A study published in the American Journal of Medical Quality has identified factors that influence 30-day hospital readmission rates for stroke patients.
Researchers compared a total of 79 cases of patients with acute ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes readmitted within 30 days to the same hospital with 86 frequency-matched controls.
The study found that readmitted stroke patients were significantly more likely to have:
• Been hospitalized two or more times during the year prior to the initial stroke admission
• A prior diagnosis of congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, cancer or absence of hyperlipidemia
The findings suggest that stroke severity and number of hospitalizations within the year prior to the stroke admission are important predictors of subsequent readmission within 30 days, independent of other clinical factors, said Cheryl Bushnell, MD, one of the study authors.
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