Incidence of recurrent intussusception in young children: a Nationwide readmissions analysis

Abstract Background/Purpose Recurrent intussusception following successful non-operative reduction has previously been reported with a frequency of 8–12% based on data from individual institutions. Meanwhile, the timing of discharge after successful reduction continues to be debated. Here, we evaluate readmissions for recurrent intussusception in young children using a large-scale national database. Methods The National Readmissions Database (2010–2014) was queried to identify young children (age  Results We identified 8289 children diagnosed with intussusception during an index admission. These patients received definitive treatment with non-operative reduction alone (43%), surgical reduction (42%), or bowel resection (15%). Readmission for recurrent intussusception was required for 3.7% of patients managed with non-operative reduction alone, 2.3% of patients that underwent surgical reduction, and 0% of those that underwent bowel resection. Median time to readmission was 4 days after non-operative reduction, and only 1.5% of these patients experienced recurrence within 48 h of discharge. Conclusions Recurrent intussusception may be substantially less common than previously reported. Our findings support the practice of discharge shortly after successful non-operative reduction. Type of Study Retrospective, Prognosis Study. Level of Evidence III.