Treatment guidelines for chronic kidney disease (CKD) recommend sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) as first-line treatment for a broad range of individuals with CKD, alongside renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi). However, adoption of guidelines in clinical practice is often delayed, potentially leading to avoidable associated morbidity and mortality. Effective strategies are needed to improve implementation of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) in patients with CKD. This trial will evaluate the effectiveness of electronic letter-based nudges, delivered via the Danish governmental electronic letter system to individuals with CKD, their general practices, or both, in increasing GDMT in individuals with CKD.

NUDGE-CKD is a 2 × 2 factorial, nationwide implementation trial, with randomization at both the general practice and patient level. All Danish citizens with CKD and access to the official Danish electronic letter system were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to usual care (no letter) or to receive an electronic letter-based nudge on GDMT in CKD. All Danish general practices with a patient with CKD on their patient panel were also randomized 1:1 to usual care (no letter) or to receive an electronic informational nudge letter on GDMT in CKD. Data are collected through the Danish administrative health registries. The primary endpoint is a prescription of RASi or SGLT2i within 6 months of intervention delivery based on fill records. Secondary endpoints include components of the primary endpoint, as well as proportion of new CKD GDMT users. Prespecified exploratory endpoints include filled prescriptions of other cardio-renal-protective medications, general practice contacts, assessment of renal biomarkers and downstream clinical outcomes. A total 22,617 individuals with CKD were randomized to the patient-level intervention, and 28,069 individuals with CKD across 1,540 general practices were randomized to the general practice-level intervention. Intervention letters were delivered on August 19, 2024, and follow-up is currently ongoing (end of follow-up for primary endpoint: February 19, 2025).

NUDGE-CKD is the first nationwide randomized trial of electronic letter-based nudges delivered to individuals with CKD and their general practices to increase uptake of GDMT in individuals with CKD. The trial will provide evidence into the usefulness of direct communication with patients and healthcare providers for real-world implementation of GDMT.

Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT06300086, registered March 7, 2024 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06300086).

This nationwide registry-based study in Denmark revealed a higher 10-year cumulative incidence of amyloidosis among 79,443 coronary artery disease-negative patients compared to matched controls, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 7.43 (95% CI 4.01-13.7). These findings warrant prospective studies to investigate the prevalence of amyloidosis in patients negative for coronary artery disease after coronary examination.

Previous studies have suggested that traumatic head injury (THI) may be a risk factor of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) development, yet the association remains unclear. We aimed to determine whether hospital-diagnosed THI is an important ALS risk factor, and we investigated the magnitude and duration of associated ALS risk.

In this population-based case-control study, we used individual-level data linkage across nationwide health registers from 1980 to 2021 to identify patients with hospital-diagnosed ALS. Each patient was matched 1:10 with individuals from the general population by age, sex, and diagnostic index date. We used conditional logistic regression to examine the relative risk of ALS associated with having previous hospital-diagnosed THI. To avoid the effect of reverse causation, we investigated ALS risk within several time windows and repeated all analyses after restricting THI exposures to more than 3 years before the date of ALS diagnosis.

THI was observed in 4.7% of 5,943 ALS cases vs 3.7% of 59,426 controls, with a matched odds ratio (OR) of 1.3 (95% CI 1.1-1.4). However, the risk of ALS declined considerably with increasing time since head injury, with a high OR of 4.5 (95% CI 2.8-7.3) observed within the 6 months before ALS diagnosis. If head injury was suffered 6-12 months before ALS diagnosis, the OR was 2.4 (95% CI 1.4-4.0). Restricting the analysis to THI suffered more than 3 years before ALS diagnosis, we found no association with an OR of 1.1 (95% CI 1.0-1.3).

Although a strong association of ALS with THI experienced ≤1 year before ALS diagnosis was evident, our results suggest that this is due to reverse causation. When restricting the analysis to a period deemed relevant for causative events leading to ALS development, no association was observed. Consequently, we do not consider THI an important ALS risk factor. This study was limited by the inability to consider minor THIs not receiving hospital attendance. Future research should explore alternative models to unfold this possible ALS risk factor.

Multimorbidity, defined as two or more chronic conditions in an individual, is increasing in prevalence and is associated with polypharmacy. Polypharmacy can lead to increased out-of-pocket payments for prescription medicines. This, in turn, can be associated with cost-related non-adherence and impoverishment. Healthcare in Denmark is mostly free at the point-of-use; prescription medicines are one of the only exceptions.

To examine the association between multimorbidity and annual out-of-pocket prescription medicine expenditure for adults in Denmark.

A population-based register study was conducted. The study population included all adults residing in Denmark in 2020. Frequencies and descriptive statistics were used and regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between multimorbidity and annual out-of-pocket prescription medicine expenditure, while controlling for demographic and socioeconomic covariates.

Overall, 1,212,033 (24.2 %) individuals had multimorbidity. Individuals with five or more conditions spent, on average, €320 in out-of-pocket prescription medicines expenditure compared to €187 for those with two conditions and €44 for those with no conditions. Amongst those with any out-of-pocket prescription medicine expenditure, having multimorbidity was associated with 2-4 times greater out-of-pocket prescription medicine expenditure than those with zero conditions. Amongst those in the quantile with the highest expenditure, those with five or more conditions spent €408 more than those with no conditions, and those with two conditions spent €185 more than those with no conditions.

For adults in Denmark, multimorbidity was associated with significantly higher out-of-pocket prescription medicine expenditure, even after controlling for demographic and socioeconomic covariates. This is similar to patterns in other countries and likely affects those with lowest income the most, given the known socioeconomic patterning of multimorbidity, and raises concerns about cost related non-adherence. Potential protective mechanisms could include subsidies for certain vulnerable patient groups (e.g. those with severe mental illness) and low-income groups.

While mitral reoperation has been assumed to carry higher surgical risk than first-time mitral surgery, outcomes of this procedure remain uncertain.

To examine characteristics and outcomes associated with mitral valve reoperation and first-time surgery for mitral regurgitation.

Patients undergoing surgery for mitral regurgitation were identified using Danish nationwide registries. The population was categorized into 1) patients undergoing first-time mitral surgery, 2) patients undergoing mitral reoperation. Mortality rates were examined during 180-day follow-up using Reverse Kaplan-Meier and Multivariable Cox-analysis.

