Hospital length of stay and probability of acquiring infection

Machine learning used to determine features of importance linked to overnight stay after patellar tendon repair

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine if machine learning is an effective method to identify features of patients who may need a longer postoperative stay following a patellar tendon repair.

Methods

The American College of Surgeons National Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) was used to collect 1173 patients who underwent patellar tendon repair. Machine learning (ML) was then applied to determine features of importance in this patient population. Several algorithms were used: Random Forest, Artificial Neural Network, Gradient Boosting, and Support Vector Machine. These were then compared to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification system based logistic regression as a control.

Results

Random Forest (RF) was determined to be the best performing algorithm, with an AUC of 0.72, accuracy of 77.66 %, and precision of 0.79, and recall of 0.96. All other algorithms performed similarly to the control. RF gave the highest permutation feature importance to age (PFI 0.25), BMI (PFI 0.19), ASA classification (PFI 0.14), hematocrit (PFI 0.12), and height (PFI 0.11).

Conclusions

This study shows that machine learning can be used as a tool to identify features of importance for length of postoperative stay in patients undergoing patellar tendon repair. RF was found to be a better performing model than logistic regression at determining patients predisposed to longer length of stay as determined by AUC. This supported the study's hypothesis that ML can provide an effective method for identifying features of importance in patients requiring a longer postoperative stay after patellar tendon repair.

Does pre-injury anticoagulation make chest tubes any less safe? A nationwide retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND

Oral anticoagulation is becoming more common with the aging population, which raises concern for the risk of invasive procedures that can cause bleeding, such as chest tube placement (thoracostomy). With the increase in CT imaging, more pneumothoraces and hemothoraces are being identified. The relative risk of thoracostomy in the presence of anticoagulation is not well-established. The objective of this study was to determine whether pre-injury anticoagulation affects the relative risk of tube thoracostomy following significant chest trauma.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study used data from the 2019 American College of Surgeons-Trauma Quality Program (ACS-TQP) database using R version 4.2.2. Data from the database was filtered based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Outcomes were then assessed with the population of interest. Demographics, vitals, comorbidities, and injury parameters were also collected for each patient. This study included all adult patients (≥18 years) presenting with traumatic hemothorax, pneumothorax, or hemopneumothorax. Patients with missing data in demographics, vitals, comorbidities, injury parameters, or outcomes, as well as those with no signs of life upon arrival, were excluded from the study. Patients were stratified into groups based on whether they had pre-injury anticoagulation and whether they had a chest tube placed in the hospital. The primary outcome was mortality, and the secondary outcome was hospital length of stay (LOS). Logistic and standard regressions were used by a statistician to control for age, sex, and Injury Severity Score (ISS).

RESULTS

Our study population included 72,385 patients (4250 with pre-injury anticoagulation and 68,135 without pre-injury anticoagulation). Pre-injury anticoagulation and thoracostomy were each independently associated with increased mortality and LOS. However, there was a non-significant interaction term between pre-injury anticoagulation and thoracostomy for both outcomes, indicating that their combined effects on mortality and LOS did not differ significantly from the sum of their individual effects.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that both pre-injury anticoagulation and thoracostomy are risk factors for mortality and increased LOS in adult patients presenting with hemothorax, pneumothorax, or hemopneumothorax, but they do not interact with each other. We recommend further study of this phenomenon to potentially improve clinical guidelines.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, Level III.

Predictors of extended length of stay following outpatient reduction mammaplasty

PURPOSE

Reduction mammaplasty has transitioned into a largely outpatient procedure in the United States. Following planned outpatient procedures, patients may still be admitted for additional inpatient care, incurring clinical and economic burden. Prior literature has not explored the preoperative and perioperative determinants of extended lengths of stay (LOS) after breast reduction surgery.

METHODS

Patients who underwent scheduled outpatient reduction mammaplasty were identified via current procedural terminology code from the 2013 to 2021 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program databases. The primary outcome was extended LOS, defined as an LOS greater than 1 day. The most significant predictor variables were identified through bivariate association, and a binary logistic regression model was used to characterize predictive associations (p < 0.05).

RESULTS

In this study, 33,924 patients were included in the final cohort of planned outpatient reduction mammaplasty cases. Among them 325 (1.0%) patients had extended LOS. Concurrent liposuction, body contouring, and increased operative time were the most significant predictors of extended LOS (p < 0.001), followed by older age, higher body mass index, bleeding disorder, history of diabetes, higher American Society of Anesthesiologists class, and White race (p < 0.05). When adjusted for other confounding variables, extended LOS was also a significant predictor of increased risk of postoperative complications after discharge (OR: 1.85, 95% confidence intervals: 1.27-2.69, p = 0.0012).

CONCLUSION

Extended LOS after planned outpatient reduction mammaplasty is associated with specific comorbidities, and is a significant predictor of postoperative complications following hospital discharge.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are publicly available.

Associations between Child Opportunity Index and Pediatric Cardiac Surgical Outcomes

OBJECTIVE

To assess the relationship between the Child Opportunity Index (COI), a comprehensive measurement of social determinants of health, and specific COI domains on patient-specific outcomes following congenital cardiac surgery in the metropolitan region of Atlanta, Georgia.

STUDY DESIGN

In this retrospective chart review, we included patients who underwent an index operation for congenital heart disease between 2010 and 2020 in a single pediatric health care system. Patients' addresses were geocoded and mapped to census tracts. Descriptive statistics, univariable analysis, and multivariable regression models were employed to assess associations between variables and outcomes.

RESULTS

Of the 7460 index surgeries, 3798 (51%) met eligibility criteria. Presence of an adverse outcome, defined as either mortality or 1 of several other major postoperative morbidities, was significantly associated with COI in the univariable model (P = .008), but not the multivariable regression model (P = .39). Postoperative hospital length of stay was significantly associated with COI (P < .001) in univariable and multivariable regression models. There was no significant association between COI and readmission within 30 days of hospital discharge in univariable (P < .094) and multivariable (P = .49) models.

CONCLUSION

COI is associated with postoperative hospital length of stay but not all outcomes in patients after congenital heart surgery. By understanding the role of COI in outcomes related to cardiac surgery, targeted interventions can be developed to improve health equity.

Patient Factors Associated With Prolonged Length of Stay After Traumatic Brain Injury

Background For traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors, recovery can lead to significant time spent in the inpatient/rehabilitation settings. Hospital length of stay (LOS) after TBI is a crucial metric of resource utilization and treatment costs. Risk factors for prolonged LOS (PLOS) after TBI require further characterization. Methodology We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with diagnosed TBI at an urban trauma center. PLOS was defined as the 95th percentile of the LOS of the cohort. Patients with and without PLOS were compared using clinical/injury factors. Analyses included descriptive statistics, non-parametric analyses, and multivariable logistic regression for PLOS status. Results The threshold for PLOS was >24 days. In the cohort of 1,343 patients, 77 had PLOS. PLOS was significantly associated with longer mean intensive care unit (ICU) stays (16.4 vs. 1.5 days), higher mean injury severity scores (18.6 vs. 13.8), lower mean Glasgow coma scale scores (11.3 vs. 13.7) and greater mean complication burden (0.7 vs. 0.1). PLOS patients were more likely to have moderate/severe TBI, Medicaid insurance, and were less likely to be discharged home. In the regression model, PLOS was associated with ICU stay, inpatient disposition, ventilator use, unplanned intubation, and inpatient alcohol withdrawal. Conclusions TBI patients with PLOS were more likely to have severe injuries, in-hospital complications, and Medicaid insurance. PLOS was predicted by ICU stay, intubation, alcohol withdrawal, and disposition to inpatient/post-acute care facilities. Efforts to reduce in-hospital complications and expedite discharge may reduce LOS and accompanying costs. Further validation of these results is needed from larger multicenter studies.

Streamlining patient flow and enhancing operational efficiency through case management implementation

BACKGROUND

Improving patient flow in hospitals represents a worldwide healthcare challenge. The objective of this project was to depict the effectiveness of case management in improving patient flow in a tertiary hospital setting.

METHODS

Quality improvement methods, including quantitative pre-Lean and post-Lean design, the Plan-Do-Check-Act concept, the Single Minute Exchange of Dies and the 'demand and supply approach' of the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, were adapted to examine and modify factors influencing hospital patient flow.

RESULTS

This study (conducted from the last quarter of 2019 through September 2022) resulted in a remarkable improvement in patient flow, as evident from the reduction in average hospital length of stay (from 11.5 to 4.4 days) and average emergency department boarding time (from 11.9 to 1.2 hours) and the improvement of bed turnover rate (from 0.57 to 0.93), (p<0.001, p=0.017, p=0.038, respectively), with net cost savings of 123 130 192 million Saudi Riyals (US$32 821 239).

