Examinando por Autor "Barba, Raquel"

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Admission of nursing home residents to a hospital internal medicine department. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2012 Jan;13(1):82.e13-7
(Elsevier, 2012-01) Barba, Raquel; Zapatero, Antonio; Marco, Javier; Perez, Alejandro; Canora, Jesus; Plaza, Susana; Losa, Juan Emilio
Objective: Hospitalization of nursing home residents is costly and potentially exposes residents to iatrogenic disease and psychological harm. Design and setting: In this study, we analyzed the data from the Basic Minimum Data Set of patients hospitalized from the nursing home who were discharged from all the internal medicine departments at the National Health Service hospitals in Spain between 2005 and 2008, according to the data provided by the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs. Results: Between January 2005 and December 2008, 2,134,363 patients were admitted to internal medicine departments in Spain, of whom 45,757 (2.1%) were nursing home residents. Overall, 7898 (17.3%) patients died during hospitalization, 2442 (30.91%) of them in the first 48 hours. The following variables were the significant predictors of in-hospital mortality in multivariate analysis: age (odds ratio [OR] 1.02, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.02-1.03), female gender (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.13-1.17), dementia (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.03-1.16), previous feeding tube (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.09-1.79), malignant disease (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.86-2.23), acute infectious disease (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.12-1.25), pressure sores (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.62-1.95), acute respiratory failure (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.90-2.10), and nosocomial pneumonia (OR 2.5, 95% CI 2.23-2.72). Conclusions: Two of every 100 patients admitted to internal medicine departments came from nursing homes. The rate of mortality is very high in these patients, with almost one third of patients dying in the first 48 hours, which suggests that many of these transfers were unnecessary. The cost of these admissions for 1 year was equivalent to the annual budget of a 300- to 400-bed public hospital in Spain. The mechanism of coordination between nursing homes and public hospitals must be reviewed with the aim of containing costs and facilitating the care of patients in the last days of life.
Advice from a medical expert through the Internet on queries about AIDS and hepatitis: analysis of a pilot experiment
(Public Library Science, 2006-07-04) Marco, Javier; Barba, Raquel; Losa, JE; de la Serna, CM; Sainz, M; de la Serna, JL
Background: Advice from a medical expert on concerns and queries expressed anonymously through the Internet by patients and later posted on the Web, offers a new type of patient-doctor relationship. The aim of the current study was to perform a descriptive analysis of questions about AIDS and hepatitis made to an infectious disease expert and sent through the Internet to a consumer-oriented Web site in the Spanish language. Methods and findings: Questions were e-mailed and the questions and answers were posted anonymously in the "expert-advice" section of a Web site focused on AIDS and hepatitis. We performed a descriptive study and a temporal analysis of the questions received in the first 12 months after the launch of the site. A total of 899 questions were received from December 2003 to November 2004, with a marked linear growth pattern. Questions originated in Spain in 68% of cases and 32% came from Latin America (the Caribbean, Central America, and South America). Eighty percent of the senders were male. Most of the questions concerned HIV infection (79%) with many fewer on hepatitis (17%). The highest numbers of questions were submitted just after the weekend (37% of questions were made on Mondays and Tuesdays). Risk factors for contracting HIV infection were the most frequent concern (69%), followed by the window period for detection (12.6%), laboratory results (5.9%), symptoms (4.7%), diagnosis (2.7%), and treatment (2.2%). Conclusions: Our results confirm a great demand for this type of "ask-the-expert" Internet service, at least for AIDS and hepatitis. Factors such as anonymity, free access, and immediate answers have been key factors in its success.
Analysis of the mortality of patients admitted to internal medicine wards over the weekend
(Sage, 2010-07) Barba, Raquel; Marco Martinez, Javier; Plaza, Susana; Losa, Juan Emilio; Canora, Jesús; Zapatero, Antonio
The management of patients admitted during weekends may be compromised because the level of staffing in the hospital is often lower then. This study was conducted to assess what independent influence, if any, weekend admission might have on inhospital mortality. The authors analyzed the clinical data of 429,880 adults >14 years of age who were admitted to internal medicine wards in Spain after having presented to the hospitals' emergency departments. Overall mortality and early mortality (occurring in the first 48 hours) were examined, taking into account whether a patient was admitted on a weekend or a weekday, in addition to other parameters. Weekend admissions were associated with a significantly higher inhospital mortality than weekday admissions among patients admitted to an internal medicine service (odds ratio [OR] = 1.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14-1.08). Differences in mortality persisted after adjustment for age, sex, and coexisting disorders (OR = 1.071; 95% CI = 1.046-1.097). Analyses of deaths within 2 days after admission showed larger relative differences in mortality between weekend and weekday admissions (OR = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.22-1.33). For patients admitted to an internal medicine service via an acute care visit to the emergency room, admission on weekends is associated with higher mortality than admission during the week.