In total, 7734 patients underwent surgery for mitral regurgitation. Of these, 428 patients also underwent mitral reoperation. Compared to first-time surgery, reoperated patients were younger (median 64.9 and 66.7 years) and had more cardiovascular comorbidities including atrial fibrillation (61.6 % and 38.8 %) and heart failure (48.7 % and 29.9 %). Median time to reoperation was 2.3 years. Prosthetic replacement was performed in 34.0 % of first-time surgeries and 78.7 % of reoperations. Mortality was 7.1 % following first-time surgery and 10.1 % following reoperation. Following first-time surgery, factors associated with increased mortality rate was prior myocardial infarction (HR = 1.98, 95 %CI 1.62-2.41), heart failure (HR = 1.59, 95 %CI 1.33-1.90), concomitant aortic valve surgery (HR = 1.61-1.27, 95 % CI 1.27-2.02) and bypass grafting (HR = 1.58, 95 %CI 1.31-1.91). Following reoperation, heart failure was associated with increased mortality rate (HR = 2.23, 95 %CI 1.17-4.60).

Patients undergoing mitral reoperation are young but have developed high burden of comorbidities at the time of reoperation. In spite of this, outcomes of mitral reoperation were acceptable, reflecting that this procedure can be performed safely in selected patients.

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) are both associated with liver fibrosis. HFrEF patients may develop liver fibrosis due to hepatic congestion, MASLD, or a combination of both. The Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score calculated using age, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and platelet count, serves as a screening tool for advanced liver fibrosis. This study examines the association between the FIB-4 score and all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and major adverse liver outcomes (MALO) in patients with HFrEF.

This study included 4523 HFrEF patients from the Danish Heart Failure Registry. Based on FIB-4 score, 25.5 % were low-risk, 45.7 % were indeterminate-risk, and 28.8 % were high-risk for advanced liver fibrosis. After five years, the cumulative incidence of all-cause mortality was 43 % for the high-risk group, 36 % for the indeterminate-risk group, and 23 % for the low-risk group. The indeterminate-risk and high-risk group had an increased hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality (HR 1.33, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.16-1.52; HR 1.51, 95 % CI 1.31-1.74) compared to the low-risk group. Similarly, HRs were elevated for cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.61, 95 % CI 1.27-2.05; HR 2.14, 95 % CI 1.67-2.74) and MALO (HR 1.77, 95 % CI 1.01-3.31; HR 2.54, 95 % CI 1.43-4.52).

A high FIB-4 score in patients with HFrEF is associated with increased mortality and MALO.

To describe sociodemographic characteristics of women with hospital diagnosed endometriosis in Denmark and compare them with women without endometriosis.

Case-control study using Danish national registers. Cases were identified as women aged 14-84 years receiving a first-time hospital-based diagnosis of endometriosis in 1991-2021 (n = 37.709). Each case was matched based on date of diagnosis and birth year to five controls without endometriosis (n = 188.545). Information on diagnosis of endometriosis and sociodemographic factors was obtained from Danish registers. Descriptive statistics and unadjusted and adjusted conditional logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association between a diagnosis of endometriosis and sociodemographic factors.

For family-based socioeconomic status, women in all groups other than the employed category (both higher and lower socioeconomic status) had lower odds of receiving a diagnosis (ORs ranging from 0.78 to 0.91). Women with primary education, master or equivalent, and PhD had lower odds of a diagnosis (ORs 0.79-0.93) compared to upper secondary education. Compared to couples, singles and "other" had slightly lower odds of a diagnosis (ORs 0.91-0.94). Women of Danish origin and immigrants had similar odds of a diagnosis whereas descendants had lower odds (0.85 (95% CI: 0.76-0.95)) when compared to the two other groups.

Sociodemographic factors were found to be associated with receiving a hospital diagnosis of endometriosis. However, only smaller differences and a mixed pattern were found.

The aim of this study is to investigate associations between attending routine preventive child health examinations in general practice and the risk of obesity and overweight at age six, focusing on psychosocial risk factors.

Data from nationwide Danish registers on 725 926 children born between 2000 and 2012 were analysed. Information on examination attendance and BMI was obtained. Regression analyses assessed the association between examination attendance and obesity or overweight risk.

Non-attendance in preventive child health examinations was associated with a risk of obesity of 18%-31% at age six. The highest risk was observed in children of parents with low educational attainment who missed all examinations, a four- to five-fold increase compared to children of parents with high educational attainment who attended all or missed only one exam. A smaller association of one to 2% was found between missing examinations and risk of overweight in the general population. However, children of parents with low educational attainment who did not attend were 8%-9% more likely to have overweight.

Associations were found between obesity and overweight and not attending preventive child health examinations in general practice. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms and develop targeted interventions to address health disparities in childhood obesity.

To investigate the putative association between semaglutide and non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION).

Data from national health registries in Denmark (2018-2024) and Norway (2018-2022) were used to compare NAION risk in individuals with type 2 diabetes initiating semaglutide versus sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2is). A supplementary self-controlled analysis examined NAION risk among all semaglutide users. National estimates were pooled using a fixed-effects model.

We identified 44 517 users of semaglutide for the management of type 2 diabetes in Denmark and 16 860 in Norway, with a total of 32 NAION events observed. The unadjusted incidence rate of NAION was 2.19/10 000 person-years among Danish semaglutide initiators, compared to 1.18 among SGLT-2i initiators. In Norway, the corresponding rates were 2.90 and 0.92, respectively. After adjustment, the pooled hazard ratio (HR) was 2.81 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.67-4.75), and the incidence rate difference (IRD) was +1.41 (95% CI +0.53 to +2.29) per 10 000 person-years. Estimates were consistent across both countries but higher and less precise in Norway (HR 7.25; 95% CI 2.34-22.4) compared to Denmark (HR 2.17; 95% CI 1.20-3.92). Results remained consistent across sensitivity and supplementary analyses, with a stronger association observed in a post hoc per-protocol analysis (HR 6.35; 95% CI 2.88-14.0). In the supplementary self-controlled study, symmetry ratios (SRs) for NAION were 1.14 (95% CI 0.55-2.36) in Denmark and 2.67 (95% CI 0.91-8.99) in Norway.

The use of semaglutide for managing type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of NAION compared with the use of SGLT-2is. However, the absolute risk remains low.

Periprosthetic knee fracture (PPKF) following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can be difficult to treat. A PPKF can be treated both operatively and nonoperatively, and the treatment varies between fracture sites. This study aimed to assess the risk of reoperation according to the fracture site and treatment of the PPKF.

This study is a nationwide cohort study using register data from 1997 to 2022. Cruciate-retaining or posterior-stabilized primary TKA were identified from the Danish Knee Arthroplasty Register. Subsequent PPKFs, fracture treatments, and later reoperations were identified through the International Classification of Diseases, tenth edition (ICD-10) diagnosis and procedure codes in the Danish National Patient Register. In addition, indications for revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) in the Danish Knee Arthroplasty Register were used to identify PPKFs and the reason for reoperation.

