Predictive Factors for Onset of Moderate-to-Severe Disability Following Hospital Discharge Due to Rib Fractures Granados Santiago, María López López, Laura Quero Valenzuela, Florencio Calvache Mateo, Andrés Martín-Núñez, Javier Ortiz Rubio, Araceli Valenza, Marie Carmen rib fractures length of stay hospitalization Background: According to previous studies, a prolonged hospital stay, along with the patient’s clinical features, can lead to the onset of disability. Objectives: This study aimed to identify predictive factors of moderate-to-severe disability following hospital discharge in rib fracture patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study with hospitalized adult patients with rib fractures who received conservative treatment. Patients’ clinical profiles and characteristics were collected from their clinical histories and healthcare professional records. Results: Overall, patients exhibited a 44% rate of moderate-to-severe disability after a six-day hospital stay. The incidence of patients with a prolonged hospital stay who showed disabilities was associated with male sex (HR 0.73, p < 0.001), presence of first rib fracture (HR 1.78, p = 0.047), presence of flail chest (HR 1.29, p = 0.046), severity of lung injury (HR 1.65, p < 0.001), and functional status (HR 1.37, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Moderate-to-severe disability in patients with rib fractures may depend on factors such as sex, functionality, severity of lung injury, and presence of first rib fracture and flail chest during a prolonged hospital stay. 2024-10-29T07:46:05Z 2024-10-29T07:46:05Z 2024-10-04 journal article Granados Santiago, M. et. al. Healthcare 2024, 12, 1984. [https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12191984] https://hdl.handle.net/10481/96426 10.3390/healthcare12191984 eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ open access Atribución 4.0 Internacional MDPI