Leaving Hospitals Early may Increase Risk of Readmission, Death

A new study shows the dangers of leaving a hospital too soon, including readmission and even early death. In fact, statistics show that patients who leave hospitals may be at a greater risk for reentry or death during a six month period following their leave.

An analysis of more than 1.9 million hospital admissions over a 20 year period showed that leaving the hospital every day against medical advice (AMA) could more than double the odds of 90-day mortality and 30-day readmission compared with complying with medical advice, according to lead study author Allan Garland, MD, of the Departments of Internal Medicine and Community Health Sciences and the Manitoba Center for Health Policy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, and colleagues.

"Potential mechanisms for these associations directly related to the patients' acute illness include more severe illness or incomplete treatment of the illness," researchers note, according to the study.

The findings show that over one-quarter of readmission occurred within 1 day and 75 percent within two weeks. Patients who were older, male and of lower socioeconomic status also tended to have multiple admissions to the hospital in the preceding five years, and were more likely to be readmitted, according to various reports.

These higher levels of risk may be associated to both the illness for patients and to their characteristics or health behaviors.

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More information regarding the study can be found in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ).