Cost and inpatient burden of peripheral artery disease: Findings from the National Inpatient Sample

Background and aims: We aimed to examine the prevalence, demographics, clinical outcomes and economic burden of hospitalizations for patients with PAD. Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample, we retrospectively evaluated patients hospitalized with PAD in 2014. Hospitalizations in patients with PAD were identified by the presence of an International Classification of Diseases-9th Revision (ICD-9) diagnosis code of 440.20–440.24. We calculated hospitalization rates/100,000 patients, the proportion of hospitalizations with a major adverse limb event (MALE), as well as minor amputation, mortality, median (interquartile range) length-of-stay (LOS) and treatment costs (in 2017 US$). A separate analysis of hospitalizations of patients with clinical limb ischemia defined as Fontaine class III or IV PAD (440.22, resting pain; 440.23–440.24, ulcers or gangrene) was also performed. Results: We identified 286,160 hospitalizations for patients with PAD. The rate of hospitalizations for PAD was 89.5/100,000, with 137,050 (or 45%) of these having Fontaine class III-IV disease. The proportion of hospitalizations resulting in MALE, major or minor lower extremity amputation or in-hospital death was 45.8%, 8.9%, 8.2% and 3.1%, respectively. Median hospital LOS was 5 (3, 9) days and costs were $15,755 ($8972, $27,800), resulting in an annual cost burden for hospitalization of patients with PAD of ∼$6.31 billion. In hospitalizations of Fontaine class III-IV PAD, MALE, major and minor amputation and death occurred in 60.9%, 16.8%, 15.8% and 3.3% of cases, respectively. Median LOS and costs were 7 (4, 11) days and $18,984 ($10,913, $31,816). Conclusions: Hospitalizations of patients with PAD represent a substantial medical and financial burden for patients and the US healthcare system.