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Retrospective Analysis of Causes and Risk Factors of 30-Day Readmission After Spine Surgery for Thoracolumbar Trauma

Camacho JE, Kung JE, Thomson AE, Ye IB, Gonzalez N, Usmani MF, Sokolow MJ, Bruckner JJ et al.

Global spine journal, 2023

312 participants

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective Case Series.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate readmission rates, risk factors, and reason for unplanned 30-day readmissions after thoracolumbar spine trauma surgery.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients undergoing operative treatment for thoracic or lumbar trauma with open or minimally invasive surgical approach at a Level 1 urban trauma center. Patients were divided into two groups based on 30-day readmission status. Reason for readmission, reoperation rates, injury type, trauma severity, and incidence of polytrauma were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS: A total of 312 patients, 69.9% male with an average age of 47 ± 19 years were included. The readmitted group included 16 patients (5.1%) of which 9 (56%) were readmitted for medical complications and 7 for surgical complications. Wound complications (31.3% of readmissions) were the most common cause of readmission, followed by non-wound related sepsis (18.9% of readmissions). A total of 6 patients (37.5%) required reoperation; 2 instrumentation failures underwent revision surgery, and 4 wound complications underwent irrigation and debridement. Patients with higher Injury Severity Scale (ISS) were more likely to be readmitted (27.8% vs 22.1%, P = .045). Concomitant lower limb surgery increased odds of readmission (OR, 4.40; 95% CI, 1.10-17.83; P = .037).

CONCLUSION: Spine trauma 30-day readmission rate was 5.1%, comparable to those reported in the elective…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a case series, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health. Reported size: 312 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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