Risk Factors of Prolonged Hospitalization in Patients with Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the risk factors of prolonged hospitalization in patients with hyperemesis gravidarum (HEG). Material and Methods: The medical records of 114 patients who were admitted to the Zekai Tahir Burak Womens Health Education and Research Hospital with a diagnosis of HEG in the period January 2013 to June 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. Hospital stay of more than 4 days was considered as prolonged hospitalization. Ninety -three patients with HEG who needed hospitalization less than four days formed the control group and 21 patients with HEG who needed hospitalization equal to or longer than four days formed the study group. The variables regarding age, body mass index, week of pregnancy, number of parity, daily vomiting number, number of days in hospital, need of combined antiemetic use, complete blood count, biochemistry markers, hormone tests, urine analysis were evaluated to assess their relationship with the risk factors for prolonged hospitalization in patients with HEG. Results: Twenty-one of 114 patients diagnosed with HEG had a prolonged hospital stay, with a mean stay of 5.1 days. Age, body mass index, week of pregnancy, need of using combined antiemetics, complete blood count parameters, liver and kidney function tests were not associated with the duration of hospitalization. Daily vomiting, maternal serum TSH levels and blood urea nitrogen levels were 2.4 +/- 1.3 vs 4.2 +/- 1.9; p= 0.01, 1.19 +/- 0.71 vs 0.82 +/- 0.67; p= 0.04, 21.2 +/- 6.4 vs 18.1 +/- 5.3; p= 0.03; respectively, and these differences were found to be statistically significant among groups. The serum maternal TSH < 0.1 and micro;IU/mL and vomiting and #8805; 5 per day were found to be significant indicators for longer hospitalization (OR = 4.05, 95%CI = 1.07-15.3; P <0.05, OR=9.55, 95%CI = 1.81-50.4 P <0.05; respectively). Conclusion: Number of vomiting per day and maternal serum TSH levels could help physicians to estimate the risk of prolonged hospitalization; however further investigations are needed in large population studies. Identifying the high risk patients is important both for prevention of HEG and beginning appropriate antiemetic treatment to avoid complications to reduce the economic costs. [Cukurova Med J 2015; 40(1.000): 113-118