Kassin et al identified risk factors associated with hospital readmission for general surgery patients. These can help to identify patients who may benefit from more aggressive management. The authors are from Emory University and Georgia State University.
Patient selection: general surgery (presumably not ambulatory surgery)
Outcome: 30-day readmission
Procedures associated with a greater readmission rate tended to be high risk procedures such as:
(1) colectomy
(2) pancreatectomy
(3) liver resection
Preoperative conditions associated with readmission:
(1) disseminated cancer
(2) dyspnea
(3) pre-operative open wound
(4) ASA class 2 or higher
(5) preoperative length of stay > 24 hours
Post-operative factors associated with readmission:
(1) need for blood transfusion
(2) sepsis and/or shock
(3) urinary tract infection
(4) surgical site infection or wound complication
(5) postoperative pulmonary complication
(6) vascular complication
(7) gastrointestinal complication
(8) malnutrition
(9) renal complication
(10) other complication
