Retrospective Cohort Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024.
World J Transplant. Jun 18, 2024; 14(2): 90866
Published online Jun 18, 2024. doi: 10.5500/wjt.v14.i2.90866
Table 1 Baseline characteristics of liver transplant hospitalizations, n (%)
Factor
2019
2020
P value
Total liver transplant hospitalizations7810 (49.7)7910 (50.3)
Liver transplant rejections120 (1.5)180 (2.3)< 0.001
Elixhauser comorbidity index score< 0.001
    ≤ 2325 (4.2)235 (3.0)
    ≥ 37490 (95.8)7680 (97.0)
Age in years at admission, median (IQR)57.0 (49.0, 64.0)57.0 (48.0, 64.0)0.75
Gender0.90
    Male4885 (62.51)4940 (62.41)
    Female2930 (37.49)2975 (37.59)
Median household income national quartile for patient ZIP code< 0.001
    1st (0-25th)1770 (23.2)1935 (24.8)
    2nd (26th-50th)1850 (24.2)2070 (26.6)
    3rd (51st-75th)2115 (27.7)1830 (23.5)
    4th (76th-100th)1905 (24.9)1955 (25.1)
Primary payer0.39
    Medicare2405 (32.2)2345 (31.0)
    Medicaid1205 (16.1)1260 (16.7)
    Private and other3943 (50.5)3991 (50.5)
Inpatient mortality210 (2.7)250 (3.2)0.079
Length of stay (d), median (IQR)12.0 (7.0, 23.0)12.0 (8.0, 24.0)0.2
Total charges (USD), median (IQR)428177.0 (307282.0, 689844.0)473252.0 (334552.0, 744322.0)< 0.001
Table 2 Linear trends of baseline characteristics of liver transplant hospitalizations included in the present study

Jan
Feb
March
April
May
June
July
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
P value
Total liver transplant hospitalizations, n (%)
2019600 (7.7)635 (8.1)690 (8.8)625 (8.0)615 (7.9)675 (8.6)670 (8.6)710 (9.1)685 (8.8)705 (9.0)600 (7.7)635 (8.1)0.98
2020635 (8.0)655 (8.3)560 (7.1)595 (7.5)700 (8.9)710 (9.0)670 (8.5)695 (8.8)690 (8.7)650 (8.2)665 (8.4)685 (8.7)0.73
Liver transplant rejections, n (%)
2019< 1035 (5.5)30 (4.3)25 (4.0)25 (4.1)< 1015 (2.2)15 (2.1)< 1015 (2.1)< 10< 10< 0.001
2020< 1035 (5.3)15 (2.7)15 (2.5)15 (2.1)< 1025 (3.7)< 10< 1015 (2.3)< 1025 (3.6)0.23
Elixhauser comorbidity index score, n (%)
2019< 0.001
≤ 230 (5)35 (5.5)30 (4.3)20 (3.2)30 (4.9)45 (6.7)15 (2.2)25 (3.5)20 (2.9)15 (2.1)30 (5.2)30 (4.8)
≥ 3570 (95.0)600 (94.5)660 (95.7)605 (96.8)585 (95.1)630 (93.3)655 (97.8)685 (96.5)665 (97.1)690 (97.9)545 (94.8)595 (95.2)
2020< 0.001
≤ 235 (5.5)20 (3.1)20 (3.6)15 (2.5)30 (4.3)25 (3.5)0 (0.0)20 (2.9)< 1030 (4.6)15 (2.3)< 10
