Factores asociados a larga estancia hospitalaria en pacientes pediátricos grandes quemados, atendidos en el Hospital de Niños Dr. Roberto Gilbert.

Abstract

Introduction: Pediatric burns represent a critical public health problem due to their impact on morbidity and mortality and the high consumption of hospital resources. Objective: To determine the factors associated with prolonged hospital stays in severely burned pediatric patients treated at Roberto Gilbert Hospital. Methodology: A retrospective, analytical, observational case-control study (2013-2024) was conducted on a population of 313 patients. Hospital stay was defined using the median institutional length of stay (20 days) as the cutoff point to form the case group (long stay) and the control group (short stay). The identification of associated factors was performed using multivariate logistic regression models. Results: The sample showed a male predominance (65.2%) with a mean age of 67 months (5.6 years). The most frequent etiological agent was hot liquid (59.7%). Three independent associated factors were identified: the number of surgical interventions (OR 1.86; 95% CI: 1.54–2.26; p < 0.001), the number of transfusions (OR 1.38; 95% CI: 1.10–1.72; p = 0.005), and the total body surface area burned (OR 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01–1.12; p = 0.017). Conclusions: Prolonged hospital stay in the studied population is primarily determined by the cumulative surgical workload, transfusion requirements, and the extent of the initial injury. These findings allow for a better understanding of the clinical complexity of patients with extensive burns, enabling us to optimize therapeutic planning and the management of institutional resources.