Table 3.

Predictors of hospital length of stay (negative binomial analysis)

Potential predictor	Rate ratio (95% CI), p value
	AGH (n=470)	NRS (n=266)	UHCW (n=775)
Demographic variables
Age (years)/5*	1.01 (0.99 to 1.04), 0.293	0.99 (0.98 to 1.01), 0.425	1.06 (1.03 to 1.09),<0.001
Gender:
Female  Male†	0.96 (0.86 to 1.07), 0.472	0.97 (0.89 to 1.06), 0.533	1.15 (1.01 to 1.30), 0.029
Medical history
Number of comorbidities
2–8  ≤1†	1.16 (1.00 to 1.33), 0.048	1.13 (1.03 to 1.23), 0.007	0.97 (0.85 to 1.10), 0.617
Presenting patient characteristics
Breathlessness:
At rest or minimal activity  No to marked limitation†	0.98 (0.87 to 1.11), 0.782	1.19 (1.07 to 1.33), 0.002	1.29 (1.09 to 1.52), 0.003
Peripheral oedema:
Severe  Moderate  Mild  No†	0.81 (0.54 to 1.24), 0.333 1.05 (0.92 to 1.19), 0.495 0.96 (0.76 to 1.20), 0.716	1.13 (0.95 to 1.34), 0.157 0.89 (0.79 to 1.00), 0.047 0.88 (0.79 to 0.98), 0.019	1.79 (1.39 to 2.29), <0.001 1.20 (0.96 to 1.50), 0.101 1.02 (0.78 to 1.34), 0.874
Heart rate/5*	1.02 (1.00 to 1.03), 0.009	1.00 (0.99 to 1.01), 0.893	1.00 (0.98 to 1.02), 0.985
Systolic blood pressure/5*	0.99 (0.99 to 1.00), 0.197	0.99 (0.99 to 1.00), 0.097	0.98 (0.96 to 0.99), <0.001
Clinical and organisational care
Device therapy	1.07 (0.92 to 1.25), 0.357	0.98 (0.75 to 1.27), 0.867	1.28 (1.04 to 1.57), 0.021
Main place of care:
CCU/ICU  ward†	1.27 (1.02 to 1.58), 0.035	0.99 (0.90 to 1.09), 0.873	1.15 (0.90 to 1.47), 0.275
Specialist:
Cardiologist  Specialist HF nurse  Non-cardiologist†	0.79 (0.67 to 0.92), 0.002 N/A	1.03 (0.53 to 2.02), 0.924 N/A	1.35 (1.02 to 1.78), 0.035 2.15 (1.75 to 2.65), <0.001

*OR is per increase of five units.

†Reference category.

CCU, coronary care unit; HF, heart failure; ICU, intensive care unit; N/A, not available; UHCW, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire.