Characteristics of 30-day readmission in spontaneous pneumothorax in the United States: a nationwide retrospective study.

Objective

Our study aimed to determine the national estimates of the 30-day all-cause readmission rate among patients with spontaneous pneumothorax and to investigate the burden of these readmissions in terms of mortality, length of stay and hospitalization costs in the USA.

Methods

We utilized the Nationwide Readmission Database for 2013-2014 and identified adults with a primary diagnosis of spontaneous pneumothorax. We analyzed and reported patient- and hospital-level variables of the study cohort. Our primary outcome was 30-day readmission rate, including the reasons for readmission. Our secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality, resources utilization and predictors of readmissions.

Results

We identified 47,108 index admissions with spontaneous pneumothorax. The 30-day readmission rate was 13.6%. The most common reason for admission was recurrent pneumothorax. In index admissions, the in-hospital mortality rate was 3.1%; whereas, in readmissions, the mortality was higher (4.6%, p < 0.001). Both age group 45-64 (HR: 1.31, 95% CI: [1.15-1.49], p < 0.001) and history of cancer (HR: 1.34, 95% CI: [1.17-1.53], p < 0.001) were found to predict the risk of 30-day readmission.

Conclusion

The 30-day readmission rate in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax was 13.6%, and a recurrent event was the most likely cause. The 30-day readmissions were associated with higher mortality and hospitalization charges. Middle age and history of cancer increase likelihood of 30-day readmission.