Association of gastrostomy placement on hospital readmission in premature infants

Objectivewe sought to determine the association of gastrostomy placement on post-nicu-discharge resource utilization in premature infants.study designwe performed a propensity-matched retrospective cohort study of nicu infants born under 32-week gestation in us children’s hospitals. multivariable logistic regression and propensity score-matching were used to determine the association of gastrostomy placement on 90-day hospital readmissions and emergency department visits adjusting for salient patient characteristics.resulta total of 12,621 premature infants were included of which 697 (5.5%) underwent gastrostomy placement. after propensity matching, infants who underwent gastrostomy placement have a higher rate of 90-day inpatient readmission (41.9 vs 26.3%, p < 0.001) and emergency department visit (27.1 vs 16%, p < 0.001).conclusionpremature infants who undergo gastrostomy placement have increased the risk of inpatient readmission and emergency department visits after nicu discharge. gastrostomy placement likely is both a driver and marker for increased resource utilization in premature infants post-nicu discharge.