ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND
Identifying factors associated with do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders is an informative step in developing strategies to improve their use. As such, a descriptive analysis of the factors associated with the use of DNR orders in the early and late phases of hospitalizations for sepsis was performed.
METHODS
A retrospective cohort of adult patients hospitalized for sepsis was identified using a statewide administrative database. DNR orders placed within 24 h of hospitalization (early DNR) and after 24 h of hospitalization (late DNR) were the primary outcome variables. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify patient, hospital, and healthcare system-related factors associated with the use of early and late DNR orders.
RESULTS
Among 77,329 patients hospitalized for sepsis, 27.5 % had a DNR order during their hospitalization. Among the cases with a DNR order, 75.5 % had the order within 24 h of hospitalization. Smaller hospital size and the absence of a teaching program increased the likelihood of an early DNR order being written. Additionally, greater patient age, female gender, White race, more medical comorbidities, Medicare payer status and admission from a skilled nursing facility were all significantly associated with the likelihood of having an early DNR. The strength of association between these factors and the use of late DNR orders was weaker. In contrast, the greater the burden of medical comorbidities, the more likely a patient was to receive a late DNR order.
CONCLUSION
Multiple patient, hospital, and healthcare system-related factors are associated with the use of DNR orders in sepsis, many of which appear to be independent of a patient’s clinical status. Over the course of the hospitalization, the burden of medical illness shows a stronger association relative to other variables. The influence of these multi-level factors needs to be recognized in strategies to improve the use of DNR orders. .
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Contributions
Dr. Chang is the guarantor of the contents in the manuscript, including the data and analysis.
Dr. Chang: contributed to acquiring, analyzing, and interpreting the data and drafted the submitted article.
Dr. Brass: contributed to analyzing and interpreting the data; reviewed and revised the article critically for important intellectual content.
Other contributors: We thank Chi-hong Tseng, Ph.D. for his review of the statistical analysis and manuscript.
Funding / Support
The research described was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS) UCLA CTSI Grant Number UL1TR000124.
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None.
Conflicts of Interest
Dr. Dong Chang has no conflicts of interest to report. Dr. Eric Brass is a consultant to numerous companies related to the development of drugs and medical devices. None of these companies or projects has a direct interest in the topic of this manuscript.
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Chang, D.W., Brass, E.P. Patient and Hospital-Level Characteristics Associated with the Use of Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders in Patients Hospitalized for Sepsis. J GEN INTERN MED 29, 1256–1262 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-014-2906-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-014-2906-x