Background: Recently CMS addressed “excessive” readmission rates with a punitive 5% cut in reimbursement. For decades renal transplantation has been highly regulated with published outcomes and standardized outcome measures. This study analyzes the readmission rates in an inner city urban transplant center.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of readmission rates for renal transplants to examine the incidence of first and subsequent readmissions and to evaluate the profile of readmitted patients Data was analyzed with Student's t test and Fisher's exact test.

Results: In 717 renal transplants the number of readmissions within the first month was 161(22%), three-months 193 (41%), and first year 411(57%). The average number of readmissions for the entire group was two (range 1-10). In the group that was readmitted within the first thirty days 155 (53%) had second admissions, and 91(31%) had at least a third admission. Study outcomes are displayed in Table 1.

Conclusions: Significantly higher incidence of infections was seen in the group with early readmission post renal transplant. These patients were older with significant comorbidities including diabetes, coronary disease and liver disease. Associated infections were common with UTIs and Viral infections being the most numerous. Graft survival was equivalent but patient mortality was significantly higher in the readmission group.

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