Cardiac Arrest During Delivery Hospitalization : A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Estimates of cardiac arrest occurring during delivery guide evidence-based strategies to reduce pregnancy-related death. OBJECTIVE: To investigate rate of, maternal characteristics associated with, and survival after cardiac arrest during delivery hospitalization. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: U.S. acute care hospitals, 2017 to 2019. PARTICIPANTS: Delivery hospitalizations among women aged 12 to 55 years included in the National Inpatient Sample database. MEASUREMENTS: Delivery hospitalizations, cardiac arrest, underlying medical conditions, obstetric outcomes, and severe maternal complications were identified using codes from the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification. Survival to hospital discharge was based on discharge disposition. RESULTS: Among 10 921 784 U.S. delivery hospitalizations, the cardiac arrest rate was 13.4 per 100 000. Of the 1465 patients who had cardiac arrest, 68.6% (95% CI, 63.2% to 74.0%) survived to hospital discharge. Cardiac arrest was more common among patients who were older, were non-Hispanic Black, had Medicare or Medicaid, or had underlying medical conditions. Acute respiratory distress syndrome was the most common co-occurring diagnosis (56.0% [CI, 50.2% to 61.7%]). Among co-occurring procedures or interventions examined, mechanical ventilation was the most common (53.2% [CI, 47.5% to 59.0%]). The rate of survival to hospital discharge after cardiac arrest was lower with co-occurring disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) without or with transfusion (50.0% [CI, 35.8% to 64.2%] or 54.3% [CI, 39.2% to 69.5%], respectively). LIMITATIONS: Cardiac arrests occurring outside delivery hospitalizations were not included. The temporality of arrest relative to the delivery or other maternal complications is unknown. Data do not distinguish cause of cardiac arrest, such as pregnancy-related complications or other underlying causes among pregnant women. CONCLUSION: Cardiac arrest was observed in approximately 1 in 9000 delivery hospitalizations, among which nearly 7 in 10 women survived to hospital discharge. Survival was lowest during hospitalizations with co-occurring DIC. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: None.

Hypertension and Diabetes in Non-Pregnant Women of Reproductive Age in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Diagnosis and control of chronic conditions have implications for women's health and are major contributing factors to maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. This study estimated the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in non-pregnant women of reproductive age in the United States, the proportion who were unaware of their condition or whose condition was not controlled, and differences in the prevalence of these conditions by selected characteristics. METHODS: We used data from the 2011-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to estimate overall prevalence of hypertension and diabetes among women of reproductive age (aged 20-44 y), the proportion who were unaware of having hypertension or diabetes, and the proportion whose diabetes or hypertension was not controlled. We used logistic regression models to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios to assess differences by selected characteristics. RESULTS: The estimated prevalence of hypertension was 9.3% overall. Among those with hypertension, 16.9% were unaware of their hypertension status and 40.7% had uncontrolled hypertension. Among women with diabetes, almost 30% had undiagnosed diabetes, and among those with diagnosed diabetes, the condition was not controlled in 51.5%. CONCLUSION: This analysis improves our understanding of the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes among women of reproductive age and may facilitate opportunities to improve awareness and control of these conditions, reduce disparities in women's health, and improve birth outcomes.

Severe Maternal or Near Miss Morbidity: Implications for Public Health Surveillance and Clinical Audit.

This chapter reviews the historical development of indicators to identify severe maternal morbidity/maternal near miss (SMM/MNM), and their use for public health surveillance, research, and clinical audit. While there has been progress toward identifying standard definitions for SMM/MNM within countries, there remain inconsistencies in the definition of SMM/MNM indicators and their application between countries. Using these indicators to screen for events that then trigger a clinical audit may both under identify select SMM/MNM (false negative)and over identify select SMM/MNM (false positive). Thus, indicators which support the efficient identification of SMM/MNM for the purpose of facility-based clinical audits are still needed.

Treatment patterns and short-term outcomes in ischemic stroke in pregnancy or postpartum period.