≥ 3600 (94.5)635 (96.9)540 (96.4)580 (97.5)670 (95.7)685 (96.5)665 (99.3)675 (97.1)680 (98.6)620 (95.4)650 (97.7)675 (98.5)
Age in years at admission, median (IQR)
201958.5 (52.0, 65.0)57.0 (49.0, 63.0)57.0 (46.0, 62.0)57.0 (50.0, 64.0)57.0 (49.0, 63.0)58.0 (50.0, 64.0)59.0 (49.0, 63.0)57.0 (48.0, 65.0)57.0 (51.0, 65.0)57.0 (47.0, 62.0)58.0 (50.0, 66.0)56.0 (48.0, 63.0)< 0.001
202058.0 (49.0, 64.0)55.0 (46.0, 64.0)57.0 (50.0, 64.0)59.0 (47.0, 65.0)57.0 (49.5, 64.0)57.0 (45.0, 64.0)56.0 (42.0, 63.0)57.0 (48.0, 64.0)58.0 (49.0, 65.0)57.0 (47.0, 64.0)58.0 (49.0, 64.0)59.0 (48.0, 65.0)< 0.001
Gender, n (%)
2019< 0.001
Male380 (63.3)390 (61.4)415 (60.1)375 (60.0)345 (56.1)445 (65.9)425 (63.4)495 (69.7)440 (64.2)450 (63.8)375 (65.2)350 (56.0)
Female220 (36.7)245 (38.6)275 (39.9)250 (40.0)270 (43.9)230 (34.1)245 (36.6)215 (30.3)245 (35.8)255 (36.2)200 (34.8)275 (44.0)
20200.037
Male415 (65.4)400 (61.1)350 (62.5)410 (68.9)415 (59.3)410 (57.7)385 (57.5)465 (66.9)455 (65.9)440 (67.7)395 (59.4)400 (58.4)
Female220 (34.6)255 (38.9)210 (37.5)185 (31.1)285 (40.7)300 (42.3)285 (42.5)230 (33.1)235 (34.1)210 (32.3)270 (40.6)285 (41.6)
Median household income national quartile for patient ZIP Code, n (%)
2019< 0.001
1st (0-25th)115 (20.4)105 (17.1)145 (21.8)180 (29.0)140 (22.8)145 (21.8)195 (29.8)150 (21.6)185 (27.6)140 (20.0)135 (24.1)135 (22.1)
2nd (26th-50th)140 (24.8)190 (30.9)125 (18.8)145 (23.4)165 (26.8)150 (22.6)145 (22.1)150 (21.6)145 (21.6)165 (23.6)150 (26.8)180 (29.5)
3rd (51st-75th)160 (28.3)155 (25.2)220 (33.1)180 (29.0)150 (24.4)175 (26.3)175 (26.7)185 (26.6)175 (26.1)195 (27.9)165 (29.5)175 (28.7)
4th (76th-100th)150 (26.5)165 (26.8)175 (26.3)115 (18.5)160 (26.0)195 (29.3)140 (21.4)210 (30.2)165 (24.6)200 (28.6)110 (19.6)120 (19.7)
2020< 0.001
1st (0-25th)165 (26.4)130 (20.2)150 (26.8)135 (23.1)175 (25.5)165 (23.6)150 (22.6)220 (32.1)180 (26.1)175 (27.6)155 (23.5)135 (20.6)
2nd (26th-50th)205 (32.8)180 (27.9)140 (25.0)150 (25.6)195 (28.5)190 (27.1)230 (34.6)155 (22.6)170 (24.6)135 (21.3)180 (27.3)140 (21.4)
3rd (51st-75th)110 (17.6)130 (20.2)160 (28.6)150 (25.6)160 (23.4)170 (24.3)130 (19.5)150 (21.9)165 (23.9)175 (27.6)130 (19.7)200 (30.5)
4th (76th-100th)145 (23.2)205 (31.8)110 (19.6)150 (25.6)155 (22.6)175 (25.0)155 (23.3)160 (23.4)175 (25.4)150 (23.6)195 (29.5)180 (27.5)
Primary payer, n (%)
2019< 0.001
