Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in cardiac surgery: Incidence, costs, and duration of stay

Abstract

BackgroundHeparin is routinely used in many cardiovascular procedures to prevent thrombosis. An antibody-mediated process, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia occurs in a small subset of patients exposed to heparin. Though some have suggested a recent increase in the incidence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, data on the impact of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia on costs and duration of stay after cardiac surgery is generally lacking. The present study aimed to assess national trends in the incidence and resource use associated with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in cardiac surgical patients. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was performed identifying adult cardiac surgery patients with a diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia by using the 2009–2014 National Inpatient Sample Database. Association between development of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and complications during hospitalization were evaluated using multivariate regression models. ResultsOf the 3,547,883 cardiac surgery patients, 13,943 (0.40%) were diagnosed with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia was associated with significantly longer median index duration of stay (elective 12 vs 6 days, urgent 17 vs 10 days; P < .001) and higher hospitalization costs (elective $56,230 vs $35,072, urgent $75,509 vs $42,789; P < .001). Independent predictors of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia included female sex (elective odds ratio 1.4, 95% confidence interval 1.01–1.03) and history of hypercoagulable condition (elective odd ratio 4.03, 95% confidence interval 1.8–8.9). After adjustment for baseline differences, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia was independently associated with increased risk of mortality (elective odds ratio 2.0, 95% confidence interval 1.3–3.1; urgent odds ratio 1.8, 95% confidence interval 1.3–2.5), neurologic (elective odds ratio 1.5, 95% confidence interval 1.2–1.9; urgent odds ratio 1.3, 95% confidence interval 1.1–1.6), infectious (elective odds ratio 2.4, 95% confidence interval 1.9–3.0; urgent odds ratio 1.6, 95% confidence interval 1.4–2.0), and respiratory (elective odds ratio 1.4, 95% confidence interval 1.2–1.5; urgent odds ratio 1.4, 95% confidence interval 1.2–1.5) complications. ConclusionBased on this national analysis of adult cardiac surgical patients, the presence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia was associated with higher odds of mortality and morbidity, greater costs, and longer duration of stay. Female gender, history of hypercoagulability, and heart failure, among others, are independent predictors of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. These findings have significant implications in the era of value-based health care delivery. In addition to reducing unnecessary exposure to heparin, proper diagnosis and treatment are essential for favorable outcomes.