Annual Hospitalization Rate Research Articles

Hospitalizations related to meningococcal infection in Spain from 1997 to 2018

BackgroundBaseline hospitalization, mortality, and in-hospital fatality rates for meningococcal infection are required to evaluate preventive interventions, such as the inclusion of the conjugated quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine and serogroup B based protein vaccines.MethodsAll meningococcal infection–related hospitalizations in any diagnostic position in Spain from 1st January 1997 through 31st December 2018 were analysed. The annual hospitalization rate, mortality rate and case-fatality rate were calculated.ResultsThe average hospitalization rate for meningococcal infection was 1.64 (95% CI 1.61 to 1.66) hospitalizations per 100,000 inhabitants during the study period and significantly decreased from 1997 to 2018. Hospitalizations for meningococcal infection decreased significantly with age and were concentrated in children under 5 years of age (46%). The hospitalization rates reached 29 per 100,000 and 24 per 100,000 children under 1 and 2 years of age, respectively. The in-hospital case-fatality rate was 7.45% (95% CI 7.03 to 7.86). Thirty percent of the deaths occurred in children under 5 years of age, and more than half occurred in adults. The case fatality rate increased significantly with age (p < 0.001).ConclusionIt is necessary to maintain epidemiological surveillance of meningococcal infection to determine the main circulating serogroups involved, track their evolution, and evaluate preventive measures whose effectiveness must be assessed in all age groups.

Trends in leading causes of hospitalisation of adults with diabetes in England from 2003 to 2018: an epidemiological analysis of linked primary care records

SummaryBackgroundDiabetes leads to a wide range of established vascular and metabolic complications that has resulted in the implementation of diverse prevention programmes across high-income countries. Diabetes has also been associated with an increased risk of a broader set of conditions including cancers, liver disease, and common infections. We aimed to examine the trends in a broad set of cause-specific hospitalisations in individuals with diabetes in England from 2003 to 2018.MethodsIn this epidemiological analysis, we identified 309 874 individuals 18 years or older with diabetes (type 1 or 2) in England from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink linked to Hospital Episode Statistics inpatient data from 2003 to 2018. We generated a mixed prevalent and incident diabetes study population through serial cross sections and follow-up over time. We used a discretised Poisson regression model to estimate annual cause-specific hospitalisation rates in men and women with diabetes across 17 cause groupings. We generated a 1:1 age-matched and sex-matched population of individuals without diabetes to compare cause-specific hospitalisation rates in those with and without diabetes.FindingsHospitalisation rates were higher for all causes in persons with diabetes than in those without diabetes throughout the study period. Diabetes itself and ischaemic heart disease were the leading causes of excess (defined as absolute difference in the rate in the populations with and without diabetes) hospitalisation in 2003. By 2018, non-infectious and non-cancerous respiratory conditions, non-diabetes-related cancers, and ischaemic heart disease were the most common causes of excess hospitalisation across men and women. Hospitalisation rates of people with diabetes declined and causes of hospitalisation changed. Almost all traditional diabetes complication groups (vascular diseases, amputations, and diabetes) decreased, while conditions non-specific to diabetes (cancers, infections, non-infectious and non-cancerous respiratory conditions) increased. These differing trends represented a change in the cause of hospitalisation, such that the traditional diabetes complications accounted for more than 50% of hospitalisation in 2003, but only approximately 30% in 2018. In contrast, the proportion of hospitalisations due to respiratory infections between the same time period increased from 3% to 10% in men and from 4% to 12% in women.InterpretationsChanges in the composition of excess risk and hospitalisation burden in those with diabetes means that preventative and clinical measures should evolve to reflect the diverse set of causes that are driving persistent excess hospitalisation in those with diabetes.FundingWellcome Trust.

Prevalence of Chronic Polypharmacy in Community-Dwelling Elderly People in Poland: Analysis of National Real-World Database Helps to Identify High Risk Group.

