Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: population-wide incidences, comorbidities, costs of care, and outcomes.

Neurological disorders associated with chronic infections are often progressive as well as challenging to diagnose and manage. Among 4.4 million persons from 2004 to 2019 receiving universal health, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML, n = 58) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD, n = 93) cases were identified, revealing stable yearly incidence rates with divergent comorbidities: HIV/AIDS affected 37.8% of PML cases while cerebrovascular disease affected 26.9% of CJD cases. Most CJD cases died within 1 year (73%) although PML cases lived beyond 5 years (34.1%) despite higher initial costs of care. PML and CJD represent important neurological disorders with evolving risk variables and impact on health care.

How to control the economic burden of treating cardio-cerebrovascular diseases in China? Assessment based on System of Health Accounts 2011.

BACKGROUND: In the past two decades, chronic non-communicable diseases have become the leading disease burden, and cardio-cerebrovascular diseases (CCVD) are the main causes of death in chronic diseases. It has become the focus of global public health attention, in this study, System of Health Accounts 2011 (SHA 2011) is used to calculate health expenditure, discuss its economic burden, and put forward countermeasures. METHODS: Data were collected by multi-stage stratified random sampling and the medical expenses of patients with CCVD were calculated based on SHA 2011, from the dimensions of the financing plan, institutional flow, and service function. Correlation and regression analysis were conducted by controlling factors influencing hospitalization expenses. All analysis were conducted by software SPSS. RESULTS: The current health expenditure (CHE) of CCVD in Dalian was 3.986 billion Yuan, accounting for 12.88% of the CHE (30.947 billion Yuan). The current curative expenditure (CCE) of CCVD was 2.947 billion Yuan. 40.39% of CCVD financing came from social medical insurance, and the proportion of family health financing was higher (39.06%). The expenditures were consumed by general hospitals and elderly patients. CONCLUSIONS: The expenditure burden of CCVD in Dalian was massive, and wasted the health resource severely. It is necessary for the government to adjust the financing structure, reallocate the expenses of CCVD, and make institutional flow and functional distribution more reasonable.

Costs and Complications Associated With Resection of Supratentorial Tumors With and Without the Operative Microscope in the United States.

BACKGROUND: The operative microscope, a commonly used tool in neurosurgery, is critical in many supratentorial tumor cases. However, use of operating microscope for supratentorial tumor varies by surgeon. OBJECTIVES: To assess complication rates, readmissions, and costs associated with operative microscope use in supratentorial resections. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted using a national administrative database to identify patients with glioma or brain metastases who underwent supratentorial resection between 2007 and 2016. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess 30-day complications, readmissions, and costs between patients who underwent resection with and without use of microscope. RESULTS: The cohort included 12,058 glioma patients and 5433 metastasis patients. Rates of microscope use varied by state from 19.0% to 68.6%. Microscope use was associated with $5228.90 in additional costs of index hospitalization among glioma patients (P <0.001), and $2824.00 among metastasis patients (P <0.001). Rates of intraoperative cerebral edema were lower among the microscope cohort than among the nonmicroscope cohort (P <0.027). Microscope use was associated with a slight reduction in 30-day rates of neurological complications (14.7% vs. 16.7%, P = 0.048), specifically in nonspecific cerebrovascular complications. There were no differences in rates of other complications, readmissions, or 30-day postoperative costs. CONCLUSIONS: Use of operative microscope for supratentorial resections varies by state and is associated with higher cost of surgery. Microscope use may be associated with lower rates of intraoperative cerebral edema and some cerebrovascular complications, but is not associated with significant differences in other complications, readmissions, or 30-day costs.

Exploration of Medical Trajectories of Stroke Patients Based on Group-Based Trajectory Modeling.

A high mortality rate is an issue with acute cerebrovascular disease (ACVD), as it often leads to a high medical expenditure, and in particular to high costs of treatment for emergency medical conditions and critical care. In this study, we used group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) to study the characteristics of various groups of patients hospitalized with ACVD. In this research, the patient data were derived from the 1 million sampled cases in the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan. Cases who had been admitted to hospitals fewer than four times or more than eight times were excluded. Characteristics of the ACVD patients were collected, including age, mortality rate, medical expenditure, and length of hospital stay for each admission. We then performed GBTM to examine hospitalization patterns in patients who had been hospitalized more than four times and fewer than or equal to eight times. The patients were divided into three groups according to medical expenditure: high, medium, and low groups, split at the 33rd and 66th percentiles. After exclusion of unqualified patients, a total of 27,264 cases (male/female = 15,972/11,392) were included. Analysis of the characteristics of the ACVD patients showed that there were significant differences between the two gender groups in terms of age, mortality rate, medical expenditure, and total length of hospital stay. In addition, the data were compared between two admissions, which included interval, outpatient department (OPD) visit after discharge, OPD visit after hospital discharge, and OPD cost. Finally, the differences in medical expenditure between genders and between patients with different types of stroke-ischemic stroke, spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)-were examined using GBTM. Overall, this study employed GBTM to examine the trends in medical expenditure for different groups of stroke patients at different admissions, and some important results were obtained. Our results demonstrated that the time interval between subsequent hospitalizations decreased in the ACVD patients, and there were significant differences between genders and between patients with different types of stroke. It is often difficult to decide when the time has been reached at which further treatment will not improve the condition of ACVD patients, and the findings of our study may be used as a reference for assessing outcomes and quality of care for stroke patients. Because of the characteristics of NHIRD, this study had some limitations; for example, the number of cases for some diseases was not sufficient for effective statistical analysis.

Diagnostic imaging in the management of patients with possible cerebral venous thrombosis: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

PURPOSE: Imaging is crucial for management of patients with possible cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of different noninvasive imaging strategies in patients with possible CVT. METHODS: A decision model based on Markov simulations estimated lifetime costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) associated with the following imaging strategies: non-contrast CT (NCCT), NCCT plus CT venography (CTV), routine MRI without vascular imaging (R-MRI), and MRI with venography (MRV). The analysis was performed from a US healthcare perspective. Model input was based on best available and most recent evidence, including outcome data from the International Study on Cerebral Vein and Dural Sinus Thrombosis (ISCVT). Starting age was 37 years; both high and low pre-test probabilities of CVT were evaluated. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSA) estimated model uncertainty. RESULTS: In the base-case analysis, NCCT and CTV were dominant over R-MRI and MRV. CTV led to incremental lifetime QALYs compared with NCCT (23.385 QALYs vs. 23.374 QALYs) at slightly higher lifetime costs ($5210 vs. $5057). In PSA, CTV was the strategy with the highest percentage of cost-effective iterations if willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds were higher than $13,750/QALY. Complying with contemporary WTP thresholds, CTV was thus identified as the most cost-effective strategy. When the pre-test probability was set to 50%, CTV was also preferred. CONCLUSION: In patients at the peak age of CVT incidence yet low clinical pre-test probability, diagnostic imaging with CTV is the most cost-effective strategy.

Socioeconomic factors and mortality due to cerebrovascular and hypertensive disease in Brazil.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Socioeconomic factors may affect mortality due to cerebrovascular diseases (CBVDs), hypertensive diseases (HYPDs), and circulatory system diseases (CSDs). This study aimed to assess the association between the Human Development Index (HDI) and the extent of supplementary health coverage and mortality due to these diseases in the Brazilian Federative Units (FUs) between 2004 and 2013. METHODS: The Municipal HDI (MHDI) scores of each FU for 2000 and 2010 were retrieved from the Atlas Brasil website, and supplementary health coverage data for the period 2004-2013 were obtained from the national regulatory agency for private health insurance. Population and mortality data were obtained from the website of the Department of Information Technology of the Unified Health System (DATASUS). Mortality rates were weighted by ill-defined causes of death and standardized by age. RESULTS: The MHDI increased between 2000 and 2010 in all FUs, in half of which it was 0.7 or higher. Supplementary health coverage increased in the country during the study period and was inversely associated with mortality due to CSDs and CBVDs between 2004 and 2013. Mortality due to CBVDs and HYPD in 2013 showed an inverse linear association with the MHDI in 2000. CONCLUSION: Mortality due to CSDs, CBVDs, and HYPDs was influenced by socioeconomic factors. There was a significant inverse association between socioeconomic factors and mortality due to CSDs, CBVDs, and HYPDs. Plans to reduce mortality due to these diseases should include measures to foster economic development and reduce inequality.

The Burden of Cerebrovascular Disease in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about trends in the overall combined burden of fatal and nonfatal cerebrovascular disease events in the United States. Our objective was to describe the combined burden by age, sex, and region from 2006 through 2014. METHODS: We used data on adults aged 35 and older from 2006 through 2014 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, National Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, and the National Vital Statistics System. We calculated age-standardized cerebrovascular disease event rates by using the 2010 US Census population. Trends in rates were assessed by calculating the relative percentage change (RPC) between 2006 and 2014, and by using Joinpoint to obtain P values for overall trends. RESULTS: The age-standardized rate increased significantly for total cerebrovascular disease events (primary plus comorbid events) from 1,050 per 100,000 in 2006 to 1,147 per 100,000 in 2014 (P < .05 for trend). Treat-and-release emergency department visits with comorbid cerebrovascular disease events increased significantly, from 114 per 100,000 in 2006 to 213 per 100,000 in 2014 (RPC of 87%, P < .05 for trend). Significant rate increases were identified among adults aged 35 to 64 with an RPC of 19% in primary cerebrovascular disease events, 48% in comorbid cerebrovascular disease events, and 36% in total events. CONCLUSION: Our findings have important implications for the increasing cerebrovascular disease burden among adults aged 35 to 64. Focused prevention strategies should be implemented, especially among young adults who may be unaware of existing modifiable risk factors.

Comorbidity in Dementia Diseases and Associated Health Care Resources Utilization and Cost.

BACKGROUND: People with dementia (PwD) suffer from coexisting medical conditions, creating complex clinical challenges and increasing the risk of poor outcomes, which could be associated with high healthcare cost. OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of comorbidity in PwD and to analyze the association between comorbidity in dementia diseases and healthcare costs from a payer's perspective. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis was based on n = 362 PwD of the DelpHi-MV trial (Dementia: Life-and person-centered help in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania). Comorbidity was assessed using the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) and was categorized into low, high, and very high comorbidity. Healthcare resource utilization and unit costs were used to calculate costs. Multivariable regression models were applied to analyze the association between comorbidity and costs. RESULTS: Comorbidity was highly prevalent in the sample. 47% of PwD had a very high, 37% a high, and 16% a low comorbidity in addition to dementia. The most prevalent co-existing comorbidity were diabetes mellitus (42%), peripheral vascular disease (28%) and cerebrovascular disease (25%). Total costs significantly increased by 528€ (SE = 214, CI95 = 109-947, p = 0.014) with each further comorbidity, especially due to higher cost for medication and medical aids. Compared with a low comorbidity, a very high comorbidity was significantly associated with 818€ (SE = 168, CI95 = 489-1147, p < 0.001) higher medication costs and 336€ (SE = 161, CI95 = 20-652, p = 0.037) higher cost for medical aids. There were no significant association between a higher comorbidity and cost for formal care services. CONCLUSIONS: Comorbidity in PwD represents a substantial financial burden on healthcare payers and is a challenge for patients, healthcare providers, and the health systems. Innovative approaches are needed to achieve a patient-oriented management of treatment and care in comorbid PwD to reduce long-term costs.

Socioeconomic gap between neighborhoods of Budapest: Striking impact on stroke and possible explanations.

INTRODUCTION: Hungary has a single payer health insurance system offering free healthcare for acute cerebrovascular disorders. Within the capital, Budapest, however there are considerable microregional socioeconomic differences. We hypothesized that socioeconomic deprivation reflects in less favorable stroke characteristics despite universal access to care. METHODS: From the database of the National Health Insurance Fund, we identified 4779 patients hospitalized between 2002 and 2007 for acute cerebrovascular disease (hereafter ACV, i.e. ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, or transient ischemia), among residents of the poorest (District 8, n = 2618) and the wealthiest (District 12, n = 2161) neighborhoods of Budapest. Follow-up was until March 2013. RESULTS: Mean age at onset of ACV was 70±12 and 74±12 years for District 8 and 12 (p<0.01). Age-standardized incidence was higher in District 8 than in District 12 (680/100,000/year versus 518/100,000/year for ACV and 486/100,000/year versus 259/100,000/year for ischemic stroke). Age-standardized mortality of ACV overall and of ischemic stroke specifically was 157/100,000/year versus 100/100,000/year and 122/100,000/year versus 75/100,000/year for District 8 and 12. Long-term case fatality (at 1,5, and 10 years) for ACV and for ischemic stroke was higher in younger District 8 residents (41-70 years of age at the index event) compared to D12 residents of the same age. This gap between the districts increased with the length of follow-up. Of the risk diseases the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes was higher in District 8 than in District 12 (75% versus 66%, p<0.001; and 26% versus 16%, p<0.001). DISCUSSION: Despite universal healthcare coverage, the disadvantaged district has higher ACV incidence and mortality than the wealthier neighborhood. This difference affects primarily the younger age groups. Long-term follow-up data suggest that inequity in institutional rehabilitation and home-care should be investigated and improved in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

National trends in cerebral bypass surgery in the United States, 2002-2014.

