Epidemiología hospitalaria de la enfermedad tromboembólica venosa en España

Cost of Venous Thromboembolic Disease in Patients with Lung Cancer: Costecat Study

Background: Patients with lung cancer (LC) are at significantly higher risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE), which may lead to increased use of health resources and the cost of the disease management. The main aim of the study was to determine the cost of the management of VTE events in patients with LC treated with Low Molecular Weight Heparins (LMWH) in Spain. Methods: Costecat was an observational, ambispective pharmacoeconomic study. Patients with LC, with a first episode of VTE (symptomatic or incidental) in treatment with LMWH, were recruited from six third-level hospitals and followed up for six months. Sociodemographic, clinical and resource use variables of VTE-related implications and its treatment were collected. Direct healthcare costs and direct non-healthcare costs were recorded. Data collection was documented in an electronic case report. Costs (€2018) were estimated from the healthcare perspective. Statistical analysis was performed using the statistical program R 3.4.3 version (30 November 2017). Results: Forty-seven patients were included. Mean age was 65.4 years, 66.0% were male. The percentage of patients with LC who had metastatic disease was 78.7%. Twenty-three patients (48.9%) needed hospital admissions due to thromboembolic episode. Total average cost of patients with cancer associated VTE (CAT) was €10,969.6 per patient/semester. The hospitalizations represent 65.8% of total costs (7207.3 € SD 13,996.9 €), followed by LMWH therapy which represents 18.6% (2033.8 € SD:630.5 €). Conclusions: Venous thromboembolism episodes induce an economic impact on patients and healthcare systems. Direct healthcare costs are the major burden of the total cost, in which hospitalizations are the main drivers of cost.

Acute pulmonary embolism: appropriateness of emergency department management according to clinical guidelines

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

To evaluate the frequency of acute pulmonary embolism, the use of clinical probability scores, and the appropriateness of the management of patients for whom computed tomography angiography (CTA) was requested from the emergency department for suspected acute pulmonary embolism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective observational study of CTA studies requested from the emergency department to rule out acute pulmonary embolism. We analyzed clinical variables and the explicit use of clinical probability scores. We determined the appropriateness of management according to the Wells Score and Geneva Score and the simplified versions of these two scores, calculated retrospectively.

RESULTS

We included 534 patients (52.8% women; mean age, 73 years). The frequency of acute pulmonary embolism was 23.0% and the Wells Score was explicitly used in 15.2%. The appropriateness of the management varied depending on the clinical probability score used to assess it (54.5%-75.8%) and on whether the standard D-dimer or age-adjusted D-dimer was used.

CONCLUSIONS

The failure to use the Wells Scores in all cases does not necessarily imply inappropriate management, and the performance of global clinical judgment can be similar to that of clinical probability scores; however, specific studies are necessary to confirm this hypothesis.

Home treatment of venous thromboembolism disease

Despite the potential benefits of outpatient care, most patients with pulmonary embolisms are treated in hospitals for fear of possible adverse events. However, there is a wealth of scientific evidence from studies covering more than 4000 outpatients, which has led the current clinical practice guidelines to recommend early discharge or outpatient treatment when a low risk of death or complications has been confirmed, when there are no comorbidities or aggravating processes present to warrant hospitalisation and when appropriate monitoring and treatment are observed. This approach minimises the complications that can arise in hospitals and represents considerable cost savings. When selecting these patients, the use of prognostic tools such as the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI), its simplified version (sPESI) and the Hestia Criteria are of paramount importance. Using these tools, the short-term outcomes (30-90days) show low mortality (in general <3%) and a low incidence of other complications (rate of recurrence and major bleeding <2%). Based on the available evidence, outpatient treatment can be considered the most appropriate strategy at this time for most hemodynamically stable patients with pulmonary embolisms.

[Trends in the incidence of venous thromboembolism in Galicia over a ten year period]

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the trend of serious thromboembolic episodes in Galicia from 2006 to 2015.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study was performed using the public network of the Galician Health Service over the 10 year period (2006-2015). It included patients with a primary diagnosis in their discharge report of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE), stroke, or deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

DATA SOURCE

Servizo de admisión e documentación clínica, Subdirección de Información e Servizos Tecnolóxicos e Instituto Galego de Estatística. Measurement variables: the number of new cases of thromboembolism occurred in one year, cumulative incidence (number of new cases/ 100,000 persons years), mortality during hospital admission, and annual percentage change (APC).

