Association between the weekday on which coronary artery bypass graft surgery is performed and the 30-day mortality: A nationwide cohort study in South Korea

Retrospective Analysis of Associated Costs and Sources of Variability in OR Utilization Across Weekdays

Few studies have examined variability in OR utilization across weekdays. We conducted a retrospective analysis to determine OR utilization differences by day of the week and the source and financial effects of any variability. We extracted 55 months of data from a surgical data repository to calculate OR utilization, late starts, idle times, and delays for each weekday. Declines in OR utilization occurred as the week progressed and were attributed to compounding changes in late start, delay, and idle time. The average weekly cost for each OR associated with unused staffed minutes below a target OR utilization of 85% was $19,383, and the comparable lost weekly revenue was $60,256. Perioperative leaders should identify sources of OR utilization variability when developing strategies that enhance outcomes for patients, minimize costs, and maximize revenue.

Association between the fatty liver index and the risk of severe complications in COVID-19 patients: a nationwide retrospective cohort study

Background

Research on the association of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with prognosis in COVID-19 has been limited. We investigated the association between the fatty liver index (FLI), a non-invasive and simple marker of NAFLD, and the severe complications of COVID-19 patients in South Korea.

Methods

We included 3122 COVID-19-positive patients from the nationwide COVID-19 cohort dataset in South Korea between January and June 2020. The FLI was calculated using triglyceride, body mass index, glutamyl transpeptidase, and waist circumference, which were obtained from the national health screening program data. Severe complications related to COVID-19 were defined as the composite of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit treatment, high-oxygen flow therapy, and death within 2 months after a COVID-19 infection. We performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis for the development of severe complications in COVID-19 patients.

Results

The mean ± standard deviation of FLI were 25.01 ± 22.64. Severe complications from COVID-19 occurred in 223 (7.14%) patients, including mechanical ventilation in 82 (2.63%) patients, ICU admission in 126 (4.04%), high-flow oxygen therapy in 75 (2.40%), and death in 94 (3.01%) patients, respectively. The multivariate analysis indicated that the highest tertile (T3) of FLI was positively associated with severe complications from COVID-19 (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.11–2.82), P = 0.017) compared with the lowest tertile (T1).

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated that FLI, which represents NAFLD, was positively associated with an increased risk of severe complications from COVID-19. FLI might be used as a prognostic marker for the severity of COVID-19.

No Weekday Effect in Bariatric Surgery-a Retrospective Cohort Study

PURPOSE

Major abdominal surgery carried out in the later part of the week has been associated with increased complication rates. The aim of this study was to explore whether the weekday of surgery affects the 30-day complication risks after primary Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Prospectively collected data, extracted from the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry (SOReg), of all patients who underwent primary laparoscopic RYGB or SG between 2010 and 2017 were included in this retrospective cohort study. Multivariate logistic regression adjusted for differences in case-mix and operating center by weekday of surgery.

RESULTS

In total, 49,349 patients were included in this study. The overall 30-day complication rate was 7.2% (n = 3574), whereof 2.9% (n = 1428) had a severe complication, i.e., requiring intervention in general anesthesia or more. The 30-day mortality rate and readmission rate were 0.02% (n = 12) and 7.6% (n = 3726), respectively. The highest overall complication rate was seen in patients operated on Wednesdays and Thursdays (7.7%), while severe complications were most common on Wednesdays (3.3%). However, a large variation in severe complications was seen between centers, from 0.4 to 8.0%. After adjustment for case-mix and operating center, there was no significant increased risk of overall complications, severe complications, or readmission rates by weekday of surgery, except for a lower readmission rate in patients operated on Tuesdays.

CONCLUSION

The result of the present study supports the notion that bariatric surgery can be performed safely on all weekdays.