Compensated Patient Injuries in the Treatment of Abdominal Aortic and Iliac Artery Aneurysms in Finland: A Nationwide Patient Insurance Registry Study.

OBJECTIVES: Patient injury claims data and insurance records provide detailed information on patient injuries. This study aimed to identify the errors and adverse events that led to patient injuries in vascular surgery for the treatments of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and iliac artery aneurysms (IAA) in Finland. The study also assessed the severity and preventability of the injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of Finnish Patient Insurance Centre's insurance charts of compensated patient injuries in the treatment of AAA and IAA. Records of all compensated patient injury claims involving AAA and IAA between 2004 and 2017 inclusive were reviewed. Contributing factors to injury were identified and classified. The injuries were assessed for their preventability by using the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist correctly. The degree of harm was graded by Clavien-Dindo classification. RESULTS: Twenty-six patient injury incidents were identified in the treatment of 23 patients. Typical injuries involved delays in diagnosis or treatment, errors in surgical technique or injuries to adjacent anatomic organs. Three (13.0%) patients died due to patient injury. Two deaths were caused by delays in diagnosis of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA) and the third death was due to missed diagnosis of post-operative myocardial infarction. Retained foreign material caused injuries to two (8.7%) patients. One (4.3%) patient had a severe postoperative infection. Three (13.0%) patients experienced an injury to an adjacent organ. One patient had a bilateral and another a unilateral above-the-knee amputation due to patient injury. Three injuries were considered preventable. Most harms were grade IIIb Clavien-Dindo classification in which injured patients required a surgical intervention under general anesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: Compensated patient injuries involving the treatment of AAA and IAA are rare, but are often serious. Injuries were identified during all stages of care. Most injuries involved open surgical procedures.

[Who do you screen for an abdominal aortic aneurysm ?] / Chez qui effectuer un dépistage de l'anévrisme de l'aorte abdominale ?

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) represents an important public health problem. The early detection and treatment as well as follow-up of an AAA are important to reduce the high mortality rate associated with its rupture. Despite the decline of the prevalence of AAA in the last decades, the latest international recommendations have reaffirmed that screening in men remains cost-effective. In contrast, the data and recommendations for women are unclear. The best method for AAA screening is abdominal ultrasound. The aim of this paper is to present an up-to-date review of the indications for AAA screening based on the latest recommendations.

L'anévrisme de l'aorte abdominale (AAA) reste toujours un problème de santé publique malgré les progrès technologiques réalisés dans sa prise en charge. Le diagnostic précoce et le traitement ainsi que le suivi d'un AAA sont importants pour prévenir le taux de mortalité très élevé associé à sa rupture. Bien que la prévalence de l'AAA ait diminué ces dernières décennies, les dernières recommandations internationales ont réaffirmé qu'un dépistage chez les hommes reste rentable. En revanche, les données et les recommandations concernant la femme ne sont pas claires. L'examen de choix pour le dépistage des AAA est l'échographie abdominale. Cet article vise à mettre à jour les indications de dépistage de l'AAA en fonction des dernières recommandations.

SCREENING OF THE ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM: COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND HEALTH BENEFITS.

INTRODUCTION: The abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a nosological entity whose main complication is rupture, being associated with a high mortality rate. The early identification of this pathology in groups at risk through an ultrasound screening program can have benefits based on elective surgical repair before the rupture occurs, preventing death. In Portugal, no screening program for this aneurysm is implemented. Our goal is to review the impact of screening among risk groups on the global and aneurysm-related mortality rates, quality of life, cost-effectiveness and its applicability in Portugal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a narrative review of the literature on screening for AAA. RESULTS: There is evidence that screening is effective in reducing aneurysm-related mortality in men aged 65 and over, but not in reducing overall mortality. In addition, the implementation of a screening program in several countries appears to be cost-effective in at-risk populations. Discusssion and conclusion: Data from epidemiological studies on AAA suggests that the implementation of an AAA screening program, based on ultrasound, in men aged 65 and over, can bring health benefits and be cost-effective. Even so, taking into account that all the studies took place outside Portugal, the possibility of generalizing the results to the portuguese population is not clear.

