LAUSR

BACKGROUND Emergency general surgery can have a profound impact on the functional status of even previously independent patients. The role and influence of discharging a patient to a skilled nursing facility, however, remains largely unknown. METHODS We queried the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program for community-dwelling adults who underwent 1 of 7 emergency general surgery procedures and were discharged home or to a skilled nursing facility from 2012 to 2016. Propensity score matching and multivariable regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship between discharge disposition and outcomes. RESULTS Overall, 140,922 patients met the inclusion criteria. The majority were discharged home (95.9%). After applying 1:1 propensity score matching, in comparison to patients discharged home, individuals discharged to a skilled nursing facility had a greater odds of respiratory (odds ratio 2.32; 95% confidence interval, 1.59-3.38) and septic complications (odds ratio 1.63, 95% confidence interval 1.12-2.36) after discharge. Furthermore, following surgery, individuals discharged to a skilled nursing facility had a greater odds of 30-day readmission (odds ratio 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.29), and death within 30 days of the procedure (odds ratio 2.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.65-2.61). CONCLUSION After accounting for patient severity and perioperative course, discharge to a skilled nursing facility is an independent risk factor for death, readmission, and postdischarge complications.