*EMBARGOED All research presented at the ACG Annual Scientific Meeting is strictly embargoed until Monday, October 17, 2016 at 8:00 am EDT.
Oral 39 Rates, Leading Causes, and Predictors of 30-day Readmission Following a Clostridium difficile Infection: A Nationwide Analysis
Author Insight from Vijay Dalapathi, MD, Mount Sinai St. Lukes-West Hospital
What’s new here and important for clinicians?
Starting in 2017, health care-acquired Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) 30-day readmission penalties will commence for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services programs. This retrospective study analyzes 38,409 patients from a nationwide readmission database to find predictors for 30-day readmission following CDI infection for both CDI-related and non-CDI-related causes. The results show that 20% of the patients get re-admitted to the hospital within 30 days, likely due to infectious causes. Additionally, female gender, renal failure and electrolyte abnormalities and anemia play a role in readmissions. Interestingly, patients admitted to facilities tend to have lower rates of re-admission following a CDI episode. This is important as we plan to reduce re-admission rates as we can be more vigilant with certain groups and perhaps ensure adequate adherence to anti-CDI therapy.
What do patients need to know?
CDI is the most common health care-associated infection in the United States. Recurrence and re-admission episodes can increase mortality and morbidity for patients. Our study basically attempts to further delineate the predictors that cause patients to return to the hospital for the same reason; these include female gender, kidney problems and anemia (low hemoglobin).
Author Contact
Vijay Dalapathi, MD, Mount Sinai St. Lukes-West Hospital
vdalapathi@chpnet.org
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