Introduction: Multimorbidity often comes with age, making elderly people particularly prone to polypharmacy. Polypharmacy, in turn, is a risk factor for adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions, non-adherence to medication, negative health outcomes, and increased healthcare services utilization. The longer the exposure to polypharmacy is, the higher the risk of these consequences is. Therefore, a detailed assessment of the prevalence and drivers of chronic polypharmacy in the elderly is particularly important. Aim of study: To find out the prevalence of chronic polypharmacy in the elderly population of Poland, and to characterize the subgroup with the highest risk of this problem, using real-world data. Methodology: A retrospective analysis of data on dispensation and healthcare services utilization held by the national payer organization for the year 2018. Chronic polypharmacy was defined as possession, as a result of dispensation, of five or more prescribed drugs within 80% of each of the consecutive 6 months. Results: Chronic polypharmacy was found in 554.1 thousand patients, i.e. in 19.1% of the national 65+ cohort. On average, those patients were 76 years old, and 49.3% of them were female. The vast majority (68.6%) continued their polypharmacy for the period of the whole year. There was a marked variation in geographical distribution of chronic polypharmacy with the highest value of 1.7 thousand per 100,000 inhabitants in the Łódź Voivodeship. Patients exposed to chronic polypharmacy filled prescriptions from 4.5±2.36 healthcare professionals. The average number of drugs they used was 8.3±3.84 DDD per patient per day. The most often prescribed drugs were Metformin, Atorvastatin and Pantoprazole. The average annual hospitalisation rate in those patients was 1.03±2.4. Conclusion: This study was the first of this kind involving a nationwide assessment of chronic polypharmacy in Polish elderly people. We found that this problem affected one fifth of Polish older adults and it remains stable due to its direct relation to chronic conditions. Thus, our results confirm that this phenomenon is highly important for the national health policy and requires relevant interventions. The planned introduction of pharmaceutical care in Poland is expected to help in solving the problem.

Abstract 14102: National Trends and Disparities in Hospitalization for Hypertensive Emergencies Among Medicare Beneficiaries, 1999-2019

Introduction: In the last two decades, hypertension control in the U.S. population has worsened, and there are widening disparities. Less is known, however, about trends in hospitalizations related to hypertensive emergencies. Methods: We conducted serial cross-sectional analysis of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years or older between 1999 and 2019 using Medicare denominator and inpatient files. We evaluated trends in national hospitalization rates for hypertensive emergencies, overall and by demographic and geographic subgroups. Results: The sample consisted of 397,238 individual Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. From 1999 through 2019, the annual hospitalization rates for hypertensive emergencies increased significantly from 51.5 to 125.9 per 100,000 beneficiary-years; this increase was most pronounced among the following subgroups: adults ≥85 years (66.8 to 274.1), females (64.9 to 160.1), Blacks (144.4 to 369.5), and Medicare-Medicaid insured (dual eligible, 93.1 to 270.0). Across all subgroups, Black adults had the highest hospitalization rate in 2019, and there was a significant increase in the differences in hospitalizations between Blacks and Whites from 1999 to 2019. Marked geographic variation was also present, with the highest hospitalization rates in the South (so-called “Stroke Belt”). Among 3,143 counties and county-equivalents included in the study, less than 1% of counties either had no change (n=7) or decreased (n=20) hospitalization rates since 1999. Conclusions: Among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years or older, hospitalization rates for hypertensive emergencies increased substantially and significantly from 1999 to 2019. Black adults had the largest increase in hospitalization rates across age, sex, race, and dual-eligible strata. There was significant national variation, with the highest rates generally in the South.

National Trends and Disparities in Hospitalization for Acute Hypertension Among Medicare Beneficiaries (1999-2019).

In the past 2 decades, hypertension control in the US population has not improved and there are widening disparities. Little is known about progress in reducing hospitalizations for acute hypertension. We conducted serial cross-sectional analysis of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries age 65 years or older between 1999 and 2019 using Medicare denominator and inpatient files. We evaluated trends in national hospitalization rates for acute hypertension overall and by demographic and geographical subgroups. We identified all beneficiaries admitted with a primary discharge diagnosis of acute hypertension on the basis of International Classification of Diseases codes. We then used a mixed effects model with a Poisson link function and state-specific random intercepts, adjusting for age, sex, race and ethnicity, and dual-eligible status, to evaluate trends in hospitalizations. The sample consisted of 397 238 individual Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. From 1999 through 2019, the annual hospitalization rates for acute hypertension increased significantly, from 51.5 to 125.9 per 100 000 beneficiary-years; the absolute increase was most pronounced among the following subgroups: adults ≥85 years (66.8-274.1), females (64.9-160.1), Black people (144.4-369.5), and Medicare/Medicaid insured (dual-eligible, 93.1-270.0). Across all subgroups, Black adults had the highest hospitalization rate in 2019, and there was a significant increase in the differences in hospitalizations between Black and White people from 1999 to 2019. Marked geographic variation was also present, with the highest hospitalization rates in the South. Among patients hospitalized for acute hypertension, the observed 30-day and 90-day all-cause mortality rates (95% CI) decreased from 2.6% (2.27-2.83) and 5.6% (5.18-5.99) to 1.7% (1.53-1.80) and 3.7% (3.45-3.84) and 30-day and 90-day all-cause readmission rates decreased from 15.7% (15.1-16.4) and 29.4% (28.6-30.2) to 11.8% (11.5-12.1) and 24.0% (23.5-24.6). Among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries age 65 years or older, hospitalization rates for acute hypertension increased substantially and significantly from 1999 to 2019. Black adults had the highest hospitalization rate in 2019 across age, sex, race and ethnicity, and dual-eligible strata. There was significant national variation, with the highest rates generally in the South.

Family Practices in Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative Showed No Changes in Medicare Costs or Utilization.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed that the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative (TCPI) would improve health outcomes for patients, reduce utilization of institutional services, and generate significant savings for payers by the end of September 2019. The objective of this study was to investigate whether participation in TCPI's Practice Transformation Networks (PTNs) was associated with improved cost and utilization outcomes for Medicare patients of family medicine-based practices in the first 2 years, that is, 2016-2017, of the Initiative. A quasi-experimental design with a longitudinal cohort of family medicine-based practices and a propensity-matched comparison sample. A total of 761 PTN practices and 3451 non-PTN practices. To measure practice-level patient outcomes, we attributed patients to practice based on the plurality of office visits. We obtained Medicare claims from 2011 to 2017 to assess PTN participation effects for Medicare Part A and B costs, hospital admission, and emergency department visit rates using a Difference-in-Differences design, adjusting for baseline characteristics. The differences in Medicare Part A and B costs (-1.71%, P=0.25), annual rates of hospitalization (-0.59%, P=0.12) and emergency department visit (-0.29%, P=0.46) were not significantly lower among PTN practices (N=761) than among propensity score-matched non-PTN practices (N=3541). TCPI's transforming efforts, such as the outcomes examined in the study, might need a longer time frame to manifest and require evaluation after the full 4-year participation period. The indistinguishable effect of PTN participation may also be attributed to the fact that non-PTN practices might have participated in other initiatives that changed their care and curbed health care utilization and costs consequently.

State firearm laws and nonfatal firearm injury-related inpatient hospitalizations: A nationwide panel study.

Firearm injury remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Because of prior lack of comprehensive data sources, there is a paucity of literature on nonfatal firearm injury. Associations have previously been shown between state-level firearm laws and firearm fatalities, but few studies have examined the effects of these laws on nonfatal firearm hospitalization rates. Our objective was to examine the relationship between state firearm laws and firearm injury-related hospitalization rates across all 50 states over a 17-year period. In this panel study design, we used fixed effects multivariate regression models to analyze the relationship between 12 laws and firearm state-level injury-related hospitalization rates from 2000 to 2016 using the RAND Corporation Inpatient Hospitalizations for Firearm Injury Database. We used difference-in-differences to determine the impact of law passage in a given state compared with those states without the law, controlling for state-level covariates. The main outcome measure was the change in annual firearm injury-related inpatient hospitalization rates after passage or repeal of a state-level firearm law. Examining each law individually, passage of violent misdemeanor, permitting, firearm removal from domestic violence offenders, and 10-round limit laws were associated with significant firearm injury-related hospitalization rate reductions. Examining multiple laws in the same model, passage of violent misdemeanor laws was associated with a 19.9% (confidence interval, 11.6%-27.4%) reduction, and removal of firearms from domestic violence offenders was associated with a 17.0% (confidence interval, 9.9%-23.6%) reduction in hospitalization rates. State laws related to preventing violent offenders from possessing firearms are associated with firearm injury-related hospitalization rate reductions. Given significant physical, mental, and social burdens of nonfatal firearm injury, determining the efficacy of firearm-related policy is critical to violence and injury prevention efforts. Prognostic and Epidemiologic; Level IV.

Trends in hospital visits and healthcare costs of gout and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis in Korea from 2010 to 2017 using National Healthcare Claims.

Background/AimsWe examined temporal trends in the rate of gout and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) hospital visits and healthcare costs in Korea.MethodsWe conducted a serial cross-sectional analysis of Korean national healthcare claims. We calculated the annual increase in hospital visits (emergency department [ED] visits, outpatient visits, and hospitalizations) and total healthcare costs per visit.ResultsFrom 2010 to 2017, the annual rates of ED visits, outpatient visits, and hospitalizations for gout increased from 6.28 to 21, from 638.38 to 1059.55, and from 12.37 to 15.6 per 100,000 persons, respectively. Before 2013, ED visits for gout were most common in patients over 70 years old, but they were most common in those aged between 30 and 49 years after 2013. The number of patients with ED visits, outpatient visits, and hospitalizations for RA from 2010 to 2017 increased from 1.25 to 1.87, from 219.04 to 307.49 and from 8.44 to 12.32 per 100,000 persons, respectively. However, there was no increase in the prevalence of ED visits for RA in any age group except for those older than 70 years. The cost per ED visit for gout significantly decreased from 496.3 to 273.6 US dollar during the study period. There was no significant change in the cost per ED visit for RA between 2010 and 2017.ConclusionsThere was a large increase in ED visits for gout during the study period. Further studies are needed to analyze the reason behind increased ED visits for gout and suggest ways on how to improve gout care.

