Basis: If a patient is readmitted to the hospital, it is common for the admission to be for a reason different from the cause of the previous admission. This suggests a period of vulnerability to organ dysfunction.
Time frame: 30 days (although this is somewhat arbitary)
Patient selection: discharge from the hospital admission following a serious illness.
Factors that may contribute to mental and physical debility::
(1) fatigue and disordered sleep
(2) malnutrition
(3) stress
(4) physical deconditioning
(5) other disability
(6) adverse effects from new or different medications
(7) number of comorbid conditions or risk factors for comorbid conditions
(8) inability to recall or follow discharge instructions
(9) hospital-acquired infection
(10) pain and discomfort
(11) gastrointestinal dysfunction
(12) neurologic dysfunction
(13) cardiopulmonary dysfunction
These factors need to be identified and managed if the patient is to recover uneventfully.