CONCLUSION

Implementing a well-structured case management programme can enhance care coordination, streamlilne transitions, boost patient outcomes, and increase revenues within hospital settings.

Dexamethasone versus methylprednisolone for multiple organ dysfunction in COVID-19 critically ill patients: a multicenter propensity score matching study

BACKGROUND

Dexamethasone usually recommended for patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to reduce short-term mortality. However, it is uncertain if another corticosteroid, such as methylprednisolone, may be utilized to obtain better clinical outcome. This study assessed dexamethasone's clinical and safety outcomes compared to methylprednisolone.

METHODS

A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was conducted between March 01, 2020, and July 31, 2021. It included adult COVID-19 patients who were initiated on either dexamethasone or methylprednisolone therapy within 24 h of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The primary outcome was the progression of multiple organ dysfunction score (MODS) on day three of ICU admission. Propensity score (PS) matching was used (1:3 ratio) based on the patient's age and MODS within 24 h of ICU admission.

RESULTS

After Propensity Score (PS) matching, 264 patients were included; 198 received dexamethasone, while 66 patients received methylprednisolone within 24 h of ICU admission. In regression analysis, patients who received methylprednisolone had a higher MODS on day three of ICU admission than those who received dexamethasone (beta coefficient: 0.17 (95% CI 0.02, 0.32), P = 0.03). Moreover, hospital-acquired infection was higher in the methylprednisolone group (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.01, 4.66; p = 0.04). On the other hand, the 30-day and the in-hospital mortality were not statistically significant different between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

Dexamethasone showed a lower MODS on day three of ICU admission compared to methylprednisolone, with no statistically significant difference in mortality.

Predictors of postoperative hospital length of stay after total knee arthroplasty

INTRODUCTION

We aimed to collect and analyse clinical and functional variables of patients undergoing rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), to identify the variables that influence the postoperative hospital length of stay (LOS).

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of 1,082 consecutive patients (746 females and 336 males) who underwent primary TKA and rehabilitation in our orthopaedic institute between January 2013 and July 2017. Clinical and anthropometric data were analysed using a multivariate linear regression model.

RESULTS

The average LOS was 5.08 ± 2.52 days in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and 12.67 ± 5.54 days in the Sports Rehabilitation Unit. Factors such as age, female sex and the presence of comorbidities were predictive of a longer stay. The presence of caregiver assistance at home was associated with shorter LOS. There was no evidence of a statistically significant positive association between body mass index and LOS.

CONCLUSION

An in-depth and early knowledge of factors that influence LOS may enable the multidisciplinary team to plan a patient-tailored rehabilitation path and better allocate resources to maximise patients' functional recovery, while reducing LOS and the overall cost of the procedure.

Epidemiology and preventability of hospital-onset bacteremia and fungemia in 2 hospitals in India

OBJECTIVE

Studies evaluating the incidence, source, and preventability of hospital-onset bacteremia and fungemia (HOB), defined as any positive blood culture obtained after 3 calendar days of hospital admission, are lacking in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

All consecutive blood cultures performed for 6 months during 2020-2021 in 2 hospitals in India were reviewed to assess HOB and National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) reportable central-line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) events. Medical records of a convenience sample of 300 consecutive HOB events were retrospectively reviewed to determine source and preventability. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with HOB preventability.

RESULTS

Among 6,733 blood cultures obtained from 3,558 hospitalized patients, there were 409 and 59 unique HOB and NHSN-reportable CLABSI events, respectively. CLABSIs accounted for 59 (14%) of 409 HOB events. There was a moderate but non-significant correlation (r = 0.51; P = .070) between HOB and CLABSI rates. Among 300 reviewed HOB cases, CLABSIs were identified as source in only 38 (13%). Although 157 (52%) of all 300 HOB cases were potentially preventable, CLABSIs accounted for only 22 (14%) of these 157 preventable HOB events. In multivariable analysis, neutropenia, and sepsis as an indication for blood culture were associated with decreased odds of HOB preventability, whereas hospital stay ≥7 days and presence of a urinary catheter were associated with increased likelihood of preventability.

CONCLUSIONS

HOB may have utility as a healthcare-associated infection metric in LMIC settings because it captures preventable bloodstream infections beyond NHSN-reportable CLABSIs.

Targeting average length of hospital stay as a control measure to decrease COVID-19 hospital-acquired infection in surgical cancer patients

BACKGROUND

The global spread of coronaviruses had a great impact on the economic and social situation of most countries. As the backbone of any society, the health sector made a significant contribution through applying emergency risk management plans in order to control the pandemic. Monitoring the average length of hospital stay (ALOS) was an effective way to release the capacity of the health system during this time. The aim was to evaluate the effect of applying risk assessment/management strategies on ALOS and the impact of this ALOS on COVID-19 infection rates among cancer patients.

METHODS

This is a prospective cohort study. All admitted cancer patients in 6 surgical departments from January to June 2021 were included.

RESULTS

A total of 1287 patients were admitted to 6 surgical departments during the selected period. About 46% of them had surgery (n = 578), while 54% did not have surgery (n = 700). Among surgical patients, admission rates were highest in February and head and neck department (24% and 22.1%, respectively), and lowest in April and chest department (12.4% and 8%, respectively). ALOS was significantly different across the 6 months (p value < 0.001) with lower ALOS in (April, May, and June) than in (January-February, and March). No significant difference was found across the 6 surgical departments (p value = 0.423). Twenty-eight patients became COVID-19 positive after admission, 25 of them (89%) were infected from March to June-during the time of the third wave-and a significant decreasing linear trend (p value = 0.009) was found.

CONCLUSION

ALOS had significantly reduced with commitment to infection control (IC) interventions and recommendations. The significant decreasing trend of COVID-19 infection from March to June (unlike the rising curve of the 3rd COVID-19 wave by that time) could be explained by improvement in ALOS.

Rapid Assessment and Treatment In Decompensated Aortic Stenosis (ASTRID-AS study)- A pilot study

BACKGROUND

Acute decompensated aortic stenosis (ADAS) is common and associated with higher mortality, acute kidney injury (AKI) and longer hospital length of stay (LoS) compared with electively treated stable AS. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a dedicated pathway that reduces time to transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in ADAS, hypothesizing that LoS can be reduced without compromising patient safety.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Using a prospective, open label, cluster design, patients from 5 referring centres were allocated to the ASessment and TReatment In Decompensated Aortic Stenosis (ASTRID-AS) pathway where the diagnosis, referral, investigations and treatment of ADAS were prioritised and expedited. 15 hospitals remained on the conventional pathway that followed the same process, albeit according to a waiting list. The primary efficacy endpoint was hospital LoS and the secondary safety endpoint, a composite of death or AKI at 30 days post-TAVI. 58 conventional patients and 25 ASTRID-AS patients were included in this study. Time to TAVI in the conventional vs. ASTRID-AS cohort was 22 (15-30) vs. 10 (6-12) days; P < 0.001, respectively. Length of hospital stay was 24 (18-33) vs. 13 (8-18) days; P < 0.001, respectively. 13.4 bed days were saved per patient using the ASTRID-AS pathway. Secondary safety endpoint occurred in 12 (20.7%) vs. 1 (4.0%) patients; P = 0.093, respectively. Procedural complications were similar between the two cohorts.

CONCLUSION

A dedicated pathway for ADAS that shortens time to TAVI demonstrated reduced hospital LoS without compromising patient safety and a trend towards improving clinical outcomes.

Nosocomial infections in the surgical intensive care unit: an observational retrospective study from a large tertiary hospital in Palestine

BACKGROUND

Nosocomial infections or hospital-acquired infections are a growing public health threat that increases patient morbidity and mortality. Patients at the highest risk are those in intensive care units. Therefore, our objective was to provide a pattern analysis of nosocomial infections that occurred in an adult surgical intensive care unit (ICU).

METHODS

This study was a retrospective observational study conducted in a 6-bed surgical intensive care unit (SICU) at An-Najah National University Hospital (NNUH) to detect the incidence of nosocomial infections from January 2020 until December 2021. The study group included 157 patients who received antibiotics during their stay in the SICU.

RESULTS

The incidence of nosocomial infections, either suspected or confirmed, in the SICU was 26.9% (95 out of 352 admitted patients). Pneumonia (36.8%) followed by skin and soft tissue infections (35.8%) were the most common causes. The most common causative microorganisms were in the following order: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (26.3%), Acinetobacter baumannii (25.3%), extended-spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL)-Escherichia coli (23.2%) and Klebsiella pneumonia (15.8%). The average hospital stay of patients with nosocomial infections in the SICU was 18.5 days.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of nosocomial infections is progressively increasing despite the current infection control measures, which accounts for an increased mortality rate among critically ill patients. The findings of this study may be beneficial in raising awareness to implement new strategies for the surveillance and prevention of hospital-acquired infections in Palestinian hospitals and health care centers.