BACKGROUND: Stroke, which is a rare but devastating event during pregnancy, occurs in 34 of every 100,000 deliveries; obstetricians are often the first providers to be contacted by symptomatic patients. At least one-half of pregnancy-related strokes are likely to be of the ischemic stroke subtype. Most pregnant or newly postpartum women with ischemic stroke do not receive acute stroke reperfusion therapy, although this is the recommended treatment for adults. Little is known about these therapies in pregnant or postpartum women because pregnancy has been an exclusion criterion for all reperfusion trials. Until recently, pregnancy and obstetric delivery were specifically identified as warnings to intravenous alteplase tissue plasminogen activator in Federal Drug Administration labeling. OBJECTIVE: The primary study objective was to compare the characteristics and outcomes of pregnant or postpartum vs nonpregnant women with ischemic stroke who received acute reperfusion therapy. STUDY DESIGN: Pregnant or postpartum (<6 weeks; n = 338) and nonpregnant (n = 24,303) women 18-44 years old with ischemic stroke from 1991 hospitals that participated in the American Heart Association's Get With the Guidelines-Stroke Registry from 2008-2013 were identified by medical history or International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes. Acute stroke reperfusion therapy was defined as intravenous tissue plasminogen activator, catheter-based thrombolysis, or thrombectomy or any combination thereof. A sensitivity analysis was done on patients who received intravenous tissue plasminogen activator monotherapy only. Chi-square tests were used for categoric variables, and Wilcoxon Rank-Sum was used for continuous variables. Conditional logistic regression was used to assess the association of pregnancy with short-term outcomes. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics of the pregnant or postpartum vs nonpregnant women with ischemic stroke revealed a younger group who, despite greater stroke severity, were less likely to have a history of hypertension or to arrive via emergency medical services. There were similar rates of acute stroke reperfusion therapy in the pregnant or postpartum vs nonpregnant women (11.8% vs 10.5%; P = .42). Pregnant or postpartum women were less likely to receive intravenous tissue plasminogen activator monotherapy (4.4% vs 7.9%; P = .03), primarily because of pregnancy and recent surgery. There was a trend toward increased symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in the pregnant or postpartum patients who were treated with tissue plasminogen activator, yet no cases of major systemic bleeding or in-hospital death occurred, and there were similar rates of discharge to home. Data on the timing of pregnancy, which were available in 145 of 338 cases, showed that 44.8% of pregnancy-related strokes were antepartum, that 2.8% occurred during delivery, and that 52.4% were during the postpartum period. CONCLUSIONS: Using data from the Get With the Guidelines-Stroke Registry to assemble the largest cohort of pregnant or postpartum ischemic stroke patients who had been treated with reperfusion therapy, we observed that pregnant or postpartum women had similarly favorable short-term outcomes and equal rates of total reperfusion therapy to nonpregnant women, despite lower rates of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator use. Future studies should identify the characteristics of pregnant and postpartum ischemic stroke patients who are most likely to safely benefit from reperfusion therapy.

The Validity of Discharge Billing Codes Reflecting Severe Maternal Morbidity.

