Attributable mortality benefit of digoxin treatment in hypoplastic left heart syndrome after the Norwood operation: An instrumental variable-based analysis using data from the Pediatric Health Information Systems Database.
Journal
American heart journal
ISSN: 1097-6744
Titre abrégé: Am Heart J
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0370465
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
09 2023
09 2023
Historique:
received:
11
02
2023
revised:
01
05
2023
accepted:
04
05
2023
medline:
14
8
2023
pubmed:
12
5
2023
entrez:
11
5
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Observational studies have demonstrated an association between the use of digoxin and reduced interstage mortality after Norwood operation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Digoxin use has increased significantly but remains variable between different hospitals, independent of case-mix. Instrumental variable analyses have the potential to overcome unmeasured confounding, the major limitation of previous observational studies and to generate an estimate of the attributable benefit of treatment with digoxin. A cohort of neonates with HLHS born from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2021 who underwent Norwood operation at Pediatric Health Information Systems Database hospitals and survived >14 days after operation were studied. Using hospital-specific, 6-month likelihood of administering digoxin as an instrumental variable, analyses adjusting for both unmeasured confounding (using the instrumental variable) and measured confounders with multivariable logistic regression were performed. The study population included 5,148 subjects treated at 47 hospitals of which 63% were male and 46% non-Hispanic white. Of these, 44% (n = 2,184) were prescribed digoxin. Treatment with digoxin was associated with superior 1-year transplant-free survival in unadjusted analyses (85% vs 82%, P = .02). This survival benefit persisted in an instrumental-variable analysis (OR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.54-0.94, P = .01), which can be converted to an absolute risk reduction of 5% (number needed to treat of 20). In this observational study of patients with HLHS after Norwood using instrumental variable techniques, a significant benefit in 1-year transplant-free survival attributable to digoxin was demonstrated. In the absence of clinical trial data, this should encourage the use of digoxin in this vulnerable population.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Observational studies have demonstrated an association between the use of digoxin and reduced interstage mortality after Norwood operation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Digoxin use has increased significantly but remains variable between different hospitals, independent of case-mix. Instrumental variable analyses have the potential to overcome unmeasured confounding, the major limitation of previous observational studies and to generate an estimate of the attributable benefit of treatment with digoxin.
METHODS
A cohort of neonates with HLHS born from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2021 who underwent Norwood operation at Pediatric Health Information Systems Database hospitals and survived >14 days after operation were studied. Using hospital-specific, 6-month likelihood of administering digoxin as an instrumental variable, analyses adjusting for both unmeasured confounding (using the instrumental variable) and measured confounders with multivariable logistic regression were performed.
RESULTS
The study population included 5,148 subjects treated at 47 hospitals of which 63% were male and 46% non-Hispanic white. Of these, 44% (n = 2,184) were prescribed digoxin. Treatment with digoxin was associated with superior 1-year transplant-free survival in unadjusted analyses (85% vs 82%, P = .02). This survival benefit persisted in an instrumental-variable analysis (OR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.54-0.94, P = .01), which can be converted to an absolute risk reduction of 5% (number needed to treat of 20).
CONCLUSIONS
In this observational study of patients with HLHS after Norwood using instrumental variable techniques, a significant benefit in 1-year transplant-free survival attributable to digoxin was demonstrated. In the absence of clinical trial data, this should encourage the use of digoxin in this vulnerable population.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37169122
pii: S0002-8703(23)00116-3
doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2023.05.005
pii:
doi:
Substances chimiques
Digoxin
73K4184T59
Types de publication
Observational Study
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
35-45Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Conflicts of Interest None reported.