The effect of bed-to-nurse ratio on hospital mortality of critically ill children on mechanical ventilation: a nationwide population-based study

Minyoung Jung, Hyejeong Park, Danbee Kang, Esther Park, Kyeongman Jeon, Chi Ryang Chung, Jeong Hoon Yang, Gee Young Suh, Eliseo Guallar, Juhee Cho, Joongbum Cho

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background: Despite the high workload of mechanical ventilation, there has been a lack of studies on the association between nurse workforce and mortality in mechanically ventilated patients. We evaluated the association of the bed-to-nurse ratio with mortality in ventilated pediatric patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: We conducted a nationwide retrospective analysis by using the Korean National Health Insurance database, which categorizes the bed-to-nurse ratio into 9 grades according to the number of beds divided by the number of full-time equivalent registered nurses in a unit. Patients of ages between 28 days and 18 years were enrolled. Multiple admissions and transfers from other hospitals were excluded. We evaluated the odds ratios (ORs) of in-hospital mortality using 4 groups (Grade 1: bed-to-nurse < 0.50, Grade 2: < 0.63, Grade 3: < 0.77, Grade 4 or above > 0.77) with adjustment of patient factors, hospital factors, and treatment requirements. Results: Of the 27,849 patients admitted to ICU, 11,628 (41.8%) were on mechanical ventilation. The overall in-hospital mortality rates in Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, and Grade 4 or above group were 4.5%, 6.8%, 6.9%, and 4.7%, respectively. The adjusted ORs (95% CI) for in-hospital mortality of mechanically ventilated patients in the Grade 2, Grade 3, and Grade 4 or above compared to those in Grade 1 were 2.73 (95% CI 1.51–4.95), 4.02 (95% CI 2.23–7.26), and 7.83 (4.07–15.07), respectively. However, for patients without mechanical ventilation, the adjusted ORs of in-hospital mortality were not statistically significant. Conclusion: In mechanically ventilated patients, the adjusted mortality rate increased significantly, as the bed-to-nurse ratio of the ICU increased. Policies that limit the number of ventilated patients per nurse should be considered.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number159
JournalAnnals of Intensive Care
Volume10
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2020

Keywords

  • Critical care
  • Critical care outcomes
  • Epidemiology
  • Mechanical ventilation
  • Mortality
  • National Health Insurance
  • Nurse staffing
  • Pediatric intensive care units
  • Quality of care

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine

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