Discharge Against Medical Advice Research Articles

The pandemic’s effect on discharge against medical advice from the emergency department

Background/Aim: Reasons for discharge against medical advice (DAMA) may vary according to countries' conditions and environmental or individual factors. Patients who choose to leave the hospital against the doctors’ recommendations are at risk of inadequate treatment and increased rehospitalization risk. The COVID-19 disease has come to the fore with a pandemic and the atmosphere of fear and panic it creates. We aimed to investigate the effect of fear of the pandemic on DAMA. Methods: This study was conducted in the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary hospital in Turkey. The characteristics of all patients who were discharged against medical advice and their reasons over six months at the beginning of the pandemic were examined prospectively. Results: A total of 263 patients left the ED on various excuses against medical advice between February 6-August 31, 2020 (DAMA rate: 2.4‰). The most common complaint of patients discharged against medical advice was abdominal pain (27%). The top 3 most common causes of DAMA were the fear of being infected by COVID-19 (36.5%), the thought of being neglected (12.2%), and the month of Ramadan (11.4%). Conclusion: The pandemic is an important reason for DAMA. Patients leave the hospital against medical advice with an avoidance-avoidance conflict during the COVID-19 pandemic. Defining dirty and clean areas within the emergency services with sharp boundaries and informing patients may prevent DAMA due to the fear of being infected with COVID-19. Physicians do not ignore the risk of progression to worse clinical outcomes in patients who discontinue treatment due to the pandemic.

Characteristics and outcome of road traffic injured patients in the emergency department of a tertiary teaching hospital in Nigeria

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> The exit modes from the emergency department (ED) for road traffic injury patients are namely planned discharge; admission to the wards/intensive care unit or transfer to the operating theatre; discharge against medical advice (DAMA). The aim of this study was to assess the characteristics and outcomes of non-poly-traumatized road traffic injury (RTI) related ED admissions of a tertiary health care facility in a developing country and the exit pattern from the ED.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> This was a retrospective hospital data-based study of outcome of RTI patients seen in the ED of a tertiary teaching hospital in Nigeria from January to December 2017.<strong></strong></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> 1120 RTI patients were recruited consisting of 774 males and 346 females with a male: female ratio of 2.24:1. The age range was 1 to 94 years with a mean age of 37.5±17.5 years. Peak ages were in the fourth (24.2%) and third (20.4%) decades of life respectively. 85.5% of the patients were commercial vehicles passengers. Motorcycle accidents constituted 44% of the patients while 41.8% were in cars. The commonest injuries were head injuries (31% m:f 2.7) and fractures (21% m:f 3). There were 11.5% DAMA and 7.1% deaths. Motorcycles injuries had the highest mortality rate while the motorized tricycles injuries had the highest DAMA rates.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Motorized tricycles may be considered as a safer means of commercial mode of transportation compared to motorcycles despite its own limitations. There is a need to educate patients against the common practice of discharge against medical advice.</p>

Reducing rates of discharge against medical advice in the neonatal intensive care unit in a tertiary care hospital in South India: a mixed-methods study.

To elucidate characteristics among neonates and their mothers who were discharged against medical advice (DAMA), providers' perspectives on DAMA and the effect of an intervention to reduce DAMA in a tertiary care hospital in South India. We conducted a mixed-methods study to identify neonates at risk of DAMA. We reviewed charts of neonates and their mothers who were DAMA and conducted logit regression analysis to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to determine associations with DAMA. We conducted focus group discussions with nurses and doctors. We developed an intervention that included family counselling, supplemental funds for hospital bills and involving family members to reduce DAMA. Of 10834 neonates, 179 (1.7%) were DAMA over the study period. Maternal characteristics associated with DAMA included higher previous parity (aOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-2.3, P=0.001). Mothers who received antenatal care had lower odds of DAMA (aOR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1-0.7, P=0.039). Neonates with lower birth weight (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.7-9.4, P=0.002) and congenital malformations (aOR 3.3, 95% CI 1.1-5.3, P=0.005) also had higher odds of DAMA. The most commonly cited reasons for DAMA were financial constraints, inadequate counselling and perceived poor prognosis. The average monthly number of neonates who were DAMA decreased from 3.6 (1.6%) to 1.5 (0.6%) after our multi-pronged intervention. Neonates with severe illness and poor prognosis had higher odds of DAMA. A multi-pronged intervention demonstrated reductions in the rates of DAMA. This intervention may be trialled in similar settings to reduce DAMA.

