Determinants of Length of Stay in a Psychiatric Ward: a Retrospective Chart Review.

Considering the limited resources for providing inpatient services, identification of the factors influencing length of stay (LOS) is of great importance. The current study is a retrospective chart review which was planned to investigate the determinants of LOS in two gender-specific psychiatric wards within Baqiatallah Hospital (BQH) located in Tehran. The observation period was between March 21, 2011 and March 19, 2016. 3203 patients were recruited in terms of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Next, required data on 25 explanatory variables were extracted from their case-files. Descriptive measures were used for analysis and Independent Samples T-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient and Bonferroni's post-hoc test for inferential analysis. Lastly, a multiple linear regression model was run to determine significant predictors of psychiatric LOS. Variables significantly correlated with patients' LOS included gender, age, employment status, marital status, number of divorces, disability rate, discharge diagnosis, physical comorbidity, number of previous hospitalizations, suicide ideation, number of suicide attempts, history of assault, tobacco consumption, a history of narcotic drug abuse and number of ECT sessions. Through the analysis of multiple linear regression, it came to light that significant predictors of LOS in the final model could account for 37.9% of the variance in LOS. From the findings of current study, it can be inferred that clinical aspects as well as treatment procedures have major effects on LOS. Although the factors examined here could not explain an acceptable variance in LOS, the results are useful for the treatment team when they want to devise a care plan or give discharge to a patient.

The Quality of Life of Mustard Gas Victims: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Today, a host of veterans who were exposed to mustard gas suffer from substantially poor quality of life (QoL). However, factors that influence these patients' QoL have not been yet scrutinized. QoL is deemed as a crucial construct that demands careful attention during evaluation as well as intervention. The present study aimed to delve into the physical, mental, and social factors that affect the QoL of mustard gas victims. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All the physical, mental, and social parameters that influence the QoL of mustard gas victims were scrutinized through a systematic review. We searched for Persian and English scientific databases, i.e., PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, and national databanks, namely SID, IranMedex, and Magiran to identify studies related to chemical victims conducted up to the end of 2015. Next, the quality of 21 articles and studies were assessed using the checklist of the National Institute of Health (NIH), and subsequently, 13 articles were selected for the stages of data extraction and analysis. RESULTS: Findings revealed that, among the physical factors, coexistence of several medical conditions caused by chemical injury and the severity of the chemical injury had the greatest impact on the QoL of chemically injured veterans. Besides, suffering from psychological and neurological disorders, along with educational level and employment status, were the most influential psychosocial parameters that influenced veterans' QoL. CONCLUSION: The review conducted herein identified the physical and psychosocial factors affecting the QoL of mustard gas victims. In fact, it is the first to present a large collection of descriptive information on QoL contributors in a systematic and orderly fashion.