Increase in endocarditis over nine-year study period mirrored increase in concomitant mixed drug use
THURSDAY, April 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Over the last nine years, there was an increase in the number of endocarditis cases, which mirrored the increase in concomitant use of mixed drugs, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, held from April 25 to 28 in San Diego.
Mark Bates, M.D., from the Charleston Area Medical Center in West Virginia, and colleagues examined the recent trend of inpatient substance abuse and concomitant endocarditis admissions. All patients admitted during the nine-year study period with concomitant drug abuse and endocarditis were analyzed; data were included for 512 patients who were hospitalized with infective endocarditis and concomitant explicit drug use.
The researchers observed an increase in the number of cases of infective endocarditis from 50 in 2007 to 66 in 2015. The most common variety of reported illicit drug use was mixed drug, and there seemed to be an increase in endocarditis in association with increases in mixed drug use. Most cases were insured by federal and/or state programs (73.6 and 10.1 percent, respectively), but many (44.9 percent) patients were considered under-insured. In 2015, hospital charges of $4,580,786.88 were identified for the 66 cases of illicit drug-associated endocarditis.
“We are working as a team to help find solutions for communities to combat the spread of pandemics and increase awareness in our cities about the dangers of opioid use and the life-threatening condition of endocarditis,” Bates said in a statement.
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