title: Inpatient resource use and cost burden of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in the United States.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which comprises deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. VTE frequently leads to hospitalization and represents a considerable economic burden to the US health care system. However, little information exists on the duration of hospitalization and associated charges among patients with an admitting or primary diagnosis of DVT or PE. This study assessed the charges associated with hospitalization length of stay in patients with DVT or PE discharged from US hospitals in 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Utilization Project database, this analysis examined hospital length of stay and associated charges in patients with DVT or PE discharged from US hospitals in 2011. Both initial and subsequent hospitalizations were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DVT was responsible for fewer hospitalizations than PE. In 2011, among 330,044 patients with VTE discharged from US hospitals, 143,417 had DVT and 186,627 had PE. Mean length of stay for patients with DVT was 4.7 days (median, 3.9 days) compared with 5.1 days (median, 4.5 days) for patients with PE. For initial hospitalizations, the mean (SE) charge amounted to $30,051 ($246) for DVT compared with $37,006 ($214) for PE. Older patients with PE incurred greater hospital charges than younger ones, and for both DVT and PE patients, women incurred greater charges than men. Of 31,463 patients admitted to the hospital with PE, 4.0% had a subsequent admission, which was more costly than the initial admission. Many patients with both DVT and PE were discharged to specialist nursing facilities, indicating continuing posthospitalization charges.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospital stays for DVT and PE represent a substantial cost burden to the US health care system. Health care systems have the potential to reduce the clinical and economic burden of VTE by ensuring that evidence-based, guideline-recommended anticoagulation therapy is adhered to by patients with an initial VTE. Appropriate anticoagulant therapy and continuity of care in these patients may reduce the incidence and frequency of hospital readmissions and VTE-related morbidity and mortality and have a potential effect on health care resources.
authors.affiliation: Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Raritan, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Joyce C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: LaMori
authors.affiliation: Tricore Interactive, Inc, Princeton, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shoheiber
authors.affiliation: Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Raritan, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Samir H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Mody
authors.affiliation: Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Raritan, New Jersey. Electronic address: bbookhar@its.jnj.com.
authors.forename: Brahim K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Bookhart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000191:economics; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D014481:United States; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants
keywords: costs; deep vein thrombosis; length of stay; pulmonary embolism