Gastroenterology Research, ISSN 1918-2805 print, 1918-2813 online, Open Access
Article copyright, the authors; Journal compilation copyright, Gastroenterol Res and Elmer Press Inc
Journal website https://www.gastrores.org

Original Article

Volume 16, Number 3, June 2023, pages 157-164


Independent Predictors and Causes of Thirty-Day Gastrointestinal Readmissions Following COVID-19-Related Hospitalizations: Analysis of the National Readmission Database

Figure

Figure 1.
Figure 1. Forrest plot of multivariate analysis of independent predictors associated with 30-day readmissions. CI: confidence interval.

Tables

Table 1. Baseline Characteristics of Patients Evaluated for Gastrointestinal Etiologies of 30-Day Readmissions Following Index COVID-19 Admission Stratified by Biological Sex
 
CharacteristicMalesFemalesP value
COVID-19: coronavirus disease 2019; SD: standard deviation.
N = 3,27654%46%
Mean age ± SD (years)66.4 ± 15.169.1 ± 16.1< 0.001
Age category0.005
  18 - 449.28.8
  45 - 6433.626.2
  ≥ 6557.265.0
Insurance type (%)0.005
  Medicaid63.571.0
  Medicare16.511.0
  Private17.415.1
  Uninsured2.62.9
Elixhauser Comorbidity Index score (%)0.066
  02.82.4
  16.23.7
  211.69.5
  315.915.6
  463.568.8
Median household income (%)0.311
  < $49,99934.837.7
  ≥ $50,000 to < $64,99931.427.7
  ≥ $65,000 to < $85,99919.120.7
  ≥ 86,00014.713.9
Location/teaching status of the hospital (%)0.791
  Rural17.418.8
  Urban non-teaching72.471.0
  Urban teaching10.210.2
Hospital bed size (%)0.403
  Small17.319.4
  Medium24.325.6
  Large58.455.0

 

Table 2. The Five Most Common Gastrointestinal Etiologies of 30-Day Readmissions Following Index COVID-19 Admission.
 
N= 3,276Proportion (%)
COVID-19: coronavirus disease 2019.
Gastrointestinal hemorrhage29.7
Intestinal obstruction5.5
Diverticulitis4.3
Acute pancreatitis3.8
Acute cholecystitis3.1

 

Table 3. Mortality, Length of Stay, and Total Hospitalization Charges on Index Admission Compared With 30-Day Readmission.
 
OutcomesIndex admission30-day readmission
SD: standard deviation.
Mortality (%)11.65.1
Length of stay (days ± SD)8.1 ± 0.16.4 ± 0.2
Total hospitalization charges ($)20,13516,738

 

Table 4. Mortality, Length of Stay, and Total Hospitalization Charges on 30-Day Readmission Stratified by Biological Sex
 
OutcomesMaleFemaleP value
SD: standard deviation.
Mortality (%)4.945.350.700
Length of stay (days ± SD)6.4 ± 0.36.5 ± 0.10.952
Total hospitalization charges ($)16,77016,7000.962

 

Table 5. Independent Predictors of 30-Day GI-Related Readmission Following Index COVID-19 Hospitalization
 
VariableHazard ratio (adjusted)P valueConfidence interval
COVID-19: coronavirus disease 2019; SD: standard deviation; GI: gastrointestinal.
Female0.960.5210.87 - 1.07
Age 44 - 651.110.2810.92 - 1.35
Age > 651.110.3810.88 - 1.40
Medicare1.020.8160.85 - 1.23
Private insurance0.590.0000.49 - 0.72
Uninsured0.620.0270.41 - 0.95
Congestive heart failure1.390.0001.18 - 1.63
Cardiac arrhythmias1.060.3110.95 - 1.19
Valvular heart disease0.910.4150.72 - 1.15
Pulmonary circulation disorders1.170.1160.96 - 1.45
Peripheral vascular disorders1.190.0690.99 - 1.44
Hypertension, uncomplicated1.050.4320.93 - 1.20
Paralysis1.130.0820.98 - 1.29
Other neurological disorders1.080.2160.96 - 1.22
Chronic pulmonary disease0.890.1810.76 - 1.05
Diabetes, uncomplicated0.990.8790.87 - 1.13
Diabetes, complicated1.140.0610.99 - 1.30
Hypothyroidism1.650.0001.39 - 1.95
Renal failure3.060.0002.63 - 3.56
Peptic ulcer disease1.920.0211.10 - 3.35
Lymphoma1.240.4150.74 - 2.09
Metastatic cancer1.260.3930.74 - 2.12
Solid tumor without metastasis1.570.0081.13 - 2.19
Coagulopathy1.470.0001.29 - 1.68
Obesity0.860.0250.76 - 0.98
Weight loss1.170.0960.97 - 1.40
Fluid and electrolyte disorders1.220.0001.09 - 1.36
Blood loss anemia1.640.1090.89 - 3.00
Deficiency anemia1.290.0211.04 - 1.61
Alcohol abuse2.670.0002.17 - 3.29
Drug abuse1.260.1190.94 - 1.71
Depression1.040.6260.89 - 1.21
Hypertension, complicated1.140.1700.94 - 1.39