Comparing the demographic data and outcomes of septic shock patients presenting to teaching or non-teaching metropolitan hospitals in the United States

BACKGROUND:Studies looking at the effect of hospital teaching status on septic shock related in-hospital mortality are lacking.The aim of this study was to examine the effect of hospital teaching status on mortality in septic shock patients in the United States.METHODS:This was a retrospective observational study,using the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample Database(released in 2018).All patients with septic shock were included.Complex sample logistic regression was performed to assess the impact of hospital teaching status on patient mortality.RESULTS:A total of 388,552 septic shock patients were included in the study.The average age was 66.93 years and 51.7%were males.Most of the patients presented to metropolitan teaching hospitals(68.2%)and 31.8%presented to metropolitan non-teaching hospitals.Septic shock patients presenting to teaching hospitals were found to have a higher percentage of medical comorbidities,were more likely to be intubated and placed on mechanical ventilation(50.5%vs.46.9%)and had a longer average length of hospital stay(12.47 d vs.10.20 d).Septic shock patients presenting to teaching hospitals had greater odds of in-hospital mortality compared to those presenting to metropolitan non-teaching hospitals(adjusted odd ratio[OR]=1.295,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.256-1.335).CONCLUSION:Septic shock patients presenting to metropolitan teaching hospitals had significantly higher risks of mortality than those presenting to metropolitan non-teaching hospitals.They also had higher rates of intubation and mechanical ventilation as well as longer lengths of hospital stay than those in non-teaching hospitals.

Impact of gout on in-hospital outcomes of acute coronary syndrome-related hospitalizations and revascularizations: Insights from the national inpatient sample

BACKGROUND Previous studies have established a role of gout in predicting risk and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. However, large-scale data on the impact of gout on inpatient outcomes of acute coronary syndrome (ACS)-related hospitalizations and post-revascularization is inadequate. AIM To evaluate the impact of gout on in-hospital outcomes of ACS hospitalizations, subsequent healthcare burden and predictors of post-revascularization inpatient mortality. METHODS We used the national inpatient sample (2010-2014) to identify the ACS and goutrelated hospitalizations, relevant comorbidities, revascularization and postrevascularization outcomes using the ICD-9 CM codes. A multivariable analysis was performed to evaluate the predictors of post-revascularization in-hospital mortality. RESULTS We identified 3144744 ACS-related hospitalizations, of which 105198 (3.35%) also had gout. The ACS-gout cohort were more often older white males with a higher prevalence of comorbidities. Coronary artery bypass grafting was required more often in the ACS-gout cohort. Post-revascularization complications including cardiac (3.2% vs 2.9%), respiratory (3.5% vs 2.9%), and hemorrhage (3.1% vs 2.7%) were higher whereas all-cause mortality was lower (2.2% vs 3.0%) in the ACSgout cohort (P < 0.001). An older age (OR 15.63, CI: 5.51-44.39), non-elective admissions (OR 2.00, CI: 1.44-2.79), lower household income (OR 1.44, CI: 1.17- 1.78), and comorbid conditions predicted higher mortality in ACS-gout cohort undergoing revascularization (P < 0.001). Odds of post-revascularization inhospital mortality were lower in Hispanics (OR 0.45, CI: 0.31-0.67) and Asians (OR 0.65, CI: 0.45-0.94) as compared to white (P < 0.001). However, postoperative complications significantly raised mortality odds. Mean length of stay, transfer to other facilities, and hospital charges were higher in the ACS-gout cohort. CONCLUSION Although gout was not independently associated with an increased risk of postrevascularization in-hospital mortality in ACS, it did increase postrevascularization complications.

