US Hospitalizations and 60-Day Readmission Rates Associated With Herpes Simplex Virus Encephalitis: Analysis of All Cause Readmissions and Encephalopathy Associated Readmissions

Abstract Background Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is the most common cause of encephalitis hospitalizations. We sought to describe and analyze features associated with all cause readmissions and encephalopathy associated readmissions amongst HSE cases. Methods HSE hospitalizations and 60-day rehospitalizations were assessed in a retrospective cohort using linked hospitalizations from the Healthcare Utilization Project (HCUP) National Readmission Database (NRD) from 2010 through 2017. Risk factors for all-cause readmissions and encephalopathy associated readmissions were assessed with a weighted logistic regression model. Results There were 10 272 HSE cases in the US between 2010 and 2017, resulting in a national rate of 4.95 per 100 000 hospitalizations. A total of 23.7% were readmitted at least once within 60-days. Patients that were readmitted were older (mean age 62.4 vs 57.9, P