Hospital bed size and sepsis-related complications in patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Insights from the national inpatient sample (2016–2022)

Abstract

Abstract Background: Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are at heightened risk for severe infections, including sepsis, due to underlying cytopenias and immune dysregulation. Hospital-level characteristics, including size and available resources, may influence clinical outcomes in these patients, but data remain limited. This study examines the association between hospital bed size and sepsis-related complications in patients with MDS using a nationally representative dataset. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2016 to 2022, identifying adult hospitalizations with co-diagnoses of MDS and sepsis. Hospitalizations were stratified by hospital bed size: small (n = 15,490), medium (n = 22,815), and large (n = 40,245). Multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for patient demographics, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics, was used to assess associations between hospital bed size and eight clinical outcomes: in-hospital mortality, septic shock, acute renal failure, respiratory failure, encephalopathy, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), and fungal sepsis. Results: Compared to small hospitals, patients treated at large hospitals had significantly higher odds of in-hospital mortality (OR 1.43, p < 0.001), septic shock (OR 1.25, p < 0.001), acute renal failure (OR 1.10, p < 0.001), encephalopathy (OR 1.11, p = 0.004), DIC (OR 1.48, p = 0.007), and fungal sepsis (OR 2.13, p = 0.028). Medium-sized hospitals were also associated with increased odds of mortality (OR 1.16, p = 0.021) and septic shock (OR 1.13, p = 0.038). No statistically significant differences were found in rates of CDI across hospital sizes. Respiratory failure showed a borderline association in medium hospitals (OR 1.05, p = 0.082) but not in large hospitals. Conclusion: Hospital bed size is independently associated with important variations in sepsis-related outcomes among patients with MDS. Large hospitals demonstrated significantly increased odds of multiple complications and mortality, possibly reflecting referral bias, higher disease acuity, or institutional coding practices. These findings underscore the importance of hospital-level factors in evaluating outcomes and resource planning for high-risk hematologic populations. Keywords: Myelodysplastic syndromes, hospital bed size, sepsis, mortality, ICU complications, NIS