Trends in gastrointestinal disease hospitalizations and outcomes during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic

BACKGROUND The impact of the coronavirus on hospitalizations for gastrointestinal(GI)disease,particularly at a population level is understudied.AIM To investigate trends in hospitalizations,inpatient endoscopy resource utilization,and outcomes during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.METHODS Using the California State Inpatient Database for 2018-2020,we explored year-toyear and 2020 month-to-month trends in hospitalizations,length of stay,and inpatient mortality(all-cause&viral pneumonia-specific)for common inpatient GI diagnoses including acute pancreatitis,diverticulitis,cholelithiasis,noninfectious gastroenteritis,upper and lower GI bleeding(LGIB),Clostridium difficile,viral gastroenteritis,inflammatory bowel disease,and acute cholangitis.RESULTS Disease-specific hospitalizations decreased for all included conditions except nonvariceal upper GI bleeding(NVUGIB),LGIB,and ulcerative colitis(UC)(ptrend<0.0001).Allcause inpatient mortality was higher in 2020 vs 2019,for acute pancreatitis(P=0.029),diverticulitis(P=0.04),NVUGIB(P=0.003),and Crohn’s disease(P=0.004).In 2020,hospitalization rates were lowest in April,November,and December.There was no significant corresponding increase in inpatient mortality except in UC(ptrend=0.048).Viral pneumonia and viral pneumonia complicated by respiratory failure increased(P<0.001)among GI hospitalizations.Endoscopy utilization within 24 h of admission was unchanged for GI emergencies except NVUGIB(P<0.001).CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that hospitalization rates for common GI conditions significantly declined in California during the COVID pandemic,particularly in April,November and December 2020.Allcause mortality was significantly higher among acute pancreatitis,diverticulitis,NVUGIB,and Crohn’s disease hospitalizations.Emergency endoscopy rates were mostly comparable between 2020 and 2019.

Tracking the Sustainability of Improvements in Hospital Outcomes

This study focused on tracking the sustainability of improvements in inpatient outcomes in the hospitals of Syracuse, New York. It involved evaluation of inpatient complications during a six-year period for two of the Syracuse hospitals and inpatient readmissions during a three-year period for three hospitals. The study employed the Potentially Preventable Complications and Potentially Preventable Readmissions software developed by 3MTM Health Information Systems. The study demonstrated that two of the Syracuse hospitals produced reductions in aggregate complication rates between 2009 and 2012. This was followed by an increase in complications during 2013 and 2014. The decline in complications and the increase that followed were supported by developments in high volume complications and some lower volume complications. Hospital readmissions for adult medicine, the largest inpatient service, both increased and declined at the aggregate level and for individual hospitals during the three-year period. Hospital readmission rates for adult surgery declined, however, individual hospital rates increased and declined. The study identified sustained reductions in readmission rates for the combined hospitals for congestive heart failure and COPD during the three-year period. The study identified the challenges related to sustaining reductions in hospital outcomes over time. In the Syracuse hospitals, these challenges involved inpatient clinical management for complications and system-wide issues for readmissions.

Predictors of Fatal Outcome in Hospitalised Adult Patients with Acute Kidney Injury at Two Tertiary Hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa

Introduction: Data on mortality in acute kidney injury (AKI) derives from high-income countries where AKI is hospital-acquired and occurs in elderly patients with a high burden of cardiovascular disease. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), AKI is community-acquired occurring in healthy young adults. We aimed to identify predictors of fatal outcomes in patients with AKI in two tertiary hospitals in Cameroon. Methods: Medical records of adults with confirmed AKI, from January 2018 to March 2020 were retrieved. The outcomes of interest were in-hospital deaths and presumed causes of death. We used multiple logistic regressions modeling to identify predictors of death. The study was approved by the ethics boards of both hospitals. Values were considered significant for a p-value of 0.05. Results: We included 285 patient records (37.2% females). The mean (SD) age was 50.1 (19.0) years. Hypertension (n = 97, 34.0%), organ failure (n = 88, 30.9%), and diabetes (n = 60, 21.1%) were the main comorbidities. The majority of patients had community-acquired AKI (78.6%, n = 224), were KDIGO stage 3 (88.8%, n = 253), and needed dialysis (52.6%, n = 150). Up to 16.7% (n = 25) did not receive what was needed. The in-hospital mortality rate was 29.1% (n = 83). Lack of access to dialysis (OR = 27.8;CI: 5.2 - 149.3, p = 0.001), hypotension (OR = 11.8;CI: 1.3 - 24.8;p = 0.001) and ICU admission (OR = 5.7;CI: 1.3 - 24.8, p = 0.001) were predictors of mortality. The presence of co-morbidities or underlying diseases (n = 46, 55%) were the main causes of death. Conclusions: In-hospital AKI mortality is high, as in other low- and middle-income economies. Lack of access to dialysis and the severity of the underlying illness are major predictors of death.

