Hospitalized patients co-diagnosed with infective endocarditis and opioid drug dependence in Florida, 2015-2018

Abstract

Objective: As the opioid addiction epidemic continues to grow, other serious health issues regarding drug use has also increased. This study examines the trends in admissions and population characteristics of those who experience infective endocarditis with opioid drug dependence.
Methods: We used ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM codes to identify patients admitted to a hospital with infective endocarditis and with a secondary diagnosis of opioid use related disorders using data released by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). Data included age, gender, ethnicity, race, discharge disposition, admission type, payer status, total charges, and zip code of patients’ residence.
Results: During the four-year period, the percent of patients diagnosed with infective endocarditis and a diagnosis code associated with opioid abuse or dependence doubled (4.48% to 8.52%). Of the patients dually diagnosed, the mean age was 37.47 and the majority were white (90.78%), non-Hispanic (91.96%), and female (58.55%). Nearly 47% of the patients did not have health insurance. The percentage of patients with both diagnosis codes living in urban counties was 91.37%. Median length of stay was 10 days and median total charges for patients was $101,604.
Conclusions: With the increasing incidence of opioid dependence and addiction within the United States, there is a rise in infective endocarditis, a costly and debilitating disease. Our analysis provides the framework for hospital systems to identify patients who may benefit from addiction services, which through downstream effects will cause less of a health and financial burden.