Hospital readmission within 10 years post stroke: frequency, type and timing

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Stroke survivors face long-term complications, including hospital readmissions.
• Previous studies focused on acute and subacute stroke complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the frequency, causes, and timing of hospital readmissions in a stroke cohort over a 10-year period.
• To identify long-term health risks following a stroke.

Main Methods:

• A review of hospital records for 243 patients from a 2002/3 stroke cohort was conducted 10 years post-stroke.
• Readmission diagnoses were categorized, and mortality was recorded.

Main Results:

• After 10 years, 68.9% of patients died, and 72.4% were readmitted (mean 3.4 readmissions per patient).
• Leading causes for readmission included vascular events (20%), infections (17.3%), and falls (9.3%).
• The highest readmission rate (116.2 admissions/100 live patient-years) occurred within the first 6 months post-stroke.

Conclusions:

• Hospital readmissions following stroke are significantly influenced by vascular events, infections, and falls.
• The initial 6 months post-stroke is a period of heightened vulnerability for readmission.
• Comprehensive post-stroke prophylaxis strategies are needed to address long-term complications.