Patterns and predictors of early hospital readmission in patients with congestive heart failure.

Little is known about factors related to rehospitalizations that occur soon after discharge in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). The aim of this study was to determine if there are specific characteristics common to CHF patients readmitted within 30 days. Study methods included retrospective chart review. Patients included all those hospitalized and readmitted to a large community teaching hospital for CHF exacerbation within 30 days between January 7, 2005 and June 30, 2006. A total of 58 patients were responsible for 79 readmissions. Half of all patients readmitted for CHF exacerbation were incorrectly labeled, raising doubt about reliance on administrative data alone to determine overall quality performance. Forty-five percent of all readmitted patients had underlying chronic renal insufficiency/failure (CRI/CRF) compared with 26% of CHF patients who were not readmitted within 30 days. Therefore, specifically targeting CHF patients with CRI/CRF could lead to major improvement of early readmission rates.