Inpatient vs outpatient arthroplasty: A in-state database analysis of 90-day complications

Introduction

An increase in the number of policy initiatives, such as alternative payment models, have prompted healthcare providers to examine health-care expenditures while seeking to improve quality of care. Performing total joint arthroplasty (TJA) in the outpatient setting is an attractive option in driving costs down and providing psychological benefits to patients. Concerns regarding the safety and effectiveness of same-day discharge protocols warrants further investigation, especially on the state level. Due to the lack of consensus, we aimed to compare: (1) risk factors for outpatient arthroplasty and (2) incidences of postoperative complications between inpatient vs outpatient arthroplasty using an in-state database.

Methods

Patients who underwent total knee or hip arthroplasty between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022 were identified. Data was drawn from the Maryland State Inpatient Database (SID) and Maryland State Ambulatory Surgery and Services Database (SASD). A total of 7817 patients had TJA within this time. Patients were divided into inpatient arthroplasty (n = 1429) and outpatient arthroplasty (n = 6338). Demographic variables, medical comorbidities, and 90-day complication rates were compared between inpatient and outpatient procedures. Additional independent variables included: marital status, primary language, race, and median household income. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for complications following TJA after controlling for risk factors and patient comorbidities.

Results

Arthroplasty in the outpatient setting were more likely to be married (61.3% vs. 51.2%, p < 0.001), white (75.5% vs. 60.9%, <0.001), speak English as primary language (98.7% vs. 88.6%, p < 0.001), and have lower rates of diabetes (4.8% vs. 9.7%, p < 0.001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (16.3% vs. 21.8%, p < 0.001), and obesity (30.0% vs. 45.2%, p < 0.001) compared to arthroplasty in the inpatient setting, respectively. There were lower incidences of acute kidney injury (0.2 vs. 0.8%, p < 0.001) and infection (0.3% vs. 1.1%, p < 0.001) in the outpatient cohort compared to the inpatient cohort, respectively. Inpatient arthroplasty (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.98, 95% CI 1.30-3.02, p = 0.002) and hypertension (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.23-3.64, p = 0.007) were independent risk factors for total complications following TJA.

Conclusion

Arthroplasty in the outpatient setting showed fewer complications than compared to patients in the inpatient setting. Although multiple factors should guide the decision for arthroplasty, outpatient arthroplasty may be a safe option for select, healthier patients without the increased burden of increased complications.

Surgical versus interventional coronary revascularization in kidney transplant recipients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

To study the most beneficial coronary revascularization strategy in kidney transplant recipients (KTR).

METHODS

In 16th June 2022 and updated on 26th February 2023, we searched in five databases including PubMed for relevant articles. The odds ratio (OR) together with the 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were used to report the results.

RESULTS

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was significantly associated with significant lower in-hospital mortality (OR 0.62; 95%CI 0.51-0.75) and 1-year mortality (OR 0.81; 95%CI 0.68-0.97), but not overall mortality (mortality at the last follow-up point) (OR 1.05; 95%CI 0.93-1.18) rather than coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Moreover, PCI was significantly associated with lower acute kidney injury prevalence (OR 0.33; 95%CI 0.13-0.84) compared to CABG. One study indicated that non-fatal graft failure prevalence did not differ between the PCI and the CABG group until 3 years of follow up. Moreover, one study demonstrated a short hospital length of stay in the PCI group rather than the CABG group.

CONCLUSION

Current evidence indicated the superiority of PCI than CABG as a coronary revascularization procedure in short- but not long-term outcomes in KTR. We recommend further randomized clinical trials for demonstrating the best therapeutic modality for coronary revascularization in KTR.

Bilateral simultaneous cochlear implantation is a safe method of hearing rehabilitation in adults

PURPOSE

Bilateral cochlear implantation is an effective treatment for patients with bilateral profound hearing loss. In contrast to children, adults mostly choose a sequential surgery. This study addresses whether simultaneous bilateral CI is associated with higher rates of complications compared to sequential implantation.

METHODS

169 bilateral CI surgeries were analyzed retrospectively. 34 of the patients were implanted simultaneously (group 1), whereas 135 patients were implanted sequentially (group 2). The duration of surgery, the incidence of minor and major complications and the duration of hospitalization of both groups were compared.

RESULTS

In group 1, the total operating room time was significantly shorter. The incidences of minor and major surgical complications showed no statistically significant differences. A fatal non-surgical complication in group 1 was particularly extensively reappraised without evidence of a causal relationship to the chosen mode of care. The duration of hospitalization was 0.7 days longer than in unilateral implantation but 2.8 days shorter than the combined two hospital stays in group 2.

CONCLUSION

In the synopsis of all considered complications and complication-relevant factors, equivalence of simultaneous and sequential cochlear implantation in adults in terms of safety was found. However, potential side effects related to longer surgical time in simultaneous surgery must be considered individually. Careful patient selection with special consideration to existing comorbidities and preoperative anesthesiologic evaluation is essential.

Changes in tidal breathing biomarkers as indicators of treatment response in AECOPD patients in an acute care setting

PURPOSE

Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is a complication of COPD that typically necessitates intensified treatment and hospitalization. It is linked to higher morbidity, mortality and healthcare spending. Assessment of therapy response for AECOPD is difficult due to the variability of symptoms and limitations in current measures. Hence, there is a need for new biomarkers to aid in the management of AECOPD in acute care settings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifteen hospitalized AECOPD patients (GOLD 3-4) were enrolled in this study. Treatment response was assessed daily through clinical evaluations and by monitoring tidal breathing biomarkers (respiratory rate [RR], expiratory time [Tex], inspiratory time [Tin], expiratory pause [Trst], total breath time [Ttot]), using a novel, wearable nanosensor-based device (SenseGuard™).

RESULTS

Patients who showed significant clinical improvement had substantial changes in ΔTex/Ttot (+14%), ΔTrst/Ttot (-18%), and ΔTin/Tex (+0.09), whereas patients who showed mild or no clinical improvement had smaller changes (+5%, +3%, and -0.03, respectively). Linear regression between change in physician's assessment score and the median change in tidal breathing parameters was significant for Tin/Tex (R2 ​= ​0.449, ∗p ​= ​0.017), Tex/Ttot (R2 ​= ​0.556, ∗p ​= ​0.005) and Trst/Ttot (R2 ​= ​0.446, ∗p ​= ​0.018), while no significant regression was observed for RR, Tin/(Trst ​+ ​Tex) and Tin/Ttot.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates the potential of the SenseGuard™ to monitor treatment response in AECOPD patients by measuring changes in tidal breathing biomarkers, which were shown to be associated with significant changes in the patients' respiratory condition as evaluated by physicians. However, further large-scale clinical studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Virtual Multidisciplinary Rounds to Reduce Length of Stay, Decrease Variation, and Promote Accountability

PURPOSE

Evidence suggests in-person multidisciplinary rounds can help reduce length of stay (LOS) and improve throughput, but there are limited studies about the effectiveness of virtual multidisciplinary rounds on these measures. The authors hypothesized that virtual multidisciplinary rounds could help reduce LOS, improve throughput, promote accountability, and reduce provider variation.

METHODS

The research team designed and implemented virtual multidisciplinary rounds by a phone conference call with key stakeholders, including hospitalists, case managers, the clinical documentation improvement team, physical and occupational therapy, and nursing leaders. To track progress in real time, dashboards were created using data from electronic medical records. After several months, unit-based discharge huddles were also implemented to supplement the process and sustain the improvement.

RESULTS

The interventions led to more than 60% of discharges below geometric mean LOS after starting the initiative, compared to approximately 52% before the initiative. Mean observation hours went from around 44 hours to 31.9 hours, and the change was sustained for more than a year. In fiscal year 2021, 3,813 excess days were reduced in 10 months, resulting in combined savings of $6.7 million. A decrease in hospitalist provider variation is noted with the initiative, which is a crucial contributor to the results.

CONCLUSION

Virtual multidisciplinary rounds combined with other interventions can effectively reduce LOS and observation hours. Decreasing variation among hospitalists and improved key stakeholder engagement can be achieved with virtual multidisciplinary rounds. More studies to test the effectiveness of virtual multidisciplinary rounds in various patient care settings would provide more insights.

Getting to zero: Impact of a device to reduce blood culture contamination and false-positive central-line-associated bloodstream infections

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of initial specimen diversion device (ISDD) on inpatient and emergency department blood culture contamination (BCC), central-line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) standardized infection ratios (SIRs), and antibiotic administration.

DESIGN

Single-center quasi-experimental prospective cohort study wherein phlebotomists used traditional venipuncture with or without the ISDD while registered nurses (RNs) used traditional venipuncture.

METHOD

BCC events among phlebotomists and RNs were observed and compared from March 17, 2019, through January 21, 2020, defined by contaminant detection in 1 of 4 bottles for matched sets or 1 of 2 bottles in both subsets for coagulase negative staphylococci. CLABSIs throughout this period were recorded and SIRs were calculated. Enhanced oversight took place through July 21, 2019, with chart review assessing antibiotic use for patients with possible BCC.

RESULTS

Overall, 24% of blood cultures obtained were from patients in intensive care. Phlebotomists using traditional venipuncture (n = 4,759) had a 2.3% BCC rate; phlebotomists using the ISDD (n = 11,202) had a 0% BCC rate. RNs drew 7,411 BCs with a 0.8% BCC rate. The CLABSI SIR was decreased from 1.103 in 2017 and 0.658 in 2018 to 0.439 in 2019. The CLABSI incidence was 33%-64% of predicted value for each 2019 quarter. This range fell to 18%-37% after the exclusion of likely false-positive results. Among 42 patients with possible BCC under enhanced oversight, 2 patients were treated with prolonged antibiotic courses.

CONCLUSIONS

ISDD use by phlebotomists was associated with BCC reduction and reduced false-positive CLABSI results. This patient-care quality improvement could constitute sustainable antibiotic stewardship expansion.

Timing matters: An analysis of the relationship between red cell transfusion timing and hospitalization outcomes in sickle cell crisis patients using the National Inpatient Sample database

Vaso-occlusive pain crisis is a debilitating complication of sickle cell disease (SCD) and it is the most common cause of hospitalization among these individuals. We studied the inpatient outcomes among patients admitted with sickle cell crisis based on the timing of red blood cell transfusion. In this retrospective study, we used the United States National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data for the year 2019, to identify adult patients hospitalized with the principal diagnosis of sickle cell crisis who received simple red blood cell transfusion during their hospitalization. Patients were divided into two groups. Those who received simple red cell transfusion within 24 hours of admission were classified as early transfusion. After adjusting for confounders, the mean adjusted length of stay for patients with early transfusion was significantly lower than those who received a late blood transfusion by 3.51 days (p-value < 0.001) along with a decrease in mean adjusted hospitalization charges and cost, by 25,487 and 4,505 United States Dollar (USD) respectively. The early red cell transfusion was also associated with a decrease in inpatient mortality, demonstrated by an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 0.19 (p-value 0.036), and a reduction in in-hospital sepsis, with an aOR of 0.28 (p-value < 0.001), however, no statistically significant difference was found between the two groups regarding acute respiratory failure requiring intubation, vasopressors requirement, acute kidney injury requiring dialysis and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. We recommend timely triage and reassessment to identify sickle cell crisis patients requiring blood transfusion. This intervention can notably affect the inpatient length of stay, resource utilization, and hospitalization outcomes.

Infections in Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase G6PD-Deficient Patients; Predictors for Infection-Related Mortalities and Treatment Outcomes

Disturbances in the count or maturity of blood cells weaken their microbial defensive capacity and render them more susceptible to infections. Glucose-6-phosphate deficient patients are affected by a genetic disease that affects cell integrity with increased liability to infections and death. We aimed to investigate the risk factors for infection mortality in this patient population. We retrospectively examined the records of G6PD adult patients with confirmed infections and collected data related to demographics, infections (pathogens, types, and treatment regimens) in addition to mortality and length of stay outcomes. Data were statistically analyzed using R Programming language to identify contributing factors to mortality and treatment regimens association with outcomes. Records of 202 unique patients over 5 years were included, corresponding to 379 microbiologically and clinically confirmed infections. Patients > 60 years [p = 0.001, OR: 5.6], number of comorbidities 4 (2–5) [p < 0.001, OR: 1.8], patients needed blood transfusion [p = 0.003, OR: 4.3]. Respiratory tract infections [p = 0.037, OR: 2.28], HAIs [p = 0.002, OR: 3.9], polymicrobial infections [p = 0.001, OR: 10.9], and concurrent infection Gram-negative [p < 0.001, OR: 7.1] were significant contributors to 28-day mortality. The history of exposure to many antimicrobial classes contributed significantly to deaths, including β-lactam/β-lactamase [p = 0.002, OR: 2.5], macrolides [p = 0.001, OR: 3.34], and β-lactams [p = 0.012, OR: 2.0]. G6PD patients are a unique population that is more vulnerable to infections. Prompt and appropriate antimicrobial therapy is warranted to combat infections. A strict application of stewardship principles (disinfection, shortening the length of stay, and controlling comorbid conditions) may be beneficial for this population. Finally, awareness of the special needs of this patient group may improve treatment outcomes.

Disparities in Hospital Length of Stay Across Race and Ethnicity Among Patients With Heart Failure

BACKGROUND

Reducing hospital length of stay (LOS) has been identified as an important lever for minimizing the burden of heart failure hospitalization, yet the impact of social and structural determinants of health on LOS has received little attention. We investigated disparities in LOS across race/ethnicity and their possible drivers.

METHODS

We analyzed patients hospitalized for heart failure from 2017 to 2020 using the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure registry. We characterized LOS differences across race/ethnicity by insurance and disposition, adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, and clinical severity. Effects of hospital-level clustering on LOS across race/ethnicity were assessed using hierarchical mixed-effects models. We evaluated the association between LOS and discharge rates of guideline-directed medical therapy.

RESULTS

Three thousand three seven hundred thirty patients hospitalized for heart failure were identified. After excluding inpatient deaths, the adjusted LOS for Black (5.72 days [95% CI, 5.62-5.82]), Hispanic (5.94 days [95% CI, 5.79-6.08]), and Indigenous American/Pacific Islander (6.06 days [95% CI, 5.85-6.27]) patients remained significantly longer compared with non-Hispanic White patients (5.32 days [95% CI, 5.25-5.39]). This pattern was driven by LOS differences among patients discharged to hospice or nursing facilities. After accounting for variability between hospitals, associations of race/ethnicity with LOS either were attenuated or reversed in direction. Guideline-directed medical therapy rates on discharge did not differ significantly across race/ethnicity despite longer LOS for Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous American/Pacific Islander patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Differences between hospitals drive LOS disparities across race/ethnicity. Longer LOS among Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous American/Pacific Islander patients was not associated with improved quality of care.

Initial Specimen Diversion Device Utilization Mitigates Blood Culture Contamination Across Regional Community Hospital and Acute Care Facility

A West Virginia regional community hospital incorporated an initial specimen diversion device (ISDD) into conventional blood culture protocol with the objective to bring the hospital-wide blood culture contamination (BCC) rate from a 3.06% preintervention rate to a target performance level below 1%. Emergency department staff, laboratory phlebotomists, and nursing staff on acute-critical care floors were trained on ISDD (Steripath Gen2, Magnolia Medical Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA) operating procedure and utilized the device for blood culture sample collection with adult patients from September 2020 through April 2021. Of 5642 blood culture sets collected hospital-wide, 4631 were collected with the ISDD, whereas the remaining sets were collected via the conventional method. The ISDD BCC rate of 0.78% differed from the conventional method BCC rate of 4.06% observed during the intervention period (chi-squared test P < 0.00001). The ISDD group attained a sub-1% BCC rate to satisfy the intervention objective.

The impact of case order and intraoperative staff changes on spine surgical efficiency

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Despite concerted efforts toward quality improvement in high-volume spine surgery, there remains concern that increases in case load may compromise the efficient and safe delivery of surgical care. There is a paucity of evidence to describe the effects of spine case order and operating room (OR) team structure on measures of intraoperative timing and OR efficiency.

PURPOSE

This study aims to determine if intraoperative staff changes and surgical case order independently predict extensions in intraoperative timing after spinal surgery for spondylotic diseases.

STUDY DESIGN/ SETTING

Retrospective cohort analysis PATIENT SAMPLE: All patients over age 18 who underwent primary or revision decompression and/or fusion for degenerative spinal diseases between 2017 to 2019 at a single academic institution were retrospectively identified. Exclusion criteria included absence of descriptive data and intraoperative timing parameters as well as surgery for traumatic injury, infection, and malignancy.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Intraoperative timing metrics including total theater time, wheels in to induction, induction start to cut, cut to close, and close to wheels out. Postoperative outcomes included length of hospital stay and 90-day hospital readmissions.

METHODS

Surgical case order and intraoperative changes in staff (circulator and surgical scrub nurse or technician) were determined. Patient demographics, surgical factors, intraoperative timing and postoperative outcomes were recorded. Extensions in each operative stage were determined as a ratio of the actual duration of the parameter divided by the predicted duration of the parameter. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to compare outcomes within case order and staff change groups.

RESULTS

A total of 1,108 patients met the inclusion criteria. First, second, and third start cases differed significantly in intraoperative extensions of total theater time, wheels in to induction, induction start to cut, cut to close, and close to wheels out. On regression, decreasing case order predicted extension in wheels in to induction time. Surgeries with intraoperative staff changes were associated with increases in total theater time, induction start to cut time, cut to close time, close to wheels out time, and length of hospital stay. Switch in primary circulator predicted extended theater time and cut to close time. Relief of primary circulator or scrub predicted extended total theater time, induction start to cut time, cut to close time, and close to wheels out time.

