Unplanned hospital readmissions after kidney transplantation among patients in Hefei,China:Incidence,causes and risk factors

Objectives:Unplanned readmissions severely affect a patient's physical and mental well-being after kidney transplantation(KT),which is also independently associated with morbidity.A retrospective study was conducted to identify the incidence,causes and risk factors for unplanned readmission after KT among Chinese patients.Methods:Patients who underwent KT were admitted to the organ transplant center of the Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China(2017-2018).Medical records for these patients were obtained through the hospital information system(HIS).Results:In 518 patients,the incidence of unplanned readmissions within 30 days(n=9)was 1.74%,and 90 days(n=64)was 12.35%.The one-year unplanned readmission rate was 22.59%(n=122).Overall,122 patients were readmitted because of infection,renal events,metabolic disturbances,surgical complications,etc.Hemodialysis(OR=10.462,95%CI:1.355-80.748),peritoneal dialysis(OR=8.746,95%CI:1.074-71.238)and length of stay(OR=1.023,95%CI:1.006-1.040)were independent risk factors for unplanned readmissions.Conclusion:Unplanned readmission rates increased with time after KT.Certain risk factors related to unplanned readmissions should be deeply excavated.Targeted interventions for controllable factors to alleviate the rate of unplanned readmissions should be identified.

Transitional care interventions to reduce readmission in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease:A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Objective：To objectively assess the effect of transitional care on readmission for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Methods：The PubMed,Science Direct,Web of Science,Cochrane Library,CNKI,and Wanfang databases were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials（RCTs） published from January 1990 through April 2016.The quality of eligible studies was assessed by two investigators.The primary outcome assessed was readmission for COPD and all-cause readmission.The pooled effect sizes were expressed as the relative risk and standard mean difference with 95%confidence intervals.Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions（Version5.1.0） and determined with an I^2 statistic.Results：A total of seven RCTs that included 1879 participants who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed.The results of subgroup analysis showed significant differences in readmission for COPD at the6 month and 18 month time points and all-cause readmission at the 18 month follow-up.Transitional care could reduce readmission for COPD at the 6 month[RR = 0.51,95%CI（0.38,0.68）,P 〈 0.00001]and18 month time points[RR = 0.56,95%CI（0.45,0.69）,P 〈 0.00001,and also reduce all-cause readmission after 18 months[RR = 0.72,95%CI（0.62,0.84）,P 〈 0.0001].The reduction of all-cause readmission between the intervention and control groups in the 2nd year,however,was less than that in the 1st year.Conclusions：Transitional care is beneficial to reducing readmission for patients with COPD.Duration of≥ 6 and ≤ 18 months are more effective,and the effect weakens over intervention time,especially after the end of intervention.Both durations point to the importance of ongoing intervention and reinforcement after the end of intervention.

Intensive care unit readmission in adult Egyptian patients undergoing living donor liver transplant:A single-centre retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND Patients who undergo living donor liver transplantation(LDLT)may suffer complications that require intensive care unit(ICU)readmission.AIM To identify the incidence,causes,and outcomes of ICU readmission after LDLT.METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients who underwent LDLT.The collected data included patient demographics,preoperative characteristics,intraoperative details;postoperative stay,complications,causes of ICU readmission,and outcomes.Patients were divided into two groups according to ICU readmission after hospital discharge.Risk factors for ICU readmission were identified in univariate and multivariate analyses.RESULTS The present study included 299 patients.Thirty-one(10.4%)patients were readmitted to the ICU after discharge.Patients who were readmitted to the ICU were older in age(53.0±5.1 vs 49.4±8.8,P=0.001)and had a significantly higher percentage of women(29%vs 13.4%,P=0.032),diabetics(41.9%vs 24.6%,P=0.039),hypertensives(22.6%vs 6.3%,P=0.006),and renal(6.5%vs 0%,P=0.010)patients as well as a significantly longer initial ICU stay(6 vs 4 d,respectively,P<0.001).Logistic regression analysis revealed that significant independent risk factors for ICU readmission included recipient age(OR=1.048,95%CI=1.005-1.094,P=0.030)and length of initial hospital stay(OR=0.836,95%CI=0.789-0.885,P<0.001).CONCLUSION The identification of high-risk patients(older age and shorter initial hospital stay)before ICU discharge may help provide optimal care and tailor follow-up to reduce the rate of ICU readmission.

A family nurse-led intervention for reducing health services’utilization in individuals with chronic diseases:The ADVICE pilot study

Objectives:Intensive health services'utilization is common in older individuals affected by chronic diseases.This study assessed whether a structured family nurse-led educational intervention would be effective in reducing health services'use(readmissions and/or emergency service access)among older people affected by chronic conditions.Methods:This is a non-randomized before-after pilot study.A sample of 78 patients was recruited from two general practices in Italy and 70 among them were followed for 8 months.Standard home care was provided during the first four months'period(months 1-4),followed by the educational intervention until the end of the study(months 5-8).The intervention,based on the teach-back method,consisted of by-weekly 60-min home sessions targeting aspects of the disease and its treatment,potential complications,medication adherence,and health behaviours.Rates of health services'use were collected immediately before(T0),and after the interventions(T1).Differences in utilization rates were examined by the McNemar's test.Potential factors associated with the risk of health services'use were explored with a Cox proportional hazard regression model.Results:The sample(n=78)was predominantly female(n=50,64.1%),and had a mean age of 76.2(SD=4.8)years.Diabetes mellitus was the most frequent disease(n=27,34.6%).McNemar's test indicated a significant reduction in health services'use at T1(McNemar χ^(2)==28.03,P<0.001).Cox regressions indicated that time and patient education,as well as their interaction,were the only variables positively associated with the probability of health services'use.Conclusion:A teach-back intervention led by a family nurse practitioner has the potential to reduce health services'use in older patients with chronic diseases.

Post-Hospital Syndrome and Hyponatremia

Introduction: Post-hospital syndrome (PHS) is defined as a period of vulnerability during the first 30 days after a patient is discharged from hospital, in which multiple factors come into play. Hyponatremia is the most frequent hydroelectrolytic disorder in hospitalized patients and may be related to the appearance of PHS. Objective: The objective is to estimate the prevalence of PHS that is assessed as the rate of readmissions in the first 30 days after discharge, in patients with hyponatremia. Material and Methods: It is a descriptive observational study of patients with hyponatremia who were discharged from 1 September 2010 to 2 February 2020 at the Internal Medicine Service of the Hospital University of San Juan (Alicante, Spain). Results: Of the 25 included patients, 5 (20%) were readmitted within a month of discharge, after a mean of 11.4 days (standard deviation [SD] 5.1). The overall mortality of the study was 20% (n = 5), with one case of death in the first 30 days post-hospitalization (4%). In 12 patients (48%) the origin of the hyponatremia was undetermined. The most frequently recorded etiology for the condition was pharmacological (n = 7, 28%), and there was pronounced variability in its clinical and laboratory study. The most widely used corrective measure was drug withdrawal, in 16 patients (64%). Water intake restriction was the most common treatment after discharge (5 patients, 20%), followed by urea (2 patients, 8%), while tolvaptan was not used. Conclusion: Hyponatremia may be the cause of PHS, which could increase the rate of early readmission. Hyponatremia is an underdiagnosed and undertreated entity, so it is necessary to apply an appropriate system to optimize its management and, in future studies, to assess its impact on PHS.

Effect of aliskiren on postdischarge mortality and heart failure readmissions among patients hospitalized for heart failure:The ASTRONAUT randomized trial

ABSTRACT Importance Hospitalizations for heart failure （HHF） represent a major health burden, with high rates of early postdischarge rehospitalization and mortality. Objective To investigate whether aliskiren, a direct renin inhibitor, when added to standard therapy, would reduce the rate of cardiovascular （CV） death or HF rehospitalization among HHF patients. Design, Setting, and Participants International, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that randomized hemodynamically stable HHF patients a median 5 days after admission. Eligible patients were 18 years or older with left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF） 40% or less,