Background: Early readmission (< 30 days) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with a worse prognosis, but little is known regarding the causes and consequences of late readmission. The aim of the present study was to determine the incidence, causes, and prognosis of patients readmitted > 1 < 12-months after PCI (late readmission).
Methods: Single-center retrospective cohort study of 743 consecutive post-PCI patients. Patient characteristics and follow-up data were collected by reviewing their electronic medical records and from standardized telephone interviews performed at 1 year and at the end of follow-up.
Results: Of the 743 patients, 224 (30.14%) were readmitted 1-12 months after PCI, 109 due to chest pain (48.66%), and 115 for other reasons (51.34%). Hospital readmission was associated with lower survival rates of 77.6% vs. 98.3% at 24 months and 73.5% vs. 97.6% at 36 months (p < 0.001). Univariate predictors for late readmission were hypertension, older age, chronic kidney disease, lower left ventricular ejection fraction, and lower baseline hemoglobin concentration. Only baseline hemoglobin concentration was an independent predictor of late readmission (odds ratio: 0.867, 95% confidence interval: 0.778-0.966, p = 0.01). Readmission for chest pain portrayed a lower mortality rate compared to other causes, with survival rates of 90.2% vs. 50% at 36 months (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Late hospital readmission after PCI is associated with a worse prognosis and is related to patient comorbidities. Readmission for chest pain is common and portrayed a more favorable prognosis, similar to patients not readmitted. A readily available parameter, baseline anemia, was the main predictor of late readmission.
Keywords: chest pain; patient readmission; percutaneous coronary intervention; prognosis.