Trends in Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Hospitalizations in the United States, 2002-2016

ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) remains a major modern-day public health problem. We aimed to assess the demographic trends in STEMI related hospitalizations in the United States over a period of fifteen years. The nationwide inpatient sample was queried to obtain information of patients hospitalized with STEMI from January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2016. Annual hospitalization rates were calculated and annual percentage change (APC) was evaluated using regression analysis. A total of 4,121,155 eligible patients were included in this analysis. Overall, the total number of STEMI hospitalization decreased from 421,043 in 2002 to 208,510 in 2016 (P-trend <0.01). With the decreasing trend, the rate was relatively higher among males as compared to females, whites as compared to non-whites, and lower as compared to high socioeconomic status (SES). The rate of PCI in STEMI patients increased from 32.8% in 2002 to 67.8% in 2016 (APC = 5.392%, 95% CI [4.384–6.411], P < 0.001), but was higher among males as compared to females, urban as compared to rural hospitals and higher as compared to lower SES. In-hospital mortality decreased from 11% in 2002 to 10.5% in 2016 (APC = -0.771%, 95% CI [-1.230 to -0.311], P = 0.003), but remained higher among females, rural hospitals and low SES as compared to their correspondent groups. Among STEMI patients, the prevalence of individual comorbidities was noted to be increasing over the study period. Although there has been a declining trend in the number of STEMI hospitalizations, patients with modifiable risk factors presenting with STEMI has been on the rise. Females, rural communities and lower SES groups need special attention because of greater vulnerability.

Routine varicella vaccination program and hospitalization for herpes zoster in Japan

ABSTRACT Whether reducing exposure to varicella by the implementation of the routine varicella vaccination program for children leads to increased incidence of herpes zoster (HZ) remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to identify the trend in the hospitalization associated with HZ before and after the introduction of routine varicella vaccination by using nationally representative data from an inpatient database in Japan. Data were obtained on the number of inpatients hospitalized for HZ from the “Survey on the effect of the introduction of Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) database” and the total population in Japan from the Population Estimates created by the former Statistics Bureau between fiscal years 2013 and 2018. The data from the DPC hospitals only and all hospitals in the survey were analyzed separately. The trends in the annual incidence of HZ hospitalization were identified. The trends in the annual hospitalization for HZ per 100,000 persons were then analyzed by age group (0–20, 21–40, 41–60, 61–79, and ≥80 years of age). The annual number of hospitalizations for HZ was approximately 20,000 in the DPC hospitals and 25,000 in all hospitals, showing no upward trend. The age-specific annual hospitalization rate for HZ did not increase in all the age groups. As age increased, the hospitalization rate also increased. This study presents no upward trend in the hospitalizations for HZ after the implementation of the routine varicella vaccination program in Japan.

P-121: Healthcare resource utilization and morbidities in patients with idiopathic Multicentric Castleman Disease

<h3>Background</h3> Human herpesvirus-8-negative/idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) is a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by a proinflammatory hypercytokinemic state with a wide range of systemic manifestations ranging from generalized lymphadenopathy to death in severe cases. Limited data have shown increased prevalence of organ dysfunction and cancers in iMCD patients. The objective of this study was to assess healthcare resource utilization and patterns of iMCD-related morbidities in a real-world setting. <h3>Methods</h3> Retrospective analysis of administrative claims for <i>~</i>31 million US patients enrolled from 1/1/2017-12/31/2019. Patients were identified as iMCD if they had an ICD-10 code for Castleman disease (CD) and ≥2 codes corresponding to minor criteria from the iMCD consensus diagnostic criteria. Exclusion criteria were history of HIV or HHV-8. Index diagnosis date (IDD) was defined as the first time a patient received a diagnosis for CD using the new ICD-10 code (D47.Z2) or the general ICD-9 code for lymphadenopathy (785.6) that included CD, whichever was diagnosed first between 2006 and 2019. Included patients were followed for up to 5 years from IDD. <h3>Results</h3> We identified 271 iMCD patients, 161 women (59%) and 110 men (41%), mean age 51 years (range: 6-90). Average post-diagnosis follow up was 2.8 years after IDD (range: 0.3-14.1). Within first year of iMCD diagnosis, 49.1% of patients required inpatient hospitalization and 54.6% had at least one emergency room visit. Over a five-year period following initial iMCD diagnosis, patients had an average annual hospitalization rate and emergency room visit rate of 23.9% and 30.5%, respectively. The annual rate of hospitalizations and emergency room visits for the entire database of <i>~</i>31 million patients were 9.0% and 20.6%, respectively. The average annual prevalence of morbidities in the iMCD cohort (vs. prevalence in entire database) was 5.7% (vs. 0.3%) for hematologic malignancies, 4.6% (vs. 2.5%) for non-hematologic malignancies, 3.9% (vs. 0.6%) for thromboses, 2.6% (vs. 0.6%) for renal failure, and 1.9% (vs. 0.5%) for respiratory failure. Based on an average annual iMCD incidence of 3.1 (95% CI, 1.2-9.0) cases per million and average prevalence of 9.7 (95% CI, 5.3-18.6) cases per million, we estimated the average duration of documented disease as 3.1 years after diagnosis. <h3>Conclusion</h3> We found a high rate of hospitalizations, emergency room visits, organ dysfunction, and malignancy in the five years following iMCD diagnosis, compared to the general population. The average duration of documented disease was 3.1 years, which may reflect a combination of poor survival, changes in health insurance, miscoding, or resolution of symptomatic disease. Further studies are needed to compare outcomes to age-matched controls and determine whether these adverse outcomes are broadly seen across iMCD patients or instead attributable to a smaller subset of more severe cases.

Modelling the influenza disease burden in people aged 50-64 and ≥65 years in Australia.

BackgroundEstimation of influenza disease burden is necessary to monitor the impact of intervention programmes. This study aims to estimate the attributable fraction of respiratory and circulatory disease due to influenza among Australian adults 50–64 and ≥65 years of age.MethodsA semi‐parametric generalised‐additive model was used to estimate annual and average rate of influenza‐attributable hospitalisation and death per 100,000 population under the principal diagnosis of influenza/pneumonia, respiratory, circulatory and myocardial infarction (MI) from 2001 through 2017.ResultsOver the study period, seasonal influenza accounted for an estimated annual average respiratory hospitalisation rate of 78.9 (95%CI: 76.3, 81.4) and 287.5 (95%CI: 279.8, 295.3) per 100,000 population in adults aged 50–64 and ≥65 years, respectively. The corresponding respiratory mortality rates were 0.9 (95%CI: 0.7, 1.2) and 18.2 (95%CI: 16.9, 19.4) per 100,000 population. The 2017 season had the highest influenza‐attributable respiratory hospitalisations in both age groups, and respiratory complications were estimated approximately 2.5 times higher than the average annual estimate in adults aged ≥65 years in 2017. For mortality, on average, influenza attributed 1,080 circulatory and 361 MI deaths in adults aged ≥65 years per year. Influenza accounted for 1% and 2.8% of total MI deaths in adults aged 50–64 and ≥65 years, respectively.ConclusionRates of cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality were high in older adults, whilst the younger age group contributed a lower disease burden. Extension of influenza vaccination programme beyond the targeted population could be an alternative strategy to reduce the burden of influenza.

The Impact of Language on Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations, and Length of Stay Among Home Care Recipients.

Research considering the impact of language on health care utilization is limited. We conducted a population-based study to: (1) investigate the association between residents' preferred language and hospital-based health care utilization; and (2) determine whether this association is modified by dementia, a condition which can exacerbate communication barriers. We used administrative databases to establish a retrospective cohort study of home care recipients (2015-2017) in Ontario, Canada, where the predominant language is English. Residents' preferred language (obtained from in-person home care assessments) was coded as English (Anglophones), French (Francophones), or other (Allophones). Diagnoses of dementia were ascertained with a previously validated algorithm. We identified all emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations within 1 year. Compared with Anglophones, Allophones had lower annual rates of ED visits (1.3 vs. 1.8; P<0.01) and hospitalizations (0.6 vs. 0.7; P<0.01), while Francophones had longer hospital stays (9.1 vs. 7.6 d per admission; P<0.01). After adjusting for potential confounders, Francophones and Allophones were less likely to visit the ED or be hospitalized than Anglophones. We found evidence of synergism between language and dementia; the average length of stay for Francophones with dementia was 25% (95% confidence interval: 1.10-1.39) longer when compared with Anglophones without dementia. Residents whose preferred language was not English were less frequent users of hospital-based health care services, a finding that is likely attributable to cultural factors. Francophones with dementia experienced the longest stays in hospital. This may be related to the geographic distribution of Francophones (predominantly in rural areas) or to suboptimal patient-provider communication.

