Inferior Vena Cava Filters in the Elderly: More Evidence of the Need for Caution

In analyses of observational data on Medicare patients, IVC filters are associated with greater 30-day and 1-year mortality.

Data on the benefits of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters in elderly patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) are mixed. These researchers used three statistical approaches to explore the association between placement of IVC filters and mortality. They analyzed observational data on 214,579 Medicare patients aged ≥65 and hospitalized for PE from 2011 to 2014; 13.4% received an IVC filter.

Patients with IVC filters experienced higher 30-day and 1-year mortality (11.6% and 20.5%, respectively) than those who did not receive an IVC filter (9.3% and 13.4%). In a model using mixed effects regression adjustment, the two groups had no significant difference in 30-day mortality. However, in analyses using an inverse probability weighted adjustment and i…

Reviewing Author

Fatima Rodriguez, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardNovoNordisk; HealthPals; Novartis; Amgen

EquityHealthPals; Carta

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; American Heart Association–Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

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