Table 1.
Baseline characteristics according to primary endpoint (readmission/death) at 0–7 days and 8–180 days postdischarge
| Readmission/death within 0–7 days (n=29) |
No readmission/death within 0–7 days (n=248) |
P value | Readmission/death within 8–180 days (n=124) |
No readmission/death within 8–180 days (n=124) |
P value | |
| Age mean (SD) | 81.2 (7.6) | 80.2 (8.8) | 0.74 | 80.3 (8.6) | 80.0 (9.0) | 0.77 |
| Female sex, n (%) | 13 (44.8) | 165 (66.5) | 0.02 | 80 (64.5) | 85 (68.5) | 0.50 |
| Total comorbidities, mean (SD) | 6.8 (3.0) | 6.1 (2.7) | 0.20 | 6.6 (2.9) | 5.7 (2.5) | 0.012 |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index, mean (SD) | 2.8 (2.1) | 2.2 (1.8) | 0.09 | 2.4 (1.8) | 2.1 (1.8) | 0.16 |
| Total medications, mean (SD) | 9.1 (4.5) | 9.6 (4.4) | 0.56 | 10.3 (4.5) | 8.9 (4.2) | 0.007 |
| Principal diagnosis at index admission, n (%) | ||||||
| Respiratory | 13 (44.8) | 72 (29.0) | 0.34 | 33 (26.6) | 39 (31.5) | 0.02 |
| CVS | 6 (20.7) | 44 (17.7) | 28 (22.6) | 16 (12.9) | ||
| Neuropsychiatric | 2 (6.9) | 23 (9.3) | 11 (8.9) | 12 (9.7) | ||
| GIT | 2 (6.9) | 17 (6.9) | 11 (8.9) | 6 (4.8) | ||
| Falls | 0 (0) | 21 (8.5) | 4 (3.2) | 17 (13.7) | ||
| Renal | 0 (0) | 16 (6.5) | 6 (4.8) | 10 (8.1) | ||
| Miscellaneous | 6 (20.7) | 55 (22.2) | 31 (25.0) | 24 (19.4) | ||
| LOS, median (IQR) | 13.3 (6.7–35.9) | 6.8 (3.2–13.7) | 0.004 | 7.9 (3.6–15.2) | 5.7 (3.1–11.5) | 0.11 |
| MUST score* | 1.9 (1.4) | 1.1 (1.2) | 0.001 | 1.3 (1.3) | 0.9 (1.2) | 0.03 |
| Nutrition status PG-SGA†, n (%) | ||||||
| Nourished | 5 (17.2) | 121 (48.8) | 0.001 | 50 (40.3) | 71 (57.3) | 0.008 |
| Malnourished | 24 (82.8) | 127 (51.2) | 74 (59.7) | 53 (42.7) | ||
| Patients with PG-SGA ≥7, n (%) | 25 (86.2) | 142 (57.3) | 0.002 | 80 (64.5) | 62 (50.0) | 0.02 |
| QoL, mean (SD) | ||||||
| EQ-5D index‡ | 0.678 (0.226) | 0.709 (0.222) | 0.49 | 0.700 (0.229) | 0.717 (0.217) | 0.31 |
| VAS§ | 55.2 (17.1) | 59.5 (20.1) | 0.28 | 55.9 (20.4) | 62.8 (18.1) | 0.003 |
| Total MET calls, mean (SD) | 0.24 (1.0) | 0.13 (0.4) | 0.38 | 0.10 (0.32) | 0.15 (0.53) | 0.95 |
| Total ICU hours, mean (SD) | 4.3 (19.3) | 1.9 (13.4) | 0.53 | 2.3 (15.5) | 1.5 (11.0) | 0.62 |
*Higher MUST score indicates high risk for malnutrition.
†PG-SGA class dichotomised to PG-SGA A (nourished) and PG-SGA B and C (malnourished).
‡Higher EQ-5D index indicates better QoL.
§Higher VAS indicates better QoL.
CVS, cardiovascular; EQ-5D, European Quality of Life 5 dimension; GIT, gastrointestinal; ICU, intensive care unit; LOS, length of hospital stay; MET, medical emergency team; MUST, Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool; PG-SGA, Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment; QoL, quality of life; VAS, Visual Analogue Scale.