CONCLUSIONS

Intraoperative staff change in spine surgery independently predicted extended operative duration. However, higher case order was not significantly associated with procedural time.

Predictors of Functional Improvement, Length of Stay, and Discharge Destination in the Context of an Assess and Restore Program in Hospitalized Older Adults

Assess and restore programs such as Humber’s Elderly Assess and Restore Team (HEART) provide short-term restorative care to prevent functional decline in hospitalized older adults. The aim of this retrospective observational study was to determine which HEART participant characteristics are predictive of functional improvement, decreased length of stay, return to home, and decreased readmission to hospital. Electronic health records were retrospectively examined to gather predictor data. Differences in functional status, excessive length of stay, discharge destination, and hospital readmissions were compared in 547 HEART patients and 547 matched eligible non-participants using ANOVAs, Mann–Whitney, and chi-square tests. The greatest functional improvements (percent Barthel change) were seen in those requiring a one-person assist (M = 39.56) and using a walker (M = 46.07). Difference in excessive length of stay between HEART and non-HEART participants was greatest in those who used a walker (Mdn = 3.80), required a one-person assist (Mdn = 2.00), had a high falls risk (Mdn = 1.80), and had either a lower urinary tract infection (Mdn = 2.25) or pneumonia (Mdn = 1.70). Predictor variables did not affect readmission to the hospital nor return to home. Predictive characteristics should be considered when enrolling patients to assess and restore programs for optimal clinical outcomes.

Evaluation of Antibiotic Duration after Surgical Debridement of Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection

Background: Necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) is known to be a medical emergency with high morbidity and mortality. Guidelines do not specify the optimal duration of antibiotic agents after completion of surgical debridements of NSTI, which has created variable practice. It was hypothesized that patients with NSTI who receive 48 hours or less of post-operative antibiotic agents after final debridement have similar rates of subsequent intervention or infection recurrence, suggesting that a shorter duration of antibiotic agents may treat NSTI adequately after final surgical debridement. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective study including adults with NSTI identified through International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9), International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes admitted to one academic institution between January 1, 2010 and July 31, 2020. Demographics, surgical practices, antibiotic practices, and clinical outcomes including inpatient mortality, hospital length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit (ICU) LOS, total antibiotic days, necrotizing infection clinical composite end point (NICCE) success, and infection recurrence were compared based on the duration of antibiotic agents after final debridement. Results: Three hundred twenty-two patients with NSTI were included and baseline characteristics and clinical severity markers were well balanced between the two groups. In 71 patients (22%) who received less than 48 hours of antibiotic agents after final debridement there was no difference in recurrence (1.4% vs. 3.6%; p = 0.697), mortality (1.4% vs. 4.4%; p = 0.476), or ICU LOS (1 vs. 2 days; p = 0.300], but they did have a shorter hospital LOS (7 vs. 10 days; p = 0.011). Conclusions: Shorter duration of antibiotic therapy after final surgical debridement of NSTI may be appropriate in patients without another indication for antibiotic agents.

Five-year trends in cause-specific readmissions and cost burden of mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed to evaluate cost trends associated with mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER).

BACKGROUND

TEER is a treatment option for patients at prohibitive surgical risk with moderate to severe mitral valve regurgitation and NYHA class III or IV symptoms. The 30-day costs and causes of readmission following TEER have not been well studied.

METHODS

Patients undergoing mitral TEER in the United States from 2014 to 2018 were identified in the Nationwide Readmission Database. Patient characteristics, cause-specific readmission, and costs of the index hospitalization and readmissions were analyzed. Costs were trended over years using general linear regression.

RESULTS

A total of 10,196 patients underwent mitral TEER during the study period. Thirty-day readmissions were stable over time at around 16%. The mean length of stay following TEER decreased from 7 days in 2014 to 5 days in 2018. There was a significant decline in the cost of the index hospitalization of $1311 per year, and a significant decline in the total 30-day cost of $1588 per year (p < 0.001). This was strictly due to a reduction in the cost of the index hospitalization without a change in readmission costs over time (p = 0.23). Infectious causes of readmissions significantly decreased while total cardiovascular readmissions, including heart failure, remained constant.

CONCLUSION

The decreasing 30-day cost burden of TEER is primarily driven by the shorter index length of stay, as experience in TEER has grown and, length of stay has declined. However, cardiovascular readmissions, and consequently readmission costs, have remained steady.

An explainable machine learning framework for lung cancer hospital length of stay prediction

This work introduces a predictive Length of Stay (LOS) framework for lung cancer patients using machine learning (ML) models. The framework proposed to deal with imbalanced datasets for classification-based approaches using electronic healthcare records (EHR). We have utilized supervised ML methods to predict lung cancer inpatients LOS during ICU hospitalization using the MIMIC-III dataset. Random Forest (RF) Model outperformed other models and achieved predicted results during the three framework phases. With clinical significance features selection, over-sampling methods (SMOTE and ADASYN) achieved the highest AUC results (98% with CI 95%: 95.3-100%, and 100% respectively). The combination of Over-sampling and under-sampling achieved the second-highest AUC results (98%, with CI 95%: 95.3-100%, and 97%, CI 95%: 93.7-100% SMOTE-Tomek, and SMOTE-ENN respectively). Under-sampling methods reported the least important AUC results (50%, with CI 95%: 40.2-59.8%) for both (ENN and Tomek- Links). Using ML explainable technique called SHAP, we explained the outcome of the predictive model (RF) with SMOTE class balancing technique to understand the most significant clinical features that contributed to predicting lung cancer LOS with the RF model. Our promising framework allows us to employ ML techniques in-hospital clinical information systems to predict lung cancer admissions into ICU.

Clavulanate combinations with mecillinam, cefixime or cefpodoxime against ESBL-producing Enterobacterales frequently associated with blaOXA-1 in a paediatric population with febrile urinary tract infections

OBJECTIVES

Oral treatment of febrile urinary tract infections (FUTIs) can be impaired by MDR Enterobacterales often combining ESBL and inhibitor-resistant genes. We studied the impact of β-lactamases and Enterobacterales' genotypes on the cefixime, cefpodoxime and mecillinam ± amoxicillin/clavulanate MICs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this multicentric study, we included 251 previously whole-genome-sequenced ESBL-producing Enterobacterales, isolated in French children with FUTIs. The MICs of cefixime, cefpodoxime, mecillinam alone and combined with amoxicillin/clavulanate were determined and analysed with respect to genomic data. We focused especially on the isolates' ST and their type of β-lactamases. Clinical outcomes of patients who received cefixime + amoxicillin/clavulanate were also analysed.

RESULTS

All isolates were cefixime and cefpodoxime resistant. Disparities depending on blaCTX-M variants were observed for cefixime. The addition of amoxicillin/clavulanate restored susceptibility for cefixime and cefpodoxime in 97.2% (MIC50/90 of 0.38/0.75 mg/L) and 55.4% (MIC50/90 of 1/2 mg/L) of isolates, respectively, whatever the ST, the blaCTX-M variants or the association with inhibitor-resistant β-lactamases (34.2%). All isolates were susceptible to mecillinam + amoxicillin/clavulanate with MIC50/90 of 0.19/0.25 mg/L, respectively. Neither therapeutic failure nor any subsequent positive control urine culture were reported for patients who received cefixime + amoxicillin/clavulanate as an oral relay therapy (n = 54).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the frequent association of ESBL genes with inhibitor-resistant β-lactamases, the cefixime + amoxicillin/clavulanate MICs remain low. The in vivo efficacy of this combination was satisfying even when first-line treatment was ineffective. Considering the MIC distributions and pharmacokinetic parameters, mecillinam + amoxicillin/clavulanate should also be an alternative to consider when treating FUTIs in children.

The Impact of Room-Sharing on Length of Stay After Total Hip or Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Study

Background

Prolonged length of stay (LOS) after elective total hip (THA) and knee (TKA) arthroplasty is often associated with worse patient outcomes. Social support through room-sharing has been identified as a factor that may reduce LOS in a hospital setting, but has not yet been examined in an orthopedic population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of single- vs shared-room accommodation after elective TKA or THA on hospital LOS.

Method

A retrospective study was conducted using data from hospital medical records at our institution. Patients receiving unilateral, elective THA or TKA over a 2-year period were eligible. Patients were allocated to either a single room or four-bed shared room. The primary outcome was LOS; secondary outcomes included complications, discharge destination, and return to operating theater.