Recent Trends in Infective Endocarditis Among Patients with and Without Injection Drug Use: An Eight-Year Single Center Study

BackgroundInfective endocarditis (IE) is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Given the opioid crisis and emergence of drug-resistant organisms, we sought to examine annual trends in hospitalization rates for IE and potential epidemiologic shift in the causative microorganisms among patients with and without injection drug use (IDU). MethodsThis was a single-center retrospective cohort study of hospitalized adults with IE. Annual trends in hospitalization rates were calculated (2011-2018), and patient characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared according to IDU status. ResultsOur cohort of 244 hospitalized patients with IE had a subset of 112 with IDU. The annual hospitalization rate for IE increased almost four-fold and was most notable among patients with IDU. The highest increase occurred in patients with Staphylococcus aureus-associated IE. Patients with IDU were younger, and more likely to be women with tricuspid valve vegetations and have IE due to methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Patients without IDU were more likely to have central venous catheters with mitral and aortic valve vegetations and have IE due to Streptococcus and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species. Patients without IDU had a higher requirement for cardiac surgery and higher 90-day mortality. Age was the only independent variable associated with 90-day mortality. ConclusionsThe rising incidence of IE in younger and older persons is driven in part by the opioid public health crisis and higher prevalence of indwelling central venous catheters, respectively. Timely treatment of opioid use disorders and stewardship surrounding use of central venous catheters is urgently needed.

Excess respiratory mortality and hospitalizations associated with influenza in Australia, 2007-2015.

Influenza is the most common vaccine-preventable disease in Australia, causing significant morbidity and mortality. We assessed the burden of influenza across all ages in terms of influenza-associated mortality and hospitalizations using national mortality, hospital-discharge and influenza surveillance data. Influenza-associated excess respiratory mortality and hospitalization rates from 2007 to 2015 were estimated using generalized additive models with a proxy of influenza activity based on syndromic and laboratory surveillance data. Estimates were made for each age group and year. The estimated mean annual influenza-associated excess respiratory mortality was 2.6 per 100 000 population [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.8, 3.4 per 100 000 population]. The excess annual respiratory hospitalization rate was 57.4 per 100 000 population (95% CI: 32.5, 82.2 per 100 000 population). The highest mortality rates were observed among those aged ≥75 years (35.11 per 100 000 population; 95% CI: 19.93, 50.29 per 100 000 population) and hospitalization rates were also highest among older adults aged ≥75 years (302.95 per 100 000 population; 95% CI: 144.71, 461.19 per 100 000 population), as well as children aged <6 months (164.02 per 100 000 population; 95% CI: -34.84, 362.88 per 100 000 population). Annual variation was apparent, ranging from 1.0 to 3.9 per 100 000 population for mortality and 24.2 to 94.28 per 100 000 population for hospitalizations. Influenza A contributed to almost 80% of the average excess respiratory hospitalizations and 60% of the average excess respiratory deaths. Influenza causes considerable burden to all Australians. Expected variation was observed among age groups, years and influenza type, with the greatest burden falling to older adults and young children. Understanding the current burden is useful for understanding the potential impact of mitigation strategies, such as vaccination.

Hospitalization Risk for Medicare Beneficiaries With Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease

BackgroundNontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) is an uncommon mycobacterial infection characterized by worsening lung function and increased health care resource utilization; however, the overall risk for hospitalization among patients with NTM-PD remains unclear.Research QuestionWhat is the hospitalization risk among older adults with NTM-PD?Study Design and MethodsA retrospective, nested, case-control study was conducted by using the Medicare claims database. Cases were defined as patients with ≥ 2 NTM-PD claims ≥ 30 days apart between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2015. The study included individuals aged ≥ 65 years with ≥ 12 months of continuous enrollment in both Parts A and B before the first NTM-PD diagnosis. Cases were matched 1:2 to Medicare beneficiaries without NTM-PD (control subjects) according to age and sex. Hospitalizations following the first NTM-PD claim were compared between case and control subjects by using univariate and multivariate analyses.ResultsA total of 35,444 case subjects and 65,467 matched control subjects (mean age, 76.6 years; 70% female; ≥ 87% White) were identified. Baseline comorbidities, particularly pulmonary comorbidities, were more common in case subjects than in control subjects (81.1% vs 17.7% for COPD; 44.6% vs 0.6% for bronchiectasis). All-cause hospitalization was observed in 65.7% of case subjects and 44.9% of control subjects. Unadjusted annual hospitalization rates were significantly (P < .05) greater among case subjects than control subjects. Case subjects also had a significantly shorter time to hospitalization than control subjects. The increased burden due to hospitalization was reflected in multivariate analysis adjusting for baseline comorbidities. All-cause hospitalization in patients with NTM-PD relative to control subjects was 1.2 times more likely (relative risk, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.21-1.25; P < .0001) with a 46% greater hazard (hazard ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.43-1.50; P < .0001).InterpretationPatients with NTM-PD were significantly more likely to be hospitalized, had greater annualized hospitalization rates, and had shorter time to hospitalization than age- and sex-matched control subjects without NTM-PD. These findings highlight the significantly increased burden of hospitalizations among patients with NTM-PD.

