Length of hospital stay and associated factors among adult surgical patients admitted to a surgical ward in Amhara Regional State Comprehensive Specialized Hospitals, Ethiopia

Introduction Hospitals across the country are experiencing a rise in the length of hospital stays, ranging from 2% to 14%. As a result, patients who remain hospitalized for a prolonged period are three times more likely to suffer in-hospital deaths. Therefore, identifying contributing factors for prolonged hospital stays enhances the ability to improve services and the quality of patient care. However, there is limited documented evidence in Ethiopia as well as in the study area about factors associated with prolonged hospital stays among surgical inpatients. Objective This study aimed to assess the length of hospital stay and associated factors among adult surgical patients admitted to a surgical ward in Amhara Regional State Comprehensive Specialized Hospitals, Ethiopia, 2023. Methods An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 452 adult surgical patients from April 17 to May 22, 2023. Data were collected based on a pretested, structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, patient chart review, and direct measurement. Study participants were selected using a systematic random sampling technique. The collected data were cleaned, entered into EpiData 4.6.0 and exported to STATA version 14 for analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis was used. Variables with a p value < 0.05 in the multivariable logistic regression analysis were considered statistically significant. Results In the current study, the prevalence of prolonged hospital stay was 26.5% (95% CI: 22.7–30.8). Patients referred from another public health institution (AOR = 2.46; 95% CI: 1.09, 5.57), hospital-acquired pneumonia (AOR = 3.18; 95% CI: 1.28, 7.89), duration of surgery ≥110 minutes (AOR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.25, 4.91), and preoperative anemia (AOR = 3.37; 95% CI: 1.88, 6.04) were factors associated with prolonged hospital stays. Conclusion This study found a significant proportion of prolonged hospital stays. Source of referral, preoperative anemia, duration of surgery, and hospital-acquired pneumonia were factors associated with a prolonged hospital stay. Strengthening the established information system among hospitals when referring patients and early screening and treating anemia upon admission to hospitals can reduce the length of stays.