Examination of unplanned 30-day readmissions to a comprehensive cancer hospital.

PURPOSE: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), under the Hospitals Readmissions Reductions Program, may withhold regular reimbursements for excessive 30-day readmissions for select diagnoses. Such penalties imply that some readmissions reflect poor clinical decision making or care during the initial hospitalization. We examined factors related to potentially preventable readmissions in CMS patients at a tertiary cancer hospital. METHODS: The medical records of all CMS patients with unplanned readmissions within 30 days of index admission were reviewed over 6 months (October 15, 2011-April 15, 2012). Each readmission was classified as not preventable or potentially preventable. Factors associated with potentially preventable readmissions were sought. RESULTS: Of 2,531 inpatient admissions in CMS patients over 6 months, 185 patients experienced at least one readmission for 282 total readmissions (11%). Median time to readmission was 9 days (range, 0 to 30 days). The most common causes for first readmission were new diagnoses not present at first admission (n = 43, 23%), new or worsening symptoms due to cancer progression (n = 40, 21%) and complications of procedures (n = 25, 13%). There were 38 (21%) initial readmissions classified as potentially preventable. Use of total parenteral nutrition at the time of discharge was associated with potentially preventable readmission (P = .028). CONCLUSION: Most unplanned readmissions to a tertiary cancer hospital are related to progression of disease, new diagnoses, and procedure complications. Minimizing readmissions in complex cancer patients is challenging. Larger multi-institutional datasets are needed to determine a reasonable standard for expected readmission rates.

Shedding of sabin poliovirus Type 3 containing the nucleotide 472 uracil-to-cytosine point mutation after administration of oral poliovirus vaccine.

A uracil-to-cytosine point mutation at nucleotide (nt) 472 of Sabin oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) type 3 is found in conjunction with vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP). Direct RNA extraction and mutant analysis by polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme cleavage were used to identify this point mutation in clinical samples. A total of 238 stool samples were obtained from 28 healthy infants for 6 weeks after OPV vaccination. More than 25% of infants shed OPV3 in the week after vaccination, with a decrease on day 6. A second wave of OPV3 shedding occurred beginning the second week after vaccination and was maintained through the end of the study period. During the first week after vaccination, the proportion of nt 472 mutants in the shed OPV3 increased from undetectable to almost 100%. During the second shedding period, the proportion of nt 472 mutants remained close to 100%. These results suggest that selective mutation drives the VAPP-associated nt 472 point mutation for OPV3 in the human gastrointestinal tract.