Recurrence Prophylaxis in Secondary Spontaneous Pneumothorax A Nationwide Readmission Database Analysis

BACKGROUND: Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) is defined as a pneumothorax presenting as a complication of underlying lung disease. Due to the high recurrence rate and the possibility of life-threatening complications, same-admission recurrence prophylaxis (SARP) following the first occurrence of SSP is recommended by many experts. The rate of SARP in SSP admissions has not been reported. RESEARCH QUESTION: How often were SARP procedures performed in SSP admissions in the United States? How did outcomes differ between SSP admissions with SARP vs those without SARP? STUDY DESIGN AND METHOD This study used the Nationwide Readmission Database to analyze 71,451,419 inpatient admissions in the United States in 2016 and 2017. SSP admissions with patients aged >= 18 years were included, and admissions with documented traumatic or iatrogenic causes of pneumothorax were excluded. Outcomes were compared between SSP admissions with and without SARP. Multivariate logistic analysis was used to model binary-dependent variables. RESULTS: There were 21,838 SSP admissions in 2016 and 2017 (30.56 per 100,000 admissions per year), among which 7,366 (33.73%) received SARP. SARP was associated with lower odds of in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR [aOR], 0.48; 95% CI, 0.34-0.70), 30-day mortality (aOR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.35-0.77), 90-day mortality (aOR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.40-0.79), and 1-year mortality (aOR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.10-0.74). SARP was also associated with lower all-cause readmission at 30 days (aOR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.40-0.49), 90 days (aOR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.40-0.55), and 1 year (aOR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.30-0.68), as well as lower rates of postdischarge pneumothorax recurrence in 30 days (aOR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.11-0.44), 90 days (aOR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.20-0.33), and 1 year (aOR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.11-0.44). INTERPRETATION: The rate of SARP in SSP admissions was 33.73% in the United States in 2016 and 2017. SARP was associated with lower mortality, all-cause readmission, and pneumothorax recurrence in SSP admissions.