In-hospital mortality of hepatorenal syndrome in the United States:Nationwide inpatient sample

BACKGROUND Hepatorenal syndrome(HRS)is a life-threatening condition among patients with advanced liver disease.Data trends specific to hospital mortality and hospital admission resource utilization for HRS remain limited.AIM To assess the temporal trend in mortality and identify the predictors for mortality among hospital admissions for HRS in the United States.METHODS We used the National Inpatient Sample database to identify an unweighted sample of 4938 hospital admissions for HRS from 2005 to 2014(weighted sample of 23973 admissions).The primary outcomes were temporal trends in mortality as well as predictors for hospital mortality.We estimated odds ratios from multilevel mixed effect logistic regression to identify patient characteristics and treatments associated with hospital mortality.RESULTS Overall hospital mortality was 32%.Hospital mortality decreased from 44%in 2005 to 24%in 2014(P<0.001),while there was an increase in the rate of liver transplantation(P=0.02),renal replacement therapy(P<0.001),length of hospital stay(P<0.001),and hospitalization cost(P<0.001).On multivariable analysis,older age,alcohol use,coagulopathy,neurological disorder,and need for mechanical ventilation predicted higher hospital mortality,whereas liver transplantation,transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt,and abdominal paracentesis were associated with lower hospital mortality.CONCLUSION Although there was an increase in resource utilizations,hospital mortality among patients admitted for HRS significantly improved.Several predictors for hospital mortality were identified.

Evaluating Changes in Drivers of Hospital Readmissions at the Community Level

This study involved evaluation of the impact of drivers of changes in adult medicine readmission rates in the hospitals of Syracuse, New York. The study focused on this population because adult medicine readmissions were the largest source of medical-surgical and aggregate inpatient readmissions in the local hospitals. The study focused on identifying and correlating readmission rates for specific indicators over a twenty seven month period. Probably, the most important findings identified in the data were the high readmission rates for patients with high severity of illness and the strong correlations between readmission rates for these patients and total adult medicine readmission rates. Correlations between these readmission rates over the twenty seven month period exceeded 0.7000 for each of the hospitals. The study also identified readmission rates and correlations between rates for specific indicators including patient origin and chronic care diagnoses with readmission rates for all of adult medicine. The results of the study identified challenges facing hospital efforts to reduce readmissions including the need to provide alternative services for patients with high severity of illness and the need to address the impacts of multiple chronic diagnoses.

Outcome of the Post-Operative Patients’ Admissions in the Field of Resuscitation in Mali

