Readmissions are common following emergency general surgery, according to a study in JAMA Surgery, but rates varied widely depending on patient factors and diagnosis.
Researchers from Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital examined readmission rates and risk factors for readmission after the most common emergency general surgeries. The study included data from 177,511 patients in California aged 18 years or older who underwent one of the five most commonly performed emergency general surgery procedures in each of the 11 emergency general surgery diagnosis groups.
The three most common predictors of readmissions were:
- Higher score on an index of co-existing illnesses
- Being discharged against medical advice
- Having public insurance
The three most common reasons for readmission following emergency general surgery were:
- Surgical site infections
- Gastrointestinal complications
- Pulmonary complications
"It is critical to understand the underlying factors associated with readmission to appropriately identify quality-improvement measures that address the true problem. Focused and concerted efforts should be made to incorporate readmissions-reducing strategies into the care of [emergency general surgery] patients, particularly among those at higher risk for readmission," the study authors wrote.