Thirty‐Day Readmission Rate Is High for Hospitalized Patients Discharged With Home Parenteral Nutrition or Intravenous Fluids

Background: Reducing hospital readmissions decreases healthcare costs and improves quality of care. There are no published studies examining the rate of, and risk factors for, 30‐day readmissions for patients discharged with home parenteral support (HPS). Objective: Determine the rate of 30‐day readmissions for patients discharged with HPS and whether malnutrition and other demographic or clinical factors increase the risk. Materials and Methods: Retrospective review of patients discharged with HPS from the Cleveland Clinic between July 1, 2013, and June 30, 2014, and followed by the Cleveland Clinic Home Nutrition Support Service. Results: Of the 224 patients studied, 31.6% (n = 71) had unplanned readmissions within 30 days of hospital discharge. Of these, 21.1% (n = 15) were HPS related, with catheter‐related bloodstream infection (n = 5) and dehydration (n = 5) the most common. The majority of patients (84.4%) were diagnosed with malnutrition, but the presence or degree did not influence the readmission rate (P = .41). According to univariable analysis, patients with an ostomy (P = .037), a small bowel resection (P = .002), a higher HPS volume at discharge (P < .001), and a shorter period between HPS consult and hospital discharge (P < .026) had a lower risk of 30‐day readmission than their counterparts. On multivariable analysis, patients had a higher risk of 30‐day readmission if they had a history of heart disease (P = .048) and for every 1‐unit increase in white blood cells (P = .026). Conclusions: Patients discharged with HPS have a high 30‐day readmission rate, although most readmissions were not related to the HPS itself. The presence and degree of malnutrition were not associated with 30‐day readmissions.