One in every three patients hospitalized for PsA is readmitted within 30 days after initial discharge, and patients who are readmitted are also more prone to have a more significant burden of comorbidities, including cardiovascular, inflammatory, metabolic, and mental health disorders, according to a study published in Cureus .

Fildeis E. Uwumiro, MD, and colleagues conducted a study to evaluate the rates and characteristics of hospitaliza – tions and the most common predictors of 30-day readmissions among patients with PsA across the United States.

“Although joint involvement has been widely reported in hospitalizations for psoriasis, little is known about hospitalization patterns and read – missions for PsA,” Dr. Uwumiro and colleagues explained.

Using ICD-10 codes, researchers assessed data from the 2020 Nationwide Readmissions Database for adult PsA hospitalizations. The investigators compared baseline characteristics between index admissions and readmissions and used ranking commands to detect the most common causes for readmissions. Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed the predictors of readmissions.

The researchers examined an estimated 842 index hospitalizations for PsA, with 244 (29%) resulting in 30-day readmissions with documented primary causes, including acute kidney failure, major depression, and heart failure. The average age of patients readmitted to the hospital was 48.2 years (SD, 6.4 years) compared with 54.6 years (SD, 2.2 years) for index hospitalizations.

More readmitted patients were uninsured (18.6% vs 4.4%), and the average length of stay for read – missions was 7.2 days compared with 3.9 days for index admissions. The average total hospital costs for index admissions and readmissions were report – ed as $31,424 and $60,147, respectively.

The researchers found significant variances in the prevalence of comorbidities between the readmission and index groups, including:

❯ hypertension (24.8% vs 40.1%);

❯ liver disease (29% vs 7.9%);

❯ uveitis (9.4% vs 4.5%);

❯ inflammatory bowel disease (8.6% vs 3.8%); and

❯ alcohol use disorder (29% vs 7.8%). Factors correlated with an augmented risk of readmission included age less than 40 years, home healthcare, residence in the same state as the hospital, and secondary diagnoses of inflammatory bowel disease or deep venous thrombosis.

“The heightened comorbidity burden among patients with PsA, as observed in our study, necessitates a comprehensive approach to care,” Dr. Uwumiro and colleagues concluded. “Current evidence suggests that effectively managing comorbid conditions enhances overall well-being and reduces hospital readmissions.”