Cost-effectiveness of targeted screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm in siblings.

Background: Population screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in 65­year­old men has been shown to be cost­effective. A risk group with higher prevalence is siblings of patients with an AAA. This health economic model­based study evaluated the potential cost­effectiveness of targeted AAA screening of siblings. Methods: A Markov model validated against other screening programmes was used. Two methods of identifying siblings were analysed: direct questioning of patients with an AAA (method A), and employing a national multigeneration register (method B). The prevalence was based on observed ultrasound data on AAAs in siblings. Additional parameters were extracted from RCTs, vascular registers, literature and ongoing screening. The outcome was cost­effectiveness, probability of cost­effectiveness at different willingness­to­pay (WTP) thresholds, reduction in AAA death, quality­adjusted life­years (QALYs) gained and total costs on a national scale. Results: Methods A and B were estimated to reduce mortality from AAA, at incremental cost­effectiveness ratios of €7800 (95 per cent c.i. 4627 to 12 982) and €7666 (5000 to 13 373) per QALY respectively. The probability of cost­effectiveness was 99 per cent at a WTP of €23 000. The absolute risk reduction in AAA deaths was five per 1000 invited. QALYs gained were 27 per 1000 invited. In a population of ten million, methods A and B were estimated to prevent 12 and 17 AAA deaths, among 2418 and 3572 siblings identified annually, at total costs of €499 500 and €728 700 respectively. Conclusion: The analysis indicates that aneurysm­related mortality could be decreased cost­effectively by applying a targeted screening method for siblings of patients with an AAA.

Unrecognized Cardiovascular Emergencies Among Medicare Patients.

Importance: The Institute of Medicine described diagnostic error as the next frontier in patient safety and highlighted a critical need for better measurement tools. Objectives: To estimate the proportions of emergency department (ED) visits attributable to symptoms of imminent ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, aortic dissection, and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) that end in discharge without diagnosis; to evaluate longitudinal trends; and to identify patient characteristics independently associated with missed diagnostic opportunities. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a retrospective cohort study of all Medicare claims for 2006 to 2014. The setting was hospital EDs in the United States. Participants included all fee-for-service Medicare patients admitted to the hospital during 2007 to 2014 for the conditions of interest. Hospice enrollees and patients with recent skilled nursing facility stays were excluded. Main Outcomes and Measures: The proportion of potential diagnostic opportunities missed in the ED was estimated using the difference between observed and expected ED discharges within 45 days of the index hospital admissions as the numerator, basing expected discharges on ED use by the same patients in earlier months. The denominator was estimated as the number of recognized emergencies (index hospital admissions) plus unrecognized emergencies (excess discharges). Results: There were 1 561 940 patients, including 17 963 hospitalized for ruptured AAA, 304 980 for AMI, 1 181 648 for stroke, 19 675 for aortic dissection, and 37 674 for SAH. The mean (SD) age was 77.9 (10.3) years; 8.9% were younger than 65 years, and 54.1% were female. The proportions of diagnostic opportunities missed in the ED were as follows: ruptured AAA (3.4%; 95% CI, 2.9%-4.0%), AMI (2.3%; 95% CI, 2.1%-2.4%), stroke (4.1%; 95% CI, 4.0%-4.2%), aortic dissection (4.5%; 95% CI, 3.9%-5.1%), and SAH (3.5%; 95% CI, 3.1%-3.9%). Longitudinal trends were either nonsignificant (AMI and aortic dissection) or increasing (ruptured AAA, stroke, and SAH). Patient characteristics associated with unrecognized emergencies included age younger than 65 years, dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid coverage, female sex, and each of the following chronic conditions: end-stage renal disease, dementia, depression, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Conclusions and Relevance: Among Medicare patients, opportunities to diagnose ruptured AAA, AMI, stroke, aortic dissection, and SAH are missed in less than 1 in 20 ED presentations. Further improvement may prove difficult.

