SAT-138 Predictors and Health Care Expenditures Associated with Recurrent Diabetic Ketoacidosis Admissions in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious complication in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Recurrent DKA admissions have been associated with increased mortality and substantial healthcare costs. In contrast to pediatrics, significantly less attention has been devoted to exploring and addressing recurrent DKA admissions in adults with T1D. We aimed to characterize the adult population of T1D admitted with DKA in Maryland, identify predictors of recurrent DKA admissions, and quantify their associated healthcare costs. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission's database, which collects data from all acute care hospitals in the state. We defined DKA using ICD diagnostic codes for ketoacidosis and hyperosmolality in T1D. We selected adult patients (age 20 or above) with T1D who lived in or bordering Maryland and had at least one admission with a primary diagnosis of DKA between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2017. The predictors analyzed in this study represent patient characteristics from the first DKA admission. The primary outcome was readmission for DKA in the study period. The summation of admission charges was used to calculate DKA healthcare expenditures. Results: There were 6,147 DKA admissions by 3,368 T1D adults admitted in Maryland in the study period. Readmissions occurred in 915 (27%) patients, with 1-3 and >4 readmissions occurring in 700 (76%) and 487 (24%) of these patients, respectively. Overall, the patients admitted with DKA were predominately non-Hispanic (96%) white (45%) or black (45%) men (53%) between the ages 20-39 years old (48%) from areas of low to moderate socioeconomic status (SES). The majority of patients were insured by private (37%) and Medicaid (27%) insurance. The strongest predictors for DKA readmissions were female sex (OR 1.3; 95%CI 1.1-1.6), residing in an area of low SES (OR 1.5; 95% 1.1-2.0), being insured by Medicare (OR 1.7; 95%CI 1.3-2.2), Medicaid (OR 1.5 95%CI 1.2-1.8) or Self-pay/charity (OR 1.5; 95%CI 1.1-1.9), and discharge against medical advice (OR 1.6; 95%CI 1.2-2.3). Older and non-white patients had a reduced odds of readmission. The expenditure of all adult DKA admissions totaled 5.4 billion dollars. While patients who had DKA readmissions consisted of only 27% of those admitted with DKA, their total costs were 59% of these DKA charges at 3.2 billion dollars. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of recurrent DKA admissions in adults with T1D. Younger patients, women, having non-private insurance and those living in areas of low SES have the highest odds for readmission. Although these patients are a minority, they account for a majority of DKA health expenditures. Further studies are needed to understand drivers of these admissions in order to intervene in this population at high risk for poor outcomes. Supported by a NIH T32 Grant T32 and Saudek Fellowship Award.