Drug-eluting versus nondrug peripheral vascular interventions.

Introduction: Drug-eluting (DRUG) peripheral vascular interventions (PVIs) are associated with higher patency rates than nondrug (NONDRUG) PVIs. Recent data raised safety concerns with using DRUG devices in PVIs.

Material and methods: The study population was extracted from the 2016 Nationwide Readmissions Database using the International Classification of Diseases, tenth edition, clinical modifications/procedure coding system codes for PVI, DRUG and NONDRUG devices, and in-hospital procedural complications. Study endpoints included in-hospital all-cause mortality, length of index hospitalization, acute kidney injury (AKI), amputation, compartment syndrome, vascular complications, bleeding, and blood transfusion. Propensity matching was used to adjust for baseline characteristics.

Results: 49,883 discharged patients who underwent lower extremity arterial PVI were identified, 25.3% DRUG and 74.7% NONDRUG PVI. Mean age was 68.3 years and 40.6% were female. Critical limb ischemia was reported in 33.2%, claudication in 7.6%, and acute limb ischemia in 0.1%. In comparison to the NONDRUG group, the DRUG group was associated with lower in-hospital all-cause mortality (2.2 vs. 2.9%, p < 0.001), shorter length of index hospitalization (8.3 vs. 8.6 days, p = 0.001), bleeding (12.0% vs. 13.5%, p < 0.001), and need for blood transfusion (10.1% vs. 11.0%, p = 0.004). There was no significant difference in terms of AKI (17.3% vs. 18.0%, p = 0.10), amputation (15.3% vs. 15.4%, p = 0.63), compartment syndrome (0.5% vs. 0.6%, p = 0.07), or vascular complications (0.8% vs. 0.8%, p = 0.50). After propensity matching, the mortality benefit was no longer present.

Conclusions: DRUG PVI was associated with lower in-hospital all-cause mortality, bleeding events and shorter length of index hospitalization and comparable vascular-related complications. However, this mortality benefit was no longer present after propensity matching.