Abstract 16110: Impact of Institutional Volume on In-hospital Mortality and Resource Utilization Among Patients With Pulmonary Embolism Treated With Catheter Directed Thrombolysis: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Abstract

Introduction: Catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) is an evolving percutaneous approach for the management of acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Contemporary data examining in-hospital outcomes in relation to procedural volume are limited. Methods: Data sets were extracted from the 2016 national readmission database. Using ICD 10 codes, a search was performed to identify all patients hospitalized with a primary or secondary diagnosis of PE who underwent CDT between 1/1/2016 and 12/31/2016. Hospitals were grouped into quartiles by CDT volume and rates of in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and cost were compared across groups. Adjusted associations were examined using multivariable logistic regression. Results and Conclusions: We identified 2,353 unique patients with PE who underwent CDT at 483 hospitals. The median (25th, 75th percentiles) number of CDT procedures per hospital was 3 (1, 6). Mortality rates were 11.4%, 5.3%, 5.6% and 3.8%, respectively, at hospitals in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th quartile of CDT procedural volume (Figure; p=0.001). Results were unchanged after multivariable adjustment. Median length of stay by quartile was as follows: 6.5, 5, 5, and 4 days (p <0.001). The median cost for the different quartiles was $28,277, $25,953, $25,896, and $23,007 (p <0.001). We found that CDT performed in patients with PE at low-volume hospitals is associated with excess mortality as well as increased length of stay and cost when compared with higher-volume centers. These findings may inform guidance for volume thresholds for utilization of CDT in the management of acute PE.