Purpose
Concern about graft rejection is a major issue among kidney transplant recipients. However, integrated studies that examine diverse factors influencing the perceived threat of the risk of graft rejection (PTGR) remain rare. This study explored levels of PTGR and the factors associated with PTGR in kidney transplant recipients.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 194 kidney transplant recipients recruited from a tertiary hospital in South Korea. The PTGR scale assesses graft-related threat, intrusive anxiety, and lack of control, and was administered alongside measures of transplant-related symptoms, anxiety, depression, social support, and self-efficacy.
Results
Approximately 70.1% of participants reported strong graft-related threat beliefs, 57.2% experienced high intrusive anxiety, and 46.9% reported a low sense of control related to PTGR. Demographic factors (age, gender, education level, and kidney donor), clinical factors (transplant complications, posttransplant duration, and symptoms), and psychosocial factors (anxiety, depression, and social support) were associated with PTGR. Women, higher education levels, longer posttransplant duration, and donor relationship predicted graft-related threat, whereas anxiety and donor relationship predicted intrusive anxiety.
Conclusion
Many kidney transplant recipients experience high levels of PTGR, which are associated with demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors. Healthcare providers should consider these factors when assessing PTGR and incorporate them into targeted interventions to support kidney transplant recipients.

Purpose
This study aimed to determine the rates of intensive care unit readmission and to identify the factors influencing readmission among intensive care unit patients aged≥65 years with internal medicine conditions.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical records from a tertiary care hospital in Seoul, analyzing the characteristics of patients who were and were not readmitted between December 2020 and September 2022.
Results
A total of 351 patients were included. The unplanned intensive care unit readmission rate was 4.8% within 7 days and 9.1% beyond 7 days after discharge. Comorbid diabetes, higher total bilirubin levels at intensive care unit admission, lower PaO₂/FiO₂ ratios at discharge, and elevated Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) levels at discharge were associated with an increased risk of readmission within 7 days. In contrast, hypertension, prolonged intensive care unit stays, and lower hemoglobin levels at discharge were associated with readmissions occurring after 7 days.
Conclusion
Intensive care unit readmission among older patients is influenced by several clinical and hematological factors. Nurses should consider a patient's history of diabetes and hypertension, length of intensive care unit stay, and laboratory values-specifically total bilirubin at admission, and PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio, hemoglobin, and BUN levels at discharge-when making discharge decisions. These findings can inform the development of discharge guidelines.