# Prolonged time to recovery and its predictors among trauma patients admitted to the intensive care units in comprehensive specialized hospitals in Northwest Ethiopia: a multicenter retrospective follow-up study, 2022

## TL;DR

This study found that trauma patients in Ethiopian hospitals take longer to recover, with factors like mechanical ventilation and brain injury severity linked to slower recovery.

## Contribution

The study provides novel evidence on recovery time predictors for trauma patients in Ethiopian ICUs, filling a gap in African healthcare data.

## Key findings

- The median time to recovery was 10 days, with an incidence density rate of 6.53 per 100 person-day observations.
- Being on mechanical ventilation, lower GCS scores, polytrauma, and complications were significant predictors of prolonged recovery.
- The recovery rate was below the national standard, indicating a need for targeted interventions for high-risk trauma patients.

## Abstract

A prolonged time to recovery in the intensive care units has adverse effects on both the patients and the healthcare providers. However, there is limited evidence in African countries, including Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the time to recovery and its predictors among trauma patients admitted to intensive care units.

An institutional-based retrospective follow-up study was conducted on trauma patients hospitalized in intensive care units between 9 January 2019 and 8 January 2022. The charts of 450 patients were chosen using a simple random sampling technique. Data collection was conducted using smartphones and tablets. The data were then exported into STATA version 16 for analysis. The log-rank test and the Kaplan–Meier survival curve were fitted for analysis. An adjusted hazard ratio with 95% confidence intervals was reported to declare the strength of association between time to recovery and predictors in the multivariable Weibull regression analysis.

The overall incidence density rate of recovery was 6.53 per 100 person-day observations, with a median time to recovery of 10 days. Significant predictors of time to recovery included being on mechanical ventilation (AHR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.34, 0.64), having a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score between 9–12 and 13–15 (AHR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.47, and AHR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.53, respectively), experiencing polytrauma (AHR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.78), and having complications (AHR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.31, 0.59).

The incidence rate of recovery for trauma patients is lower than the national standard, and the median time to recovery is longer. Being on mechanical ventilation, mild and moderate GCS scores, polytrauma, and the presence of complications were significantly associated with prolonged time to recovery. Therefore, special attention has to be given to trauma patients who had polytrauma, complications, received mechanical ventilation, and had a lower GCS score.