Failure To Rescue Rates Research Articles

Understanding Failure to Rescue After Esophagectomy in the United States

Data on failure to rescue (FTR) after esophagectomy are sparse. We sought to better understand the patient factors associated with FTR and toassess whether FTR is associated with hospital volume. We identified all patients undergoing esophagectomy between 2010 and 2014 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Nationwide Readmission Database. We defined FTR as mortality after a major complication. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify patient factors and hospital-volume associations with FTR. Of 26,820 patients undergoing an esophagectomy, 7130 (26.6%) experienced a major complication. Of those, 1321 did not survive the index hospitalization (FTR rate, 18.5%). Risk factors for FTR included increasing age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.06; P < .001), congestive heart failure (aOR, 2.07; P < .001), bleeding disorders (aOR, 2.9; P < .001), liver disease (aOR, 2.37; P= .001), and renal failure (aOR, 2.37; P= .002). At the hospital level there was wide variation in FTR rates across hospital volume quintiles, with 21.2% of patients suffering a complication not surviving to discharge at low-volume hospitals compared with 13.4% at high-volume hospitals (P < .001). At low-volume hospitals the highest FTR rates were acute renal failure (35.3%), postoperative hemorrhage (31.9%), and pulmonary failure (28.1%). One in 5 esophagectomy patients suffering a complication at low-volume hospitals do not survive to discharge. Several patient factors are associated with death after a major complication. Strategies to improve the recognition and management of complications in at-risk patients may be essential to improve outcomes at low-volume hospitals.

Effect of frailty syndrome on the outcomes of patients with carotid stenosis

BackgroundFrailty syndrome confers a greater risk of morbidity and mortality after operative interventions. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of frailty on the outcomes after carotid interventions, including both carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS). MethodsWe performed an 8-year (2005-2012) retrospective analysis of the National Surgery Quality and Improvement Program database, including patients who had undergone CEA or CAS for carotid artery stenosis. A modified frailty index score was calculated. Frail status was defined as a modified frailty index score of ≥0.27. The outcome measures were inpatient complications, mortality, failure to rescue (FTR), hospital length of stay, and 30-day readmissions. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to study the association between frailty and the perioperative outcomes. ResultsThe data from 37,875 patients were included. Of the 37,875 patients, 95.7% had undergone CEA, and 27.3% of the patients were frail (27% of the CEA and 26% of the CAS groups had qualified as frail). Overall, 11.7% of the patients had experienced complications, 2.2% had died, and 6.7% had been readmitted after discharge. On regression analysis, after controlling for age, gender, albumin level, type of surgery, and American Society of Anesthesiologists class, frail status was an independent predictor of complications (23.5% vs 7.2%; P < .001), mortality (5.2% vs 1.1%; P = .02), FTR (12.1% vs 4.7%; P = .02), and 30-day readmissions (14.9% vs 3.7%; P = .03). On subanalysis of the patients who had undergone CAS, no association was found between frail status and the occurrence of complications (odds ratio [OR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.8-3.2), mortality (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.6-2.7), FTR (OR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.4-2.3), and 30-day readmission rate (OR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.5-3.1). ConclusionsFrailty syndrome was associated with morbidity and mortality among patients undergoing surgical interventions for carotid stenosis. In the present study, frailty was associated with significant mortality and morbidity for those who had undergone CEA but not for those who had undergone CAS. However, the present study was not designed to determine the optimal treatment of frail patients. Incorporating frailty status into the treatment algorithm (CEA vs CAS) might provide a more accurate risk assessment and improve patient outcomes.

Failure to Rescue in Humanitarian Congenital Cardiac Surgery

Cardiac surgeons have a significant history of participating in humanitarian work; however, the outcomes in this arena are not well delineated. We sought to define and describe failure to rescue (FTR) in this setting by analyzing the outcomes of the International Children's Heart Foundation. From 2008 to 2017, 3009 patients underwent operations during the course of an International Children's Heart Foundation mission. Of these, 1165 patients had at least one complication. These patients were divided into those who ultimately died (FTR group, n= 107) and those who survived (survivor group, n= 1058). Clinical presentation and outcomes were compared. The overall FTR rate was 10%. Patients in the FTR group were significantly younger, weighed less, and were shorter. Children who required a preoperative admission to the intensive care unit were more likely to be in the FTR group. Intraoperative data demonstrated significantly longer cardiopulmonary bypass time among FTR patients, with similar use of intraoperative blood product. Postoperatively, patients in the FTR group had more reintubations than survivors. Cardiopulmonary bypass and intensive care unit times were shown to be significant predictors of FTR. There was a trend between program volume and FTR rate. Program volume appeared to be correlated with FTR. Failure to rescue occurs at a rate of 10% in the humanitarian congenital cardiac surgery setting. The FTR patients were younger, required more intubations, and had significantly more diagnoses of transposition of the great arteries. Longer cardiopulmonary bypass time and intensive care unit admission were associated with increased risk of FTR.

Emergency abdominal surgery in patients presenting from skilled nursing facilities: Opportunities for palliative care

BackgroundResidents of skilled nursing facilities (SNF) with acute abdomen present with more comorbidities and frailty than community-dwelling (CD) counterparts. Outcomes in this population are poorly described. MethodsWe hypothesized that SNF patients have higher mortality and morbidity than CD patients. This retrospective review of the NSQIP database from 2011 to 2015 compared outcomes of SNF and CD patients presenting with bowel obstruction, ischemia and perforation. Primary outcomes were in-hospital and 30-day mortality and failure-to-rescue (FTR). Results18,326 patients met inclusion criteria. 904 (5%) presented from SNF. In-hospital (26% vs 10%) and 30-day mortality (33% vs 26%) was higher in SNF patients (p < 0.001). The FTR rate was 34% for SNF patients and 20% for CD patients (p < 0.001). ConclusionsPresentation from SNF is an independent predictor of mortality and FTR. Presentation from SNF is a potential trigger for early, concurrent palliative care to assist surgeons, patients, and families in decision making and goal-concordant treatment.

Hospital volume and failure to rescue after vestibular schwannoma resection.

Complication rates in many complex surgical procedures are associated with the volume of procedures performed. To investigate the relationship between hospital volume and complications, mortality, and failure to rescue (FTR) rates in patients undergoing vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used to identify 44,336 patients who underwent VS surgery in 1995-2011. Annual case volumes were stratified by quintiles and defined as very low (≤5 cases/year), low (6-12 cases/year) medium (13-22 cases/year), high (23-37 cases/year), and very high-volume (≥38 cases/year). Relationships between hospital volume and in-hospital mortality, postoperative complications, as well as FTR rates, defined as death after a major complication, were examined using multivariate regression analysis. Postoperative medical and surgical complications occurred in 5.4% and 14.6% of cases, respectively, and did not differ significantly across volume quintiles. In-hospital mortality decreased with increasing hospital volume, with an incidence of 1.4% for hospitals in the lowest volume quintile compared to 0.1% for hospitals in the top volume quintile. After controlling for all other variables, the odds of in-hospital mortality were lower for medium (OR = 0.19 [0.04-0.93]) and very high-volume hospitals (OR = 0.07 [0.01-0.53]), but not high-volume hospitals (OR = 0.43 [0.05-3.77]). There was no association between hospital volume and the odds of postoperative surgical complications. FTR was associated with hospital volume, with decreasing odds for medium-volume (OR = 0.15 [0.02-0.93]), high-volume (OR = 0.17 [0.04-0.74]), and very high-volume (OR = 0.07 [0.04-0.74]) hospitals. Hospital volume does not appear to be associated with complication rates but is associated with decreased likelihood of FTR after VS surgery. NA Laryngoscope, 130:1287-1293, 2020.

Association Between Hospital Staffing Models and Failure to Rescue.

