- Average cost is nearly $17,000 per patient for readmission following hospitalization involving malnutrition
- Conditions associated with malnutrition include serious bloodstream infection, pneumonia and congestive heart failure
- 23 percent of patients with malnutrition were readmitted to the hospital within thirty days after discharge, compared to only a 15 percent re-admittance rate of patients without a malnutrition diagnosis.
- Nearly one in three stays for patients with postsurgical non-absorption were followed by a readmission within 30 days.
- The highest readmission rates were among adults aged 18–64 years, those stays paid by Medicaid, and for patients residing in metropolitan areas.
- The readmission rate was similar across income levels for patients with malnutrition at the time of their original admission (index stay) to the hospital. For patients without malnutrition during their original stay, readmission rates were highest among those from low-income areas.
- The average cost per readmission was $16,900 for patients with protein-calorie malnutrition and $17,900 for patients with postsurgical non-absorption—26 and 34 percent higher, respectively, than the readmission cost for patients without malnutrition ($13,400).
- Conditions associated with malnutrition include serious bloodstream infection, pneumonia and congestive heart failure.