Readmission Up With PTSD in African American Veterans With Stroke

TUESDAY, March 19, 2024 (HealthDay News) — For African American veterans with stroke, preexisting posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with an increased risk for hospital readmission, according to a study published online March 14 in Stroke.

Chen Lin, M.D., from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and colleagues examined whether PTSD is associated with the risk for hospital readmission after stroke in an analytical sample including all veterans receiving care in the Veterans Health Administration who were identified as having a new stroke.

The final cohort included 93,651 patients with an inpatient stroke diagnosis and no prior codes for stroke from 1999; patients were followed through Aug. 6, 2022. The researchers found that 13.8 percent of the patients had comorbid PTSD. Eighteen percent of patients from the final cohort with stroke were readmitted. There was an interaction between African American veterans and PTSD, with a hazard ratio of 1.09 in the fully adjusted model for readmission. PTSD had a significant hazard ratio of 1.10 for African American, but not White, veterans in a stratified model.

“This study highlights the need for further investigation into this high-risk group including the development of postdischarge transitional care plans to reduce readmissions after stroke,” the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text