Our primary analysis used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the impact of ICU discharge delay on mortality to 30 days after ICU admission. We used 30-day mortality instead of the more commonly reported in-hospital mortality because the latter is highly sensitive to interhospital and posthospital transfer patterns, which differ between hospitals and can change over time8,9; a fixed time point is much less influenced by such artifacts. Existing information indicates that in-hospital mortality and 30-day mortality are influenced by similar factors.9,10 Similar models were constructed for hospital mortality and mortality to 60 days after ICU admission. These models included slightly different numbers of individuals because the Ohio death data available for this project ended December 31, 2006.