• Jung Yeon Lee, Su Kil Park, Hyun Jung Kim, Sang-Bum Hong, Chae-Man Lim, and Younsuck Koh.
• Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, South Korea.
• J Crit Care. 2009 Jun 1;24(2):267-72.

PurposeThe aim of the study was to evaluate factors associated with early readmission to the intensive care unit (ICU) during the same hospitalization and factors associated with adverse outcomes.Patients And MethodsAmong 25 717 admissions, 378 (1.5%) patients were quickly readmitted within 3 days; of these, 374 patients for whom complete medical records were available for review were included. This was a prospective observational study for a 2-year period, with an additional 1-year follow-up.ResultsRespiratory (118 [31.6%]) and cardiovascular (91 [24.3%]) causes accounted for most readmissions. Need for mechanical ventilation during the second ICU stay was the variable most significantly associated with increased mortality (P < .001). Comparing the 2 study periods, we observed a decreased mortality rate (31.3 vs 19.5%; P = .018).ConclusionPatients with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are at greatest risk for early ICU readmission. Better patient assessment and knowledge of factors associated with early readmission may contribute to reduced mortality.

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