Publication
Title
Duration and time trends in hospital stay for very preterm infants differ across European regions*
Author
Institution/Organisation
MOSAIC Res Grp
EPICE Res Grp
Abstract
Objectives: To compare duration and changes over time in length of hospital stay for very preterm and extremely preterm infants in 10 European regions. Design: Two area-based cohort studies from the same regions in 2003 and 2011/2012. Setting: Ten regions from nine European countries. Patients: Infants born between 22 + 0 and 31 + 6 weeks of gestational age and surviving to discharge (Models of Organising Access to Intensive Care for Very Preterm Births cohort in 2003, n = 4,011 and Effective Perinatal Intensive Care in Europe cohort in 2011/2012, n = 4,336). Interventions: Observational study, no intervention. Measurements and Main Results: Maternal and infant characteristics were abstracted from medical records using a common protocol and length of stay until discharge was adjusted for case-mix using negative binomial regression. Mean length of stay was 63.6 days in 2003 and varied from 52.4 to 76.5 days across regions. In 2011/2012, mean length of stay was 63.1 days, with a narrower regional range (54.0-70.1). Low gestational age, small for gestational age, low 5-minute Apgar score, surfactant administration, any surgery, and severe neonatal morbidities increased length of stay. Infant characteristics explained some of the differences between regions and over time, but large variations remained after adjustment. In 2011/2012, mean adjusted length of stay ranged from less than 54 days in the Northern region of the United Kingdom and Wielkopolska, Poland to over 67 days in the Ile-de-France region of France and the Eastern region of the Netherlands. No systematic decrease in very preterm length of stay was observed over time after adjustment for patient case-mix. Conclusions: A better understanding of the discharge criteria and care practices that contribute to the wide differences in very preterm length of stay across European regions could inform policies to optimize discharge decisions in terms of infant outcomes and health system costs.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Pediatric critical care medicine / Society of Critical Care Medicine. - Des Plaines, Ill.
Publication
Des Plaines, Ill. : 2018
ISSN
1529-7535
DOI
10.1097/PCC.0000000000001756
Volume/pages
19 :12 (2018) , p. 1153-1161
ISI
000452242700013
Pubmed ID
30334907
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
EPICE: Effective Perinatal Intensive Care in Europe: translating knowledge into evidence based practice
Screening to improve health in very preterm infants in Europe (SHIPS).
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 18.01.2019
Last edited 02.10.2024
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