Predictors of hospital length of stay and cost in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage

We used the 2002 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample to assess hospital length of stay (LOS) and cost among adults with a principal diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage (n = 13,239). Sixty-nine percent of patients were aged >= 65 years, and 31% died during hospitalization. Mean LOS (cost) was 7.7 days ($15,256) (survivors: 9.6 days, $17,442). Patient, hospital, and payer characteristics accounted for 69.1% of variation in cost per discharge.