Systematic review of validation studies of the use of administrative data to identify serious infections

The validity of electronic health data for measuring smoking status: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Smoking is a risk factor for many chronic diseases. Multiple smoking status ascertainment algorithms have been developed for population-based electronic health databases such as administrative databases and electronic medical records (EMRs). Evidence syntheses of algorithm validation studies have often focused on chronic diseases rather than risk factors. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of smoking status ascertainment algorithms to describe the characteristics and validity of these algorithms.

METHODS

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. We searched articles published from 1990 to 2022 in EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science with key terms such as validity, administrative data, electronic health records, smoking, and tobacco use. The extracted information, including article characteristics, algorithm characteristics, and validity measures, was descriptively analyzed. Sources of heterogeneity in validity measures were estimated using a meta-regression model. Risk of bias (ROB) in the reviewed articles was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool.

RESULTS

The initial search yielded 2086 articles; 57 were selected for review and 116 algorithms were identified. Almost three-quarters (71.6%) of algorithms were based on EMR data. The algorithms were primarily constructed using diagnosis codes for smoking-related conditions, although prescription medication codes for smoking treatments were also adopted. About half of the algorithms were developed using machine-learning models. The pooled estimates of positive predictive value, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.843, 0.672, and 0.918 respectively. Algorithm sensitivity and specificity were highly variable and ranged from 3 to 100% and 36 to 100%, respectively. Model-based algorithms had significantly greater sensitivity (p = 0.006) than rule-based algorithms. Algorithms for EMR data had higher sensitivity than algorithms for administrative data (p = 0.001). The ROB was low in most of the articles (76.3%) that underwent the assessment.

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple algorithms using different data sources and methods have been proposed to ascertain smoking status in electronic health data. Many algorithms had low sensitivity and positive predictive value, but the data source influenced their validity. Algorithms based on machine-learning models for multiple linked data sources have improved validity.

Incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and its impact on patient outcomes among adult hospitalized patients with carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative infections who received targeted treatment with a newer β-lactam or β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor-, polymyxin- or aminoglycoside-containing regimen

BACKGROUND

Limited comparative data exist on acute kidney injury (AKI) risk and AKI-associated outcomes in hospitalized patients with carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative infections (CR-GNIs) treated with a newer β-lactam/β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor (BL/BL-BLI)-, polymyxin (PB)- or aminoglycoside (AG)-containing regimen. This study quantified the risk of AKI and AKI-related outcomes among patients with CR-GNIs treated with a newer BL/BL-BLI-, PB- or AG-containing regimen.

METHODS

A multicentre, retrospective, observational study was performed (2016-20). The study included adult hospitalized patients with (i) baseline estimated glomerular filtration rates ≥30 mL/min/1.73 m2; (ii) CR-GN pneumonia, complicated urinary tract infection or bloodstream infection; and (iii) receipt of newer BL/BL-BLI, PG or AG within 7 days of index CR-GN culture for ≥3 days. Outcomes included AKI, in-hospital mortality and hospital costs.

RESULTS

The study included 750 patients and most (48%) received a newer BL/BL-BLI. The median (IQR) treatment duration was 8 (5-11), 5 (4-8) and 7 (4-8) days in the newer BL/BL-BLI group, AG group and PB group, respectively. The PB group had the highest adjusted AKI incidence (95% CI) (PB: 25.1% (15.6%-34.6%) versus AG: 8.9% (5.7%-12.2%) versus newer BL/BL-BLI: 11.9% (8.1%-15.7%); P = 0.001). Patients with AKI had significantly higher in-hospital mortality (AKI: 18.5% versus 'No AKI': 5.6%; P = 0.001) and mean hospital costs (AKI: $49 192 versus 'No AKI': $38,763; P = 0.043).

CONCLUSIONS

The AKI incidence was highest among PB patients and patients with AKI had worse outcomes. Healthcare systems should consider minimizing the use of antibiotics that augment AKI risk as a measure to improve outcomes in patients with CR-GNIs.

Risk of severe infections after the introduction of biologic DMARDs in people with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis: a population-based interrupted time-series analysis

OBJECTIVES

To determine the impact of the introduction of biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) on severe infections among people newly diagnosed with RA compared with non-RA individuals.

METHODS

In this population-based retrospective cohort study using administrative data (from 1990-2015) for British Columbia, Canada, all incident RA patients diagnosed between 1995 and 2007 were identified. General population controls with no inflammatory arthritis were matched to RA patients based on age and gender, and were assigned the diagnosis date (i.e. index date) of the RA patients they were matched with. RA/controls were then divided into quarterly cohorts according to their index dates. The outcome of interest was all severe infections necessitating hospitalization or occurring during hospitalization after the index date. We calculated 8-year severe infection rates for each cohort and conducted interrupted time-series analyses to compare severe infection trends in RA/controls with index date during pre-bDMARDs (1995-2001) and post-bDMARDs (2003-2007) periods.

RESULTS

A total of 60 226 and 588 499 incident RA/controls were identified. We identified 14 245 severe infections in RA, and 79 819 severe infections in controls. The 8-year severe infection rates decreased among RA/controls with increasing calendar year of index date in the pre-bDMARDs period, but increased over time only among RA, not controls, with index date in the post-bDMARDs period. The adjusted difference between the pre- and post-bDMARDs secular trends in 8-year severe infection rates was 1.85 (P = 0.001) in RA and 0.12 (P = 0.29) in non-RA.

CONCLUSION

RA onset after bDMARDs introduction was associated with an elevated severe infection risk in RA patients compared with matched non-RA individuals.

Clinical Risk Scores to Predict Nonsusceptibility to Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole, Fluoroquinolone, Nitrofurantoin, and Third-Generation Cephalosporin Among Adult Outpatient Episodes of Complicated Urinary Tract Infection

Background

Clinical risk scores were developed to estimate the risk of adult outpatients having a complicated urinary tract infection (cUTI) that was nonsusceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), fluoroquinolone, nitrofurantoin, or third-generation cephalosporin (3-GC) based on variables available on clinical presentation.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study (1 December 2017-31 December 2020) was performed among adult members of Kaiser Permanente Southern California with an outpatient cUTI. Separate risk scores were developed for TMP-SMX, fluoroquinolone, nitrofurantoin, and 3-GC. The models were translated into risk scores to quantify the likelihood of nonsusceptibility based on the presence of final model covariates in a given cUTI outpatient.

Results

A total of 30 450 cUTIs (26 326 patients) met the study criteria. Rates of nonsusceptibility to TMP-SMX, fluoroquinolone, nitrofurantoin, and 3-GC were 37%, 20%, 27%, and 24%, respectively. Receipt of prior antibiotics was the most important predictor across all models. The risk of nonsusceptibility in the TMP-SMX model exceeded 20% in the absence of any risk factors, suggesting that empiric use of TMP-SMX may not be advisable. For fluoroquinolone, nitrofurantoin, and 3-GC, clinical risk scores of 10, 7, and 11 predicted a ≥20% estimated probability of nonsusceptibility in the models that included cumulative number of prior antibiotics at model entry. This finding suggests that caution should be used when considering these agents empirically in patients who have several risk factors present in a given model at presentation.

Conclusions

We developed high-performing parsimonious risk scores to facilitate empiric treatment selection for adult outpatients with cUTIs in the critical period between infection presentation and availability of susceptibility results.

Epidemiology of Complicated Urinary Tract Infections due to Enterobacterales among Adult Patients Presenting in Emergency Departments Across the United States

In this multicenter study of adult patients who presented to the emergency department with an Enterobacterales complicated urinary tract infection (cUTI), high rates of resistance and co-resistance to commonly used oral antibiotics (fluoroquinolones, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, nitrofurantoin, and third-generation cephalosporins) were observed.

Retrospective Cohort Study of the 12-Month Epidemiology, Treatment Patterns, Outcomes, and Healthcare Costs Among Adult Patients with Complicated Urinary Tract Infections

Background

Limited data are available in the United States on the 12-month epidemiology, outpatient (OP) antibiotic treatment patterns, outcomes, and costs associated with complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs) in adult patients.

Methods

A retrospective observational cohort study of adult patients with incident cUTIs in IBM MarketScan Databases between 2017 and 2019 was performed. Patients were categorized as OP or inpatient (IP) based on initial setting of care for index cUTI and were stratified by age (<65 years vs ≥65 years). OP antibiotic treatment patterns, outcomes, and costs associated with cUTIs among adult patients over a 12-month follow-up period were examined.

Results

During the study period, 95 322 patients met inclusion criteria. Most patients were OPs (84%) and age <65 years (87%). Treatment failure (receipt of new unique OP antibiotic or cUTI-related ED visit/IP admission) occurred in 23% and 34% of OPs aged <65 years and ≥65 years, respectively. Treatment failure was observed in >38% of IPs, irrespective of age. Across both cohorts and age strata, >78% received ≥2 unique OP antibiotics, >34% received ≥4 unique OP antibiotics, >16% received repeat OP antibiotics, and >33% received ≥1 intravenous (IV) OP antibiotics. The mean 12-month cUTI-related total health care costs were $4697 for OPs age <65 years, $8924 for OPs age >65 years, $15 401 for IPs age <65 years, and $17 431 for IPs age ≥65 years.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the substantial 12-month health care burden associated with cUTIs and underscore the need for new outpatient treatment approaches that reduce the persistent or recurrent nature of many cUTIs.

