Risk factors on admission associated with hospital length of stay in patients with COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study

Treating patients with COVID-19 is expensive, thus it is essential to identify factors on admission associated with hospital length of stay (LOS) and provide a risk assessment for clinical treatment. To address this, we conduct a retrospective study, which involved patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection in Hefei, China and being discharged between January 20 2020 and March 16 2020. Demographic information, clinical treatment, and laboratory data for the participants were extracted from medical records. A prolonged LOS was defined as equal to or greater than the median length of hospitable stay. The median LOS for the 75 patients was 17 days (IQR 13-22). We used univariable and multivariable logistic regressions to explore the risk factors associated with a prolonged hospital LOS. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. The median age of the 75 patients was 47 years. Approximately 75% of the patients had mild or general disease. The univariate logistic regression model showed that female sex and having a fever on admission were significantly associated with longer duration of hospitalization. The multivariate logistic regression model enhances these associations. Odds of a prolonged LOS were associated with male sex (aOR 0.19, 95% CI 0.05-0.63, p=0.01), having fever on admission (aOR 8.27, 95% CI 1.47-72.16, p=0.028) and pre-existing chronic kidney or liver disease (aOR 13.73 95% CI 1.95-145.4, p=0.015) as well as each 1-unit increase in creatinine level (aOR 0.94, 95% CI 0.9-0.98, p=0.007). We also found that a prolonged LOS was associated with increased creatinine levels in patients with chronic kidney or liver disease (p<0.001). In conclusion, female sex, fever, chronic kidney or liver disease before admission and increasing creatinine levels were associated with prolonged LOS in patients with COVID-19.

Automated summary

The study identified factors such as female sex, fever on admission, pre-existing chronic kidney or liver disease, and increasing creatinine levels that were associated with prolonged hospital length of stay in patients with COVID-19.