Multiple Readmissions Research Articles

Factors associated with readmissions in psychiatric inpatient care: a prospective cohort study based on hospital registers

BackgroundReadmissions in psychiatric inpatient care may reflect problems in the provision of care, but the underlying factors are not well known. We examined the associations of patient characteristics (sociodemographic factors, diagnoses), treatment (duration, previous episodes, neuromodulation) and ward overload with psychiatric inpatient readmissions and multiple readmissions in Finland.MethodsWe used a routinely collected data pool from one hospital district and followed all 2052 hospitalizations that started in 2018. The outcomes were readmission within 30 days and one year, and among those with readmission, the number of readmissions.ResultsOf the patients, 11% had readmission within 30 days and 33% had readmission within one year. Women, those with previous hospitalizations, those with an ICD-10 diagnosis from the ‘behavioural syndromes associated with physiological disturbances and physical factors / disorders of adult personality and behaviour’ group, those with a diagnosis from the ‘neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders’ group, those with psychotic disorders, and those who received neuromodulation treatment were more likely to have readmissions. Having a diagnosis of ‘disorders of psychological development’ or ‘behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence’ was associated with a lower likelihood of readmission. The duration of treatment and ward overload during the index period were not associated with readmission.ConclusionsThe findings of this study suggest possible risk factors for readmission and can be used to plan psychiatric care. To some degree, the risk factors varied between different readmission types. It is important to examine whether there are unmet treatment needs in psychiatric inpatient care for children and adolescents.

Potential Mechanisms of Covid-19 Related Nervous System Damage and Effects on Female Fertility.

Signs and symptoms that persist or worsen beyond the "acute COVID-19" stage are referred to as long-COVID. These patients are more likely to suffer from multiple organ failure, readmission, and mortality. According to a recent theory, long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms may be caused by abnormal autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, such as hypovolemia, brain stem involvement, and autoimmune reactions. Furthermore, COVID-19 can also cause impaired fertility in women, which may also be related to inflammation and immune responses. Currently, few treatments are available for long-COVID symptoms. This article reviews the major effects of COVID-19 on the nervous system and female fertility, as well as offers potential treatment approaches.

Predictive Modeling of Medical and Orthopaedic-Related 90-Day-Readmissions Following Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty

BackgroundAs the demand for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) escalates, 90-day readmissions have emerged as a pressing clinical and economic concern for the current value-based health care system. Consequently, health care providers have focused on estimating the risk levels of readmitted patients; however, it is unknown if specific factors are associated with different types of complications (ie, medical or orthopaedic-related) that lead to readmissions. Therefore, this study aimed to (1) determine the overall, medical-related, and orthopaedic-related 90-day readmission rate and (2) develop a predictive model for risk factors affecting overall, medical-related, and orthopaedic-related 90-day readmissions following TKA. MethodsA prospective cohort of primary unilateral TKAs performed at a large tertiary academic center in the United States from 2016 to 2020 was included (n = 10,521 patients). Unplanned readmissions were reviewed individually to determine their primary cause, either medical or orthopaedic-related. Orthopaedic-related readmissions were specific complications affecting the joint, prosthesis, or surgical wound. Medical readmissions were due to any other cause requiring medical management. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to investigate associations between prespecified risk factors and 90-day readmissions, as well as medical and orthopaedic-related readmissions independently. ResultsOverall, the rate of 90-day readmissions was 6.7% (n = 704). Over 82% of these readmissions were due to medical-related causes (n = 580), with the remaining 18% being orthopaedic-related (n = 124) readmissions. The area under the curve for the 90-day readmission model was 0.68 (95% confidence interval: 0.67 to 0.70). Sex, smoking, length of stay, and discharge disposition were associated with orthopaedic readmission, while age, sex, race, the Charlson Comorbidity Index, insurance, surgery day, opioid overdose risk score, length of stay, and discharge disposition were associated with medical-related 90-day readmissions. ConclusionsMedical-related readmissions after TKA are more prevalent than orthopaedic-related readmissions. Through successfully constructing and validating multiple 90-day readmission predictive models, we highlight the distinct risk profiles for medical and orthopaedic-related readmissions. This emphasizes the necessity for nuanced, patient-specific risk stratification and preventive measures.

Group-based trajectories of potentially preventable hospitalisations among older adults after a hip fracture

SummaryKey predictors of three trajectory group membership of potentially preventable hospitalisations were age, the number of comorbidities, the presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure, and frailty risk at the occurrence of hip fracture. These predictors of their trajectory group could be used in targeting prevention strategies.PurposeAlthough older adults with hip fracture have a higher risk of multiple readmissions after index hospitalisation, little is known about potentially preventable hospitalisations (PPH) after discharge. This study examined group-based trajectories of PPH during a five-year period after a hip fracture among older adults and identified factors predictive of their trajectory group membership.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study was conducted using linked hospitalisation and mortality data in New South Wales, Australia, between 2013 and 2021. Patients aged ≥ 65 years who were admitted after a hip fracture and discharged between 2014 and 2016 were identified. Group-based trajectory models were derived based on the number of subsequent PPH following the index hospitalisation. Multinominal logistic regression examined factors predictive of trajectory group membership.ResultsThree PPH trajectory groups were revealed among 17,591 patients: no PPH (89.5%), low PPH (10.0%), and high PPH (0.4%). Key predictors of PPH trajectory group membership were age, number of comorbidities, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF), frailty risk, place of incident, surgery, rehabilitation, and length of hospital stay. The high PPH had a higher proportion of patients with ≥ 2 comorbidities (OR: 1.86, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04–3.32) and COPD (OR: 2.97, 95%CIs: 1.76–5.04) than the low PPH, and the low and high PPHs were more likely to have CHF and high frailty risk as well as ≥ 2 comorbidities and COPD than the no PPH.ConclusionsIdentifying trajectories of PPH after a hip fracture and factors predictive of trajectory group membership could be used to target strategies to reduce multiple readmissions.

Factors associated with liberation from home mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy decannulation in infants and children with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

To identify factors associated with the timing of ventilator liberation and tracheostomy decannulation among infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD) who required chronic outpatient invasive ventilation. Multicenter retrospective study of 154 infants with sBPD on outpatient ventilators. Factors associated with ventilator liberation and decannulation were identified using Cox regression models and multilevel survival models. Ventilation liberation and decannulation occurred at median ages of 27 and 49 months, respectively. Older age at transition to a portable ventilator and at discharge, higher positive end expiratory pressure, and multiple respiratory readmissions were associated with delayed ventilator liberation. Surgical management of gastroesophageal reflux was associated with later decannulation. Ventilator liberation timing was impacted by longer initial admissions and higher ventilator pressure support needs, whereas decannulation timing was associated with more aggressive reflux management. Variation in the timing of events was primarily due to individual-level factors, rather than center-level factors.

Hospital readmission following acute illness among children 2–23 months old in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia: a secondary analysis of CHAIN cohort

Children in low and middle-income countries remain vulnerable following hospital-discharge. We estimated the incidence and correlates of hospital readmission among young children admitted to nine hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This was a secondary analysis of the CHAIN Network prospective cohort enrolled between 20th November 2016 and 31st January 2019. Children aged 2-23 months were eligible for enrolment, if admitted for an acute illness to one of the study hospitals. Exclusions were requiring immediate resuscitation, inability to tolerate oral feeds in their normal state of health, had suspected terminal illness, suspected chromosomal abnormality, trauma, admission for surgery, or their parent/caregiver was unwilling to participate and attend follow-up visits. Data from children discharged alive from the index admission were analysed for hospital readmission within 180-days from discharge. We examined ratios of readmission to post-discharge mortality rates. Using models with death as the competing event, we evaluated demographic, nutritional, clinical, and socioeconomic associations with readmission. Of 2874 children (1239 (43%) girls, median (IQR) age 10.8 (6.8-15.6) months), 655 readmission episodes occurred among 506 (18%) children (198 (39%) girls): 391 (14%) with one, and 115 (4%) with multiple readmissions, with a rate of: 41.0 (95% CI 38.0-44.3) readmissions/1000 child-months. Median time to readmission was 42 (IQR 15-93) days. 460/655 (70%) and 195/655 (30%) readmissions occurred at index study hospital and non-study hospitals respectively. One-third (N=213/655, 33%) of readmissions occurred within 30 days of index discharge. Sites with fewest readmissions had the highest post-discharge mortality. Most readmissions to study hospitals (371/450, 81%) were for the same illness as the index admission. Age, prior hospitalisation, chronic conditions, illness severity, and maternal mental health score, but not sex, nutritional status, or physical access to healthcare, were associated with readmission. Readmissions may be appropriate and necessary to reduce post-discharge mortality in high mortality settings. Social and financial support, training on recognition of serious illness for caregivers, and improving discharge procedures, continuity of care and facilitation of readmission need to be tested in intervention studies. We propose the ratio of readmission to post-discharge mortality rates as a marker of overall post-discharge access and care. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1131320).

Associations between air pollution and the risk of first admission and multiple readmissions for cardiovascular diseases

ObjectivesWe aimed to investigate the associations between air pollutants and the risk of admission and multiple readmission events for cardiovascular disease (CVD).MethodsA total of 285 009 participants free of CVD...

Use of Imaging-guided Decongestion for Reducing Heart Failure Readmission and Death in High-risk Patients: A Multi-site Randomized Trial of a Nurse-led Strategy at the Point of Care

BackgroundNurse-led disease management programs (DMPs) decrease readmission after acute decompensated heart failure (HF). We sought whether readmissions could be further reduced by lung ultrasound (LUS)-guided decongestion before discharge and during DMP. Methods and ResultsOf 290 patients hospitalized with acute decompensated HF, 122 at high risk for readmission or mortality were randomized to receive usual care (UC) (n = 64) or UC plus intervention (DMP-Plus) (n = 58), comprising LUS-guided management before discharge and during at-home follow-up. Residual congestion was identified by ≥10 B-lines detected in 8 lung zones. The outcomes included a composite of readmission and/or mortality at 30 and 90 days, and 90-day HF readmission. Residual congestion was detected equally among the patient groups. The 30-day composite outcome occurred in 28% DMP-plus patients and 22% UC patients (odd ratio [OR], 1.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59–3.1; P = .5) and the 90-day HF readmission outcome occurred in 22% and 31%, respectively (odds ratio, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.28–1.43; P = .3). Residual congestion, identified at predischarge LUS examination in high-risk patients, was associated with early (<14-day) HF readmission (relative risk, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.06–1.32; P = .002) and multiple (≥2) readmissions over 90 days of follow-up (relative risk, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01–1.16; P = .012), independent of demographics and comorbidities. ConclusionsReadmission in patients with incomplete decongestion before discharge occurs within the first 2 weeks. However, our DMP-plus strategy did not improve the primary outcome.

Impact of long-acting injectable antipsychotics vs. oral medication on relapses of patients with psychosis and bipolar disorder

Relapse associated with multiple hospital readmissions of patients with chronic and severe mental disorders, such as psychosis and bipolar disorder, is frequently associated with non-adherence to treatment. The primary aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of long-acting injectable (LAI) treatment, vs. oral medication in reducing readmissions of patients with psychotic or bipolar disorder in a community sample of 164 patients with psychosis and 29 patients with bipolar disorder (n = 193), with poor adherence to oral medication. The mean follow up period was 5.6 years and the number of readmissions were compared for an equal-length period of oral treatment preceding the onset of LAI administration. We observed a significant decrease of 45.2 % in total hospital readmissions after receiving LAIs treatment. The effect was significant both for patients with a pre-LAI treatment history of predominantly voluntary hospitalizations and with predominantly involuntary admissions. In addition, we observed equal effectiveness of first- vs. second-generation LAIs in reducing total hospital readmissions regardless of type of pre-treatment admission history (voluntary vs. involuntary). LAIs appear to be effective in reducing both voluntary and involuntary hospital readmissions in patients with psychosis and bipolar disorder with a history of poor adherence to treatment.

Veno-Venous Coiling as A Strategy to Wean Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenator Post Adult Fontan Completion

We discuss a case of veno-venous collaterals in a patient with Fontan circulation post complex redo-surgery, which impeded veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) weaning. A 31-year-old male, born with complex congenital heart disease (D-transposition of the great vessels, tricuspid atresia, aortic coarctation, ventricular septal defect, and hypoplastic right ventricle) with single ventricle physiology. The patient underwent multiple cardiac surgeries leading to Fontan completion. He subsequently developed significant aortic regurgitation with progressive left ventricular dilatation requiring multiple readmissions for congestive heart failure. Despite maximal medical optimisation he remained symptomatic and was offered further surgery. Complex 6th redo-operation with aortic valve replacement, modification to intracardiac fenestrated Fontan and insertion of intra-aortic balloon pump was performed. At 72 hours postoperative, VV-ECMO was required for refractory hypoxia. Right heart catheterisation was performed with coiling of two large fistulous venous connections. Post-coiling saturations improved from 92% to 98%. The patient was successfully weaned from VV-ECMO and decannulated the following day. This case demonstrates successful embolisation for veno-venous collaterals causing significant right to left shunt and hypoxia, in a patient with Fontan circulation.

Factors affecting readmission of adolescent mental healthcare users to a psychiatric hospital.

Adolescent mental illness is increasing worldwide, leading to more admissions to psychiatric institutions. Many adolescents may require multiple readmissions, which is disruptive to their holistic well-being and costly for the healthcare sector. Identifying especially modifiable risk factors for readmission remains an important step in providing potential areas for improving patient care. This study investigated the risk factors associated with the readmission of adolescent mental healthcare users to a specialist psychiatric unit. The specialist adolescent unit at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital. In this retrospective study, the clinical files of 345 adolescents admitted between 2015 and 2019 were reviewed. The primary outcome variable was readmission, that is, whether a patient was readmitted to Weskoppies Hospital (n = 98) compared to those with no recorded readmission (n = 247). Readmitted adolescents were significantly younger on first admission compared to the non-readmitted group (13.46 vs 14.26, p = 0.016). Bivariate analysis showed that the readmitted group had a much higher rate of non-adherence to treatment (38.1% vs 10.5%, p = < 0.001). Patients with a family history of mental illness had a significantly higher risk of readmission (52.2% vs 37.5%, p = 0.015). Adolescents were more likely to be readmitted if they had first admission at a younger age, a family history of mental illness or non-adherence to treatment. Identifying especially modifiable risk factors for readmission of adolescents to improve patient care, particularly in the South African context where there is a paucity of research on this topic.

Longitudinal Relationships Between Heart Failure Self-care and All-Cause Hospital Readmissions.

Many patients with heart failure (HF) are repeatedly hospitalized. Heart failure self-care may reduce readmission rates. Hospitalizations may also affect self-care. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to test the hypotheses that better HF self-care is associated with a lower rate of all-cause readmissions and that readmissions motivate patients to improve their self-care. This was a prospective cohort study of patients with HF (N = 400) who were enrolled during a stay at an urban teaching hospital between 2014 and 2016. The Self-Care of Heart Failure Index v6.2 was administered during the hospital stay, along with other questionnaires, and repeated at 6-month intervals after discharge. All-cause readmissions and deaths were ascertained for 24 months. A total of 333 (83.3%) were readmitted at least once, and 117 (29.3%) of the patients died during the follow-up period. A total of 1581 readmissions were ascertained. Higher Self-Care of Heart Failure Index Maintenance scores predicted more rather than fewer readmissions (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.17; P < .01). Conversely, more readmissions predicted higher Maintenance scores (b = 0.29; 95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.56; P < .05). These findings do not support the hypothesis that HF self-care maintenance or management helps to reduce the rate of all-cause readmissions, but they do suggest that the experience of multiple readmissions may help to motivate improvements in HF self-care.

Abstract 13406: Surveillance Bias: Inpatient Outcomes of Heart Failure in Substance Users as an Example

Introduction: Substance use (SU), including opioid, methamphetamine, and cocaine use, is not infrequent among those with heart failure (HF). We aimed to characterize substance use among patients with heart failure and its association with inpatient outcomes. Methods: We used the Nationwide Readmission Database (NRD) for 2019 for our retrospective study. First, we extracted all cases older than 18 years that included a primary diagnosis of HF. Appropriate survey and domain analyses were applied to obtain national estimates using SAS 9.4. Results: We identified 1,318,006 discharges with a primary diagnosis of HF. SU was present in 5% of the study cohort (n= 57,395 cases). Patients with SU were younger than those without SU (mean age 55 years vs. 72 years, p&lt;0.001) and fewer women (29% vs. 49%, p&lt;0.001). Patients with SU had a higher prevalence of underlying hypertension, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and chronic lung and liver disease, but a lower prevalence of malignancy, dementia, end-stage renal disease, diabetes, and cerebrovascular disease (p&lt;0.001). Substance users had significantly lower inpatient mortality (1.4% vs. 2.9%, p&lt;0.001), but higher leaving against medical advice (AMA) (8% vs. 1%, p&lt;0.001), length of stay (mean 9 days vs. 8 days, p&lt;0.001), and all-cause 30-day readmission rates (58% vs. 46%, p&lt;0.001). Even after adjusting for age, gender, and comorbidities, the presence of SU continued to be associated with lower inpatient mortality compared to those without SU (OR 0.81 [0.73-0.90]). In this case, mortality rates are calculated based on discharge-level records rather than patient-level records. This leads to a dilution of the inpatient mortality rate because drug users who have multiple readmissions contribute more to the denominator. After excluding patients who left AMA or had readmission in the same year, SU was not associated with any favorable outcome (OR 1 [0.90-1.12]). Conclusions: While administrative data offers opportunities to study clinical outcomes, understanding how data is created and analyzed is key. Because the NRD database is built based on discharge-level rather than patient-level records, this is an example of how these calculations can introduce bias.

Previous psychiatric hospitalizations as risk factors for single and multiple future alcohol-related hospitalizations in patients with alcohol use disorders.

People with alcohol use disorder (AUD) often have co-occurring psychiatric conditions. The association between psychiatric conditions and AUD relapse has not yet been fully explored. This study aimed to quantify different psychiatric comorbidities as risk factors for first and multiple AUD rehospitalizations in patients already hospitalized once for AUD. We used a nation-wide routine health-care database in Scotland, UK, between 2010 and 2019. Individuals with a first hospitalization for AUD (codes F10.0-9 in the ICD-10 codes) were checked for previous hospitalizations where the main or co-occurring cause was a psychiatric condition (any other F0-F99 code in ICD-10). The final cohort included 23 529 patients, 18 620 of whom did not have a history of any other psychiatric comorbidity. First, individuals with a history of any previous psychiatric hospitalization were grouped and compared with those without on the basis of time to AUD rehospitalization. Then, individuals with different histories of psychiatric hospitalization were compared with each other. Cox and Prentice, Williams and Peterson gap-time models were used for single and multiple AUD rehospitalizations, respectively. The AUD rehospitalization rate in individuals with a previous psychiatric hospitalization was 8% higher compared with those without [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01-1.14]. The difference in rehospitalization rate reduced following the first rehospitalization (HR at second rehospitalization from first: 0.95, 95% CI = 0.87-1.04 and HR at third rehospitalization from second: 0.94, 95% CI = 0.84-1.07). Mood disorders and neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders were associated with a 54% (HR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.38-1.72) and 39% (HR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.17-1.66) increase in the risk of a first AUD rehospitalization. Other conditions, such as disorders due to psychoactive substance use or schizophrenia, were associated with decreases in future AUD rehospitalization (HR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.82-0.97 and HR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.58-1.16, respectively). Patients with AUD appear to have different rates of AUD rehospitalization based on different co-occurring psychiatric conditions. Addiction-related characteristics may be more relevant risk indicators for multiple AUD readmission than psychiatric comorbidities.

30-and 90-day readmissions in lumbar spine surgery. Differences in prevalence and causes

BackgroundThe morbidity associated with surgical treatment of lumbar degenerative conditions has attracted increasing interest due to the economic impact on society, especially postoperative readmission. Limited studies have assessed this risk in a prospective, single-center consecutive fashion. ObjectiveTo assess the incidence and causes of 30- and 90-day unplanned readmission and revision surgery following surgical treatment for lumbar degenerative spine conditions at a tertiary treatment center. Study designProspective, single-center cohort study. MethodsAll patients undergoing degenerative lumbar spine surgery in a 1-year period from February 1st, 2016, were prospectively included. Patient characteristics, surgical information and information regarding postoperative complications, including readmission (30- and 90-days) and revision surgery were recorded. Readmissions were classified according to whether they were due to the surgical intervention specifically, or a medical complication. ResultsA total of 1399 patients underwent surgery for various lumbar degenerative pathologies in the study period and all were included. Of these, 9.4% (n = 132) were readmitted within 30 days of surgery and in some cases, multiple readmissions occurred (up to 3). The total 90-day readmission rate was 17.6%. Of these, 15% were related to the surgical procedure.The predominant medical related causes were systemic infection (30-day: 14.4%, 90-day: 10.7%), neurological symptoms (30-day: 6.3%, 90-day: 5.0%) and cardiovascular events (30-day: 8.1%, 90-day: 12.9%).The surgical related causes for readmission were pain (30-day: 13.1%, 90-day: 2.9%), wound complications (30-day: 11.3%, 90-day: 5.0% and re-herniation (30-day: 13.1%, 90-day: 2.9%).Age was the only factor with significant influence on readmission. ConclusionThe incidence of medical conditions causing unplanned 30-day readmissions following surgery for lumbar degenerative conditions, is significantly higher compared to readmissions related specifically to the surgical procedure. Examples of medical treatment included antibiotics, analgesics, laxatives, anticoagulants and beta blockers. The difference is even more pronounced for the 90-day readmissions. The predominant medical causes were systemic infections, neurological and cardiovascular events. Predominant causes related to the surgery were pain, wound complications and re-herniations. Readmissions may be reduced by optimizing the medical treatment and the pain management before discharge of the patient.