PhenoDEF: a corpus for annotating sentences with information of phenotype definitions in biomedical literature

Background

Adverse events induced by drug-drug interactions are a major concern in the United States. Current research is moving toward using electronic health record (EHR) data, including for adverse drug events discovery. One of the first steps in EHR-based studies is to define a phenotype for establishing a cohort of patients. However, phenotype definitions are not readily available for all phenotypes. One of the first steps of developing automated text mining tools is building a corpus. Therefore, this study aimed to develop annotation guidelines and a gold standard corpus to facilitate building future automated approaches for mining phenotype definitions contained in the literature. Furthermore, our aim is to improve the understanding of how these published phenotype definitions are presented in the literature and how we annotate them for future text mining tasks.

Results

Two annotators manually annotated the corpus on a sentence-level for the presence of evidence for phenotype definitions. Three major categories (inclusion, intermediate, and exclusion) with a total of ten dimensions were proposed characterizing major contextual patterns and cues for presenting phenotype definitions in published literature. The developed annotation guidelines were used to annotate the corpus that contained 3971 sentences: 1923 out of 3971 (48.4%) for the inclusion category, 1851 out of 3971 (46.6%) for the intermediate category, and 2273 out of 3971 (57.2%) for exclusion category. The highest number of annotated sentences was 1449 out of 3971 (36.5%) for the “Biomedical & Procedure” dimension. The lowest number of annotated sentences was 49 out of 3971 (1.2%) for “The use of NLP”. The overall percent inter-annotator agreement was 97.8%. Percent and Kappa statistics also showed high inter-annotator agreement across all dimensions.

Conclusions

The corpus and annotation guidelines can serve as a foundational informatics approach for annotating and mining phenotype definitions in literature, and can be used later for text mining applications.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13326-022-00272-6.

Trends and Factors Associated With Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: A National Perspective

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a hospital-acquired pneumonia that occurs more than 48 hours after mechanical ventilation. Studies showing temporal trends, predictors, and outcomes of VAP are very limited.

Objective: We used the National database to delineate the trends and predictors of VAP from 2009 to 2017.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) for adult hospitalizations who received mechanical ventilation (MV) by using ICD-9/10-CM procedures codes. We excluded hospitalizations with length of stay (LOS) less than two days. VAP and other diagnoses of interest were identified by ICD-9/10-CM diagnosis codes. We then utilized the Cochran Armitage trend test and multivariate survey logistic regression models to analyze the data.

Results: Out of a total of 5,155,068 hospitalizations who received mechanical ventilation, 93,432 (1.81%) developed VAP. Incidence of VAP decreased from 20/1000 in 2008 to 17/1000 in 2017 with a 5% decrease. Patients who developed VAP had lower mean age (59 vs 61; p<0.001) and higher LOS (25 days vs. 12 days; p<0.001). In multivariable regression analysis, we identified that males, African Americans, teaching hospitals and co-morbidities like neurological disorders, pulmonary circulation disorders and electrolyte disorders are associated with the increased odds of developing VAP. VAP was also associated with higher rates of discharge to facilities and increased LOS.

Conclusion: Our study identified the trends along with the risk predictors of VAP in MV patients. Our goal is to lay the foundation for further in-depth analysis of this trend for better risk stratification and development of preventive strategies to reduce the incidence of VAP among MV patients.

Disease Severity and Risk Factors of 30-Day Hospital Readmission in Pediatric Hospitalizations for Pneumonia

Pneumonia is the leading cause of hospitalization in pediatric patients. Disease severity greatly influences pneumonia progression and adverse health outcomes such as hospital readmission. Hospital readmissions have become a measure of healthcare quality to reduce excess expenditures. The aim of this study was to examine 30-day all-cause readmission rates and evaluate the association between pneumonia severity and readmission among pediatric pneumonia hospitalizations. Using 2018 Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD), we conducted a cross-sectional study of pediatric hospitalizations for pneumonia. Pneumonia severity was defined by the presence of respiratory failure, sepsis, mechanical ventilation, dependence on long-term supplemental oxygen, and/or respiratory intubation. Outcomes of interest were 30-day all-cause readmission, length of stay, and cost. The rate of 30-day readmission for the total sample was 5.9%, 4.7% for non-severe pneumonia, and 8.7% for severe pneumonia (p < 0.01). Among those who were readmitted, hospitalizations for severe pneumonia had a longer length of stay (6.5 vs. 5.4 days, p < 0.01) and higher daily cost (USD 3246 vs. USD 2679, p < 0.01) than admissions for non-severe pneumonia. Factors associated with 30-day readmission were pneumonia severity, immunosuppressive conditions, length of stay, and hospital case volume. To reduce potentially preventable readmissions, clinical interventions to improve the disease course and hospital system interventions are necessary.

Increased risk of severe infections and mortality in patients with newly diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus: a population-based study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the risk of severe infection and infection-related mortality among patients with newly diagnosed SLE.

METHODS

We conducted an age- and gender-matched cohort study of all patients with incident SLE between 1 January 1997 and 31 March 2015 using administrative health data from British Columbia, Canada. Primary outcome was the first severe infection after SLE onset necessitating hospitalization or occurring during hospitalization. Secondary outcomes were total number of severe infections and infection-related mortality.

RESULTS

We identified 5169 SLE patients and matched them with 25 845 non-SLE individuals from the general population, yielding 955 and 1986 first severe infections during 48 367 and 260 712 person-years follow-up, respectively. The crude incidence rate ratios for first severe infection and infection-related mortality were 2.59 (95% CI: 2.39, 2.80) and 2.20 (95% CI: 1.76, 2.73), respectively. The corresponding adjusted hazard ratios were 1.82 (95% CI: 1.66, 1.99) and 1.61 (95% CI: 1.24, 2.08). SLE patients had an increased risk of a greater total number of severe infections with crude rate ratio of 3.24 (95% CI: 3.06, 3.43) and adjusted rate ratio of 2.07 (95% CI: 1.82, 2.36).

CONCLUSION

SLE is associated with increased risks of first severe infection (1.8-fold), a greater total number of severe infections (2.1-fold) and infection-related mortality (1.6-fold).

Infection hospitalisation in systemic lupus in Sweden

Objective

Immune dysregulation in SLE and the corresponding immune-modulating and immunosuppressive nature of the treatments may play key roles in infection risk. We compared serious infection rates among individuals with incident SLE with the general population, and examined the role of treatment initiation in SLE.

Methods

Newly diagnosed patients with SLE (2006–2013) and general population comparators from the Swedish Lupus Linkage cohort were followed for serious infection through 2016. Adjusted Cox and frailty models estimated the relative risk of first and recurrent infections, respectively. Using a new-user design, rates of serious infections were compared between disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) initiators. We then evaluated three DMARDs (azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil and methotrexate) in multivariable-adjusted models.

Results

Individuals with SLE experienced more infections (22% vs 6%), especially during the first year of follow-up, and recurrent serious infections were also more common (HR=2.22, 95% CI 1.93 to 2.56). DMARDs were associated with a higher rate of serious infection versus HCQ (HR=1.82, 95% CI 1.27 to 2.60), which attenuated after multivariable-adjustment (HR=1.30, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.95). Among DMARDs, azathioprine was associated with infection (HR=2.19, 95% CI 1.14 to 4.21) and mycophenolate mofetil yielded an HR=1.39 (95% CI 0.65 to 2.96) in multivariable-adjusted models compared with methotrexate. Results were comparable across numerous sensitivity analyses.

Conclusion

Individuals with incident SLE were 2–4 times more likely to be hospitalised for infection and experienced more recurrent infections than the general population. Among DMARD initiators, azathioprine was associated with the highest rate.

Utilization Trends and Predictors of Non-invasive and Invasive Ventilation During Hospitalization Due to Community-Acquired Pneumonia

BACKGROUND

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) are most important interventions for patients with severe CAP associated with respiratory failure. We analysed utilization trends and predictors of non-invasive and invasive ventilation in patients hospitalized with CAP.

METHODS

 Nationwide Inpatient Sample and Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data for years 2008-2017 were analysed. Adult hospitalizations due to CAP were identified by previously validated International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) and International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes. We then utilized the Cochran-Armitage trend test and multivariate survey logistic regression models to analyse temporal incidence trends, predictors, and outcomes. We used SAS 9.4 software (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) for analysing data.

RESULTS

Out of a total of 8,385,861 hospitalizations due to CAP, ventilation assistance was required in 552,395 (6.6%). The overall ventilation use increased slightly; however, IMV utilization decreased, while NIV utilization increased. In multivariable regression analysis, males, Asian/others and weekend admissions were associated with higher odds of any ventilation utilization. Concurrent diagnoses of septicemia, congestive heart failure, alcoholism, chronic lung diseases, pulmonary circulatory diseases, diabetes mellitus, obesity and cancer were associated with increased odds of requiring ventilation assistance. Ventilation requirement was associated with high odds of in-hospital mortality and discharge to facility.

