Wang, Yichen

Abstract Objectives To comprehensively evaluate the validity of International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes for both prevalent diagnoses and less common diseases, and to assess the performance of a large language model (LLM)-based system in validating these codes. Materials and Methods This retrospective study analyzed hospital admissions from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. We developed a validated LLM-based system using GPT-4o, refined through iterative prompt engineering, to assess ICD-10-CM code validity. We measured the positive predictive value (PPV) of ICD-10-CM codes, PPV of principal and secondary diagnoses, and the performance of an LLM-based system in code validation. Results Among 865 079 assigned codes, the PPV was 84.6% (95% CI, 84.5%-84.6%). Principal diagnoses had a PPV of 93.9% (95% CI, 93.7%-94.1%), while secondary diagnoses had a PPV of 83.8% (95% CI, 83.7%-83.9%). The LLM system demonstrated high performance in validating ICD codes, achieving 93.6% accuracy, 95.4% sensitivity, and 85.2% specificity. Among correctly assigned secondary diagnoses, the majority (67.9%) represented historical or baseline conditions, while 32.1% reflected active conditions that deviated from baseline status; 22.3% of these emerged after hospital admission. PPV decreases with later diagnosis positions, with the largest decline occurring between principal and secondary diagnoses. Discussion and Conclusion In this large-scale evaluation, ICD-10-CM codes exhibited generally high accuracy, though variability existed by position and condition type. A validated LLM system performed comparably to physician review and offers a scalable means to improve coding accuracy. These findings support the potential for integrating LLM-based auditing into routine workflows to strengthen the quality of administrative and research data.

Objectives: Diabetes mellitus and chronic pancreatitis are established risk factors for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The co-occurrence of exocrine and endocrine pancreatic dysfunction may increase the risk of progression to PDAC and could play a role in early detection. We sought to explore this hypothesis by comparing PDAC risk among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and low fecal elastase (FE) in a real-world cohort of patients. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the TriNetX research network including adults with continuous follow-up from 2016 to 2023. The cohort was stratified into 4 groups based on the presence or absence of DM, and normal FE (>200 µg/g) or low FE (<200 µg/g). The 4 groups included: (1) low FE and DM, (2) low FE without DM, (3) normal FE and DM, (4) normal FE without DM. Propensity score matching was performed to balance covariates including age, sex, race, comorbidities to allow for a 6-way comparison of PDAC risk between groups. Time-to-event analyses were conducted with Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% CIs for the primary outcome of PDAC incidence. Results: Of the study cohort, 29,207 had fecal elastase levels. Low FE (<200 µg/g) was observed in 33% (n = 9585) of these patients. After 6-way comparisons, we observed a higher PDAC risk among individuals with both DM and low FE compared with other groups. The highest PDAC risk was observed in patients with both a low FE (<200 µg/g) and DM compared with those with a normal FE and without a history of DM (HR: 3.68; 95% CI, 2.07–6.53; P < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis using a stricter fecal elastase cutoff of <100 µg/g showed a similar finding, with the highest hazard ratio for PDAC among patients with both DM and very low FE levels (HR: 3.07, 95% CI, 1.37–6.91; P = 0.004). Conclusions: The coexistence of low fecal elastase and DM amplifies the risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in our cohort of patients. These results suggest that fecal elastase values may be used to enrich the diabetic population for future PDAC risk stratification, though more studies are needed to validate these findings.

Abstract Background Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk of herpes zoster (HZ) infection due to innate immune abnormalities and use of immunosuppressive therapy. The recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) is recommended, but its efficacy in preventing recurrent HZ among patients with IBD is not well established. Methods Using data from the TriNetX Linked Network, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults (≥18 years) with IBD and a prior uncomplicated HZ episode. Patients with IBD who received RZV were propensity score-matched 1:1 with those who did not. The primary outcome was subsequent HZ complications. Secondary outcomes included subtypes of HZ complications and recurrent uncomplicated HZ. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated via Cox proportional hazards models. Results After matching, 1260 vaccinated and 1260 unvaccinated patients with IBD were included. Compared to the unvaccinated cohort, patients receiving RZV had a significantly reduced incidence of HZ complications (7.4% vs. 14.5%; HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.58–0.97; P = .028). Postherpetic neuralgia was notably decreased (5.8% vs. 12.5%; HR, 0.66; P = .010), and no central nervous system involvement occurred among vaccinated patients. Protective effects were more pronounced in patients with ulcerative colitis, females, and those not receiving immunosuppressive therapy. Conclusions RZV substantially lowers the risk of HZ complications in patients with IBD, offering significant clinical benefits to those at high risk due to immunosuppression. These findings underscore the importance of RZV as part of preventive care strategies in patients with IBD.

