Patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) who undergo an amputation are more likely to encounter poor outcomes if they receive limited vascular care leading up to the procedure, according to new findings presented at VIVA21 in Las Vegas.
The study’s authors explored data from nearly 8,000 Medicare patients with CLI, a severe form of peripheral artery disease (PAD). While 63.4% patients received low-intensity vascular care in the year before their amputation, 5.5% received medium-intensity vascular care and 31.1% received high-intensity vascular care. Patients who were male or receiving care at a safety-net hospital were more likely to receive low-intensity vascular care. This was also true for low-income patients.
“Patients with CLI are at an increased risk of cardiovascular events, amputation and death,” Eric Secemsky, MD, from the Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology, said in a statement. “Often times, the burden of the disease leaves an impact on patients well after life-altering events.”
“An objective multidisciplinary vascular assessment is critical prior to amputation as high and medium intensity of care can lower a patient’s risk of death by 23.8% and 21.8%, respectively,” added Nick West, MD, chief medical officer and divisional vice president of global medical affairs for Abbott’s vascular business. “However, disparities continue to exist in contemporary vascular practice.”
More information on VIVA21 is available here.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.