Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Index Hospitalization (index + hospitalization)
Selected AbstractsAre Aggressive Treatment Strategies Less Cost-Effective for Older Patients?JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 4 2001Aggressive Care for Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure, The Case of Ventilator Support OBJECTIVES: A common assumption is that life-sustaining treatments are much less cost-effective for older patients than for younger patients. We estimated the incremental cost-effectiveness of providing mechanical ventilation and intensive care for patients of various ages who had acute respiratory failure. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of data on acute respiratory failure from Study to Understand Prognoses and Preferences for Outcomes and Risks of Treatments (SUPPORT). SETTING: Acute hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 1,005 with acute respiratory failure; 963 received ventilator support and 42 had ventilator support withheld. MEASUREMENTS: We studied 1,005 patients enrolled in a five-center study of seriously ill patients (SUPPORT) with acute respiratory failure (pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome and an Acute Physiology Score ,10) requiring ventilator support. For cost-effectiveness analyses, we estimated life expectancy based on long-term follow-up of SUPPORT patients and estimated utilities (quality-of-life weights) using time-tradeoff questions. We used hospital fiscal data and Medicare data to estimate healthcare costs. We divided patients into three age groups (<65, 65,74, and ,75 years); for each age group, we performed separate analyses for patients with a ,50% probability of surviving at least 2 months (high-risk group) and those with a> 50% probability of surviving at least 2 months (low-risk group). RESULTS: Of the 963 patients who received ventilator support, 44% were female; 48% survived 6 months; and the median (25th, 75th percentile) age was 63 (46, 75) years. For the 42 patients for whom ventilator support was withheld, the median survival was 3 days. For low-risk patients (>50% estimated 2-month survival), the incremental cost (1998 dollars) per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) saved by providing ventilator support and aggressive care increased across the three age groups ($32,000 for patients age <65, $44,000 for those age 65,74, and $46,000 for those age ,75). For high-risk patients, the incremental cost-effectiveness was much less favorable and was least favorable for younger patients ($130,000 for patients age <65, $100,000 for those age 65,74, and $96,000 for those age ,75). When we varied our assumptions from 50% to 200% of our baseline estimates in sensitivity analyses, results were most sensitive to the costs of the index hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with relatively good short-term prognoses, we found that ventilator support and aggressive care were economically worthwhile, even for patients 75 years and older. For patients with poor short-term prognoses, ventilator support and aggressive care were much less cost-effective for adults of all ages. [source] Does Proximal Location of Culprit Lesion Confer Worse Prognosis in Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction?JOURNAL OF INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue 4 2006KISHORE J. HARJAI M.D. ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) from proximally located culprit lesion is associated with greater myocardium at jeopardy. In STEMI patients treated with thrombolytics, proximal culprit lesions are known to have worse prognosis. This relation has not been studied in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In 3,535 STEMI patients with native coronary artery occlusion pooled from the primary angioplasty in myocardial infarction database, we compared in-hospital and 1-year outcomes between those with proximal (n = 1,606) versus nonproximal (n = 1,929) culprit lesions. Patients with proximal culprits were more likely to die and suffer major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) during the index hospital stay (3.8% vs 2.2%, P = 0.006; 8.2% vs 5.8%, P = 0.0066, respectively) as well as during 1-year follow-up (6.9% vs 4.5%, P = 0.0013; 22% vs 17%, P = 0.003, respectively) compared to those with nonproximal culprits. After adjustment for baseline differences, proximal culprit was independently predictive of in-hospital death (adjusted odds ratio% 1.58, 95% confidence intervals, CI 1.05,2.40) and MACE (OR 1.41, CI 1.06,1.86), but not 1-year death or MACE. In addition, proximal culprit was independently associated with higher incidence of ventricular arrhythmias and sustained hypotension during the index hospitalization. The univariate impact of proximal culprit lesion on in-hospital death and MACE was comparable to other adverse angiographic characteristics, such as multivessel disease and poor initial thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow, and greater than that of anterior wall STEMI. In conclusion, proximal location of the culprit lesion is a strong independent predictor of worse in-hospital outcomes in patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI. [source] Efficacy