We included 1,931 PPKFs (1,494 femoral, 207 patellae, and 230 tibial) with an overall two-year reoperation risk of 20% (95% confidence interval (CI): 18 to 23). Femoral PPKFs had a two-year reoperation risk of 16% (CI: 12 to 22) after nonoperative treatment and 21% (CI: 18 to 24) after operative treatment. Patellar PPKFs had a two-year reoperation risk in five to 17 after nonoperative treatment and 46% (CI: 30 to 69) after operative treatment. Tibial PPKFs had a two-year reoperation risk of 17% (CI: 11 to 27) after nonoperative treatment and 36% (25 to 53) after operative treatment.

The overall two-year reoperation risk was 20% (CI: 18 to 23). Operative-treated PPKFs had a higher risk of reoperation across all fracture locations. The highest reoperation risk was found after operatively treated patella and tibial PPKFs (46 and 36%, respectively), and the lowest reoperation risk was found after nonoperative-treated patella PPKFs.

Our aims were to describe health care utilisation patterns across sectors in patients with type 2 diabetes(T2D), and to identify patient characteristics associated with low continuity of care.

A nationwide register-based cohort study including all Danish citizens recorded with a diagnosis of T2 diabetes in 2017. The outcome was continuity of care as measured by three different indices: the Continuity of Care Index (COCI), the Usual Provider of Care Index (UPC), and the Sequential Continuity Index (SECON).

The median of patients with T2D had 75 % of their contacts to their usual health care provider. The strongest association with low continuity of care was the number of comorbidities, showing a dose response trend. Other patient characteristics associated with low continuity of care were duration of T2 diabetes (>10.3 years), lower age group (40-49 years), having a high education level (>15 years) and having a cancer comorbidity.

Our study was the first step to flag patients at potential risk of fragmented care due to many transitions between providers. This is of importance for the general practitioners, who are the coordinators of the patients with T2D and their various health conditions and contacts.

Severe infection is the most frequent disease underlying disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). To improve understanding of the clinical course, we examined the association between infection type and short-term mortality in patients with infection-associated DIC.

Patients with infection-associated DIC registered in the Danish Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DANDIC) cohort were categorised by infection type: pulmonary, intra-abdominal, urogenital, others, multiple infection sites and unknown foci. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to create survival curves and compute 30-day and 90-day mortality; logistic regression was used to compute odds ratios, as a measure of relative risk, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Regression models were adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities and surgery within one week before DIC diagnosis. Pulmonary infection, the most frequent infection type, was used as the reference group.

In total, 1,853 patients had infection-associated DIC. The most common types of infection were pulmonary (35.1%), intra-abdominal (25.6%) and urogenital (12.6%). Thirty-day mortality ranged from 19.7% in patients with urogenital infections to 55.1% in patients with unknown foci. The 30-day mortality odds ratio with respect to pulmonary infection was 0.22 (95% CI, 0.15-0.32) for urogenital infection, 0.57 (95% CI, 0.39-0.82) for other infection types, 0.60 (95% CI, 0.36-1.00) for multiple infection sites, 0.73 (95% CI, 0.56-0.97) for intra-abdominal infections and 1.41 (95% CI, 1.02-1.95) for unknown foci.

Infection-associated DIC had a high short-term mortality, which varied among infection types, thus suggesting that infection type is an important predictor of the clinical course of DIC.

Undergoing medically assisted reproduction (MAR) has been linked to mixed mental health outcomes in women. We investigated the risk of postpartum depression (PPD) among mothers conceiving with MAR compared to mothers conceiving spontaneously.

Register-Based Study.

Denmark.

125 870 mothers with a PPD screening record who gave birth between 2015 and 2019.

We linked mothers' PPD screening records to national health registers and defined MAR conception linking childbirths to MAR treatments.

We defined PPD as an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of ≥ 11. We performed logistic regression on the risk of PPD among mothers who conceived with MAR compared to spontaneous conception and further assessed variations according to duration, type, and indication for MAR.

The study population included 10 977 mothers with MAR conception and 114 893 with spontaneous conception, of which 767 (7%) and 8767 (8%) had PPD. We found a lower risk (adjusted risk ratio 0.87, 95% CI [0.80-0.93]) of PPD among mothers with MAR conception compared to spontaneous conception, with smaller variations according to type, duration and indication for MAR.

We observed a lower risk of PPD among mothers with MAR conception compared to mothers with spontaneous conception. While it is unlikely that MAR itself is protective of PPD, women who seek MAR may have a strong desire and psychological preparedness for parenthood, which could explain the observed findings. Among mothers conceiving with MAR, PPD risk may vary depending on the type of MAR treatment and underlying reasons for seeking MAR.

Musculoskeletal pain is the biggest contributor to burden of disease, causing excessive use of pain-relief medication. Non-pharmaceutical measures are called on for handling this burden. Guidelines recommend physical activity as an effective non-pharmaceutical measure. However, it is unknown if occupational physical activity has the same preventive effects on redeeming pain-relief medication as when performed during leisure-time ("The Physical Activity Paradox"). We aimed to investigate if the paradox contributes to the redemption of prescribed pain relief-medication. 24-h device-measured physical activity data [sitting, standing, light physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and time in bed)] were collected from 824 workers using a thigh-worn accelerometer during work and leisure-time. Redeemed pain-relief prescribed medication was retrieved from the Danish National Prescription Registry during a 4-year follow-up. The prospective association between occupational and leisure-time physical activity and number of redeemed pain-relief prescribed medication was analyzed using a generalized linear model, adjusted for potential confounders. During follow-up, 53% of the workers redeemed a pain-relief medication. In leisure-time, 30 min more of MVPA per day were associated with 23% lower risk (RR = 0.77; 95% CI 0.64 - 0.94) of redeeming pain-relief medication. In contrast, occupational physical activity was not associated with the risk of redeeming pain-relief medication [RR = 1.04 (95% CI 0.89 - 1.20)]. Leisure-time MVPA was associated with lower risk of redeeming pain-relief medication, while no beneficial association was found for occupational MVPA. These findings support the paradox that the domain of physical activity is important for redeeming pain-relief medication. PERSPECTIVE: Leisure-time MVPA differs from occupational MVPA in its association with redeeming pain-relief medication. Increasing leisure-time MVPA may serve as an effective non-pharmacological strategy to reduce pain-relief medication redemption. These findings could potentially inform guidelines for managing musculoskeletal pain, highlighting the need to differentiate between occupational and leisure-time physical activity.

