CORRECTION BY SOURCE: The Absence of an Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy (OHE)-Specific Diagnosis Code May Result in Increased OHE-Related Length of Stay and Hospitalization-Related Costs Due to OHE Rate Underestimation, According to New Analysis

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CORRECTION BY SOURCE: The Absence of an Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy (OHE)-Specific Diagnosis Code May Result in Increased OHE-Related Length of Stay and Hospitalization-Related Costs Due to OHE Rate Underestimation, According to New AnalysisThis corrects and replaces the release that was disseminated earlier todayLack of OHE-specific diagnostic code in hospitals may increase risk of additional cost, length of hospitalization and additional burdens for patients compared to those with a previous primary OHE diagnosisLAVAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / November 10, 2023 / Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE/TSX:BHC) and its gastroenterology business, Salix Pharmaceuticals, today announced findings from a descriptive analysis of a hospital database (October 2015-June 2022) showing that the absence of an overt hepatic encephalopathy-specific diagnosis code may have resulted in increased OHE-related length of stay (LOS) and hospitalization-related costs due to OHE rate underestimation. The analysis of hospital data showed that OHE hospitalizations identified using in-hospital Xifaxan® (rifaximin) or lactulose use combined with a diagnosis for altered mental status, unspecified encephalopathy, or cirrhosis, had a mean hospital billing charge 2.5 times higher and mean length of stay (LOS) 2.0 times longer than solely relying on OHE as a primary diagnosis. Findings from the analysis, "Systematic undercounting of overt hepatic encephalopathy hospitalizations identified by using hospital-administered medication data," will be presented during the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) The Liver Meeting."OHE is a serious complication of hepatic impairment and the absence of an OHE-specific ICD-10 code often led to underestimation of hospitalizations and overall economic burden of OHE. Findings from this analysis of hospital databases indicate that an OHE event identified using in-hospital rifaximin or lactulose in conjunction with diagnosis codes for altered mental status, unspecified encephalopathy, or cirrhosis, rather than solely relying on OHE as a primary diagnosis code only, was costlier and associated with a longer length of hospital stay. This analysis highlights that the absence of a specific ICD-10 code may lead to potential underestimation of the burden of OHE." said Arun Jesudian, MD, Director of Inpatient Liver Services at NYPH/Weill Corn...

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