OBJECTIVECerebral bypass procedures are microsurgical techniques to augment or restore cerebral blood flow when treating a number of brain vascular diseases including moyamoya disease, occlusive vascular disease, and cerebral aneurysms. With advances in endovascular therapy and evolving evidence-based guidelines, it has been suggested that cerebral bypass procedures are in a state of decline. Here, the authors characterize the national trends in cerebral bypass surgery in the United States from 2002 to 2014.METHODSUsing the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample, the authors extracted for analysis the data on all adult patients who had undergone cerebral bypass as indicated by ICD-9-CM procedure code 34.28. Indications for bypass procedures, patient demographics, healthcare costs, and regional variations are described. Results were stratified by indication for cerebral bypass including moyamoya disease, occlusive vascular disease, and cerebral aneurysms. Predictors of inpatient complications and death were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression analysis.RESULTSFrom 2002 to 2014, there was an increase in the annual number of cerebral bypass surgeries performed in the United States. This increase reflected a growth in the number of cerebral bypass procedures performed for adult moyamoya disease, whereas cases performed for occlusive vascular disease or cerebral aneurysms declined. Inpatient complication rates for cerebral bypass performed for moyamoya disease, vascular occlusive disease, and cerebral aneurysm were 13.2%, 25.1%, and 56.3%, respectively. Rates of iatrogenic stroke ranged from 3.8% to 20.4%, and mortality rates were 0.3%, 1.4%, and 7.8% for moyamoya disease, occlusive vascular disease, and cerebral aneurysms, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression confirmed that cerebral bypass for vascular occlusive disease or cerebral aneurysm is a statistically significant predictor of inpatient complications and death. Mean healthcare costs of cerebral bypass remained unchanged from 2002 to 20014 and varied with treatment indication: moyamoya disease $38,406 ± $483, vascular occlusive disease $46,618 ± $774, and aneurysm $111,753 ± $2381.CONCLUSIONSThe number of cerebral bypass surgeries performed for adult revascularization has increased in the United States from 2002 to 2014. Rising rates of surgical bypass reflect a greater proportion of surgeries performed for moyamoya disease, whereas bypasses performed for vascular occlusive disease and aneurysms are decreasing. Despite evolving indications, cerebral bypass remains an important surgical tool in the modern endovascular era and may be increasing in use. Stagnant complication rates highlight the need for continued interest in advancing available bypass techniques or technologies to improve patient outcomes.

Associations of number of teeth with medical costs and hospitalization duration in an older Japanese population.

AIM: Many studies have reported close relationships between oral and systemic health. We explored the association of the number of remaining teeth with medical costs and hospitalization duration in people aged 75 and 80 years. METHODS: Oral health examinations were carried out at dental clinics in 2014. Medical cost and hospitalization duration data for fiscal year 2015 were obtained from the Mie Prefecture health insurer. We analyzed the data of 4700 individuals who met our inclusion criteria: 2745 75-year-olds and 1955 80-year-olds. The effects of remaining tooth numbers on medical costs and hospitalization days were analyzed using a generalized linear model with log link adjustment for confounders. RESULTS: Total medical costs for all diseases were significantly higher in those with 20-27, 10-19 and 1-9 teeth, and in edentulous older individuals, compared with those with 28 teeth. Outpatient medical costs for diabetes were significantly higher in those with 20-27 and 1-9 teeth. Inpatient medical costs for digestive cancers were significantly higher in those with 10-19 and 1-9 teeth, and in edentulous older individuals. Hospitalization for digestive cancer was significantly longer in those with 20-27, 10-19 and 1-9 teeth, and in edentulous older individuals, than in those with 28 teeth. The number of teeth as a continuous variable was significantly inversely associated with medical costs for cerebrovascular disease and digestive cancer, and hospitalization days for digestive cancer. CONCLUSION: Small numbers of teeth were associated with higher medical costs and longer hospital stays for older Japanese. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 335-341.

Strong Association Between Migraine and Transient Global Amnesia: A National Inpatient Sample Analysis.

