Preoperative Activities of Daily Living Dependency is Associated With Higher 30-Day Readmission Risk for Older Adults After Total Joint Arthroplasty

Poor Recovery of Activities-of-Daily-Living Function Is Associated With Higher Rates of Postsurgical Hospitalization After Total Joint Arthroplasty

OBJECTIVE

Medicare beneficiaries are increasingly using home health (HH) as the first postacute care setting after hospital discharge following total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Yet, prior research has shown that changes in payment models for TJA may negatively influence functional outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of poor functional outcomes during an HH episode of care on hospitalization risk for older recipients of TJA.

METHODS

For this study, 5822 Medicare beneficiaries who underwent elective TJA and subsequently participated in HH care following hospital discharge were identified using Medicare hospitalizations records and HH claims. Recovery of activities-of-daily-living (ADL) function was evaluated using patient assessment data completed at HH admission and discharge from the Medicare Outcomes and Assessment Information Set (OASIS). Hospitalization outcomes were captured from Medicare hospital claims. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the hazard ratio for hospitalization after HH discharge.

RESULTS

The 5822 Medicare beneficiaries who received a TJA and subsequently were discharged to HH were evaluated (n = 3989 [68.6%] following total knee replacement, n = 1883 [31.4%]) following total hip replacement). Nearly 9% (n = 534) of patients did not improve their ability to perform ADLs during the HH episode; this lack of improvement was associated with a more than 2-fold increase in hospital readmission rate following HH discharge (2.3% vs 4.9%). In adjusted models, there was a significant 77% increase (hazard ratio = 1.77; 95% CI = 1.14-2.74) in hospitalization risk during the 90-day postsurgical period.

CONCLUSION

Poor recovery of ADL function in HH settings following TJA is strongly associated with elevated risk of future hospitalizations.

IMPACT

Medicare beneficiaries who fail to make substantive improvements in basic ADL function during HH care episodes following TJA may need intensive monitoring from interdisciplinary team members across the continuum of care, especially during transitions from home care to outpatient care.

LAY SUMMARY

An increasing number of patients receive home health care after joint replacement surgery, but outcomes after home health are unclear. These findings suggest that improvements in basic tasks such as walking or bathing are associated with a lower likelihood of hospitalization.

Risk of 30-day hospital readmission associated with medical conditions and drug regimens of polymedicated, older inpatients discharged home: a registry-based cohort study

OBJECTIVES

The present study analysed 4 years of a hospital register (2015-2018) to determine the risk of 30-day hospital readmission associated with the medical conditions and drug regimens of polymedicated, older inpatients discharged home.

DESIGN

Registry-based cohort study.

SETTING

Valais Hospital-a public general hospital centre in the French-speaking part of Switzerland.

PARTICIPANTS

We explored the electronic records of 20 422 inpatient stays by polymedicated, home-dwelling older adults held in the hospital's patient register. We identified 13 802 hospital readmissions involving 8878 separate patients over 64 years old.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Sociodemographic characteristics, medical conditions and drug regimen data associated with risk of readmission within 30 days of discharge.

RESULTS

The overall 30-day hospital readmission rate was 7.8%. Adjusted multivariate analyses revealed increased risk of hospital readmission for patients with longer hospital length of stay (OR=1.014 per additional day; 95% CI 1.006 to 1.021), impaired mobility (OR=1.218; 95% CI 1.039 to 1.427), multimorbidity (OR=1.419 per additional International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision condition; 95% CI 1.282 to 1.572), tumorous disease (OR=2.538; 95% CI 2.089 to 3.082), polypharmacy (OR=1.043 per additional drug prescribed; 95% CI 1.028 to 1.058), and certain specific drugs, including antiemetics and antinauseants (OR=3.216 per additional drug unit taken; 95% CI 1.842 to 5.617), antihypertensives (OR=1.771; 95% CI 1.287 to 2.438), drugs for functional gastrointestinal disorders (OR=1.424; 95% CI 1.166 to 1.739), systemic hormonal preparations (OR=1.207; 95% CI 1.052 to 1.385) and vitamins (OR=1.201; 95% CI 1.049 to 1.374), as well as concurrent use of beta-blocking agents and drugs for acid-related disorders (OR=1.367; 95% CI 1.046 to 1.788).

CONCLUSIONS

Thirty-day hospital readmission risk was associated with longer hospital length of stay, health disorders, polypharmacy and drug regimens. The drug regimen patterns increasing the risk of hospital readmission were very heterogeneous. Further research is needed to explore hospital readmissions caused solely by specific drugs and drug-drug interactions.

Anaesthesia for the elderly: a narrative review

As octogenarians in the operation room are no longer an exemption but the norm, perioperative management needs to be adopted to meet the special requirements of this group of patients. Anaesthesia does not need to be re-invented to fit the elderly. However, as elderly patients are among those most affected by adverse postoperative outcomes, the same diligence that is as a matter of course exercised in anaesthesiologic care of the youngest patients needs to be exercised for the eldest as well. Aging is associated with characteristic physiologic changes and an overall reduction in compensation width. However, the individual relevance of these changes varies distinctly. A comprehensive preoperative assessment is therefore essential to identify those at high risk. Maintaining functionality and preventing cognitive decline are central elements of perioperative care for frail elders, often only requiring unspectacular, but effective adjustments to established routine care processes. This review focuses on current recommendations in the perioperative anaesthesiologic management of elderly patients with a view towards assisting clinical anaesthesiologists in implementing respective structures in their setting and adjusting care pathways to meet the needs of this vulnerable but growing group of patients and improve their postoperative outcome.