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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 May 1.
Published in final edited form as: Ann Rheum Dis. 2020 Mar 24;79(5):573–580. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-216802

Table 3:

Associations between biologics/tsDMARDs and glucocorticoids with mortality and readmission

90-Day Mortality 30-Day Readmission
N Mortality N (%) Unadjusted OR (95% CI) Propensity weighted OR (95% CI) Readmission N (%)* Unadjusted OR (95% CI) Propensity weighted OR (95% CI)
Methotrexate vs. Biologics/tsDMARDs
Methotrexate 6194 401 (6.5%) Reference Reference 781/5690 (13.7%) Reference Reference
TNF 3523 134 (3.8%) 0.57 (0.47–0.70) 0.83 (0.67–1.02) 367/3295 (11.1%) 0.79 (0.69–0.90) 0.86 (0.75–0.993)
Non-TNF biologic/tsDMARD 1060 42 (4.0%) 0.60 (0.43–0.82) 0.78 (0.49–1.22) 134/992 (13.5%) 0.98 (0.81–1.20) 1.02 (0.78–1.33)
Glucocorticoids
None 5720 252 (4.4%) Reference Reference 596/5329 (11.2%) Reference Reference
≤5mg/day 3137 181 (5.8%) 1.33 (1.09–1.62) 1.20 (0.98–1.48) 386/2893 (13.3%) 1.22 (1.07–1.40) 1.10 (0.96–1.27)
5–10mg/day 1459 106 (7.3%) 1.70 (1.34–2.15) 1.41 (1.08–1.82) 216/1336 (16.2%) 1.53 (1.29–1.81) 1.26 (1.05–1.52)
>10mg/day 461 38 (8.2%) 1.95 (1.37–2.78) 1.64 (1.02–2.64) 84/419 (20.0%) 1.99 (1.54–2.57) 1.60 (1.15–2.24)

Propensity weighted odds ratios (OR) from inverse probability weighted logistic regression models with separate analyses for methotrexate vs. biologics/tsDMARDs and for glucocorticoids. Propensity score models include all covariates shown in online supplementary Table S2. Glucocorticoid propensity score models also include use of methotrexate or type of biologic/tsDMARD and time of last prescription/infusion before surgery. Unbalanced covariates are included in weighed models.

*

Readmission within 30 days of discharge reported among patients discharged to home, home health, skilled nursing facility, or inpatient rehabilitation

Glucocorticoid dose is the average daily dose in the 3 months prior to surgery.

TNF = tumor necrosis factor inhibitor, tsDMARD = targeted synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug