title: Incidence and main factors associated with early unplanned hospital readmission among French medical inpatients aged 75 and over admitted through emergency units.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  among elderly patients, readmission in the month following hospital discharge is a frequent occurrence which involves a risk of functional decline, particularly among frail subjects. While previous studies have identified risk factors of early readmission, geriatric syndromes, as markers of frailty have not been assessed as potential predictors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to evaluate the risk of early unplanned readmission, and to identify predictors in inpatients aged 75 and over, admitted to medical wards through emergency departments.
  
  
  METHODS
  prospective multi-centre study.
  
  
  METHODS
  nine French hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  one thousand three hundred and six medical inpatients, aged 75 and older admitted through emergency departments (SAFES cohort).
  
  
  METHODS
  using logistic regressions, factors associated with early unplanned re-hospitalisation (defined as first unplanned readmission in the thirty days after discharge) were identified using data from the first week of hospital index stay obtained by comprehensive geriatric assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  data from a thousand out of 1,306 inpatients were analysed. Early unplanned readmission occurred in 14.2% of inpatients and was not related with sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidity burden or cognitive impairment. Pressure sores (OR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.0-3.9), poor overall condition (OR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.3-3.0), recent loss of ability for self-feeding (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.2-2.9), prior hospitalisation during the last 3 months (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.1-2.5) were found to be risk factors, while sight disorders appeared as negatively associated (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.3--0.8).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  markers of frailty (poor overall condition, pressure sores, prior hospitalisation) or severe disability (for self-feeding) were the most important predictors of early readmission among elderly medical inpatients. Early identification could facilitate preventive strategies in risk group.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Geriatric Medicine, Hôpital Michallon, University Hospital of Grenoble, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lanièce
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Couturier
authors.forename: Moustapha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dramé
authors.forename: Gaëtan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gavazzi
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lehman
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jolly
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Voisin
authors.forename: Pierre Olivier
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jovenin
authors.forename: Jean Bernard
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Gauvain
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Novella
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Saint-Jean
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Blanchard
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors