Factors Associated with 30-Day Re-Admission for Patients Hospitalized for Seizures

November 1, 2019

In this retrospective cohort study, researchers ascertained the cumulative incidence of re-admissions after a seizure-related hospitalization and identified risk factors and readmission diagnoses.

Logistic regressions were performed to explore the impacts of patient, hospital, and community factors on re-admissions within 30 days of discharge. The sample consisted of adult patients hospitalized with a primary discharge diagnosis of seizure using the State Inpatient Databases across 11 states from 2009 to 2012. From the American Hospital Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, hospital and community characteristics were obtained.

Within 30 days, 13,929 of 98,712 patients were readmitted. Epilepsy/convulsions, mood disorders, schizophrenia, and septicemia were the included reasons for readmission. Diagnoses of CNS tumor or psychosis, urgent index admission, transfer to nonacute facilities, long length of stay, and for-profit hospitals were the strongest predictors of readmission.

Overall, the authors concluded that readmission after hospitalization for seizures is common. Recurrent seizures, the most common readmission diagnosis, should be the subject of preventive strategies. While re-admissions remain difficult to predict, several factors have been associated with readmission.