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Inpatient hospital performance is associated with post-discharge sepsis mortality
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Inpatient hospital performance is associated with post-discharge sepsis mortality

Nicholas M. Mohr, Alexis M. Zebrowski, David F. Gaieski, David G. Buckler and Brendan G. Carr
Critical care (London, England), Vol.24(1), pp.1-626
10/27/2020
DOI: 10.1186/s13054-020-03341-3
PMCID: PMC7592563
PMID: 33109211
url
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-020-03341-3View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Background: Post-discharge deaths are common in patients hospitalized for sepsis, but the drivers of post-discharge deaths are unclear. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that hospitals with high risk-adjusted inpatient sepsis mortality also have high post-discharge mortality, readmissions, and discharge to nursing homes. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of age-qualifying Medicare beneficiaries with sepsis hospitalization between January 2013 and December 2014. Hospital survivors were followed for 180-days post-discharge, and mortality, readmissions, and new admission to skilled nursing facility were measured. Inpatient hospital-specific sepsis risk-adjusted mortality ratio (observed: expected) was the primary exposure. Results: A total of 830,721 patients in the cohort were hospitalized for sepsis, with inpatient mortality of 20% and 90-day mortality of 48%. Higher hospital-specific sepsis risk-adjusted mortality was associated with increased 90-day post-discharge mortality (aOR 1.03 per each 0.1 increase in hospital inpatient O:E ratio, 95% CI 1.03–1.04). Higher inpatient risk adjusted mortality was also associated with increased probability of being discharged to a nursing facility (aOR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02–1.03) and 90-day readmissions (aOR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02–1.03). Conclusions: Hospitals with the highest risk-adjusted sepsis inpatient mortality also have higher post-discharge mortality and increased readmissions, suggesting that post-discharge complications are a modifiable risk that may be affected during inpatient care. Future work will seek to elucidate inpatient and healthcare practices that can reduce sepsis post-discharge complications.
Patient discharge Patient readmission Quality of health care Sepsis

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