By: James Pitt  May. 03, 2018
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a condition in which a blood clot forms in a vein, then may dislodge. According to the American Heart Association, it is “the third leading vascular diagnosis after heart attack and stroke, affecting about 300,000–600,000 Americans each year.” ; The Cleveland Clinic has a higher estimate of 1 million Americans per year.
Patients in intensive care units are at particular risk of VTE. This is because risk factors for VTE include recent major surgery, cancers, and immobility. Dexur has previously examined how sepsis relates to VTE mortality.
Dexur analysts investigated the relationship between VTE and ICU stays in septicemia patients. Data was sourced from Medicare inpatients in Massachusetts hospitals with over 5,000 patients per year, and is limited to patients with septicemia with major complications who were not on mechanical ventilation from more than 96 hours (DRG 871). Patients with VTE and septicemia were more likely to have had an ICU stay than patients with septicemia alone. However, the gap varied widely between different hospitals.
The largest gap was at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - Plymouth, where 67% of patients with DRG 871 and VTE had an ICU stay, but only 41% of patients with just DRG 871 had an ICU stay. The smallest gap was at Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston), where 39% of patients with DRG 871 and VTE had an ICU stay, while 37% of all patients with DRG 871 had an ICU stay.
Patients with ICU stays were more likely to have VTE than patients without ICU stays. However, this data should not be used for causal claims. CMS data does not distinguish patients who developed VTE during an ICU stay from patients who developed VTE before an ICU stay.