To identify hospital staffing models associated with failure to rescue (FTR) rates at low- and high-performing hospitals. FTR is an important quality measure in surgical safety and is a metric that hospitals are seeking to improve. Specific unit-level determinants of FTR, however, remain unknown. Retrospective, observational study using data from the Michigan Quality Surgical Collaborative, which is a prospectively collected and clinically audited database in the state of Michigan. We identified 44,567 patients undergoing major general or vascular surgery from 2008 to 2012. Our main outcome measures were mortality, complications, and FTR rates. Hospital rates of FTR across low, middle, and high tertiles were 8.9%, 16.5%, and 19.9%, respectively (P < 0.001). Low FTR hospitals tended to have a closed intensive care unit staffing model (56% vs 20%, P < 0.001) and a higher proportion of board-certified intensivists (88% vs 60%, P < 0.001) when compared to high FTR hospitals. There was also significantly more staffing of low FTR hospitals by hospitalists (85% vs 20%, P < 0.001) and residents (62% vs 40%, P < 0.01). Low FTR hospitals were noted to have more overnight coverage (75% vs 45%, P < 0.001) as well as a dedicated rapid response team (90% vs 60%, P < 0.001). Low FTR hospitals had significantly more staffing resources than high FTR hospitals. Although hiring additional staff may be beneficial, there remain significant financial limitations for many hospitals to implement robust staffing models. Thus, our ongoing work seeks to improve rescue and implement effective staffing strategies within these constraints.

Complication rates, failure to rescue and in-hospital mortality after cytoreductive nephrectomy in the older patients

ObjectivesHistorical data showed worse perioperative outcomes after cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) in older patients. Additionally, the CARMENA trial questioned the survival benefit of cytoreductive CN. We reassessed complication, failure to rescue (FTR) and mortality rates after CN in a contemporary cohort of older patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Materials and MethodsFrom National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database (2008–2015), mRCC patients treated with CN were abstracted. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models tested for the relationship between age (≤55 vs. 56–70 vs ≥71 years), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and modified Frailty Index (mFI) categories and complications, FTR and in-hospital mortality. All models were clustered, weighted and adjusted for all available patient and hospital characteristics. ResultsOf 3644 mRCC patients treated with CN, 924 (25.4%) were ≥ 71 years old, 435 (11.9%) had CCI ≥ 2 and 749 (20.6%) were frail. In multivariable logistic regression models, age ≥ 71 (odds ratio [OR] 1.4, p < .001), CCI ≥ 2 (OR 1.88, p < .001) and frail status (OR 1.91, p < .001) were independent predictors of overall complications. Age ≥ 71 was also an independent predictor of FTR (OR 2.27, p = .04), but not of in-hospital mortality. Both CCI and mFI were not significantly associated with either FTR or in-hospital mortality. ConclusionOlder patients with mRCC are more likely to experience higher rates of overall complications, FTR and in-hospital mortality following CN. These results highlight the importance of rigorous selection criteria for older surgical candidates. Moreover, timely recognition and rapid response to complications are particularly critical in this population.

Understanding the Clinical Implications of Resident Involvement in Uncommon Operations

The objective of this study was to examine uncommon operations in greater detail given that the outcomes of uncommon operations are largely understudied. This study examines the incidence of postoperative events and the role of the resident following uncommon operations. We identified uncommon general surgical operations using the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Participant Use file (2008-2011). Death or serious morbidity (DSM) within 30 days of the operation was the primary outcome of interest. Failure to rescue (FTR) and prolonged operative time (PRopt) were evaluated as secondary outcome measures. PRopt was defined as ≥90 percentile of operative time for each procedure type. Independent multivariate logistic regression models were generated to examine the impact of these descriptors on the outcomes of interest. The dataset utilized was the United States National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Participant Use File which leverages data points from over 700 hospitals that range from primary to quaternary care centers. Resident participation was defined as resident involved (RI) or no resident involved (NRI), and stratified by postgraduate year (PGY): 1-3, 4-5, and 6+. Resident participant data was available for 21,453 (84.5%) uncommon operations with NRI in 25.4% (5447). With regard to resident participation, PGY1-3 were found in 12.6% (2699), PGY4-5 in 50.4% (10,817), and PGY6+ in 11.6% (2490). The overall observed DSM rate was 28.6% and the observed FTR rate was 5.8%. Overall, there was no difference in DSM by RI status (NRI: 1528; 28.1% vs RI: 4602; 28.8%; p = 0.324); however, PGY level was associated with DSM (PGY1-3: 774, 28.7%, PGY4-5: 3210, 29.7%, PGY6+: 618, 24.8%; p < 0.001). Any RI was associated with a lower rate of FTR (5.1%) when compared to NRI (8.3%, p < 0.001) with decreasing FTR events by increasing PGY (PGY1-3: 6.4%, PGY4-5: 5.2%, PGY6+: 3.3%; p < 0.001). After adjustment for patient risk factors, any RI remained associated with a lower likelihood of FTR than NRI (odds ratio: 0.65, 95% confidence interval: 0.49-0.87) while only the PGY4-5 and PGY6+ groups were associated with lower likelihood of FTR in comparison to NRI. RI was associated with PRopt in univariate and multivariable analyses. Uncommon operations were associated with substantial DSM. The involvement of PGY4-5 residents was associated with the greatest likelihood of DSM. With increasing PGY of the involved resident, cases with PGY > 5 demonstrated a lower likelihood of risk-adjusted FTR. The explanation for these findings is not clear; however, the involvement of more senior residents in the technical aspects of uncommon operations may lead to improved results.

Procedure-Specific Volume and Nurse-to-Patient Ratio: Implications for Failure to Rescue Patients Following Liver Surgery.

The effect of various hospital characteristics on failure to rescue (FTR) after liver surgery has not been well examined. We sought to examine the relationship between hospital characteristics and FTR after liver surgery. The 2013-2015 Medicare-Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) database was used to identify Medicare beneficiaries who underwent liver surgery. The effect of various hospital characteristics on FTR was compared among the highest mortality hospitals (HMH) and the lowest mortality hospitals (LMH). Among 4902 patients undergoing hepatectomy, patients treated at HMH had a higher risk of FTR (OR 3.08, 95% CI 2.03-4.66). Hospital factors such as total number of beds (OR 0.80, 95% 0.56-1.15), operating rooms (OR 0.81, 95% 0.57-1.14), and overall hospital surgical volume (OR 0.88, 95% 0.61-1.25) were not associated with FTR (all p > 0.05). In contrast, hospitals with a greater nurse-to-patient ratio had a markedly lower risk of FTR following a complication (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.54-0.91; p = 0.007) (Table3). As volume of liver operations and nurse-to-patient ratio decreased the risk of FTR increased (p > 0.001). After risk-adjusting for patient characteristics, both the effect of surgical volume (adjusted OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.46-0.94; p = 0.022) and nurse-to-patient ratio (adjusted OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.51-0.90; p = 0.008) remained strongly associated with FTR. FTR rates varied considerably among hospital performing hepatectomy. Higher procedure-specific hepatectomy volume, as well as a higher nurse-to-patient ratio, accounted for a reduction in the FTR rates. These data highlight the importance of not only procedure volume, but also adequate nurse staffing in reducing FTR and improving mortality following complex procedures such as hepatectomy.

Failure to Rescue – a Closer Look at Mortality Rates Has No Added Value for Hospital Comparisons but Is Useful for Team Quality Assessment in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery in The Netherlands

Failure to rescue (FTR) is a composite quality indicator, defined as the proportion of deceased patients following major complications. The aims of this study were to compare FTR with mortality for hospital comparisons in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery in The Netherlands and investigate hospital volume and associated factors. Patients prospectively registered between 2013 and 2015 in the Dutch Surgical Aneurysm Audit (DSAA) were analysed. FTR was analysed for AAA patients and subgroups elective (EAAA) and acute (AAAA; symptomatic or ruptured) aneurysms. Variables and hospital volume were analysed by uni- and multivariable regression analysis. Adjusted hospital comparisons for mortality, major complications, and FTR were presented in funnel plots. Isomortality lines were constructed when presenting FTR and major complication rates. A total of 9258 patients were analysed in 61 hospitals: 7149 EAAA patients (77.2%) and 2109 AAAA patients (22.8%). There were 2785 (30.1%) patients with complications (unadjusted range 5–65% per hospital): 2161 (77.6%) with major and 624 (28.4%) patients with minor complications. Overall mortality was 6.6% (adjusted range 0–16% per hospital) and FTR was 28.4% (n = 613) (adjusted range 0–60% per hospital). Glasgow Coma Scale, age, pulse, creatinine, electrocardiography, and operative setting were independently associated with FTR. Hospital volume was not associated with FTR. In AAAA patients hospital volume was significantly associated with a lower adjusted major complication and mortality rate (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.49–0.78; and 0.64, 95% CI 0.48–0.87). Four hospitals had a significant lower adjusted FTR with different major complication rates on different isomortality lines. There was more variation in FTR than in mortality between hospitals. FTR identified the same best performing hospitals as for mortality and therefore was of limited additional value in measuring quality of care for AAA surgery. FTR can be used for internal quality improvement with major complications in funnel plots and diagrams with isomortality lines.

