Postoperative Admission of Adult Craniotomy Patients to the Neuroscience Ward Reduces Length of Stay and Cost

Abstract BACKGROUND The neurointensive care unit (NICU) has traditionally been the default recovery after elective craniotomies. OBJECTIVE To assess whether admitting adult patients without significant comorbidities to neuroscience ward (NW) instead of NICU for resulted in similar clinical outcome while reducing length stay (LOS) and hospitalization cost. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed cost data undergoing supratentorial craniotomy at a university hospital within 5-yr period who had LOS less than 7 d. compared those admitted 1 night versus directly NW. RESULTS NW groups included 340 209 patients, respectively, were comparable terms age, ethnicity, overall health, expected LOS. admissions shorter (3.046 vs 3.586 d, P < .001), independently predicted multivariate analysis. While group longer surgeries (6.8 6.4 h), there was no statistically difference surgery. associated with reduced by $3193 per admission on average (P .001). Clinically, differences rate return Operating Room, Emergency Department readmission, or readmission 30 CONCLUSION Admitting comorbidities, are have short LOS, total admission, postoperative outcome.