Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: To describe utilization of non‑pharmacological medical resources, represented by hospitalization rate, length of hospital stays (LOS) and transplantation in a cohort of patients with PAH (Pulmonary arterial hypertension).
METHODS: Adults with WHO group 1 PAH were identified from a tertiary care hospital pulmonary hypertension registry between 2017-2023. Index date was diagnosis (incident) or study observation start (prevalent). PH groups 2-5 were excluded. Hospitalizations were analyzed overall and for PAH-related causes (by investigator judgment). Analyses were further stratified by the presence or absence of cardiopulmonary comorbidities (hypertension, coronary disease, diabetes, obesity, atrial fibrillation, or lung disease; comorb+/comorb-).
RESULTS: Eighty patients were included (median age 48 years; 80% female; 45% idiopathic PAH). At diagnosis 50% (n=40) had ≥1 comorbidity. Median follow‑up was 2 years. Resource use was high, with a median of 2.5 all-cause hospitalizations per patient; most admissions were PAH-related and all required ICU care. Hospitalization rates (per 100 person‑years): comorb+ 113.7 (global), 70.2 (PAH‑related); comorb- 105.1 (global), 83.2 (PAH‑related). LOS (days per 100 person‑years; median per patient, IQR): comorb+ 1,026.3 (global), 565.8 (PAH‑related); comorb- 1,756.4 (global), 1,293.5 (PAH‑related). Over follow‑up there were 19 deaths (7.56/100 person‑years) and 12 lung transplants (4.77/100 person‑years); composite event rate 11.15/100 person‑years.
CONCLUSIONS: In this single‑center cohort, PAH imposed substantial HCRU with frequent admissions, prolonged LOS and ICU utilization. High mortality and transplant rates underscore disease severity and resource demands and the need for earlier interventions to reduce healthcare impact and improve patient outcomes.