6909 Mortality and Readmission Rates for Inpatients with Diabetic Foot Ulcer in a Tertiary, Urban Medical Center: A Five-Year Retrospective Review

Abstract Disclosure: A. Herrera Chancay: None. R. Lopez Fanas: None. H. Tabassum: None. J. Daily: None. A. Myers: None. Background: Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) is a severe complication of diabetes mellitus and is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. The incidence of DFUs and amputation disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic populations. DFU is also associated with a high rate of hospital readmissions and prolonged length of stay (LOS). The goal of this study was to examine 1-year mortality data, LOS and readmission rate. Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review of 1348 patients admitted to three hospitals in our system in the Bronx from 6/1/16 to 5/31/21. Data was extracted from the EPIC® electronic health records, based on the diagnoses ICD 10 codes, E10.621 and E11.622. Inclusion criteria was patients admitted with an active DFU regardless of other admission diagnosis, age 18 years or above. The index admission was defined as the first admission in our medical records within the date range. Patients were excluded if their index admission was not accessible through our EMR. Simple logistic regression and multiple logistic regression were used to analyze the association between variables of interest and mortality at index admission and at 1-year, LOS and re admissions. Results: Of the 650 eligible patients, the mean age was 59 + 13 years, 70% of patients were male, and majority were non-White (88%). Mortality was 1% during the index admission and the risk increased to 6% at 1 year after the index admission. Readmission with an active DFU from the index admission occurred in 15% of patients within 30-days, 32% of patients within 90 days, and 55% of patients within 1 year. The mean length of stay was 9 +7.5 days. Discussion: Our study in an urban region has identified high rates of mortality and costs associated with DFU, which has been reported in many settings. This patient population is high risk for poor outcomes and targeted programs are needed to reduce mortality and provide care to reduce readmissions. Future studies that explore the challenges of DFU health care and that test interventions are needed to improve DFU related health outcomes. Presentation: 6/2/2024