Management of patients with acute aortic syndrome through a regional rapid transport system.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the outcomes of patients with acute aortic syndrome (AAS) during and after transfer to a regional aortic center by a rapid transport system. METHODS: Review of patients with AAS who were transferred by a rapid transport system to a regional aortic center was performed. Data regarding demographics, diagnosis, comorbidities, transportation, and hospital course were acquired. Severity of existing comorbidities was determined by the Society for Vascular Surgery Comorbidity Severity Score (SVSCSS). The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score assessed physiologic instability on admission. Risk factors associated with system-related (transfer and hospital) mortality were identified by univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis. RESULTS: During a recent 18-month period (December 2013-July 2015), 183 patients were transferred by a rapid transport system; 148 (81%) patients were transported by ground and 35 (19%) by air. Median distance traveled was 24 miles (range, 3.6-316 miles); median transport time was 42 minutes (range, 10-144 minutes). Two patients died during transport, one with a type A dissection, the other of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. There were 118 (66%) patients who received operative intervention. Median time to operation was 6 hours. Type B dissections had the longest median time to operation, 45 hours, with system-related mortality of 1.9%; type A dissections had the shortest median time, 3 hours, and a system-related mortality of 16%. Overall, system-related mortality was 15%. On univariate analysis, factors associated with system-related mortality were age ≥65 years (P = .026), coronary artery disease (P = .030), prior myocardial infarction (P = .049), prior coronary revascularization (P = .002), SVSCSS of >8 (P < .001), abdominal pain (P = .002), systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg at sending hospital (P = .001), diagnosis of aortic aneurysm (P = .013), systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg in the intensive care unit (P < .001), and APACHE II score >10 (P = .004). Distance traveled and transport mode and duration were not associated with increased risk of system-related mortality. Only SVSCSS of >8 (odds ratio, 7.73; 95% confidence interval, 2.32-25.8; P = .001) was independently associated with an increase in system-related mortality on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a rapid transport system, regardless of mode or distance, can facilitate effective transfer of patients with AAS to a regional aortic center. An SVSCSS of >8 predicted an increased system-related mortality and may be a useful metric to assess the appropriateness of patient transfer.

Revisiting the cost-effectiveness of screening 65-year-old men for abdominal aortic aneurysm based on data from an implemented screening programme.

BACKGROUND: Health economic analyses based on randomized trials have shown that screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) cost-effectively decreases AAA-related, as well as all- cause mortality. However, follow-up from implemented screening programmes now reveal substantially changed conditions in terms of prevalence, attendance rate, costs and mortality after intervention. Our aim was to evaluate whether screening for AAA among 65-year-old men is cost-effective based on contemporary data on prevalence and attendance rates from an ongoing AAA screening programme. METHODS: A decision-analytic model, previously used to analyse the cost-effectiveness of an AAA screening programme prior to implementation in clinical practice, was updated using data collected from an implemented screening programme as well as data from contemporary published data and the Swedish register for vascular surgery (Swedvasc). RESULTS: The base-case analysis showed that the cost per life-year gained and quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained were €4832 and €6325, respectively. Based on conventional threshold values of cost-effectiveness, the probability of screening being cost-effective was high. CONCLUSION: Despite the reduction of AAA-prevalence and changes in AAA-management over time, screening 65-year-old men for AAA still appears to yield health outcomes at a cost below conventional thresholds of cost-effectiveness.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms in women.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) has long been recognized as a condition predominantly affecting males, with sex-associated differences described for almost every aspect of the disease from pathophysiology and epidemiology to morbidity and mortality. Women are generally spared from AAA formation by the immunomodulating effects of estrogen, but once they develop, the natural history of AAAs in women appears to be more aggressive, with more rapid expansion, a higher tendency to rupture at smaller diameters, and higher mortality following rupture. However, simply repairing AAAs at smaller diameters in women is a debatable solution, as even elective endovascular AAA repair is fraught with higher morbidity and mortality in women compared to men. The goal of this review is to summarize what is currently known about the effect of gender on AAA presentation, treatment, and outcomes. Additionally, we aim to review current controversies over screening recommendations and threshold for repair in women.

