Etiology and incidence of rehospitalization after traumatic spinal cord injury: A multicenter analysis

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Data from 8,668 people with spinal cord injury (SCI) were analyzed to determine the frequency and reasons for rehospitalizations reported during the 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th follow-up years. Study also examined the association between rehospitalization and demographics, neurologic category, payer sources, length of stay, discharge functional status, and discharge residence. The most common reason for rehospitalization was diseases of the genitourinary system, including urinary tract infections. Respiratory diseases tended to be more likely in patients with tetraplegia, whereas patients with paraplegia were more likely to be readmitted for pressure ulcers. In year 1, both state and federal programs and HMOs had higher rates of rehospitalizations than private insurance. The rate of rehospitalization was significantly higher at years 1, 5, and 20 for those patients who were discharged to skill nursing facilities. Lower motor score using the Functional Independence Measure was predictive of rehospitalization. The average LOS per rehospitalization at the 5-year follow-up was approximately 12 days.

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