Introduction: In spite of the use of the less and less invasive and the more and more effective techniques and the use of fast rehabilitation conditions of the patients in surgery, the post-operative complications (POC) stay the main reasons of admission in resuscitation service. Objective: To determine the post-operative outcome of the patients admitted in resuscitation. Patient and method: It was about a retrospective and transverse survey from June 2017 to May 2018 in the service of polyvalent resuscitation of the academic hospital center of Gabriel Touré. Have been included the patients operated for surgical or obstetric gynecology—pathologies admitted in resuscitation for post-operative complications established or potential precocious or late. The used statistical test was the Chi2 with p Results: During the period, 514 patients have been admitted in resuscitation of which 140 cases of post-operatively represented 27.2% of the admissions. Under hospitalization 35.7% of patients have presented a complication. The middle age of patients was 37.72 ± 20.9 years. The sex ratio was 0.70. The middle length of interventions was 122 ± 83 min with extremes going from 20 to 434 min. The predominant admission motive was hemodynamic instability. The delay of appearance intervening of the complications was 3 days in 94%. The predominant complications were: respiratory (32%), infectious (28%) and Cardiovascular (20%). The middle length of hospitalization was of 3.36 ± 2.90 days. The death rate was 15%. The complications were related age, the class of Alteme?er, the ASA, and the perioperative undesirable events with p Conclusion: The post-operative admissions in resuscitation are frequent including several factors of morbi-mortality. A better management per and postoperative of the patients operated would reduce the death rate. The profile mark is the one of a patient admitted for hemodynamic instability.

Long-Term Clinical Outcome of Patients Using Risperidone Long-Acting Injectable: The Romanian e-STAR Database

The objectives of e-STAR Romania (NCT00283517) were to collect clinical outcome data of Romania schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder patients;prospectively to assess the reasons of treatment initiation, medication usage patterns;to document (long-term) clinical efficacy;and to collect safety data, as well as recording 2-year corresponding retrospective data. In total, 378 eligible subjects were enrolled who were initiated either on risperidone long-acting injectable (RLAI) (290) or on an oral antipsychotic (OA) (88) at baseline as required by the local Summary of the Product Characteristics. Data were collected from per patient both retrospectively and prospectively over a 24-month period at 3-month intervals after starting treatment. The results indicated that subjects suffering from schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder initiated on RLAI were less likely to be hospitalized within the first 24 months after the initiation of treatment. Moreover, subjects treated with RLAI experienced significant improvements in their illness severity and functioning. Discontinuation rates for RLAI were low and doses were stable throughout the 24 months following the initiation of treatment. In addition, the necessity for supplementary concomitant medication was reduced. Adverse events were reported in 20.3% (RLAI) and 11.4% (OA) of the subjects. In general, patients initiated on RLAI and OA at baseline both clinically improved on all assessed parameters but a larger improvement was observed for patients on RLAI. Incidences of reported AEs during the use of RLAI in a naturalistic setting are comparable with those described in clinical studies;however, the incidence of extrapyramidal signs and weight gain was lower than expected.

Effects of integrated management on surgical outcomes and mental health of patients following endoscopic submucosal dissection

BACKGROUND Endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)is a less invasive local treatment for diseases throughout the gastrointestinal tract.AIM To develop an integrated management protocol and analyze its effects on surgical outcomes and mental health of patients after ESD.METHODS The study population consisted of patients undergoing ESD before implementation of integrated management and those undergoing ESD by the same pool of surgeons after implementation of integrated management.RESULTS The management group exhibited shortened fasting time and length of hospital stay compared to the control group(P<0.05).The management group exhibited a higher incidence rate of postoperative complications than the control group(3 cases vs 11 cases;P=0.043).The management group exhibited a lower uncertainty score for disease knowledge compared to the control group 12 h after surgery(P<0.05).The management group gave more scores on the domains of patient familiarity to the responsible nurses,professional skills of responsible nurses,and general evaluation compared to the control group.The management group had a higher total score of patient satisfaction towards the responsible nurses in term of health care than the control group(P<0.01).The management group exhibited lower Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Self-Rating Depression Scale scores compared to the control group 12 h after surgery(P<0.01).CONCLUSION The study demonstrates that integrated management could improve surgical outcomes and mental health of patients undergoing ESD.