Although acne is associated with scarring, mental health comorbidities and bullying, little is known about its impact on socio-economic outcomes.

To examine the association between acne and educational, labour market and relationship outcomes.

We conducted a nationwide registry-based cohort study in Denmark. We included birth cohorts from 1982 to 1988 and compared those with and without acne identified using hospital diagnosis codes and redeemed prescriptions. Our main educational outcome was educational attainment. The main labour market outcomes were earned income at age 30 and long-term unemployment at any time before age 30. The main relationship outcomes were single partnership and childlessness by age 30. Outcomes were assessed using Poisson regression for binary outcomes and linear regression for continuous outcomes, adjusted for sex, calendar year, mother's socio-economic position and hormonal contraception use.

Those with acne had a lower risk of not completing upper secondary education (relative risk (RR): 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76-0.83) and higher education (RR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.88-0.91), with absolute differences up to 4 percentage points. Persons with acne had slightly higher income (mean percentile difference: 2.6%, 95% CI: 2.2-2.9) and lower risk of long-term unemployment than those without acne (9.8% vs. 11.4%; RR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.87-0.93). The prevalence of being single until age 30 was similar (19.7% vs. 20.1%; adjusted RR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.94-0.98) but childlessness was slightly more prevalent (60.5% vs. 57.5%; adjusted RR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.02-1.04). However, all associations were attenuated or lost in secondary analysis restricted to exposure-discordant siblings to address confounding from family-related factors.

Acne during adolescence does not seem to affect long-term educational, labour market or relationship outcomes. However, there is a need for additional studies to validate the findings in untreated patients and different health and social systems.

Irreversible tissue damage is frequently present at the time of diagnosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc), which calls for earlier diagnosis. This study estimated healthcare utilization three years before the diagnosis of SSc.

We conducted a population-based cohort study using data from Danish national registries. Incident patients diagnosed with SSc between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2018 were matched by age and gender with 10 references without SSc. The date of diagnosis was the index date. We estimated quarterly rates and adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) of healthcare utilization in the three years preceding the diagnosis for patients with SSc and their references.

A total of 1650 SSc patients (1255 women and 395 men) and 16 500 non-SSc references were included. The mean age was 58 years (interquartile range 48-68). Three years before diagnosis, patients with SSc had more contacts with general practice (IRRwomen = 1.43 [95% CI: 1.33; 1.53], IRRmen = 1.47 [95% CI: 1.26; 1.71]) and hospitals (IRRwomen = 1.86 [95% CI: 1.62; 2.14], IRRmen = 2.70 [95% CI: 2.04; 3.58]) compared with their references. In the last three months before diagnosis, patients with SSc had significantly more contacts with general practice (IRRwomen = 2.30 [95% CI: 2.16; 2.44], IRRmen = 2.98 [95% CI: 2.64; 3.35]) and hospitals (IRRwomen = 5.62 [95% CI: 5.08; 6.20], IRRmen = 9.53 [95% CI: 7.81; 11.63]).

The higher use of healthcare services in general practice and hospitals in the three years before diagnosis suggests an opportunity to facilitate earlier diagnosis and treatment of SSc.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been on a downward trend since May, 2022, but it continues to cause substantial numbers of hospital admissions and deaths. We describe this burden in the 2 years since May, 2022, and compare it with the burden of influenza in Denmark.

This observational cohort study included residents in Denmark from May 16, 2022, to June 7, 2024. Data were obtained from national registries, including admissions with COVID-19 or influenza (ie, having a positive PCR test for either virus from 14 days before and up to 2 days after the hospital admission date), deaths, sex, age, COVID-19 and influenza vaccination status, comorbidities, and residence in long-term care facilities. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRRs) to compare rates of hospital admissions between COVID-19 and influenza. To compare the severity of COVID-19 versus influenza among patients admitted to hospital, we used the Kaplan-Meier estimator to produce weighted cumulative incidence curves and adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) of mortality at 30 days between COVID-19 and influenza admissions.

Among 5 899 170 individuals, COVID-19 admissions (n=24 400) were more frequent than influenza admissions (n=8385; aIRR 2·04 [95% CI 1·38-3·02]), particularly during the first year (May, 2022, to May, 2023) versus the second year (May, 2023, to June, 2024; p=0·0096), in the summer versus the winter (p<0·0001), and among people aged 65 years or older versus younger than 65 years (p<0·0001). The number of deaths was also higher for patients with COVID-19 (n=2361) than patients with influenza (n=489, aIRR 3·19 [95% CI 2·24-4·53]). Among patients admitted in the winter (n=19 286), the risk of mortality from COVID-19 was higher than for influenza (aRR 1·23 [95% CI 1·08-1·37]), particularly among those without COVID-19 and influenza vaccination (1·36 [1·05-1·67]), with comorbidities (1·27 [1·11-1·43]), and who were male (1·36 [1·14-1·59]).

COVID-19 represented a greater disease burden than influenza, with more hospital admissions and deaths, and more severe disease (primarily among non-vaccinated people, those with comorbidities, and male patients). These results highlight the continued need for attention and public health efforts to mitigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2.

Danish Government.

Intracranial devices may be used to treat or guide the treatment of increased intracranial pressure in patients with pneumococcal meningitis. European guidelines do not recommend the routine use of intracranial devices in the management of pneumococcal meningitis. However, in some countries, intracranial devices are used routinely, but the effect remains unknown. We aimed to examine whether mortality and sequelae were lower in patients with pneumococcal meningitis admitted to hospitals in regions where intracranial devices were routinely used compared with regions not utilizing intracranial devices routinely in pneumococcal meningitis management.

In a registry-based, nationwide, population-based cohort study, we examined patients with pneumococcal meningitis (Denmark, 2004-2021). Patients were categorized according to whether the individual was admitted to hospitals in regions where intracranial devices were routinely (exposed patients, n = 305 of whom 66 (22%) had an intracranial device) or not routinely used (non-exposed patients, n = 333 of whom 4 (1%) had intracranial devices). We used Cox regression to calculate adjusted mortality rate ratios (aMRR) and hazard ratios of sequelae for the short-term and long-term periods (<6 or ≥6 months after study inclusion).

The short-term cumulative incidence of death was 22% among exposed patients and 22% among non-exposed patients. We found no association between mortality and routine use of intracranial devices in the region in which patients with pneumococcal meningitis were admitted (short-term aMRR [95% CI], 0.9 [0.6-1.3]; long-term aMRR [95% CI], 1.0 [0.7-1.6]). Furthermore, our study did not demonstrate lower risks of diagnosis of epilepsy, hearing loss, diagnoses suggestive of brain damage, disability pension, or shorter length of stay in exposed compared with non-exposed patients with pneumococcal meningitis.

