Predictors of ICU Transfer and Length of Stay in Hospitalized Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

摘要: Introduction/Rationale: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neuromuscular disease characterized by progressive respiratory failure. Inpatient best practices for these patients are not well established. We aimed to identify risk factors and predictors of ICU hospitalization rates and hospital length of stay (LOS). We also evaluated the impact of a respiratory care quality improvement intervention (ie, protocolized use of mechanical-insufflation exsufflation, vital capacity monitoring, and proactive nocturnal noninvasive ventilation use for neuromuscular patients) implemented starting in 2018. Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of ALS who required hospitalization at UCSD between the years 2016-2021 were identified. Medical history, hospitalization data, and pulmonary function testing within six months of a hospitalization was obtained via chart review. Hospitalizations with LOS> 24 hours were analyzed. Multivariable …