Researchers examined 55,936 hospitalizations among 31,903 patients with SLE. They identified the hospitalizations using hospital discharge databases from five geographically dispersed states to perform a study of all-cause SLE readmissions between 2008 and 2009.
The study found that 16.5 percent of hospitalizations resulted in readmission within 30 days. In adjusted analyses, age was inversely related to risk of readmission.
Also, Black and Hispanic patients were more likely to be readmitted compared to white patients. Those with Medicare or Medicaid insurance, versus private insurance, were more likely to be readmitted. Several lupus clinical characteristics, including lupus nephritis, serositis and thrombocytopenia were associated with readmission.
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