Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34610933›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2021

Time trends, sociodemographic and health factors associated with discharge and length of stay of hospitalised patients with sickle cell disease in Ghana: a retrospective analysis of national routine health database.

Clement Tetteh Narh, Joyce Der, Anthony Ofosu, Maria Blettner, Daniel Wollschlaeger

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Clement Tetteh NarhEpidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, Volta Region, Ghana ctnarh@uhas.edu.gh.ORCID 0000-0002-4025-5433
Joyce DerEpidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, Volta Region, Ghana.
Anthony OfosuPolicy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (PPMED), Ghana Health Service, Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana.
Maria BlettnerRadiation Epidemiology, Johannes-Gutenberg Universitat Mainz Institut für Medizinische Biometrie Epidemiologie und Informatik, Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.
Daniel WollschlaegerRadiation Epidemiology, Johannes-Gutenberg Universitat Mainz Institut für Medizinische Biometrie Epidemiologie und Informatik, Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivePatients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are prone to multiple episodes resulting in frequent hospital visits. We determined the time trends, sociodemographic and health factors associated with length of stay (LoS) for patients with SCD in Ghana. DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS,

settingWe retrospectively analysed SCD hospitalisation records of 22 680 patients from a nationwide database of the Ghana Health Service from 2012 to 2017. OUTCOME MEASURES: Factors associated with LoS were estimated using Cox regression, while the cumulative incidence of being discharged alive was estimated with in-hospital death as a competing risk.

resultsPatients admitted for SCD over 6 years constituted 22 680 (0.8%) of nearly 3 million admissions. The median age and LoS for the patients were 16 years (IQR=8-24) and 3 days (IQR=2-4), representing 14 202 (62.6%) of the patients discharged alive by the third day. Patients with sickle cell anaemia (6139, 52.6%) with a crisis were more frequent than those without a crisis. Increasing age was associated with shorter LoS when comparing age groups 10-14 years (HR=1.08, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.14) and 25-29 years (HR=1.27, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.37) to patients aged 0-4 years. Patients with comorbidities had a longer LoS compared with those without (HR=0.88, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.90).

conclusionThis is the largest study to date documenting factors associated with LoS for patients admitted for SCD. The association of younger age with increased LoS supports recent calls for early SCD screening, especially newborns. The emerging trends and factors accounting for SCD admission require a multisector approach as these patients already experience frequent episodes of pain and hospital visits.

Indexed as

Anemia, Sickle CellPatient DischargeAdolescentChildGhanaHospital MortalityHumansInfant, NewbornLength of StayRetrospective Studiesanaemiaepidemiologypublic health

Identifiers

PMID34610933
PMCPMC8493906

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