Differences in insomnia-related self-reported outcomes among elderly hospitalized patients

Insomnia is among the most common sleep disorders worldwide.Insomnia in older adults is a social and public health problem.Insomnia affects the physical and mental health of elderly hospitalized patients and can aggravate or induce physical illnesses.Understanding subjective feelings and providing reasonable and standardized care for elderly hospitalized patients with insomnia are urgent issues.AIM To explore the differences in self-reported outcomes associated with insomnia among elderly hospitalized patients.METHODS One hundred patients admitted to the geriatric unit of our hospital between June 2021 and December 2021 were included in this study.Self-reported symptoms were assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale(AIS),Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7(GAD-7),Geriatric Depression Scale-15(GDS-15),Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness(MUNSH),Barthel Index Evaluation(BI),Morse Fall Scale(MFS),Mini-Mental State Examination,and the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire(SF-36).Correlation coefficients were used to analyze the correlation between sleep quality and self-reported symptoms.Effects of insomnia was analyzed using Logistic regression analysis.RESULTS Nineteen patients with AIS≥6 were included in the insomnia group,and the incidence of insomnia was 19%(19/100).The remaining 81 patients were assigned to the non-insomnia group.There were significant differences between the two groups in the GDA-7,GDS-15,MUNSH,BI,MFS,and SF-36 items(P<0.05).Patients in the insomnia group were more likely to experience anxiety,depression,and other mental illnesses,as well as difficulties with everyday tasks and a greater risk of falling(P<0.05).Subjective well-being and quality of life were poorer in the insomnia group than in the control group.The AIS scores positively correlated with the GAD-7,GDS-15,and MFS scores in elderly hospitalized patients with insomnia(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that GDS-15≥5 was an independent risk factor for insomnia in elderly hospitalized patients(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The number of self-reported symptoms was higher among elderly hospitalized patients with insomnia.Therefore,we should focus on the main complaints of patients to meet their care needs.

Epidemiology and outcome of Crohn's disease in a teaching hospital in Riyadh

AIM: To know the epidemiology and outcome of Crohn's disease at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and to compare the results from other world institutions.METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients seen for 20 years (between 1983 and 2002). Individual case records were reviewed with regard to history, clinical, findings from colonoscopy, biopsies, small bowel enema, computerized tomography scan, treatment and outcome.RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients with Crohn's disease were revisited, 13% presented the disease in the first 10 years and 87% over the last 10 years. Thirty-three patients (42.9%) were males and 44 (57.1%) were females. Age ranged from 11-70 years (mean of 25.3+11.3 years). Ninety-two (92%) were Saudi. The mean duration of symptoms was 26+34.7 mo. The mean annual incidence of the disease over the first 10 years was 0.32:100 000 and 1.66:100 000 over the last 10 years with a total mean annual incidence of 0.94:100 000 over the last 20 years. The chief clinical features included abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss,anorexia, rectal bleeding and palpable mass. Colonoscopic findings were abnormal in 58 patients (76%) showing mostly ulcerations and inflammation of the colon. Eighty nine percent of patients showed nonspecific inflammation with chronic inflammatory cells and half of these patients revealed the presence of granulomas and granulations on bowel biopsies. Similarly, 69 (89%) of small bowel enema results revealed ulcerations (49%), narrowing of the bowel lumen (42%), mucosal thickening (35%) and cobblestone appearance (35%). CT scan showed abnormality in 68 (88%) of patients with features of thickened loops (66%) and lymphadenopathy (37%). Seventy-eight percent of patients had small and large bowel disease, 16% had small bowel involvement and only 6% had colitis alone. Of the total 55 (71%) patients treated with steroids at some point in their disease history, a satisfactory response to therapy was seen in 28 patients (51%) while 27 (49%) showed recurrences of the condition with mild to moderate symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhea most of which were due to poor compliance to medication. Seven patients (33%) remained with active Crohn's disease. Nine (12%) patients underwent surgery with resections of some parts of bowel, 2 (2.5%) had steroid side effects, 6 (8%) with perianal Crohn's disease and five (6.5%) with fistulae.CONCLUSION: The epidemiological characteristics of Crohn's disease among Saudi patients are comparable to those reported from other parts of the world. However the incidence of Crohn's disease in our hospital increased over the last 10 years. The anatomic distribution of the disease is different from other world institutions with less isolated colonic affection.

