Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients with heart failure who had a 30-day all-cause readmission, by timing of readmission
| Before propensity score matching | After propensity score matching | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | 30-day readmission timing (n=1519) |
30-day readmission timing (n=1192) |
||||
| 1–10 days (n=626) |
11–30 days (n=893) |
p-value | 1–10 days (n=596) |
11–30 days (n=596) |
p-value | |
| Age (years) | 75 (±11) | 74 (±11) | 0.106 | 75 (±11) | 75 (±11) | 0.700 |
| Women | 350 (56%) | 500 (56%) | 0.975 | 334 (56%) | 338 (57%) | 0.815 |
| Black | 145 (23%) | 211 (24%) | 0.833 | 140 (23%) | 133 (22%) | 0.629 |
| Admission from nursing home | 45 (7%) | 47 (5%) | 0.122 | 32 (5%) | 34 (6%) | 0.800 |
| Smoking history | 72 (12%) | 122 (14%) | 0.214 | 70 (12%) | 70 (12%) | 1.000 |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction | ||||||
| <45% | 236 (38%) | 337 (38%) | 225 (38%) | 222 (37%) | ||
| ≥45% | 182(29%) | 272 (30%) | 0.792 | 175 (29%) | 172 (29%) | 0.934 |
| Unknown | 208 (33%) | 284 (32%) | 196 (33%) | 202 (34%) | ||
| Heart failure | 478 (76%) | 677 (76%) | 0.806 | 454 (76%) | 452 (76%) | 0.892 |
| Hypertension | 435 (70%) | 644 (72%) | 0.266 | 419(70%) | 415 (70%) | 0.800 |
| Coronary artery disease | 387 (62%) | 530 (59%) | 0.333 | 367 (62%) | 364 (61%) | 0.858 |
| Atrial fibrillation | 167 (27%) | 257 (29%) | 0.369 | 162 (27%) | 153 (26%) | 0.554 |
| Left bundle branch block | 80 (13%) | 113 (13%) | 0.942 | 76 (13%) | 80 (13%) | 0.731 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 290 (46%) | 436 (49%) | 0.337 | 281 (47%) | 279 (47%) | 0.908 |
| Stroke | 139 (22%) | 191 (21%) | 0.704 | 130 (22%) | 125 (21%) | 0.724 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 252 (40%) | 329 (37%) | 0.178 | 235 (39%) | 231 (39%) | 0.812 |
| Dementia | 50 (8%) | 68 (8%) | 0.790 | 46 (8%) | 45 (8%) | 0.913 |
| Cancer | 20 (3%) | 25 (3%) | 0.655 | 18 (3%) | 16 (3%) | 0.728 |
| Pulse (beats per minute) | 88 (±22) | 89 (±22) | 0.297 | 89 (±22) | 88 (±22) | 0.431 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 147 (±33) | 149 (±33) | 0.427 | 148 (±33) | 150 (±32) | 0.196 |
| Pulmonary edema by chest x-ray | 423 (68%) | 617 (69%) | 0.530 | 401 (67%) | 404 (68%) | 0.853 |
| Serum creatinine (mEq/L) | 1.7 (±1.2) | 1.8 (±1.5) | 0.193 | 1.7 (±1.3) | 1.7 (±1.4) | 0.957 |
| In hospital events | ||||||
| Pneumonia | 173 (28%) | 232 (26%) | 0.473 | 160 (27%) | 157 (26%) | 0.844 |
| Acute myocardial infarction | 39 (6%) | 47 (5%) | 0.422 | 32 (5%) | 38 (6%) | 0.460 |
| Pressure ulcer | 47 (8%) | 87 (10%) | 0.131 | 47 (8%) | 45 (8%) | 0.828 |
| Hospital and care characteristics | ||||||
| Rural hospital | 225 (36%) | 272 (30%) | 0.022 | 205 (34%) | 202 (34%) | 0.855 |
| Cardiology care | 327 (52%) | 465 (52%) | 0.950 | 313 (53%) | 309 (52%) | 0.817 |
| Intensive care | 31 (5%) | 56 (6%) | 0.276 | 31 (5%) | 29 (5%) | 0.791 |
| In hospital length of stay | 7.0 (±5.1%) | 7.2 (±5.3) | 0.448 | 7.1 (±5.2) | 6.8 (±5.6) | 0.245 |
| Discharge medications | ||||||
| ACE inhibitors or ARBs | 333 (53%) | 485 (54%) | 0.667 | 323 (54%) | 322 (54%) | 0.954 |
| Beta blockers | 187 (30%) | 268 (30%) | 0.954 | 179 (30%) | 178(30%) | 0.950 |
| Loop diuretics | 487 (78%) | 713 (80%) | 0.335 | 471 (79%) | 471 (79%) | 1.000 |
| Digoxin | 261 (42%) | 362 (41%) | 0.652 | 249 (42%) | 252 (42%) | 0.860 |
| Potassium sparing diuretics | 98 (16%) | 131 (15%) | 0.597 | 89 (15%) | 94 (16%) | 0.688 |
| Potassium supplements | 274 (44%) | 374 (42%) | 0.464 | 259 (43%) | 247 (41%) | 0.482 |
| Opioids | 53 (6%) | 40 (6%) | 0.716 | 37 (6%) | 37 (6%) | 1.000 |