Results

One hundred eighty-five patients (70 THA, 115 TKA; mean age 65.74 ± 10.38, 59% female) were included, of whom 82 were allocated to a single room and 103 to a shared room. There was no statistically significant difference in LOS between the 2 groups (5.18 ± 2.21 days [single] vs 4.88 ± 2.12 days [shared]; mean difference −0.29 [95% CI −0.92-0.33], P = .36). Analysis modeling for multiple confounders found no association among room allocation, LOS, and discharge destination. However, more patients in single rooms required discharge to rehabilitation (27% vs 9%) and return to theater (7% vs 1%).

Conclusions

Room allocation did not correlate with a difference in LOS in patients undergoing elective THA or TKA.

Association of AM-PAC "6-Clicks" Basic Mobility and Daily Activity Scores With Discharge Destination

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to use the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care "6-Clicks" scores at initial physical therapist and/or occupational therapist evaluation to assess (1) predictive ability for community versus institutional discharge, and (2) association with discharge destination (home/self-care [HOME], home health [HHA], skilled nursing facility [SNF], and inpatient rehabilitation facility [IRF]).

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, initial "6-Clicks" Basic Mobility and/or Daily Activity t scores and discharge destination were obtained from electronic health records of 17,546 inpatient admissions receiving physical therapy/occupational therapy at an academic hospital between October 1, 2015 and August 31, 2018. For objective (1), postacute discharge destination was dichotomized to community (HOME and HHA) and institution (SNF and IRF). Receiver operator characteristic curves determined the most predictive Basic Mobility and Daily Activity scores for discharge destination. For objective (2), adjusted odds ratios (OR) from multinomial logistic regression assessed association between discharge destination (HOME, HHA, SNF, IRF) and cut-point scores for Basic Mobility (≤40.78 vs >40.78) and Daily Activity (≤40.22 vs >40.22), accounting for patient and clinical characteristics.

RESULTS

Area under the curve for Basic Mobility was 0.80 (95% CI = 0.80-0.81) and Daily Activity was 0.81 (95% CI = 0.80-0.82). The best cut-point for Basic Mobility was 40.78 (raw score = 16; sensitivity = 0.71 and specificity = 0.74) and for Daily Activity was 40.22 (raw score = 19; sensitivity = 0.68 and specificity = 0.79). Basic Mobility and Daily Activity were significantly associated with discharge destination, with those above the cut-point resulting in increased odds of discharge HOME. The Basic Mobility scores ≤40.78 had higher odds of discharge to HHA (OR = 1.7 [95% CI = 1.5-1.9]), SNF (OR = 7.8 [95% CI = 6.8-8.9]), and IRF (OR = 7.5 [95% CI = 6.3-9.1]), and the Daily Activity scores ≤40.22 had higher odds of discharge to HHA (OR = 1.8 [95% CI = 1.7-2.0]), SNF (OR = 8.9 [95% CI = 7.9-10.0]), and IRF (OR = 11.4 [95% CI = 9.7-13.5]).

CONCLUSION

6-Clicks at physical therapist/occupational therapist initial evaluation demonstrated good prediction for discharge decisions. Higher scores were associated with discharge to HOME; lower scores reflected discharge to settings with increased support levels.

IMPACT

Initial Basic Mobility and Daily Activity scores are valuable clinical tools in the determination of discharge destination.

Differences in 30-day complications associated with total ankle arthroplasty and ankle arthrodesis: A matched cohort study

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to identify whether total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) was associated with greater risk for 30-day complications and/or greater financial burden in comparison to ankle arthrodesis (AA).

METHODS

The PearlDiver Patient Records Database was queried to identify all patients who underwent an arthroscopic/open AA or TAA from 2006 to 2013. The two cohorts were then matched in a 1:1 manner to control for comorbidities and demographics. Postoperative complications were compared between the two cohorts, in addition to the associated costs with respect to each procedure.

RESULTS

No significant differences in risk for postoperative complications were noted between the two procedures with the numbers available. Significant differences were demonstrated in total length of hospital stay (LOS), with a mean of 2.13 days for the TAA cohort and 2.42 days for the AA cohort (p < 0.001). Higher mean total hospital costs were noted for TAA (x¯ = $62,416.62) compared to AA (x¯ = $37,737.43, p < 0.001); however, TAA was associated with a higher mean total reimbursement (x¯ = $12,254.43) than AA (x¯ = $7915.72, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

With no notable differences in 30-day complication rates, TAA remains a viable alternative to AA in the appropriately selected patient and provides the ability to preserve tibiotalar motion resulting in superior functional scores. Additionally, TAA demonstrated higher total costs to implant, but also greater reimbursement, in line with the recent literature suggesting TAA to be a cost-effective alternative to AA.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III Retrospective study.

Adverse Outcomes after Advanced EVAR in Patients with Sarcopaenia

PURPOSE

To determine whether low total psoas muscle area (tPMA), as a surrogate for sarcopaenia, is a predictor of adverse outcomes in patients undergoing advanced EVAR.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective review of medical records was performed for 257 patients who underwent advanced EVAR (fenestrated or branched technique) in a single tertiary centre from 1 January 2008 to 1 September 2019. The study cohort was divided into tertiles based on tPMA measurement performed independently by two observers from a peri-procedural CT scan at the level of mid-L3 vertebral body. The low tertile was considered sarcopaenic. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association of tPMA with 30-day mortality and post-procedural complications. Univariable analysis and adjusted multivariable Cox regression were used to assess the association of tPMA with all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 257 patients comprised 193 males and 64 females with the mean age of 75.4 years (± 6.8) were included. Adjusted multivariable Cox regression revealed an 8% reduction in all-cause mortality for every 1 cm² increase in tPMA, P < 0.05. TPMA was associated with 30-day mortality (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.75-0.96, P < 0.05) and spinal cord ischaemia (SCI) (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.82-0.97, P < 0.05). For remaining post-procedural complications, tPMA was not a useful predictive tool. TPMA correlated negatively with hospital stay length (r_s-0.26, P < 0.001). Patients with lower tPMA were more likely to be discharged to a rehabilitation center (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.87-0.98 , P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Measurement of tPMA can be a useful predictive tool for adverse outcomes after advanced EVAR.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 3, Retrospective cohort study.

The Need for Ongoing Antimicrobial Stewardship during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Actionable Recommendations

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which has significant impact on global health care delivery, occurs amid the ongoing global health crisis of antimicrobial resistance. Early data demonstrated that bacterial and fungal co-infection with COVID-19 remain low and indiscriminate use of antimicrobials during the pandemic may worsen antimicrobial resistance It is, therefore, essential to maintain the ongoing effort of antimicrobial stewardship activities in all sectors globally.

Nutrition Risk Assessed by STRONGkids Predicts Longer Hospital Stay in a Pediatric Cohort: A Survival Analysis

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the impact of Screening Tool for Risk on Nutritional Status and Growth (STRONGkids) classification in time to discharge and verify whether the nutrition risk assessed by this method is an independent predictor of hospital length of stay (LOS) in pediatric inpatients.

METHODS

A cohort study was conducted in a Brazilian hospital from February 2014 to July 2018. The outcome in the survivor analysis was hospital discharge. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate the cumulative survival time according to STRONGkids categories. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were fitted, and the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), with respective 95% CI, was used to measure the strength of association. The discriminatory ability of STRONGkids was verified by a receiver operating characteristic curve RESULTS: A total 641 patients were included in the study: 54.9% males, median age of 2.8 years. The frequencies of low, moderate, and high nutrition risk were 15.6%, 63.7%, and 20.7%, respectively. The mean LOS was 5.9 days. Survival curves differed significantly according to nutrition-risk categories. Patients classified as high risk had a 52% less chance of hospital discharge when compared with low-risk patients (aHR: 0.48; 95% CI, 0.35-0.65). STRONGkids score ≥ 3 showed the best discriminatory power to identify LOS. From this score, there was a significant increase in the days of hospitalization.

CONCLUSION

The nutrition risk assessed by STRONGkids independently predicts LOS in pediatric patients. For this outcome, patients with 3 points (moderate risk) should be treated with the same priority as those with high risk.

Omega-3 fatty acid-containing parenteral nutrition in ICU patients: systematic review with meta-analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis

Background

Omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acid (FA)-containing parenteral nutrition (PN) is associated with significant improvements in patient outcomes compared with standard PN regimens without ω-3 FA lipid emulsions. Here, we evaluate the impact of ω-3 FA-containing PN versus standard PN on clinical outcomes and costs in adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients using a meta-analysis and subsequent cost-effectiveness analysis from the perspective of a hospital operating in five European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK) and the US.

Methods

We present a pharmacoeconomic simulation based on a systematic literature review with meta-analysis. Clinical outcomes and costs comparing ω-3 FA-containing PN with standard PN were evaluated in adult ICU patients eligible to receive PN covering at least 70% of their total energy requirements and in the subgroup of critically ill ICU patients (mean ICU stay > 48 h). The meta-analysis with the co-primary outcomes of infection rate and mortality rate was based on randomized controlled trial data retrieved via a systematic literature review; resulting efficacy data were subsequently employed in country-specific cost-effectiveness analyses.