Profile of Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure Who Leave Against Medical Advice

BackgroundThere is a paucity of information on patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF) who leave against medical advice (AMA). We sought to identify patient and hospital characteristics and outcomes of patients with HF who left AMA compared with those conventionally discharged to home. Methods and ResultsUsing the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure registry, data were analyzed from January 2010 to June 2019. In addition, outcomes were examined from a subset of hospitalizations with Medicare-linked claims between January 2010 and November 2015. The fully eligible population included 561,823 patients and the Medicare-linked subset included 74,502 patients. In total, 8747 patients (1.56%) left AMA. The proportion of patients leaving AMA increased from 1.1% to 2.1% over the years of study. Patients leaving a HF hospitalization AMA, compared with patients conventionally discharged to home, were more likely younger, minorities, Medicaid covered, or uninsured. The Medicare-linked subset of patients who left AMA had substantially higher 30-day and 12-month readmission rates and higher mortality at each assessment point over 12 months compared with patients who were conventionally discharged to home. After risk adjustments, the hazard ratio of mortality in the Medicare-linked subset AMA group compared with the conventionally discharged to home group was 1.25 (95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.51; P = .005). ConclusionsOne in 64 hospitalized patients with HF left AMA. An AMA discharge status was associated with higher risk for adverse 30-day and 12-month outcomes compared with being conventionally discharged home. Strategies that identify patients at risk of leaving AMA and policies to direct interventional strategies are warranted.

A qualitative assessment of discharge against medical advice among patients hospitalized for injection-related bacterial infections in West Virginia.

The incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) and other systemic bacterial infections is increasing, and people who inject drugs (PWID) have higher rates of discharge against medical advice (AMA) for these infections than patients whose infections are not injection-related. In this study, we characterize factors that contribute to AMA hospital discharge among PWID. We conducted qualitative interviews with twenty PWID hospitalized with serious injection-related bacterial infections in West Virginia. Participants completed a brief survey and in-depth qualitative interview. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a codebook developed based on deductive and inductive thematic analysis. We also conducted medical records abstraction and used descriptive statistics to summarize medical and survey data. Average age was 34 years, 55% were female, 95% identified as white, and 75% had a primary diagnosis of IE. Drugs injected prior to hospitalization were methamphetamine (60%), prescription opioids (38%), and/or heroin/fentanyl (25%). Participants cited multiple contributors to AMA discharge including negative interactions with hospital staff that they perceived as stigmatizing, including being searched or monitored for illicit drug use; inadequate management of pain and withdrawal; boredom and confinement during lengthy hospitalizations; and isolation from family and other social supports. We identified multiple factors contributing to AMA discharge that are amenable to intervention. Given the significant morbidity, mortality, and financial costs associated with hospitalizing PWID for serious injection-related bacterial infections, hospitals should be highly motivated to develop and test interventions designed to improve outcomes among these patients.

Discharge against medical advice from the emergency department in a university hospital

BackgroundPatients discharged against medical advice (DAMA) act as a high-risk population for the Emergency Department (ED), regardless of their presentations, and can pose a serious burden for the hospital. This study examines the prevalence, demographic and clinical characteristics, reasons, and clinical outcomes of a small sample of DAMA patients in a teaching university hospital, including readmission, morbidity, and mortality.MethodsA prospective, descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the ED of King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) with 98,992 patient visits during a 1-year period from June 2018 to June 2019. Consenting DAMA patients were asked to complete a data collection form.ResultsPatients (n = 413) had a mean age of 44.1 years with a female majority (57.1%). The majority were categorized as triage level-3 (87.7%). The main reasons for DAMA included refusal of the procedure/operation (23.2%), long ED waiting time (22.2%), subjective improvement with treatment (17.7%), and children at home (14.8%), whereas the least selected reason was dissatisfaction with medical care (1.2%). Follow-up of DAMA patients revealed that 86 cases (20.8%) were readmitted to the ED within 72 h of which 41 (47.7%) cases were morbidity and 2 (2.3%) were mortality. Marital status was a predictor of DAMA patients who revisit the ED within 72 h.ConclusionThe results act as a pilot study to examine a small sample of DAMA patients’ characteristics, diagnosis, and ED revisits. Hospitals should investigate further the DAMA population on a larger scale, reasons for refusing procedures, and utilize this knowledge to improve the healthcare process.

Adverse Discharge Outcomes Associated With the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program Among Commercially Insured Adults.

It is unknown if changes in the rate of discharges against medical advice (DAMA) are related to the implementation of the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). We performed an interrupted time series analysis of monthly DAMA rates per 1,000 discharges of all enrolled individuals 18-64 years old with a hospitalization between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2015, in a commercially insured population. We performed a segmented linear regression with two interruptions: (1) April 2010 to coincide with the passage of the HRRP and (2) October 2012 to coincide with the implementation of HRRP penalties. There were 1,087,812 discharges representing 668,823 individuals over 120 months. The downward trend in monthly DAMA rates was reversed significantly after April 2010 with a sustained 0.1 increase in the monthly rate that continued after the implementation of penalties in October 2012. Allowing for the two interruptions, there was a statistically significant positive trend (0.10; 0.06-0.13, p < .01) in April 2010. Relative to the first interruption, there was no statistically significant change in the slope in October 2012; the estimated slope was -0.04 (-0.08 to 0.002). Monthly DAMA rates increased in anticipation of and after HRRP implementation, suggesting a potential relationship between the HRRP and DAMA.

Outcome of very preterm infants delivered outside tertiary perinatal centers in China: a multi-center cohort study.

BackgroundTo describe the incidence of outborns among very preterm infants (VPIs, <32 weeks of gestation) in Chinese perinatal centers and to examine the association of outborn status with adverse outcomes.MethodsA cohort study enrolling all VPIs admitted to 18 perinatal centers in China from May 1st, 2015 to April 30th, 2018. Neonatal outcomes including rates of discharge against medical advice (DAMA), in-hospital mortality, overall mortality, severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) or periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), sepsis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) were compared between outborn and inborn infants. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to estimate the independent association of outborn status with neonatal outcomes.ResultsAmong 12,014 VPIs, 1,991 (16.6%) infants were outborn. Outborn infants had lower Apgar scores and higher illness severity score on admission. Mothers of outborn infants were less likely to receive antenatal steroids, prenatal care and caesarean section. The incidence of DAMA (18.0% vs. 12.5%, P<0.001), overall mortality (19.9% vs. 15.8%, P<0.001) and severe brain injury (10.8% vs. 9.1%, P=0.024) of outborn infants were significantly higher than inborn infants. Outborn status was independently associated with increased risks of DAMA (aOR, 1.6; 95% CI: 1.4–1.8), overall-hospital mortality (aOR, 1.3; 95% CI: 1.1–1.5) and severe IVH/PVL (aOR, 1.2; 95% CI: 1.0–1.5).ConclusionsThe incidence of outborn VPIs was high in China. Outborn infants were more likely to be delivered in an uncontrolled situation and were at significantly higher risk of neonatal mortality and severe brain injury compared with inborn infants. Quality improvement efforts are needed to facilitate in-utero transfer of high-risk pregnancies to tertiary centers.

Why Do Patients Leave against Medical Advice? Reasons, Consequences, Prevention, and Interventions.

Background: A patient decides to leave the hospital against medical advice. Is this an erratic eccentric behavior of the patient, or a gap in the quality of care provided by the hospital? With a significant and increasing prevalence of up to 1–2% of all hospital admissions, leaving against medical advice affects both the patient and the healthcare provider. We hereby explore this persistent problem in the healthcare system. We searched Medline and PubMed within the last 10 years, using the keywords “discharge against medical advice,” “DAMA,” “leave against medical advice,” and “AMA.” We retrospectively reviewed 49 articles in our project. Ishikawa fishbone root cause analysis (RCA) was employed to explore reasons for leaving against medical advice (AMA). This report presents the results of the RCA and highlights the consequences of discharge against medical advice (DAMA). In addition, the article explores preventive strategies, as well as interventions to ameliorate leaving AMA.

Prevalence, causes, and predictors of discharge against medical advice (DAMA) in an emergency setting: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The prevalence of discharge against medical advice (DAMA) ranges from 1% to 2% in inpatient admissions and may reach up to 25.9% in some hospitals. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the prevalence, causes, and predictors of DAMA in the emergency departments. Methods: We conducted a systematic electronic database search for suitable studies from inception till 20th January 2020 in nine databases. Meta-analysis was used to pool the results. Results: Of the total 180 records screened, we included 14 studies. The overall prevalence rate of DAMA was 6.3% [95% confidence intervals (CI) = 3.41%-11.63%]. The most common cause of DAMA was not being content with the treatment or not agreeing with the diagnosis/treatment (19.93%; 95% CI = 11.02%-33.34%), followed by long waiting time (8.6%; 95% CI = 0.97%-47.45%) and financial problems (7.15%; 95% CI = 1.45-28.78). Regarding predictors, the reported significant unadjusted predictors were local emergency center [Odds ratios (OR) = 1.23%; 95% CI = 1.21-1.24%; p-value < 0.001], regional emergency center (OR = 0.83%; 95% CI = 0.82%- 0.84%; p-value < 0.001), and non-urgent triage (OR = 12.74%; 95% CI = 1.13%-143.97%; p-value = 0.040). In the same context, the significant adjusted predictors were ≤40 years (males) (OR = 3.94%; 95% CI = 1.31%-11.83%; p-value = 0.014), male gender (youth and middle-aged) (OR = 1.2%; 95% CI = 1.19%-1.21%; p-value < 0.001), and Male gender (aged group) (OR = 1.09%; 95% CI = 1.07%-1.11%; p-value < 0.001). Conclusion: DAMA prevalence in emergency departments is high. More attention should be devoted to those patients in relation to the possible DAMA causes for decreasing negative consequences resulted from committing DAMA.

Discharge against medical advice in patients with acute coronary syndrome during the COVID-19 outbreak

Background: Patients' hesitation to seek medical care has seriously compromised the management of acute coronary syndrome during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. In the present study, we have reported the rate of discharged against medical advice (DAMA) among patients referred to chest pain unit (CPU) of a tertiary cardiovascular center and compared their clinical outcomes with whom admitted or managed conservatively. Methods: Patients with modified HEART risk score ≥4 referred to the CPU were included in the present study. Population requiring CPU admission due to positive serial troponin were divided into admitted and DAMA groups. Patients with negative serial troponin were managed as outpatient (conservative treatment group). 30-day major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and all-cause mortality were compared between the study groups. Results: A modified HEART risk score (≥4) was calculated for 440 of 5490 patients visited our CPU. One hundred and one (22.9%), 80 (18.1%), and 249 (56.5%) patients were categorized as DAMA, admitted, and conservative treatment groups, respectively. Myocardial infarction was significantly higher in the DAMA versus admitted group (2 vs. 0; P ≤ 0.001). MACE and all-cause mortality were significantly higher in the DAMA group than that in the conservative treatment group (5 vs. 2; P = 0.02 and 4 vs. 2; P = 0.055, respectively). Conclusion: In the present study, we have demonstrated a considerable rate of DAMA in patients with high modified HEART risk score referring to CPU during the COVID-19 outbreak. Importantly, the DAMA group experienced a higher incidence rate of 30-day MACE and all-cause mortality compared to patients who were admitted or managed conservatively.

Prevalence, Risk Factors, Treatment Outcome and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Carbapenem-Resistant &lt;i&gt;Klebsiella Pneumoniae&lt;/i&gt; from Infections in China

Background: Carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) is the leading cause of hospital infections. The prevalence of CRKP in human and the risk factors that predispose occurrence of CRKP infections need to be determined. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study of K. pneumoniae strains collected in a hospital in Zhejiang Province, China, from Jan 2014 to Dec 2017. The strains were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility tests and whole genome sequencing. Then we investigated risk factors of CRKP infections and depicted the likely disease outcomes. Findings: 804 patients tested positive for intestinal CRKP or carbapenem susceptible strains (CSKP) in total. Ninety-seven patients were positive for both intestinal and extra-intestinal CRKP and had significantly (P<0.001) higher percentage of death (12.4%) and discharge against medical advice (DAMA) (27.8%) than those who only harbored intestinal CRKP and intestinal CSKP strains. The virulence factor Yersiniabactin-9 could increase the risk of death and DAMA by 4.6 times (95% CI: 1.8-11.7). Statistically significant risk factors associated with intestinal CRKP infections included the use of urinary catheter (OR=4.8, 95% CI 1.7-13.5), artificial lung ventilation (OR=4.1, 95% CI 2.3-7.3) during the hospitalization and exposure to tigecycline (OR=1.5, 95% CI 1.0-2.3) three months prior to hospital admission. The prevalence rates of human intestinal ST11-K64 CRKP strains has been increasing in the past few years. Interpretation: These data confirm that K. pneumoniae colonization in human gut is a significant risk factor for intestinal infection. Screening for K. pneumoniae colonization upon hospital admission could limit the risk of development of infection in patients and transmission to others in the same ward. Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81772250, 81861138052) and Research Impact Fund of Hong Kong Research Grants Council (No. 8790002). Declaration of Interest: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists. Ethical Approval: Ethical approval (No. 2020-319) was given by SAHZU.

