We found that 69.3% were readmitted within 5 years after ischemic stroke or TIA, with more than half of all readmitted patients presenting during the first year. A smaller Norwegian study demonstrated that 56% of all readmissions within 10 years presented during the first year after stroke, and similar patterns have been reported from the US.[4-6] In line with previously reported 1-year readmission rates between 31% and 55%, we found that 39% were readmitted within the first year after discharge.[2, 3, 6, 15, 16] The high rates of readmission during the first year after stroke might reflect an increased vulnerability for post-stroke complications such as infections, recurrent stroke and other cardiovascular events in the early phase after stroke.[1]
We also found that more than half of all patients that survived for 1 year without any readmission were readmitted within 5 years. The frequency of the different causes of readmission varied slightly with the timing of the first readmission, but infection, cardiac disease, recurrent stroke and stroke-related events were the four most common causes both time periods. Higher age, poor functional outcome, hypertension and coronary artery disease were all independently associated with readmission both within 1 year and during years 2-5. This indicate that even if the patients survive the vulnerable early period after stroke, they still have a high risk of readmission for the same causes as patients readmitted during the first year after stroke, and the same factors might impact the risk of readmission also in the more chronic phase after stroke.
Higher age and poorer short-term functional outcome predicted readmission within 1 year and from years 2 through 5. However, patients readmitted within 1 year were older, had poorer short-term functional outcome and more complications during index admission than patients readmitted later. Complications during the index stroke admission have been associated with early readmission in several studies, and probably relates to both high age and poor functional outcome.[17, 18] Higher age and poor functional outcome have been identified as predictors for readmission after stroke in other studies.[2, 7-11] Although age is a non-modifiable risk factor for readmission, a focus on improving and maintaining physical function and mobility during the stroke hospitalization and in the period after discharge for patients at all ages might prevent some readmissions.
Hypertension and coronary artery disease were identified as common predictors of readmission within 1 year and from years 2 through 5, and contrary to our hypothesis, the vascular risk factor profile was not more prominent in patients readmitted within the first year. Furthermore, cardiac disease and recurrent stroke were frequent in causes of readmission in both time periods. Hypertension and coronary artery disease increases the risk of recurrent stroke and cardiac disease, which are highly important causes of death after stroke.[19, 20] Hypertension is the most important modifiable risk factor for stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, and blood pressure reduction reduces the risk of recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction and cardiovascular death after stroke.[21] This emphasizes the importance of accurate and aggressive treatment of cardiovascular risk factors for prevention of new vascular events and vascular mortality after ischemic stroke and TIA.
Even though they differ in functional outcome, ischemic stroke and TIA patients did not differ in the incidence of readmission. Compared to ischemic stroke patients, both lower, similar and higher rates of readmission in TIA patients have been reported.[8, 22-24] This could possibly be explained by differences in case mix and use of secondary prevention and adherence to medical treatment.[24] TIA patients have the same risk factor profile and underlying causes of their ischemic event as patients with ischemic stroke, and should be provided accurate secondary treatment in order to reduce subsequent vascular events and readmissions.
Our study has some limitations. Some patients may have been readmitted to a hospital outside the region of the Western Norwegian Regional Health authorities, even though this region involves a large geographical area of Western Norway. As the study cohort originates from a single site, the generalizability of our findings may be limited. A strength of our study is the ascertainment of data related to the readmissions made by review of medical records, and the inclusion of a relatively large study population investigated in a single stroke center according to a predefined protocol with comprehensive data collection. Although other studies have reported resembling results regarding rates and causes of long-term readmission after stroke, our study elaborates on existing knowledge by describing rates, causes and predictors of readmission for patients who survive the first year after stroke without any readmission.