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Published on: February 28, 2012
Hospital readmission in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators
Jarosław Kaźmierczak1, Joanna Zielonka, Ryszard Rzeuski
1Klinika Kardiologii, Pomorska Akademia Medyczna, al. Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland. j.kazmierczak@acx.pl
Insights
Hospital readmissions after implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation are common, primarily due to ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure. Low left ventricular ejection fraction and advanced heart failure symptoms are key predictors of non-arrhythmic readmissions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Electrophysiology
- Medical Devices
Background:
- Hospital readmissions pose a significant challenge for patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs).
- Understanding the causes and predictors of these readmissions is crucial for improving patient management and reducing healthcare burdens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively analyze repeat hospitalizations in ICD patients.
- To identify the causes, time to readmission, and predictors of rehospitalization after ICD implantation.
Main Methods:
- A prospective analysis of 133 consecutive patients undergoing ICD implantation.
- Categorization of readmission causes into cardiac and non-cardiac.
- Calculation of a repeat hospitalization index and evaluation of predictive parameters.
Main Results:
- 167 readmissions occurred in 72 (54%) patients over a mean follow-up of 22 months.
- Ventricular arrhythmias (54.5%) and worsening heart failure (32.3%) were primary causes.
- Low left ventricular ejection fraction (<30%) and NYHA class III predicted non-arrhythmic readmissions.
Conclusions:
- Cardiac-related hospital readmissions remain frequent in ICD patients.
- Ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure are the leading causes of readmission.
- Low LVEF and advanced NYHA class are significant risk factors for non-arrhythmic readmissions.
Introduction:
Hospital readmissions are one of the important problems of patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD). Detailed analysis of the causes of re-hospitalizations may lead to improved management of ICD patients and eventually limit the number of hospital readmissions.
Aim:
Prospective analysis of repeat hospitalisations, their causes and time from discharge to first hospital readmission in a group of patients after ICD implantation. A search for predictors of rehospitalisation was also performed.
Methods:
Analysis involved 133 consecutive patients who underwent ICD implantation in the Department of Cardiology, PAM. Readmission causes were split into cardiac and non-cardiac. An index of repeat hospitalisation was calculated and parameters with a direct impact on rehospitalisation necessity were also evaluated.
Results:
One hundred and sixty-seven hospital readmissions of 72 (54%) patients were noted at mean 22+/-15 months after the primary hospitalisation. Rehospitalisation index per patient for the total follow-up period was 1.26, while for the first year of follow-up it was 0.69. In the case of 42 (32%) patients, 91 (54.5%) hospital readmissions were associated with arrhythmia. In 34 (25.6%) patients, 54 (32.3%) re-hospitalizations were not related to arrhythmia, while 20 (15%) patients were hospitalised 22 times (13.2%) for non-cardiac reasons. Mean time to the first readmission, regardless of the reason, was 9+/-9 months. Predominant causes of repeat hospitalisation were ventricular arrhythmias and worsening of heart failure. Patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) below 30% and in functional NYHA class III were readmitted to hospital more frequently for reasons not related to arrhythmia.
Conclusions:
Hospital readmissions for cardiac causes in patients after ICD implantation are still frequent. Most of them are caused by ventricular arrhythmia and heart failure. Low LVEF (<30%) and NYHA functional class > or =III are risk factors predicting repeat hospitalisations unrelated to arrhythmia.
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