Features and costs of patients admitted for cardiac arrhythmias in Spain

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Health Economics

Background:

• Cardiac rhythm alterations are a common reason for hospital admission.
• The specific characteristics and economic impact of these hospitalizations are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the epidemiology and associated costs of hospitalizations due to cardiac arrhythmias within the Spanish National Health System.

Main Methods:

• A review of patient characteristics and costs for hospitalizations with a principal diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia (DRG 138 and 139) from 1997-2010.
• Analysis included prevalent secondary diagnoses and patient admission departments.

Main Results:

• Approximately 26,000 annual hospitalizations for cardiac arrhythmias were recorded, with a mortality rate near 1.6%.
• In 2010, there were 26,421 hospitalizations costing an estimated 65 million Euros.
• Common comorbidities included hypertension (43%), heart failure (12%), and diabetes mellitus (20%).

Conclusions:

• The study confirms a significant annual burden of hospitalizations for cardiac arrhythmias, predominantly atrial fibrillation, in Spain between 1997-2010.
• These hospitalizations represent a measurable economic cost to the healthcare system.
• Over one-third of these patients were managed by internal medicine specialists.