Abstract:

Objective: The patients who survived and discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU) after coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), has been readmitted to the hospital with a various spectrum of symptoms. Being able to determine the reasons and duration of readmission time can guide post-discharge care. In this study, we aimed to analyze the rate and reasons for readmissions to the hospital in the first 60 days of Covid-19 patients discharged from the ICU. Method: Patients admitted to a tertiari care state hospital’s ICU between March 2020- February 2021 were evaluated retrospectively. The discharge disposition, time to readmission and symptoms during readmission were recorded. Results: A total of 145 patients were evaluated. While 89 (61%) of these patients died, 56 (39%) were discharged. It was observed that 38 of the discharged patients readmitted to the hospital, while 18 did not readmit. The mean time to first admission to the hospital was 21.34 days. The most common symptoms were dyspnea and malaise-fatigue. It was observed that patients who require mechanical ventilation during index hospitalization readmitted to the hospital with a higher rate. Conclusion: Patients discharged from the ICU after COVID-19 have a high rate of readmission to the hospital in the first 60 days. It is important to determine the predictive factors for readmission and to identify patients who need close follow-up after discharge and for this more comprehensive studies are needed.

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