ANáLISE DOS CUSTOS DA INTERNAçãO HOSPITALAR DE PACIENTES EM VENTILAçãO MECâNICA INVASIVA E FATORES ASSOCIADOS.

Introduction: The intensive care unit (ICU) is a high-cost unit in a hospital, because it requires specific space, specialized personnel, and a specific range of technologies for care. Many patients need long-term invasive mechanical ventilation (MV), which consequently generates an even higher cost to the hospital. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with the increased hospitalization costs of patients receiving invasive MV in the ICU. Method: This was a cross-sectional study of 316 ICU patients receiving invasive MV. Data were collected from the patients' medical records. The following variables were investigated: age, sex, cause of hospitalization, admission diagnosis, comorbidities, Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS-3), ICU stay, MV days, reintubations, readmissions, and ICU and intrahospital mortality. Results: The factors associated with increased hospitalization costs were longer hospitalization after ICU discharge (4 days, range 0-12), longer MV duration (7 days, range 3-14), smoking, longer ICU stay (10 days, range 5-18), and presence of nosocomial infection. Conclusion: Factors that increase hospitalization costs were identified, including prolonged MV, prolonged ICU stay, prolonged hospitalization after ICU discharge, smoking, and presence of nosocomial infection. Knowledge of these factors can help healthcare professionals improve resource allocation and post-ICU care planning. Management strategies should be shared with the multidisciplinary team to improve care processes, management of healthcare-related costs, and patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]