A Case Report of a Rare Debilitating Complication of Diabetes: Neuropathic Cachexia.

A 56-year-old male with a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension presented with complaints of intractable burning paresthesia of bilateral extremities, hyperesthesia, and unintentional weight loss. Other symptoms included anorexia, orthostatic hypotension, bowel and bladder dysfunction, and painful burning sensation on the soles of the feet. Emotional lability and a melancholy mood were noted. After laboratory tests including CSF analysis, biopsies, and three months of treatment that did not bring relief, the patient was diagnosed with diabetic neuropathic cachexia (DNC). While his diabetes remained well-controlled, the patient was unable to improve his nutritional status and his condition progressively worsened, and he later died from cardiac arrest. DNC is an important differential diagnosis to consider in patients with neuropathy and weight loss. Early detection of DNC in conjunction with weight loss investigation may reduce pain and speed recovery with a good prognosis.

Surgery and Resource Utilization Trends for Pediatric Intussusception From 2005 Through 2014.

BACKGROUND: Air or barium enema reduction is becoming increasingly common and safer for pediatric intussusception. However, little is known about trends of pediatric intussusception requiring surgical intervention in the United States.  Methods: National Inpatient Sample database was analyzed from 2005-2014 to identify pediatric (≤18 years) intussusceptions along with procedures such as enema and/or surgical intervention. Trends in the rates of surgical intervention were examined according to encounter-level (age, gender, race, comorbidities) and hospital-level (hospital census region, teaching status) characteristics. Outcomes of pediatric intussusception requiring surgical intervention were analyzed in terms of length of stay and cost of hospitalization. Factors associated with surgical intervention were also analyzed. P value of < 0.05 was considered significant.  Results: Out of 21,835 intussusception hospitalizations requiring enema or surgical intervention, 14,415 (66%) had surgical intervention; 90% of which (12,978) had no preceding enema. Surgical intervention rates among intussusception hospitalizations varied by age (highest < 1 year), gender (male > females) and race (Hispanics > Whites and Blacks). During the study period, overall surgical intervention rate remained stable (2.2 to 1.7, P=0.07) although it declined in those under 1 year of age. Children with severe disease, gastrointestinal comorbidities over the age of 4 years had increased odds of surgical intervention, whereas hospitalization in large and urban teaching hospitals had decreased odds of surgical intervention. Length of stay and hospital cost remained stable from 2005-2014. CONCLUSION: The rates of surgical intervention and resource utilization for pediatric intussusception remained stable from 2005-2014, however they declined significantly in infants. The proportion of intussusception hospitalization requiring surgery remains high and further studies are needed to explore the possible factors.

Trends in incidence and outcomes of gastroschisis in the United States: analysis of the national inpatient sample 2010-2014.

PURPOSE: Gastroschisis is a severe congenital anomaly associated with a significant morbidity and mortality. There are limited temporal trend data on incidence, mortality, length of stay, and hospital cost of gastroschisis. Our aim was to study these temporal trends using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS). METHODS: We identified all neonatal admissions with a diagnosis of gastroschisis within the NIS from 2010 through 2014. We limited admission age to ≤ 28 days and excluded all those transferred to other hospitals. We estimated gastroschisis incidence, mortality, length of hospital stay, and cost of hospitalization. For continuous variables, trends were analyzed using survey regression. Cochrane-Armitage trend test was used to analyze trends for categorical variables. P < 0.05 was considered as significant. RESULTS: The incidence of gastroschisis increased from 4.5 to 4.9/10,000 live births from 2010 through 2014 (P = 0.01). Overall mortality was 3.5%, median length of stay was 35 days (95% CI 26-55 days), and median cost of hospitalization was $75,859 (95% CI $50,231-$122,000). After adjusting for covariates, there was no statistically significant change in mortality (OR = 1.13; 95% CI 0.87-1.48), LOS (ß = - 2.1 ± 3.5; 95% CI - 9.0 to 4.8) and hospital cost (ß = - 2.137 ± 10.813; 95% CI - 23,331 to 19,056) with each calendar year increase on multivariate logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: The incidence of neonates with gastroschisis increased between 2010 and 2014. Incidence was highest in the West. No difference in mortality and resource utilization was observed.

