Clinical Frailty and Readmission After Planned Postoperative Intensive Care Unit Admission: An Exploratory Retrospective Study

Özlem Ersoy Karka; Gizem Demir Şenoğlu; Zennur Güven; Yavuz Demiraran

doi:10.18678/dtfd.1896504

Clinical Frailty and Readmission After Planned Postoperative Intensive Care Unit Admission: An Exploratory Retrospective Study

Abstract

Aim: Readmission to intensive care unit (ICU) after discharge is an indicator of increased mortality and prolonged hospitalization. While perioperative assessment traditionally focuses on acute physiological parameters, frailty has emerged as a marker of reduced physiological reserve and vulnerability to decompensation. This study aims to assess the relationship between frailty and ICU readmission in elective surgical patients with planned ICU admission.

Material and Methods: This retrospective observational study included patients admitted to ICU after elective surgery between January 2021 and January 2024. Demographics, comorbidities, perioperative data, Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), APACHE II, SAPS II scores were collected. ICU readmission during the same hospitalization was the primary outcome. Analyses were considered exploratory due to low number of readmission events.

Results: Of 1360 screened patients, 145 with complete data were included. ICU readmission occurred in four patients (2.8%). Readmitted patients had longer ICU and hospital stays and higher mortality. Although preoperative CFS did not differ significantly between patients with and without ICU readmission, the median values corresponded to clinically different frailty categories (6 vs. 3; p=0.067). Readmitted patients had longer initial ICU stays and higher initial illness severity scores.

Conclusion: ICU readmission after planned postoperative ICU admission was uncommon but was associated with poor clinical outcomes. Although the difference in CFS did not reach statistical significance, the observed CFS pattern may be clinically relevant but should be interpreted as exploratory because of the low number of readmission events. Larger multicenter studies are needed to clarify the role of frailty assessment in ICU discharge planning and postoperative risk stratification.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

This study was approved by the Duzce University Non-Invasive Health Research Ethics Committee. Date: December 08, 2025; approval number: 2025/326. Written informed consent was obtained from the patients or their legal representatives.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Intensive Care

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Özlem Ersoy Karka ^*
0000-0001-7309-427X
Türkiye

Gizem Demir Şenoğlu
0000-0001-9173-2271
Türkiye

Zennur Güven
0009-0006-8905-1518
Türkiye

Yavuz Demiraran
0000-0003-0811-4945
Türkiye

Publication Date

August 21, 2026

Submission Date

February 24, 2026

Acceptance Date

July 8, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 28 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.18678/dtfd.1896504

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA37HH78ZF

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Ersoy Karka, Ö., Demir Şenoğlu, G., Güven, Z., & Demiraran, Y. (2026). Clinical Frailty and Readmission After Planned Postoperative Intensive Care Unit Admission: An Exploratory Retrospective Study. Duzce Medical Journal, 28(2), 150-156. https://doi.org/10.18678/dtfd.1896504

AMA

1.Ersoy Karka Ö, Demir Şenoğlu G, Güven Z, Demiraran Y. Clinical Frailty and Readmission After Planned Postoperative Intensive Care Unit Admission: An Exploratory Retrospective Study. Duzce Med J. 2026;28(2):150-156. doi:10.18678/dtfd.1896504

Chicago

Ersoy Karka, Özlem, Gizem Demir Şenoğlu, Zennur Güven, and Yavuz Demiraran. 2026. “Clinical Frailty and Readmission After Planned Postoperative Intensive Care Unit Admission: An Exploratory Retrospective Study”. Duzce Medical Journal 28 (2): 150-56. https://doi.org/10.18678/dtfd.1896504.

EndNote

Ersoy Karka Ö, Demir Şenoğlu G, Güven Z, Demiraran Y (August 1, 2026) Clinical Frailty and Readmission After Planned Postoperative Intensive Care Unit Admission: An Exploratory Retrospective Study. Duzce Medical Journal 28 2 150–156.

IEEE

[1]Ö. Ersoy Karka, G. Demir Şenoğlu, Z. Güven, and Y. Demiraran, “Clinical Frailty and Readmission After Planned Postoperative Intensive Care Unit Admission: An Exploratory Retrospective Study”, Duzce Med J, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 150–156, Aug. 2026, doi: 10.18678/dtfd.1896504.

ISNAD

Ersoy Karka, Özlem - Demir Şenoğlu, Gizem - Güven, Zennur - Demiraran, Yavuz. “Clinical Frailty and Readmission After Planned Postoperative Intensive Care Unit Admission: An Exploratory Retrospective Study”. Duzce Medical Journal 28/2 (August 1, 2026): 150-156. https://doi.org/10.18678/dtfd.1896504.

JAMA

1.Ersoy Karka Ö, Demir Şenoğlu G, Güven Z, Demiraran Y. Clinical Frailty and Readmission After Planned Postoperative Intensive Care Unit Admission: An Exploratory Retrospective Study. Duzce Med J. 2026;28:150–156.

MLA

Ersoy Karka, Özlem, et al. “Clinical Frailty and Readmission After Planned Postoperative Intensive Care Unit Admission: An Exploratory Retrospective Study”. Duzce Medical Journal, vol. 28, no. 2, Aug. 2026, pp. 150-6, doi:10.18678/dtfd.1896504.

Vancouver

1.Özlem Ersoy Karka, Gizem Demir Şenoğlu, Zennur Güven, Yavuz Demiraran. Clinical Frailty and Readmission After Planned Postoperative Intensive Care Unit Admission: An Exploratory Retrospective Study. Duzce Med J. 2026 Aug. 1;28(2):150-6. doi:10.18678/dtfd.1896504