The present study aimed to investigate the factors associated with hospital readmissions of the elderly residing in long-term care (LTC) facilities. A retrospective analysis of the medical records of LTC residents aged 65 years and above who were admitted to the geriatric ward of a regional teaching hospital in Southern Taiwan was carried out. After excluding patients with repeated readmissions, 191 patients were included in the analysis using logistic regression. Results showed that 14-day hospital readmission was associated with blood glucose greater than 200 mg/dl at admission (odds ratio=4.7, p <.001), abnormally high values of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level at admission (odds ratio=2.5, p =.031), and high white blood cell count at discharge from the hospital (odds ratio =3.2, p =.019). These factors may be used in assisting hospital discharge planning to prevent the occurrence of readmission.
The present study aimed to investigate the factors associated with hospital readmissions of the elderly residing in long-term care (LTC) facilities. A retrospective analysis of the medical records of LTC residents aged 65 years and above who were admitted to the geriatric ward of a regional teaching hospital in Southern Taiwan was carried out. After excluding patients with repeated readmissions, 191 patients were included in the analysis using logistic regression. Results showed that 14-day hospital readmission was associated with blood glucose greater than 200 mg/dl at admission (odds ratio=4.7, p <.001), abnormally high values of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level at admission (odds ratio=2.5, p =.031), and high white blood cell count at discharge from the hospital (odds ratio =3.2, p =.019). These factors may be used in assisting hospital discharge planning to prevent the occurrence of readmission.