The routine use of intracranial devices is not associated with lower mortality or morbidity among patients with pneumococcal meningitis.

Recent decades have witnessed tangible improvements in childhood cancer survival. However, the prognosis for children with congenital heart disease (CHD), the most prevalent birth defect, remains unclear. Due to improved survival of CHD and childhood cancer, evaluating outcomes within this intersection is important for clinical practice. We aimed to assess mortality post-cancer diagnosis among children with CHD.

We conducted a study on the population of Denmark and Sweden, born 1970-2014, with a cancer diagnosis before age 20 in the national cancer registers (end of follow-up 2015; n = 20 665). CHD diagnoses (n = 397) and recorded deaths were retrieved from national health registers. We evaluated the effect of CHD on 5-year mortality post-cancer diagnosis fitting Cox proportional hazards regression.

When excluding children with Down syndrome, children with CHD had a higher 5-year mortality post-cancer diagnosis compared to children without (hazard ratio [HR] 1.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18 to 1.86). This was particularly notable in children with lymphoma (HR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.11 to 4.25) and neuroblastoma (HR = 2.39, 95% CI = 1.11 to 5.15). In more recent decades (post-1990), children with CHD had similar 5-year mortality as their counterparts without, except for children diagnosed with lymphoma, where mortality remained elevated (HR = 3.37, 95% CI = 1.65 to 6.89).

In this large, register-based cohort study, children with CHD fared worse post-cancer diagnosis-particularly lymphoma and neuroblastoma. While a more positive trend emerged in recent years, lymphoma-related mortality remained disproportionately high among children with CHD, underscoring the need for continued research and interventions to improve outcomes for this vulnerable group.

Anticipated risks of urinary tract infections (UTI) and genital tract infections (GTI) associated with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) may prevent their use in clinical practice. We investigated whether initiation of SGLT2is, compared with glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), was associated with an elevated risk of UTI and GTI in people with type 2 diabetes.

In this cohort study emulating a target trial, we included all adult metformin users initiating SGLT2is or GLP-1RAs in Denmark in 2016-2021 and used inverse-probability of treatment (IPT) weighting to balance potential confounders. We estimated IPT-weighted risk and risk ratios of community- or hospital-treated UTI and GTI, performing both intention-to-treat and on-treatment analyses.

This study included 52,414 SGLT2i initiators and 27,023 GLP-1RA initiators with a median follow-up of 2.9 to 3.9 years. The estimated risks of UTI within the first year were nearly identical: 10.0% for SGLT2is and 10.2% for GLP-1RAs in intention-to-treat analyses corresponding to a risk ratio of 0.98 (95% CI 0.94, 1.03). For GTI, the 1-year risks were elevated under SGLT2i therapy at 2.0% vs. 0.7% (risk ratio 2.95 [95% CI 2.52, 3.44]). During the 5-year follow-up, the relative UTI risk remained almost constant (0.96 [95% CI 0.94, 0.99]) whereas the GTI risk ratio with SGLT2is decreased to 1.64 (95% CI 1.49, 1.80).

In routine clinical care, SGLT2i initiation is not associated with increased risk of UTI compared with GLP-1RA initiation. However, early GTI risk is up to threefold larger in SGLT2i users.

Extrahepatic comorbidities are common in alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). We examined associations between burden of comorbidities, alcohol, and smoking with low health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with ALD.

Patients with ALD and matched comparators were identified among respondents of the Danish National Health Survey waves in 2010-2017. Survey data included generic measures of physical and mental HRQoL (12-Item Short Form Health Survey), comorbidities, alcohol and smoking. Low HRQoL in ALD was defined as ≥1.5 SD worse than the average HRQoL in the comparators. Odds ratios (ORs) of low HRQoL were estimated with multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders.

We included 772 ALD patients, 53% of whom had cirrhosis; 37% had low physical HRQoL and 22% had low mental HRQoL. Disc herniation (found in 21%), osteoarthritis (36%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (11%), cancer (6%), stroke (1%), and psychiatric disease (9%) were associated with low physical and/or mental HRQoL, whereas alcohol use disorder (24%), diabetes (19%), acute myocardial infarction (1%), hypertension (34%), and osteoporosis (12%) were not. For example, osteoarthritis was associated with low physical (OR, 2.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.54-3.05) and low mental (OR, 1.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-2.88) HRQoL. For lifestyle factors, drinking ≥20 units/week was associated with low physical and smoking ≥20 cigarettes/day with low mental HRQoL when compared with abstainers and nonsmokers, respectively.

Common comorbidities including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, musculoskeletal disease, and psychiatric disease are associated with low HRQoL in ALD, independent of liver disease severity, and so are alcohol consumption and smoking. These findings highlight the importance of multidisciplinary management of patients with ALD.

Estimate the incidence of asthma among children aged 0 to 15 years in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden during 2000-2017.

Cases of preschool asthma (up to 6 years) and school-age asthma (from 6 years) were identified through national registers using an algorithm including hospital diagnoses and prescription medicines. The respective cumulative incidence (CI) was estimated in 1-year age intervals for each country and birth year.

The CI of algorithm-based preschool asthma peaked for the birth cohorts 2008 or 2009 at 14.8% in Denmark, 11.0% in Finland, 15.1% in Norway and 13.7% in Sweden. For later birth cohorts, a slight decrease was observed. The CI of school-age asthma was 7.1% in Denmark, 10.5% in Finland, 9.7% in Norway and 10.2% in Sweden (children born in 2002). A slight decline over time was seen in Denmark and Norway, and a slight increase in Sweden and Finland.

Finland had a markedly lower CI of preschool asthma and Denmark lower CI of school-age asthma as estimated by prescriptions and hospital diagnoses. Preschool asthma may have plateaued in the Nordic countries. For school-age asthma trends over time varied by country. Differences in diagnostic and prescription practices may have influenced the results.

Cardiac Amyloidosis (CA) is characterised by amyloid fibril deposits causing heart failure (HF). Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is recognised as a potential red flag for CA, but the association remains underexplored in large-scale studies.

This nationwide registry-based cohort study in Denmark included subjects ≥60 years with a history of LSS surgery. LSS patients were matched 1:1 with controls by age, sex, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive lung disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation.