The purpose of this article was to explore sex- and race-specific variables and comorbidities associated with transient global amnesia (TGA) using a nationally representative database. Data were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample using ICD-9 and procedure codes. Descriptive and survey logistic regression analyses were conducted and adjusted for influence of comorbidities, demographic characteristics, and hospitalization-related factors. Patients with migraines were 5.98 times more likely to also have a diagnosis of TGA compared with patients without migraines. Similarly, patients with TGA were more likely to have hypertension, precerebral disease, and hyperlipidemia. The odds of being diagnosed with TGA was lower among African Americans and Hispanics as well as among patients classified as Asian/Other, compared with Caucasians. TGA was associated with lower hospital charges ($14,242 versus $21,319), shorter hospital stays (mean days: 2.49 [SE=0.036] versus 4.72 [SE=0.025]), and routine hospital discharges (91.4% versus 74.5%). Patients with migraines and patients classified as Caucasian had higher odds of being diagnosed with TGA. All minority populations showed a lower rate of diagnosis that fell short of statistical significance.

Comprehensive Cost of Illness of Three Major Diseases in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to calculate the burden of 3 major diseases (cancer, heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease [CVD]) using the cost of illness (COI) method. METHODS: As a modification of the original COI method developed by Rice, the estimated comprehensive COI (C-COI) of cancer, heart disease, and CVD were redefined. C-COI consists of medical direct, morbidity, and mortality costs (MtCs; components of the original COI); long-term care (LTC) direct cost (DC); and family burden (FB). LTC DC is an insurance benefit, and FB is the unpaid care cost incurred by the family, relatives, and friends for in-home and in-community medical expenses (opportunity cost). All costs for 2008-2014 were calculated using official statistics of the Japanese government. RESULTS: The C-COI of cancer, heart disease, and CVD in 2014 amounted to 9815 billion Japanese yen (JPY), 4461 billion JPY, and 6501 billion JPY, respectively. As for the composition of the C-COI, the MtC accounted for the largest portion of medical expenses for treatment of cancer (63.5%) and heart disease (50.6%), but the DC (LTC) accounted for the largest portion of medical expenses for CVD (26.7%). CONCLUSIONS: This study, based on government statistics, demonstrated that C-COI, including LTC DC and FB, could be estimated, and the latter was found to be a major cost component in CVD, whereas long-term disability is a salient feature of the disease.

Medicare Expenditure Correlates of Atrophy and Cerebrovascular Disease in Older Adults.

Background/Study Context: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of cerebrovascular disease and atrophy are common in older adults and are associated with cognitive and medical burden. However, the extent to which they are related to health care expenditures has not been examined. We studied whether increased Medicare expenditures were associated with brain markers of atrophy and cerebrovascular disease in older adults. METHODS: A subset of participants (n = 592; mean age = 80 years; 66% women) from the Washington Heights Inwood Columbia Aging Project (WHICAP), a community-based observational study of aging in upper Manhattan, received high-resolution MRI and had Medicare expenditure data on file. We examined the relationship of common markers of cerebrovascular disease (i.e., white matter hyperintensities and presence of infarcts) and atrophy (i.e., whole brain and hippocampal volume) with Medicare expenditure data averaged over a 10-year period. Main outcome measures were (a) mean Medicare payment per year across the 10-year interval; (b) mean payment for outpatient care per year; and (c) mean payment for inpatient care per year of visit. In addition, we calculated the ratio of mean inpatient spending to mean outpatient spending as well as the ratio of mean inpatient spending to mean total Medicare spending. RESULTS: Increased Medicare spending was associated with higher white matter hyperintensity volume, presence of cerebral infarcts, and smaller total brain volume. When examining specific components of Medicare expenditures, we found that inpatient spending was strongly associated with white matter hyperintensity volume and that increased ratios of inpatient to outpatient and inpatient to total spending were associated with infarcts. CONCLUSION: Medicare costs are related to common markers of "silent" cerebrovascular disease and atrophy.

