Frequency and outcome of PEG tube implantations in hospitalized Parkinson's disease patients.

BACKGROUND: Dysphagia is a known complication of Parkinson's Disease (PD). Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement is a therapy for select patients with dysphagia. There is a paucity of information on the role of PEG in PD management. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the frequency and outcomes of PEG tube implantations in hospitalized patients with PD. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of the PINC AI™ Healthcare Database of hospitalized PD patients between 2017 and 2023. PEG implantation, discharge status, and aspiration pneumonia (AP) diagnoses were collected and analyzed. The relationships between AP and PEG were evaluated using logistic regression. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were used to account for repeated hospitalizations and were adjusted for covariates. Odds ratios were calculated. RESULTS: There were 321,967 hospitalizations analyzed. The frequency of PEG tube placement was 1.88%. PEG implantation was associated with higher odds of AP diagnosis (OR 8.52, 95% CI 8.07-9.00; p < 0.001). Patients diagnosed with AP during hospitalization had increased odds of PEG placement compared to those with AP present on admission (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.8-2.2; p < 0.001). PEG implantation was associated with reduced odds of discharge to hospice (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.55-0.7; p < 0.001) and in-hospital death (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.43-0.57; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest study of the frequency and outcomes of PEG implantation in a cohort of hospitalized PD patients. PEG implantation was associated with AP and, in adjusted GEE models, those with PEG placement were less likely to be discharged to hospice or to die in the hospital.