Table 3.

Factors associated with patients with stroke spending at least 90% of their admission in an SU

Factors	OR*	95% CI	P values
Age
<65	1.00
65–74	1.11	0.78 to 1.59	0.56
75–84	0.94	0.67 to 1.33	0.73
≥85	0.92	0.63 to 1.35	0.68
Unable to walk on admission	0.75	0.57 to 0.99	0.04
Incontinent at 72 hours of admission	0.84	0.63 to 1.12	0.24
History of atrial fibrillation	1.00	0.76 to 1.33	0.98
History of ischaemic heart disease	0.87	0.66 to 1.13	0.30
Any severe complication†	0.64	0.43 to 0.96	0.03
Stroke occurred while patient was in hospital	0.21	0.08 to 0.56	0.002
Transferred to SU within 3 hours of ED arrival	3.41	2.14 to 5.42	<0.001
Brain scan assessment within 24 hours of ED arrival	2.03	1.08 to 3.81	0.03
Treated in a metropolitan hospital	0.70	0.13 to 3.78	0.68
Treated in a private hospital	0.77	0.33 to 1.80	0.55
Stroke care coordinator present	1.42	0.91 to 2.22	0.12
Treated in a hospital with onsite neurosurgery	0.49	0.30 to 0.80	0.005
Stroke team involved in quality improvement in last 2 years	1.19	0.62 to 2.31	0.60
Access to early supported discharge team	1.66	0.83 to 3.29	0.15
Regular multidisciplinary team meetings	1.51	0.36 to 6.42	0.57
Number of beds on SU
<5	1.00
5–9	1.25	0.75 to 2.09	0.39
≥10	1.91	1.08 to 3.35	0.03
Stroke admissions last year ≥100	0.55	0.22 to 1.33	0.18
Stroke specialist research nurse involved with treatment	1.52	0.80 to 2.91	0.20
Access to ongoing inpatient rehabilitation	1.02	0.38 to 2.69	0.97

*Multivariable model adjusted for all factors listed in table; level was hospital.

†A complication considered incapacitating, life threatening and one that prolongs hospital admission, for example, pneumonia, falls, fever, urinary tract infection, seizures, deep vein thrombosis.

ED, emergency department; SU, stroke unit.