Association of Gastrostomy Placement on Hospital Readmission in Premature Infants

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the association of gastrostomy placement on post NICU-discharge resource utilization in premature infants. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a propensity-matched retrospective cohort study of NICU infants born under 32-weeks’ 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. RESULT: A 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). CONCLUSION: Premature infants who undergo gastrostomy placement have increased 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.