Machine learning directed interventions associate with decreased hospitalization rates in hemodialysis patients

BackgroundAn integrated kidney disease company uses machine learning (ML) models that predict the 12-month risk of an outpatient hemodialysis (HD) patient having multiple hospitalizations to assist with directing personalized interdisciplinary interventions in a Dialysis Hospitalization Reduction Program (DHRP). We investigated the impact of risk directed interventions in the DHRP on clinic-wide hospitalization rates. MethodsWe compared the hospital admission and day rates per-patient-year (ppy) from all hemodialysis patients in 54 DHRP and 54 control clinics identified by propensity score matching at baseline in 2015 and at the end of the pilot in 2018. We also used paired T test to compare the between group difference of annual hospitalization rate and hospitalization days rates at baseline and end of the pilot. ResultsThe between group difference in annual hospital admission and day rates was similar at baseline (2015) with a mean difference between DHRP versus control clinics of −0.008 ± 0.09 ppy and −0.05 ± 0.96 ppy respectively. The between group difference in hospital admission and day rates became more distinct at the end of follow up (2018) favoring DHRP clinics with the mean difference being −0.155 ± 0.38 ppy and −0.97 ± 2.78 ppy respectively. A paired t-test showed the change in the between group difference in hospital admission and day rates from baseline to the end of the follow up was statistically significant (t-value = 2.73, p-value < 0.01) and (t-value = 2.29, p-value = 0.02) respectively. ConclusionsThese findings suggest ML model-based risk-directed interdisciplinary team interventions associate with lower hospitalization rates and hospital day rate in HD patients, compared to controls.

Burden of pneumonia in patients with viral and bacterial coinfection in Spain during six consecutive influenza seasons, from 2009–10 to 2014–15

PurposeLower respiratory infections remain the most lethal communicable disease worldwide. Viral and bacterial coinfections (VBC) are common complications in patients with seasonal influenza and are associated with around 25% of all influenza-related deaths. The burden of pneumonia in patients with VBC in Spain is poorly characterized. To address this question, we aimed to provide population data over a period of six consecutive influenza seasons, from 2009–10 to 2014–15. MethodsWe used the discharge report from the Minimum Basic Data Set (MBDS), published annually by the Spanish Ministry of Health, to retrospectively analyse hospital discharge data in individuals aged ≥60 years with a diagnosis of pneumonia and influenza, based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9-CM codes 480–486 and 487–488, respectively), from 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2015. ResultsIn total, 1933 patients ≥60 years old were hospitalized for pneumonia and influenza, of whom 55.2% were male. The median age was 74 years (interquartile range [IRQ] 15); half of the patients were ≥75 years old. Influenza was the main diagnosis in 64.4% of the patients, and all–cause pneumonia in 15.8%, half of whom were assigned a diagnostic code for pneumococcal pneumonia. The mean annual hospitalization rate was 2.99 per 100,000 population (95% CI 2.9–3.1) throughout the study period, while the highest rate, 5.6 per 100,000 population (95% CI 5.2–6.0), was observed in the 2013–14 season. The mean annual mortality rate was 0.5 deaths per 100,000 population (95% CI 0.4–0.6) and in-hospital case fatality rate was 16.1% (95% CI 14.5–17.8). ConclusionsIn Spain, community-acquired pneumonia and influenza continue to be an important cause of hospitalization and mortality in patients over 60 years of age. There is an urgent need to further develop prevention strategies such as joint vaccination for both pathologies.

