Risk Factors Associated with Prolonged Hospital Stay in Admitted Patients with Psychotropic Drug Overdose

Toshikazu Abe, Yasuharu Tokuda, Gerald H. Stein, Shinichi Ishimatsu, Richard B. Birrer
2008 Open Critical Care Medicine Journal  
Objective: To determine risk factors associated with their length of hospital stay in admitted patients with psychotropic drug overdose. Methods: Demographics, data of physical and laboratory, and hospital stay were analyzed using a linear regression and a recursive partitioning analysis to determine significant risk factors for prolonged hospitalization. Results: In 140 patients (mean age, 35 yr; 78% women) with psychotropic drug overdose, the median hospital stay was 2.9 days (range, 1-17)
more » ... all were discharged alive. Significant factors for prolonged hospital stay were older age (p<0.0001), increased heart rate (p = 0.029), lower blood pressure (p<0.0001), lower Glasgow coma scale (p = 0.015), and increased blood leukocyte (p = 0.005). The recursive partitioning showed that blood leukocyte of 12,900/mm 3 was the cutoff of the most important variable for hospital stay of 3 days or greater. Conclusions: Elevated blood leukocyte is the most important predictor for prolonged hospitalization in admitted patients with psychotropic drug overdose.
doi:10.2174/1874828700801010012 fatcat:g2qxkqqkw5bphc76ffii7pdkzq