title: Risk factors for hematoma after thyroidectomy: results from the nationwide inpatient sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hematoma after thyroidectomy is a potentially lethal complication. We sought to evaluate risk factors for hematoma formation using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. We hypothesized that certain risk factors could be identified and that this information would be useful to surgeons.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was queried for patients who underwent thyroidectomy from 1998 to 2010. Bivariate analysis was used to compare patients with and without hematoma. Logistic regression was performed to identify important predictors of hematoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 150,012 patients. The rate of hematoma was 1.25%. Female sex and high-volume hospitals were important for decreased hematoma risk (odds ratio 0.61[0.54-0.69] and 0.71 [0.56-0.83], respectively). Black race, age >45 years, inflammatory thyroid disease, partial thyroidectomy, chronic kidney disease, and bleeding disorders increased the risk of hematoma (odds ratio 1.37, 1.44, 1.59, 1.69, 1.8, 3.38; respectively). Overall mortality was 0.32% for the entire group and 1.34% in patients with postoperative hematoma (P < .001). Patients with hematoma after thyroidectomy were 2.94 [1.76-4.9] times more likely to die than those without hematoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We identified risk factors associated with postoperative hematoma after thyroidectomy. Such information should be useful for surgeons for predicting patients at risk for this potentially lethal complication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA.
authors.forename: Katherine C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA.
authors.forename: Kevin T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Brumund
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA. Electronic address: mbouvet@ucsd.edu.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouvet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006406:Hematoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology