LATE MOBILIZATION IN ELDERLY SURGICAL PATIENTS PREDICTS READMISSION OR DEATH AFTER DISCHARGE

Acute surgical services are increasingly treating seniors with complex care needs who are at high risk for hospital readmission and functional decline. Yet, the prognostic importance of early post-operative mobilization remains unclear. We investigated whether time to post-operative mobilization among older surgical patients predicts readmission or death. Mobilization after emergency abdominal surgery in a prospective cohort of patients aged ≥ 65 years requiring help pre-operatively with < 3 activities of daily living were followed after discharge from 2 Canadian tertiary-care hospitals. Late mobilization was defined as ≥ 36 hours following surgery. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause readmission or death. Patients (N=306) had a mean age of 76 ± 7.7 years, 55% were women, 41% were vulnerable-to-moderately frail. Gallstones (23%), intestinal obstruction (21%), or hernia (17%) were the most common reasons for admission. Twenty-four percent were mobilized ≥ 36 hours after surgery. Late mobilized patients were more often readmitted or died within 30-days [19 (26%) vs 22 (10%), p