Abstract
Background: The improved life expectancy observed in patients living
with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection has made age-related
cardiovascular complications, including arrhythmias, a growing health
concern. We describe the temporal trends in frequency of various
arrhythmias and assess impact of arrhythmias on hospitalized HIV
patients using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Methods and
Results: Data on HIV-related hospitalizations from 2005 to 2014 were
obtained from the NIS using International Classification of Diseases,
9th Revision (ICD-9) codes. Data was further subclassified into
hospitalizations with associated arrhythmias and those without
arrhythmia. Baseline demographics and comorbidities were determined.
Outcomes including in-hospital mortality, cost of care, and length of
stay were extracted. SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, North Carolina)
was utilized for analysis. A multivariable analysis was performed to
identify predictors of arrhythmias among hospitalized HIV patients.
Among 2,370,751 HIV-related hospitalizations identified, the overall
frequency of any arrhythmia was 3.01%. Atrial fibrillation (AF) was the
most frequent arrhythmia (2110 per 100,000). The overall frequency of
arrhythmias has increased over time by 108%, primarily due to a 132%
increase in AF. Arrhythmias are more frequent among older males, lowest
income quartile and non-elective admissions. Patients with arrhythmias
had a higher in-hospital mortality rate (9.6%). In-hospital mortality
among patients with arrhythmias has decreased over time by 43.8%. The
cost of care and length of stay associated with arrhythmia-related
hospitalizations were mostly unchanged. Conclusions: Arrhythmias are
associated with significant morbidity and mortality in hospitalized HIV
patients. AF is the most frequent arrhythmia in hospitalized HIV
patients.