The following is a summary of “Neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation, healthcare access, and 30-day mortality and readmission after sepsis or critical illness: findings from a nationwide study” published in the July 2023 issue of Critical Care by Lusk et al.

Considering various factors, researchers performed a retrospective study investigating whether neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation predicts 30-day mortality and readmission for sepsis/critical illness patients.  

They conducted a global investigation of United States Medicare beneficiaries from 2017 to 2019 to explore the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and 30-day mortality. The study included 1,526,405 admissions in mortality analysis and 1,354,548 readmission cases. Severe sepsis patients, prolonged ventilation, tracheostomy, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) through Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) were analyzed using logistic regression models, considering socioeconomic deprivation, mortality, and unplanned readmission.

Results showed that patients from socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods (ADI 100) had a higher 30-day mortality rate than those from the least deprived neighborhoods (ADI 1). This was observed in patients with severe sepsis (odds ratio [OR] 1.35, 95% [CI] 1.29-1.42) and patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation, with or without sepsis (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.31-1.54). The linear association between neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and mortality showed a dose-dependent relationship. They did not find an association between neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and 30-day unplanned readmission in patients with severe sepsis. Patients also required prolonged mechanical ventilation, with or without sepsis. 

Investigators concluded that neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation significantly correlates with 30-day mortality in critically ill patients.

Source: ccforum.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13054-023-04565-9