Study: Sepsis Accounts for More Hospital Readmissions Than AMI

A recent analysis of hospital readmission demonstrated that sepsis was associated with more hospital readmissions and higher costs than acute myocardial infarction (AMI), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure, or pneumonia.

The researchers analyzed data on hospital admissions followed by an unplanned readmission within 30 days after discharge from a 2013 Nationwide Readmissions Database that included acute care hospitalizations from 21 states.
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Weighted proportions of index admissions due to sepsis, AMI, COPD, heart failure, and pneumonia were calculated, as well as overlap between sepsis and other conditions. In addition, costs for readmissions were estimated for each condition.

A total of 1,187,697 cases with an unplanned 30-day readmission after discharge were identified. Sepsis was diagnosed in 147,084 patients, accounting for 12.2% of readmissions. AMI was diagnosed in 15,001 patients, heart failure in 79,480 patients, COPD in 54,396 patients, and pneumonia in 59,378 patients.

In calculations for overlap between sepsis and other conditions, researchers found that combined sepsis and AMI was diagnosed in 1061 patients, combined sepsis and heart failure in 5062 patients, combined sepsis and COPD in 4829 patients, and combined sepsis and pneumonia in 11,093 patients.

The mean length of stay for hospitalizations due to sepsis was longer than other conditions. Likewise, the estimated cost for sepsis per readmission was higher than other conditions. Sepsis-related hospital readmission cost an average of $10,070. The average cost of COPD was $8417, the average cost of heart failure was $9051, the average cost of AMI was 9424, and the average cost of pneumonia was $9533. 

“Among medical conditions, sepsis is a leading cause of readmissions and associated costs. Adding sepsis to the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program may lead to development of new interventions to reduce unplanned readmissions and associated costs,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Mayr FB, Talisa VB, Balakumar V, et al. Proportion and cost of unplanned 30-day readmissions after sepsis compared with other medical conditions [published online January 22, 2017]. JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.20468.