Venous thromboembolism in chronic pediatric heart disease is associated with substantial health care burden and expenditures

ESSENTIALS: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a known complication in chronic pediatric heart disease (CPHD). The effect of certain VTE risk factors on VTE and its health care burden in CPHD is unknown. VTE in CPHD is associated with significantly increased health care resource utilization. Recent cardiac or noncardiac surgery is a risk factor that infers the highest VTE risk in CPHD. ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a complication in children with chronic pediatric heart disease (CPHD). The influence of acute VTE risk factors and the health care burden associated with VTE in CPHD is unknown. METHODS: Children <18 years of age with a CPHD diagnostic code were identified from the 2003‐2013 MarketScan Commercial Databases. VTE diagnoses were identified either concomitantly with initial CPHD diagnoses or during a 6‐month follow‐up. The associations between demographic and clinical characteristics and VTE among children with CPHD, stratified by recent cardiac surgery, were assessed by multivariable logistic regression models. Estimates of health care utilization were compared using Wilcoxon rank‐sum tests. RESULTS: VTE events occurred in 957 of 120 884 children with CPHD (0.8%). In‐hospital mortality was significantly higher in children with VTE. Single‐ventricle physiology had the highest VTE rate (2.3%). All comorbid conditions were significantly associated with VTE, but the prevalence was highest in children with recent cardiac (11.1%) or noncardiac surgery (7.8%). The magnitude of association between noncardiac comorbidities and acquired acute cardiovascular conditions and VTE were larger for children without a recent cardiac surgery. Children with VTE had significantly higher health care utilization. CONCLUSIONS: VTE in CPHD is associated with significantly increased health care resource utilization and in‐hospital mortality. All of the comorbid conditions examined were significantly associated with VTE, but a recent surgical procedure, especially cardiac surgery, conferred the highest VTE risk. Although confounding inherently limits observational studies, these findings provide practical information about the health care costs among patients with CPHD and VTE.