139. The Morbidity and Financial Burden of Infective Endocarditis in Persons Who Inject Drugs in the Deep South

Abstract

BackgroundIn the context of the opioid epidemic, infective endocarditis (IE) poses an economic challenge in Alabama. The objective of this proposal is to analyze the outcomes and financial burden of IE in persons who inject drugs (PWID) at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital, the largest tertiary referral center in this rural, Southern state. We hypothesized that those with the most severe substance use disorder would be most costly.MethodsThis is a retrospective study of PWID receiving care for IE at UAB Hospital from October 1, 2016 to March 1, 2019. IE was defined by Infectious Diseases consultation. Clinical data were obtained from the electronic medical record (EMR). Deaths were obtained from both the EMR and the regional medical examiner. Hospital costs (direct costs, overall charges) were obtained from financial accounts. To stratify patients by severity of substance use disorder, we used a 9-item risk assessment for PWID (see table). We then evaluated the association between clinical factors and outcomes (death, cost) using parametric and nonparametric tests when appropriate. A P-value < 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsA total of 69 persons met criteria (Table 1). The average length of stay was 30.8 days. Thirty-four (52%) had documentation of antibiotic completion (in or outpatient). Seventeen received surgery: 16 with valve replacement and one device removal. Overall, 14 (20%) died over the study period. There was no significant association between antibiotic completion or 9-item risk and death. When stratified into low risk (<4 items) vs. high risk (≥5), there was no difference in overall direct costs, LOS, or whether patients received surgery.ConclusionPWID with IE at a hospital serving a rural, Southern population have a greater length of stay, discharges against advice, surgical interventions, and costs than other regions, relative to existing literature. The lack of association between 9-item risk and outcomes suggests that death and high costs are attributable to factors beyond substance use. Costs of providing care for this population are exorbitant and likely devastating for rural county hospitals within the context of the current public health and payment framework, including Medicaid non-expansion. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.