Results

In adult ICU patients, ω-3 FA-containing PN versus standard PN was associated with significant reductions in the relative risk (RR) of infection (RR 0.62; 95% CI 0.45, 0.86; p = 0.004), hospital length of stay (HLOS) (− 3.05 days; 95% CI − 5.03, − 1.07; p = 0.003) and ICU length of stay (LOS) (− 1.89 days; 95% CI − 3.33, − 0.45; p = 0.01). In critically ill ICU patients, ω-3 FA-containing PN was associated with similar reductions in infection rates (RR 0.65; 95% CI 0.46, 0.94; p = 0.02), HLOS (− 3.98 days; 95% CI − 6.90, − 1.06; p = 0.008) and ICU LOS (− 2.14 days; 95% CI − 3.89, − 0.40; p = 0.02). Overall hospital episode costs were reduced in all six countries using ω-3 FA-containing PN compared to standard PN, ranging from €-3156 ± 1404 in Spain to €-9586 ± 4157 in the US.

Conclusion

These analyses demonstrate that ω-3 FA-containing PN is associated with statistically and clinically significant improvement in patient outcomes. Its use is also predicted to yield cost savings compared to standard PN, rendering ω-3 FA-containing PN an attractive cost-saving alternative across different health care systems.

Study registration

PROSPERO CRD42019129311.

Total Knee Arthroplasty Outcomes in Patients with Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Commercial Insurance

As more commercial insurance companies adopt a bundled reimbursement model, similar to the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) algorithm for Medicare beneficiaries, accurate risk adjustment of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) is critical to ensure success. With this movement toward bundled reimbursement, it is unknown if a formula adjusting for similar risks in the Medicare population could be applied to PROs in commercially insured and Medicare Advantage populations undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study was performed to compare PROs after TKA in these insurance groups after adjusting for proposed risks. Demographics and clinical data were abstracted from medical records of 302 patients who underwent TKA performed by a single surgeon at a university-based orthopaedic practice during 2013 to 2017. Differences in PROs between commercially insured, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare patients during the 6 months following surgery were evaluated while controlling for demographics, clinical data, and baseline PRO scores. Medicare and Medicare Advantage patients were older (p < 0.001) and had more comorbidities (p = 0.001) than commercial patients. During the first 3 months following TKA, patients in all three groups experienced similar rates of recovery. At 6 months after surgery, outcomes began to diverge by insurance group. Medicare patients reported significantly less ability to perform activities of daily living (78.6 vs. 63.2; p = 0.001), worse physical function (39.6 vs. 44.9; p = 0.003), and more pain interference (57.9 vs. 52.4; p = 0.018) at day 180 than commercially insured patients. There were no statistically significant differences between Medicare Advantage patients and either commercially insured or Medicare patients. Therefore, commercial insurance companies that intend to apply a risk-adjusted equation similar to the CJR algorithm to commercial populations should be cautioned since the postoperative outcomes in this investigation differed after adjusting for the same risk factors that have been proposed for inclusion in the CJR algorithm. Nonetheless, further studies should be performed to ensure that companies participating in bundled reimbursement models have a positive influence on comprehensive health care for patients and providers. This is a level III, retrospective prognostic study.

Cost-Effectiveness of Parenteral Nutrition Containing ω-3 Fatty Acids in Hospitalized Adult Patients From 5 European Countries and the US

Background

ω‐3 Fatty acid (FA)–containing parenteral nutrition (PN) is associated with improvements in patient outcomes and with reductions in hospital length of stay (HLOS) vs standard PN regimens (containing non–ω‐3 FA lipid emulsions). We present a cost‐effectiveness analysis of ω‐3 FA–containing PN vs standard PN in 5 European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK) and the US.

Methods

This pharmacoeconomic model was based on estimates of ω‐3 efficacy reported in a recent meta‐analysis and data from country‐specific sources. It utilized a probabilistic discrete event simulation model to compare ω‐3 FA–containing PN with standard PN in a population of critically ill and general ward patients. The influence of model parameters was evaluated using probabilistic and deterministic sensitivity analyses.

Results

Overall costs were reduced with ω‐3 FA–containing PN in all 6 countries compared with standard PN, ranging from €1741 (±€1284) in Italy to €5576 (±€4193) in the US. Expenses for infections and HLOS were lower in all countries for ω‐3 FA–containing PN vs standard PN, with the largest cost differences for both in the US (infection: €825 ± €4001; HLOS: €4879 ± €1208) and the smallest savings in the UK for infections and in Spain for HLOS (€63 ± €426 and €1636 ± €372, respectively).

Conclusion

This cost‐effectiveness analysis in 6 countries demonstrates that the superior clinical efficacy of ω‐3 FA–containing PN translates into significant decreases in mean treatment cost, rendering it an attractive cost‐saving alternative to standard PN across different healthcare systems.

Ticagrelor Removal by CytoSorb® in Patients Requiring Emergent or Urgent Cardiac Surgery: A UK-Based Cost-Utility Analysis

BACKGROUND

Acute coronary syndrome patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy who need emergent or urgent cardiac surgery are at high risk of major bleeding, which can impair postoperative outcomes. CytoSorb^®, a blood purification technology based on adsorbent polymer, has been demonstrated to remove ticagrelor from blood during on-pump cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost utility of intraoperative removal of ticagrelor using CytoSorb versus usual care among patients requiring emergent or urgent cardiac surgery in the UK.

METHODS

A de novo decision analytic model, based on current treatment pathways, was developed to estimate the short- and long-term costs and outcomes. Results from randomised clinical trials and national standard sources such as National Health Service (NHS) reference costs were used to inform the model. Costs were estimated from the NHS and Personal Social Services perspective. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSAs) explored the uncertainty surrounding the input parameters.

RESULTS

In emergent cardiac surgery, intraoperative removal of ticagrelor using CytoSorb was less costly (£12,933 vs. £16,874) and more effective (0.06201vs. 0.06091 quality-adjusted life-years) than cardiac surgery without physiologic clearance of ticagrelor over a 30-day time horizon. For urgent cardiac surgery, the use of CytoSorb was less costly than any of the three comparators-delaying surgery for natural washout without adjunctive therapy, adjunctive therapy with short-acting antiplatelet agents, or adjunctive therapy with low-molecular-weight heparin. Results from the PSAs showed that CytoSorb has a high probability of being cost saving (99% in emergent cardiac surgery and 53-77% in urgent cardiac surgery, depending on the comparators). Cost savings derive from fewer transfusions of blood products and re-thoracotomies, and shorter stay in the hospital/intensive care unit.

CONCLUSIONS

The implementation of CytoSorb as an intraoperative intervention for patients receiving ticagrelor undergoing emergent or urgent cardiac surgery is a cost-saving strategy, yielding improvement in perioperative and postoperative outcomes and decreased health resource use.

Usefulness of the StrongKids Screening Tool in Detecting Anemia and Inflammation in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients

Objective: To assess whether the nutritional risk classified by StrongKids is associated with anemia and inflammation (total leukocytes and C-reactive protein (CRP)), as well as to compare the ability of StrongKids with anthropometry in identifying these changes in hospitalized pediatric patients.Methods: Cross-sectional study with patients admitted to the pediatric ward of a public hospital in Brazil, from 2014 to 2018. The experimental protocol included: nutritional risk screening by StrongKids; weight and height measurements; and biochemical tests (complete blood count and C-reactive protein - CRP). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated to assess the ability of StrongKids and anthropometry to identify patients with the biochemical changes.Results: The study included 482 patients (54.2% male), with a median age of 2.7 years. The frequency of nutritional risk (medium or high) was 85.9% and the prevalence of malnutrition (acute and/or chronic) was 20.2%. Overall, of the patients evaluated, 40.2% had anemia, 28.2% leukocytosis, and 78.0% high CRP. Children and adolescents classified as at nutritional risk (moderate/high) had lower levels of hemoglobin and higher levels of CRP and total leukocytes, as well as a higher frequency of leukocytosis, high CRP and the three alterations combined when compared with individuals at low risk. No association was found between anthropometric variables and biochemical alterations. The sensitivity of nutritional screening was high to detect all biochemical alterations and was superior to the anthropometric assessment.Conclusion: StrongKids was associated with alterations in biochemical parameters with a better performance than anthropometry.

Are Invasive Procedures and a Longer Hospital Stay Increasing the Risk of Healthcare-Associated Infections among the Admitted Patients at Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital, Eastern Ethiopia?

