A latent class analysis of prolonged mechanical ventilation patients at a long-term acute care hospital: Subtype differences in clinical outcomes.

Rationale: Patients on prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) at Long-Term Acute Care Hospital's (LTACHs) are clinically heterogeneous making it difficult to manage care and predict clinical outcomes.

Objectives: Identify and describe subgroups of patients on PMV at LTACHs and examine for group differences.

Methods: Latent class analysis was completed on data obtained during medical record review at Midwestern LTACH.

Main Results: A three-class solution was identified. Class 1 contained young, obese patients with low clinical and co-morbid burden; Class 2 contained the oldest patients with low clinical burden but multiple co-morbid conditions; Class 3 contained patients with multiple clinical and co-morbid burdens. There were no differences in LTACH length of stay [F(2,246) = 2.243, p = 0.108] or number of ventilator days [F(2,246) = 0.641, p = 0.528]. Class 3 patients were less likely to wean from mechanical ventilation [χ(2, N = 249) = 25.48, p < 0.001] and more likely to die [χ(2, N = 249) = 23.68, p < 0.001].

Conclusion: Patient subgroups can be described that predict clinical outcomes. Class 3 patients are at higher risk for poor clinical outcomes when compared to patients in Class 1 or Class 2.