title: Adverse events after total knee arthroplasty: a national Medicare study.
abstract: Adverse events from 2033 total knee arthroplasty patients were documented by nonphysician abstractors. The annual rate of adverse events from 2002 to 2004 was 9.2%, 6.4%, and 5.8%, respectively. Congestive heart failure (odds ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-3.5; P < .01) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.7; P < .01) were associated with a significantly increased risk of experiencing any adverse event during the index hospitalization. The 30-day postprocedure rate of readmission for all causes was 5.5%. Experiencing an adverse event during the index hospitalization increased the length of stay (P < .001). The rate of symptomatic venous thromboembolism 30 days postprocedure was 1.7%. The 30-day postprocedure mortality rate was 0.3%. Experiencing any adverse event was associated with an increased 30-day postprocedure mortality (P < .001). Compared with previous studies of Medicare claims, these data reveal a substantial decrease in the mortality rate, an increased readmission rate, and no substantial change in the rate of venous thromboembolism.
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5341, USA.
authors: James I
authors: JI
authors: Huddleston
authors: William J
authors: WJ
authors: Maloney
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Nancy
authors: N
authors: Verzier
authors: David R
authors: DR
authors: Hunt
authors: James H
authors: JH
authors: Herndon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000601:surgery*; D015995:Prevalence; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology