30-day readmission after TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) in patients with malignancy.

Abstract

e18620 Background: Hospital readmissions after cardiac procedures are increasingly the major focus of quality improvement efforts. Although some reflect appropriate care, others are potentially preventable readmissions (PPRs). We aim to describe the burden, timing, and factors associated with readmissions after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with malignancy. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of the 2017 National Readmission Database (NRD) of adult patients readmitted within 30 days after an index admission for TAVR with a concomitant diagnosis of malignancy. We aimed to identify 30-day readmission rate, mortality, healthcare related utilization of resources and other independent predictors of readmission. Results: A total of 2,213 patients with malignancy underwent TAVR. The 30-days readmission rate was 16% (n=355). Main causes of readmissions were found to be heart failure, sepsis, acute hypercapnic respiratory failure, coronary artery disease with angina, and AKI with ATN. Readmitted patients were more likely to come from small metropolitan areas (43.1% vs 33.6, p≤0.01), micropolitan areas (1.4% vs 0.35%, p≤0.01), rural hospital (20.3% vs 8.8%, p≤0.01), non-teaching hospital (23.5% vs 9.1%, p≤0.01), and small sized hospitals (11.5% vs 4%, p≤0.01). Patients re-admitted were more likely to have malnutrition (8% vs 3.2%, p≤0.01), new VTEs (3.8% vs 0.6, p≤0.01), AKI (26% vs 13.6%, p≤0.01) and deaths (4.6% vs 1.7%, p≤0.01). The total health care in-hospital economic burden of readmission was $5.9 million in total charges and $25 million in total costs. Independent predictors of readmission were disposition to short-term skilled nursing facilities, home-health care, and sepsis. Conclusions: We concluded that readmissions after TAVR in patients with malignancy are associated with higher in-hospital mortality rate and pose a higher health care burden. We also identified risk factors that can be targeted to decrease readmissions after TAVR, health care burden, and patient mortality.[Table: see text]