In-hospital mortality down for patients with SSc

The mortality rate for hospitalized patients with systemic sclerosis in the United States was lower between 1999 and 2011, but rates remain higher compared to in-hospital patients with other rheumatic diseases and the overall public, according to researchers from Harvard Medical School.

Researchers identified patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) using ICD-9 code 710.1 from the U.S. National Inpatient Sample, a publicly available database with samples of inpatients from hospitals in 44 states with all payer types. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and the overall hospitalized population were identified as comparators.

The five most common secondary diagnoses in patients with SSc were lower respiratory disease, electrolyte and fluid disorders, respiratory failure, pulmonary vascular disease and renal failure.

The rate of in-hospital mortality decreased between 1999 and 2011 from 9.6% to 5.8%; a relative annual decrease of 4%. However, the rate for patients with SLE was 0.93% and was 2.6% for patients with GPA. The overall rate of hospitalization for patients with SSc decreased from 1.06 to 0.81 per 100,000 persons between 1999 and 2011.

“Based on nationally representative inpatient data, our findings indicate a decrease in SSc in-hospital mortality between 1999 and 2011, suggesting that clinical care of SSc patients may be improving,” the researchers wrote, and concluded that the study “highlights the need for continued improvement in the care of patients with SSc, including the development and implementation of effective therapeutic modalities. – by Shirley Pulawski

Reference:

Schoenfield SR, et al. Paper #846. Presented at: American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting; Nov. 7-11, 2015; San Francisco.

Disclosure: Schoenfield reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.