BACKGROUND: Discharge diagnoses are used to track national trends and patterns of maternal morbidity. There are few data regarding the validity of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes used for this purpose. The goal of our study was to try to better understand the validity of administrative data being used to monitor and assess trends in morbidity. METHODS: Hospital stay billing records were queried to identify all delivery admissions at the Massachusetts General Hospital for the time period 2001 to 2011 and the University of Michigan Health System for the time period 2005 to 2011. From this, we identified patients with ICD-9-Clinical Modification (CM) diagnosis and procedure codes indicative of severe maternal morbidity. Each patient was classified with 1 of 18 different medical/obstetric categories (conditions or procedures) based on the ICD-9-CM code that was recorded. Within each category, 20 patients from each institution were selected at random, and the corresponding medical charts were reviewed to determine whether the ICD-9-CM code was assigned correctly. The percentage of correct codes for each of 18 preselected clinical categories was calculated yielding a positive predictive value (PPV) and 99% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: The overall number of correctly assigned ICD-9-CM codes, or PPV, was 218 of 255 (86%; CI, 79%-90%) and 154 of 188 (82%; CI, 74%-88%) at Massachusetts General Hospital and University of Michigan Health System, respectively (combined PPV, 372/443 [84%; CI, 79-88%]). Codes within 4 categories (Hysterectomy, Pulmonary edema, Disorders of fluid, electrolyte and acid-base balance, and Sepsis) had a 99% lower confidence limit ≥75%. Codes within 8 additional categories demonstrated a 99% lower confidence limit between 74% and 50% (Acute respiratory distress, Ventilation, Other complications of obstetric surgery, Disorders of coagulation, Cardiomonitoring, Acute renal failure, Thromboembolism, and Shock). Codes within 6 clinical categories demonstrated a 99% lower confidence limit <50% (Puerperal cerebrovascular disorders, Conversion of cardiac rhythm, Acute heart failure [includes arrest and fibrillation], Eclampsia, Neurotrauma, and Severe anesthesia complications). CONCLUSIONS: ICD-9-CM codes capturing severe maternal morbidity during delivery hospitalization demonstrate a range of PPVs. The PPV was high when objective supportive evidence, such as laboratory values or procedure documentation supported the ICD-9-CM code. The PPV was low when greater judgment, interpretation, and synthesis of the clinical data (signs and symptoms) was required to support a code, such as with the category Severe anesthesia complications. As a result, these codes should be used for administrative research with more caution compared with codes primarily defined by objective data.

Cardiac arrest during hospitalization for delivery in the United States, 1998-2011.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the frequency, distribution of potential etiologies, and survival rates of maternal cardiopulmonary arrest during the hospitalization for delivery in the United States. METHODS: By using data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample during the years 1998 through 2011, the authors obtained weighted estimates of the number of U.S. hospitalizations for delivery complicated by maternal cardiac arrest. Clinical and demographic risk factors, potential etiologies, and outcomes were identified and compared in women with and without cardiac arrest. The authors tested for temporal trends in the occurrence and survival associated with maternal arrest. RESULTS: Cardiac arrest complicated 1 in 12,000 or 8.5 per 100,000 hospitalizations for delivery (99% CI, 7.7 to 9.3 per 100,000). The most common potential etiologies of arrest included hemorrhage, heart failure, amniotic fluid embolism, and sepsis. Among patients with cardiac arrest, 58.9% of patients (99% CI, 54.8 to 63.0%) survived to hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 1 in 12,000 hospitalizations for delivery is complicated by cardiac arrest, most frequently due to hemorrhage, heart failure, amniotic fluid embolism, or sepsis. Survival depends on the underlying etiology of arrest.

Racial and ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity: a multistate analysis, 2008-2010.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine racial and ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity during delivery hospitalizations in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: We identified delivery hospitalizations from 2008-2010 in State Inpatient Databases from 7 states. We used International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, codes to create severe maternal morbidity indicators during delivery hospitalizations. We calculated the rates of severe maternal morbidity that were measured with and without blood transfusion for 5 racial/ethnic groups: non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women. Poisson regression models were fitted to explore the associations between race/ethnicity and severe maternal morbidity after we controlled for potential confounders. RESULTS: Overall, severe maternal morbidity rates that were measured with and without blood transfusion were 150.7 and 64.3 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations, respectively. Non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women had 2.1, 1.3, 1.2, and 1.7 times (all P < .05), respectively, higher rates of severe morbidity that were measured with blood transfusion compared with non-Hispanic white women; similar increased rates were observed when severe morbidity was measured without blood transfusion. Other significant positive predictors of severe morbidity were age <20 and ≥30 years, self-pay or Medicaid coverage for delivery, low socioeconomic status, and presence of chronic medical conditions. CONCLUSION: Severe maternal morbidity disproportionally affects racial/ethnic minority women, especially non-Hispanic black women. There is a need for a systematic review of severe maternal morbidities at the facility, state, and national levels to guide the development of quality improvement interventions to reduce the racial/ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity.

