Inpatient outcomes of Dieulafoy’s lesions in the United States

Abstract

Dieulafoy’s lesions are arguably underidentified rather than an infrequent cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. No population-based study exists regarding its inpatient outcomes in the United States. We evaluated the characteristics and inpatient outcomes for Dieulafoy’s lesions using the National Inpatient Sample from 2016 to 2019. We identified 30,015 weighted hospitalizations for Dieulafoy’s lesions. An initial diagnosis of Dieulafoy’s lesions was established for 53.85% of patients on admission. The mean age was 68.7 ± 0.04 years, with male (56%) and white race predominance (70%). The mean length of stay and hospital cost were 7.87 days and $111,914, respectively. Significant predictors of inpatient mortality included heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, coagulopathy, protein-calorie malnutrition, and alcoholism (P < 0.001). During inpatient hospitalization, 78% of patients underwent endoscopies, and 11% had colonoscopies. Inpatient mortality was 4.65%. Common comorbidities in Dieulafoy’s lesions patients included heart failure (34%), cardiac arrhythmias (41%), hypertension (32%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders (25%), coagulopathic disorders (22%), and alcohol abuse (12%). Dieulafoy’s lesions have a significant effect on length of stay and hospital cost. Endoscopies were used substantially more than colonoscopies for Dieulafoy’s lesions, indicating a predominant presentation as upper gastrointestinal bleed. Cardiac disorders increase mortality in patients with Dieulafoy’s lesions.

Keywords:

• Dieulafoy’s lesions
• National Inpatient Sample
• prevalence
• upper gastrointestinal bleeding