Anemia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a readmission prognosis factor
(Taylor & Francis, 2012-03-28) Barba, Raquel; García de Casasola, Gonzalo; Marco, Javier; Losa, Juan Emilio; Plaza, Susana; Canora, Jesús; Zapatero, Antonio
Objective: The prevalence of comorbid anemia in patients with COPD ranges from 7.5% to 34%. The aim of this study is to determine if anemia is a risk factor for readmission in COPD patients. Methods: This study analyzed the hospital data of 289,077 adults with acute exacerbations of COPD admitted to the hospital at any public center in Spain, in 2006 and 2007. We calculated the prevalence of anemia and compared readmissions between COPD patients with and without anemia. Multiple regression analyses were carried out with the aim of determining the risk of readmission attributable to anemia, after the correction of possible confounding variables. Results: Of the patients with COPD, 9.8% (n = 26,899) had a diagnosis of anemia. Anemic patients were older, more likely to be female and had a greater comorbidity burden than non-anemic individuals. Multiple regression modeling revealed that multiple independent factors were associated with an increased risk of readmission in persons with COPD. Anemia was one of the greatest risks: anemic patients had a 25% higher risk of readmission than non-anemic patients (odds ratio [OR], 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21-1.29). Conclusion: Utilizing an administrative database the authors found that anemia correlates independently with readmission in COPD patients. Limitations: This is a retrospective cohort study and thus subject to multiple forms of bias. Although spirometric evidence of COPD was not available, our case identification methods have been previously validated and found to be accurate in recognizing COPD.
Effect of the time of diagnosis on outcome in patients with acute venous thromboembolism. Findings from the RIETE Registry
(Georg Thieme, 2010-09) Lecumberri, Ramon; Soler, S; Del Toro, Jorge; Barba, Raquel; Rosa, Vladimir; Ciammaichella, MM; Monreal, Manel
The influence of the day of diagnosis (weekends vs. weekdays) on outcome in patients with acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) has not been thoroughly studied. We used the RIETE database to compare the clinical characteristics, treatment details, and mortality rate at 7 and 30 days, of all patients diagnosed with acute VTE on weekends versus those diagnosed on weekdays. Up to January 2010, 30,394 patients were included in RIETE, of whom 5,479 (18%) were diagnosed on weekends. Most clinical characteristics were similar in both groups, but patients diagnosed on weekends had less often cancer (20% vs. 22%; p=0.004), and presented more likely with pulmonary embolism (PE) than those diagnosed on weekdays (52% vs. 47%; p <0.001). Most patients in both groups received initial therapy with low-molecular-weight heparin (90% and 91%, respectively; p=0.01), then switched to vitamin K antagonists (72% and 71%, respectively; p=0.007). The 7-day mortality rate in patients presenting with PE was 2.75% in those diagnosed on weekends versus 3.00% in those diagnosed on weekdays (p=0.49). At 30 days, the mortality rate was 6.51% versus 6.06%, respectively (p=0.38). In patients presenting with deep vein thrombosis alone, the 7-day mortality rate in those diagnosed on weekends was 1.04% versuss 0.66% in those diagnosed on weekdays (p=0.053). The mortality rate at 30 days was of 3.41% versus 2.88% (p=0.14), respectively. In RIETE, the clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, and 7- and 30-day mortality rates of patients diagnosed on weekends were similar to those in patients diagnosed on weekdays.
Hyperhomocyst(e)inemia is a risk factor of secondary vascular events in stroke patients
(Karger, 2001-08) del Ser, Teodoro; Barba, Raquel; Herranz, AS; Seijas, Victoria; Lopez-Manglano, C; Domingo, Julio; Pondal, Margarita
Objective: Moderate hyperhomocyst(e)inemia is an independent risk factor for stroke, but it is unclear whether it also would be a risk factor for secondary vascular events after stroke. Methods: Longitudinal study of 137 consecutive ischemic stroke patients (age 45-91 years) who were prospectively studied with a standard clinical protocol. Vascular events (stroke recurrence, ischemic heart disease, deep venous thrombosis or peripheral arterial disease) were identified during 2 years of follow-up. Serum homocyst(e)ine was determined 3 months after the stroke. The cumulative proportion of patients with homocyst(e)ine above or below the 75th percentile who survived free of vascular events was determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Cox models were used to estimate the relative risk of vascular events after controlling for other confounding factors. Results: Serum homocyst(e)ine was significantly higher in patients with vascular events (26.2 versus 19.4 micromol/l; p = 0.016). The cumulative proportion of patients with vascular events was 46.5% in the group with homocyst(e)ine over the 75th percentile (>30 micromol/l) and 20.2% in the other group (log-rank test 7.5; p = 0.0062). After adjustment for age, sex, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, previous cerebrovascular disease, smoking and serum cholesterol, the relative risk of vascular event for patients above compared with those below the 75th percentile of serum homocyst(e)ine was 2.8 (CI 95% 1.3-6; p = 0.01). Conclusion: Hyperhomocyst(e)inemia is a significant risk factor for vascular events after ischemic stroke. This finding is independent of other risk factors such as hypertension, and may have therapeutic relevance in the secondary prevention of vascular diseases in stroke patients.
Mortality and complications in very old patients (90+) admitted to departments of internal medicine in Spain
(Elsevier, 2011-02) Barba, Raquel; Marco Martinez, Javier; Zapatero, Antonio; Plaza, Susana; Losa, Juan Emilio; Canora, Jesus; Perez, Alejandro; García de Casasola, Gonzalo
Summary: Patients over 90 years of age (the "very elderly") account for an increasing number of admissions to departments of internal medicine (IM). The aim of this study was to analyse the demographic data, hospitalization characteristics, medical complications, and predictors of mortality in patients over 90 admitted to IM departments. Material and methods: All patients admitted to IM departments in Spain between the years 2005 and 2007 were analysed. Clinical and demographic data were compared with records from "younger elderly" patients (65-90). Results: During the study period, there were 1,567,659 patient admissions to IM departments in Spain, and 90,679 (5.8%) were older than 90. Hospital mortality occurred in 22.3% of very elderly patients. The main predictors for hospital death were pressure ulcer (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.55, CI95% 1.45-1.66), thromboembolic disease (OR 1.83, CI95% 1.61-2.09), nosocomial pneumonia (OR 2.53, CI95% 2.39-2.69), hip fracture (OR 2.20, CI95% 1.53-3.18), male gender (OR 1.06, CI95% 1.03-1.10), age (OR 1.05, CI95% 1.04-1.06), dementia (OR 1.13, CI95% 1.08-1.18), cancer (OR 1.60, CI95% 1.51-1.71), acute respiratory failure (OR 1.83, CI95% 1.76-1.89), acute infectious disease (OR 2.30, IC95% 2.11-2.52), and Charlson comorbidity index (OR 1.21, CI95% 1.16-1.26). Conclusions: Very elderly patients represent a large and growing fraction of the total admissions to IM departments in Spain. They are at higher risk for complications during their hospital stay and mortality rate is double that of the younger elderly.
Poststroke dementia : clinical features and risk factors
(Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc., 2000-07) Barba, Raquel; Martínez-Espinosa, Susana; Rodríguez-García, Elena; Pondal, Margarita; Vivancos, José; Ser, Teodoro del
Background and Purpose—The goal of the present study was to examine a series of putative risk factors of poststroke dementia (PSD), especially those factors usually associated with cerebrovascular disease and degenerative dementia, in a series of 251 consecutive unselected stroke patients. Methods—A standard protocol was prospectively applied at admission and 3 months after stroke; this protocol included clinical, functional, and cognitive assessments, hemogram and serum biochemistry, ECG and CT exams, apolipoprotein E and angiotensin-converting enzyme genotype, and neuropsychological examination. After a neuropsychological examination and an interview with a relative, the following diagnostic criteria were used: the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV for dementia after stroke, DSM-III-R for previous dementia and dementia stage, and Association Internationale pour la Recherche et l’Enseignement en Neurologie (NINDS-AIREN) for vascular dementia. Results—Seventy-five cases (30%) demonstrated dementia at 3-month follow up; 25 of them (10%) had demonstrated dementia before the stroke. Dementia was unrelated to type (ischemic/hemorrhagic) or location of stroke, vascular factors (hypertension, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, or hypercholesterolemia), apolipoprotein E or angiotensin-converting enzyme genotype, and serum homocysteine. Age (odds ratio [OR] 1.1, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.2), previous nephropathy (OR 6.1, 95% CI 1.5 to 24.3), atrial fibrillation (OR 4.4, 95% CI 1.4 to 13.9), low Canadian Neurological Scale score at discharge (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.4 to 0.6), and previous mental decline assessed by the shortened Spanish version of the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (SS-IQCODE; OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.4) were the correlates of dementia in logistic regression analyses. The same risks factors were found when cases with previous dementia and with hemorrhagic stroke were excluded. Conclusions—Dementia is frequent after ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. Age, nephropathy, atrial fibrillation, previous mental decline, and stroke severity independently contribute to the risk.
Predictive model of readmission to internal medicine wards.
(Elsevier, 2012-07) Zapatero, Antonio; Barba, Raquel; Marco, Javier; Hinojosa, Juan; Plaza, Susana; Losa, Juan Emilio; Canora, Jesús
-Objective: Prevention of readmission to hospital is considered an outstanding example of a cost-effective practice. Our aim was to derive and validate a clinically useful index to quantify the risk of readmission among patients discharged from Internal Medicine departments. Methods: We analysed hospital Basic Minimum Data Sets (BMDS) recorded between 2006 and 2008 to determine patterns of rehospitalization. Multivariate statistical analysis of routinely collected data was used to develop an algorithm ('SEMI INDEX') to identify patients predicted to have the highest risk of readmission in the 30 days following discharge. The algorithm was developed by using data from admissions in 2006-2007, for four age subgroups. Coefficients for the most powerful and statistically significant variables were applied against episodes recorded in 2008 to validate the findings of the algorithm developed from the first sample. Results: Of the 999,089 internal medicine admissions in Spain during 2006-2007, 12.4% were rehospitalized within 30 days. The key factors that predicted subsequent admission included male sex, length of stay, comorbidity of the patient, and some clinical conditions. There were small but relevant differences among the different age subgroups. Conclusions: Readmissions to Internal Medicine departments are prevalent (12.4%). The SEMI INDEX can be used to assess accurately the risk of readmission within 30 days after discharge.
Presenting Characteristics, Treatment Patterns, and Outcomes among Patients with Venous Thromboembolism during Hospitalization for COVID-19
(Thieme Gruppe, 2020-10-21) Fernández-Capitán, Carmen; Barba, Raquel; Diaz Pedroche, Maria del Carmen; SIgüenza, Patricia; Demelo Rodriguez, Pablo; Siniscalchi, Carmine; Pedrajas, Jose María; Farfán Sedano, Ana Isabel; Olivera, Pavel Eduardo; Gómez Cuervo, Covadonga; Llamas, Pilar; Villares, Paula; Sánchez, Oliver; López Reyes, Raquel; Catella, Judit; Bikdeli, Behnood; Weinberg, Ido; Tafur, Alfonso J; JImenez, David; Monreal, Manuel
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is common in patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). However, limited data exist on patient characteristics, treatments, and outcomes. To describe the clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and short-term outcomes of patients diagnosed with VTE during hospitalization for COVID-19. This is a prospective multinational study of patients with incident VTE during the course of hospitalization for COVID-19. Data were obtained from the Registro Informatizado de la Enfermedad TromboEmbólica (RIETE) registry. All-cause mortality, VTE recurrences, and major bleeding during the first 10 days were separately investigated for patients in hospital wards versus those in intensive care units (ICUs). As of May 03, 2020, a total number of 455 patients were diagnosed with VTE (83% pulmonary embolism, 17% isolated deep vein thrombosis) during their hospital stay; 71% were male, the median age was 65 (interquartile range, 55-74) years. Most patients (68%) were hospitalized in medical wards, and 145 in ICUs. Three hundred and seventeen (88%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 84-91%) patients were receiving thromboprophylaxis at the time of VTE diagnosis. Most patients (88%) received therapeutic low-molecular-weight heparin, and 15 (3.6%) received reperfusion therapies. Among 420 patients with complete 10-day follow-up, 51 (12%; 95% CI: 9.3-15%) died, no patient recurred, and 12 (2.9%; 95% CI: 1.6-4.8%) experienced major bleeding. The 10-day mortality rate was 9.1% (95% CI: 6.1-13%) among patients in hospital wards and 19% (95% CI: 13-26%) among those in ICUs. This study provides characteristics and early outcomes of patients diagnosed with acute VTE during hospitalization for COVID-19. Additional studies are needed to identify the optimal strategies to prevent VTE and to mitigate adverse outcomes associated.
Previous and incident dementia as risk factors for mortality in stroke patients
(Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc., 2002-08) Barba, Raquel; Morin, Maria-del-Mar; Cemillán, Carlos; Delgado, Carlos; Domingo, Julio; Del Ser, Teodoro
Background and Purpose— We sought to determine whether previous or incident dementia increases the risk of mortality after stroke. Methods— We assessed clinical, functional, and cognitive status in 324 consecutive stroke patients who were followed up for 24 months. Prestroke dementia was diagnosed at admission (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised Third Edition criteria) and poststroke dementia 3 months after stroke (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria). The proportion of patients surviving in the groups with and without dementia and the relative risk of mortality were calculated with Kaplan-Meier and with Cox proportional hazards analyses, respectively, for prestroke, stroke-related, and poststroke dementia. Results— Forty-nine patients (15.1% of the total sample) were found to have prestroke dementia. Three months after stroke, 75 cases had poststroke dementia: 50 incident cases (20% of 251 reexamined cases) with stroke-related dementia and 25 already demented before the stroke. After a mean follow-up of 16.1±9.9 months, the proportion of survivors was 20.4% in patients with and 72.6% in those without prestroke dementia. After a mean follow-up of 22.1±6.7 months, the proportion of survivors was 58.3% in patients with and 95.4% in those without stroke-related dementia. Using multivariate analysis and adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, previous stroke, heart disease, and severity and recurrence of stroke, we found the relative risk of mortality associated with prestroke dementia to be 2.1 (95% CI, 1.2 to 3.6), with stroke-related dementia 6.3 (95% CI, 2.3 to 17.3), and with poststroke d ementia 8.5 (95% CI, 3.4 to 20.9). Conclusions— Both previous dementia and incident dementia adversely influence long-term survival after stroke, even after adjustment for other predictors of stroke mortality.
Prolonged length of stay in hospitalized internal medicine patients
(Elsevier, 2015-12) Barba, Raquel; Marco, Javier; Canora, Jesús; Plaza, Susana; Nistal Juncos, Sara; Hinojosa, Juan; Mendez Bailon, Manuel; Zapatero, Antonio
Background: Targeting patients with prolonged hospitalizations may represent an effective strategy for reducing average hospital length of stay (LOS). Objective: We sought to characterize predictors of prolonged hospitalization among internal medicine patients in an effort to guide future improvement efforts. Design: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using administrative data of internal medicine patients from all hospitals of the Spanish Public Health Service between January 1st, 2005 and December 31st, 2013. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the association between sociodemographic and clinical variables and prolonged LOS, defined as >30days. Key results: Of 5,275,139 discharges, 166,470 (3.2%) had a prolonged LOS. Prolonged hospitalizations accounted for 17.4% of total inpatient days and contributed 0.5days to an average LOS of 9.8days during the study period. Prolonged hospitalizations were associated with younger age (odds ratio [OR]: 0.97 per 10-year increase in age, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.96-0.98) and male gender (OR 0.88 IC95% 0.87-0.89). Compared to patients without prolonged LOS, prolonged LOS patients were more likely to require a palliative care consult (OR: 2.48, 95% CI: 2.39-2.58), surgery (OR: 6.9 95% CI: 6.8-7.0); and be discharged to a post-acute-care facility (OR: 2.91, 95% CI: 2.86-2.95). Conclusions: Prolonged hospitalizations in a small proportion of patients were an important contributor to overall LOS and particularly affected complex hospital stays who were not discharged home.