Reliability of Thrombocytopenia in Sepsis as a Predicting Tool for ICU Mortality

Introduction: There are many easy reproducible scores used in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to predict mortality. But these need to be reassessed on a regular basis. There are many variables used to calculate these scores. But there can be some loss of data as the scores are repeated 24-48 hours apart and have many parameters which may make the process less user friendly. Aim: To study the predictive value of new onset thrombocytopenia as an effective tool in predicting mortality in septic patients. Materials and Methods: In this prospective observational study, 200 patients with thrombocytopenia at admission or at any time during ICU hospitalisation between 1st February 2015 to 1st November 2016 were selected; patients hospitalised for less than 24 hours were excluded. Thrombocytopenia is defined as a platelet count lower than 150,000/mm3, and recovery is defined as returning to levels above 150,000/mm3 after showing thrombocytopenia. Admission prognosis variables Acute Physiology, Age and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) Score and platelet counts during the hospitalisation and outcomes were assessed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results: Out of 200 patients included, overall incidence of thrombocytopenia was 29.83%. The mean age was 49 (SD 18.24) years and mean duration of stay was 8.85 (SD 6.58) days. Maximum patients belonged to the age group of 18-30 years and 51-60 years. Total 89 (44.5%) of the 200 had sepsis and out of them 24 patients died, therefore, mortality rate among those in sepsis with thrombocytopenia was 27%. Mean SOFA score and APACHE II scores were 6.32 (SD 3.44) and 14 (SD 7.89), respectively. In the patients with thrombocytopenia and poor outcomes in the form of death or Discharge Against Medical Advice (DAMA), the SOFA scores were 9.04 and 6.96, respectively (p=0.0438). Similarly, patients with sepsis and thrombocytopenia who had either died or given DAMA the mean APACHE II scores were 18.66 and 17.96, respectively (p-value 0.0492). Conclusion: There was a significant association between, APACHE II and SOFA scores with new onset thrombocytopenia. Therefore, it can be used as an independent individual variable to predict mortality in patients of sepsis with thrombocytopenia.

The Clinical Characteristics and Survival Profiles of Wilms Tumor in the United Arab Emirates: A Single-center Retrospective Analysis

Background: Wilms Tumor (WT) is the most common pediatric kidney tumor, yet the disease has variable clinical characteristics and prognostic outcomes across different populations. Objectives: This study aims to review the clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of children with WT who have received treatment at Dubai Hospital, UAE. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted involving the medical records of confirmed WT children (aged &lt; 14 years) who had received treatment between 2013 and 2018. Diagnosis should have been established based on the histopathological examination of operable tumors and needle biopsy for inoperable tumors. The Société Internationale d’Oncologie Pédiatrique (SIOP) WT 2001 protocol was used for patient management, and the UMBRELLA SIOP–RTSG 2016 Wilms tumor pathology and molecular biology protocol was used for histopathologic classification and clinical staging. The presenting sign and symptoms, the findings of diagnostic imaging techniques, histological grading, the received treatments, and follow-up outcomes were collected and analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to carry out the survival analysis. Results: Ten children were diagnosed with WT (median age of 3.40 years, 60% males). All patients presented with abdominal masses without prominent pain. Synchronous bilateral lesions were found at diagnosis in one patient and metastatic lesions in three patients. Four children were discharged against medical advice; five received treatment according to the SIOP WT 2001 regimen, while the remaining patient was managed in the United States according to the National Wilms Tumor Study Group (NWTSG) protocol. The overall 6-year and relapse-free survival rates were 90% and 80%, respectively. Conclusion: The clinical characteristics and managemental outcomes of children presenting with WT are promising, possibly owing to adopting the SIOP protocol. Considering the small sample size, more large-scale, nation-wide studies are warranted.

257. Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: Does Intravenous Drug Use Impact Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes?