History of preterm birth and subsequent cardiovascular disease: a systematic review.

A history of preterm birth (PTB) may be an important lifetime risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. We identified all peer-reviewed journal articles that met study criteria (English language, human studies, female, and adults ≥19 years old), that were found in the PubMed/MEDLINE databases, and that were published between Jan. 1, 1995, and Sept. 17, 2012. We summarized 10 studies that assessed the association between having a history of PTB and subsequent CVD morbidity or death. Compared with women who had term deliveries, women with any history of PTB had increased risk of CVD morbidity (variously defined; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] ranged from 1.2-2.9; 2 studies), ischemic heart disease (aHR, 1.3-2.1; 3 studies), stroke (aHR, 1.7; 1 study), and atherosclerosis (aHR, 4.1; 1 study). Four of 5 studies that examined death showed that women with a history of PTB have twice the risk of CVD death compared with women who had term births. Two studies reported statistically significant higher risk of CVD-related morbidity and death outcomes (variously defined) among women with ≥2 pregnancies that ended in PTBs compared with women who had at least 2 births but which ended in only 1 PTB. Future research is needed to understand the potential impact of enhanced monitoring of CVD risk factors in women with a history of PTB on risk of future CVD risk.

Hypertension in Pregnancy: Current Challenges and Future Opportunities for Surveillance and Research.

Hypertension in pregnancy (HP) includes eclampsia/preeclampsia, chronic hypertension, superimposed preeclampsia, and gestational hypertension. In the United States, HP prevalence doubled over the last three decades, based on birth certificate data. In 2019, the estimated percent of births with a history of HP varied from 10.1% to 15.9% for birth certificate data and hospital discharge records, respectively. The use of electronic medical records may result in identifying an additional third to half of undiagnosed cases of HP. Individuals with gestational hypertension or preeclampsia are at 3.5 times higher risk of progressing to chronic hypertension and from 1.7 to 2.8 times higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) after childbirth compared with individuals without these conditions. Interventions to identify and address CVD risk factors among individuals with HP are most effective if started during the first 6 weeks postpartum and implemented during the first year after childbirth. Providing access to affordable health care during the first 12 months after delivery may ensure healthy longevity for individuals with HP. Average attendance rates for postpartum visits in the United States are 72.1%, but the rates vary significantly (from 24.9% to 96.5%). Moreover, even among individuals with CVD risk factors who attend postpartum visits, approximately 40% do not receive counseling on a healthy lifestyle. In the United States, as of the end of September 2023, 38 states and the District of Columbia have extended Medicaid coverage eligibility, eight states plan to implement it, and two states proposed a limited coverage extension from 2 to 12 months after childbirth. Currently, data gaps exist in national health surveillance and health systems to identify and monitor HP. Using multiple data sources, incorporating electronic medical record data algorithms, and standardizing data definitions can improve surveillance, provide opportunities to better track progress, and may help in developing targeted policy recommendations.

Hypertension Prevalence and Control Among U.S. Women of Reproductive Age.

INTRODUCTION: Hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death among women of reproductive age (women aged 18-44 years). This study estimated hypertension prevalence and control among women of reproductive age at the national and state levels using electronic health record data. METHODS: Nonpregnant women of reproductive age were included in this cross-sectional study using 2019 IQVIA Ambulatory Electronic Medical Records - U.S. national data (analyzed in 2023). Suspected hypertension was identified using any of these criteria: ≥1 hypertension diagnosis code, ≥2 blood pressure readings ≥140/90 mmHg on separate days, or ≥1 antihypertensive medication. Among women of reproductive age with hypertension, the latest blood pressure in 2019 was used to identify hypertension control (blood pressure <140/90 mmHg). Estimates were age standardized and stratified by race or Hispanic ethnicity, region, and states with sufficient data. Tukey tests compared estimates by race or Hispanic ethnicity, region, and comorbidities. RESULTS: Among 2,125,084 women of reproductive age (62.1% White, 8.8% Black, and 29.1% other [including Hispanic, Asian, other, or unknown]) with a mean age of 31.7 years, hypertension prevalence was 14.5%. Of those with hypertension, 71.9% had controlled blood pressure. Black women of reproductive age had a higher hypertension prevalence (22.3% vs 14.4%, p<0.05) but lower control (60.6% vs 74.0%, p<0.05) than White women of reproductive age. State-level hypertension prevalence ranged from 13.7% (Massachusetts) to 36% (Alabama), and control ranged from 82.9% (Kansas) to 59.2% (the District of Columbia). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first state-level estimates of hypertension control among women of reproductive age. Electronic health record data complements traditional hypertension surveillance data and provides further information for efforts to prevent and manage hypertension among women of reproductive age.