Frailty and heart failure: State-of-the-art review.

At least half of all patients with heart failure (HF) are affected by frailty, a syndrome that limits an individual ability to recover from acute stressors. While frailty affects up to 90% of patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction, it is also seen in ~30-60% of patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction, with ~26% higher prevalence in women compared with men. The relationship between frailty and HF is bidirectional, with both conditions exacerbating the other. Frailty is further complicated by a higher prevalence of sarcopenia (by ~20%) in HF patients compared with patients without HF, which negatively affects outcomes. Several frailty assessment methods have been employed historically including the Fried frailty phenotype and Rockwood Clinical Frailty Scale to classify HF patients based on the severity of frailty; however, a validated HF-specific frailty assessment tool does not currently exist. Frailty in HF is associated with a poor prognosis with a 1.5-fold to 2-fold higher risk of all-cause death and hospitalizations compared to non-frail patients. Frailty is also highly prevalent in patients with worsening HF, affecting >50% of patients hospitalized for HF. Such patients with multiple readmissions for decompensated HF have markedly poor outcomes compared to younger, non-frail cohorts, and it is hypothesized that it may be due to major physical and functional limitations that limit recovery from an acute episode of worsening HF, a care aspect that has not been addressed in HF guidelines. Frail patients are thought to confer less benefit from therapeutic interventions due to an increased risk of perceived harm, resulting in lower adherence to HF interventions, which may worsen outcomes. Multiple studies report that <40% of frail patients are on guideline-directed medical therapy for HF, of which most are on suboptimal doses of these medications. There is a lack of evidence generated from randomized trials in this incredibly vulnerable population, and most current practice is governed by post hoc analyses of trials, observational registry-based data and providers' clinical judgement. The current body of evidence suggests that the treatment effect of most guideline-based interventions, including medications, cardiac rehabilitation and device therapy, is consistent across all age groups and frailty subgroups and, in some cases, may be amplified in the older, more frail population. In this review, we discuss the characteristics, assessment tools, impact on prognosis and impact on therapeutic interventions of frailty in patients with HF.

#4852 LATE REFERRAL OF PATIENTS WITH AN UNKNOWN CAUSE OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE AND MALIGNANT HYPERTENSION

