ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of anticoagulation on inhospital mortality among coronavirus disease 2019-positive patients with the a priori hypothesis that there would be a lower risk of inhospital mortality with use of preemptive therapeutic over prophylactic dose enoxaparin or heparin. DESIGN SETTING: Retrospective cohort study from April 1, 2020, to April 25, 2020. The date of final follow-up was June 12, 2020 Two large, acute-care hospitals in Western Connecticut. PATIENTS: Five hundred and one inpatients were identified after discharge as 18 years or older and positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The final sample size included 374 patients after applying exclusion criteria. Demographic variables were collected via hospital billing inquiries, whereas the clinical variables were abstracted from patients' medical records. EXPOSURE: Preemptive enoxaparin or heparin at a therapeutic or prophylactic dose. MAIN RESULTS: When comparing treatments through multivariable analysis, risk of inhospital mortality was 2.3 times greater in patients receiving preemptive therapeutic anticoagulation (95% CI = 1.0-4.9; p = 0.04). Additionally, the average treatment effects were higher (ß = 0.11, p = 0.01) in the therapeutic group. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in inhospital mortality was observed among patients on preemptive therapeutic anticoagulation. Thus, in the management of coronavirus disease 2019 and its complications, we recommend further research and cautious use of preemptive therapeutic over prophylactic anticoagulation.
ABSTRACT
Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is one of the leading causes of hospitalization in the United States. Prior investigations suggest clinical and physiological parameters are important determinants for AECOPD readmissions. Strategies aimed at addressing these factors have not resulted in a major reduction of readmissions. We compared patients readmitted after an index AECOPD admission with non-readmitted patients. Patients' age, gender, body mass index, comorbidities (obstructive sleep apnea, chronic hypercapnia, congestive heart failure, lung cancer, pulmonary arterial hypertension, pneumonia, interstitial lung disease, atrial fibrillation, musculoskeletal disorders, cognitive disorders, and anxiety disorders), substance abuse and smoking status were assessed. Some 272 patients were included: 20 patients were readmitted within 30 days of their index hospitalization; 252 patients were not readmitted within 30 days of their index admission. Readmitted patients were significantly more likely to have pneumonia than non-readmitted patients (30.0% versus 13.1%, p<0.05). No statistically significant difference was seen with respect to other clinical comorbidities. Patients readmitted within 30 days were significantly more likely than non-readmitted patients to have safety issues at home (80.0% versus. 39.3%, p<0.001), anxiety (60.0% versus 29.8%, p<0.01), and lack of transportation (35.0% versus 15.5%, p<0.05). Implementation of a comprehensive care management program (CCMP) was associated with a reduction in readmissions from 21.5% to 13.6% (p<0.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.08-12.45). A CCMP can reduce readmissions through attention to social variables, optimization of in-hospital care, improved coordination of pre- and post-discharge, a system to better identify problems after discharge, and an office setup that accommodates same-day visits.
