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Readmission in Cirrhosis: a Growing Problem

  • Liver (J Bajaj, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Treatment Options in Gastroenterology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Opinion statement

Patients with cirrhosis are at risk for several complications that require readmission. Readmissions are a direct burden on the patient and the family and are associated with negative outcomes to the patient, family, and health care system. Several recent studies have shown a high rate of readmission in patients with cirrhosis and a trend towards an increase in cost of health care delivery. Physicians and hospitals should recognize the patient at high risk for readmission not only at dismissal from hospital but also at admission. The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score may be used as a tool for risk stratification for readmission among patient with cirrhosis. Frailty, comorbidity, socioeconomic status, and type of health care delivery system are probable independent risk factors. Strategies to prevent readmission should target the high-risk patient.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    Sakkarin Chirapongsathorn MD, MSc, Jayant A. Talwalkar MD, MPH & Patrick S. Kamath MD

  2. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Phramongkutklao Hospital and College of Medicine, Royal Thai Army, Bangkok, Thailand

    Sakkarin Chirapongsathorn MD, MSc

Authors
  1. Sakkarin Chirapongsathorn MD, MSc
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  2. Jayant A. Talwalkar MD, MPH
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  3. Patrick S. Kamath MD
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Correspondence to Patrick S. Kamath MD.

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Conflict of interest

Sakkarin Chirapongsathorn declares no conflict of interest.

Jayant A. Talwalkar declares no conflict of interest.

Patrick S. Kamath declares no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Liver

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Chirapongsathorn, S., Talwalkar, J.A. & Kamath, P.S. Readmission in Cirrhosis: a Growing Problem. Curr Treat Options Gastro 14, 236–246 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11938-016-0091-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11938-016-0091-1

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