RESULTS

A total of 50,611 hospital admissions due to a venous thromboembolic event were identified. The highest incidence was found for stroke in men aged 80 years or older, with 940.84 new cases per 100,000 population per year. All thromboembolic events were more common in men, with the exception of PTE in young and older women. A continued increased was identified in all the thromboembolic events with an APC of 2.20%. The temporal evolution of the cumulative incidence for PTE was split into two segments, with an annual increase of 10.65% from 2006 to 2011, and a smaller increase since 2011. The cumulative incidence trend showed an APC for stroke of 1.56%.

CONCLUSION

This study reveals an increase in the evolutionary trend of hospital admissions for PTE and stroke during the period 2006-2015 in Galicia.

Pharmacoeconomic evaluation of dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban versus enoxaparin for the prevention of venous thromboembolism after total hip or knee replacement in Spain

BACKGROUND

Patients undergoing total hip replacement (THR) or total knee replacement (TKR) surgery are at high risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). Thromboprophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparin, such as enoxaparin, is standard of care in these patients. Recently, three direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs; dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban), have been approved for this indication, but their cost effectiveness is still unclear as it has usually been extrapolated from surrogate venographic outcomes in clinical trials.

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a pharmacoeconomic evaluation of the DOACs versus subcutaneous (SC) enoxaparin for the prevention of VTE after THR or TKR surgery.

METHODS

A decision-tree model was developed using TreeAge Pro 2011 to compare the cost utility and cost effectiveness of the DOACs with SC enoxaparin, with separate models for THR and TKR over a 3-month postoperative time horizon from the perspective of the Spanish National Health System. The probabilities of events (symptomatic VTE, clinically relevant bleedings, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and deaths) were derived from a systematic review and meta-analysis. We used local cost estimates (€2013) and utility values were obtained from the literature. We reported costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and symptomatic VTE events. We conducted sensitivity analyses to evaluate parameter uncertainty.

RESULTS

The average costs per 1,000 patients treated with enoxaparin were higher than costs incurred by dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban in THR (€435,208 vs. €283,574, €257,900 and €212,472, respectively) and TKR (€336,550 vs. €219,856, €251,734 and €201,946, respectively), with cost savings ranging from €151,634 to €222,766 in THR, and from €84,816 to €134,604 in TKR. Cost differences were largely driven by differences in costs associated with drug administration. The average QALYs per 1,000 patients treated were very similar for enoxaparin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban in THR (199.34, 198.83, 199.08 and 199.68, respectively) and TKR (198.95, 199.41, 198.75 and 199.97, respectively). Rivaroxaban (in TKR and THR) and apixaban (in THR) avoided additional symptomatic VTE events compared with enoxaparin. Sensitivity analyses generally supported the robustness of the analysis to changes in model parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

Our model suggests, based on its underlying assumptions and data, that the DOACs are cost-saving alternatives to SC enoxaparin for the prevention of VTE after THR or TKR, in the Spanish healthcare setting.

Trends in hospital admissions for pulmonary embolism in Spain from 2002 to 2011

The aim of our study was to analyse changes in the incidence, diagnostic procedures, comorbidity, length of hospital stay, costs and in-hospital mortality of patients hospitalised for pulmonary embolism in Spain over a 10-year period.

We included all patients who were hospitalised for pulmonary embolism (ICD-9-CM codes 415.11 and 415.19) as the primary diagnosis between 2002 and 2011. Data were collected from the National Hospital Discharge Database, covering the entire Spanish population.

115 671 patients were admitted. The overall crude incidence increased from 20.44 per 100 000 inhabitants in 2002 to 32.69 in 2011 (p<0.05). In 2002, 13.3% of patients had a Charlson comorbidity index >2, and in 2011 the prevalence increased to 20.8% (p<0.05). Mean length of hospital stay was 12.7 days in 2002 and decreased to 9.99 in 2011 (p<0.05). During the study period, mean cost per patient increased from €3915 to €4372 (p<0.05). In-hospital mortality decreased from 12.9% in 2002 to 8.32% in 2011 (p<0.05). The increase in the use of computed tomographic pulmonary angiography over time was associated with increased incidence and lower mortality.

Our results revealed an increase in the incidence of hospitalised pulmonary embolism patients from 2002 to 2011 with concomitant increase in comorbidities and cost. However, length of hospital stay and in-hospital mortality decreased.

[Recurrence risk in venous thromboembolic disease after anticoagulation discontinuation]

To determine the risk for recurrence of venous thromboembolic disease is essential to decide the optimum duration of treatment. Clinical risk factors, elevated D-dimer after anticoagulation withdrawal and the presence of residual deep vein thrombosis should be considered. In this article the risk factors and the reported risk models are reviewed.