Abstract Introduction Systemic sclerosis (SS) is a rare connective tissue disorder characterized by widespread vascular dysfunction and progressive skin and internal organ fibrosis. Scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) is a life-threatening complication of SS. The estimated incidence of SSc is approximately 20 cases per million per year, and SRC affects about 5-15% of those patients. Case Description A 32-year-old female was admitted to the hospital with dyspnea, edema, HTN, COPD. 4 months before the hospitalization, she had an abrupt onset of HTN (230/120 mm/Hg) and seizures (no abnormal waveforms on EEG). Vital signs: HR 90’, RR 22’, BP 197/121 mmHg, SpO2 90% on room air. PEx: severe jugular venous dilation, crackles in both lungs, 3+ pitting edema bilaterally. The skin appeared abnormal with a modified Rodnan score “9” out of “51” with puffy hands, sclerodactyly, telangiectasia, and Raynaud's phenomena. Lab: creatinine 406 mcmol/L, urea 20.8 mmol/L, T.Ca 2.04 mmol/L, P 1.71 mmol/L, PTH 255.5 pg./mL, Alb 33 g/L, LDH 596 U/L. Urinalysis: UPCR of 4.169 mg/mg creat. microhematuria ANA were positive for centromere pattern with a titer of &amp;gt;400 AU/mL (N &amp;lt;40), CENP-B +++, negative for anti-Scl70, anti-dsDNA, ANCA, Anti-GBM, anti-CCP, RF, anti-Jo1 and anti-Smith antibodies. A kidney biopsy showed acute tubular injury in the early stage, and later stages of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy; chronic active thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), vascular abnormalities including intimal accumulation of myxoid material, thrombosis, fibrinoid necrosis consistent with Scleroderma Renal Crisis (Fig.3; 4; 5; 6; 7) The patient started treatment with losartan 100mg. 3 months later she started hemodialysis due to diuretic refractory overhydration with severe pulmonary edema resulting in multiple hospital readmissions. Discussion SRC is a dreaded complication of systemic sclerosis that is characterized by new-onset malignant hypertension and progressive acute renal failure, often with associated microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia, occurring in ≈ 5–15% of cases, of which 2% occur with the Limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSS) and 12% in the Diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSS). Histopathologically SRC can be divided into narrowly defined nd-SRC and SSc-associated TMA: nd-SRC is a typical type of SRC, which shows acute renal failure and abrupt onset of moderate-to-significant hypertension. The pathology of nd-SRC shows injured endothelial cells and subsequent intimal thickening in the arcuate and interlobular arteries. The pathology of SSc-TMA shows abnormalities in the capillary wall which eventually leads to microvascular thrombosis. Our case demonstrates severe damage to the kidney, presenting with combined nd-SRC and SSc-TMA, inevitabley leading to irreversible changes resulting in CKD. Notably, until the kidney histopathology workup, neither clinical presentation nor lab tests revealed typical TMA. SRC was at one time almost uniformly fatal, with death often occurring within a few weeks. With the development of ACE-I, survival has improved dramatically, but death rates remain unacceptably high. Unfortunately, some will require chronic dialysis. However, when timely and appropriately managed, renal function can improve considerably, although it may take several months to years, allowing for discontinuation of dialysis. Conclusion SSc should be considered in any patient presenting with malignant hypertension and AKI. SRC can occur in patients without evidence of skin thickening or other manifestations of SSc. Early diagnosis improves outcome. Kidney biopsy should be gold standard in all patients with ``unknown'' causes of the CKD. ACEi remains the cornerstone of the treatment. Renal Transplantation: to discuss after two years after start of dialysis.

Association between inpatient clinical nursing acuity and 30-day rehospitalization among hospitalized patients with advanced cancer.

1544 Background: Half of patients with advanced cancer experience multiple hospital readmissions, which are burdensome to patients and their family members. During hospitalization, nurses provide assistance with medication administration, activities of daily living (ADLs), and other care needs. However, it is not known how nursing support required during hospitalization may relate to hospital readmissions. Using data from a post-discharge supportive care trial, we analyzed the association between nursing acuity on day of discharge to home and 30-day rehospitalization among patients with advanced cancer. Methods: The data for this exploratory analysis came from a single-arm pilot trial (n=54) of a nurse practitioner-led supportive care telehealth intervention at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). We enrolled English-speaking adults with advanced breast, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, or thoracic cancers who had an unplanned hospitalization and were being discharged home without hospice. MGH uses the Harris Healthcare AcuityPlus workload and productivity system to measure patients’ need for nursing care twice daily, in order to define nurse staffing levels. AcuityPlus groups patients into six levels of acuity (1=0-5 hours; 2=5-7 hours; 3=7-10 hours; 4=10-14 hours; 5=14-20 hours; 6=20+ hours). We conducted chart reviews to determine 30-day hospital readmission rates and analyzed the last AcuityPlus assessment before hospital discharge. We described rates of 30-day hospital readmissions by nursing acuity level. Results: From 01/07/21 to 05/28/21, we enrolled 54 patients (median age=65.0 years; 59.3% and 22.2% had advanced gastrointestinal or thoracic cancers, respectively). On day of discharge, no patients were classified as acuity level 1, while 25.9% of patients were classified as acuity level 2. 53.7% were in acuity level 3 and 20.4% were in acuity levels 4-6. Further, at discharge, 64.8% of patients received partial or extended assistance with ADLs, and 53.7% were assessed at least every 2 hours. At 30 days, 10 (18.5%) patients were readmitted to the hospital, all of whom were in acuity category 3 or higher on the day of discharge. No patients in acuity level 2 were readmitted. Conclusions: In this cohort of hospitalized patients with advanced cancer enrolled in a post-discharge supportive care study, overall need for nursing care, ADL support, and assessment was high, with over 70% of patients receiving at least 7 hours of nursing care on the day of discharge. While some nursing care received was influenced by inpatient nursing protocols, all readmitted patients had high nursing needs at discharge. These results support further study in larger cohorts of the relationship between inpatient nursing needs and likelihood of readmission in hospitalized patients with advanced cancer to improve support at home for recently hospitalized patients. Clinical trial information: NCT04640714 .