P 55. Epidemiology, Healthcare Resource Use, and Mortality in Patients with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex: A Population-Based Study on German Health Insurance Data

Introduction. Retrospective, 10-year (2007−2016) study reporting prevalence, patient characteristics, cost, hospitalisation, length of stay (LOS), medication, and mortality for patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a rare, multisystemic, genetic disorder. Methods. Patients with TSC were identified from the German Vilua Healthcare research database (anonymised health insurance data for >4 million individuals) using International Classification of Disease (ICD)-10 code Q85.1. Epilepsy was identified by ≥1 epilepsy ICD code (G40*/G41*) or ≥1 antiepileptic drug (AED) prescription after TSC diagnosis. Mortality was compared with age-, sex-, and time-matched controls. Results. In 2016, 100 patients with TSC (mean [range] age: 38 [1–86] years; male: 40%) were identified. Standardised prevalence of TSC was 7.9 per 100,000 people and 2.2 per 100,000 for TSC with epilepsy. Other TSC manifestations and comorbidities (apart from epilepsy) were identified more frequently in patients with epilepsy than in those without. From 2007−2016, mean annual healthcare costs were €6,139 per patient-year (PPY), mostly attributable to medication (€2,144, 35%) and inpatient care (€1,807, 29%). Patients with epilepsy incurred greater total annual costs than those without (€9,091 vs. €4,583 PPY). Mean (SD; range) annual hospitalisation rate (all TSC patients) was 0.5 (1.0; 0–9) with LOS 5.9 (18.6; 0–264) days PPY. Mean (SD; range) annual hospitalisation rate was numerically greater in patients with epilepsy than without (0.7 [1.2; 0–8] vs. 0.4 [0.8; 0–9]) PPY), as was LOS (8.4 [21.4; 0–183] vs. 4.6 [16.8; 0–264] days PPY). In patients with TSC, mean (SD; range) number of different medications prescribed: 6.3 (5.1; 1–33) PPY and 19.2 (14.4; 1–83) per patient over the entire observable time. In patients with TSC and epilepsy, 3 (2.3; 1–11) different AEDs were prescribed over the entire observable time. Mortality rates (vs. control): all TSC 5.08% (1.69%), p<0.001; with epilepsy 7.53% (0.98%), p<0.001; without epilepsy 3.68% (2.03%), p=0.003. Conclusions . Healthcare costs, resource utilisation and mortality were higher in patients with TSC and epilepsy versus those without. Occurrence of epilepsy in patients with TSC was lower than previously reported; population-based, rather than epilepsy centre-based, patient selection may somewhat explain this finding. Patients without epilepsy had a lower incidence of TSC-related manifestations indicating a milder TSC cohort, which may be a result of increased familial genetic screening in Germany.

Hospital-Initiated Care Bundle, Posthospitalization Care, and Outcomes in Adults with Asthma Exacerbation

Hospitalization for asthma exacerbation is an opportune setting for initiating preventive efforts. However, hospital-initiated preventive asthma care remains underdeveloped and its effectiveness is uncertain. To examine the effectiveness of a hospital-initiated asthma care bundle on posthospitalization asthma care and clinical outcomes. Prospective multicenter study of adults (18-54 years) hospitalized for asthma exacerbation in 2017 to 2019. During the hospitalization, we implemented an asthma-care bundle (inpatient laboratory testing, asthma education, and discharge care), and prospectively measured chronic asthma care (eg, immunoglobulin E testing, specialist care) and asthma exacerbation (ie, systemic corticosteroid use, emergency department [ED] visit, hospitalizations) outcomes. By applying a self-controlled case series method, we examined within-person changes in these outcomes before (2-year period) and after (1-year period) the bundle implementation. Of 103 adults hospitalized for asthma exacerbation, the median age was 40 years and 72% were female. Compared with the preimplementation period, the postimplementation period had improved posthospitalized asthma care, including serum specific immunoglobulin E testing (rate ratio [RR] 2.18; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.99-4.84; P= .051) and evaluation by asthma specialist (RR 2.66; 95% CI 1.77-4.04; P<.001). Likewise, after care bundle implementation, patients had significantly lower annual rates of systemic corticosteroid use (4.2 vs 2.9 per person-year; RR 0.70; 95% CI 0.61-0.80; P<.001), ED visits (3.2 vs 2.7 per person-year; RR 0.83; 95% CI 0.72-0.95; P= .008), and hospitalizations (2.1 vs 1.8 per person-year; RR 0.82; 95% CI 0.69-0.97; P= .02). Stratified analyses by sex, race and ethnicity, and health insurance yielded consistent results. After hospital-initiated care bundle implementation, patients had improved posthospitalization care and reduced rates of asthma exacerbation.