A total of 44,548 LSS surgery patients and matched controls were included (median age 71.5 years, 56.2% women). The cumulative incidence of amyloidosis after 10 years was higher in the LSS group (0.16% vs. 0.08%, HR 2.29 [95% CI 1.46-3.60]) after adjustment for malignancy, hypertension, and liver disease. The cumulative incidence of HF after 10 years was 10.1% in LSS patients compared with 7.5% in controls (HR 1.28 [95% CI 1.22-1.35], p < 0.0001).

In this nationwide cohort study, LSS surgery was associated with a significantly higher risk of amyloidosis and HF. Prospective studies are warranted to explore the association further.

This study investigated the 1-year risk of injuries and poisonings among anabolic androgenic steroid users compared with controls from the general population.

In a cohort study conducted in Denmark, 1,189 anabolic androgenic steroid users were identified through a national antidoping program and matched with 59,450 controls. Participants were followed for 1 year. Data on hospital contacts, educational length, and occupational status were retrieved from nationwide registries. The primary outcomes were the incidence of injuries and poisonings. The secondary outcomes differentiated between fracture and nonfracture injuries, and medicinal versus nonmedicinal causes of poisonings, and described specific causes of injury-related hospital contacts.

Anabolic androgenic steroid users had significantly higher incidences of injuries and poisonings compared with controls. The risk difference for any injury was 7.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.5 to 10.2) and the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) was 1.46 (95% CI 1.29 to 1.66). Specifically, the risk of fractures was more than doubled among anabolic androgenic steroid users (aHR of 2.23, 95% CI 1.72 to 2.89), with head injuries being particularly prevalent. The risk difference for any poisoning was 1.2% (95% CI 0.5 to 1.9) and the aHR was 2.98 (95% CI 1.82 to 4.90). Medicinal poisoning was the most common poisoning among anabolic androgenic steroid users, with an aHR of 3.53 (95% CI 1.94 to 6.41).

Anabolic androgenic steroid use is associated with an increased risk of both injuries and poisonings, thereby quantifying a substantial risk of external harm among users.

Major depressive disorder can develop subsequent to medical conditions; however, it is unknown if some individuals are at higher risk than others. We aimed to provide comprehensive estimates for the risk of major depressive disorder subsequent to the onset of various medical conditions.

In this nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study, individuals living in Denmark between Jan 1, 1995, and Dec 31, 2022, were included. Individuals who already had a medical condition or major depressive disorder within a 5-year washout period were excluded. Information on medical conditions and major depressive disorder was obtained from the National Danish Registries. The exposure was onset of medical conditions, defined as any of nine categories: circulatory, endocrine, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, urogenital, musculoskeletal, haematological, cancers, and neurological. The endpoint was major depressive disorder. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated with adjusted Cox regression models. Absolute risks were estimated with competing-risk survival analysis.

6 528 353 individuals were followed up for a total of 100 770 621 person-years. 2 114 575 (32·4%) individuals were diagnosed with a medical condition and 1 112 043 (17·0%) individuals were diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Individuals with medical conditions had a higher rate of major depressive disorder than those without (HR 2·26, 95% CI 2·25-2·28). In the first month after onset of a medical condition, the HR for major depressive disorder was 4·62 (95% CI 4·50-4·74). The HR in the first months after onset of a medical condition was further elevated in individuals aged 60 years or older (HR 9·04, 95% CI 8·63-9·47), in patients hospitalised for a medical condition (11·83, 11·25-12·45), and in those with at least two medical conditions (8·92, 8·74-9·11). Musculoskeletal conditions had the highest HR for major depressive disorder (2·50, 2·49-2·51), whereas endocrine conditions had the lowest (1·35, 1·34-1·36). More than 10 years after onset of a medical condition the HR for major depressive disorder was 1·84 (95% CI 1·82-1·86). The absolute risk for major depressive disorder 20 years after onset of a medical condition was 18·9% (18·8-19·0) in men and 24·4% (24·3-24·5) in women compared with 6·9% (6·8-7·0%) in matched men without a medical condition and 10·7% (10·6-10·8%) in matched women without a medical condition.

Onset of medical conditions is associated with an elevated risk of major depressive disorder and is further elevated immediately after diagnosis and in specific subgroups. These findings can be used for early detection and to give attention to specific groups in the period after onset of medical conditions.

The Research Council of Rigshospitalet.

Alcohol-related cirrhosis (ALD cirrhosis) is a chronic liver disease caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Patients with ALD cirrhosis have increased risk of conditions that may require surgery for example gallstones, gastrointestinal cancers, and hernias, but surgeons may prefer to avoid surgery due to patients' increased risk of complications. We compared the incidence of surgery between patients with ALD cirrhosis and matched comparators.

We used nationwide healthcare registries to include all Danish citizens diagnosed with ALD cirrhosis in 1996-2018. Follow-up began at the time of cirrhosis diagnosis and ended at death or 10 years after diagnosis. We compared their incidence rates and cumulative risks of surgery (excluding biopsies, punctures, drainages, injections, and diagnostic endoscopies) with those for a gender- and age-matched comparator cohort from the general Danish population.

We included 23,050 patients with ALD cirrhosis and 113,412 matched comparators. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) for surgery overall was 3.38 [95% Confidence Interval (CI): 3.34-3.41] for patients vs. comparators. The 1-year risk of surgery was 42.6% [95% CI: 42.4-42.9] for patients vs. 13.4% [95% CI: 13.3-13.6] for comparators. Abdominal procedures were the most frequent surgical category for the patients with an IRR of 6.55 [95% CI: 6.41-6.69] for patients vs. comparators.

We found an increased risk of surgery for patients with ALD cirrhosis compared with the general Danish population. Given the frequency of surgery in these high-risk patients, further research should focus on perioperative management to optimize outcomes.

Preclinical data suggest that gestational exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) alter gut innervation, and delays colonic motility. In this study we investigated associations between gestational SSRI exposure and offspring disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI). Using population-based registries, we included all single-birth Danish children born 1997-2015 with follow-up until outcome occurrence, age 15 years, death, emigration, or December 2018. Children to mothers who continued SSRIs during pregnancy and children to mothers who discontinued SSRI use before pregnancy were compared using Cox regression. Main outcomes were the first diagnosis of a childhood DGBI (functional nausea and vomiting, functional abdominal pain disorders, functional diarrhea, and functional constipation), or a physician-prescribed laxative. Among 1,158,560 children, 21,969 children (1.9%) were exposed to SSRIs prenatally and 30,174 children (2.6%) were born to mothers who discontinued SSRIs before pregnancy. Overall, the estimated 15-year cumulative incidence of any DGBI was 15.5% (95% CI, 14.9-16.2) in the SSRI-exposed group and 14.7% (14.0-15.3) in the unexposed group. SSRI-exposed children had an overall increased risk of DGBIs (HR 1.08, [1.02-1.14]), which was driven by functional constipation (HR 1.19, [1.10-1.28]) rather than functional nausea and vomiting (HR 0.97, [0.83-1.13]) or functional abdominal pain disorders (HR 0.90, [0.81-1.00]). These data suggest that prenatal SSRI exposure is associated with an increased risk of developing functional constipation. These findings are also consistent with extensive preclinical data supporting key roles for serotonin in gut development and function. Together findings support the need for further investigation of the long-term impact of maternal depression and SSRI exposure on development of common gastrointestinal disorders.

A substantial untapped potential for risk reduction may be fulfilled by applying intensive lifestyle interventions targeting the co-existing risky lifestyle factors Smoking, Nutrition (both malnutrition and obesity), risky Alcohol intake, and Physical inactivity (SNAP) before surgery. This trial will compare the effect of combined and individually tailored prehabilitation with standard care on postoperative outcomes, health, and cost-effectiveness in short and long term in participants undergoing ventral hernia repair. An interview study will be nested within the randomised trial.

The study is a multicenter, parallel-group, superiority randomised clinical trial. A total of 400 adult participants undergoing ventral hernia repair with ≥1 SNAP factor will be allocated to the individually tailored STRONG programme or standard care. The STRONG programme is initiated at least four weeks prior to surgery and consists of six sessions. It is delivered as one session a week, approximately, and includes patient education, motivational, and pharmaceutical supports. The primary outcome is postoperative complications requiring treatment within 30 days. Secondary outcomes address other surgical outcomes, changes in lifestyle, health, and cost-effectiveness. Follow-up takes place after 6 weeks (the end of intervention), at surgery, and 30 days, 90 days, and 6 months after surgery, respectively. Long-term data on health and costs will be obtained from nationwide registries after two years. Eligible trial participants will be invited to a semi-structured interview study at baseline. Their reflections on the STRONG programme and the choice of participating in the trial or not will be explored.

Many patients have multiple SNAP factors adding to the risk of complications related to surgery. As these are modifiable, prehabilitation may be an area with great potential for risk reduction. Nevertheless, no well-acknowledged and evidence-based strategies exist in the preoperative period. The STRONG programme is tailored specifically to the individual patient's preidentified needs including up to all five common risky SNAP factors and may tap into the large unused potential for risk reduction. Overall, the study will add important new knowledge on the effect of individually tailored prehabilitation on complications and other important outcomes in elective surgery, and also clarify if this intervention will have long-lasting implications.

www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06611462).

Orthopedic registries have provided valuable knowledge about risk for and prognosis after total hip arthroplasties (THA), knee arthroplasties (KA), and hip fractures. However, registries are often limited by the lack of data on health risk behaviors, quality of life, and social background, which are readily available in surveys. We examined if participants in The Danish National Health Survey, based on self-administered questionnaires, are representative of THA, KA, and hip fracture patients.

Patients were identified in the Danish orthopedic registries and linked with survey data (from 2010, 2013, and 2017) on an individual level. Data on age, sex, comorbidity, medication, markers of socioeconomic position, and healthcare utilization were assessed from the Danish medical databases. We calculated the proportions of variables before and after surgery, comparing patients who had and had not participated in surveys.

We included 177,617 THA surgeries (4.5% of patients completed pre-surgery surveys and 7.0% completed post-surgery surveys), 152,154 KA surgeries (7.0% of patients completed pre-surgery surveys and 6.2% completed post-surgery surveys) and 92,600 hip fracture surgeries (3.8% of patients completed pre-surgery surveys and 2.2% completed post-surgery surveys). Survey participants and non-participants had similar age and sex distribution in the three cohorts. Based on comorbidity, medication, and healthcare utilization, participants appeared slightly healthier than non-participants. There was a slight variation in socioeconomic markers for THA and KA patients between participants and non-participants.

The Danish National Health Survey provides a sample that appears to be largely representative of all THA, KA, and hip fracture patients in Denmark. Survey data could be a valuable data source for further studies of the risks and outcomes associated with patients undergoing THA and KA and those suffering from hip fractures, while carefully considering the identified similarities and differences when designing studies and analyzing the survey data.

To investigate temporal trends in the geographical variation in oral anticoagulant (OAC) treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation, to evaluate the extent to which regional differences in patient populations may explain this difference and to explore whether patient predictors of adherence may have a different impact across regions.

Register-based cohort study from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2022.

The study used data from nationwide health registers to explore differences in OAC adherence across the five administrative regions in Denmark.

Patients with atrial fibrillation and a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥2 (n=291 666).

Population adherence to OAC treatment operationalised as the proportion of days covered (PDC).

A continuous rise in overall adherence (PDC) from 53% to 78% was observed during the study period. Concurrently, the predominant treatment shifted from vitamin K antagonists to direct OACs with a preference for rivaroxaban and apixaban. The adherence variation between the highest-performing and lowest-performing regions decreased from 18% in 2013 to 9% in 2022, whereas the relative between-regions rankings remained unchanged. Applying multivariate Poisson models adjusting for patient demographics, health status and socioeconomic factors did not substantially change the inter-regional variations; this suggests that different compositions of patient populations cannot explain these variations. However, the impact of socioeconomic factors and comorbidities among patients was unequal across regions. In regions with the lowest overall adherence, a higher risk of non-adherence was seen among patients having mental health disorders, low income and living alone.

The geographical variation in OAC adherence decreased over time as the overall adherence improved. However, substantial variation remained.

Only approximately 30% of conceptions result in live births. Historically, research has predominantly focused on maternal factors impacting pregnancy success, despite the cause remaining unidentified in most cases. The influence of paternal factors on a couple's likelihood of achieving a successful pregnancy is still not well understood and warrants further investigation.

This study aims to examine the chance of biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, and a live-born child in couples where the male partner has ischemic heart disease.

This nationwide cohort study based on Danish health registries included couples undergoing in vitro fertilization with or without intracytoplasmic sperm injection from 2006 to 2019. The cohort was divided into two groups: exposed and unexposed. The exposed cohort included embryo transfers in couples where the male partner had ischemic heart disease, while the unexposed group included those where the male partner did not have this condition.

A total of 101,875 couples with a known male partner were included. Among these, 653 couples were included in the exposed cohort and 101,222 were included in the unexposed cohort. The adjusted odd ratios (ORs) for a biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, and live-born child were 0.99 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.79; 1.23), 0.79 (95% CI: 0.51, 1.23), and 0.94 (95% CI: 0.62, 1.44), respectively.

