Abstract 15757: Racial Disparities in Acute Respiratory Failure Incidence During Hypertensive Emergencies

Abstract

Introduction: One of the most frequent complications of hypertensive emergency is pulmonary edema, which can ultimately lead to requiring mechanical ventilation because of respiratory failure. Additionally, epidemiologic studies have observed that certain races are disproportionately affected by hypertensive emergency. This analysis aimed to assess if race was also associated with increased likelihood of requiring mechanical ventilation during hypertensive emergencies. Methods: Using the 2020 National Inpatient Sample data, we identified patients admitted due to hypertensive emergencies. We excluded admissions for primary acute hypoxic respiratory failure necessitating invasive mechanical ventilation. To explore potential relationships, we employed logistic and linear regression analyses, accounting for potential confounders. We deemed the results as statistically significant when the 2-tailed p-value was <0.05. Results: In 2020, among 1,221,535 hypertensive emergency hospital admissions, 124,200 (10.2%) involved patients needing mechanical ventilation due to respiratory failure. After adjusting for factors such as age, gender, hospital attributes, insurance, income, and Elixhauser comorbidities, Black and Asian/Pacific Islander patients exhibited higher likelihoods of requiring mechanical ventilation due to respiratory failure. Compared to White patients, the adjusted odds ratios were 1.06 (95% CI 1.05-1.12) for Black patients and 1.18 (95% CI 1.06-1.32) for Asian/Pacific Islander patients. Conclusions: We have demonstrated that there are racial disparities associated with development of acute hypoxic respiratory failure in the setting of hypertensive emergencies. Further research needs to be undertaken to identify if these racial differences are due to differences in blood pressure control or if clinical management differs by race in the acute hospitalization contributing to adverse outcomes.