Depression as a predictor of length of stay in patients admitted to the cardiovascular intensive care unit at a university medical center.

Depression is a predictor of length of stay (LOS) and adverse outcomes in patients with cardiac disease. Our objective was to assess the impact of depression on LOS in a Hispanic population admitted to a cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU). This was a prospective study of 151 consecutive patients admitted to the CVICU. Patients were administered the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale survey within 24 hours of admission. Patients were followed until discharge to determine LOS and adverse outcomes. Depression was more prevalent in Hispanic patients than in nonHispanic patients based on the CES-D scores (41% vs 14%). Using multivariate analysis, the presence of depression was a significant predictor of increased LOS (P = .001). Depression has a significant impact on LOS in a Hispanic population. Appropriate treatment of depression may decrease LOS and has the potential to be cost effective in the current health care environment.