Where Adults with Congenital Heart Disease Die: Insights from the CDC-WONDER Database

Curr Probl Cardiol. 2022 Nov;47(11):101344. doi: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2022.101344. Epub 2022 Jul 31.

Abstract

The population of adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) is rapidly increasing. There is limited understanding of location of death and associated disparities in these patients. From 2005-2018, a trend-level analysis was performed using death certificate data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research Database, with individual-level mortality data obtained from National Center for Health Statistics. Places of death were classified as hospital, home, hospice facility, nursing home/long-term care and other. A total of 15,507 total deaths were identified in ACHD from 2005-2018 (54% Male, 84% White). ACHD patients were more likely to die in the hospital (64%) compared to general population (41%). Younger decedents (20-34) with ACHD were more likely to die in the hospital, while older decedents (≥65) were more likely to die at Hospice/Nursing facilities. Black and Hispanic patients with ACHD were more likely to die in the hospital compared to White and non-Hispanic patients. A significantly large proportion of ACHD deaths are observed in younger patients and occur in inpatient facilities. End-of-life planning among socially vulnerable populations should be prioritized.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.
  • Female
  • Heart Defects, Congenital* / epidemiology
  • Hospices*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Nursing Homes
  • United States / epidemiology