Cho BC, et al. - In this retrospective analysis of 1,552 patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), researchers evaluated the link between higher vs lower hemoglobin (Hb) levels on discharge and 30-day readmission rates post-surgery. Two Hb cohorts, “high” (above) and “low” (below) the mean discharge Hb level of 9.4 g/dL, were evaluated. Four anemia cohorts based on discharge Hb levels (“no anemia” [>12 g/dL], “mild anemia” [10–11.9 g/dL], “moderate anemia” [8–9.9 g/dL], and “severe anemia” [<8 g/dL]) were assessed to determine the impacts of the lowest (<8 g/dL) discharge Hb levels on 30-day readmission rates. No difference was seen in 30-day readmission rates between the “high” (76/746; 10.2%) and “low” (97/806; 12.0%) Hb cohorts. Volume overload, followed by infection and arrhythmias, were reported as the most common reason for readmission. A discharge Hb level below the institution mean for CABG patients did not offer evidence for a link with an increased 30-day readmission rate. An increased risk for readmission could be seen in the small number of patients discharged with Hb <8 g/dL.