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Hospital readmissions for sepsis are under-recognized, and additional measures are needed to prevent these readmissions, researchers say.
The group conducted a study of California hospitals that showed sepsis accounts for roughly the same percentage of readmissions as heart attacks and congestive heart failure.
However, sepsis readmissions cost the healthcare system more than heart attack and congestive heart failure readmissions combined.
The research was published in Critical Care Medicine.
“Our study shows how common sepsis readmissions are and [elucidates] some of the factors that are associated with higher risk of readmission after these severe infections,” said study author Dong Chang, MD, of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
“In addition, we show that sepsis readmissions have a significant impact on healthcare expenditures relative to other high-risk conditions that are receiving active attention and interventions. Based on these results, we believe that sepsis readmissions are under-recognized and should be among the conditions that are targeted for intervention by policymakers.”
The researchers analyzed data on sepsis admissions for adults 18 years of age and older at all California hospitals from 2009 through 2011. The team also analyzed data for congestive heart failure and heart attack admissions during the same period.
There were 240,198 admissions for sepsis, 193,153 for congestive heart failure, and 105,684 for heart attacks. The all-cause, 30-day readmission rate was 20.4% for sepsis, 23.6% for congestive heart failure, and 17.7% for heart attacks.
Patients with sepsis were readmitted because of respiratory failure; pneumonia; urinary tract infections; renal infections; renal failure; intestinal infections; complications with devices, implants, or grafts; and other causes.
Sepsis readmission rates were higher among young adults than older adults, among men than women, among black and Native American patients than other racial groups, and among lower-income patients than those with higher incomes. In addition, patients with other concurrent health problems were more likely to be readmitted than those with sepsis alone.
The estimated annual cost of sepsis-related readmissions in California during the study period was $500 million, compared with $229 million for congestive heart failure and $142 million for heart attacks.
“These findings suggest that efforts to reduce hospital readmissions need to include sepsis prominently, at least on par with heart failure and myocardial infarction,” said study author Martin Shapiro, MD, PhD, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Next, the researchers plan to examine why patients are readmitted after sepsis and the percentage of those readmissions that are due to processes that can be improved upon, such as discharge practices, follow-up care, and teaching patients how to take their medications. 
Photo courtesy of the CDC
Hospital readmissions for sepsis are under-recognized, and additional measures are needed to prevent these readmissions, researchers say.
The group conducted a study of California hospitals that showed sepsis accounts for roughly the same percentage of readmissions as heart attacks and congestive heart failure.
However, sepsis readmissions cost the healthcare system more than heart attack and congestive heart failure readmissions combined.
The research was published in Critical Care Medicine.
“Our study shows how common sepsis readmissions are and [elucidates] some of the factors that are associated with higher risk of readmission after these severe infections,” said study author Dong Chang, MD, of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
“In addition, we show that sepsis readmissions have a significant impact on healthcare expenditures relative to other high-risk conditions that are receiving active attention and interventions. Based on these results, we believe that sepsis readmissions are under-recognized and should be among the conditions that are targeted for intervention by policymakers.”
The researchers analyzed data on sepsis admissions for adults 18 years of age and older at all California hospitals from 2009 through 2011. The team also analyzed data for congestive heart failure and heart attack admissions during the same period.
There were 240,198 admissions for sepsis, 193,153 for congestive heart failure, and 105,684 for heart attacks. The all-cause, 30-day readmission rate was 20.4% for sepsis, 23.6% for congestive heart failure, and 17.7% for heart attacks.
Patients with sepsis were readmitted because of respiratory failure; pneumonia; urinary tract infections; renal infections; renal failure; intestinal infections; complications with devices, implants, or grafts; and other causes.
Sepsis readmission rates were higher among young adults than older adults, among men than women, among black and Native American patients than other racial groups, and among lower-income patients than those with higher incomes. In addition, patients with other concurrent health problems were more likely to be readmitted than those with sepsis alone.
The estimated annual cost of sepsis-related readmissions in California during the study period was $500 million, compared with $229 million for congestive heart failure and $142 million for heart attacks.
“These findings suggest that efforts to reduce hospital readmissions need to include sepsis prominently, at least on par with heart failure and myocardial infarction,” said study author Martin Shapiro, MD, PhD, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Next, the researchers plan to examine why patients are readmitted after sepsis and the percentage of those readmissions that are due to processes that can be improved upon, such as discharge practices, follow-up care, and teaching patients how to take their medications.
Photo courtesy of the CDC
Hospital readmissions for sepsis are under-recognized, and additional measures are needed to prevent these readmissions, researchers say.
The group conducted a study of California hospitals that showed sepsis accounts for roughly the same percentage of readmissions as heart attacks and congestive heart failure.
However, sepsis readmissions cost the healthcare system more than heart attack and congestive heart failure readmissions combined.
The research was published in Critical Care Medicine.
“Our study shows how common sepsis readmissions are and [elucidates] some of the factors that are associated with higher risk of readmission after these severe infections,” said study author Dong Chang, MD, of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
“In addition, we show that sepsis readmissions have a significant impact on healthcare expenditures relative to other high-risk conditions that are receiving active attention and interventions. Based on these results, we believe that sepsis readmissions are under-recognized and should be among the conditions that are targeted for intervention by policymakers.”
The researchers analyzed data on sepsis admissions for adults 18 years of age and older at all California hospitals from 2009 through 2011. The team also analyzed data for congestive heart failure and heart attack admissions during the same period.
There were 240,198 admissions for sepsis, 193,153 for congestive heart failure, and 105,684 for heart attacks. The all-cause, 30-day readmission rate was 20.4% for sepsis, 23.6% for congestive heart failure, and 17.7% for heart attacks.
Patients with sepsis were readmitted because of respiratory failure; pneumonia; urinary tract infections; renal infections; renal failure; intestinal infections; complications with devices, implants, or grafts; and other causes.
Sepsis readmission rates were higher among young adults than older adults, among men than women, among black and Native American patients than other racial groups, and among lower-income patients than those with higher incomes. In addition, patients with other concurrent health problems were more likely to be readmitted than those with sepsis alone.
The estimated annual cost of sepsis-related readmissions in California during the study period was $500 million, compared with $229 million for congestive heart failure and $142 million for heart attacks.
“These findings suggest that efforts to reduce hospital readmissions need to include sepsis prominently, at least on par with heart failure and myocardial infarction,” said study author Martin Shapiro, MD, PhD, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Next, the researchers plan to examine why patients are readmitted after sepsis and the percentage of those readmissions that are due to processes that can be improved upon, such as discharge practices, follow-up care, and teaching patients how to take their medications.