Temporal trends in vena cava filter implantation in public health system inpatients: an 11-year analysis of the largest city in Brazil

BACKGROUND: Vena cava filter implantation is considered a simple procedure, which can lead to overuse and over-indication. It is nevertheless associated with short and long-term complications. OBJECTIVES: The goals of this study were to evaluate rates of vena cava filter implantation conducted by Brazil’s Unified Public Health System, analyzing in-hospital mortality and migration of patients from other cities seeking medical attention in São Paulo. METHODS: This study analyzed all vena cava filter procedures conducted from 2008 to 2018 in the city of São Paulo and registered on the public database using a big data system to conduct web scraping of publicly available databases. RESULTS: A total of 1324 vena cava filter implantations were analyzed. 60.5% of the patients were female; 61.7% were under 65 years old; 34.07% had registered addresses in other cities or states; and there was a 7.4% in-hospital mortality rate. CONCLUSIONS: We observed an increase in the rates of use of vena cava filters up to 2010 and a decrease in rates from that year onwards, which coincides with the year that the Food and Drug Administration published a recommendation to better evaluate vena cava filter indications.