A Nationwide Analysis of 30- and 90-Day Readmissions After Elective Cerebral Aneurysm Clipping in the United States: Causes, Predictors, and Trends

Background Thirty-day readmissions (30dRAs) and 90-day readmissions (90dRAs) are being increasingly scrutinized as quality metrics for hospital and provider performances. Little information regarding risk factors for 30dRA and 90dRA after elective cerebral aneurysm clipping (CAC) of unruptured cerebral aneurysms is available. We sought to characterize risk factors with a nationally representative administrative database. Methods The Nationwide Readmissions Database was used to identify patients who underwent elective CAC between 2010 and 2014. The outcomes of interest were unplanned readmissions occurring within 30 or 90 days of discharge. Binary logistic regression was used to identify variables related to patients' demographics, comorbidities, and index hospital admission that were associated with readmission. A Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test was used to evaluate for changes in annual readmission rates. Results A total of 1123 patients met the inclusion criteria for 30dRA analysis and 946 patients were eligible for 90dRA analysis. The 5-year 30dRA and 90dRA readmission rates were 9.1% and 14.9%, respectively. The annual rate of readmission between 2010 and 2014 did not change. Greater Charlson Comorbidity Index (odds ratio [OR], 2.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14–6.28) and nonroutine discharge after the index admission (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.04–3.14) were associated with greater odds of 30dRA. Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR, 3.45; 95% CI, 1.57–7.56) and treatment at a metropolitan teaching hospital (OR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.06–4.60) were associated with increased odds of 90dRA. Wound infection was the most common reason for readmission. Conclusions Readmission rates after elective CAC remained unchanged between 2010 and 2014, suggesting that improved methods for reducing unplanned readmissions after CAC are needed.