Abstract:

Introduction: The need for palliative care increases with advanced age and chronic diseases. We evaluated the factors that prolong discharge from palliative care center to improve the efficient use of existing palliative care beds. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included patients discharged from a palliative care center. The demographic and clinical features of the two groups, differentiated by length of stay, were compared. Results: This study included 103 patients Group 1, n = 56, aged 67.7 ± 16.4 years and Group 2, n = 47, aged 67.6 ± 14.1 years. The length of stay in the center was 12.4 ± 4.8 days for Group 1 and 42.4 ± 15.8 days for Group 2. The number of patients with heart failure was higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 (p = 0.006), and the number of patients receiving oral nutrition was higher in Group 1 (p = 0.031). The gastrostomy status of Group 2 was higher than that of Group 1 (p = 0.035). Grades 1 and 3-4 decubitus ulcers were more common in Group 1 than in Group 2 (p = 0.009), and the lowest sodium levels were lower in Group 1 (p = 0.033). Conclusion: Anoxic brain injury as a referral diagnosis, presence of heart failure, and lower serum sodium levels were associated with a longer length of stay in palliative care center. It is important to determine the factors affecting long-term hospitalization and discharge so that more patients can benefit from inpatient palliative care services.

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