Type 1 Diabetes Genetic Risk in 109,954 Veterans With Adult-Onset Diabetes: The Million Veteran Program (MVP).

OBJECTIVE: To characterize high type 1 diabetes (T1D) genetic risk in a population where type 2 diabetes (T2D) predominates. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Characteristics typically associated with T1D were assessed in 109,594 Million Veteran Program participants with adult-onset diabetes, 2011-2021, who had T1D genetic risk scores (GRS) defined as low (0 to <45%), medium (45 to <90%), high (90 to <95%), or highest (≥95%). RESULTS: T1D characteristics increased progressively with higher genetic risk (P < 0.001 for trend). A GRS ≥90% was more common with diabetes diagnoses before age 40 years, but 95% of those participants were diagnosed at age ≥40 years, and their characteristics resembled those of individuals with T2D in mean age (64.3 years) and BMI (32.3 kg/m2). Compared with the low-risk group, the highest-risk group was more likely to have diabetic ketoacidosis (low GRS 0.9% vs. highest GRS 3.7%), hypoglycemia prompting emergency visits (3.7% vs. 5.8%), outpatient plasma glucose <50 mg/dL (7.5% vs. 13.4%), a shorter median time to start insulin (3.5 vs. 1.4 years), use of a T1D diagnostic code (16.3% vs. 28.1%), low C-peptide levels if tested (1.8% vs. 32.4%), and glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (6.9% vs. 45.2%), all P < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: Characteristics associated with T1D were increased with higher genetic risk, and especially with the top 10% of risk. However, the age and BMI of those participants resemble those of people with T2D, and a substantial proportion did not have diagnostic testing or use of T1D diagnostic codes. T1D genetic screening could be used to aid identification of adult-onset T1D in settings in which T2D predominates.

Epidemiology of obstetric-related ICU admissions in Maryland: 1999-2008*.

OBJECTIVE: To define the prevalence, indications, and temporal trends in obstetric-related ICU admissions. DESIGN: Descriptive analysis of utilization patterns. SETTING: All hospitals within the state of Maryland. PATIENTS: All antepartum, delivery, and postpartum patients who were hospitalized between 1999 and 2008. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We identified 2,927 ICU admissions from 765,598 admissions for antepartum, delivery, or postpartum conditions using appropriate International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes. The overall rate of ICU utilization was 419.1 per 100,000 deliveries, with rates of 162.5, 202.6, and 54.0 per 100,000 deliveries for the antepartum, delivery, and postpartum periods, respectively. The leading diagnoses associated with ICU admission were pregnancy-related hypertensive disease (present in 29.9% of admissions), hemorrhage (18.8%), cardiomyopathy or other cardiac disease (18.3%), genitourinary infection (11.5%), complications from ectopic pregnancies and abortions (10.3%), nongenitourinary infection (10.1%), sepsis (7.1%), cerebrovascular disease (5.8%), and pulmonary embolism (3.7%). We assessed for changes in the most common diagnoses in the ICU population over time and found rising rates of sepsis (10.1 per 100,000 deliveries to 16.6 per 100,000 deliveries, p = 0.003) and trauma (9.2 per 100,000 deliveries to 13.6 per 100,000 deliveries, p = 0.026) with decreasing rates of anesthetic complications (11.3 per 100,000 to 4.7 per 100,000, p = 0.006). The overall frequency of obstetric-related ICU admission and the rates for other indications remained relatively stable. CONCLUSIONS: Between 1999 and 2008, 419.1 per 100,000 deliveries in Maryland were complicated by ICU admission. Hospitals providing obstetric services should plan for appropriate critical care management and/or transfer of women with severe morbidities during pregnancy.