Outcomes of administrative involuntary hospitalization: A national retrospective cohort study in Japan

BACKGROUND Treatment for offenders with mental disorders is a key concern in public mental health.Provision of adequate psychiatric treatment is important for the offender and their community.An approach used in Japan to address this issue is administrative involuntary hospitalization.Under this scheme,a person at risk for harming themselves or others because of a mental disorder can be involuntarily hospitalized in a designated psychiatric hospital.However,this scheme does not include tracking of these patients after discharge.Although some data for administrative involuntary hospitalizations are available,it remains unclear what happens to these patients after discharge.AIM To evaluate follow-up of patients under administrative involuntary hospitalization after discharge and obtain data for later comparisons with outcomes.METHODS We used a retrospective design and conducted a national survey of administrative involuntary hospitalizations.Questionnaires were distributed to 939 facilities across Japan.The questionnaire collected data for selected involuntary hospitalization cases in the hospital on June 30,2010(census date),and the prognoses of each patient on a specified date in 2011 and 2012.We also asked about the treatment provided to each patient.We stratified patients by prognosis(good or poor),and used logistic regression analysis to examine the relationship between treatment and prognosis.RESULTS We received completed questionnaires from 292 facilities(response rate 31.1%);105 facilities had no relevant patients.Our analysis included data for 394 patients with valid data.Official statistics indicated 1503 patients were under administrative involuntary hospitalization as at June 30,2012,meaning the capture rate was 27.2%.Approximately a fourth(104/394)at 1 year,and a third(137/294)at 2 years after the census had unknown prognosis.Treatment content included multi-disciplinary team meetings(78.2%of patients),counseling by public workers(59.9%),and discussion with external specialists(32.5%).Overall,116 patients were categorized as having a good prognosis at 1 year,and 168 had a poor prognosis.At the 2-year point,102 patients had a good prognosis and 150 had a poor prognosis.“Discussion with external specialists”was positively associated with a good prognosis at both 1 year(P=0.016)and 2 years(P=0.036).CONCLUSION We found that facilities in Japan currently have limited ability to track the prognoses of patients who were hospitalized involuntarily.Discussion with external specialists is associated with a good prognosis.

Impact of Chronicity on Outcomes Following Post-Hospital Residential Brain Injury Rehabilitation: Application of Multivariate Statistics and Rasch Analysis

This study evaluated the impact of chronicity (onset of injury to admission in-terval) on three domains of functional outcomes for a large group of traumatic brain injured (TBI) survivors. Subjects included 528 TBI adults who were treated in post-hospital residential rehabilitation centers. Subjects were assigned to one of three chronicity groups: 1) Early Interval (EI), 2.00 - 8.00 months n = 245, 2) Mid Interval (MI), 8.01 - 24.00 months n = 129, and (3) Late Interval (LI), 24.01 months and greater n = 154. Functional status was assessed with the MPAI-4. RM MANCOVA was applied to evaluate differences among groups from admission to discharge. Rasch analysis demonstrated satisfactory construct validity and internal consistency (Person reliability = 0.90 - 0.94, Item reliability = 0.99) for the admission and discharge MPAI-4s. Controlling for LOS and age, the RM MANCOVA revealed that each chronicity group showed significant improvement in MPAI-4 abilities, adjustment, and participation indices from admission to discharge (p < 0.001). Improvement observed from admission to discharge was the greatest among the EI group (p < 0.001). This study demonstrated the utility of multivariate statistical approaches for understanding the complexities of TBI treatment outcomes. As measured across three domains of functioning, rehabilitation was effective in reducing disability for participants in each chronicity group. Of the three groups, EI participants presented as the most disabled at admission but also made the greatest gains when assessed at discharge.