CONCLUSION

The use of NIV among CAP patients has increased while IMV use has decreased over the years. We observed numerous factors linked with a higher use of ventilation support. The requirement of ventilation support is also associated with very high chances of mortality and morbidity.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Health Care Administrative Diagnosis Codes to Identify Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Disease: A Systematic Review

Background

Health care administrative database research frequently uses standard medical codes to identify diagnoses or procedures. The aim of this review was to establish the diagnostic accuracy of codes used in administrative data research to identify nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease, including lung disease (NTMLD).

Methods

We searched Ovid Medline, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to April 2019. We included studies assessing the diagnostic accuracy of International Classification of Diseases, 9th edition, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis codes to identify NTM disease and NTMLD. Studies were independently assessed by 2 researchers, and the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 tool was used to assess bias and quality.

Results

We identified 5549 unique citations. Of the 96 full-text articles reviewed, 7 eligible studies of moderate quality (3730 participants) were included in our review. The diagnostic accuracy of ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes to identify NTM disease varied widely across studies, with positive predictive values ranging from 38.2% to 100% and sensitivity ranging from 21% to 93%. For NTMLD, 4 studies reported diagnostic accuracy, with positive predictive values ranging from 57% to 64.6% and sensitivity ranging from 21% to 26.9%.

Conclusions

Diagnostic accuracy measures of codes used in health care administrative data to identify patients with NTM varied across studies. Overall the positive predictive value of ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes alone is good, but the sensitivity is low; this method is likely to underestimate case numbers, reflecting the current limitations of coding systems to capture NTM diagnoses.

Late infectious complications in hematopoietic cell transplantation survivors: a population-based study

Few studies have compared the incidence of infections occurring ≥2 years after hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) with other cancer patients and the general population. In this study, ≥2-year HCT survivors who were Washington residents treated from 1992 through 2009 (n = 1792; median age, 46 years; 52% allogeneic; 90% hematologic malignancies) were matched to individuals from the state cancer registry (n = 5455, non-HCT) and driver's license files (n = 16 340; Department of Licensing [DOL]). Based on hospital and death registry codes, incidence rate ratios (IRRs; 95% confidence interval [CI]) of infections by organism type and organ system were estimated using Poisson regression. With 7-year median follow-up, the incidence rate (per 1000 person-years) of all infections was 65.4 for HCT survivors vs 39.6 for the non-HCT group (IRR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.3-1.9) and 7.2 for DOL (IRR, 10.0; 95% CI, 8.3-12.1). Bacterial and fungal infections were each 70% more common in HCT vs non-HCT cancer survivors (IRR, 1.7; P < .01), whereas the risk for viral infection was lower (IRR, 1.4; P = .07). Among potentially vaccine-preventable organisms, the IRR was 3.0 (95% CI, 2.1-4.3) vs the non-HCT group. Although the incidences of all infections decreased with time, the relative risk in almost all categories remained significantly increased in ≥5-year HCT survivors vs other groups. Risk factors for late infection included history of relapse and for some infections, history of chronic graft-versus-host disease. Providers caring for HCT survivors should maintain vigilance for infections and ensure adherence to antimicrobial prophylaxis and vaccination guidelines.

Validity of ICD-10-CM diagnoses to identify hospitalizations for serious infections among patients treated with biologic therapies

PURPOSE

Identifying hospitalizations for serious infections among patients dispensed biologic therapies within healthcare databases is important for post-marketing surveillance of these drugs. We determined the positive predictive value (PPV) of an ICD-10-CM-based diagnostic coding algorithm to identify hospitalization for serious infection among patients dispensed biologic therapy within the FDA's Sentinel Distributed Database.

METHODS

We identified health plan members who met the following algorithm criteria: (1) hospital ICD-10-CM discharge diagnosis of serious infection between July 1, 2016 and August 31, 2018; (2) either outpatient/emergency department infection diagnosis or outpatient antimicrobial treatment within 7 days prior to hospitalization; (3) inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, or rheumatological diagnosis within 1 year prior to hospitalization, and (4) were dispensed outpatient biologic therapy within 90 days prior to admission. Medical records were reviewed by infectious disease clinicians to adjudicate hospitalizations for serious infection. The PPV (95% confidence interval [CI]) for confirmed events was determined after further weighting by the prevalence of the type of serious infection in the database.

RESULTS

Among 223 selected health plan members who met the algorithm, 209 (93.7% [95% CI, 90.1%-96.9%]) were confirmed to have a hospitalization for serious infection. After weighting by the prevalence of the type of serious infection, the PPV of the ICD-10-CM algorithm identifying a hospitalization for serious infection was 80.2% (95% CI, 75.3%-84.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

The ICD-10-CM-based algorithm for hospitalization for serious infection among patients dispensed biologic therapies within the Sentinel Distributed Database had 80% PPV for confirmed events and could be considered for use within pharmacoepidemiologic studies.

Validation of International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification Codes for Identifying Cases of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea

BACKGROUND

While researchers seek to use administrative health data to examine outcomes for individuals with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes used to identify persons with chlamydia and gonorrhea have not been validated. Objectives were to determine the validity of using ICD-10-CM codes to identify individuals with chlamydia and gonorrhea.

METHODS

We used data from electronic health records gathered from public and private health systems from October 1, 2015, to December 31, 2016. Patients were included if they were aged 13 to 44 years and received either (1) laboratory testing for chlamydia or gonorrhea or (2) an ICD-10-CM diagnosis of chlamydia, gonorrhea, or an unspecified STI. To validate ICD-10-CM codes, we calculated positive and negative predictive values, sensitivity, and specificity based on the presence of a laboratory test result. We further examined the timing of clinical diagnosis relative to laboratory testing.

RESULTS

The positive predictive values for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and unspecified STI ICD-10-CM codes were 87.6%, 85.0%, and 32.0%, respectively. Negative predictive values were high (>92%). Sensitivity for chlamydia diagnostic codes was 10.6%, and gonorrhea was 9.7%. Specificity was 99.9% for both chlamydia and gonorrhea. The date of diagnosis occurred on or after the date of the laboratory result for 84.8% of persons with chlamydia, 91.9% for gonorrhea, and 23.5% for unspecified STI.

CONCLUSIONS

Disease-specific ICD-10-CM codes accurately identify persons with chlamydia and gonorrhea. However, low sensitivities suggest that most individuals could not be identified in administrative data alone without laboratory test results.

Antibiotic use and presumptive pathogens in the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System

BACKGROUND

Empirical antibiotic use is common in the hospital. Here, we characterize patterns of antibiotic use, infectious diagnoses, and microbiological lab results among hospitalized patients and aim to quantify the proportion of antibiotic use that is potentially attributable to specific bacterial pathogens.

METHODS

We conducted an observational study using electronic health records from acute care facilities in the United States Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. From October 2017 to September 2018, 482,381 hospitalizations for 332,657 unique patients that met all criteria were included. At least one antibiotic was administered at 202,037 (41.9%) of included hospital stays. We measured frequency of antibiotic use, microbiological specimen collection, and bacterial isolation by diagnosis category and antibiotic group. A tiered system based on specimen collection sites and diagnoses was used to attribute antibiotic use to presumptive causative organisms.

RESULTS

Specimens were collected at 130,012 (64.4%) hospitalizations with any antibiotic use, and at least one bacterial organism was isolated at 35.1% of these stays. Frequency of bacterial isolation varied widely by diagnosis category and antibiotic group. Under increasingly lenient criteria, 10.2% to 31.4% of 974,733 antibiotic days-of-therapy could be linked to a potential bacterial pathogen.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the vast majority of antibiotic use could be linked to either an infectious diagnosis or microbiological specimen. Nearly half of antibiotic use occurred when there was a specimen collected but no bacterial organism identified, underscoring the need for rapid and improved diagnostics to optimize antibiotic use.

Clinical Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Encephalitis in Older Adults

BACKGROUND

Encephalitis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, with unknown etiologies in the majority of patients. Large prognostic studies evaluating elderly patients are currently lacking.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort of encephalitis cases in 19 hospitals from New Orleans, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas, between the years 2000 and 2017.

RESULTS

A total of 340 adult (aged ≥17 years) patients with confirmed encephalitis were enrolled, and 194 (57%) had unknown etiologies. A cerebrospinal fluid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella zoster virus was done in 237 (69%) and 82 (24%) patients, respectively. Furthermore, an arboviral serology was done in 169 (49%) patients and measurements of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibodies were taken in 49 (14%) patients. A total of 172 out of 323 patients (53%) had adverse clinical outcomes (ACOs) at discharge. Older individuals (>65 years of age) had a lower prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus, had a higher number of comorbidities, were less likely to receive adjuvant steroids, were more likely to have a positive arbovirus serology, were more likely to have a positive HSV PCR, were more likely to have abnormal computerized tomography findings, and were more likely to have to have an ACO (all P values < .05). Prognostic factors independently associated with an ACO were age ≥65, fever, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score <13, and seizures (all P values ≤0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Encephalitis in adults remain with unknown etiologies and adverse clinical outcomes in the majority of patients. Independent prognostic factors include age ≥65 years, fever, GCS score <13, and seizures.

