Modifiable Analgesia-/Anesthesia-Related Factors and Risk of Severe Gastrointestinal Complications After Lower Extremity Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Nationwide Analysis

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Two Decades of Research

Racial disparities in outcomes following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remain persistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to comprehensively synthesize data between 2000-2020. An electronic search of studies was performed on PubMed, SCOPUS, and the Cochrane Library databases from January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2020. Random effects models were used to report unadjusted and adjusted estimates for a comprehensive list of care outcomes in TKA. 63 studies met PRISMA criteria. Black patients report greater odds of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.00-1.59 (p = 0.049); adjusted OR [aOR]: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.09-1.64), in-hospital complications (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.27-1.35), 30-day complications (aOR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.07-1.33), infection (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.07-1.16; aOR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.16-1.46), bleeding (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.03-1.71; aOR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.23-1.75), peripheral vascular events (PVE) (aOR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.11-1.92), length of stay (LOS) (OR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.08-1.34), extended-LOS (aOR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.53-2.33), discharge disposition (OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.29-1.96; aOR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.70-2.25), 30-day (OR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.13-1.27; aOR: 1.17 95% CI: 1.09-1.26) and 90-day (OR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.17-1.82) readmission compared to White patients. Disparities in bleeding, extended-LOS, discharge disposition, PVE, and 30-day readmission were observed in Asian patients. Hispanic patients experienced disparities in extended LOS and discharge disposition, while Native-American patients had disparities in bleeding outcomes. Persistent racial disparities in TKA outcomes highlight a need for standardized outcome measures and comprehensive data collection across multiple racial groups to ensure greater healthy equity.

Gastrointestinal complications after fast-track total hip and knee replacement: an observational study in a consecutive 36,932 patient cohort

INTRODUCTION

Gastrointestinal complications after total hip (THA) and knee arthroplasty (TKA) have been reported to be between 0.3 and 2.6% with bleeding and C. difficile infection in 0-1%, and 0.1-1.7%, respectively. The use of enhanced recovery or "fast-track" protocols have focused on optimizing all aspects of perioperative care resulting in reduced length of hospital stay (LOS) and potentially also gastrointestinal complications. This study is a detailed analysis on the occurrence of postoperative gastrointestinal complications resulting in increased hospital stay or readmissions in a large consecutive cohort of fast-track THA and TKA with complete 90 days follow-up.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is an observational study on a consecutive cohort of primary unilateral THAs and TKAs performed between January 2010 and August 2017 in nine Danish high-volume fast-track centers. Discharge summaries and relevant patient records were reviewed in patients with readmissions within 90 days or LOS > 4 days caused by gastrointestinal complications.

RESULTS

The cohort included 36,932 patients with 58.3% females and 54.1% THAs. Mean age and BMI were 68 years and 28. Median postoperative LOS was 2 days. Only n: 276 (0.75 %) had a LOS > 4 days or a readmission within 90 days due to a gastrointestinal complication (CI 0.67%-0.84%). Of these, only 34 (0.09%) were graded as severe ileus or gastrointestinal bleeding.

CONCLUSIONS

The risk of GI-complications within the first 90 postoperative days after fast-track THA and TKA was low (0.75%).

Gastrointestinal Complications Following Total Joint Arthroplasty Are Rare but Have Severe Consequences

BACKGROUND

Gastrointestinal (GI) complications following total joint arthroplasty (TJA) are rare, but can result in substantial morbidity and mortality, especially when intervention is required. The purpose of this study is to identify modifiable risk factors for the development of GI complications and determine their impact on short-term outcomes following TJA.

METHODS

We queried patients who underwent primary TJA at a single academic center from 2009 through 2018 and collected data on demographics, comorbidities, operative and perioperative details, and short-term outcomes. Patients who suffered at least one GI complication during the same hospitalization as their TJA were identified. The type of GI complication and intervention performed, if necessary, was recorded. Variables that independently affected the risk of GI complication were identified. Multivariate regression was performed to determine the effect suffering a GI complication had on outcomes.

RESULTS

Of 17,402 patients, 106 (0.6%) suffered a GI complication. Constipation/obstruction, followed by diarrhea/malabsorption, hemorrhage, and Clostridium difficile were the most commonly reported complications. Patients suffering a GI complication were significantly older (68.5 vs 63.7, P < .001), less likely to use alcohol (49% vs 65%, P = .008), and had higher incidences of 8 of the 16 comorbidities analyzed (all P < .05). Patients with GI complications had greater lengths of stay (13.2 vs 2.3 days, P < .001), discharge to facility rates (58% vs 16%, P < .001), and in-hospital mortality rates (1.9% vs 0.1%, P = .002).

CONCLUSION

Patients suffering a GI complication following TJA require longer hospital stays and greater post-acute care resources and have a substantially higher risk of mortality.

Big Data in Studying Acute Pain and Regional Anesthesia

The digital transformation of healthcare is advancing, leading to an increasing availability of clinical data for research. Perioperative big data initiatives were established to monitor treatment quality and benchmark outcomes. However, big data analyses have long exceeded the status of pure quality surveillance instruments. Large retrospective studies nowadays often represent the first approach to new questions in clinical research and pave the way for more expensive and resource intensive prospective trials. As a consequence, the utilization of big data in acute pain and regional anesthesia research has considerably increased over the last decade. Multicentric clinical registries and administrative databases (e.g., healthcare claims databases) have collected millions of cases until today, on which basis several important research questions were approached. In acute pain research, big data was used to assess postoperative pain outcomes, opioid utilization, and the efficiency of multimodal pain management strategies. In regional anesthesia, adverse events and potential benefits of regional anesthesia on postoperative morbidity and mortality were evaluated. This article provides a narrative review on the growing importance of big data for research in acute postoperative pain and regional anesthesia.