Table 1:
Demographics of the hospitalization from the VA from 2015-2017
| All hospitalizations | Non-persistent critically ill hospitalizations | Persistent critically ill hospitalizations | |
|---|---|---|---|
| N=153,512 | N=145,872 | N=7,640 | |
| Age (years) median (IQR) | 67 (60, 73) | 67 (60, 72) | 68 (62, 73) |
| Race | |||
| White: N (%) | 109,587 (71.4) | 104,154 (71.4) | 5,433 (71.1) |
| African American: N(%) | 32,155 (21.0) | 30,499 (20.9) | 1,656 (21.7) |
| Other: N (%) | 11,770 (7.6) | 11,219 (7.7) | 551 (7.2) |
| Male: N (%) | 146,548 (95.5) | 139,153 (95.4) | 7,395 (96.8) |
| Elixhauser a: median (IQR) | 6 (1, 14) | 6 (0, 13) | 12 (5, 20) |
| VA ICU severity score: median (IQR) | 2.5 (1.0, 6.6) | 2.4 (1.0, 6.2) | 6.6 (2.7, 16.1) |
| ICU length of stay (days): median (IQR) | 3 (2, 5) | 3 (2, 4) | 15 (12, 20) |
| Hospital length of stay: (days) median (IQR) | 6 (4, 10) | 6 (3, 9) | 22 (16, 32) |
| In-hospital mortality: N (%) | 8,493 (5.5) | 6,922 (4.7) | 1,571 (20.6) |
| Discharge Location | |||
| Home: N (%) | 140,111 (91.2) | 134,371 (92.1) | 5,740 (75.1) |
| Facility: N (%) | 5,132 (3.4) | 4,794 (3.3) | 338 (4.5) |
| Other/Unknown: N (%) | 8,269 (5.4) | 6,707 (4.6) | 1,562 (20.4) |
| HOSPITAL CHARACTERISTICS | |||
| Hospital complexity level b | |||
| Level 1: N (%) | 143,384 (93.4) | 135,976 (93.2) | 7,408 (97.0) |
| Level 2: N (%) | 10,128 (6.6) | 9,896 (6.8) | 232 (3.0) |
| Bed size: median (IQR) | 159 (109, 244) | 159 (109, 144) | 167 (119, 248) |
| ICU-case mix | |||
| Medical: N (%) | 87860 (57.2) | 83,262 (57.1) | 4,598 (63.9) |
| Surgical: N (%) | 55705 (36.2) | 52,947 (36.3) | 2,758 (36.1) |
| Other: N (%) | 9947 (6.5) | 9,663 (6.6) | 284 (3.7) |
| Teaching facility: N (%) | 110,007 (71.7) | 104,062 (71.4) | 5,945 (77.8) |
| Region | |||
| Midwest: N (%) | 33,578 (21.9) | 32,091 (22.0) | 1,487 (19.5) |
| South: N (%) | 71,404 (46.5) | 67,701 (46.4) | 3,703 (48.5) |
| West: N (%) | 29,334 (19.1) | 27,916 (19.1) | 1,418 (18.5) |
| Northeast: N (%) | 19,196 (12.5) | 18,164 (12.5) | 1,032 (13.5) |
a
Weighted score of co-morbidities;
b
Within the VA, higher level ICUs (1 and 2) are associated with tertiary academic centers.
ICU: intensive care unit
IQR: interquartile range
VA: Veterans Administration