Long-term mortality in patients with severe secondary mitral regurgitation and normal left ventricular ejection fraction: interventional perspective.

AIMS: Patients with severe secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) and normal ejection fraction are being excluded from clinical trials evaluating transcatheter mitral devices. We sought to evaluate the long-term mortality with medical management alone in this patient population. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively evaluated patients diagnosed with ≥3+ MR at our institution over 15 years. Only patients with an ejection fraction ≥60% were included in the study. Those with degenerative mitral valve disease, papillary muscle dysfunction, or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and those who underwent mitral valve intervention were excluded. The study included 400 patients (age 71.1±14.8, 25.1% male, ejection fraction 62.5±3.6%). Mechanism of secondary MR was restricted valve motion, annular dilation and apical tethering in 91.5, 4.5 and 4%, respectively. One-year and three-year mortality were 19.1 and 26.3%, respectively. On multivariable Cox proportional regression analysis, older age, New York Heart Association functional Class III or IV, >3+ MR and larger left atrium were independent predictors of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Severe secondary MR with normal left ventricular systolic function has significant mortality with medical management alone. This initial observation needs to be confirmed in larger prospective studies. These patients should be included in future transcatheter clinical trials.

Impact of atrial fibrillation on outcomes with motor vehicle accidents.

BACKGROUND: We examined the effect of AF a commonly encountered arrhythmia with significant morbidity on mortality following a motor vehicle accident (MVA) related hospitalization. METHODS: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) was queried to identify patients with AF (ICD-9 CM 427.31) and MVA (ICD-9 CM E810.0-E819.9), considered separately and together, from 2003 through 2012. Baseline characteristics were identified and multilevel mixed model multivariate analysis was employed to verify the impact of AF on in-patient mortality in survivors. RESULTS: Of an estimated 2,978,630 MVA admissions reported, 79,687 (2.6%) hospitalizations also had a diagnosis of AF. The in-hospital mortality was 2.6% in MVA alone and 7.6% in MVA and AF. In multivariate analysis, after adjustment for age, gender, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), the Trauma Mortality Prediction Model (TMPM), and hospital characteristics, AF was independently associated with in-hospital mortality [Odds ratio (OR) 1.52, confidence interval (CI) 1.41-1.69, P value<0.0001]. In patients with MVA and AF, increasing age, CCI, and TMPM were associated with higher mortality. Female gender is associated with lower mortality (OR 0.84, CI 0.81-0.88, P -0.0016). Most patients with MVA and AF had a CHADS2 score of 2 (34.6%). Mortality and transfusion rates were higher in MVA and AF patients compared to patients with MVA alone across all CHADS2 scores. CONCLUSION: In patients with a MVA, the presence of AF is an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality.

Trends and Outcomes After Same-Day Discharge After Percutaneous Coronary Interventions.