Background

Healthcare-associated infection is a major public health problem, in terms of mortality, morbidity, and costs. Majorities of the cause of these infections were preventable. Understanding the potential risk factors is important to reduce the impact of these avoidable infections. The study was aimed to identify factors associated with healthcare-associated infections among patients admitted at Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital, Harar, Eastern Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out among 433 patients over a period of five months at Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital. Sociodemographic and clinical data were obtained from a patient admitted for 48 hours and above in the four wards (surgical, medical, obstetrics/gynecology, and pediatrics) using a structured questionnaire. A multivariate logistic regression model was applied to identify predictors of healthcare-associated infections. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Fifty-four (13.7%) patients had a history of a previous admission. The median length of hospital stay was 6.1 days. Forty-six (11.7%) participants reported comorbid conditions. Ninety-six (24.4%) participants underwent surgical procedures. The overall prevalence of healthcare-associated infection was 29 (7.4%, 95% CI: 5.2–10.6). Cigarette smoking (AOR: 5.18, 95% CI: 2.15–20.47), staying in the hospital for more than 4 days (AOR: 4.29, 95% CI: 2.31–6.15), and undergoing invasive procedures (AOR: 3.58, 95% CI: 1.11–7.52) increase the odds of acquiring healthcare-associated infections.

Conclusion

The cumulative prevalence of healthcare-associated infections in this study was comparable with similar studies conducted in developing countries. Cigarette smoking, staying in the hospital for more than 4 days, and undergoing invasive procedures increase the odds of healthcare-associated infections. These factors should be considered in the infection prevention and control program of the hospital.

A 6 Second Analytical Method for Quantitation of Tacrolimus in Whole Blood by Use of Laser Diode Thermal Desorption Tandem Mass Spectrometry

BACKGROUND

Therapeutic drug monitoring of immunosuppressive drugs is imperative for organ transplant recipients. High-performance LC-MS/MS is considered gold standard; however, immunoassays provide rapid turnaround time. New technology was developed to reduce mass spectrometry analytical run-time. The laser diode thermal desorption source coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LDTD-MS/MS) eliminates chromatographic separation to increase analytical throughput.

METHODS

A rapid, 6 second, LDTD-MS/MS analytical method was developed for the quantification tacrolimus in whole blood. Whole blood samples were lysed, followed by protein precipitation and solid-phase extraction. Extracted samples with desorption solution were spotted onto a LazWell plate then dried and loaded into the LDTD source for analysis with an AB SCIEX 5500 mass spectrometer in positive multiple reaction monitoring mode. The LDTD laser profile ramps from 0% to 65% of full power over 3 s and is held at 65% for 1 s before returning to initial conditions for 2 s.

RESULTS

Data presented include tacrolimus by LDTD-MS/MS comparison to LC-MS/MS, sensitivity, imprecision, interference, linearity, and stability. Method comparison between LDTD-MS/MS and a validated in-house LC-MS/MS assay yielded the following: (LDTD-MS/MS) = 1.119 (LC-MS/MS) + 0.23 ng/mL, S_y/x = 1.26, r = 0.9871 (n = 122). The limit of quantification by LDTD-MS/MS for tacrolimus was <0.3 ng/mL and total imprecision was <10%.

CONCLUSIONS

Laser diode thermal desorption tandem mass spectrometry technology can provide rapid turnaround time to result for tacrolimus. The analytical time for LDTD-MS/MS was 6 s compared to 135 s by LC-MS/MS, a >95% decrease in analytical time.

A Simplified Cost-Utility Analysis of Inpatient Flap Monitoring after Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction and Implications for Hospital Length of Stay

BACKGROUND

The number of free flap take-backs and successful salvages following microsurgical breast reconstruction decreases as time from surgery increases. As a result, the cost of extended inpatient monitoring to achieve a successful flap salvage rises rapidly with each postoperative day. This study introduces a simplified cost-utility model of inpatient flap monitoring and identifies when cost-utility exceeds the thresholds established for other medical treatments.

METHODS

A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database was performed of patients who underwent microsurgical breast reconstruction to identify flap take-back and salvage rates by postoperative day. The number of patients and flaps that needed to be kept on an inpatient basis each day for monitoring to salvage a single failing flap was determined. Quality-of-life measures and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for inpatient flap monitoring following microsurgical breast reconstruction were calculated and plotted against a $100,000/quality-adjusted life-year threshold.

RESULTS

A total of 1813 patients (2847 flaps) were included. Overall flap take-back and salvage rates were 2.4 percent and 52.3 percent, respectively. Of the flaps taken back, the daily take-back and salvage rates were 56.8 and 60.0 percent (postoperative day 0 to 1), 13.6 and 83.3 percent (postoperative day 2), 11.4 and 40.0 percent (postoperative day 3), 9.1 and 25.0 percent (postoperative day 4), and 9.1 and 0.0 percent (>postoperative day 4), respectively. To salvage a single failing flap each day, the number of flaps that needed to be monitored were 121 (postoperative day 0 to 1), 363 (postoperative day 2), 907 (postoperative day 3), 1813 (postoperative day 4), and innumerable for days beyond postoperative day 4. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of inpatient flap monitoring begins to exceed a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000/quality-adjusted life-year by postoperative day 2.

CONCLUSION

The health care cost associated with inpatient flap monitoring following microsurgical breast reconstruction begins to rise rapidly after postoperative day 2.

Predicting extended hospital stay after deep brain stimulation surgery in Parkinson's patients

BACKGROUND

The goal of deep brain stimulation (DBS) is to achieve maximal benefit for the patient while minimizing the likelihood of adverse effects. Currently, no standardized criteria exist that predicts extended hospital stay in DBS patients, although careful patient selection is recognized as a very important step for successful DBS therapy.

OBJECTIVES AND METHODS

The objective of this study was to identify eight key factors that predicted extended post-operative hospital stay following DBS lead implantation, in an effort to better identify patients that would require minimal hospital stay, resulting in reduced cost and reduced exposure to hospital- related problems. Univariate logistic regression models were used to examine associations between each factor and patients' post-surgical outcomes.

RESULTS

Using data collected from 183 patients, we found that 53 patients required a hospital stay longer than two days within one month post-procedure. Those who were 70 years or older and those who had frequent falls were significantly more likely to require extended post-surgical care. Patients that scored three points or higher on our eight-factor assessment scale had a greater likelihood of experiencing an event that would require an extended hospital stay following DBS lead placement, regardless of what three factors were present.

CONCLUSIONS

Any PD patient who is 70 years or older, incurring frequent falls, or with more than three points on our scale, should be carefully screened and cautioned about likely prolonged recovery and extended post-operative hospital stay.

Solid nanoparticles for oral antimicrobial drug delivery: a review

Most microbial infectious diseases can be treated successfully with the remarkable array of antimicrobials current available; however, antimicrobial resistance, adverse effects, and the high cost of antimicrobials are crucial health challenges worldwide. One of the common efforts in addressing this issue lies in improving the existing antibacterial delivery systems. Solid nanoparticles (SNPs) have been widely used as promising strategies to overcome these challenges. In addition, oral delivery is the most common method of drug administration with high levels of patient acceptance. Formulation into NPs can improve drug stability in the harsh gastrointestinal (GI) tract environment, providing opportunities for targeting specific sites in the GI tract, increasing drug solubility and bioavailability, and providing sustained release in the GI tract. Here, we discuss SNPs for the oral delivery of antimicrobials, including solid lipid NPs (SLNs), polymeric NPs (PNs), mesoporous silica NPs (MSNs) and hybrid NPs (HNs). We also discussed about the role of nanotechnology in IV to oral antimicrobial therapy development as well as challenges, clinical transformation, and limitations of SNPs for oral antimicrobial drug delivery.

Bed management team with Kanban web-based application

Objective

To measure the effectiveness of the bed management process that uses a web-based application with Kanban methodology to reduce hospitalization time of hospitalized patients.

Design

Before-after study was performed.

Setting

The study was conducted between July 2013 and July 2017, at the Unimed Regional Hospital of Fortaleza, which has 300 beds, of which 60 are in the intensive care unit (ICU). It is accredited by International Society for Quality in Healthcare.

Population

Patients hospitalized in the referred period.

Intervention

Bed management with an application that uses color logic to signal at which stage of high flow the patients meet, in which each patient is interpreted as a card of the classical Kanban theory. It has an automatic user signaling system for process movement, and a system for monitoring and analyzing discharge forecasts.

Main Outcome Measures

Length of hospital stay, number of customer complaints related to bed availability.

Results

After the intervention, the hospital's overall hospital stay time was reduced from 5.6 days to 4.9 days (P = 0.001). The units with the greatest reduction were the ICUs, with reduction from 6.0 days to 2.0 (P = 0.001). The relative percentage of complaints regarding bed availability in the hospital fell from 27% to 0%.

Conclusion

We conclude that the use of an electronic tool based on Kanban methodology and accessed via the web by a bed management team is effective in reducing patients' hospital stay time.