Causes of Hospital Readmissions at the Community Level

Reducing inpatient hospital readmissions has been an important component of efforts to improve outcomes and reduce health care costs. This study focused on evaluation of the clinical causes of hospital readmissions of adult medical/surgical patients within 30 days between October 2015 and September 2016. It was based on the principal diagnoses of readmissions, a definition that is used throughout the health care industry in the United States. The study focused on adult medicine and adult surgery readmissions in Syracuse, New York, a small metropolitan area, during a twelve month period. It included almost 4000 individual readmissions. The study data demonstrated that only about 22 percent of inpatient readmissions were for the same diagnoses as the initial admissions that preceded them. The study data also indicated that another 20 percent of hospital readmissions involved a diagnosis different from that of the initial admission but in the same body system. Most importantly, the study demonstrated that a consistent majority of inpatient readmissions were caused by diagnoses in different body systems than the initial. The data suggested that efforts to address the causes of hospital readmissions should be based on management of a broad range of adult medicine conditions, rather than individual diagnoses.

Improving System Wide Hospital Efficiency at the Community Level

This study reviewed programs to improve the efficiency of hospital utilization in the metropolitan area of Syracuse, New York between 1998 and 2015. It involved indicators that were largely under the control of hospitals and their nursing and administrative staffs, such as inpatient stays and post admission complications, as well as programs where there was less provider control such as inpatient admissions and readmissions. Large reductions in inpatient lengths of stay were generated by the Syracuse hospitals, contributing to a decline in the average daily adult medicine and adult surgery census of 140 patients. Reductions in post admission complications contributed to these developments. The study suggested that efforts to reduce inpatient admissions in the Syracuse hospitals had limited results. The areas hospital admission rate was conservative, but approximately 2000 resident discharges per year above that of a neighboring community. The need for reduction of hospital admissions resulted from the absence of provider or payor efforts to develop alternative resources in the community. If the experience of the Syracuse hospitals is typical, improvement of the efficiency of community health systems will require creativity and resources from providers. Perhaps more importantly, health care payors will need to assume an active role in these efforts.

Outcome of In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Adult General Wards

Objective: Few studies have focused on factors influencing outcomes of patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) in general wards. The goal of this study was to report the outcomes of adult patients with IHCA in the general wards and identified the prognostic factors. Methods: Adult patients with IHCA having received cardiopulmonary resuscitation in general wards from January 2008 to December 2011 were retrospectively reviewed from our registry system. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge, while the secondary outcome was sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Results: A total of 544 general ward patients were analyzed for event variables and resuscitation results. The rate of establishing a ROSC was 40.1% and the rate of survival to discharge was 5.1%. Ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) was the initial rhythm in 3.9% of patients. Pre-arrest factors including a high Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) ≥ 9 (OR 0.251, 95% CI 0.098 - 0.646), cardiac comorbidity (OR 0.612, 95% CI 0.401 - 0.933), and arrest time on the midnight shift (OR 0.403, 95% CI 0.252 - 0.642) were independently associated with a low possibility of ROSC. The initial VT/VF presenting rhythms (OR 0.135, 95% CI 0.030 - 0.601) were independently associated with a high survival rate, whereas patients with deteriorated disease course were independently associated with a decreased hospital survival (OR 3.902, 95% CI 1.619 - 9.403). Conclusions: We demonstrated that pre-arrest factors can predict patient outcome after IHCA in general wards, including the association of a CCI ≥ 9 and cardiac comorbidity with poor ROSC, and deteriorated disease course as an independent predictor of a low survival rate.

