Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Objective: This study aimed to describe the recent readmission and mortality rates of unplanned 30-day all cause readmission after takotsubo cardiomyopathy hospitalization.
Methods: We conducted an analysis of the 2020 Nationwide Readmission Database. Using the ICD-10 code, we identified hospitalizations for takotsubo cardiomyopathy. We excluded hospitalizations for age<18years and planned or elective readmissions. To compare baseline characteristics between readmissions and index hospitalizations, Pearson χ2 tests were employed. We utilized multivariate Cox regression analyses to identify independent predictors of readmissions.
Results: A total of 7554 patients were hospitalized for index admission for takotsubo cardiomyopathy, and 633 of them were readmitted. The 30-day all-cause readmission rate was 8.5% while specific takotsubo readmission rate was 0.4%. The mortality rate in the index admission was 1.9% and 5.5% in readmitted patients. The mean age of index admission was 67.6years vs 70.7 years in readmission, about 89.0% were female in index admission vs 85.0% in readmission cohorts. The most common reasons for readmission were hypertensive heart disease with heart failure, hypertensive heart disease and chronic kidney disease with heart failure, takotsubo syndrome, sepsis, NSTEMI, COPD exacerbation, acute kidney failure, pneumonia, atrial fibrillation. Readmissions had more acute kidney injury (20.6% vs 11.3%, p-value <0.001) and atrial fibrillation (23.0% vs 13.0%, p <0.001) compared to the index admission, however the index admission had more ventricular tachycardia (4.6% versus 1.8%, p=0.02) compared to readmission cohorts. Readmission had longer length of hospital stay (4.9 days vs 3.7 days, p< 0.001), but less mean total hospital charge of (US$51039 vs US$60617, P =0.008). Older age, acute renal failure, pulmonary disease, coronary dissection, longer length of hospital stays and transfer to rehabilitation facility after discharge were identified as statistically significant predictors of readmissions.
Conclusion: About one in twelve patients hospitalized with takotsubo cardiomyopathy were readmitted within 30days. Readmissions had a higher mortality rate; acute renal failure, pulmonary disease, coronary dissection were notable reasons for readmission. Understanding the predictors for readmission highlighted in this study would enable clinicians implement preventive strategies to improve the rate of takotsubo cardiomyopathy readmission