Introduction
There is wide variation in the use of vena cava filter (VCFs).
Objectives
This study assessed the hospital and patient characteristics
associated with VCF use in deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism
(PE).
Methods
Inpatient discharge data from all acute care hospitals with DVT/PE
during 2008–2014 in Kentucky were used. Hierarchical logistic
regression models were used to evaluate the relationships of study variables
with VCF use.
Results
During the study period, 81,922 discharges for DVT/PE were observed
and 10.5% of these received a VCF. This included 12,083 cases of
PE+DVT, 18,571 cases of PE only, and 51,268 cases of DVT only. VCF
use among these groups was 22.7%, 6.0%, and 7.8%,
respectively. In adjusted analyses, VCF use was associated with increasing
age, indicating that those over age 65 were twice as likely to receive a
filter compared to the reference (21–25 year-old) group. Significant
comorbidities associated with VCF use included cancer, liver disease,
cerebrovascular disease, atrial fibrillation, anemia, and concurrent
bleeding. Lower extremity, proximal DVTs, and patients receiving
thrombolytic therapy or embolectomy, those having surgery, and those who
were unstable or had trauma, were also more likely to receive a filter.
Among cancer types, brain and metastatic tumors were significantly
associated with VCF use. Between-hospital variation after controlling for
all covariates was 7.1%.
Conclusion
There was high variation in use of VCFs. Several high-risk subgroups
were more likely to use VCFs including older adults and those with cancer
and concurrent bleeding.