Decubitus ulcers in patients undergoing vascular operations do not influence mortality but affect resource...

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Patient Outcomes
• Healthcare Economics

Background:

• Decubitus ulcers (pressure ulcers) are often presumed to negatively impact outcomes following vascular surgery.
• The precise influence of perioperative decubitus ulcers on vascular surgery results is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between perioperative decubitus ulcers and outcomes in patients undergoing vascular operations.
• To determine if the presence of decubitus ulcers affects in-hospital mortality, complications, and discharge disposition.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of adult patients who underwent vascular operations using the National Impatient Survey.
• Stratification of patients based on the presence or absence of decubitus ulcers.
• Application of case-mix adjusted hierarchical mixed-models to assess outcomes.

Main Results:

• Decubitus ulcers were more common in Caucasian male Medicare beneficiaries and associated with nonelective vascular operations.
• Patients with decubitus ulcers experienced higher rates of wound, infectious, and procedural complications.
• While mortality risk was not significantly increased after risk adjustment, decubitus ulcers led to higher odds of discharge to intermediate care facilities and increased total healthcare charges.

Conclusions:

• Perioperative decubitus ulcers do not appear to adversely affect mortality in patients undergoing vascular operations.
• Patients with decubitus ulcers face an elevated risk of complications and incur substantially higher medical costs.