BACKGROUND: Despite the demonstrated safety of the same-day discharge (SDD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), uptake of this program has been relatively poor in the United States. We evaluated the temporal trends and variations in the utilization of SDD after PCI during the contemporary era. In addition, we evaluated the predictors of SDD (compared with next-day discharge) and the causes of readmission in these 2 patient cohorts. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data were extracted from State Ambulatory Surgical Database and State Inpatient Database from Florida and New York ranging from 2009 to 2013. All adults undergoing PCI in an outpatient setting were included. Data were merged with the directory available from the American Hospital Association to obtain detailed information on hospital-related characteristics. Unplanned readmissions within 7 and 30 days constituted the coprimary outcomes. There was modest increase in the proportion of SDD after PCI from 2.5% in 2009 to 7.4% in 2013 (P-trend <0.001). SDD was more frequently used among male and younger patients with fewer comorbidities. There were considerable differences in the discharge practices among the different hospital types. Larger hospitals, teaching hospitals, and high PCI volume hospitals had higher utilization of SDD compared with their respective counterparts. SDD and next-day discharge cohorts had similar rates of unplanned readmissions, in-hospital mortality, and acute myocardial infarction during follow-up. Furthermore, uninsured patients had significantly lower odds of SDD along with higher incidence of unplanned readmission within 30 days after PCI compared with insured patients. CONCLUSIONS: During 2009 to 2013, there has been a modest increase in SDD after PCI. Several demographic and clinical characteristics play critical role in determination of SDD after PCI. There were significant disparities in discharge practices between different sex, racial, and insurance-based strata.

Changing Trends of Atherosclerotic Risk Factors Among Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction and Acute Ischemic Stroke.

We aimed to evaluate the secular trends in demographics, risk factors, and clinical characteristics of patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or acute ischemic stroke (AIS), using a large nationally representative data set of in-hospital admissions. We used the 2003 to 2013 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. All admissions with primary diagnosis of AMI or AIS were included. Across 2003 to 2013, a total of 1,360,660 patients with AMI and 937,425 patients with AIS were included in the study. We noted a progressive reduction in the mean age of patients presenting with AMI and AIS (p trend <0.001 for all groups), implying that the burden of young patients with these acute syndromes is progressively increasing. In addition, there was a progressive increase in the proportion of patients who are uninsured among patients presenting with AMI and AIS. Furthermore, despite a progressively younger age at presentation, there was an observed increase in the prevalence of atherosclerotic risk factors including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, and obesity among patients presenting with AMI or AIS during 2003 to 2013. Significant disparities were noted in the prevalence of risk factors among various demographic and geographical cohorts. Low socioeconomic status as well as uninsured patients had a significantly higher prevalence of preventable risk factors like smoking and obesity as compared to the high socioeconomic status and insured patients, respectively. In conclusion, there have been significant changes in the risk factor profile of patients presenting with AMI and AIS over the last decade.

Burden of Readmissions Among Patients With Critical Limb Ischemia.

BACKGROUND: Readmissions constitute a major health care burden among critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the incidence of readmission and factors affecting readmission in CLI patients. METHODS: All adult hospitalizations with a diagnosis code for CLI were included from State Inpatient Databases from Florida (2009 to 2013), New York (2010 to 2013), and California (2009 to 2011). Data were merged with the directory available from the American Hospital Association to obtain detailed information on hospital-related characteristics. Geographic and routing analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of travel time to the hospital on readmission rate. RESULTS: Overall, 695,782 admissions from 212,241 patients were analyzed. Of these, 284,189 were admissions with a principal diagnosis of CLI (primary CLI admissions). All-cause readmission rates at 30 days and 6 months were 27.1% and 56.6%, respectively. The majority of these were unplanned readmissions. Unplanned readmission rates at 30 days and 6 months were 23.6% and 47.7%, respectively. The major predictors of 6-month unplanned readmissions included age, female sex, black/Hispanic race, prior amputation, Charlson comorbidity index, and need for home health care or rehabilitation facility upon discharge. Patients covered by private insurance were least likely to have a readmission compared with Medicaid/no insurance and Medicare populations. Travel time to the hospital was inversely associated with 6-month unplanned readmission rates. There was a significant interaction between travel time and major amputation as well as travel time and revascularization strategy; however, the inverse association between travel time and unplanned readmission rate was evident in all subgroups. Furthermore, length of stay during index hospitalization was directly associated with the likelihood of 6-month unplanned readmission (odds ratio for log-transformed length of stay: 2.39 [99% confidence interval: 2.31 to 2.47]). CONCLUSIONS: Readmission among patients with CLI is high, the majority of them being unplanned readmissions. Several demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic factors play important roles in predicting readmissions.