Failure-to-rescue in Patients Undergoing Pancreatectomy: Is Hospital Volume a Standard for Quality Improvement Programs? Nationwide Analysis of 12,333 Patients.

To evaluate the influence of hospital volume on failure-to-rescue (FTR) after pancreatectomy in France. There are growing evidences that FTR is an important source of postoperative mortality (POM) after pancreatectomy. However, few studies have analyzed the volume-FTR relationship following pancreatic surgery. All patients undergoing pancreatectomy between 2012 and 2015 were included. FTR is defined as the 90-day POM rate among patients with major complications. According to the spline model, the critical cutoff was 20 resections per year and hospitals were divided into low (<10 resections/an), intermediate (11-19 resections/yr), and high volume centers (≥20 resections/yr). Overall, 12,333 patients who underwent pancreatectomy were identified. The POM was 6.9% and decreased significantly with increased hospital volume. The rate of FTR was 14.5% and varied significantly with hospital volume (18.3% in low hospital volume vs 11.9% in high hospital volume, P < 0.001), age (P < 0.001) and ChCl (CCl0-2: 11.5%, ChCl3: 13%, CCl ≥4:18.6%; P < 0.001). FTR for renal failure was the highest of all complications (40.2%), followed by postoperative shock (36.4%) and cardiac complications (35.1%). The FTR was significantly higher in low and intermediate compared with high volume hospitals for shock, digestive, and thromboembolic complications and reoperation. In multivariable analysis, intermediate (OR = 1.265, CI95%[1.103-1.701], P = 0.045) and low volume centers (OR = 1.536, CI95%[1.165-2.025], P = 0.002) were independently associated with increased FTR rates. FTR after pancreatectomy is high and directly correlated to hospital volume, highlighting variability in the management of postoperative complications. Measurement of the FTR rate should become a standard for quality improvement programs.

Failure to Rescue – a Closer Look at Mortality Rates Has No Added Value for Hospital Comparisons but Is Useful for Team Quality Assessment in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery in The Netherlands

Failure to rescue (FTR) is a composite quality indicator, defined as the proportion of deceased patients following major complications. The aims of this study were to compare FTR with mortality for hospital comparisons in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery in The Netherlands and investigate hospital volume and associated factors. Patients prospectively registered between 2013 and 2015 in the Dutch Surgical Aneurysm Audit (DSAA) were analysed. FTR was analysed for AAA patients and subgroups elective (EAAA) and acute (AAAA; symptomatic or ruptured) aneurysms. Variables and hospital volume were analysed by uni- and multivariable regression analysis. Adjusted hospital comparisons for mortality, major complications, and FTR were presented in funnel plots. Isomortality lines were constructed when presenting FTR and major complication rates. A total of 9258 patients were analysed in 61 hospitals: 7149 EAAA patients (77.2%) and 2109 AAAA patients (22.8%). There were 2785 (30.1%) patients with complications (unadjusted range 5-65% per hospital): 2161 (77.6%) with major and 624 (28.4%) patients with minor complications. Overall mortality was 6.6% (adjusted range 0-16% per hospital) and FTR was 28.4% (n=613) (adjusted range 0-60% per hospital). Glasgow Coma Scale, age, pulse, creatinine, electrocardiography, and operative setting were independently associated with FTR. Hospital volume was not associated with FTR. In AAAA patients hospital volume was significantly associated with a lower adjusted major complication and mortality rate (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.49-0.78; and 0.64, 95% CI 0.48-0.87). Four hospitals had a significant lower adjusted FTR with different major complication rates on different isomortality lines. There was more variation in FTR than in mortality between hospitals. FTR identified the same best performing hospitals as for mortality and therefore was of limited additional value in measuring quality of care for AAA surgery. FTR can be used for internal quality improvement with major complications in funnel plots and diagrams with isomortality lines.

