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Understanding unplanned readmissions for children undergoing surgery in a single pediatric general surgical
Chao Zheng1, Hong Zhou1, Hai Zhu1
1Department of Pediatric General Surgery, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
Insights
Unplanned readmissions after pediatric surgery occur in 9% of cases. Emergency surgery, major complications, and longer initial hospital stays are key risk factors for readmission.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Surgical Outcomes
- Healthcare Quality Improvement
Background:
- Unplanned readmissions pose a significant challenge in pediatric general surgery.
- Understanding readmission rates and their associated risk factors is crucial for improving patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate unplanned readmission rates in pediatric general surgical specialties.
- To identify independent risk factors associated with unplanned readmissions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 3263 pediatric patients undergoing surgery from July 2010 to June 2017.
- Analysis of common causes and risk factors for unplanned readmissions using univariate and multivariate analyses.
Main Results:
- The unplanned readmission rate was 9% (176 of 3263 patients).
- Appendectomy was the most frequent surgery associated with readmission, often due to gastrointestinal issues.
- Emergency surgery, major complications, and longer initial hospital length of stay were significant independent risk factors for readmission.
Conclusions:
- Identified key risk factors for unplanned readmissions in pediatric surgery.
- Findings can guide targeted interventions to enhance quality of care and optimize resource allocation.
Background:
The aim of the current research was to investigate the unplanned readmission rates and identify the risk factors of unplanned readmissions in pediatric general surgical specialties.
Methods:
A retrospective review of unplanned readmissions following initial surgery from July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2017, in the general surgical specialties at an academic tertiary care hospital was performed. The main outcome of interest was unplanned readmission rates, the common causes for readmission. The risk factors involved in the unplanned readmissions were further investigated using univariate and multivariate analyses.
Results:
Of the 3263 patients who underwent surgery and discharge, 176 (9%) were unplanned readmissions. The most frequent surgical operation related to readmission was appendectomy, and the common readmission causes were associated with treatment of gastrointestinal complaints/complications. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that emergency surgery (p = 0.016, odds ratio [OR] = 2.73; 95% CI = 1.35-6.19), major complications (p = 0.042, OR = 2.43; 95% CI = 1.12-4.71) and the initial hospital length of stay (p = 0.036, OR = 3.46; 95% CI = 1.67-7.53) were independent risk factors for readmission.
Conclusions:
This study identified potential risks for readmission, which should be targeted for interventions to improve quality and resource allocation.
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