Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41638554›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery2026

The association between the Distressed Communities Index and failure to rescue after cardiac surgery among Medicare beneficiaries.

J'undra N Pegues, Sanjhai L Ramdeen, Lindsay Royston, Hechuan Hou, Jie Yang, Michael P Thompson, Francis D Pagani, Robert B Hawkins, Donald S Likosky

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

J'undra N PeguesDepartment of Cardiac Surgery, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Sanjhai L RamdeenDepartment of Cardiac Surgery, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Lindsay RoystonSpelman College, Atlanta, Ga.
Hechuan HouDepartment of Cardiac Surgery, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Jie YangDepartment of Cardiac Surgery, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Michael P ThompsonDepartment of Cardiac Surgery, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Francis D PaganiDepartment of Cardiac Surgery, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Robert B HawkinsDepartment of Cardiac Surgery, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Donald S LikoskyDepartment of Cardiac Surgery, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. Electronic address: likosky@med.umich.edu.

Funding

Cardiovascular Surgery Training ProgramT32HL007849 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CHARLOTTESVILLE · PI KRON, IRVING L., LAUBACH, VICTOR E · 1998 to 2025
$7.0M
Surgeon Scientist Training in Cardiac DiseasesT32HL166113 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Gorav Ailawadi, YUQING Eugene CHEN · 2023 to 2026
$1.4M
NHLBI NIH HHS T32 HL007849NHLBI NIH HHS T32 HL166113
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFailure to rescue (FTR)-described as mortality after complications-is an important cardiac surgery quality metric. Although risk-adjusted FTR measures account for traditional patient risk, the impact of socioeconomic status on FTR is less understood.

methodsThis sample included 67,386 Medicare beneficiaries undergoing coronary and/or valve surgery between 2016 and 2019. The Distressed Communities Index (DCI), a measure of neighborhood economic well-being, was linked to beneficiary ZIP code and stratified into quintiles for univariate analyses. Outcomes included complications, operative mortality, and in-hospital FTR. A composite of complications included renal failure, venous thromboembolism, pneumonia, gastrointestinal bleeding, pulmonary failure, hemorrhage, and surgical-site infections. Mixed-effects logistic regression assessed the association between DCI (per 10-point increase) and FTR.

resultsThe cohort was 31.6% female, 5.9% Black, and 1.3% Hispanic, with 24.1% in the lowest and 16.4% in the highest distressed quintiles. Beneficiaries in the highest versus lowest distressed quintile were younger as well as more likely female and minorities. The highest versus lowest DCI quintiles were more likely to undergo coronary artery bypass grafting. Beneficiaries in the highest distressed quintile had increased rates of composite complications (32.3% vs 28.9%, P < .001), mortality (5.3% vs 3.4%, P < .001), and FTR (12.0% vs 10.2%, P = .005). Adjusted odds of FTR were 2% greater (odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.04) per 10-point increase in DCI.

conclusionsResidential DCI was predictive of FTR after cardiac surgery. Future work should identify and disseminate strategies to mitigate the disproportionate impact of low socioeconomic status on FTR.

Indexed as

Cardiac Surgical ProceduresFailure to Rescue, Health CareMedicareNeighborhood CharacteristicsPostoperative ComplicationsAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHospital MortalityHumansLow Socioeconomic StatusMaleRisk AssessmentRisk FactorsSocioeconomic Disparities in HealthUnited Statescardiac surgeryDistressed Communities Indexfailure to rescueMedicaresocioeconomic status

Identifiers

PMID41638554
PMCPMC13487638

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.