Readmissions and Mortality During the First Year After Stroke-Data From a Population-Based Incidence Study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Healthcare Quality

Background:

• Hospital readmissions are common after a first-ever-in-a-lifetime stroke (FELS), increasing mortality and morbidity.
• Population-based studies on stroke readmissions are limited, despite their importance as healthcare quality indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate unplanned hospital readmissions or death within one year following a first-ever-in-a-lifetime stroke index hospitalization.
• To identify potential risk factors associated with these readmissions or death.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from a prospective, population-based stroke register in Northern Portugal (ACIN2) from 2009-2011.
• Employed Kaplan-Meier method for readmission/death-free survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard models for risk factor identification.

Main Results:

• 31.6% of 389 hospitalized FELS survivors were readmitted or died within one year.
• Infections and cerebrovascular/cardiovascular diseases were primary readmission causes; 65.3% were potentially avoidable.
• Male sex, age, functional status, and length of index hospitalization were independent risk factors.

Conclusions:

• Almost one-third of FELS survivors face readmission or death within a year post-index hospitalization.
• A significant proportion of readmissions were potentially avoidable or stroke-related, indicating areas for intervention.
• These outcomes were consistent across all stroke subtypes.