Vital Signs Are Still Vital: Instability on Discharge and the Risk of Post-Discharge Adverse Outcomes

Researchers examined the relationship between vital sign instability at hospital discharge and subsequent readmissions and mortality. The presence of one or more unstable vital signs (i.e., temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation) was associated with an increased risk of readmission within 30 days and death. Those discharged with three or more unstable vital signs were almost four times more likely than their counterparts with stable vital signs to die within 30 days of hospital discharge. Abstract is free; the authors discuss their findings and clinical implications in this free article: 1 in 5 hospital patients discharged with unstable vital signs--a likely cause of deaths, readmissions.