Factors affecting length of stay at the department of obstetrics and gynaecology in Tanta University Hospital

ABSTRACT

This study has been performed to determine the causes of prolonged stay and bed mis-utilization at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Tanta University Hospitals. The concurrent individual case review was followed -for 100 patients selected from the three wards of the Department during a period of four months in the year 1993. The average patient's stay was 7.3 days preoperatively and 11.7 days postoperatively. The longest stay belonged to of fibroid uterus group [25 +/- 8.37 days]. The infertility group had the shortest preoperative stay [4.75 +/- 3.88 days]. The main reasons of preoperative delay were delayed investigations and unfitness of the patient for die operation. As regard causes of postoperative delay; extramedical factors were responsible for most of delays, probably being related to attitudes and preferences of surgeons and patients. More than one cause contributed in most of both preoperative [32.6%] and postoperative delays of stay [28.7%]. This delay led to wastage of 296 and 227 days preoperative and postoperative respectively. All causes of pre and postoperative delay resulted in 464 and 428 inappropriate days. This constituted 69.05% and 40.5% of die total pre and postoperative hospital day care respectively. This pointed to the seriousness of the phenotmenon at the Department. As discussed in this report, the majority of causes of prolonged stay and bed misutilization either pre or postoperative could be avoided and dius die efficiency of bed utilization at die Department could be greatly increased