Factors influencing hospital stay duration for patients with mild ischemic colitis: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND: Ischemic colitis is the most prevalent ischemic injury of the gastrointestinal tract. The majority of patients with mild ischemic colitis usually achieve complete clinical recovery shortly. However, the predictors of longer hospital stay duration are unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the predictors of hospital stay duration for patients with mild ischemic colitis. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 100 patients with mild ischemic colitis between January 2010 and December 2020 at Xiangya Hospital (a tertiary care center). The clinical characteristics and therapeutic drugs of patients who were hospitalized for ≤ 8 days and ≥ 12 days were compared. RESULTS: Of the 100 patients included, 63 (63%) were hospitalized for ≤ 8 days and 37 (37%) were hospitalized for ≥ 12 days. Patients with cerebrovascular disease (29.7% vs. 11.1%, p = 0.019) and abdominal surgical history (29.7% vs. 7.9%, p = 0.004) were more likely to be hospitalized for ≥ 12 days than for ≤ 8 days. The d-dimer levels [0.78 (0.41–1.82) vs. 0.28 (0.16–0.73), p = 0.001] and positive fecal occult blood test results (86.5% vs. 60.3%, p = 0.006) were higher in patients who were hospitalized for ≥ 12 days than in those who were hospitalized for ≤ 8 days. Probiotic use was greater in patients hospitalized for ≤ 8 days (76.2% vs. 54.1%, p = 0.022). Multivariate analysis indicated that cerebrovascular disease (odds ratio [OR] = 4.585; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.129–18.624; p = 0.033), abdominal surgical history (OR = 4.551; 95% CI 1.060–19.546; p = 0.042), higher d-dimer levels (OR = 1.928; 95% CI 1.024–3.632; p = 0.042), and higher positive fecal occult blood test results (OR = 7.211; 95% CI 1.929–26.953; p = 0.003) were associated with longer hospital stays. CONCLUSION: Cerebrovascular disease, abdominal surgical history, higher d-dimer levels, and higher positive fecal occult blood test results are independent and significant factors that influence longer hospital stays for patients with mild ischemic colitis. Probiotics helped reduce hospital stay in these patients.