Hospital Admissions for Chest Pain Associated with Cocaine Use in the United States.

BACKGROUND: The outcomes related to chest pain associated with cocaine use and its burden on the healthcare system are not well studied. METHODS: Data were collected from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2001-2012). Subjects were identified by using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Primary outcome was a composite of mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiac arrest. RESULTS: We identified 363,143 admissions for cocaine-induced chest pain. Mean age was 44.9 (±21.1) years with male predominance. Left heart catheterizations were performed in 6.7%, whereas the frequency of acute myocardial infarction and percutaneous coronary interventions were 0.69% and 0.22%, respectively. The in-hospital mortality was 0.09%, and the primary outcome occurred in 1.19% of patients. Statistically significant predictors of primary outcome included female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.16; confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.35; P = .046), age >50 years (OR, 1.24, CI, 1.07-1.43; P = .004), history of heart failure (OR, 1.63, CI, 1.37-1.93; P <.001), supraventricular tachycardia (OR, 2.94, CI, 1.34-6.42; P = .007), endocarditis (OR, 3.5, CI, 1.50-8.18, P = .004), tobacco use (OR, 1.3, CI, 1.13-1.49; P <.001), dyslipidemia (OR, 1.5, CI, 1.29-1.77; P <.001), coronary artery disease (OR, 2.37, CI, 2.03-2.76; P <.001), and renal failure (OR, 1.27, CI, 1.08-1.50; P = .005). The total annual projected economic burden ranged from $155 to $226 million with a cumulative accruement of more than $2 billion over a decade. CONCLUSION: Hospital admissions due to chest pain and concomitant cocaine use are associated with low rates of adverse outcomes. For the low-risk cohort in whom acute coronary syndrome has been ruled out, hospitalization may not be beneficial and may result in unnecessary cardiac procedures.

Seasonal Variations and Trends in Hospitalization for Peptic Ulcer Disease in the United States: A 12-Year Analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.

BACKGROUND: Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a major public health burden significantly impacting the cost of hospitalization in the United States (US). We examined the trends, characteristics, complications, cost, and seasonality of PUD-related hospitalizations from 2000 to 2011. METHODS: With the use of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2000 through 2011, we identified PUD-related hospitalizations using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9), 9th Revision, and the Clinical Modification code 531.00 to 534.91 as the principal discharge diagnosis. The total number of hospitalizations for each calendar month of the year were added over a 12-year period, and this number was divided by the number of days in that particular month to obtain the mean hospitalizations per day for each month. RESULTS: The study found that 351,921 hospitalizations with the primary discharge diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) occurred in the US between 2000 and 2011. This number dropped significantly from 49,524 to 17,499 between 2000 and 2011, and the rate of PUD-related mortality decreased from 4.3% to 3.1%. The mean age of the study population was 66.2 ± 17.4 years; 52.3% were males, and 56.8% were white. The number of hospitalizations in the US peaked in the spring season (916/day), and reached a nadir in the fall season (861/day). The mean cost of PUD hospitalization increased significantly from $11,755 in 2001 to $13,803 in 2011 (relative increase of 17%; p <0.001). CONCLUSION: The incidence of PUD and its mortality has decreased significantly in the last decade, but its economic burden on the healthcare system remains high. A seasonal pattern of PUD hospitalization showed a peak in PUD-related admissions in the spring season and a trough in the fall season.

