Table 2.
Care Delivery During Hospitalizations of Persons Who Use Drugs (PWUD) and Non-PWUD
| Characteristic | PWUD (n = 372) |
Non-PWUD (n = 591) |
P Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planned parenteral antibiotic treatment | |||
| Bacteremia alone, median weeks (IQR) | 4 (2–6) | 4 (2–6) | .59a |
| Endocarditis, median weeks (IQR) | 6 (6–6) | 6 (6–6) | .35a |
| Vertebral osteomyelitis, median weeks (IQR) | 6 (6–6) | 6 (6–6) | .63a |
| Epidural abscess, median weeks (IQR) | 6 (6–6) | 6 (6–6) | .43a |
| Inpatient medications for OUD (persons reporting opioid use, n = 214) | |||
| New start methadone ≤40 mg | 36 (17) | … | |
| New start methadone >40 mg | 11 (5) | … | |
| New start buprenorphine | 6 (3) | … | |
| Prior methadone or buprenorphine continued | 63 (29) | … | |
| No inpatient treatment for OUD | 98 (46) | … | |
| Discharge planning | |||
| PICC placedb | 202/309 (65) | 334/400 (84) | <.001c |
| Discharge setting | <.001c | ||
| Remained inpatient for antibiotic course | 65 (18) | 64 (11) | |
| Skilled nursing facility | 157 (42) | 194 (33) | |
| Home | 48 (13) | 208 (35) | |
| Patient-directed discharge from hospital | 46 (12) | 7 (1) | |
| Otherd | 24 (6) | 23 (4) | |
| Died or transitioned to hospice in the hospital | 31 (8) | 95 (16) | |
| Patient-directed discharge (“AMA”) any time during antibiotic coursee | 80 (24) | 12 (2) | <.001c |
Data are presented as No. (%) unless otherwise indicated.
Abbreviations: AMA, against medical advice; IQR, interquartile range; OUD, opioid use disorder; PICC, peripherally inserted central catheter.
a P value calculated using Wilcoxon rank-sum test.
bNot including those with preexisting central access, those who died, or those who transitioned to hospice in the hospital.
c P value calculated using χ 2 test.
dIncludes transfer back to referring hospital, discharge to medical respite (recuperative services for homeless persons), etc.
eDenominator in those who survived to hospital discharge, not on hospice: n = 340 in PWUD, n = 496 in non-PWUD.