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INTRODUCTION: Unplanned readmissions are frequent, costly, and perhaps avoidable. We aim to identify the rate, causes, and predictive factors of hospital readmission after hysterectomy within 60 days post-discharge at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH). METHODS: Retrospective record review of all patients who underwent hysterectomy for benign and malignant conditions from January 2017 to December 2022. Patients were evaluated for demographics, comorbidities, and causes for readmission. RESULTS: Of 117 patients, the unplanned readmission rate was 9.4% and 7.7% for benign and malignant conditions, respectively. Infections (25%) and abdominal pain (20%) were common causes. Patients with increased intraoperative bleeding (P = 0.013) and cancer patients (0.044) had an increased risk for readmission. Readmitted patients had significantly higher baseline health burdens when compared to non-readmitted patients using the American Society of Anesthesiology scores (ASA) (p = 0.011) and the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS) (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: The 60-day readmission rate after a hysterectomy was 17.1%. Infections and abdominal pain represented common causes. Malignancy and increased intraoperative blood loss are significant risk factors. In order to decrease the readmission rate, addressing common reasons may be beneficial.
RESUMEN
Exosomes are nano-sized bioactive vesicles of 30-150 nm in diameter. They are secreted by exocytosis of nearly all type of cells in to the extracellular fluid. Thereby, they can be found in many biological fluids. Exosomes regulate intracellular communication between cells via delivery of their cargo which include lipids, proteins, and nucleic acid. Many desirable features of exosomes made them promising candidates in several therapeutic applications. In this review, we discuss the use of exosomes as diagnostic tools and their possible biomedical applications. Additionally, current techniques used for isolation, purification, and characterization of exosomes from both biological fluids and in vitro cell cultures were discussed.