Editor's Choice - ECAR (Endovasculaire ou Chirurgie dans les Anévrysmes aorto-iliaques Rompus): A French Randomized Controlled Trial of Endovascular Versus Open Surgical Repair of Ruptured Aorto-iliac Aneurysms.

OBJECTIVES/BACKGROUND: ECAR (Endovasculaire ou Chirurgie dans les Anévrysmes aorto-iliaques Rompus) is a prospective multicentre randomized controlled trial including consecutive patients with ruptured aorto-iliac aneurysms (rAIA) eligible for treatment by either endovascular (EVAR) or open surgical repair (OSR). Inclusion criteria were hemodynamic stability and computed tomography scan demonstrating aorto-iliac rupture. METHODS: Randomization was done by week, synchronously in all centers. The primary end point was 30 day mortality. Secondary end points were post-operative morbidity, length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), amount of blood transfused (units) and 6 month mortality. RESULTS: From January 2008 to January 2013, 107 patients (97 men, 10 women; median age 74.4 years) were enrolled in 14 centers: 56 (52.3%) in the EVAR group and 51 (47.7%) in the OSR group. The groups were similar in terms of age, sex, consciousness, systolic blood pressure, Hardman index, IGSII score, type of rupture, use of endoclamping balloon, and levels of troponin, creatinine, and hemoglobin. Delay to treatment was higher in the EVAR group (2.9 vs. 1.3 hours; p < .005). Mortality at 30 days and 1 year were not different between the groups (18% in the EVAR group vs. 24% in the OSR group at 30 days, and 30% vs. 35%, respectively, at 1 year). Total respiratory support time was lower in the EVAR group than in the OSR group (59.3 hours vs. 180.3 hours; p = .007), as were pulmonary complications (15.4% vs. 41.5%, respectively; p = .050), total blood transfusion (6.8 vs. 10.9, respectively; p = .020), and duration of ICU stay (7 days vs. 11.9 days, respectively; p = .010). CONCLUSION: In this study, EVAR was found to be equal to OSR in terms of 30 day and 1 year mortality. However, EVAR was associated with less severe complications and less consumption of hospital resources than OSR.

Adherence to postoperative surveillance guidelines after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair among Medicare beneficiaries.

OBJECTIVE: After endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR), the Society for Vascular Surgery recommends a computed tomography (CT) scan ≤30 days, followed by annual imaging. We sought to describe long-term adherence to surveillance guidelines among United States Medicare beneficiaries and determine patient and hospital factors associated with incomplete surveillance. METHODS: We analyzed fee-for-service Medicare claims for patients receiving EVAR from 2002 to 2005 and collected all relevant postoperative imaging through 2011. Additional data included patient comorbidities and demographics, yearly hospital volume of abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, and Medicaid eligibility. Allowing a grace period of 3 months, complete surveillance was defined as at least one CT or ultrasound assessment every 15 months after EVAR. Incomplete surveillance was categorized as gaps for intervals >15 months between consecutive images as or lost to follow-up if >15 months elapsed after the last imaging. RESULTS: Our cohort comprised 9695 patients. Median follow-up duration was 6.1 years. A CT scan ≤30 days of EVAR was performed in 3085 (31.8%) patients and ≤60 days in 60.8%. The median time to the postoperative CT was 38 days (interquartile range, 25-98 days). Complete surveillance was observed in 4169 patients (43.0%). For this group, the mean follow-up time was shorter than for those with incomplete surveillance (3.4 ± 2.74 vs 6.5 ± 2.1 years; P < .001). Among those with incomplete surveillance, follow-up became incomplete at 3.3 ± 1.9 years, with 57.6% lost to follow-up, 64.1% with gaps in follow-up (mean gap length, 760 ± 325 days), and 37.6% with both. A multivariable analysis showed incomplete surveillance was independently associated with Medicaid eligibility (hazard ratio [HR], 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29-1.55; P < .001), low-volume hospitals (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.05-1.20; P < .001), and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (HR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.24-1.84; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative imaging after EVAR is highly variable, and less than half of patients meet current surveillance guidelines. Additional studies are necessary to determine if variability in postoperative surveillance affects long-term outcomes.

A new aortic injury score predicts early rupture more accurately than clinical assessment.

OBJECTIVE: The optimal timing for repair of a high-grade blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) is uncertain. Delayed repair is common and associated with improved outcomes, but some lesions may rupture during observation. To determine optimal patient selection for appropriate management, we developed a pilot clinical risk score to evaluate aortic stability and predict rupture. METHODS: Patients presenting in stable condition with Society for Vascular Surgery grade III or IV BTAI diagnosed on computed tomography (CT) were retrospectively reviewed. To determine clinical and radiographic factors associated with aortic rupture, patients progressing to aortic rupture (defined by contrast extravasation on CT or on operative or autopsy findings) were compared with those who had no intervention ≤48 hours of admission. A model targeting 100% sensitivity for rupture was generated and internally validated by bootstrap analysis. Clinical utility was tested by comparison with clinical assessment by surgeons experienced in BTAI management who were provided with CT images and clinical data but were blinded to outcome. RESULTS: The derivation cohort included 18 patients whose aorta ruptured and 31 with stable BTAI. There was no difference in age, gender, injury mechanism, nonchest injury severity, blood pressure, or Glasgow Coma Scale on admission between patient groups. As dichotomous factors, admission lactate >4 mM, posterior mediastinal hematoma >10 mm, and lesion/normal aortic diameter ratio >1.4 on the admission CT were independently associated with aortic rupture. The model had an area under the receiver operator curve of .97, and in the presence of any two factors, was 100% sensitive and 84% specific for predicting aortic rupture. No aortic lesions ruptured in patients with fewer than two factors. In contrast, clinical assessment had lower accuracy (65% vs 90% total accuracy, P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: This novel risk score can be applied on admission using clinically relevant factors that incorporate patient physiology, size of the aortic lesion, and extent of the mediastinal hematoma. The model reliably identifies and distinguishes patients with high-grade BTAI who are at risk for early rupture from those with stable lesions. Although preliminary, because it is more accurate than clinical assessment alone, the score may improve patient selection for emergency or delayed intervention.

Midterm survival after thoracic endovascular aortic repair in more than 10,000 Medicare patients.

OBJECTIVE: Aneurysms and dissections of the descending thoracic aorta represent a complex substrate with a variety of therapeutic options. The introduction of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has revolutionized the treatment of thoracic aortic disease. However, longitudinal analyses of post-TEVAR outcomes appropriately stratified by aortic disease remain limited. METHODS: A total of 11,996 patients undergoing TEVAR from 2005-2010 were identified from the Medicare/Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services database. Patients were stratified by underlying aortic disease and the presence of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. Survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Cox proportional hazards analysis determined predictors of survival from TEVAR. RESULTS: After TEVAR, patients had a median survival of 57.6 months (95% confidence interval, 54.9-61.3 months). Although patients without CPT codes had significantly fewer recorded comorbidities, TEVAR survival was comparable between patients with and without CPT codes (56.3 vs 59.5 months, P = .54). The early and late incidence of death varied significantly by aortic disease. Patients with aortic rupture, acute aortic dissection, and aortic trauma had the highest early incidence of death, whereas late survival was highest in patients with acute aortic dissection, aortic trauma, and isolated thoracic aortic aneurysm. Although hospital TEVAR volume was not associated with survival, an independent hospital effect (determined by using a mixed-effect Cox model) associated certain hospitals with a hazard for death 50% of what it was at other hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: TEVAR has been applied to a multitude of aortic diseases in the Medicare population; early and late post-TEVAR survival varies by aortic disease. The late incidence of death remains high in TEVAR recipients, although certain aortic diagnoses such as acute aortic dissection, aortic trauma, and isolated thoracic aortic aneurysm were associated with improved late survival. An independent hospital effect, but not hospital volume, is correlated with post-TEVAR survival. Future analyses of TEVAR outcomes using the Medicare database should adjust for underlying aortic diagnoses and the presence of CPT codes.

Follow-up compliance after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in Medicare beneficiaries.

OBJECTIVE: Lifelong imaging follow-up is essential to the safe and appropriate management of patients who undergo endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). We sought to evaluate the rate of compliance with imaging follow-up after EVAR and to identify factors associated with being lost to imaging follow-up. METHODS: We identified a 20% sample of continuously enrolled Medicare beneficiaries who underwent EVAR between 2001 and 2008. Using data through 2010 from Medicare Inpatient, Outpatient, and Carrier files, we identified all abdominal imaging studies that may have been performed for EVAR follow-up. Patients were considered lost to annual imaging follow-up if they did not undergo any abdominal imaging study within their last 2 years of follow-up. Multivariable models were constructed to identify independent factors associated with being lost to annual imaging follow-up. RESULTS: Among 19,962 patients who underwent EVAR, the incidence of loss to annual imaging follow-up at 5 years after EVAR was 50%. Primary factors associated with being lost to annual imaging follow-up were advanced age (age 65-69 years, reference; age 75-79 years: hazard ratio [HR], 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.32; age 80-85 years: HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.35-1.55; age >85 years: HR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.88-2.20) and presentation with an urgent/emergent intact aneurysm (HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.20-1.35) or ruptured aneurysm (HR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.63-2.08). Additional independent factors included several previously diagnosed chronic diseases and South and West regions of the United States. CONCLUSIONS: Annual imaging follow-up compliance after EVAR in the United States is significantly below recommended levels. Quality improvement efforts to encourage improved compliance with imaging follow-up, especially in older patients with multiple comorbidities and in those who underwent EVAR urgently or for rupture, are necessary.

A nurse-run clinic for patients with incidentally discovered small abdominal aortic aneurysms is feasible and cost-effective.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with incidentally discovered small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) require assessment by a vascular surgery department for possible enrollment in a surveillance programme. Our unit implemented a vascular nurse-run AAA clinic in October 2010. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of a specialist nurse-run small AAA clinic. METHODS: Demographic and clinical data were collected prospectively for all patients seen in the new vascular nurse clinic between October 2010 and November 2012. A validated AAA operative mortality score was used to aid decision making by the vascular nurse. RESULTS: Some 250 patients were seen in the clinic. 198 (79.2%) patients were enrolled in surveillance, 40 (16%) declined enrollment and 12 (4.8%) were referred to a consultant clinic for further assessment. The majority of patients were male and the mean age was 73.7 years. Co-morbidities included hypertension, a history of cardiovascular disease, and hyperlipidaemia. The majority of referrals were considered to be low operative risk. No aneurysms ruptured whilst under surveillance. CONCLUSIONS: A nurse-run clinic that assesses patients with incidentally discovered small AAAs for inclusion in AAA surveillance is a feasible alternative to assessment of these patients in a consultant-run clinic.

Interfacility transfer and mortality for patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE: Patients receiving interfacility transfer to a higher level of medical care for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAAs) are an important minority that are not well characterized and are typically omitted from outcomes and quality indicator studies. Our objective was to compare patients transferred for treatment of rAAAs with those treated without transfer, with particular emphasis on mortality and resource utilization. METHODS: We linked longitudinal data from 2005 to 2010 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases and Emergency Department Databases from California, Florida, and New York. Patients were identified using International Classification of Diseases-Ninth Revision-Clinical Modification codes. Our main outcome variables were mortality, length of stay, and cost. Data included discharge information on the transfer-out and transfer-in hospital. We used univariate and multivariate analysis to identify variables independently associated with transfer and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Of 4439 rAAA patients identified with intent to treat, 847 (19.1%) were transferred before receiving operative repair. Of those transferred, 141 (17%) died without undergoing AAA repair. By multivariate analysis, increasing age in years (odds ratio [OR] 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97-0.99; P < .001), private insurance vs Medicare (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.47-0.80; P < .001), and increasing comorbidities as measured by the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.86-0.95; P < .001) were negatively associated with transfer. Weekend presentation (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.02-1.47; P = .03) was positively associated with transfer. Transfer was associated with a lower operative mortality (adjusted OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.68-0.97; P < .02) but an increased overall mortality when including transferred patients who died without surgery (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.05-1.60; P = .01). Among the transferred patients, there was no significant difference in travel distance between those who survived and those who died (median, 28.7 vs 25.8 miles; P = .07). Length of stay (median, 10 vs 9 days; P = .008), and hospital costs ($161,000 vs $146,000; P = .02) were higher for those transferred. CONCLUSIONS: The survival advantage for patients transferred who received treatment was eclipsed by increased mortality of the transfer process. Including 17% of transferred patients who died without receiving definitive repair, mortality was increased for patients transferred for rAAA repair compared with those not transferred after adjusting for demographic, clinical, and hospital factors. Transferred patients used significantly more hospital resources. Improving systems and guidelines for interfacility transfer may further improve the outcomes for these patients and decrease associated hospital resource utilization.

Effects of weekend admission on the outcomes and management of ruptured aortic aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: Ruptured aortic aneurysm is a condition with a high rate of mortality that requires prompt surgical intervention. It has been noted that in some conditions requiring such prompt intervention, in-hospital mortality is increased in patients admitted on the weekends compared with patients admitted on weekdays. We sought to determine if this was indeed the case for both ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and to elucidate the possible reasons. METHODS: Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a publicly available database of inpatient care, we analyzed the incidence of mortality among 7200 patients admitted on the weekends compared with weekdays for ruptured aortic aneurysm. Among these patients, 19% had a TAA and 81% had an AAA, and each group was analyzed for differences in mortality during the hospitalization. We adjusted for demographics, comorbid conditions, hospital characteristics, rates of surgical intervention, timing of surgical intervention, and use of additional therapeutic measures. RESULTS: Patients admitted on the weekend for both ruptured TAA and AAA had a statistically significant increase in mortality compared with those admitted on the weekdays (TAA: odds ratio, 2.55; 95% confidence interval, 1.77-3.68; P = .03; AAA: odds ratio, 1.32; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.55; P = .0004). Among those with TAA, a surgical intervention was performed on day of admission in 62.1% of weekday admissions vs 34.9% of weekend admissions (P < .0001). This difference was much smaller among those with an aortic aneurysm; 79.6% had a surgical intervention on day of admission on a weekday vs 77.2% on the weekend (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Weekend admission for ruptured aortic aneurysm is associated with an increased mortality compared with admission on a weekday, and this is likely due to several factors including a delay in prompt surgical intervention.

Payer status, preoperative surveillance, and rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms in the US Medicare population.

