Predictors of Morbidity, Mortality, and Hospital Utilization Among Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography-related Hospitalizations: A Five-year Nationwide Assessment.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to assess the hospital frailty risk score on the inpatient mortality, morbidity, and health care resource utilization among endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)-related hospitalizations.

BACKGROUND

Data regarding the inpatient mortality, morbidity, and health care resource utilization of ERCP among frail individuals remain limited.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we compared the odds of inpatient mortality and morbidity of ERCP-related hospitalizations among individuals with low frailty scores, intermediate frailty scores (IFSs), and high frailty scores (HFSs).

RESULTS

Overall, 776,025 ERCP-related hospitalizations were recorded from 2016 to 2020. 552,045 had a low frailty score, whereas 217,875 had an IFS, and 6105 had an HFS. Frail individuals had a 5-fold increase in mortality [IFS: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.81, 95% CI: 3.77-6.14; HFS: aOR = 4.62, 95% CI: 2.48-8.63]. An IFS was associated with a 24% increase in post-ERCP pancreatitis (aOR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.11-1.41), a 3-fold increase in post-ERCP bleeding (aOR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.82-3.67), and a 2-fold increase in post-ERCP duct perforation (aOR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.38-2.64). Frail individuals experienced higher odds of in-hospital morbidity, including secondary sepsis, respiratory failure, acute kidney injury, cerebrovascular accidents, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, our study presents strong evidence in support of using the hospital frailty risk score as an index to predict mortality and morbidity during ERCP-related hospitalizations. Additional caution is warranted in the management of frail individuals undergoing ERCP.