Hospital admissions and emergency department visits among kidney transplant recipients

Reducing acute care utilization is a means of improving long-term patient outcomes. We sought to assess high inpatient (IP) admission and standalone emergency department (ED) utilization within a 9-month period post-kidney transplantation and to identify mutable factors to reduce utilization. In this ten-year retrospective study, 1599 adult kidney transplant recipients were identified. A previous transplant, graft loss, or death within 3 months post-transplantation excluded 319 patients. Comprehensive resource utilization data were obtained from a statewide database. Those with ≥2 IP admissions or standalone ED visits 4-12 months post-transplantation were classified as high utilizers. Multivariable logistic regression models were used for examining associations of predictors with high IP or ED utilization. Of 1280 kidney recipients, 209 and 183 were categorized as IP and ED high utilizers, respectively. Factors significantly associated with high IP utilization included valvular disease, body mass index ≥35, and IP or ED use <3 months post-transplantation; while factors associated with high ED utilization included IP or ED use <3 months post-transplantation, younger age, female, smoker, congestive heart failure, depression, and IP or ED use 1 year pre-transplantation. Inpatient and standalone ED utilization within a 9-month period after kidney transplantation is high and associated with sociodemographic factors, mutable comorbidities, and healthcare utilization.