RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Frequent identical admission–readmission episodes are associated with increased mortality
JF Clinical Medicine
JO Clin Med
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP e351
OP e356
DO 10.7861/clinmed.2020-0930
VO 21
IS 4
A1 Christopher H Fry
A1 David Fluck
A1 Thang S Han
YR 2021
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/21/4/e351.abstract
AB Frequent emergency readmissions may associate with health consequences. We examined the association between readmissions within 28 days of hospital discharge and mortality in 32,270 alive-discharge episodes (18–107 years). Data collected between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2019 are presented as age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).Compared with no readmission, mortality risk over a 2-year period was increased with one non-identical admission–readmission (AR) episode: HR = 2.4 (2.2–2.7), two or more non-identical AR episodes: HR = 3.0 (2.7–3.4), one identical AR episode: HR = 4.7 (3.6–6.1) and two or more identical AR episodes: HR = 5.0 (3.8–6.7). Eight conditions associated with AR episodes had increased risk of mortality including congestive heart failure: HR = 2.7 (2.2–3.2), chronic pulmonary obstructive disease: HR = 3.0 (2.5–3.6), pneumonia: HR = 2.0 (1.8–2.3), sepsis: HR = 2.2 (1.9–2.5), endocrine disorders: HR = 1.9 (1.6–2.3), urinary tract infection: HR = 1.5 (1.3–1.7), psychiatric disorders: HR = 1.5 (1.1–2.1) and haematological disorders: HR = 1.5 (1.2–1.9). Frequent identical AR episodes, particularly from chronic and age-related conditions, are associated with increased mortality.