DETERMINANTS OF LENGTH OF HOSPITAL STAY AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG STROKE PATIENTSAT St PAUL’S HOSPITAL MILLENIUM MEDICAL COLLEGE, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA, 2023

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Stroke is a global health problem and the incidence of stroke appears to be rising in Africa. Longer hospital stays after stroke increase health care costs, raise the risk of hospital-acquired co morbidity and in-hospital mortality, and have been linked to worse outcomes. Nevertheless, adequate research is not conducted in Ethiopia and other African countries. Objective: The aim of the study was to identify the factors that influences the length of hospital stay (LOS) for stroke patients at St Paul’s hospital millennium medical college, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2023 Methods: A hospital based cross-sectional study was conductedamong158adult patients with acute stroke hospitalized at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College on 2023. The data were gathered using a customized and adjusted questionnaire, reviewed for accuracy, and then analyzed using SPSS version 25. Data was collected using kobotools then exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. A bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated LOS. The adjusted adds ratio (AOR) with a 95% CI was reported to show the strength of the association. Result: A total of 158 patient charts were approached for the study as per inclusion criteria with 100% response rate. Out of the total 158 patients, 91(57.6 %) were females and 67(42.4%) were males. The mean age of the respondents was 60.8 ± 16.8SD; In multivariable analysis variables such as hemorrhagic stroke is 27.6 times more likely to cause longer hospital stay, AOR: 27.6 (95%CI: 1.879, 405.78), having GCS less than 8 at presentation 7.35 times more likely to cause longer hospital stay, AOR: 7.35(95%CI: 1.023, 52.834), having initial creatinine>1.3 at presentation 0.32 times more likely to cause longer hospital stay, AOR: 0.32(95%CI: 0.13, 0.8). The above three variables were significantly associated with longer hospital stay with patients presented with stroke at the p-value of 0.05 with 95% CI. Key Words: Stroke, LOS, Ethiopia