BackgroundIndividuals with intravenous drug use (IDU) have higher risk for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) and increased management complexity. The goal of this study was to compare differences in SAB characteristics, adherence to standard of care metrics, and clinical outcomes in those with and without IDU.MethodsA retrospective chart review was conducted on cases of SAB between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2017 at a 500-bed teaching hospital. Inclusion criteria was age > 18 years and ≥ one blood culture positive for S. aureus. Patients were excluded if they transferred hospitals, had care withdrawn or died within 48 hours of diagnosis or had a ventricular assist device infection. Records were reviewed for substance use, SAB characteristics, standards of care, and outcomes. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board.ResultsIn 248 patients with SAB, 28.2% had documented IDU. Median age was 37 (IDU) and 57 (non-IDU). In the IDU group, 75.7% had the formal diagnosis of opioid use disorder and 78.9% of stimulant use disorder. IDU was associated with hepatitis C and houselessness while non-IDU was associated with diabetes, hemodialysis, and cancer. Those with IDU had higher rates of MRSA, endocarditis, and spinal infections, but did not have higher rates of polymicrobial infections or venous thrombosis. There was no difference in appropriate repeat blood cultures, antibiotic management, and ID consultation. Length of stay and against medical advice (AMA) discharges were higher in those with IDU. There was no difference in 90-day recurrence or readmission, but 90-day mortality was higher in the non-IDU group. ConclusionThere was no difference in adherence to SAB quality of care metrics between groups with and without IDU. Despite the IDU group being younger with fewer comorbidities, 90-day readmissions were not different between groups. This bears further analysis but may represent the influence of therapy completion, AMA discharges, and unmeasured social determinants of health.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

309. The Impact of Addiction Medicine Consultation on Discharges Against Medical Advice in Patients with Opioid Use Disorder and Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia

BackgroundPeople who inject drugs (PWID) are at risk for infectious complications of their injection practices, including Staphylococcus aureus (SA) bacteremia. Prolonged hospitalization is sometimes required; however, rates of discharges against medical advice (AMA) are elevated in this patient population. Inadequate control of pain and opioid withdrawal are commonly cited. Our aim was to assess the effectiveness of addiction medicine consultation for preventing AMA discharges.MethodsWe performed a retrospective chart review of adult PWID admitted to an urban hospital with SA bacteremia between August 2016 and May 2018. Demographics, HIV and HCV status, and presence or absence of addiction medicine consultation were recorded. We assessed whether discharges were planned or AMA; the number of hospitalizations at 30 days, 90 days, and 1 year from index admission; and death within one year. EpiInfo6 was used for data analysis.ResultsA total of 360 patients with SA bacteremia were reviewed. Of these, 101 reported intravenous opioid use at admission. Average age was 37 years, and 64% were male. HIV and HCV were present in 13% and 82% of patients, respectively. Addiction medicine was consulted on 29 patients. Of these, 4/29 (13.8%) left AMA, compared to 27/72 (37.5%) of patients without an addiction consult (RR = 0.3678 [95% CI = 0.1412 - 0.9583], p = 0.02).Patients receiving addiction medicine consultation averaged 0.17 readmissions within 30 days of their index admission, compared to 0.39 readmissions in the group without addiction medicine consult (p = 0.27). Readmissions at 90 days and 1 year were also lower but not statistically significant. At 1 year, 6 deaths were observed; 2 who had addiction medicine consultation and 4 who did not.ConclusionConsultation with an addiction medicine specialist significantly reduced the number of patients discharged AMA in a high-risk cohort of PWID presenting with SA bacteremia. Numerically fewer readmissions occurred after consultation, though this difference was not statistically significant. Mortality in both groups was low. There were high rates of HIV and HCV in this patient population, suggesting a particularly vulnerable patient population, which warrants further study.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Discharge against Medical Advice and Transcending Boundaries in Ghanaian District Hospitals: Issues for Medical Learning

There is a case of a 47-year-old man who presented to the Agogo Presbyterian Hospital with a highgrade intestinal obstruction. Although the surgical expertise was available, limitations of laboratory and critical care services at the time necessitated a referral to a tertiary hospital. The patient and his relatives did not have the resources to pursue this treatment decision and opted for a discharge against medical advice (DAMA) to embark on faith-based treatment options. The attending clinician is sometimes frustrated in such complex scenarios by the inability to explore even the slightest survival chances that could result from life-saving surgery in the face of these resource limitations. This article focuses on the ethical and medicolegal dilemmas presented to clinicians by a patient’s request for DAMA. Some pragmatic approaches have been proposed to guide the evaluation and resolution of such challenges at the level of Ghanaian district hospitals for the benefit of medical learning.

