Time-Series Analysis of Laboratory Values in the Context of Long-Term Hospitalized Patient Mortality.

Objectives: Long-term hospitalized patients have a higher risk of adverse outcomes and mortality rate. These patients often rapidly deteriorate, leading to death. We aim to evaluate end-of-life laboratory values time trends among deceased long-term inpatients.

Methods: Time-stamped laboratory data for adult inpatients who had died in the hospital were extracted. The data were normalized and time-series analysis was performed. The patients were also clustered based on the laboratory result trends.

Results: Laboratory results from 257 patients were evaluated. Significant time trends were observed: serum urea nitrogen, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and potassium increased while platelets and albumin decreased. Most patients showed significant shifts in at least four major laboratory indices within the last week of life.

Conclusions: In the last week of life in chronically hospitalized patients, an alteration of the physiologic state of the patient occurs that manifests as subtle changes in metabolite levels compared with the patient's baseline.