Johnson RF, et al. - Researchers, in this study, determined the incidence and predictors of readmissions after tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy (T&A) in children. They also identified factors that could predict readmission. In children after T&A, readmissions were primarily due to dehydration, hemorrhage, and pain. They recommended adequate symptom control in children to reduce readmission rates following T&A.

Methods

• Researchers performed a nationwide cross-sectional survey of US hospital admissions.
• They used the 2013 Nationwide Readmission Database (NRD) to examine all-cause readmissions within 30 days of T&A in children (age <18 years).
• The associations of demographics, diagnosis, insurance status, length of index stay, and median household income with readmission were examined using logistic regression.

Results

• Researchers recognized 9,079 children undergoing T&A, readmission was required for 327 (3.6%) patients.
• The average age of children readmitted was 5.0 years; 51% of these children were female.
• Dehydration (47%), hemorrhage (26%), and pain (16%) were the most common readmission diagnoses.
• In this study, the average time to readmission was 7.3 days; for hemorrhage, pain and dehydration, the average times to readmission were 6.3, 4.5 and 4.1 days, respectively.
• More frequent readmission was observed for children who needed respiratory intubation (OR = 4.0), had a medical or surgical complication (OR = 3.3), or prolonged hospital stay (OR = 1.03) during the index admission.
• Age, gender, payer and socioeconomic status and diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were not observed increasing the odds of readmission.