Initiation of Buprenorphine/Naloxone on Rates of Discharge Against Medical Advice.

Objective: Evidence shows that patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) have an increased rate of discharge against medical advice (DAMA) as well as higher rates of hospital readmission. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if inpatient initiation of buprenorphine/naloxone in patients with OUD is associated with decreased rates of DAMA. Methods: This was a single center retrospective cohort study conducted at a level 1, academic medical center. The study included patients with OUD admitted to the Internal Medicine service from January through May of both 2018 and 2019 for an admitting diagnosis other than opioid withdrawal. The primary endpoint was rate of DAMA among OUD patients not initiated on opioid agonist therapy compared to those initiated on buprenorphine/naloxone. The secondary endpoint was the association between factors of the initiation process on rates of DAMA. Patients were excluded if they were discharged in less than 24 hours or received intermittent administration of buprenorphine/naloxone. Results: The rate of DAMA in OUD patients not initiated on buprenorphine/naloxone was 13.85% compared to 2.56% in those initiated on buprenorphine/naloxone (P = .048). Conclusion: In OUD patients initiated on buprenorphine/naloxone, the rate of DAMA was significantly lower than those who were not. This data supports the importance of optimizing the opportunity to initiate buprenorphine/naloxone in the acute care setting to minimize withdrawal symptoms therefore reducing the rate of DAMA. Ultimately increasing the ability to adequately treat the primary reason for admission and potentially decreasing readmission rates. Further studies are needed to evaluate this impact as this study is limited to a small sample size therefore lacking adequate power.

The Role of SOFA Score in Survival COVID-19 Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Unit

The novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, is caused by a SARS-COV-2 infection and manifested in some clinical forms from mild to critical disease. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score has been used to predict the clinical outcomes of patients admitted to intensive care units with multiple organ failures. This study aimed to analyse the cut-off of the SOFA score with the best accuracy in predicting mortality in severe and critical COVID-19 population, and compared the survival rate difference of the high and low SOFA score according to the cut-off with the best accuracy from our study. This retrospective observational study analysed all of the severe and critical COVID-19 patients admitted to DR.Soetomo Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia, from June to September 2020. We excluded patients who had died less than 48 hours upon ICU admission and patients who were discharged against medical advice (DAMA). A total of 123 patients were eligible. SOFA score significantly predicted ICU mortality of COVID-19 patients with the Area-under-curve of 0.9 (p<0.001). The survival rate of patients with the SOFA score of ?7 was 90%, compared to patients with the SOFA score of >7 with a survival rate of 10%. Patients with SOFA score ? 7 had a significantly longer survival time during ICU care (HR=15.85, p<0.001). Our study proved that patients with higher SOFA scores had a significantly different survival outcome during the ICU stay, with the score cut-off of 7. This score cut-off could significantly discriminate ICU survival with high predictive values.

Healthcare Resource Utilization Following a Discharge Against Medical Advice: An Analysis of Commercially Insured Adults.

A discharge against medical advice (DAMA) is associated with adverse health outcomes. Its association with postdischarge healthcare resource utilization (HcRU) outside an inpatient setting is unknown. This information can help us understand how a DAMA may affect healthcare-seeking behavior following a hospital stay. We evaluated the relationship between a DAMA and 30-day postdischarge HcRU. This retrospective cohort study uses a 10% random sample of enrollees in the IQVIA PharMetrics® Plus database. We included individuals aged 18 to 64 years with an inpatient admission during 2007-2015 and continuous insurance coverage. We defined comparison groups as DAMA and routine discharge. Both groups were matched on baseline covariates. We quantified the association between a DAMA and 30-day HcRU, as well as 90-day for sensitivity analysis, with use of generalized linear models for binary outcomes (inpatient readmissions, emergency department [ED] visits) and count outcomes (physician office visits, nonphysician outpatient encounters, prescription drug fills). Of the 457,530 individuals in the unmatched sample, 2,245 (0.5%) had a DAMA. In the matched sample, a DAMA was positively associated with an ED visit (adjusted odds ratio, 2.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.90-2.72) but not with an inpatient readmission. There were no differences between groups based on the count outcomes. A DAMA was positively associated with 90-day HcRU (ie, inpatient readmission, ED visit, and prescription drug fills). The relationship between a DAMA and HcRU varied with the HcRU category and postdischarge time interval. This examination of HcRU in the inpatient and outpatient settings provides important information about outcomes following a DAMA.