Colleen K Gabel1, Emily D Nguyen2, Teja Chakrala3, Amy E Blum3, Josie François3, Sidharth Chand1, Renajd Rrapi1, Olesya Baker4, Allison S Dobry5, Anna Cristina Garza-Mayers6, Lauren N Ko6, Radhika Shah7, Jessica St John8, Sagar U Nigwekar9, Daniela Kroshinsky10. 1. Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. 2. Narayana Medical College and Hospital, Nellore, India. 3. Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. 4. Center for Clinical Investigation, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. 5. Department of Dermatology, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, California. 6. Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. 7. Department of Dermatology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey. 8. Department of Dermatology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts. 9. Department of Nephrology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. 10. Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: dkroshinsky@partners.org.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Calciphylaxis is a rare thrombotic vasculopathy characterized by high morbidity and mortality. There is a paucity of studies examining longitudinal outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To assess mortality, days spent in the hospital, and amputations in patients with calciphylaxis. METHODS: A retrospective medical record review was conducted in 145 patients diagnosed with calciphylaxis at an urban tertiary care hospital from January 2006 to December 2018. RESULTS: Six-month mortality was 37.2%, and 1-year mortality was 44.1%. Patients with nephrogenic calciphylaxis had worse survival than those with nonnephrogenic calciphylaxis (P = .007). This difference in survival disappeared when limiting mortality to deaths due to calciphylaxis. Age (P = .003) and end-stage renal disease (P = .01) were risk factors associated with 1-year mortality. Diabetes mellitus was associated with greater total hospitalization days (coefficient, 1.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.4); bedside debridement was associated with fewer hospitalization days (coefficient, 0.8; 95% confidence interval, 0.7-0.9). Amputations were not associated with any of the examined risk factors. The use of warfarin followed by a transition to nonwarfarin anticoagulation was associated with decreased hazard of death (P = .01). LIMITATIONS: Retrospective nature. CONCLUSIONS: Calciphylaxis remains a complex, heterogeneous disease. Mortality is lower in patients with nonnephrogenic disease. These findings may be incorporated during discussions regarding the goals of care to facilitate informed shared decision making.
BACKGROUND: Calciphylaxis is a rare thrombotic vasculopathy characterized by high morbidity and mortality. There is a paucity of studies examining longitudinal outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To assess mortality, days spent in the hospital, and amputations in patients with calciphylaxis. METHODS: A retrospective medical record review was conducted in 145 patients diagnosed with calciphylaxis at an urban tertiary care hospital from January 2006 to December 2018. RESULTS: Six-month mortality was 37.2%, and 1-year mortality was 44.1%. Patients with nephrogenic calciphylaxis had worse survival than those with nonnephrogenic calciphylaxis (P = .007). This difference in survival disappeared when limiting mortality to deaths due to calciphylaxis. Age (P = .003) and end-stage renal disease (P = .01) were risk factors associated with 1-year mortality. Diabetes mellitus was associated with greater total hospitalization days (coefficient, 1.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.4); bedside debridement was associated with fewer hospitalization days (coefficient, 0.8; 95% confidence interval, 0.7-0.9). Amputations were not associated with any of the examined risk factors. The use of warfarin followed by a transition to nonwarfarin anticoagulation was associated with decreased hazard of death (P = .01). LIMITATIONS: Retrospective nature. CONCLUSIONS: Calciphylaxis remains a complex, heterogeneous disease. Mortality is lower in patients with nonnephrogenic disease. These findings may be incorporated during discussions regarding the goals of care to facilitate informed shared decision making.
Authors: Smeeta Sinha; Lisa J Gould; Sagar U Nigwekar; Thomas E Serena; Vincent Brandenburg; Sharon M Moe; George Aronoff; Dinesh K Chatoth; Jeffrey L Hymes; Stephan Miller; Claire Padgett; Kevin J Carroll; Joan Perelló; Alex Gold; Glenn M Chertow Journal: Clin Kidney J Date: 2021-07-06