BACKGROUND: To determine the factors contributing to increased rate of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) for elderly poor patients. METHODS: Medicare claims were analyzed for patients who underwent AAA repair from 2006 to 2009 with preoperative abdominal imaging. Repair for ruptured versus intact AAAs was our primary outcome measure. We used logistic regression to determine the relationship between Medicaid eligibility and the risk of rupture, sequentially adding variables related to patient characteristics, socioeconomic status, receipt of preoperative AAA surveillance, and hospital AAA volume. We then estimated the proportional effect of each factor. RESULTS: No differences in rupture were observed in women based on payer status. Medicaid-eligible men were more likely to present with ruptured AAA (odds ratio [OR] 2.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.65-3.52). After adjusting for patient and hospital factors, the poor remained at higher risk for rupture (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.10-2.26). This disparate risk of rupture was more commonly observed in hospitals treating a higher proportion of Medicaid-eligible patients. We estimate that 36% of the observed disparity in rupture for the elderly poor is explained by patient factors, 27% by gaps in surveillance, 9% by hospital factors, and <1% by socioeconomic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Incomplete preoperative surveillance is a key contributor to increased rupture of AAA in the elderly poor. Efforts aimed at improving disparities must include consistent access to medical care.

Gaps in preoperative surveillance and rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms among Medicare beneficiaries.

OBJECTIVE: Screening and surveillance are recommended in the management of small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Gaps in surveillance after early diagnosis may lead to unrecognized AAA growth, rupture, and death. This study investigates the frequency and predictors of rupture of previously diagnosed AAAs. METHODS: Data were extracted from Medicare claims for patients who underwent AAA repair between 2006 and 2009. Relevant preoperative abdominal imaging exams were tabulated up to 5 years prior to AAA repair. Repair for ruptured AAAs was compared with repair for intact AAAs for those with an early diagnosis of an AAA, defined as having received imaging at least 6 months prior to surgery. Gaps in surveillance were defined as no image within 1 year of surgery or no imaging for more than a 2-year time span after the initial image. Logistic regression was used to examine independent predictors of rupture despite early diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 9298 patients had repair after early diagnosis, with rupture occurring in 441 (4.7%). Those with ruptured AAAs were older (80.2 ± 6.9 vs 77.6 ± 6.2 years; P < .001), received fewer images prior to repair (5.7 ± 4.1 vs 6.5 ± 3.5; P = .001), were less likely to be treated in a high-volume hospital (45.4% vs 59.5%; P < .001), and were more likely to have had gaps in surveillance (47.4% vs 11.8%; P < .001) compared with those receiving repair for intact AAAs. After adjusting for medical comorbidities, gaps in surveillance remained the largest predictor of rupture in a multivariate analysis (odds ratio, 5.82; 95% confidence interval, 4.64-7.31; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite previous diagnosis of AAA, many patients experience rupture prior to repair. Improved mechanisms for surveillance are needed to prevent rupture and ensure timely repair for patients with AAAs.

Thoracal, abdominal and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm.

AIM: Aortic aneurysm is a complex disease affecting males and females in a different way. We analysed gender specific differences in the abdominal (AAA), thoracal (TAA) and thoraco-abdominal (TA-AA) aortic aneurysm in patients hospitalized for aortic aneurysm (AAA) in Germany. METHODS: Detailed lists for all patients suffering from AAA, TAA or TA-AA documented in the DRG-System as principal diagnosis in the years 2010 were provided by the Federal Statistical Office. RESULTS: The total number of cases in males was 17,731. It was more than three time higher than in females with 4657. AAA were 6.2 time more frequent in males than in females, TAA and TA-AA only 1.6 and 1.5 times, respectively. The rates of ruptured aneurysms show a steep increase in the 9th and 10th decade which is more pronounced in females. In males there is an age dependent increase in the rate of endovascular treatment of TAA and AAA. There is no such trend in females. The rate for AAA even decreases with age. The same could be shown for more complex fenestrated or branched endoprotheses. In around 20% of all male cases with TA-AA such a design is used in the 7th to the 9th decade of life. In females such a rate is only reached in the 7th decade. In older females the rate stepwise decreased. CONCLUSION: There are gender specific differences in the rate of rupture and endovascular treatment of AAA, TAA and TA-AA in males and females in Germany. The reasons for these differences should be elucidated in order to prove whether these differences are due to actual gender specific requirements, or simply a lack of compatibility in awareness and devices.