Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors for emergency hospitalization in Japanese nursing home residents.

Methods: Our retrospective cohort study included 170 nursing home residents who had stayed in two nursing homes in Saitama for more than one year by May 1, 2013. The association between emergency hospitalization within one year and 17 factors was examined initially by univariate analysis. Putative factors with P-values <0.05 on univariate analysis were considered in the multivariate analysis.

Results: A total of 70 (41.2%) of 170 nursing home residents were hospitalized emergently at least once within one year. In a logistic regression model, diagnosis of chronic heart failure (OR: 5.73, 95%CI: 1.37-23.84), presence of a decubitus ulcer (OR: 16.70, 95%CI: 1.89-147.41), and 5% loss of body weight over a one-year interval (OR: 2.47, 95%CI: 1.07-5.68) were associated with emergency hospitalization.

Conclusion: Diagnosis of chronic heart failure, presence of a decubitus ulcer, and a 5% loss of body weight over a one-year interval were risk factors for emergency hospitalization in Japanese nursing home residents.