Predictors of In-Hospital Death in Patients with Lung Cancer Admitted for Acute Radiation Pneumonitis: A Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Analysis

Abstract

BackgroundRadiation pneumonitis (RP) is a dose-limiting and potentially fatal toxicity of thoracic radiotherapy most often seen in patients treated for primary lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of in-hospital death among lung cancer patients admitted for acute RP in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) database. Materials and MethodsThe HCUP National Inpatient Sample database was queried from 2012 through 2016 to capture adult lung cancer patients admitted to the hospital with a principal diagnosis of acute RP. Multivariate logistic regression modeling and χ2 tests were used to determine predictors of in-hospital death. ResultsOf the 882 patients with lung cancer admitted for RP, 67 patients (7.6%) died during the hospitalization and 90 patients (10.2%) required mechanical ventilation. Of those requiring mechanical ventilation, 38 patients (42.2%) died. The average age at hospitalization was 70.4 years (range, 35-90). Of those factors associated with death on univariate analysis, interstitial lung disease (odds ratio [OR] = 6.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9-19.4; P = .002), pulmonary hypertension (OR = 3.1; 95% CI, 1.6-6.2; P = .001), diabetes mellitus (OR = 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.3; P = .013), and more affluent Zip Code (OR = 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1-3.2; P = .021) remained statistically significant on multivariate logistic regression. ConclusionIn the largest reported cohort of patients with lung cancer hospitalized with a principal diagnosis of acute RP, the presence of interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and more affluent Zip Code were associated with in-hospital death. Comorbid diagnoses may be useful for risk-stratified management of inpatients with RP.