Prediction of Functional Outcome in Post-Hospital Brain Injury Rehabilitation

Post-hospital brain injury rehabilitation programs are afforded limited time to reduce chronic disability resulting from acquired brain injury. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify deficit areas resulting from acquired brain injury that have the greatest impact on functional outcomes to enable greater efficiency in rehabilitation programming. Study participants were 1717 persons with acquired brain injury treated in residential post-hospital rehabilitation programs. Participants were assessed at admission and discharge on the MPAI-4. Functional status at discharge was evaluated based on T-scores derived from MPAI-4 discharge participation index items: Initiation, self-care and residence. The data base of 1717 was randomly divided into two subsets. Items from admission Abilities Index and select person variables were entered into stepwise multiple regression on subset one and then in a hierarchical multiple regression on subset two. Rash analysis demonstrated satisfactory construct validity and internal consistency of admission and discharge MPAI-4 evaluations (Person reliability > 0.90, Item reliability = 0.99). Both regression analyses revealed that Mobility and Novel Problem Solving accounted for 40% of the variance in functional outcome, p < 0.001. Acquired brain injury results in a myriad of cognitive and physical impairments. Of the many possible deficits, the greatest gains in overall functional outcomes may be achieved by allocating additional treatments aimed at reducing disability in mobility and novel problem solving.

Traumatic Brain Injury and Cerebral Vascular Accident: Application of Rasch Analysis to Examine Differences in Disability and Outcome in Post-Hospital Rehabilitation

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate an application of Rasch analysis to identify differences in disability profiles resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cerebral vascular accident (CVA) and to examine outcome differences between the two groups following post-hospital residential rehabilitation. Participant data were collected from 32 facilities in 16 states. From 2990 neurologically impaired individuals with consecutive admissions from 2011 through 2017, 874 met inclusion criteria: TBI (n = 687) or CVA (n = 187), 18 years or older, minimum length of stay of one month, and maximum chronicity of 1 year. Participants were evaluated at admission and discharge on the Mayo Portland Adaptability Inventory-Version 4 (MPAI-4). Rasch analysis was performed to establish item reliability, construct validity and item difficulty. A Repeated Measures Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (RM MANCOVA) determined group differences and improvement from admission and discharge. Rasch Analysis demonstrated satisfactory construct validity and internal consistency (Person reliability > 0.90, Item reliability > 0.98 for admission and discharge MPAI-4s). Both groups showed significant improvement on the MPAI-4 (p 0.0005). The TBI group was more impaired on the adjustment scale at both admission and discharge (p 0.001). Rasch analysis identified two distinct impairment patterns. CVA participants exhibited deficits characteristic of focal impairment while the TBI group presented with deficits reflective of diffuse impairment. Rehabilitation was shown to be beneficial in reducing disability following neurologic injury in both groups. Importantly, Rasch Analysis accurately produced unique disability profiles that differentiated the treatment groups. This unique statistical technique offers a promising prescriptive hierarchical model for guiding neurological rehabilitation treatment.

Potassium variability during hospitalization and outcomes after discharge in patients with acute myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND The variability of metabolic biomarkers has been determined to provide incremental prognosis information,but the implications of electrolyte variability remained unclear.METHODS We investigate the relationships between electrolyte fluctuation and outcomes in survivors of acute myocardial infarction(n=4386).Ion variability was calculated as the coefficient of variation,standard deviation,variability independent of the mean(VIM)and range.Hazard ratios(HR)were estimated using the multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional regression method.RESULTS During a median follow-up of 12 months,161(3.7%)patients died,and heart failure occurred in 550(12.5%)participants after discharge,respectively.Compared with the bottom quartile,the highest quartile potassium VIM was associated with increased risks of all-cause mortality(HR=2.35,95%CI:1.36–4.06)and heart failure(HR=1.32,95%CI:1.01–1.72)independent of cardiac troponin I(c Tn I),N terminal pro B type natriuretic peptide(NT-pro BNP),infarction site,mean potassium and other traditional factors,while those associations across sodium VIM quartiles were insignificant.Similar trend remains across the strata of variability by other three indices.These associations were consistent after excluding patients with any extreme electrolyte value and diuretic use.CONCLUSIONS Higher potassium variability but not sodium variability was associated with adverse outcomes post-infarction.Our findings highlight that potassium variability remains a robust risk factor for mortality regardless of clinical dysnatraemia and dyskalaemia.