Hospitalization With Major Infection and Incidence of End-Stage Renal Disease: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether the incidence of infectious diseases increases the long-term risk for incident end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the general population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In 10,290 participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study who attended visit 4 (1996-1998), we evaluated the association of incident hospitalization with major infections (pneumonia, urinary tract infection, bloodstream infection, and cellulitis and osteomyelitis) with subsequent risk for ESRD through September 30, 2015. Hospitalization with major infection was entered into multivariable Cox models as a time-varying exposure to estimate the hazard ratios.

RESULTS

Mean age was 63 years, and of 10,290 individuals, 56% (n=5781) were women, 22% (n=2252) were black, and 7% (n=666) had an estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. During a median follow-up of 17.4 years, there were 2642 incident hospitalizations with major infection and 281 cases of ESRD (132 cases after hospitalization with major infection). The risk for ESRD was higher following major infection compared with while free of major infection (crude incidence rate, 10.9 vs 1.0 per 1000 person-years). In multivariable time-varying Cox analysis, hospitalization with major infection was associated with a 3.3-fold increased risk for ESRD (hazard ratio, 3.34; 95% CI, 2.56-4.37). The association was similar across pneumonia, urinary tract infection, bloodstream infection, and cellulitis and osteomyelitis, and remained significant across subgroups of age, sex, race, diabetes, history of cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease.

CONCLUSION

Hospitalization with major infection was independently and robustly associated with subsequent risk for ESRD. Whether preventive approaches against infection have beneficial effects on kidney outcomes may deserve future investigations.

Hospitalizations for Community-Acquired and Non-Ventilator-Associated Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia in Spain: Influence of the Presence of Bronchiectasis. A Retrospective Database Study

To examine and compare in-hospital mortality (IHM) of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) among patients with or without bronchiectasis (BQ) using propensity score matching. A retrospective observational epidemiological study using the Spanish Hospital Discharge Records, 2016–17. We identified 257,455 admissions with CAP (3.97% with BQ) and 17,069 with NV-HAP (2.07% with BQ). Patients with CAP and BQ had less comorbidity, lower IHM, and a longer mean length of hospital stay (p < 0.001) than non-BQ patients. They had a higher number of isolated microorganisms, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In patients with BQ and NV-HAP, no differences were observed with respect to comorbidity, in-hospital mortality (IHM), or mean length of stay. P. aeruginosa was more frequent (p = 0.028). IHM for CAP and NV-HAP with BQ was 7.89% and 20.06%, respectively. The factors associated with IHM in CAP with BQ were age, comorbidity, pressure ulcers, surgery, dialysis, and invasive ventilation, whereas in NV-HAP with BQ, the determinants were age, metastatic cancer, need for dialysis, and invasive ventilation. Patients with CAP and BQ have less comorbidity, lower IHM and a longer mean length of hospital stay than non-BQ patients. However, they had a higher number of isolated microorganisms, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In patients with BQ and NV-HAP, no differences were observed with respect to comorbidity, in-hospital mortality, or mean length of stay, but they had a greater frequency of infection by P. aeruginosa than non-BQ patients. Predictors of IHM for both types of pneumonia among BQ patients included dialysis and invasive ventilation.

Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 and Risk of Hospitalization with Infection in Chronic Kidney Disease: The Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study

BACKGROUND

Risk of infectious disease is increased among individuals with CKD. Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is often elevated in CKD, and may impair immune function directly or indirectly through proinflammatory and vitamin D-suppressing pathways. Whether FGF23 is associated with risk of infection has not been evaluated in a CKD population.

METHODS

In 3655 participants of the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort study, we evaluated the association of baseline plasma levels of C-terminal FGF23 with time to first hospitalization with major infection, defined by hospital discharge with a diagnosis code for urinary tract infection, pneumonia, cellulitis/osteomyelitis, or bacteremia/septicemia. Multivariable Cox models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and adjust for confounding.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 6.5 years, 1051 individuals (29%) were hospitalized with major infection. Multivariable Cox analysis indicated a graded increase in the risk of infection with higher levels of FGF23 (HR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.23 to 1.85 with the highest quartile [≥235.9 RU/ml] versus lowest quartile [<95.3 RU/ml]; HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.35 per SD increment in log FGF23). The association was consistent across infection subtypes and demographic and clinical subgroups, and remained significant after additional adjustment for biomarkers of inflammation (IL-6, TNF-α, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and albumin), and bone mineral metabolism (25-hydroxyvitamin D, phosphorus, calcium, and parathyroid hormone). The association was consistent across infection subtypes of urinary tract infection (482 cases), cellulitis/osteomyelitis (422 cases), pneumonia (399 cases), and bacteremia/septicemia (280 cases).

CONCLUSIONS

Among individuals with CKD, higher FGF23 levels were independently and monotonically associated with an increased risk of hospitalization with infection.

Analysis of MarketScan Data for Immunosuppressive Conditions and Hospitalizations for Acute Respiratory Illness, United States

Increasing use of immunosuppressive biologic therapies poses a challenge for infectious diseases. Immunosuppressed patients have a high risk for influenza complications and an impaired immune response to vaccines. The total burden of immunosuppressive conditions in the United States, including those receiving emerging biologic therapies, remains unknown. We used the national claims database MarketScan to estimate the prevalence of immunosuppressive conditions and risk for acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs). We studied 47.2 million unique enrollees, representing 115 million person-years of observation during 2012–2017, and identified immunosuppressive conditions in 6.2% adults 18–64 years of age and 2.6% of children <18 years of age. Among 542,105 ARI hospitalizations, 32% of patients had immunosuppressive conditions. The risk for ARI hospitalizations was higher among enrollees with immunosuppression than among nonimmunosuppressed enrollees. Future efforts should focus on developing improved strategies, including vaccines, for preventing influenza in immunosuppressed patients, who are an increasing population in the United States.

Cancer incidence and risk factors in dialysis patients with human immunodeficiency virus: a cohort study

Background

Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or end-stage renal disease receiving dialysis have an increased risk of developing malignancies, but few data are available on cancer in patients with both conditions. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the incidence of selected malignancies and identify their potential risk factors in HIV-infected dialysis patients.

Methods

This study was a nationwide cohort analysis using the US Renal Data System. Participants included all HIV-infected patients starting dialysis from 2005 to 2011. HIV status, comorbidities and malignancies were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. Descriptive statistics and generalized linear models quantifying risk factors were performed for the overall cohort and the three most common malignancies.

Results

Overall, 6641 HIV-infected dialysis patients were identified, with 543 (8.2%) carrying a malignancy diagnosis. The most common malignancies were non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL, 25%), Kaposi sarcoma (KS, 16%) and colorectal cancer (13%). Factors increasing the risk of any malignancy diagnosis included: history of cancer [adjusted relative risk (aRR) = 5.37], two or more acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-defining opportunistic infections (ADOIs) (aRR = 3.11), one ADOI (aRR = 2.23), cirrhosis (aRR = 2.20), male sex (aRR = 1.54) and hepatitis B (aRR = 1.52). For NHL and colorectal cancer, history of cancer (aRR = 7.05 and 9.80, respectively) was the most significant risk factor. For KS, two or more ADOIs (aRR = 6.78) was the largest risk factor.

Conclusions

Over 8% of HIV-infected dialysis patients developed a malignancy. History of cancer and ADOIs were major risk factors, underscoring the significance of immune dysregulation in malignancy development.

Comparative risk of malignancies and infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis initiating abatacept versus other biologics: a multi-database real-world study

Background

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at an increased risk of developing certain cancers and infections compared with the general population. Biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) are effective treatment options for RA, but limited evidence is available on the comparative risks among b/tsDMARDs. We assessed the risk of malignancies and infections in patients with RA who initiated abatacept versus other b/tsDMARDs in a real-world setting.

Methods

This retrospective, observational study used administrative data from three large US healthcare databases (MarketScan, PharMetrics, and Optum) to identify patients treated with abatacept or other b/tsDMARDs. In both groups, age-stratified incidence rates (IRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for total malignancy and hospitalized infections; propensity score matching and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs for total malignancy, lung cancer, lymphoma, breast cancer, non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), hospitalized infections, opportunistic infections, and tuberculosis (TB), both within individual databases and in meta-analyses across the three databases.

Results

A rounded total of 19.2, 13.6, and 4.2 thousand patients initiating abatacept and 55.3, 40.8, and 13.8 thousand initiating other b/tsDMARDs were identified in the MarketScan, PharMetrics, and Optum databases, respectively. The IRs for total malignancy and hospitalized infections were similar between the two groups in each age stratum. In meta-analyses, total malignancy risk (HR [95% CI] 1.09 [1.02–1.16]) of abatacept versus other b/tsDMARDs was slightly but statistically significantly increased; small, but not statistically significant, increases were seen for lung cancer (1.10 [0.62–1.96]), lymphoma (1.27 [0.94–1.72]), breast cancer (1.15 [0.92–1.45]), and NMSC (1.10 [0.93–1.30]). No significant increase in hospitalized infections (0.96 [0.84–1.09]) or opportunistic infections (1.06 [0.96–1.17]) was seen. For TB, low event counts precluded meta-analysis.

Conclusions

In this real-world multi-database study, the risks for specific cancers and infections did not differ significantly between patients in the abatacept and other b/tsDMARDs groups. The slight increase in total malignancy risk associated with abatacept needs further investigation. These results are consistent with the established safety profile of abatacept.

Risk of Recurrent Peptic Ulcer Disease in Patients Receiving Cumulative Defined Daily Dose of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

The purpose of this population-based case-control study was to clarify the impact of cumulative dosage of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on recurrent peptic ulcers among chronic users after Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication. We analyzed data of 203,407 adult peptic ulcer disease (PUD) patients from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan entered between 1997 and 2013. After matching for age/gender frequencies and the length of follow-up time in a ratio of 1:1, the matched case-control groups comprised 1150 patients with recurrent PUD and 1150 patients without recurrent PUD within 3 years of follow-up. More recurrent PUDs occurred in NSAID users than in the control group (75.30% versus 69.74%; p = 0.0028). Independent risk factors for recurrent PUD included patients using NSAIDs (adjusted OR (aOR): 1.34, p = 0.0040), H. pylori eradication (aOR: 2.73; p < 0.0001), concomitant H2 receptor antagonist (aOR: 1.85; p < 0.0001) and anti-coagulant (aOR: 4.21; p = 0.0242) use. Importantly, in the initial subgroup analysis, the risk ratio of recurrent PUD did not increase in NSAID users after H. pylori eradication compared with that in non-users (p = 0.8490) but a higher risk for recurrent PUD with the increased doses of NSAIDs without H. pylori eradication therapy (aOR: 1.24, p = 0.0424; aOR: 1.47, p = 0.0074; and aOR: 1.64, p = 0.0152 in the groups of ≤28, 29-83, and ≥84 cumulative defined daily doses, respectively). The current study suggested that H. pylori eradication therapy could decrease the risk of recurrent PUD among patients with high cumulative doses of NSAIDs.

Infections Increase the Risk of 30-Day Readmissions Among Stroke Survivors

Background and Purpose- Hospitals are increasingly using 30-day readmission (30dRA) to define the quality of care and reimbursement. We hypothesized that common infections occurring during the stroke stay are associated with 30dRA. Methods- We conducted a weighted analysis of the federally managed 2013 National Readmission Database to assess the relationship between infection during a stroke hospitalization and 30dRA among ischemic stroke survivors. Ischemic stroke, common infections (defined as sepsis, pneumonia, and urinary tract infection), and comorbidities were identified using International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision ( ICD-9) diagnosis codes, and intravenous tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) or intra-arterial therapy was identified using ICD-9 procedure codes. Survey design logistic regression models were fit to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios and 95% CI for the association between infections and 30dRA. Results- Among 319 317 ischemic stroke patients, 12.1% were readmitted within 30 days, and 29% had an infection during their index hospitalization. Patients with infection during their stroke admission had a 21% higher odds of being readmitted than patients without any type of infection (adjusted odds ratio, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.16-1.26). The association between infection and unplanned readmission was similar with an increased odds of unplanned readmission (adjusted odds ratio, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.18-1.29). When assessing specific types of infections, only urinary tract infections were associated with 30dRA in adjusted models (odds ratio, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.04-1.16). Conclusions- In a nationally representative cohort, patients who had a common infection during their stroke hospitalization were at increased odds of being readmitted. Patients with infection may benefit from earlier poststroke follow-up or closer monitoring.

Inhaled Corticosteroids And Risk Of Tuberculosis In Patients With Obstructive Lung Diseases: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Non-randomized Studies

Background

An association between systemic corticosteroids and tuberculosis (TB) is reported in the literature. Here within, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on the risk of TB in patients with obstructive lung diseases.

Methods

The review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42018095874). PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus and Web of Science were searched from inception to September 2018. Papers reporting cases of incident TB in patients with obstructive lung diseases were included; studies without data on ICS use were excluded. Simultaneous use of oral corticosteroids (OCS) and population attributable fraction (PAF) for TB from ICS exposure were also assessed. Data were analyzed using a generic inverse variance method with a random-effects model. ORs with 95% CI were estimated.

Results

Out of 4044 retrieved papers, 9 articles evaluating adult patients only were included in the review. 36,351 patients were prescribed ICS, while 147,171 were not. Any ICS use was associated with an increased risk of TB versus no ICS use (OR=1.46; 95% CI 1.06 to 2.01; p=0.02; I²=96%). A similar result was also found for current ICS use versus prior/no ICS use, as well as for high, moderate and low ICS dose versus no ICS. When simultaneous OCS use was evaluated, the independent contribution of ICS was confirmed only in patients not on OCS (OR=1.63; 95% CI 1.05 to 2.52; p=0.03; I²=94%). Only 0.49% of all TB cases could be attributable to ICS exposure.

Conclusions

Despite the association between ICS and TB, the contribution of this risk factor to the epidemiology of TB seems to be limited. As a consequence, no population-based interventions are warranted. Rather, this risk should be taken into account on an individual basis, particularly in those patients with a high risk of progression from LTBI to TB.

Seizure comorbidity boosts odds of 30-day readmission after an index hospitalization for sepsis

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between comorbid seizures and hospital readmissions within 30 days following an index hospitalization for sepsis.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 445,489 adult discharges derived from the 2014 National Readmission Database, to evaluate the association of an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis of seizure during an index hospitalization for sepsis and 30-day readmission rates. We excluded patients who died during hospitalization and those who had missing information on the length of stay or were discharged in December 2014. Prespecified groups were compared by their 30-day readmission and seizure status. We applied a multivariable logistic regression analysis to assess the independent association between seizure and readmission.

RESULTS

Nearly one out of 15 patients discharged with a primary diagnosis of sepsis had comorbid seizures, of which 97% were status epilepticus. Patients with sepsis and comorbid seizures were 30% more likely to be readmitted within 30-days postdischarge, compared to those with sepsis and no comorbid seizures. Additional factors associated with a significantly higher risk for hospital readmission included male sex, age 45-84 years, increased length of stay and cost of primary admission, greater medical comorbidities, and discharge destination. Patients with seizures during their index hospitalization were significantly more likely to have also had a concurrent stroke or the central nervous system (CNS) infection compared with patients without seizures.

CONCLUSIONS

Seizures are not uncommon, and patients with sepsis and comorbid seizures are 30% more likely to be readmitted within 30-days postdischarge, compared to those with sepsis and no comorbid seizures.

A retrospective cohort study to evaluate the development of comorbidities, including psychiatric comorbidities, among a pediatric psoriasis population

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Compared with the adult psoriasis population, knowledge about the incidence of comorbidities in the pediatric psoriasis population is limited. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and incidence of comorbidities, including psychiatric comorbidities, in patients with pediatric psoriasis.

METHODS

In this claims-based, retrospective cohort study, patients with pediatric psoriasis were matched 1:3 with a nonpsoriasis cohort based on age, sex, and index date (the earliest of inpatient claims or the latter of two outpatient claims).

RESULTS

Obesity, serious infection, and juvenile idiopathic arthropathy had higher prevalence and incidence rates in the psoriasis cohort than the nonpsoriasis cohort. Psychiatric comorbidities were also more common in the psoriasis cohort than the nonpsoriasis cohort, as were ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease. Stratifying the psoriasis cohort by disease severity-mild and moderate-to-severe-found no differences in incidence rates of comorbidities between the two subsets.

CONCLUSION

The incidence rates of many comorbid conditions were higher for patients with pediatric psoriasis compared with patients without pediatric psoriasis, and similar between patients with moderate-to-severe and mild pediatric psoriasis.

The incremental cost of infections associated with multidrug-resistant organisms in the inpatient hospital setting-A national estimate

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the cost of infections associated with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) during inpatient hospitalization in the United States.

DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING

2014 National Inpatient Sample.

STUDY DESIGN

Multivariable regression models assessed the incremental effect of MDROs on the cost of hospitalization and hospital length of stay among patients with bacterial infections.

DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS

We retrospectively identified 6 385 258 inpatient stays for patients with bacterial infection.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

The national incidence rate of inpatient stays with bacterial infection is 20.1 percent. At least 10.8 percent of such stays-and as many as 16.9 percent if we account for undercoded infections-show evidence of one or more MDROs. MRSA, C. difficile, infection with another MDRO, and the presence of more than one MDRO are associated with $1718 (95% CI, $1609-$1826), $4617 (95% CI, $4407-$4827), $2302 (95% CI, $2044-$2560), and $3570 (95% CI, $3019-$4122) in additional costs per stay, respectively. The national cost of infections associated with MDROs is at least $2.39 billion (95% CI, $2.25-$2.52 billion) and as high as $3.38 billion (95% CI, $3.13-$3.62 billion) if we account for undercoded infections.

CONCLUSIONS

Infections associated with MDROs result in a substantial cost burden to the US health care system.