A Review of Hypertension Management in Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the commonest arrhythmias in clinical practice and has major healthcare and economic implications. It is a growing epidemic with prevalence all set to double to 12 million by 2050. After adjusting for other associated conditions, hypertension confers a 1.5- and 1.4-fold risk of developing AF, for men and women respectively. Furthermore, in patients with AF, the presence of hypertension has a cumulative effect on the risk of stroke. Growing evidence suggests reversal or attenuation of various structural and functional changes predisposing to AF with the use of antihypertensive medications. Randomized trials have shown major reduction in the risk of stroke and heart failure with blood pressure reduction. However, such trials are lacking in AF patients specifically. The Joint National Committee-8 guidelines have not addressed the threshold or goal BP for patients with known AF. Furthermore, "J-shaped" or "U-shaped" curves have been noted during hypertension management in patients with AF with published data demonstrating worse outcomes in patients with strict BP control to <110/60 mmhg similar to coronary artery disease. In this review, we outline the available literature on management of hypertension in patients with AF as well as the role of individual anti-hypertensive medications in reducing the incidence of AF Fig. 1.

Temporal Trends, Predictors, and Outcomes of In-Hospital Gastrointestinal Bleeding Associated With Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Since the introduction of new antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents in the last decade, large-scale data studying gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are lacking. Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we identified all hospitalizations from 2006 to 2012 that required PCI. Temporal trends in the incidence and multivariate predictors of GIB associated with PCI were analyzed. A total of 4,376,950 patients underwent PCI in the United States during the study period. The incidence of GIB was 1.1%. Mortality rate in the GIB group was significantly higher (9.71% vs 1.1%, p <0.0001). Although the incidence of GIB remained stable during the study period (0.97% in 2006 to 1.19% in 2012), in-hospital mortality rate increased significantly from 7.9% in 2006 to 10.78% in 2012, with a peak of 12% in 2010. The GIB group had a longer median length of stay (5.80 vs 1.57 days) and an increased median cost of hospitalization ($26,564 vs $16,879). The predictors of GIB included cardiovascular co-morbidities such as acute myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, valvular heart diseases, and a history of transient ischemic attack/stroke. Gastrointestinal co-morbidities including diverticulosis, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, small intestine cancer, large intestine cancer, rectosigmoid cancer, gastrointestinal ulcer, and liver disease were predictors of GIB. Interestingly, a lower risk of GIB was associated with obese patients and patients with private insurance. A higher risk of GIB was noted in urgent versus elective admissions and weekend versus weekday admissions. In conclusion, the incidence of GIB in patients who underwent PCI remained stable from 2006 to 2012; however, the in-hospital mortality increased significantly. Identifying patients at higher risk for GIB is critically important to develop preventive strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Trends and Outcomes of Coronary Angiography and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Associated With Ventricular Fibrillation or Pulseless Ventricular Tachycardia.

Importance: The 2015 cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care guidelines recommend performing coronary angiography in resuscitated patients after cardiac arrest with or without ST-segment elevation (STE). Objective: To assess the temporal trends, predictors, and outcomes of performing coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients resuscitated after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) with initial rhythms of ventricular tachycardia or pulseless ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF). Design, Setting, and Participants: An observational analysis of the use of coronary angiography and PCI in 407 974 patients hospitalized after VT/VF OHCA from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2012, from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database. Multivariable analysis was used to assess factors associated with coronary angiography and PCI use. Data analysis was performed from December 12, 2015, to January 5, 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures: Temporal trends of coronary angiography, PCI, and survival to discharge in patients with VT/VF OHCA. Results: Among the 407 974 patients hospitalized after VT/VF OHCA, 143 688 (35.2%) were selected to undergo coronary angiography. The mean (SD) age of the total population was 65.7 (14.9) years, 37.9% were female, and 74.1% were white, 13.4% black, 6.8% Hispanic, and 5.7% other race. Use of coronary angiography increased from 27.2% in 2000 to 43.9% in 2012 (odds ratio, 2.47; 95% CI, 2.25-2.71; P for trend < .001), and PCI increased from 9.5% in 2000 to 24.1% in 2012 (odds ratio, 4.80; 95% CI, 4.21-5.66; P for trend < .001). From 2000 to 2012, coronary angiography and PCI after VT/VF OHCA increased in patients with STE (53.7% to 87.2%, P for trend < .001, and 29.7% to 77.3%, P for trend < .001, respectively) and those without STE (19.3% to 33.9%, P for trend < .001, and 3.5% to 11.8%, P for trend < .001, respectively). There was an associated increasing trend in survival to discharge in the overall population of patients with VT/VF OHCA (46.9% to 60.1%, P for trend < .001) in those with STE (59.2% to 74.3%, P for trend < .001) or without STE (43.3% to 56.8%, P for trend < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: Coronary angiography, PCI, and survival to discharge have increased in VT/VF OHCA survivors from event to hospitalization. However, a significant proportion of patients with VT/VF OHCA, especially those without STE, do not undergo coronary angiography and revascularization. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether this limitation has a survival effect.

