Table 3.
Length of Stay by Medication Number/Route and Patient Disposition (N = 229)
| Characteristic | Patients, n | ED Length of Stay (min), Median (IQR) | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of medications | |||
| 1 | 113 | 543 (351–1057) | χ2 = 23.26; p < 0.001* |
| 2 | 65 | 766 (552–1321) | |
| 3 | 30 | 1134 (574–1846) | |
| 4 or more | 21 | 1389 (874–1652) | |
| Route of administration | |||
| Oral only | 142 | 675.5 (418–1652) | z = −2.47; p = 0.014 |
| IM and/or IV | 87 | 951 (454–1652) | |
| Patient disposition | |||
| Discharged home | 38 | 383.5 (193–646) | χ2 = 28.54; p < 0.0001† |
| Admitted | 12 | 637 (516–1050) | |
| Transferred | 179 | 892 (502–1502) | |
ED, Emergency Department; IM, intramuscular; IV, intravenous
* Post hoc Dunn pairwise comparisons identified significant differences in median length of ED stay between 1 and 2 medication (p = 0.0082); 1 and 3 medications (p = 0.001); 1 and 4 or more medications (p = 0.001); 2 and 3 medications (p = 0.0449); and 2 and 4 medications (p = 0.0246).
† Post hoc Dunn pairwise comparisons identified significant difference between patients discharged home and admitted (p = 0.012) and patients discharged home and transferred to another facility (p < 0.0001).