30-day readmission rate and its causes in general surgical patients

Objective: To find out the 30-day readmission rate for different surgical procedures and determine the causes for readmissions. Study Design: An audit report. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Surgery, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, in the calendar year 2014. Methodology: Records were retrospectively reviewed for 30-day readmission rate and their cause in general surgical patients who underwent a general surgical procedure at The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, in the year 2014. Results: Out of 217 (6.4%) readmissions in 3,387 patients, more than 50% unplanned readmissions were avoidable. The highest readmission rate was after placement of feeding tubes (28.5%). Conclusion: More than half of the readmissions could have been prevented by proper patient/attendant education, good communication and provision of nursing services to these patients beyond the hospital.