University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers pinpointed risk factors linked to hospital readmissions after pediatric neurosurgery. The study used the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric database.
Researchers analyzed 9,799 neurosurgical procedures performed on patients under the age of 18. Of the studied procedures, 1,098 were followed by unexpected hospital readmissions within 30 days.
Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics published the study.
Here are five observations:
1. The risk factors were related to various circumstances such as specific surgical procedure, postoperative complications or patient demographics.
2. Four surgical procedures correlated with the highest rates of readmission:
• CSF shunt revision — 17.3 percent
• Repair of a myelomeningocele larger than 5 cm in diameter — 15.4 percent
• CSF shunt placement — 14.1 percent
• Craniectomy removing an infratentorial tumor — 13.9 percent
3. Researchers found postoperative infections were the strongest predictors of hospital readmission.
4. Researchers also found postoperative pneumonia, urinary tract infection, sepsis, Native American race, long-term steroid use, oxygen supplementation, seizure disorders and long operative times indicated risk factors for readmission.
5. The study authors emphasized hospitals can't alter many of the risk factors, so basing quality measures on readmission rates may prove unfair.