Comparison of Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Plus Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Versus Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Alone in the United States.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has emerged as a less-invasive therapeutic option for high surgical risk patients with aortic stenosis and coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to determine the outcomes of TAVR when performed with PCI during the same hospitalization. We identified patients using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification procedure codes from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between the years 2011 and 2013. A total of 22,344 TAVRs were performed between 2011 and 2013. Of these, 21,736 (97.3%) were performed without PCI (TAVR group) while 608 (2.7%) along with PCI (TAVR + PCI group). Among the TAVR + PCI group, 69.7% of the patients had single-vessel, 22.2% had 2-vessel, and 1.6% had 3-vessel PCI. Drug-eluting stents were more commonly used than bare-metal stents (72% vs 28%). TAVR + PCI group witnessed significantly higher rates of mortality (10.7% vs 4.6%) and complications: vascular injury requiring surgery (8.2% vs 4.2%), cardiac (25.4% vs 18.6%), respiratory (24.6% vs 16.1%), and infectious (10.7% vs 3.3%), p <0.001% for all, compared with the TAVR group. The mean length of hospital stay and cost of hospitalization were also significantly higher in the TAVR + PCI group. The propensity score-matched analysis yielded similar results. In conclusion, performing PCI along with TAVR during the same hospital admission is associated with higher mortality, complications, and cost compared with TAVR alone. Patients would perhaps be better served by staged PCI before TAVR.

Two-Decade Trends in the Prevalence of Atherosclerotic Risk Factors, Coronary Plaque Morphology, and Outcomes in Adults Aged ≤45 Years Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Data are limited about the prevalence trends of risk factors, lesion morphology, and clinical outcomes of coronary artery disease in patients, aged ≤45 years, undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), between the bare-metal stent (BMS; 1994 to 2002) and drug-eluting stent (DES; 2003 to 2012) eras. From the PCI database at the Cleveland Clinic, we identified 1,640 patients aged ≤45 years and without a history of coronary artery bypass grafting who underwent PCI from 1994 to 2012. There were 883 patients in the BMS era cohort with a mean follow-up period of 13.15 years and 757 in the DES era cohort with a mean follow-up of 5.02 years. The DES era had more obese (51.8% vs 44.7%, p <0.001) and diabetes (23.0% vs 19.5%, p = 0.09) patients. DES era patients had more B2/C lesions (74.0% vs 32.5%, p <0.001), more severe preprocedural stenosis (86.1 ± 12.9 vs 72.2 ± 21.3, p <0.001), and longer lesions (15.5 ± 9.9 vs 9.6 ± 6.8, p <0.001). No difference was observed in the 30-day mortality between the DES and BMS eras. Irrespective of era, diabetics had worse long-term mortality (19.4% vs 9.3%, p <0.001) compared with nondiabetics. Obese patients had similar long-term outcomes compared with nonobese patients. In conclusion, patients aged ≤45 years, who underwent a PCI procedure in the DES era had worse risk factor profiles, including obesity, compared with patients in the BMS era. They also had more complex lesions. Procedural and long-term outcomes of these patients have not changed between the 2 eras. Young diabetic patients have worse long-term outcomes compared with nondiabetics.

