Heart failure hospitalizations and costs in ICD/CRT‐D recipients following replacement or upgrade: the DECODE registry

Abstract

Aims The aim of this study is to report heart failure hospitalization (HFH) rates and associated costs within 12 months following implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)/cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) device replacement or upgrade from ICD to CRT-D. Methods and results The DEtect long-term COmplications after icD rEplacement (DECODE) was a prospective, single-arm, multicentre cohort study that explored complications in ICD/CRT-D recipients. All clinical and survival data at 12 months were prospectively analysed. For each adjudicated HFH, admission and discharge dates and ICD-9-CM diagnosis and procedure codes were recorded. The reimbursement for each HFH was calculated for each diagnosis-related group code. Between 2013 and 2015, 983 patients (mean age 71 years, male 76%, mean left ventricular ejection fraction 35%, and New York Heart Association Class I/II 75.6%) were enrolled. Patients underwent device replacement (900; 91.6%, 446 ICD/454 CRT-D) or ICD upgrade to CRT-D (83; 8.4%). Post-replacement hospitalizations occurred in 220 patients, with the primary discharge diagnosis identifying cardiovascular causes in 175 patients (80%). Fifty-five (5.6%) patients experienced at least one HFH. Overall, 91 HFH events occurred (9.6% event rate, 95% confidence interval: 7.7-11.7) in 70 patients; 66 (6.7%) patients died, 40 (60.6%) of cardiovascular causes. The HFH rate was significantly higher following upgrades, and the occurrence of HFH was associated with an 11-fold increased mortality risk (95% confidence interval: 5.9-20.5, P < 0.0001). Medical diagnosis-related group accounted for 91.2% of HFH; the mean cost per HFH was €5662 ± 9497, and the mean cost per patient was €9369 ± 12 687. On multivariate analysis, predictors of HFH were atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, and all-cause hospitalization within 30 days prior to the procedure. Conclusions In the DECODE registry, HFH and mortality rates in the year following ICD/CRT-D replacement or upgrade were low. In this particular subset, underlying cardiac disease was the main driver of HFH, mortality, and higher healthcare expenditures.