Venous Thromboembolism in Hospitalized Melanoma Patients: Analysis from the National Inpatient Sample Database

INTRODUCTION: The association between cancer and hyper-coagulability is well known. However, the association between melanoma and venous thromboembolism (VTE) has not been identified. METHODS: We studied the national inpatient sample (NIS) which compromise 20% of US hospitalization to better characterize melanoma and VTE. We analyzed the data between 2010 and 2014 using ICD-9 codes. RESULTS: Melanoma patients were grouped into presence/absence of VTE. Multiple logistic regression was used to obtain the odds ratio (OR) to compare the mortality of the inpatient, total charges, length of stay (LOS), and disability at discharge. A total of 61,812 melanoma patients were identified, of which 5.2% were hospitalized for VTE. The presence of VTE was associated with a remarkable higher rate of discharge with a moderate to severe disability (57.5% vs 41.4%, P<0.001), in-hospital stroke (7.6% vs 4.9%, P<0.001), and in-hospital mortality (8.8% vs 5.1%, P<0.001). Costs of hospitalization (64,720$ vs 46,606, P<0.001) and LOS (5 vs 3 days, P<0.001) were significantly higher as well in the VTE group. After adjusting for common confounder, VTE was found to be an independent predictor of mortality (OR = 1.596, 95% CI [1.399–1.821], P<0.001). CONCLUSION: In summary, melanoma patients with VTE had higher inpatient mortality, LOS, higher hospital cost, and a higher degree of disability upon discharge.