Readmission and adverse outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with dementia

As the population ages, clinicians increasingly encounter ischemic heart disease in patients with underlying dementia. Therefore, we quantified differences in inhospital adverse events and 30-day readmission rates among patients with and without dementia undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Using the National Readmissions Database 2017-2018, we identified 755,406 index hospitalizations in which PCI was performed, of which 17,309 (2.3%) had a diagnosis of dementia. After propensity score matching patients with and without dementia, we assessed 30-day readmission and inhospital adverse events by Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression modeling and compared them with those of other common cardiac (pacemaker placement [PP]) and noncardiac (hip replacement surgery [HRS]) procedures.

Thirty-day readmission was significantly higher in patients with dementia than patients without dementia (hazard ratio [HR] 1.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.60-1.74). Patients with dementia also experienced higher odds of delirium (odds ratio [OR] 4.37, CI 3.69-5.16), inhospital mortality (OR 1.15, CI 1.01-1.30), cardiac arrest (OR 1.19, CI 1.01-1.39), acute kidney injury (OR 1.30, CI 1.21-1.39), and fall (OR 2.51, CI 2.06-3.07). On multivariable Cox modeling, dementia independently predicted 30-day readmission (HR 1.14, CI 1.07-1.20). The higher readmission risk with PCI (11%) among those with dementia was similar to that of patients undergoing PP (10%), but lower than in those undergoing HRS (41%).

Patients with dementia who undergo PCI experience significantly increased rates of inhospital delirium, mortality, kidney injury, falls, and 30-day readmission. These adverse outcomes should be considered during shared decision-making with patients and their families.