Assessing cardiovascular disease risk among young women with a history of delivering a low-birth-weight infant.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among younger women by pregnancy history. METHODS: Cross-sectional study using 1999 to 2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey including women aged 20 to 64 years who had delivered at least one infant (n = 4820). Women self-reported pregnancy history and a clinician diagnosed CVD; CVD risk factors included hypertension (mean systolic blood pressure [BP] ≥140 mm Hg or mean diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg, or currently treated), high cholesterol (total cholesterol ≥240 mg/dL or currently treated), diabetes (self-report or hemoglobin A1c ≥6.5), and smoking (self-report or cotinine-verified). Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between pregnancy history and CVD. RESULTS: Of the women we studied, 4.6% had CVD; 3.1% had delivered a term low-birth-weight infant (TLBWI). Women with a history of TLBWI had an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 2.07 (95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.08 to 3.99) for CVD compared with women without a history of LBWI. Adjustment for hypertension and high cholesterol mildly attenuated the association (AOR 1.85, 95% CI 0.89 to 3.83). Among women without CVD (n = 4555), 23.1% with a history of TLBWI had two risk factors compared with 14.0% of those without a history of LBWI (p = 0.0016). CONCLUSION: Women with a history of TLBWI should be informed of a possible increased risk of CVD and encouraged to receive screenings as recommended.

Social Determinants of Health-Related Z Codes and Health Care Among Patients With Hypertension.

Introduction: Tracking social needs can provide information on barriers to controlling hypertension and the need for wraparound services. No recent studies have examined ICD-10-CM social determinants of health-related Z codes (Z55-Z65) to indicate social needs with a focus on patients with hypertension. Methods: Three cohorts were identified with a diagnosis of hypertension during 2016-2017 and continuously enrolled in fee-for-service insurance through June 2021: (1) commercial, age 18-64 years (n=1,024,012); (2) private insurance to supplement Medicare (Medicare Supplement), age ≥65 years (n=296,340); and (3) Medicaid, age ≥18 years (n=146,484). Both the proportion of patients and healthcare encounters or visits with social determinants of health-related Z code were summarized annually. Patient and visit characteristics were summarized for 2019. Results: In 2020, the highest annual documentation of social determinants of health-related Z codes was among Medicaid beneficiaries (3.02%, 0.46% commercial, 0.42% Medicare Supplement); documentation was higher among inpatient than among outpatient visits for all insurance types. Z63 (related to primary support group) was more common among commercial and Medicare Supplement beneficiaries, and Z59 (housing and economic circumstances) was more common among Medicaid beneficiaries. The 2019 total unadjusted medical expenditures were 1.85, 1.78, and 1.61 times higher for those with social determinants of health-related Z code than for those without commercial, Medicare Supplement, and Medicaid, respectively. Patients with social determinants of health-related Z code also had higher proportions of diagnosed chronic conditions. Among Medicaid beneficiaries, differences in the presence of social determinants of health-related Z code by race or ethnicity were observed. Conclusions: Although currently underreported, social determinants of health-related Z codes provide an opportunity to integrate social and medical data and may help decision makers understand the need for additional services among individuals with hypertension.

