COVID-19 readmissions during the first three epidemic periods in Orihuela, Spain: incidence, risk factors and letality

Readmission for COVID-19 is associated with high mortality, saturation of health services, and high costs. This study aimed to assess the incidence and risk factors of readmissions in COVID-19 patients in a regional hospital of Spain from February 2020 to March 2021. A retrospective cohort study des...

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Published inRevista espanola de salud publica Vol. 98
Main Authors Roig-Sánchez, Nuria, Talaya Peñalver, Alberto, Poveda Ruiz, Noemí, Del Pozo, Alfonso, Hernández Campillo, Ana María, Pérez Bernabéu, Alicia, Martínez-López, Belén, González-Cuello, Inmaculada, García-López, María, Borrajo Brunete, Emilio, Wikman-Jorgensen, Philip, Llenas-García, Jara
Format Journal Article
LanguageSpanish
Published Spain 19.03.2024
Subjects
COVID-19
Pneumonia
SARS-CoV-2
Pandemic
Readmission
Spain
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Summary:Readmission for COVID-19 is associated with high mortality, saturation of health services, and high costs. This study aimed to assess the incidence and risk factors of readmissions in COVID-19 patients in a regional hospital of Spain from February 2020 to March 2021. A retrospective cohort study describing the characteristics of adult patients readmitted within thirty days of discharge after being infected with SARS-CoV-2 was carried out. Readmission associated risk factors were analysed using a binary logistic regression model. Of the 967 patients who survived their first COVID-19 admission, 70 (7.2%) were readmitted within thirty days. Of these, 34.3% presented pneumonia progression, 15.7% functional deterioration, and 12.9% other infections. The mortality rate during readmission was 28.6%. There were no statistically significant differences in the cumulative incidence of readmissions between the epidemic periods (p=0.241). Factors independently associated with readmission were: diabetes mellitus (aOR 1.96, 95%CI 1.07-3.57, p=0.030); acute kidney failure (aOR 2.69, 95%CI 1.43-5.07, p=0.002); not being a candidate for intensive care (aOR 7.68, 95% CI 4.28-13.80, p<0.001); and not being prescribed corticosteroids at discharge (aOR 2.15, 95% CI 1.04-4.44; p=0.039). A substantial proportion of patients admitted due to COVID-19 are readmitted, and they carry a high letality. Diabetes mellitus, acute kidney failure, not being a candidate for ICU admission, and not being prescribed corticosteroids on discharge are independently associated with an increased risk of readmission.
ISSN:2173-9110