Patient selection: chemotherapy
Outcome: 30 day readmission
Most common reasons for readmission:
(1) febrile neutropenia
(2) thrombocytopenia and/or pancytopenia
(3) diarrhea
(4) dehydration
(5) infection
(6) failure to thrive
(7) hypotension
Risk factors for readmission:
(1) age >= 65 years
(2) hematologic malignancy
(3) first cycle of chemotherapy
(4) anthracycline therapy
(5) discharge to a skilled nursing facility
(6) length of hospital admisssion >= 4 days
(7) Medicare as insurance
where:
• The authors say that discharge to a skilled nursing facility is a modifiable risk factor, but this group may be more sick and unable to be discharged home.
• Medicare as insurance would correlated with age >= 65 years.