Risk of serious infections in tocilizumab versus other biologic drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a multidatabase cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the rate of serious bacterial, viral or opportunistic infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) starting tocilizumab (TCZ) versus tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) or abatacept.

METHODS

Using claims data from US Medicare from 2010 to 2015, and IMS and MarketScan from 2011 to 2015, we identified adults with RA who initiated TCZ or TNFi (primary comparator)/abatacept (secondary comparator) with prior use of ≥1 different biologic drug or tofacitinib. The primary outcome was hospitalised serious infection (SI), including bacterial, viral or opportunistic infection. To control for >70 confounders, TCZ initiators were propensity score (PS)-matched to TNFi or abatacept initiators. Database-specific HRs were combined by a meta-analysis.

RESULTS

The primary cohort included 16 074 TCZ PS-matched to 33 109 TNFi initiators. The risk of composite SI was not different between TCZ and TNFi initiators (combined HR 1.05, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.16). However, TCZ was associated with an increased risk of serious bacterial infection (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.33), skin and soft tissue infections (HR 2.38, 95% CI 1.47 to 3.86), and diverticulitis (HR 2.34, 95% CI 1.64 to 3.34) versus TNFi. An increased risk of composite SI, serious bacterial infection, diverticulitis, pneumonia/upper respiratory tract infection and septicaemia/bacteraemia was observed in TCZ versus abatacept users.

CONCLUSIONS

This large multidatabase cohort study found no difference in composite SI risk in patients with RA initiating TCZ versus TNFi after failing ≥1 biologic drug or tofacitinib. However, the risk of serious bacterial infection, skin and soft tissue infections, and diverticulitis was higher in TCZ versus TNFi initiators. The risk of composite SI was higher in TCZ initiators versus abatacept.

Validation of Administrative Big Database for Colorectal Cancer Searched by International Classification of Disease 10th Codes in Korean: A Retrospective Big-cohort Study

Background

As the number of big-cohort studies increases, validation becomes increasingly more important. We aimed to validate administrative database categorized as colorectal cancer (CRC) by the International Classification of Disease (ICD) 10th code.

Methods

Big-cohort was collected from Clinical Data Warehouse using ICD 10th codes from May 1, 2003 to November 30, 2016 at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. The patients in the study group had been diagnosed with cancer and were recorded in the ICD 10th code of CRC by the National Health Insurance Service. Subjects with codes of inflammatory bowel disease or tuberculosis colitis were selected for the control group. For the accuracy of registered CRC codes (C18-21), the chart, imaging results, and pathologic findings were examined by two reviewers. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for CRC were calculated.

Results

A total of 6,780 subjects with CRC and 1,899 control subjects were enrolled. Of these patients, 22 subjects did not have evidence of CRC by colonoscopy, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or positron emission tomography. The sensitivity and specificity of hospitalization data for identifying CRC were 100.00% and 98.86%, respectively. PPV and NPV were 99.68% and 100.00%, respectively.

Conclusions

The big-cohort database using the ICD 10th code for CRC appears to be accurate.

Accuracy of surgical complication rate estimation using ICD-10 codes

Background

The ICD‐10 codes are used globally for comparison of diagnoses and complications, and are an important tool for the development of patient safety, healthcare policies and the health economy. The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of verified complication rates in surgical admissions identified by ICD‐10 codes and to validate these estimates against complications identified using the established Global Trigger Tool (GTT) methodology.

Methods

This was a prospective observational study of a sample of surgical admissions in two Norwegian hospitals. Complications were identified and classified by two expert GTT teams who reviewed patients' medical records. Three trained reviewers verified ICD‐10 codes indicating a complication present on admission or emerging in hospital.

Results

A total of 700 admissions were drawn randomly from 12 966 procedures. Some 519 possible complications were identified in 332 of 700 admissions (47·4 per cent) from ICD‐10 codes. Verification of the ICD‐10 codes against information from patients' medical records confirmed 298 as in‐hospital complications in 141 of 700 admissions (20·1 per cent). Using GTT methodology, 331 complications were found in 212 of 700 admissions (30·3 per cent). Agreement between the two methods reached 83·3 per cent after verification of ICD‐10 codes. The odds ratio for identifying complications using the GTT increased from 5·85 (95 per cent c.i. 4·06 to 8·44) to 25·38 (15·41 to 41·79) when ICD‐10 complication codes were verified against patients' medical records.

Conclusion

Verified ICD‐10 codes strengthen the accuracy of complication rates. Use of non‐verified complication codes from administrative systems significantly overestimates in‐hospital surgical complication rates.

Code correctly

Comparative effectiveness of first-line biological monotherapy use in rheumatoid arthritis: a retrospective analysis of the RECord-linkage On Rheumatic Diseases study on health care administrative databases

OBJECTIVE

These analyses aim to comparatively evaluate the persistence on treatment of different biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) when administered in monotherapy compared with combination with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving first-line biologics.

DESIGN

This is a retrospective observational study on Administrative Healthcare Databases.

METHODS

Data were extracted from healthcare databases of the Lombardy Region, Italy (2004-2013), as a part of the RECord-linkage On Rheumatic Diseases study, on behalf of the Italian Society for Rheumatology. Analyses included patients with RA starting first-line approved course of bDMARDs and evaluated drug survival by using Cox proportional hazard models. Results are presented as HRs and 95% CI, crude and adjusted for prespecified confounders (age, sex, disease duration, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), previous infections, use of concomitant glucocorticoids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)).

RESULTS

4478 patients with RA were included (17.84% monotherapy). Etanercept, adalimumab and infliximab were the most prescribed first-line biologics. bDMARD monotherapy was associated with longer disease duration, higher CCI, lower glucocorticoids and NSAIDs use. Compared with monotherapy, combination associated with a lower risk of failure (adjusted HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.88). Among monotherapies, considering etanercept as reference, adalimumab (1.28, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.59) and infliximab (2.41, 95% CI 1.85 to 3.15) had higher risk of failure. Concomitant methotrexate (0.78, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.87), leflunomide (0.80, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.98) or csDMARD combinations (0.77, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.87) reduced the risk of bDMARD withdrawal.

CONCLUSION

Adalimumab and infliximab monotherapies show lower retention rate compared with etanercept. The relatively small number of therapeutic courses different from tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors makes more difficult to achieve conclusive results with other biologics. Concomitant methotrexate, leflunomide and csDMARDs combination associate with longer survival on bDMARD. Our data confirm the effectiveness of the current practices in the choice of etanercept as first-line anti-TNF monotherapy and strengthen the currently recommended use of bDMARDs in combination with csDMARDs.

Relative Clinical and Cost Burden of Community-Acquired Pneumonia Hospitalizations in Older Adults in the United States-A Cross-Sectional Analysis

The relative burden of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in older adults (≥65 years old) compared to other serious diseases is important to prioritize preventive treatment. A retrospective analysis was conducted using the 2014 National Readmission Database to evaluate the length of stay, inpatient mortality, 30-day readmissions, and costs of CAP compared to diabetes mellitus (DM), myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke. 275,790 hospitalizations were analyzed and represented a national estimate of 616,300 hospitalizations, including 269,961 for CAP, 71,284 for DM, 126,946 for MI, and 148,109 for stroke. The mean length of stay in CAP was 5.2 days, which was higher than DM (4.6) and MI (4.3) but similar to stroke (5.6). The inpatient mortality risk was lower for DM (RR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.29–0.46) but higher for MI (RR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.50–1.85) and stroke (RR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.51–1.83). The median costs for CAP ($7282) were higher compared to DM ($6217) but lower compared to MI ($14,802) and stroke ($8772). The 30-day readmission rate was 17% in CAP, which was higher compared to MI (15%) and stroke (11.5%) and lower compared to DM (20.3%). In patients with CAP, disease burden is on par with other serious diseases. CAP should be prioritized for prevention in older adults with strategies such as vaccination and smoking cessation.

Comparison of Methicillin-resistant Versus Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Pediatric Osteomyelitis

BACKGROUND

The incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pediatric osteomyelitis has risen and been associated with a more severe clinical course than methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infections. National databases have been underutilized to describe these trends. We compared demographics, clinical course, and outcomes for patients with MRSA versus MSSA osteomyelitis.

METHODS

We queried the 2009 and 2012 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids Inpatient Database for discharge records with diagnosis codes for osteomyelitis and S. aureus. We explored demographics predicting MRSA and evaluated MRSA versus MSSA as predictors of clinical outcomes including surgery, sepsis, thrombophlebitis, length of stay, and total charges.

RESULTS

A total of 4214 discharge records were included. Of those, 2602 (61.7%) had MSSA and 1612 (38.3%) had MRSA infections. Patients at Southern and Midwestern hospitals were more likely to have MRSA than those at Northeastern hospitals. Medicaid patients' odds of MRSA were higher than those with private insurance, and black patients were more likely to have MRSA compared with white patients. MRSA patients were more likely to undergo multiple surgeries compared with MSSA patients and were more likely to have complications including severe sepsis, thrombophlebitis, and pulmonary embolism. Patients with MRSA had longer lengths of stay than those with MSSA and higher total charges after controlling for length of stay.