    Medicare190 (33.0)170 (28.3)220 (33.3)155 (25.4)180 (30.8)225 (34.9)210 (31.8)245 (36.0)220 (33.6)215 (32.6)195 (36.8)180 (30.0)
    Medicaid85 (14.8)100 (16.7)95 (14.4)120 (19.7)95 (16.2)105 (16.3)110 (16.7)110 (16.2)110 (16.8)120 (18.2)65 (12.3)85 (14.2)
    Private and other300 (50.0)330 (52.0)345 (50.0)335 (54.9)310 (50.4)315 (46.7)340 (51.5)339 (47.7)340 (49.6)347 (49.2)293 (50.9)349 (55.8)
2020< 0.001
    Medicare215 (35.0)185 (30.8)190 (35.5)200 (35.1)185 (27.8)175 (25.7)190 (30.4)200 (29.9)210 (32.1)200 (32.3)190 (29.2)200 (29.9)
    Medicaid90 (14.6)135 (22.5)60 (11.2)90 (15.8)105 (15.8)105 (15.4)115 (18.4)140 (20.9)95 (14.5)110 (17.7)100 (15.4)115 (17.2)
    Private and other310 (48.8)280 (46.7)285 (53.3)280 (47.1)375 (56.4)400 (58.8)320 (47.8)330 (47.5)350 (50.7)310 (47.7)369 (55.5)355 (53.0)
Inpatient mortality, n (%)
2019< 1020 (3.1)< 1030 (4.8)15 (2.4)25 (3.7)15 (2.2)25 (3.5)15 (2.2)25 (3.5)15 (2.6)< 100.78
2020< 1025 (3.8)< 1045 (7.6)15 (2.1)25 (3.5)15 (2.2)25 (3.6)15 (2.2)15 (2.3)20 (3.0)30 (4.4)0.55
Length of stay, median (IQR) (days)
201912.5 (8.0, 25.5)11.0 (7.0, 25.0)11.0 (7.0, 23.0)11.0 (7.0, 21.0)11.0 (7.0, 17.0)12.0 (7.0, 23.0)14.0 (9.0, 25.0)12.0 (7.0, 23.0)11.0 (8.0, 23.0)14.0 (7.0, 21.0)11.0 (8.0, 24.0)13.0 (8.0, 23.0)< 0.001
202012.0 (7.0, 25.0)12.0 (8.0, 21.0)11.5 (7.0, 23.0)13.0 (8.0, 24.0)11.5 (8.0, 23.0)11.5 (7.0, 21.0)11.0 (7.0, 20.0)15.0 (8.0, 26.0)13.0 (8.0, 24.0)14.5 (8.0, 30.0)13.0 (8.0, 23.0)13.0 (8.0, 25.0)< 0.001
Total charges, median (IQR) (USD)
2019438680.5 (319902.0, 703305.0)383767.0 (292185.0, 648388.0)394906.0 (290243.0, 740556.0)416119.0 (308253.0, 670906.0)397547.0 (294459.0, 607369.0)408327.0 (314639.0, 669496.0)475886.0 (319526.0, 770702.0)461861.0 (294480.0, 644659.0)419143.0 (313531.0, 641207.0)449383.0 (326746.0, 702840.5)430862.0 (293962.0, 644716.0)428974.0 (308548.0, 780206.0)< 0.001
2020442761.5 (303964.0, 677788.0)465051.0 (340561.0, 685720.0)442387.0 (329722.0, 705312.0)476185.0 (340632.0, 652454.0)435817.0 (328502.0, 714647.0)457076.0 (347943.5, 676989.0)456924.0 (331853.5, 664905.5)515565.0 (369134.0, 806652.0)481444.0 (327361.0, 726893.0)523452.0 (339184.0, 951676.0)505836.0 (330019.5, 796788.0)451569.0 (325468.0, 754506.0)< 0.001
COVID-19 Dx (2020 only), n (%)0 (0.0)0 (0.0)< 10    < 10
< 10    < 10< 10
0 (0.0)< 100 (0.0)    20 (3.0)< 100.10