Combining Charlson and Elixhauser scores with varying lookback predicated mortality better than using individual scores.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate variation in the presence of secondary diagnosis codes in Charlson and Elixhauser comorbidity scores and assess whether including a 1-year lookback period improved prognostic adjustment by these scores individually, and combined, for 30-day mortality.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

We analyzed inpatient admissions from January 1, 2007 to May 18, 2018 in Oxfordshire, UK. Comorbidity scores were calculated using secondary diagnostic codes in the diagnostic-dominant episode, and primary and secondary codes from the year before. Associations between scores and 30-day mortality were investigated using Cox models with natural cubic splines for nonlinearity, assessing fit using Akaike Information Criteria.

RESULTS

The 1-year lookback improved model fit for Charlson and Elixhauser scores vs. using diagnostic-dominant methods. Including both, and allowing nonlinearity, improved model fit further. The diagnosis-dominant Charlson score and Elixhauser score using a 1-year lookback, and their interaction, provided the best comorbidity adjustment (reduction in AIC: 761 from best single score model).

CONCLUSION

The Charlson and Elixhauser score calculated using primary and secondary diagnostic codes from 1-year lookback with secondary diagnostic codes from the current episode improved individual predictive ability. Ideally, comorbidities should be adjusted for using both the Charlson (diagnostic-dominant) and Elixhauser (1-year lookback) scores, incorporating nonlinearity and interactions for optimal confounding control.