Key Points First US national study showing angiodysplasia-related gastrointestinal bleeding incidence and readmissions rises progressively with worsening CKD stage. Patients with kidney failure were less likely to receive endoscopy, which was linked to higher mortality, revealing a potential care gap. Recurrent angiodysplasia-related gastrointestinal bleeding was the leading cause of 30-day readmission; lack of endoscopy was an independent predictor of readmission. Background Angiodysplasia-related gastrointestinal bleeding (AGIB) is an increasingly recognized cause of hospitalization, particularly among patients with CKD. Although AGIB has been linked to kidney failure (KF), its burden across CKD stages remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate AGIB incidence, outcomes, and readmissions across CKD stages using the largest inpatient and readmission databases in the United States. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the 2022 National Inpatient Sample and Nationwide Readmissions Database. Adult patients hospitalized with AGIB were identified and stratified into five groups: non-CKD, early CKD (stage 3), advanced CKD (stages 4–5 not on dialysis), KF (ESKD requiring chronic dialysis), and others. The primary outcome was AGIB hospitalization incidence. Secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, disease severity, treatment interventions, health care utilization, and 30-day readmission. Multivariable regression models were used to identify independent risk. Results In 2022, 46,670 adults were hospitalized with AGIB (0.17% of all admissions). CKD/KF was an independent risk factor for AGIB hospitalization, with risk increasing progressively with worsening kidney function (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.42 [1.34 to 1.50; early CKD], 1.89 [1.72 to 2.07; advanced CKD], 2.51 [2.32 to 2.72; KF]; all P < 0.001). The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 1.04%, higher among patients with CKD. KF was independently associated with higher mortality (aOR, 1.87 [1.06 to 3.27]), lower rates of endoscopic evaluation (aOR, 0.53 [0.43 to 0.65]), and longer hospital stays. Endoscopy was associated with lower mortality (aOR, 0.54 [0.32 to 0.92]). The 30-day all-cause readmission rate was 22.3%, with recurrent AGIB as the leading cause. Readmission risk increased progressively with CKD stage. Conclusions CKD progression is strongly associated with increased risk of AGIB hospitalization and readmission. KF and lack of endoscopic evaluation were independent mortality risk factors. These findings highlight the need for proactive management strategies in this high-risk population.

AbstractCholecystectomy is the standard treatment for acute cholecystitis, but it may not be suitable for all patients. For those who cannot undergo surgery, a percutaneous cholecystostomy tube (PCT) and ERCP-guided transpapillary gallbladder drainage are viable options. We aimed to perform a nationwide study to assess 30-day readmission rates, adverse events (AEs), and mortality rates in these two cohorts.We conducted a nationwide cohort study using data from the Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) from 2016 to 2019. We identified patients with acute cholecystitis during the index admission who underwent either PCT or ERCP-guided gallbladder drainage. Propensity score matching along with multivariable regression was used to compare cohorts.During the study period, 3,592 patients (average age 63.0 years) underwent endoscopic drainage, whereas 80,372 patients (average 70.8 years) underwent Interventional Radiology drainage. Utilizing multivariate Cox regression analysis, compared with ERCP, PCT had a higher risk for 30-day readmission (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.47; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27 to 1.71; P < 0.001). The PCT group had a significantly higher rate of readmission for acute cholecystitis compared with the ERCP group (2.72% vs 0.86%; P < 0.005). Cox proportional hazard ratio showed a 3.41-fold increased risk (95% CI 1.99 to 5.84) for readmission in the PCT group. ERCP was consistently associated with lower rates of post-procedural AEs compared with PCT including acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (P < 0.001), acute renal failure (P < 0.001), shock (P < 0.001), and need for blood transfusions (P < 0.001).Our nationwide analysis revealed that ERCP-guided gallbladder drainage should be the preferred approach for managing acute cholecystitis when unfit for surgery.

Background/Objectives: Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) are reported to have an increased risk of developing severe infections, leading to hospitalizations with sepsis. However, data regarding the impact of comorbid NAFLD on in-hospital outcomes of patients with sepsis is scarce. Methods: This nationwide retrospective observational study using discharge data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality included 21,057,911 adult patients who were admitted to hospitals in the United States between 2000 and 2019 with a primary discharge diagnosis of sepsis. These patients were categorized according to the presence or absence of comorbid NAFLD. The twenty-year trend of nationwide NAFLD prevalence among sepsis inpatients was elucidated. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to analyze NAFLD’s impact on sepsis outcomes. Results: In the twenty-year study period, the prevalence of NALFD among sepsis inpatients trended up from 1.2% in 2000 to 4.2% in 2019. Similar trends were observed in regional analysis. While overall sepsis mortality decreased, comorbid NAFLD in sepsis patients was consistently associated with a higher adjusted in-hospital all-cause mortality rate (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 1.19; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07–1.32), higher odds of developing septic shock, and higher likelihood of development of multi–organ dysfunction. Conclusions: Comorbid NAFLD in the stage of NASH or cirrhosis is associated with higher in-hospital all-cause mortality and worse clinical outcomes in sepsis inpatients. Addressing this rising epidemic will be of paramount importance to improve sepsis in-hospital outcomes.

It is well known that individuals with liver cirrhosis are considered at high risk for cardiac surgery, with an increased risk for morbidity and mortality as the liver disease progresses. In the last decade, there have been considerable advances in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) as an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in individuals deemed to be at high risk for surgery. However, research surrounding TAVI in the setting of liver cirrhosis has not been as widely studied. In this national population-based cohort study, we evaluated the trends of mortality, complications, and healthcare utilization in liver cirrhotic patients undergoing TAVI, as well as analyzed the basic demographics of these individuals. We found that from 2011 to 2020, the amount of TAVI procedures conducted in cirrhotic patients was increasing annually, while mortality, procedural complications, and healthcare utilization trends in these cirrhotic patients undergoing TAVI decreased. Overall, TAVI does seem to be reasonable management for aortic stenosis patients with liver cirrhosis who need aortic valve replacement.