Gender, Race, and Health Insurance Status in Patients Undergoing Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation.

Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) has emerged as a popular procedure. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there exist differences or disparities in ablation utilization across gender, socioeconomic class, insurance, or race. Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2000 to 2012), we identified adults hospitalized with a principal diagnosis of AF by ICD 9 code 427.31 who had catheter ablation (ICD 9 code-37.34). We stratified patients by race, insurance status, age, gender, and hospital characteristics. A hierarchical multivariate mixed-effect model was created to identify the independent predictors of AF ablation. Among an estimated total of 3,508,122 patients (extrapolated from 20% Nationwide Inpatient Sample) hospitalized with a diagnosis of AF in the United States from the year 2000 to 2012, 102,469 patients (2.9%) underwent catheter ablations. The number of ablations was increased by 940%, from 1,439 in 2000 to 15,090 in 2012. There were significant differences according to gender, race, and health insurance status, which persisted even after adjustment for other risk factors. Female gender (0.83 [95% CI 0.79 to 0.87; p <0.001]), black (0.49 [95% CI 0.44 to 0.55; p <0.001]), and Hispanic race (0.64 [95% CI 0.56 to 0.72; p <0.001]) were associated with lower likelihoods of undergoing an AF ablation. Medicare (0.93, 0.88 to 0.98, <0.001) or Medicaid (0.67, 0.59 to 0.76, <0.001) coverage and uninsured patients (0.55, 0.49 to 0.62, <0.001) also had lower rates of AF ablation compared to patients with private insurance. In conclusion we found differences in utilization of catheter ablation for AF based on gender, race, and insurance status that persisted over time.

Impact of Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors Use on Outcomes After Lower Extremity Endovascular Interventions From Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2006-2011).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to study the impact of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) on in-hospital outcomes. BACKGROUND: There is paucity of data regarding the impact of GPI on the outcomes following peripheral endovascular interventions. METHODS: The study cohort was derived from Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database between the years 2006 and 2011. Peripheral endovascular interventions and GPI utilization were identified using appropriate ICD-9 Diagnostic and procedural codes. Two-level hierarchical multivariate mixed models were created. The study outcomes were: primary (in-hospital mortality and amputation studied separately) and secondary (composite of in-hospital mortality and postprocedural complications). Hospitalization costs were also assessed. RESULTS: GPI utilization (OR, 95% CI, P-value) was independently predictive of lower amputation rates (0.36, 0.27-0.49, <0.001). There was no significant difference in terms of in-hospital mortality (0.59, 0.31-1.14, P 0.117), although GPI use predicted worse secondary outcomes (1.23, 1.03-1.47, 0.023). Following propensity matching, the amputation rate was lower (3.2% vs. 8%, P < 0.001), while hospitalization costs were higher in the cohort that received GPI ($21,091 ± 404 vs. 19,407 ± 133, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Multivariate analysis revealed GPI use in peripheral endovascular interventions to be suggestive of an increase in composite end-point of in-hospital mortality and postprocedural complications, no impact on in-hospital mortality alone, significantly lower rate of amputation, and increase in hospitalization costs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Management Strategies and Outcomes of ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Transferred After Receiving Fibrinolytic Therapy in the United States.

