RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To assess the reasons for discharge delays for children with long-term mechanical ventilation. STUDY DESIGN: Charts of children (0-18 years of age) with a new tracheostomy in the Pulmonary Habilitation Program at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago were retrospectively reviewed for demographic information, medical diagnoses, medical stability, discharge to home, reasons for discharge delay, and hours of staffed home nursing. All patients were discharged on mechanical ventilation. Discharge delay was defined as >10 days after medical stability. Hospital charges were analyzed and excess charges quantified beginning with the date of delay. Descriptive statistics and Pearson χ2 tests were used to compare nursing hours and demographics. RESULTS: Of 72 patients, 55% were male with mean age 1.8 years (SD 3.8) at tracheostomy placement. The most common long-term mechanical ventilation indication was chronic lung disease (n = 47, 65%); 54% had discharge delays, the majority were primarily due to lack of home nursing (62%), followed by delay of caregiver training (18%), caregiver health and social issues (8%), and delay in a transitional care facility bed (8%). Of the 39 delayed patients, 10% ($13 217 889) of hospital charges occurred during excess days with a median of $186 061 (IQR $117 661-$386 905) per patient. CONCLUSIONS: Over one-half of children discharged to the community from a large inpatient pediatric long-term mechanical ventilation program had a nonmedical delay of discharge home, most commonly because of home nurse staffing. This case series provides further evidence that limited availability of home nursing impedes efficient discharge and prolongs hospitalizations.
Assuntos
Tempo de Internação/estatística & dados numéricos , Alta do Paciente , Respiração Artificial/estatística & dados numéricos , Adolescente , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Masculino , Estudos Retrospectivos , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
In chronic children with long-term mechanical ventilation, early discharge improves quality of life and decreases associated health costs. In order to achieve this goal, implementation of hospital and home care programs integrating a multidisciplinary team is necessary. In North America, the Respiratory Therapist (RT) performs an important part of the respiratory care and education to caregivers before patients' discharge. In Chile, the kinesiologist (physical therapist with respiratory care knowledge) assumes part of these functions, including permeability of the airway, education about oxygen therapy systems, mechanical ventilation support adaptation, thermo-humidification, aerosol therapy and monitoring.Additionally, unlike the traditional role of RTs, kinesiologists are involved in respiratory rehabilitation activities designed to optimize cardiorespiratory function prior to discharge, integrating general and specific training strategies, use of phonation devices and implementation of individualized respiratory assessments
En niños crónicos dependientes de ventilación mecánica prolongada (VMP), el alta precoz mejora la calidad de vida y disminuye los costos sanitarios asociados. Para lograrla es necesaria la implementación de programas hospitalarios y domiciliarios que integren a distintos profesionales. En Norteamérica es el Terapista Respiratorio (TR) quien ejecuta parte importante de los cuidados respiratorios y educación a los padres previo al alta. En Chile es el Kinesiólogo quien asume parte de estas funciones, incluyendo permeabilización de la vía aérea, adecuación de sistemas de soporte ventilatorio, oxigenoterapia, termohumedificación, aerosolterapía y monitorización.Adicionalmente, a diferencia del rol clásico del TR, el kinesiólogo desarrolla actividades de rehabilitación respiratoria tendientes a optimizar el estado funcional cardiorespiratorio previo al alta, integrando actividades de acondicionamiento general y especifico, uso de dispositivos fonatorios y ejecución de evaluaciones individualizadas de la función respiratoria