Hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism among critically ill children with diabetic ketoacidosis: a multicenter, retrospective cohort study

Abstract

ObjectivesChildren hospitalized for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) may be at increased risk of hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE). We sought to estimate the incidence of HA-VTE and identify unique prothrombotic risk factors in this population. MethodsWe performed a multicenter, retrospective cohort study using the Pediatric Health Information Systems registry including patients aged 0 to 21 years hospitalized for DKA from January 2017 to December 2023 within 48 participating centers. The primary outcome was the frequency of HA-VTE. Secondary outcomes were rates of cerebral edema, central venous catheterization (CVC), invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), infection, and length of stay (LOS). An adjusted logistic regression was employed to identify potential HA-VTE risk factors. ResultsOf the 27,613 patients studied, 93 (0.3%) developed a HA-VTE. Compared with those without HA-VTE, those with HA-VTE had a greater median LOS (10 [IQR, 5-21] vs 2 [IQR, 2-3] days) and rates of cerebral edema (25.8% vs 6.6%), CVC (23.7% vs 1.1%), infection (72% vs 23.5%), and IMV (39.8% vs 1.4%; all P < .001). In an adjusted logistic model, factors independently associated with increased HA-VTE were CVC (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.04; 95% CI, 1.49-6.19), infection (aOR, 4.61; 95% CI, 2.81-7.56), IMV (aOR, 9.24; 95% CI, 4.83-17.56), and increasing LOS (aOR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02-1.06; all P < .01). ConclusionThe frequency of HA-VTE among critically ill children and young adults hospitalized for DKA was 0.3%. After prospective validation, putative risk factors (ie, CVC, IMV, infection, and extended LOS) may be incorporated into the design of forthcoming pediatric thromboprophylaxis trials.