Fibrinolytic therapy is still used in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) when the primary percutaneous coronary intervention cannot be provided in a timely fashion. Management strategies and outcomes in transferred fibrinolytic-treated STEMI patients have not been well assessed in real-world settings. Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2008 to 2012, we identified 18 814 patients with STEMI who received fibrinolytic therapy and were transferred to a different facility within 24 hours. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included gastrointestinal bleeding, bleeding requiring transfusion, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), length of stay, and cost. The patients were divided into 3 groups: those who received medical therapy alone (n = 853; 4.5%), those who underwent coronary artery angiography without revascularization (n = 2573; 13.7%), and those who underwent coronary artery angiography with revascularization (n = 15 388; 81.8%). Rates of in-hospital mortality among the groups were 20% vs 6.6% vs 2.1%, respectively (P < 0.001); ICH was 8.5% vs 1.1% vs 0.6%, respectively (P < 0.001); and gastrointestinal bleeding was 1.1% vs 0.4% vs 0.4%, respectively (P = 0.011). Multivariate analysis identified increasing age, higher Charlson Comorbidity Index score, cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest, and ICH as the independent predictors of not performing coronary artery angiography and/or revascularization in patients with STEMI initially treated with fibrinolytic therapy. The majority of STEMI patients transferred after receiving fibrinolytic therapy undergo coronary angiography. However, notable numbers of patients do not receive revascularization, especially patients with cardiogenic shock and following a cardiac arrest.

In-Hospital Outcomes of Atherectomy During Endovascular Lower Extremity Revascularization.

Contemporary data on clinical outcomes after utilization of atherectomy in lower extremity endovascular revascularization are sparse. The study cohort was derived from Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project nationwide inpatient sample database from the year 2012. Peripheral endovascular interventions including atherectomy were identified using appropriate International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnostic and procedural codes. The subjects were divided and compared in 2 groups: atherectomy versus no atherectomy. Two-level hierarchical multivariate mixed models were created. The coprimary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and amputation; secondary outcome was a composite of in-hospital mortality and periprocedural complications. Hospitalization costs were also assessed. Atherectomy utilization (odds ratio, 95% CI, p value) was independently predictive of lower in-hospital mortality (0.46, 0.28 to 0.75, 0.002) and lower amputation rates (0.83, 0.71 to 0.97, 0.020). Atherectomy use was also predictive of significantly lower secondary composite outcome of in-hospital mortality and complications (0.79, 0.69 to 0.90, 0.001). In the propensity-matched cohort, atherectomy utilization was again associated with a lower rate of amputation (11.18% vs 12.92%, p = 0.029), in-hospital mortality (0.71% vs 1.53%, p 0.001), and any complication (13.24% vs 16.09%, p 0.001). However, atherectomy use was also associated with higher costs ($24,790 ± 397 vs $22635 ± 251, p <0.001). Atherectomy use in conjunction with angioplasty (with or without stenting) was associated with improved in-hospital outcomes in terms of lower amputation rates, mortality, and postprocedural complications.

Coronary Atherectomy in the United States (from a Nationwide Inpatient Sample).

Contemporary real-world data on clinical outcomes after utilization of coronary atherectomy are sparse. The study cohort was derived from Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample database from year 2012. Percutaneous coronary interventions including atherectomy were identified using appropriate International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision diagnostic and procedural codes. Two-level hierarchical multivariate mixed models were created. The primary outcome was a composite of in-hospital mortality and periprocedural complications; the secondary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Hospitalization costs were also assessed. A total of 107,131 procedures were identified in 2012. Multivariate analysis revealed that atherectomy utilization was independently predictive of greater primary composite outcome of in-hospital mortality and complications (odds ratio 1.34, 95% confidence interval 1.22 to 1.47, p <0.001) but was not associated with any significant difference in terms of in-hospital mortality alone (odds ratio 1.22, 95% confidence interval 0.99 to 1.52, p 0.063). In the propensity-matched cohort, atherectomy utilization was again associated with a higher rate of complications (12.88% vs 10.99%, p = 0.001), in-hospital mortality +a ny complication (13.69% vs 11.91%, p = 0.003) with a nonsignificant difference in terms of in-hospital mortality alone (3.45% vs 2.88%, p = 0.063) and higher hospitalization costs ($25,341 ± 353 vs $21,984 ± 87, p <0.001). Atherectomy utilization during percutaneous coronary intervention is associated with a higher rate of postprocedural complications without any significant impact on in-hospital mortality.