Patterns of stress testing and diagnostic catheterization after coronary stenting in 250 350 medicare beneficiaries.
BACKGROUND
Patterns of noninvasive stress test (ST) and invasive coronary angiography (CA) utilization after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are not well described in older populations.


RESULTS
We linked National Cardiovascular Data Registry CathPCI Registry data with longitudinal Medicare claims data for 250 350 patients undergoing PCI from 2005 to 2007 and described subsequent testing and outcomes. Between 60 days post-PCI and end of follow-up (median 24 months), 49% (n=122 894) received ST first, 10% (n=25 512) underwent invasive CA first, and 41% (n=101 944) had no testing. Several clinical risk factors at time of index PCI were associated with decreased likelihood of downstream testing (ST or CA, P<0.05 for all), including older age (hazard ratio [HR] 0.784 per 10-year increase), male sex (HR 0.946), heart failure (HR 0.925), diabetes mellitus (HR 0.954), smoking (HR 0.804), and renal failure (HR 0.880). Fifteen percent of patients with ST first proceeded to subsequent CA within 90 days of testing (n=18 472/122 894) [corrected]; of these, 48% (n=8831) underwent revascularization within 90 days, compared with 53% (n=13 316) of CA first patients (P<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
In this descriptive analysis, ST and invasive CA were common in older patients after PCI. Paradoxically, patients with higher risk features at baseline were less likely to undergo post-PCI testing. The revascularization yield was low on patients referred for ST after PCI, with only 7% [corrected] undergoing revascularization within 90 days.
Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA.
Daniel W
DW
Mudrick
Bimal R
BR
Shah
Lisa A
LA
McCoy
Barbara L
BL
Lytle
Frederick A
FA
Masoudi
Jerome J
JJ
Federspiel
Patricia A
PA
Cowper
Cynthia
C
Green
Pamela S
PS
Douglas
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States