of Sirolimus-Eluting Stents as Compared to Paclitaxel-Eluting Stents for Saphenous Vein Graft InterventionJOURNAL OF INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue 2 2006Ph.D., WILLIAM W. CHU M.D. Background: Saphenous vein graft (SVG) intervention is associated with a significantly increased rate of periprocedural complications and late clinical and angiographic restenosis. In the contemporary drug-eluting stent (DES) era, the comparison of the efficacy of sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) with paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) in SVG interventions is currently unknown. We conducted this retrospective analysis to investigate this issue. Methods and Results: Forty-seven patients with 50 SVG lesions who underwent standard percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with SES (SES group) were compared with 42 patients with 45 SVG lesions with PES (PES group). All patients received distal protection devices (DPDs) during the interventions. The in-hospital, 30-day, and 6-month clinical outcomes in both groups were compared. Baseline clinical and procedural characteristics were balanced between both groups except for the proximal and mid lesions. There were no deaths or Q-wave myocardial infarctions (MIs) during the index hospitalization. Non-Q-wave MI was similar between the two groups (SES vs PES, 4.3% vs 7.1%, P = 0.55). At 30-day and 6-month follow-ups, all the clinical outcomes were similar between the two groups. There was no subacute thrombosis (SAT) or late thrombosis in either group. The event-free survival at 6 months was also similar between both groups (P = 0.75). Conclusions: The use of DES in patients undergoing SVG intervention with a DPD is clinically safe and feasible. As compared to SES, PES have the same efficacy and clinical outcomes in SVG interventions up to 6 months. [source] Costs of Treating Children With Complicated Pneumonia: A Comparison of Primary Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery and Chest Tube Placement,PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 1 2010MSCE, Samir S. Shah MD Abstract Objectives To describe charges associated with primary video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and primary chest tube placement in a multicenter cohort of children with empyema and to determine whether pleural fluid drainage by primary VATS was associated with cost-savings compared with primary chest tube placement. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting and Participants Administrative database containing inpatient resource utilization data from 27 tertiary care children's hospitals. Patients between 12 months and 18 years of age diagnosed with complicated pneumonia were eligible if they were discharged between 2001 and 2005 and underwent early (within 2 days of index hospitalization) pleural fluid drainage. Main Exposure Method of pleural fluid drainage, categorized as VATS or chest tube placement. Results Pleural drainage in the 764 patients was performed by VATS (n,=,50) or chest tube placement (n,=,714). There were 521 (54%) males. Median hospital charges were $36,320 [interquartile range (IQR), $24,814,$62,269]. The median pharmacy and radiologic imaging charges were $5,884 (IQR, $3,142,$11,357) and $2,875 (IQR, $1,703,$4,950), respectively. Adjusting for propensity score matching, patients undergoing primary VATS did not have higher charges than patients undergoing primary chest tube placement. Conclusions In this multicenter study, we found that the charges incurred in caring for children with empyema were substantial. However, primary VATS was not associated with higher total or pharmacy charges than primary chest tube placement, suggesting that the additional costs of performing VATS are offset by reductions in length of stay (LOS) and requirement for additional procedures. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2010; 45:71,77. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Venous thromboembolism risk among hospitalized patients: Magnitude of the risk is staggeringAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 9 2007Samuel Z. Goldhaber Quality assessment focuses on areas where measurement is easy and unequivocal. To determine whether high quality hospital medicine is being practiced, a natural target is assessment of the frequency of orders to implement preventive strategies against venous thromboembolism. Patient risk can be readily ascertained, and rigorous clinical trials have vetted effective strategies to prevent deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Concentrating on reducing the risk of venous thromboembolism is worthwhile because more than 4 million surgical patients and almost 8 million medical patients warrant specific prophylaxis orders each year in the United States alone. For those who do not receive preventive measures, the result may not be apparent during the index hospitalization. More likely, such patients will tend to develop deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism within the ensuing 90 days, either in a skilled nursing facility or at home in the community. It is now time for us to broaden our approach. What happens in the hospital (such as lapses in good hospital practice) does not necessarily stay in the hospital. Failure to prophylax against venous thromboembolism may have potentially devastating implications for months after hospital discharge. Am. J. Hematol., 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Risk factors for suicide following hospital discharge among cancer patientsPSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 10 2009Herng-Ching Lin Abstract Objectives: This study aims to examine risk factors associated with 3-month post-discharge suicide among cancer patients using Taiwan's nationwide, population-based datasets. Methods: The study cohort comprised all cancer patients discharged from hospitals from 2002 to 2004, inclusive, who committed suicide within 90 days of discharge (n=311). The control group consisted of 1555 cancer patients who did not commit suicide within 90 days of discharge. The dependent variable was whether or not a patient committed suicide within 90 days of discharge, while the independent variables included patient, hospital and physician characteristics at index hospitalization. Cox proportional hazard regression was carried out to compute the 90-day survival rate, adjusting for possible confounding factors. Results: The mean interval from discharge to suicide was 39.7 days (±95.2) and almost half (46.3%) of the 3-month post-discharge suicides occurred within 14 days after discharge. The adjusted hazard of committing suicide for patients who were not hospitalized in the preceding year was 1.68 (p=0.009), 1.61 (p=0.033), and 2.51 (p<0.001) times greater, respectively, than patients who were hospitalized once, twice and more than twice within the year before index hospitalization. The hazard of committing suicide among patients who were unemployed was 1.71 (p<0.001) times that of their employed counterparts. Conclusions: We conclude that, while our study was limited to suicides among cancer patients within 90 days of discharge, around 60% of deaths occurred within the first month after discharge. The relevant risk factors include the number of hospitalizations within 1 year and employment status. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Anticoagulation with the direct thrombin inhibitor argatroban in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes,CATHETERIZATION AND CARDIOVASCULAR INTERVENTIONS, Issue 2 2009Robert W. Yeh MD Abstract Objectives: This study examined the efficacy and safety of the direct thrombin inhibitor argatroban in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes undergoing cardiac catheterization. Background: Argatroban is a direct-thrombin inhibitor approved for use in percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Few studies have examined its use in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization for acute coronary syndromes. We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes who received argatroban anticoagulation during cardiac catheterization. Methods: Consecutive patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes who received argatroban while undergoing cardiac catheterization from 2002 to 2005 were included. Patient characteristics and in-hospital outcomes were examined retrospectively via detailed chart review. The primary endpoints of the study were combined death, myocardial infarction or urgent revascularization, and major bleeding during the index hospitalization. Results: A total of 144 patients presenting with an acute coronary syndrome received argatroban during cardiac catheterization within the study period: 25% presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and 75% presented with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome. The combined endpoint of death, myocardial infarction or urgent revascularization occurred in 13.2% of patients during the hospitalization. Major bleeding occurred in 2.1% of patients. Conclusions: In this cohort of patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes, patients receiving argatroban during cardiac catheterization had a moderate rate of adverse cardiac events and a very low rate of major bleeding. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The Elder Patient with Suspected Acute Coronary Syndromes in the Emergency DepartmentACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 8 2007Jin H. Han MD ObjectivesTo describe the evaluation and outcomes of elder patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes (ACS) presenting to the emergency department (ED). MethodsThis was a post hoc analysis of the Internet Tracking Registry for Acute Coronary Syndromes (i,trACS) registry, which had 17,713 ED visits for suspected ACS. First visits from the United States with nonmissing patient demographics, 12-lead electrocardiogram results, and clinical history were included in the analysis. Those who used cocaine or amphetamines or left the ED against medical advice were excluded. Elder was defined as age 75 years or older. ACS was defined by 30-day revascularization, Diagnosis-related Group codes, or death within 30 days with positive cardiac biomarkers at index hospitalization. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association between being elder and 1) 30-day all-cause mortality, 2) ACS, 3) diagnostic tests ordered, and 4) disposition. Multivariable logistic regression was also performed to determine which clinical variables were associated with ACS in elder and nonelder patients. ResultsA total of 10,126 patients with suspected ACS presenting to the ED were analyzed. For patients presenting to the ED, being elder was independently associated with ACS and all-cause 30-day mortality, with adjusted odds ratios of 1.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5 to 2.2) and 2.6 (95% CI = 1.6 to 4.3), respectively. Elder patients were more likely to be admitted to the hospital (adjusted odds ratio, 2.2; 95% CI = 1.8 to 2.6), but there were no differences in the rates of cardiac catheterization and noninvasive stress cardiac imaging. Different clinical variables were associated with ACS in elder and nonelder patients. Chest pain as chief complaint, typical chest pain, and previous history of coronary artery disease were significantly associated with ACS in nonelder patients but were not associated with ACS in elder patients. Male gender and left arm pain were associated with ACS in both elder and nonelder patients. ConclusionsElder patients who present to the ED with suspected ACS represent a population at high risk for ACS and 30-day mortality. Elders are more likely to be admitted to the hospital, but despite an increased risk for adverse events, they have similar odds of receiving a diagnostic test, such as stress cardiac imaging or cardiac catheterization, compared with nonelder patients. Different clinical variables are associated with ACS, and clinical prediction rules utilizing presenting symptoms should consider the effect modification of age. [source] Gender Bias in Cardiovascular Testing Persists after Adjustment for Presenting Characteristics and Cardiac RiskACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 7 2007Anna Marie Chang MD Objectives:Previous studies have found that female patients receive fewer invasive tests for cardiovascular disease than male patients. The authors assessed whether different clinical characteristics at emergency department presentation account for this gender bias. Methods:Patients with potential acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who presented to a university hospital were prospectively identified. A structured data instrument that included demographic information, chest pain description, history, physical examination, chest radiography, and electrocardiogram (ECG) data was completed. Hospital course was tracked daily. Patients received 30-day telephone follow-up. The main outcome was whether the patients received objective evaluation for coronary artery disease after adjustment for cardiac risk, including race, age, total number of risk factors, Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) score, ECG, and whether the patient sustained an acute myocardial infarction on index hospitalization. Results:There were 3,514 women (58%) and 2,547 men (42%) studied. They had similar presenting characteristics: chest pain quality (pressure/tightness: female 60% vs. male 59%, p = 0.6), location (substernal: female 82% vs. male 80%; p = 0.2), radiation (female 27% vs. male 26%; p = 0.3), and most associated symptoms. Men had more cardiac risk factors (mean 1.5 vs 1.4; p < 0.001), more abnormal ECGs (59% vs. 48%; p < 0.001), and a higher TIMI risk score (p < 0.001). With respect to the main outcome, men received more cardiac catheterizations (12.6% vs. 6.0%; odds ratio [OR], 2.25; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.88 to 2.70) and more stress tests (14.7% vs. 12.3%; OR, 1.22; 95% CI = 1.05 to 1.42). After adjustment for age, race, cardiac risk factors, ECG, and TIMI risk score, men still received more cardiac catheterizations (adjusted OR, 1.72; 95% CI = 1.40 to 2.11) and stress tests (adjusted OR, 1.16; 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.33). Models adjusting for acute myocardial infarction or death, high-risk initial clinical impression, or emergency department disposition found similar results for increased likelihood of cardiac catheterization in men but no difference in stress testing between men and women. Conclusions:Female patients with potential ACS receive fewer cardiac catheterizations than male patients, even when presenting complaint, history, ECG, and diagnosis are taken into account. The gender bias cannot be explained by differences in presentation or clinical course. [source] Adjunctive Low Molecular Weight Heparin During Fibrinolytic Therapy in Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Control TrialsCLINICAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue 7 2009Sarabjeet Singh MD Background Recent data suggests that low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) may be superior to unfractionated heparin (UFH) as an adjunct to fibrinolytic therapy in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Hypothesis We evaluated cardiac outcomes and the risk of major bleeding with LMWHs vs UFH in the management of STEMI. Methods Seven randomized trials of patients with acute STEMI treated with fibrinolytic therapy and adjunctive LMWHs through the index hospitalization or weight-based UFH for at least 48 hours