional strategies to streamline the in-hospital stay for these families.METHODS: A retrospective chart review of children initiated on invasive long-term ventilation via tracheostomy at the authors’ acute care centre between January 2005 and December 2013 was performed.RESULTS: Thirty-five children were initiated on long-term invasive ventilation via tracheostomy at the acute care hospital; 19 (54%) were male. The median age at time of admission was 0.52 years (interquartile range [IQR] 0.06 to 9.58 years). Musculoskeletal disease (n=11 [31%]) was the most common reason for tracheostomy insertion. Two children died during the hospital admission. Fifteen children were discharged home directly from the acute care hospital and 18 were moved to the rehabilitation hospital. Six are current inpatients of the rehabilitation centre and were never discharged home. Combining the length of stay at the acute care and rehabilitation hospitals for the entire cohort, the median length of stay was 162.0 days (IQR 98.0 to 275.0 days) and 97.0 days (IQR 69.0 to 210.0 days), respectively, from the time of tracheostomy insertion.CONCLUSIONS: The median length of stay from the initiation of invasive long-term ventilation to discharge home from the rehabilitation hospital was somewhat long compared with other ventilation programs worldwide. Additionally, approximately 20% of the cohort never transitioned home. There is a timely need to benchmark across the country and internationally, to identify and implement strategies for cohesive, coordinated care for these children to decrease overall length of stay.

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