Readmission to the intensive care unit: An indicator that reflects the potential risks of morbidity and mortality of surgical patients in the intensive care unit

Purpose  To investigate the characteristics and outcomes of surgical patients who were readmitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods  The data were collected for all readmissions to the surgical ICUs in a tertiary hospital in the year 2003. Results  Of all the 945 ICU discharges, 110 patients (11.6%) were readmitted. They had a longer initial ICU stay (8.05 ± 7.17 vs 5.22 ± 4.95, P < 0.001) and were older and in a more severe condition than those not readmitted, but with a longer hospital stay and higher mortality rate (40% vs 3.6%, P < 0.001). A total of 26.4% of the readmission patients had an early readmission (<48 h), with a lower mortality rate than those with a late readmission (24.1% vs 45.7%, P = 0.049). A total of 46.4% of the patients were readmitted with the same diagnosis while the rest were readmitted with a new complication. Respiratory disease was the most common diagnosis for patients readmitted with a new complication (66.1%). The nonsurvivors had a significantly higher second Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score (22.1 ± 8.8 vs.14.6 ± 7.4, P < 0.001) and second Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS) score (30.1 ± 8.7 vs 24.7 ± 7.6, P = 0.001) and a longer stay in the first ICU admission (10.4 ± 9 days vs 6.4 ± 5 days, P = 0.010). A multivariate analysis showed that the first ICU length of stay and the APACHE II score at the time of readmission were the two risk factors for mortality. Conclusion  The mortality of surgical patients with ICU readmission was high with respiratory complications being the most important issue.