Assessment of Dual-Antiplatelet Regimen for Pipeline Embolization Device Placement: A Survey of Major Academic Neurovascular Centers in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Flow diversion with the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) currently is adopted for treatment of a variety of intracranial aneurysms. The elevated risk of thromboembolic complications associated with the device necessitates the need for administration of antiplatelet agents. We sought to assess current dual-antiplatelet therapy practices patterns and their associated costs after PED placement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An online questionnaire that assessed dual-antiplatelet regimens after flow diversion for treatment of intracranial aneurysms was developed and disseminated to 80 neurosurgeons at major academic cerebrovascular centers. Pricing information from 2 of the largest prescription payers in Massachusetts was used to calculate the monthly cost of these agents. RESULTS: Twenty-six responses (32.5%) were received. All respondents (100%) affirmed using clopidogrel and aspirin dual-antiplatelet therapy as a first-line regimen. Twenty-three (88.5%) routinely use platelet function testing. Eleven respondents (42.3%) each identified that they administer aspirin/ticagrelor and aspirin/prasugrel to clopidogrel hypo- or nonresponders. For uninsured patients, prasugrel was found to have the highest cumulative monthly cost ($471), followed by ticagrelor ($396), clopidogrel ($149), and ticlopidine ($110). CONCLUSIONS: Significant heterogeneity in dual-antiplatelet regimens after PED placement and associated costs exists at major academic neurovascular centers. The most commonly used first-line dual-antiplatelet regimen consists of aspirin and clopidogrel. Two major alternate protocols involving ticagrelor and prasugrel are administered to clopidogrel hyporesponders. The optimal dual-antiplatelet regimen for patients with cerebrovascular conditions has not been established, given limited prospective data within the neurointerventional literature.

The burden and risk factors of ventriculostomy occlusion in a high-volume cerebrovascular practice: results of an ongoing prospective database.

OBJECT Ventriculostomy occlusion is a known complication after external ventricular drain (EVD) placement. There have been no prospective published series that primarily evaluate the incidence of and risk factors for EVD occlusion. These phenomena are investigated using a prospective database. METHODS An ongoing prospective study of all patients undergoing frontal EVD placement in the Neurosurgery Intensive Care Unit at the University of Florida was accessed for the purposes of this analysis. Demographic, procedural, and radiographic data were recorded prospectively and retrospectively. The need for catheter irrigation or replacement was meticulously documented. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed. RESULTS Ninety-eight of 101 total enrolled patients had accessible data, amounting to 131 total catheters and 1076 total catheter days. Nineteen percent of patients required at least 1 replacement. Forty-one percent of catheters developed at least 1 temporary occlusion, with an average of 2.4 irrigations per patient. Intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 28% of patients after the first EVD placement (2% resulting in new neurological deficit) and in 62% of patients after 1 replacement. The cost of occlusion is estimated at $615 per enrolled patient. Therapeutic anticoagulation and use of small EVD catheters were statistically significant predictors of permanent occlusion (p = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS EVD occlusion is frequent and imparts a significant burden in terms of patient morbidity, physician upkeep, and cost. This study suggests that developing strategies or devices to prevent EVD occlusion, such as the preferential use of larger diameter catheters, may be beneficial in reducing the burden associated with ventriculostomy malfunction.

Intravenous thrombolysis of large vessel occlusions is associated with higher hospital costs than small vessel strokes: a rationale for developing stroke severity-based financial models.

BACKGROUND: Owing to their severity, large vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes may be associated with higher costs that are not reflected in current coding systems. This study aimed to determine whether intravenous thrombolysis costs are related to the presence or absence of LVO. METHODS: Patients who had undergone intravenous thrombolysis over a 9-year period were divided into LVO and no LVO (nLVO) groups based on admission CT angiography. The primary outcome was hospital cost per admission. Secondary outcomes included admission duration, 90-day clinical outcome, and discharge destination. RESULTS: 119 patients (53%) had LVO and 104 (47%) had nLVO. Total mean±SD cost per LVO patient was $18,815±14,262 compared with $15,174±11,769 per nLVO patient (p=0.04). Hospital payments per admission were $17,338±13,947 and $15,594±16,437 for LVO and nLVO patients, respectively (p=0.4). A good outcome was seen in 33 LVO patients (27.7%) and in 69 nLVO patients (66.4%) (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.3, p<0.0001). Hospital mortality occurred in 31 LVO patients (26.1%) and in 7 nLVO patients (6.7%) (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.5, p<0.0001). 31 LVO patients (32.6%) were discharged to home versus 64 nLVO patients (61.5%) (OR 4.5, 95% CI 2.6 to 8, p<0.0001). Admission duration was 7.5±6.9 days in LVO patients versus 4.9±4.2 days in nLVO patients (p=0.0009). Multivariate regression analysis after controlling for comorbidities showed the presence of LVO to be an independent predictor of higher total hospital costs. CONCLUSIONS: The presence or absence of LVO is associated with significant differences in hospital costs, outcomes, admission duration, and home discharge. These differences can be important when developing systems of care models for acute ischemic stroke.

