Incidence and main factors associated with early unplanned hospital readmission among French medical inpatients aged 75 and over admitted through emergency units.
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.
Lanièce
Isabelle
I
Clinic of Geriatric Medicine, Hôpital Michallon, University Hospital of Grenoble, Grenoble, France.
Couturier
Pascal
P
Dramé
Moustapha
M
Gavazzi
Gaëtan
G
Lehman
Stéphanie
S
Jolly
Damien
D
Voisin
Thierry
T
Lang
Pierre Olivier
PO
Jovenin
Nicolas
N
Gauvain
Jean Bernard
JB
Novella
Jean-Luc
JL
Saint-Jean
Olivier
O
Blanchard
François
F
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