were identified. We analyzed both primary endpoints (death and nonfatal recurrent myocardial infarction through 30 days), and secondary endpoints (death, recurrent myocardial infarction, and major bleeding during index hospitalization at 7 days). Outcomes were computed using the Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effect model. A 2-sided alpha error of < 0.05 was considered significant. Results Compared to UFH, LMWH significantly reduced reinfarction (p < 0.001) during hospitalization at 7 days and the effect remained consistent at 30 d (p < 0.001). When analyzed for mortality at 7 days and 30 days follow-up, there were no statistically significant differences observed between the 2 groups. Additionally the LMWH group had higher risk of major bleeding (p < 0.001). Conclusions The present meta-analysis suggests in patients receiving fibrinolytic therapy for STEMI, LMWHs as an adjunctive therapy is superior to UFH in reducing reinfarction during hospitalization at 7 days and at 30 days. The mortality was not significant between the 2 groups during hospitalization at 7 days and at 30 days. However, UFH is superior to LMWHs in the reduction of major bleeding at 7 days index hospitalization. Copyright © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Length of stay and procedure utilization are the major determinants of hospital charges for heart failureCLINICAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue 1 2001Edward F. Philbin M.D.Facc Abstract Background: Most of the 10 billion dollars spent annually on heart failure (HF) management in this country is attributed to hospital charges. There are widespread efforts to decrease the costs of treating this disorder, both by preventing hospital admissions and reducing lengths of stay (LOS). Methods: Administrative information on all 1995 New York State hospital discharges assigned ICD-9-CM codes indicative of HF in the principal diagnosis position were obtained. Bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were utilized to determine those patient- and hospital-specific characteristics which had the greatest influence on hospital charges. Results: In all, 43,157 patients were identified. Mean hospital charges were $11,507 ± 15,995 and mean hospital LOS was 9.6 ± 14.5 days. With multivariate analyses, the most significant independent predictors of higher hospital charges were longer LOS, admission to a teaching hospital, treatment in an intensive care unit, and the utilization of cardiac surgery, permanent pacemakers, and mechanical ventilation. Age, gender, race, comorbidity score, and medical insurance, as well as treatment by a cardiologist and death during the index hospitalization were not among the most significant predictors. Conclusions: We conclude that LOS and procedure utilization are the major determinants of hospital charges for an acute episode of inpatient HF care. Reducing LOS and other initiatives to restructure hospital-based HF care may reduce total health care costs for HF. [source] Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography for Rapid Disposition of Low-risk Emergency Department Patients with Chest Pain SyndromesACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2 2007Judd E. Hollander MD Background Patients with recent normal cardiac catheterization are at low risk for complications of ischemic chest pain. Computed tomography (CT) coronary angiography has high correlation with cardiac catheterization for detection of coronary stenosis. Therefore, the investigators' emergency department (ED) incorporated CT coronary angiography into the evaluation of low-risk patients with chest pain. Objectives To report on the 30-day cardiovascular event rates of the first 54 patients evaluated by this strategy. Methods Low-risk chest pain patients (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction [TIMI] score of 2 or less) without acute ischemia on an electrocardiogram had CT coronary angiography performed in the ED. If the CT coronary angiography was negative, the patient was discharged home. The main outcomes were death and myocardial infarction within 30 days of ED discharge, as determined by telephone follow up and record review. Data are presented as percentage frequency of occurrence with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Of the 54 patients evaluated, after CT coronary angiography, 46 patients (85%) were immediately released from the ED, and none had cardiovascular complications within 30 days. Eight patients were admitted after CT coronary angiography: one had >70% stenosis, five patients had 50%,69% stenosis, and two had 0,49% stenosis. Three patients had further noninvasive testing; one had reversible ischemia, and catheterization confirmed the results of CT coronary angiography. All patients were followed for 30 days, and none (0; 95% CI = 0 to 6.6%) had an adverse event during index hospitalization or at 30-day follow up. Conclusions When used in the clinical setting for the evaluation of ED patients with low-risk chest pain, CT coronary angiography may safely allow rapid discharge of patients with negative studies. Further study to conclusively determine the safety and cost effectiveness of this approach is warranted. [source] | ||||||||||