Healthcare Costs Associated with an Adequate Intake of Sugars, Salt and Saturated Fat in Germany: A Health Econometrical Analysis.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) represent not only the major driver for quality-restricted and lost life years; NCDs and their related medical treatment costs also pose a substantial economic burden on healthcare and intra-generational tax distribution systems. The main objective of this study was therefore to quantify the economic burden of unbalanced nutrition in Germany--in particular the effects of an excessive consumption of fat, salt and sugar--and to examine different reduction scenarios on this basis. In this study, the avoidable direct cost savings in the German healthcare system attributable to an adequate intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA), salt and sugar (mono- & disaccharides, MDS) were calculated. To this end, disease-specific healthcare cost data from the official Federal Health Monitoring for the years 2002-2008 and disease-related risk factors, obtained by thoroughly searching the literature, were used. A total of 22 clinical endpoints with 48 risk-outcome pairs were considered. Direct healthcare costs attributable to an unbalanced intake of fat, salt and sugar are calculated to be 16.8 billion EUR (CI95%: 6.3-24.1 billion EUR) in the year 2008, which represents 7% (CI95% 2%-10%) of the total treatment costs in Germany (254 billion EUR). This is equal to 205 EUR per person annually. The excessive consumption of sugar poses the highest burden, at 8.6 billion EUR (CI95%: 3.0-12.1); salt ranks 2nd at 5.3 billion EUR (CI95%: 3.2-7.3) and saturated fat ranks 3rd at 2.9 billion EUR (CI95%: 32 million-4.7 billion). Predicted direct healthcare cost savings by means of a balanced intake of sugars, salt and saturated fat are substantial. However, as this study solely considered direct medical treatment costs regarding an adequate consumption of fat, salt and sugars, the actual societal and economic gains, resulting both from direct and indirect cost savings, may easily exceed 16.8 billion EUR.

Disease staging as a measure of disease severity.

Disease staging, first developed in 1970, has been used to assess the levels of biological severity, defined as the risk of organ failure or death, of specific medical diseases. Because few studies to date have evaluated disease staging in Japan, a small pilot study was designed to determine whether disease staging is available and useful in actual medical practice in Japan. The relationships between disease staging and length of stay, medical costs and age were retrospectively evaluated in patients admitted to Japan Association for Development of Community Medicine - Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center for appendicitis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cerebrovascular diseases from April 2012 to March 2013. Patients were easily staged based on information at the time of hospital discharge. Disease stages were found to be affected significantly by length of hospital stay and medical costs. Age also affected disease stages in patients with appendicitis. These findings indicate that disease staging was available in Japan and was affected by hospital resources, including length of hospital stay and medical costs.

Direct medical costs of hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases in Shanghai, China: trends and projections.

Few studies in China have focused on direct expenditures for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), making cost trends for CVDs uncertain. Epidemic modeling and forecasting may be essential for health workers and policy makers to reduce the cost burden of CVDs.To develop a time series model using Box-Jenkins methodology for a 15-year forecasting of CVD hospitalization costs in Shanghai.Daily visits and medical expenditures for CVD hospitalizations between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2012 were analyzed. Data from 2012 were used for further analyses, including yearly total health expenditures and expenditures per visit for each disease, as well as per-visit-per-year medical costs of each service for CVD hospitalizations. Time series analyses were performed to determine the long-time trend of total direct medical expenditures for CVDs and specific expenditures for each disease, which were used to forecast expenditures until December 31, 2030.From 2008 to 2012, there were increased yearly trends for both hospitalizations (from 250,354 to 322,676) and total costs (from US $ 388.52 to 721.58 million per year in 2014 currency) in Shanghai. Cost per CVD hospitalization in 2012 averaged US $ 2236.29, with the highest being for chronic rheumatic heart diseases (US $ 4710.78). Most direct medical costs were spent on medication. By the end of 2030, the average cost per visit per month for all CVDs was estimated to be US $ 4042.68 (95% CI: US $ 3795.04-4290.31) for all CVDs, and the total health expenditure for CVDs would reach over US $1.12 billion (95% CI: US $ 1.05-1.19 billion) without additional government interventions.Total health expenditures for CVDs in Shanghai are estimated to be higher in the future. These results should be a valuable future resource for both researchers on the economic effects of CVDs and for policy makers.