Frequency and Reasons for Return to the Primary Acute Care Service Among Patients With Lymphoma Undergoing Inpatient Rehabilitation

Abstract

To assess the frequency and risk factors for return to the primary acute care service among patients with lymphoma undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. Retrospective study. Tertiary referral-based cancer center. All patients with a history of lymphoma admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation between October 1, 2003, and January 30, 2013. Items analyzed from patient records included return to the primary acute care service with demographic information, lymphoma characteristics, medications, hospital admission characteristics, and laboratory values. A total of 143 unique patient admissions were analyzed, and 54 of these 143 lymphoma inpatient rehabilitation admissions (38%) returned to the primary acute care service. However, 16 of 54 (30%) returned because they needed additional chemotherapy. Excluding patients who returned to the primary acute care service for chemotherapy, statistically significant or approaching statistically significant factors (P < .10) associated with return to the primary acute care service included a creatinine level ≥ 1.3 mg/dL (P = .0002), male gender (P = .001), history of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (P = .0355), and presence of an intravenous antifungal agent (P = .0717). Of the patients transferred back to the primary acute care service, 13 of 38 (34%) were discharged directly home, 10 of 38 (26%) died in the hospital, 7 of 38 (18%) were transferred to a subacute rehabilitation facility, and 4 of 38 (11%) were transferred to inpatient rehabilitation. When excluding patients who returned for chemotherapy, patients with lymphoma who were male, had undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and had a creatinine level ≥ 1.3 mg/dL demonstrated increased risk for return to the primary acute care service.