Background: While prolonged operative time and increased levels fused have been shown to increase the risk of prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) length-of-stay (LOS), studies are limited in guiding decision-making regarding the need for intensive care postoperatively. This is especially the case among the cohort of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion (PSF); associations between comorbidities and ICU LOS are not well-delineated.
Methods: AIS patients who underwent PSF from January 1st, 2016 to December 1st, 2016 at 101 participating centers were identified using the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Im-provement Project (NSQIP) Pediatric database. Patients were subsequently grouped by ICU LOS 0-1 day; 2-3 days; and >3 days. Multivariate regression identified predictors of increased ICU LOS.
Results: 2,346 AIS patients were included. The >3 days and 2-3 days groups had higher asthma rates compared to 0-1 day. The >3 days group had higher rates of structural airway abnormalities and he-matologic disorders. Cognitive impairment rates were highest for >3-day ICU LOS. Hematologic dis-orders, structural airway abnormalities, asthma and cognitive impairment were associated with prolonged ICU LOS.
Conclusion: These results help inform targets for optimization of acute short-term postoperative care as well as assisting in risk stratification to improve outcomes and reduce costs for ICU-level care of AIS patients at ACS NSQIP Pediatric program-participating hospitals. Level of Evidence: III.
Keywords: adolescent idiopathic scoliosis; complications; intensive care unit; length of stay; pediatric spinal deformity; posterior spinal fusion; postoperative outcomes.
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