70 Burn Injury is Not a Risk Factor for Long-term Opioid Use

Abstract Introduction The United States continues to suffer from a serious epidemic of opioid use. Exposure to opioids is a known risk factor for long-term use and dependence. This is of particular importance to burn care, as opioids are frequently essential to manage the pain associated with burn injuries. The purpose of this study was to characterize opioid use among burn patients after hospitalization and to identify any risk factors for long-term dependence. Methods All patients admitted to a burn center during a single year period (2/1/2020-2/1/21) were examined. Patients who died were excluded. A controlled substance reporting system was utilized to determine opioid use over a time period from 6 months prior to injury and up to 12 months post-hospital discharge. Reporting to this database is mandated by law and therefore includes all prescriptions regardless of prescriber, insurance, location, etc. Duration of opioid use was recorded for all patients in the study. Long-term use was defined as having an active opioid prescription at 12 months post-hospital discharge. Patient demographic information, burn injury characteristics, operative interventions, and hospital course were examined to determine risk factors for long-term opioid use following burn injury. Results A total of 185 patients were included in the study. Patients were predominantly male (76.2%) and had an average age of 47.5 years old. Patients had an average TBSA burn of 9.5% and a length of stay of 6.7 days. A total of 54.7% of patients received an opioid prescription at discharge. Only 17 patients (9.7%) had persistent opioid use at 1 year. The only independent risk factor identified for long term opioid use was pre-injury use (p&amp;lt; 0.001). Among the 17 patients still on opioids at 1 year, 16 had filled 3 or more opioid prescriptions in the 6 months prior to injury. The solitary patient without a pre-existing opioid history had multiple readmissions and delayed operative interventions after their initial hospital course. Conclusions A majority of burn patients received opioids for pain control following hospital discharge. However, the duration of therapy was generally short among opioid naïve patients. Burn injury was not associated with long term opioid use among patients in the study. Applicability of Research to Practice When used judiciously and with caution, opioids can be safely prescribed to burn patients without fear of long-term opioid dependence.

Lessons learned from the hospital to home community care program in Singapore and the supporting AI multiple readmissions prediction model

AbstractIn a prior practice and policy article published in Healthcare Science, we introduced the deployed application of an artificial intelligence (AI) model to predict longer‐term inpatient readmissions to guide community care interventions for patients with complex conditions in the context of Singapore's Hospital to Home (H2H) program that has been operating since 2017. In this follow on practice and policy article, we further elaborate on Singapore's H2H program and care model, and its supporting AI model for multiple readmission prediction, in the following ways: (1) by providing updates on the AI and supporting information systems, (2) by reporting on customer engagement and related service delivery outcomes including staff‐related time savings and patient benefits in terms of bed days saved, (3) by sharing lessons learned with respect to (i) analytics challenges encountered due to the high degree of heterogeneity and resulting variability of the data set associated with the population of program participants, (ii) balancing competing needs for simpler and stable predictive models versus continuing to further enhance models and add yet more predictive variables, and (iii) the complications of continuing to make model changes when the AI part of the system is highly interlinked with supporting clinical information systems, (4) by highlighting how this H2H effort supported broader Covid‐19 response efforts across Singapore's public healthcare system, and finally (5) by commenting on how the experiences and related capabilities acquired from running this H2H program and related community care model and supporting AI prediction model are expected to contribute to the next wave of Singapore's public healthcare efforts from 2023 onwards. For the convenience of the reader, some content that introduces the H2H program and the multiple readmissions AI prediction model that previously appeared in the prior Healthcare Science publication is repeated at the beginning of this article.