Timing of outpatient postpartum care utilization among women with chronic hypertension and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: The postpartum period represents an opportunity to assess the cardiovascular health of women who experience chronic hypertension or hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether women with chronic hypertension or hypertensive disorders of pregnancy access outpatient postpartum care more quickly compared to women with no hypertension. STUDY DESIGN: We used data from the Merative MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database. We included 275,937 commercially insured women aged 12 to 55 years who had a live birth or stillbirth delivery hospitalization between 2017 and 2018 and continuous insurance enrollment from 3 months before the estimated start of pregnancy to 6 months after delivery discharge. Using the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision Clinical Modification codes, we identified hypertensive disorders of pregnancy from inpatient or outpatient claims from 20 weeks gestation through delivery hospitalization and identified chronic hypertension from inpatient or outpatient claims from the beginning of the continuous enrollment period through delivery hospitalization. Distributions of time-to-event survival curves (time-to-first outpatient postpartum visit with a women's health provider, primary care provider, or cardiology provider) were compared between the hypertension types using Kaplan-Meier estimators and log rank tests. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Time points of interest (3, 6, and 12 weeks) were evaluated per clinical postpartum care guidelines. RESULTS: Among commercially insured women, the prevalences of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, chronic hypertension, and no documented hypertension were 11.7%, 3.4%, and 84.8%, respectively. The proportions of women with a visit within 3 weeks of delivery discharge were 28.5%, 26.4%, and 16.0% for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, chronic, and no documented hypertension, respectively; by 12 weeks, the proportions increased to 62.4%, 64.5%, and 54.2%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analyses indicated significant differences in utilization by hypertension type and interaction between hypertension type, and time before and after 6 weeks. In adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, the utilization rate before 6 weeks among women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was 1.42 times the rate for women with no documented hypertension (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.39-1.45). Women with chronic hypertension also had higher utilization rates compared to women with no documented hypertension before 6 weeks (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-1.33). Only chronic hypertension was significantly associated with utilization compared to the no documented hypertension group after 6 weeks (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.14). CONCLUSION: In the 6 weeks following delivery discharge, women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and chronic hypertension attended outpatient postpartum care visits sooner than women with no documented hypertension. However, after 6 weeks this difference extended only to women with chronic hypertension. Overall, postpartum care utilization remained around 50% to 60% by 12 weeks in all groups. Addressing barriers to postpartum care attendance can ensure timely care for women at high risk for cardiovascular disease.

Risk of Cardiovascular Disease After COVID-19 Diagnosis Among Adults With and Without Diabetes.

Background Growing evidence suggests incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) may be a long-term outcome of COVID-19 infection, and chronic diseases, such as diabetes, may influence CVD risk associated with COVID-19. We evaluated the postacute risk of CVD >30 days after a COVID-19 diagnosis by diabetes status. Methods and Results We included adults ≥20 years old with a COVID-19 diagnosis from March 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021 in a retrospective cohort study from the IQVIA PharMetrics Plus insurance claims database. A contemporaneous control group comprised adults without recorded diagnoses for COVID-19 or other acute respiratory infections. Two historical control groups comprised patients with or without an acute respiratory infection. Cardiovascular outcomes included cerebrovascular disorders, dysrhythmia, inflammatory heart disease, ischemic heart disease, thrombotic disorders, other cardiac disorders, major adverse cardiovascular events, and any CVD. The total sample comprised 23 824 095 adults (mean age, 48.4 years [SD, 15.7 years]; 51.9% women; mean follow-up, 8.5 months [SD, 5.8 months]). In multivariable Cox regression models, patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis had a significantly greater risk of all cardiovascular outcomes compared with patients without a diagnosis of COVID-19 (hazard ratio [HR], 1.66 [1.62-1.71], with diabetes; HR, 1.75 [1.73-1.78], without diabetes). Risk was attenuated but still significant for the majority of outcomes when comparing patients with COVID-19 to both historical control groups. Conclusions In patients with COVID-19 infection, postacute risk of incident cardiovascular outcomes is significantly higher than among controls without COVID-19, regardless of diabetes status. Therefore, monitoring for incident CVD may be essential beyond the first 30 days after a COVID-19 diagnosis.

Ranked severe maternal morbidity index for population-level surveillance at delivery hospitalization based on hospital discharge data.

