Characteristics of the 739 elderly patients admitted to the internal medicine ward based on the occurrence of a 30-day unplanned readmission after the index hospital discharge
| Characteristics | Total (n=739) | The occurrence of a 30-day unplanned readmission | |
| Yes (n=39) | No (n=700) | ||
| Age (year), median (IQR) | 82 (74–88) | 83 (75–89) | 82 (74–88) |
| Women, n (%) | 389 (52.6) | 13 (33.3) | 376 (53.7) |
| Institutional resident, n (%) | 93 (12.6) | 7 (17.9) | 86 (12.3) |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index, median (IQR) | 2 (0–3) | 3 (1–4) | 1 (0–3) |
| Number of medications at admission | |||
| Median (IQR) | 5 (3–8) | 6 (3–9) | 5 (3–8) |
| Five or more medications, n (%) | 446 (60.4) | 25 (64.1) | 421 (60.1) |
| Number of medications at discharge | |||
| Median (IQR) | 4 (2–6) | 4 (1–7) | 4 (2–6) |
| Five or more medications, n (%) | 288 (39.0) | 19 (48.7) | 269 (38.4) |
| Current smoker, n (%) | 78 (10.6) | 5 (12.8) | 73 (10.4) |
| Regular alcohol drinker*, n (%) | 116 (15.7) | 8 (20.5) | 108 (15.5) |
| Principal diagnosis for admission†, n (%) | |||
| Acute heart failure | 95 (12.9) | 7 (17.9) | 88 (12.6) |
| Pneumonia or pneumonitis | 64 (8.7) | 3 (7.7) | 61 (8.7) |
| Stroke‡ | 53 (7.2) | 2 (5.1) | 51 (7.3) |
| Acute coronary syndrome | 41 (5.6) | 3 (7.7) | 38 (5.4) |
| Urinary tract infection | 39 (5.3) | 1 (2.6) | 38 (5.4) |
| Medical history, n (%) | |||
| Stroke‡ | 134 (18.1) | 7 (17.9) | 127 (18.1) |
| Dementia | 159 (21.5) | 13 (33.3) | 146 (20.9) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 200 (27.1) | 13 (33.3) | 187 (26.7) |
| Ischaemic heart disease§ | 54 (7.3) | 3 (7.7) | 51 (7.3) |
| Asthma or COPD | 93 (12.6) | 5 (12.8) | 88 (12.6) |
| Heart failure | 99 (13.4) | 8 (20.5) | 91 (13.0) |
| Atrial fibrillation | 76 (10.3) | 3 (7.7) | 73 (10.4) |
| Hypertension | 519 (70.2) | 29 (74.4) | 490 (70.0) |
| Chronic kidney disease | 90 (12.2) | 5 (12.8) | 85 (12.1) |
| Rheumatological disease | 33 (4.5) | 3 (7.7) | 30 (4.3) |
| Dyslipidaemia | 239 (32.4) | 10 (25.6) | 229 (32.7) |
| Duration of hospitalisation (day), median (IQR) | 13 (7–25) | 11 (6–32) | 13 (7–25) |
*This excludes two patients with missing data.
†This presents the most frequent five reasons for admission.
‡Stroke includes ischaemic stroke, haemorrhagic stroke and subarachnoid haemorrhage.
§Ischaemic heart disease includes myocardial infarction and a history of percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.