CONCLUSION

Review of a national database demonstrates MRSA is more prevalent in the South and Midwest regions and among black patients. MRSA patients have more surgeries, complications, and longer lengths of stay.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

Automated versus Manual Data Extraction of the Padua Prediction Score for Venous Thromboembolism Risk in Hospitalized Older Adults

OBJECTIVE

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis is an important consideration for hospitalized older adults, and the Padua Prediction Score (PPS) is a risk prediction tool used to prioritize patient selection. We developed an automated PPS (APPS) algorithm using electronic health record (EHR) data. This study examines the accuracy of APPS and its individual components versus manual data extraction.

METHODS

This is a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized general internal medicine patients, aged 70 and over. Fourteen clinical variables were collected to determine their PPS; APPS used EHR data exports from health system databases, and a trained abstractor performed manual chart abstractions. We calculated sensitivity and specificity of the APPS, using manual PPS as the gold standard for classifying risk category (low vs. high). We also examined performance characteristics of the APPS for individual variables.

RESULTS

PPS was calculated by both methods on 311 individuals. The mean PPS was 3.6 (standard deviation, 1.8) for manual abstraction and 2.8 (1.4) for APPS. In detecting patients at high risk for VTE, the sensitivity and specificity of the APPS algorithm were 46 and 94%, respectively. The sensitivity for APPS was poor (range: 6-34%) for detecting acute conditions (i.e., acute myocardial infarction), moderate (range: 52-74%) for chronic conditions (i.e., heart failure), and excellent (range: 94-98%) for conditions of obesity and restricted mobility. Specificity of the automated extraction method for each PPS variable was > 87%.

CONCLUSION

APPS as a stand-alone tool was suboptimal for classifying risk of VTE occurrence. The APPS accurately identified high risk patients (true positives), but lower scores were considered indeterminate.

Effectiveness, Complications, and Costs of Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment with Biologics in Alberta: Experience of Indigenous and Non-indigenous Patients

OBJECTIVE

To examine clinical effectiveness, treatment complications, and healthcare costs for indigenous and non-indigenous Albertans with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) participating in the Alberta Biologics Pharmacosurveillance program.

METHODS

Patients initiating biologic therapy in Alberta (2004-2012) were characterized for disease severity and treatment response. Provincial hospitalization separations, physician claims, outpatient department data, and emergency department data were used to estimate treatment complication event rates and healthcare costs.

RESULTS

Indigenous patients (n = 90) presented with higher disease activity [mean 28-joint count Disease Activity Score (DAS28) 6.11] than non-indigenous patients (n = 1400, mean DAS28 5.19, p < 0.0001). Improvements in DAS28, function, swollen joint count, CRP, and patient and physician global evaluation scores were comparable to non-indigenous patients, but indigenous patients did not have a significant improvement in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (-0.31 per month, 95% CI -0.79 to 0.16, p = 0.199). At the end of study followup, 13% (12/90) of indigenous and 33% (455/1400) of non-indigenous patients were in DAS28 remission (p < 0.001). Indigenous patients had a 40% increased risk of all-cause hospitalization [adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.8, p = 0.01] and a 4-fold increase in serious infection rate (adjusted IRR 4.0, 95% CI 2.3-7.0, p < 0.001). Non-indigenous patients incurred higher costs for RA-related hospitalizations (difference $896, 95% CI 520-1273, p < 0.001), and outpatient department visits (difference $128, 95% CI 2-255, p = 0.047).

CONCLUSION

We identified disparities in treatment outcomes, safety profiles, and patient-experienced effects of RA for the indigenous population in Alberta. These disparities are critical to address to facilitate and achieve desired RA outcomes from individual and population perspectives.

Infections and Risk of Peripartum Stroke During Delivery Admissions

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Peripartum strokes during delivery admissions are rare but have high maternal morbidity. Infections have been proposed as a possible stroke trigger. We hypothesized that women who had infections diagnosed at the time of delivery admission would have higher risk of stroke during their delivery hospitalization.

METHODS

We conducted a case-control study using state inpatient administrative databases for California (2007-2011), Florida (2009-2011), and New York (2009-2011). Women whose admission included a vaginal or cesarean delivery, with a new diagnosis of stroke during the admission, were considered cases and were randomly matched to 3 in-state controls by age/admission year and presence and severity of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The primary exposure of interest was infection of any type present on admission. Secondary exposures included race/ethnicity, payer status, delivery method, and known vascular risk factors such as chronic hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, alcohol abuse, hypercoagulable states, coagulopathies, and renal disease. We used multivariable conditional logistic regression to estimate the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association of infections and known vascular risk factors with stroke risk.

RESULTS

A total of 455 cases (mean age, 29.8), of whom 195 (42.9%) had hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, were matched with 1365 controls. Infection of any type present on admission increased the odds of stroke diagnosis during the admission (adjusted odds ratio, 1.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.29-2.35). Risk was higher for genitourinary infections (adjusted odds ratio, 2.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-5.24) and sepsis (adjusted odds ratio, 10.4; 95% confidence interval, 2.15-20.0). The association between infection and stroke during delivery admission did not differ by the presence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

Infections present on admission increased stroke risk during delivery admissions in women with and without hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The results were driven by genitourinary infections and sepsis. Infections may be an underrecognized precipitant of peripartum stroke.

Burden of pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia in adults across Europe: A literature review

BACKGROUND

The burden of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) among adults in Europe is poorly defined.

METHODS

Structured searches of PubMed were conducted to identify the incidence of pneumococcal CAP among adults across Europe.

RESULTS

The overall incidence rates for CAP was 68-7000 per 100,000 and the incidence in hospitalised CAP cases of all causes was 16-3581 per 100,000. In general the incidence of CAP increased consistently with age. Available data indicated higher burdens of pneumococcal CAP caused in groups with more comorbidities. Most cases of pneumococcal CAP (30%-78%) were caused by serotypes covered by PCV13 vaccine; the incidence of PCV13-related pneumonia decreased after the introduction of childhood vaccination.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed a high burden adult pneumococcal CAP in Europe despite use of the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, particularly in elderly patients with comorbidities. CAP surveillance presented wide variations across Europe. Pneumococcal CAP has to be monitored very carefully due to the possible effect of current vaccination strategies.

Validity of diagnostic codes to identify hospitalizations for infections among patients treated with oral anti-diabetic drugs

PURPOSE

Identification of hospitalizations for infection is important for post-marketing surveillance of drugs, but the validity of using diagnosis codes to identify these events is unknown. Differentiating between hospitalization for and with infection is important, as the latter is common and less likely to arise from pre-admission exposure to drugs. We determined positive predictive values (PPVs) of diagnostic coding-based algorithms to identify hospitalization for infection among patients prescribed oral anti-diabetic drugs (OADs).

METHODS

We identified patients initiating OADs within 2 United States claims databases (Medicare, HealthCore Integrated Research Database^SM [HIRD^SM ]) and 2 United Kingdom electronic medical record databases (Clinical Practice Research Datalink [CPRD], The Health Improvement Network [THIN]) from 2009 to 2014. To identify potential hospitalizations for infection, we selected patients with a hospital diagnosis of infection and, within 7 days prior to hospitalization, either an outpatient/emergency department visit with an infection diagnosis or outpatient antimicrobial treatment. Hospital records were reviewed by infectious disease specialists to adjudicate hospital admissions for infection. PPVs for confirmed outcomes were determined for each database.

RESULTS

Code-based algorithms to identify hospitalization for infection had PPVs exceeding 80% within Medicare (PPV, 83% [90/109]; 95% CI, 74-89%), HIRD^SM (PPV, 89% [73/82]; 95% CI, 80-95%), and THIN (PPV, 86% [12/14]; 95% CI, 57-98%) but not within CPRD (PPV, 67% [14/21]; 95% CI, 43-85%).

CONCLUSIONS

Algorithms identifying hospitalization for infection utilizing hospital diagnoses along with antecedent outpatient/emergency infection diagnoses or antimicrobial therapy had sufficiently high PPVs for confirmed events within Medicare, HIRD^SM , and THIN to enable their use for pharmacoepidemiologic research.

National epidemiology of initial and recurrent Clostridium difficile infection in the Veterans Health Administration from 2003 to 2014

Introduction

Prior studies demonstrated marked increases in Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in the United States (U.S.) in recent years. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology of initial and recurrent CDI in a national Veterans Health Administration (VHA) cohort over a 12-year period.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of all adult VHA beneficiaries with CDI (ICD-9-CM code 008.45) plus a positive CDI stool test between October 1, 2002 and September 30, 2014. Data were obtained from the VA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure. Recurrence was defined as a second ICD-9-CM code plus a new course of CDI therapy following a minimum three-day gap after the initial therapy was completed. CDI incidence and outcomes were presented descriptively and longitudinally.

Results

Overall, 30,326 patients met study inclusion criteria. CDI incidence increased from FY 2003 (1.6 per 10,000) to FY 2013 (5.1 per 10,000). Thereafter, CDI incidence decreased through FY 2014 (4.6 per 10,000). A total of 5,011 patients (17%) experienced a first recurrence and, of those, 1,713 (34%) experienced a second recurrence. Recurrence incidence increased 10-fold over the study period, from (0.1 per 10,000) in FY 2003, to (1.0 per 10,000) in FY 2014. Overall, 30-day mortality and median hospital length of stay (LOS) decreased among initial episodes over the study period. Mortality was higher for initial episodes (21%) compared to first recurrences (11%) and second recurrences (7%). Median hospital LOS was longer for first episodes (13 days) compared to first (9 days) and second recurrences (8 days).

Conclusions

Initial and recurrent CDI episodes increased among veterans over a 12-year period. Outcomes, such as mortality and hospital LOS improved in recent years; both of these outcomes are worse for initial CDI episodes than recurrent episodes.

Mortality from selected diseases that can be transmitted by water - United States, 2003-2009

Diseases spread by water are caused by fecal-oral, contact, inhalation, or other routes, resulting in illnesses affecting multiple body systems. We selected 13 pathogens or syndromes implicated in waterborne disease outbreaks or other well-documented waterborne transmission (acute otitis externa, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, Escherichia coli (E. coli), free-living ameba, Giardia, Hepatitis A virus, Legionella (Legionnaires' disease), nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), Pseudomonas-related pneumonia or septicemia, Salmonella, Shigella, and Vibrio). We documented annual numbers of deaths in the United States associated with these infections using a combination of death certificate data, nationally representative hospital discharge data, and disease-specific surveillance systems (2003-2009). We documented 6,939 annual total deaths associated with the 13 infections; of these, 493 (7%) were caused by seven pathogens transmitted by the fecal-oral route. A total of 6,301 deaths (91%) were associated with infections from Pseudomonas, NTM, and Legionella, environmental pathogens that grow in water system biofilms. Biofilm-associated pathogens can cause illness following inhalation of aerosols or contact with contaminated water. These findings suggest that most mortality from these 13 selected infections in the United States does not result from classical fecal-oral transmission but rather from other transmission routes.

Hospitalization for musculoskeletal disorders in rheumatoid arthritis patients: a population-based study

Background

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients failing disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) may undergo anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor (anti-TNF) therapy. Using the Quebec health services administrative databases, we examined the rates of musculoskeletal (MSD)-related hospitalizations among RA patients receiving anti-TNF, DMARDs, and neither of those therapies (non-users).

Methods

Matched cohort analyses were performed separately in 2002–2006 and 2007–2011. In each cohort, DMARD and non-user groups were formed to 3-1 match the anti-TNF users on age, sex, date of RA diagnosis, high-dimensional propensity score and date of the first anti-TNF dispensation (index-date). Non-users did not use DMARDs or anti-TNF drugs during the year before the index-date and in the 90 days post, but used at least one of these medications in the study period.

Results

During 2002–2006, 557 anti-TNF users were matched to 1144 DMARD users and to 656 non-users, compared to 690, 1651, and 532 patients, respectively during 2007–2011. The crude rates of MSD-related hospitalizations in the anti-TNF, DMARD and non-users groups were respectively: 8.2/100, 6.4/100 and 10.5/100 patient-years in 2002–2006, and 6.9/100, 4.8/100, and 8.6/100 patient-years in 2007–2011. In multivariable Cox regression models, the hazard ratios of MSD-related hospitalizations (95 % confidence interval) were: 0.95 (0.60; 1.50) for anti-TNF and 0.69 (0.46; 1.02) for DMARD users, versus non-users in 2002–06, and 0.65 (0.37; 1.14) and 0.40 (0.24; 0.66), respectively in 2007–2011.

Conclusion

The MSD-related hospitalization risk was lower in RA patients using DMARD therapy and similar in those using anti-TNF therapy with or without DMARDs as compared to those not using either of these therapies during the study period.

Unique Risks and Clinical Outcomes Associated With Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase Enterobacteriaceae in Veterans With Spinal Cord Injury or Disorder: A Case-Case-Control Study

OBJECTIVES To describe the burden of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) Enterobacteriaceae in veterans with spinal cord injury or disorder (SCI/D), to identify risk factors for ESBL acquisition, and to assess impact on clinical outcomes DESIGN Retrospective case-case-control study PATIENTS AND SETTING Veterans with SCI/D and utilization at a Veterans' Affairs medical center from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2013. METHODS Patients with a positive culture for ESBL Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, or Proteus mirabilis were matched with patients with non-ESBL organisms by organism, facility, and level of care and to uninfected controls by facility and level of care. Inpatients were also matched by time at risk. Univariate and multivariate matched models were assessed for differences in risk factors and outcomes. RESULTS A total of 492 cases (62.6% outpatients) were matched 1:1 with each comparison group. Recent prior use of fluoroquinolones and prior use of third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins were independently associated with ESBL compared to the non-ESBL group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.77-3.84; P<.001 for fluoroquinolones and aOR, 3.86; 95% CI, 2.06-7.25; P<.001 for third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins) and the control group (aOR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.29-3.43; P = .003 for fluoroquinolones; and aOR, 3.31; 95% CI, 1.56-7.06; P=.002 for third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins). Although there were no differences in mortality rate, the ESBL group had a longer post-culture length of stay (LOS) than the non-ESBL group (incidence rate ratio, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.13-1.63; P=.001). CONCLUSIONS All SCI/D patients with ESBL were more likely to have had recent exposure to fluoroquinolones or third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins, and hospitalized patients were more likely to have increased post-culture LOS. Programs targeted toward reduced antibiotic use in SCI/D patients may prevent subsequent ESBL acquisition. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;37:768-776.

National Lupus Hospitalization Trends Reveal Rising Rates of Herpes Zoster and Declines in Pneumocystis Pneumonia

OBJECTIVE

Infection is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Therapeutic practices have evolved over the past 15 years, but effects on infectious complications of SLE are unknown. We evaluated trends in hospitalizations for severe and opportunistic infections in a population-based SLE study.

METHODS

Data derive from the 2000 to 2011 United States National Inpatient Sample, including individuals who met a validated administrative definition of SLE. Primary outcomes were diagnoses of bacteremia, pneumonia, opportunistic fungal infection, herpes zoster, cytomegalovirus, or pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). We used Poisson regression to determine whether infection rates were changing in SLE hospitalizations and used predictive marginals to generate annual adjusted rates of specific infections.

RESULTS

We identified 361,337 SLE hospitalizations from 2000 to 2011 meeting study inclusion criteria. Compared to non-SLE hospitalizations, SLE patients were younger (51 vs. 62 years), predominantly female (89% vs. 54%), and more likely to be racial/ethnic minorities. SLE diagnosis was significantly associated with all measured severe and opportunistic infections. From 2000 to 2011, adjusted SLE hospitalization rates for herpes zoster increased more than non-SLE rates: 54 to 79 per 10,000 SLE hospitalizations compared with 24 to 29 per 10,000 non-SLE hospitalizations. Conversely, SLE hospitalizations for PCP disproportionately decreased: 5.1 to 2.5 per 10,000 SLE hospitalizations compared with 0.9 to 1.3 per 10,000 non-SLE hospitalizations.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with SLE, herpes zoster hospitalizations are rising while PCP hospitalizations are declining. These trends likely reflect evolving SLE treatment strategies. Further research is needed to identify patients at greatest risk for infectious complications.

Validity of Diagnostic Codes for Acute Stroke in Administrative Databases: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a systematic review of studies reporting on the validity of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for identifying stroke in administrative data.

METHODS

MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched (inception to February 2015) for studies: (a) Using administrative data to identify stroke; or (b) Evaluating the validity of stroke codes in administrative data; and (c) Reporting validation statistics (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), or Kappa scores) for stroke, or data sufficient for their calculation. Additional articles were located by hand search (up to February 2015) of original papers. Studies solely evaluating codes for transient ischaemic attack were excluded. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers; article quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool.

RESULTS

Seventy-seven studies published from 1976-2015 were included. The sensitivity of ICD-9 430-438/ICD-10 I60-I69 for any cerebrovascular disease was ≥ 82% in most [≥ 50%] studies, and specificity and NPV were both ≥ 95%. The PPV of these codes for any cerebrovascular disease was ≥ 81% in most studies, while the PPV specifically for acute stroke was ≤ 68%. In at least 50% of studies, PPVs were ≥ 93% for subarachnoid haemorrhage (ICD-9 430/ICD-10 I60), 89% for intracerebral haemorrhage (ICD-9 431/ICD-10 I61), and 82% for ischaemic stroke (ICD-9 434/ICD-10 I63 or ICD-9 434&436). For in-hospital deaths, sensitivity was 55%. For cerebrovascular disease or acute stroke as a cause-of-death on death certificates, sensitivity was ≤ 71% in most studies while PPV was ≥ 87%.

CONCLUSIONS

While most cases of prevalent cerebrovascular disease can be detected using 430-438/I60-I69 collectively, acute stroke must be defined using more specific codes. Most in-hospital deaths and death certificates with stroke as a cause-of-death correspond to true stroke deaths. Linking vital statistics and hospitalization data may improve the ascertainment of fatal stroke.