BACKGROUND: Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) is broadly defined as an unexpected and potentially life-threatening event associated with labor and delivery. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) produced 21 different indicators based on International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) hospital diagnostic and procedure codes to identify cases of SMM. OBJECTIVES: To examine existing SMM indicators and determine which indicators identified the most in-hospital mortality at delivery hospitalization. METHODS: Data from the 1993-2015 and 2017-2019 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's National Inpatient Sample were used to report SMM indicator-specific prevalences, in-hospital mortality rates, and population attributable fractions (PAF) of mortality. We hierarchically ranked indicators by their overall PAF of in-hospital mortality. Predictive modeling determined if SMM prevalence remained comparable after transition to ICD-10-CM coding. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 18,198,934 hospitalizations representing 87,864,173 US delivery hospitalizations. The 15 top ranked indicators identified 80% of in-hospital mortality; the proportion identified by the remaining indicators was negligible (2%). The top 15 indicators were: restoration of cardiac rhythm; cardiac arrest; mechanical ventilation; tracheostomy; amniotic fluid embolism; aneurysm; acute respiratory distress syndrome; acute myocardial infarction; shock; thromboembolism, pulmonary embolism; cerebrovascular disorders; sepsis; both DIC and blood transfusion; acute renal failure; and hysterectomy. The overall prevalence of the top 15 ranked SMM indicators (~22,000 SMM cases per year) was comparable after transition to ICD-10-CM coding. CONCLUSIONS: We determined the 15 indicators that identified the most in-hospital mortality at delivery hospitalization in the US. Continued testing of SMM indicators can improve measurement and surveillance of the most severe maternal complications at the population level.

Trends in stroke hospitalizations and associated risk factors among children and young adults, 1995-2008.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine acute stroke hospitalization rates for children and young adults and the prevalence of stroke risk factors among children and young adults hospitalized for acute stroke. METHODS: The study population consisted of 1995-2008 hospitalizations from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, and ischemic stroke hospitalizations were identified by the primary International Classification of Diseases, 9th ed, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code. Seven consecutive 2-year time intervals were selected. Three age groups were utilized: 5 to 14 years, 15 to 34 years, and 35 to 44 years. Stroke risk factors and comorbidities among those hospitalized with acute stroke were identified by secondary ICD-9-CM codes. RESULTS: During the period of study, the prevalence of hospitalizations of acute ischemic stroke increased among all age and gender groups except females aged 5 to 14 years. Females aged 15 to 34 years and males and females aged 35 to 44 years showed a decrease in the prevalence of hospitalizations for subarachnoid hemorrhage, whereas females aged 5 to 14 years showed increases for subarachnoid hemorrhage. Hypertension, diabetes, obesity, lipid disorders, and tobacco use were among the most common coexisting conditions, and their prevalence increased from 1995 to 2008 among adolescents and young adults (aged 15-44 years) hospitalized with acute ischemic stroke. INTERPRETATION: Increases in the prevalence of ischemic stroke hospitalizations and coexisting traditional stroke risk factors and health risk behaviors were identified among acute ischemic stroke hospitalizations in young adults. Our results from national surveillance data accentuate the need for public health initiatives to reduce risk factors for stroke among adolescents and young adults.

Peripartum hysterectomy in the United States: nationwide 14 year experience.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to examine the trends in the rate of peripartum hysterectomy and the contribution of changes in maternal characteristics to these trends. STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study of peripartum hysterectomy identified from hospitalizations for delivery recorded in the 1994-2007 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. RESULTS: The overall rate of peripartum hysterectomy increased by 15% during the study period. The rate of hysterectomy for abnormal placentation increased by 1.2-fold; adjustment for previous cesarean delivery explained nearly all of this increase. The rate of hysterectomy for uterine atony following repeat cesarean delivery increased nearly 4-fold, following primary cesarean delivery approximately 2.5-fold, and following vaginal delivery about 1.5-fold. This fast growing trend in peripartum hysterectomy secondary to uterine atony was also largely explained by increasing rates of primary and repeat cesareans. CONCLUSION: Rates of peripartum hysterectomy increased substantially in the United States from 1994 to 2007; much of this increase was due to rising rates of cesarean delivery.