All-Cause Readmission and Repeat Revascularization After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in a Cohort of Medicare Patients

Objectives The purpose of this study was to report on the all-cause readmission and repeat revascularization rates after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Background Although PCIs are frequently performed, 30-day rates of readmission and repeat revascularization after PCI are not known. Methods Retrospective analysis of a cohort of Medicare fee-for-service admissions associated with a PCI in 2005. Primary outcomes were 30-day all-cause readmission rates and 30-day readmission rates associated with a revascularization procedure. Results A total of 315,241 PCI procedures performed at 1,108 hospitals were included in the analysis. The all-cause 30-day readmission rate was 14.6%, and the all-cause 30-day mortality rate was 1.0%. All-cause 30-day mortality among readmitted patients was higher than patients who were not readmitted (3.6% vs. 0.6%; p < 0.001). The 30-day readmission rate of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients was significantly higher than that of non-AMI patients (AMI 17.5%, non-AMI 13.6%, p < 0.001). Among all patients readmitted within 30 days after the index PCI, 27.5% had an associated revascularization procedure (PCI 25.8%, coronary artery bypass grafting 1.7%). The median readmission rates varied across hospitals, from 8.9% in the lowest decile to 22.0% in the highest decile. Conclusions A substantial proportion of PCI patients are readmitted within 30 days of discharge, and readmission rates vary widely across hospitals. Readmissions within 30 days of an index PCI procedure were associated with a significantly higher 30-day mortality rate, and more than one-quarter of such readmissions resulted in a repeat revascularization procedure. These findings warrant further attention to determine whether these readmissions are preventable.