Abstract
Objectives: To identify common reasons for readmission following otolaryngologic surgery at a high-volume center and identify possible risk factors for readmission. Methods: Retrospective chart review of readmissions identified by hospital-based electronic medical record reporting mechanism. Results: From January 2019 to September 2020, there were 87 readmissions following 808 index surgeries. The most common reason for readmission was for planned surgery (23%), followed by post-operative neck infection, bleeding, or pneumonia. Patients with unplanned readmissions had significantly longer index admission duration than patients who were not readmitted (median 7 days vs. median 5 days, resp.; p = 0.0056). Analysis of cases of unplanned readmission for neck infection and bleeding identified the oral cavity/pharynx as the most common site of initial surgery and that a majority of patients had a history of radiation therapy. Conclusion: Neck infection, bleeding, and pneumonia were the most common reasons for unplanned readmission following otolaryngologic surgery, and a large portion of patients required additional procedures during readmission. Unplanned readmissions for bleeding were significantly more costly than readmissions for neck infections. Long-index hospitalizations, index surgery involving the oral cavity and pharynx, and a history of radiation therapy may be useful clinical features that could stratify the risk of readmission. Level of Evidence: 4, retrospective chart review Laryngoscope, 133:2546–2552, 2023.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2546-2552 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Laryngoscope |
Volume | 133 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2023 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2023 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.
Keywords
- otolaryngology
- pneumonia
- post-operative infection
- readmissions
PubMed: MeSH publication types
- Journal Article