Association Between Sarcopenic Complications and Readmission in a Kaifukuki Rehabilitation Ward: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objectives This study investigated the association between sarcopenia and readmission to the Kaifukuki Rehabilitation Ward. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study in a Kaifukuki Rehabilitation Ward in Japan. Muscle mass was evaluated using a body composition analyzer (InBody, Tokyo, Japan). Grip strength was measured using a grip dynamometer, and walking speed was measured using a 10-meter walk test. Sarcopenia was characterized based on the diagnostic algorithm recommended by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. The presence or absence of readmission was calculated from the medical charts. This study used Rstudio for statistical analysis (Posit, Boston, USA). To examine the effect of sarcopenia on readmissions, we used the Kaplan-Meier method to estimate readmissions. Differences between curves were assessed using the log-rank test. Results A total of 131 patients were selected during the target period (March 1, 2020, to August 31, 2021). Of these, 12 (9%) were readmitted during the study period. The median patient age was 83 years. The study population consisted of 53 males (40%) and 78 females (60%). Sixty (50%) patients in the no-readmission group and seven (58%) patients in the readmission group had sarcopenia. For readmission, the presence of sarcopenia yielded an unadjusted hazard ratio of 1.37 (95% confidence interval: 0.41 to 4.56) and an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.74 (95% confidence interval: 0.52 to 5.83). Conclusions Sarcopenia may be a prognostic factor for readmission in Kaifukuki Rehabilitation Wards. Therefore, further evaluation is necessary.