These findings indicate that paternal ischemic heart disease prior to oocyte retrieval is not associated with a statistically significant decrease in the chances of biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, or live birth.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are a heavily comorbid group. Quinine is often used in the treatment of restless leg syndrome (RLS), although the adverse effects of the drug may be harmful for specific patient groups. The aim of this study was to determine the association between treatment with Quinine and the risk of acute exacerbations and mortality in patients with COPD, which has not previously been investigated.

Analyses were performed on data from Danish national registries containing information about the relevant patients and their health, prescriptions, hospital admissions, and outpatient clinic visits. A propensity score matched cohort was created by matching the population on known predictors of the outcome, and an unadjusted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed. Lastly, a multivariable Cox analysis was performed on the entire, unmatched population, adjusting for the same variables as used in the propensity matching.

The study population consisted of a cohort of 56,691 eligible patients with COPD, of whom 3,139 were exposed to Quinine. The propensity score matching led to two groups of 2,537 COPD patients, where one group was exposed to Quinine (cases) and the other group was not (controls). Exposure to Quinine was associated with an increased risk of exacerbations or death in a sensitivity analysis of the propensity-score-matched population (Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.130, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.03 to 1.24). An unadjusted analysis on the unmatched population showed similar results (HR 1.475, 95% CI 1.39 to 1.56).

In the current study, we found an association between the use of Quinine in patients with COPD and an increased risk of acute exacerbations and death. The results must be interpreted with attention to the observational nature of the study, and in order to definitively determine the association, further investigations should be performed.

Sepsis survivors often experience cognitive, physiological, and functional impairments that may limit return to work (RTW). We aimed to describe changes in workforce attachment among working-age patients with sepsis, both overall and stratified by treatment in general wards versus the intensive care unit (ICU). Additionally, we aimed to evaluate the impact of educational level and to identify factors associated with RTW.

A register-based cohort study including all patients aged 20-63 years with incident community-acquired sepsis admitted to a hospital in the Region of Southern Denmark between 1 January 2016 and 20 March 2018. Labour market attachment was illustrated using area charts, overall and stratified by treatment in general wards versus the ICU. Further, the overall area chart was stratified by educational level. Patients were classified as part of the workforce or non-workforce. A subgroup of the workforce comprised those working. RTW was estimated for the workforce and those working after 12, 52, 104, and 156 weeks. Factors associated with RTW were identified using cause-specific hazards.

Of the 1610 patients with sepsis included, 651 were part of the workforce, with 488 working. After 12 weeks, 69.0% of workforce patients (excluding those censored) had returned to work. This proportion increased to 81.6%, 87.5%, and 90.4% after 52, 104, and 156 weeks, respectively. Among patients working before sepsis, RTW proportions were higher. Several baseline variables and in-hospital measures were associated with RTW among the workforce including younger age (20-39 years), HR = 1.33 (95% CI, 1.05-1.68), no ICU admission, HR = 2.64 (95% CI, 1.81-3.86), lactate < 4 mmol/L, HR = 2.19 (1.13-4.24), and single organ failure, HR = 2.33 (95% CI, 1.16-4.69). While ICU admission had impact on RTW in both the workforce and those working, educational level was unrelated to RTW among those working.

Most working-age patients with sepsis were outside the workforce. Working before sepsis was the strongest predictor of RTW. While educational level influenced whether patients were part of the workforce, it was not associated with RTW among those working. No ICU admission was associated with RTW.

 Awareness of socioeconomic disparities in outcomes following surgical procedures is increasing. This highlights a critical challenge for clinical practice and public health. We examined whether low socioeconomic position (SEP) was associated with the incidence of revisions due to periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

 This cohort study included 75,141 patients undergoing TKA (2010-2021), identified from the Danish Knee Arthroplasty Registry (DKR). Individual-level SEP information, including wealth, living arrangements, and education, was obtained from Danish social and administrative registries. Revisions due to PJI were identified using a method combining the DKR and microbiology data. We calculated the cumulative incidence of revision due to PJI at 90 days and 2 years, and 2-year hazard ratios (aHRs) of revision due to PJI for lower vs. higher SEP groups, adjusted for age, sex, weight, and Charlson Comorbidity Index scores, with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

 The incidence of revision due to PJI after 2 years of follow-up was 1.5% (CI 1.3-1.6) for low-wealth patients vs. 1.2% (CI 1.1-1.3) for high-wealth patients (aHR 1.3, CI 1.1-1.5); 1.5% (CI 1.3-1.7) for patients living alone vs. 1.2% (CI 1.1-1.3) for those cohabiting (aHR 1.4, CI 1.2-1.6); and 1.3% (CI 1.1-1.4) for patients with low education vs. 1.2% (CI 1.0-1.4) for those with high education (aHR 1.0, CI 0.8-1.2).

 Revision due to PJI among low-wealth patients and those living alone versus the corresponding high-SEP group were associated with increased risk of revision due to PJI.

Hyperkalemia and hypokalemia are common in admitted patients and recognized as a reversible cause of cardiac arrest. How the risk of in-hospital cardiac arrest changes relative to the severity of hyperkalemia and hypokalemia remains uncertain. The objective of this study was to estimate the association between pre-cardiac arrest hyperkalemia and hypokalemia and in-hospital cardiac arrest and outcomes after in-hospital cardiac arrest.

Registry-based matched case-control study.

Hospitalized patients in Denmark from 2017 to 2021.

Cases were adults with in-hospital cardiac arrest identified through the Danish in-hospital cardiac arrest Registry. These were matched with controls on age, sex, and length and time of admission. The index time was defined for cases as their time of cardiac arrest. A corresponding index time was assigned to matched controls.

None.

The exposure was potassium levels within 24 hours of the index time. Outcomes were in-hospital cardiac arrest and return of spontaneous circulation, 30-day survival, and 1-year survival in those with cardiac arrest. A total of 6,658 cases and 49,906 controls were included. Severe hyperkalemia (K+ > 6.5) and hypokalemia (K+ < 2.5) were associated with 2.03 (95% CI, 1.28-3.23) and 2.65 (95% CI, 1.61-4.38) times the odds of in-hospital cardiac arrest compared with normokalemia, respectively. Increasing severity of hyperkalemia was associated with decreased odds of return of spontaneous circulation, 30-day survival, and 1-year survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest. There was no clear association between hypokalemia and these outcomes.

Hyperkalemia was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital cardiac arrest and with worse outcomes after cardiac arrest. Hypokalemia was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital cardiac arrest but was not associated with outcomes after cardiac arrest.