The causes of readmissions following orthopedic surgery and other medical admissions are different, according to a study published in Bulletin of the Hospital for Joint Diseases.
Here are five insights:
1. Researchers at NYU's Hospital for Joint Diseases identified all unplanned 30-day readmissions following a hospitalization for an elective orthopedic procedure or for one of the three publicly reported medical conditions heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia.
2. The study found that 86.9 percent of orthopedic patients were readmitted for surgical complications, most commonly for a wound infection (56 percent) or wound complication (11.6 percent).
3. Following an admission for heart attack or heart failure, the primary reason for readmission was a disease of the circulatory system (55.9 percent and 57.4 percent, respectively).
4. Following an admission for pneumonia, the primary reason for readmission was a disease of the respiratory system (34.5 percent).
5. Thus, patients undergoing orthopedic procedures are readmitted for surgical complications, frequently unrelated to aftercare, and medical patients are readmitted for reasons related to the index diagnosis.