The impact of weekends on outcome for acute exacerbations of COPD
(European Respiratory Society, 2012-01) Barba, Raquel; Zapatero, Antonio; Losa, Juan Emilio; Marco, Javier; Plaza, Susana; Rosado, Cristina; Canora, Jesús
Differences in hospital staffing may influence outcomes for patients with acute conditions, including acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), depending on which day of the week the patients are admitted. This study was conducted to determine whether weekend admission increases the risk of dying in hospital. We analysed the clinical data of 289,077 adults with acute exacerbations of COPD admitted to the hospital at any public centre in Spain, during 2006 and 2007. We analysed the following factors for their association with death rate: day of admission, demographics, medical history and comorbidity. During the study period, there were 35,544 (12.4%) deaths during admission in COPD patients. Weekend admissions were associated with a significantly higher in-hospital mortality (12.9%) than weekday admissions (12.1%) among COPD patients (OR 1.07 (95% CI 1.04-1.10)). The differences in mortality persisted after adjustment for age, sex and coexisting disorders (OR 1.05 (95% CI 1.02-1.08)). Analyses of deaths within 2 days after admission showed larger relative differences in mortality between the weekend and weekday admissions (OR 1.17 (95% CI 1.11-1.23)). We conclude that patients with acute exacerbations of COPD are more likely to die in the hospital if they are admitted on a weekend compared with a weekday.
Trends in the Management and Outcomes of Acute Pulmonary Embolism: Analysis From the RIETE Registry
(Elsevier, 2016-01-19) Jimenez, David; de Miguel Diez, J; Guijarro, Ricardo; Trujillo Santos, Javier; Otero, Remedios; Barba, Raquel; Muriel, Alfonso; Meyer, Guy; Yuser, Roger D; Monreal, Manuel
Background: Despite advances in hospital management in recent years, it is not clear whether mortality after acute pulmonary embolism (PE) has decreased over time. Objectives: This study describes the trends in the management and outcomes of acute symptomatic PE. Methods: We identified adults with acute PE enrolled in the registry between 2001 and 2013. We assessed temporal trends in length of hospital stay and use of pharmacological and interventional therapies. Using multivariable regression, we examined temporal trends in risk-adjusted rates of all-cause and PE-related death to 30 days after diagnosis. Results: Among 23,858 patients with PE, mean length of stay decreased from 13.6 to 9.3 days over time (32% relative reduction, p < 0.001). For initial treatment, use of low-molecular-weight heparin increased from 77% to 84%, whereas the use of unfractionated heparin decreased from 22% to 8.4% (p < 0.001 for trend for all comparisons). Thrombolytic therapy use increased from 0.7% to 1.0% (p = 0.07 for trend) and surgical embolectomy use doubled from 0.3% to 0.6% (p < 0.01 for trend). Risk-adjusted rates of all-cause mortality decreased from 6.6% in the first period (2001 to 2005) to 4.9% in the last period (2010 to 2013) (p = 0.02 for trend). Rates of PE-related mortality decreased over time, with a risk-adjusted rate of 3.3% in 2001 to 2005 and 1.8% in 2010 to 2013 (p < 0.01 for trend). Conclusions: In a large international registry of patients with PE, improvements in length of stay and changes in the initial treatment were accompanied by a reduction in short-term all-cause and PE-specific mortality. Keywords: heparin; length of stay; outcomes; prognosis; surgical embolectomy; survival; thrombolysis.
Venous thromboembolism in patients with liver diseases.
(Elsevier, 2018-10) Barba, Raquel; Gonzalvez-Gasch, Asunción; Joya Seijo, Dolores; Marco Martinez, Javier; Canora, Jesus; Plaza, Susana; Angelina-García, María; Zapatero, Antonio
Essentials Emerging evidence shows that patients with liver disease are not protected from thrombotic events. We assessed the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with liver disease. The presence of VTE resulted in an increase in mortality for patients with liver disease. Hospitalized patients with moderate-severe liver disease had low risk of VTE during admission. Summary: Background and Aims Patients with liver disease were traditionally believed to be protected against development of blood clots, but some studies have shown a potential increased risk of venous thrombotic complications. We assessed the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with liver disease. Methods Data in discharge reports of patients with liver disease and control patients without liver disease were analyzed from the national inpatient sample. Incidence of VTE was compared in patients with mild, moderate-severe or no liver disease, and the impact on in-hospital mortality and length of stay was calculated. Results The overall incidence of VTE for patients with no liver disease, mild liver disease and moderate-severe liver disease was 2.7, 2.4 and 0.9 per 100 patient discharges, respectively. In the presence of VTE, in-hospital mortality was 10.8%, 5.8%, and 21.7% for the no liver disease, mild disease and moderate-severe liver disease, respectively. The presence of VTE resulted in an increase in mortality for patients with no liver disease (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.14-1.18) and moderate-severe liver disease (OR, 1.63; CI 95%, 1.42-1.88). Conclusions Patients with moderate-severe liver disease have a lower risk of VTE than those without liver disease. Development of thrombosis during admission increased the risk of in-hospital mortality.