Background: Inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) use is common after a venous thromboembolic event (VTE). Cancer is associated with higher rates of VTEs and is also seen in a significant proportion of patients requiring IVCF. As hospital readmissions remain a frequently scrutinized metric, we sought to evaluate the impact of cancer on hospital-readmission rates and in-hospital outcomes among patients with VTEs who received an IVCF.
Methods: Leveraging the 2013 to 2014 Nationwide Readmission Database, we identified adult patients presenting with a VTE in the United States and evaluated 30-day readmission rates and readmission in-hospital outcomes postindex-admission. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with readmission after an index-procedure, including traditional and nontraditional cardiovascular risk factors, as well as hospital-level characteristics.
Results: Among the 619 241 patients presenting with a VTE at index-admission, 11.2% of patients received IVCF on index-admission, of which 30.9% had cancer. The 30-day readmission rate amongst IVCF recipients was 15.8% (N = 10 927), and 19.9% amongst those with cancer compared to 13.9% in patients without cancer (P < .001). Moreover, cancer patients had longer lengths of stay in the hospital (4.5 ± 0.2 vs 4.0 ± 0.1 days; P = .02), higher cost of care ($10 900 ± 308 vs $9242 ± 206; P = .007), but no difference in mortality (8.3% vs 6.3%; P = .70) during readmission compared to noncancer patients.
Conclusion: Readmission after IVCF placement is common. In patients readmitted after an IVCF implantation, those with cancer have longer hospital stays and higher costs of care. However, in-hospital mortality is similar to those without cancer.
Keywords: cancer; cardio-oncology; inferior vena cava filters; readmissions; venous thromboembolism.
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