Failure to rescue and disparities in emergency general surgery

BackgroundRacial and socioeconomic disparities are well documented in emergency general surgery (EGS) and have been highlighted as a national priority for surgical research. The aim of this study was to identify whether disparities in the EGS setting are more likely to be caused by major adverse events (MAEs) (e.g., venous thromboembolism) or failure to respond appropriately to such events. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was undertaken using administrative data. EGS cases were defined using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnostic codes recommended by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. The data source was the National Inpatient Sample 2012-2013, which captured a 20%-stratified sample of discharges from all hospitals participating in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. The outcomes were MAEs, in-hospital mortality, and failure to rescue (FTR). ResultsThere were 1,345,199 individual patient records available within the National Inpatient Sample. There were 201,574 admissions (15.0%) complicated by an MAE, and 12,006 of these (6.0%) resulted in death. The FTR rate was therefore 6.0%. Uninsured patients had significantly higher odds of MAEs (adjusted odds ratio, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.19), mortality (1.28, 1.16-1.41), and FTR (1.20, 1.06-1.36) than those with private insurance. Although black patients had significantly higher odds of MAEs (adjusted odds ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.16), they had lower mortality (0.95, 0.90-0.99) and FTR (0.86, 0.80-0.91) than white patients. ConclusionsUninsured EGS patients are at increased risk of MAEs but also the failure of health care providers to respond effectively when such events occur. This suggests that MAEs and FTR are both potential targets for mitigating socioeconomic disparities in the setting of EGS.

Hospital variation in mortality after emergent bowel resections: The role of failure-to-rescue

Hospital variation in failure-to-rescue (FTR) rates has partially explained nationwide differences in mortality after elective surgeries. To examine the role of FTR among emergency general surgery, we compared nationwide risk-adjusted mortality, complications, and FTR rates after emergent bowel resections. We identified patients who underwent emergent small or large bowel resections in the 2010 to 2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample using the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma criteria. We then calculated risk-adjusted mortality rates for each hospital using multivariable logistic regressions and postestimation, which adjusted for patient age, sex, race and ethnicity, payer status, comorbidities, and hospital clustering. After excluding hospitals with fewer than 10 resections per year, we ranked the remaining hospitals by their risk-adjusted mortality rates and divided them into five quintiles. We compared both risk-adjusted complication rates and FTR rates between the top (lowest mortality) and bottom (highest mortality) quintiles. We identified 21,564 emergent bowel resections, weighted to 105,925 procedures nationwide. The bottom quintile of hospitals had an overall risk-adjusted mortality rate that was 10.9 times higher than that of the top quintile of hospitals (15.3% vs. 1.4%). While risk-adjusted complication rates were similarly high for both the bottom and the top quintiles of hospitals (22.5% vs. 15.7%), the risk-adjusted FTR rates were 10.8 times higher in the bottom quintile of hospitals relative to the top quintile of hospitals (33.4% vs. 3.1%). Using larger hospital volume thresholds yielded similar findings. Furthermore, large variations existed in complication-specific FTR rates (surgical site infection [6.6%] to myocardial infarction [29.4%]). Nationwide hospital variation in risk-adjusted mortality rates exist after emergent bowel resections. As complication rates were similar across hospitals, the significantly higher FTR rates at higher-mortality hospitals may drive this variation in mortality. System-level initiatives addressing the management of postoperative complications may improve patient care and reduce variation in outcomes. Prognostic and epidemiological study, level IV.

Failure-to-Rescue After Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Failure-to-rescue (FTR), originally developed to study quality of care in surgery, measures an institution's ability to prevent death after a patient becomes complicated. Develop an FTR metric modified to analyze acute myocardial infarction (AMI) outcomes. Split-sample design: a random 20% of hospitals to develop FTR definitions, a second 20% to validate test characteristics, and an out-of-sample 60% to validate results. Older Medicare beneficiaries admitted to short-term acute-care hospitals for AMI between 2009 and 2011. Thirty-day mortality and FTR rates, and in-hospital complication rates. The 60% out-of-sample validation included 234,277 patients across 1142 hospitals that admitted at least 50 patients over 2.5 years. In total, 72.1% of patients were defined as Medically Complicated (complex on admission or subsequently developed a complication or died without a recorded complication) of whom 19.3% died. Spearman r between hospital risk-adjusted 30-day mortality and FTR was 0.89 (P<0.0001); Mortality versus Complication=-0.01 (P=0.6198); FTR versus Complication=-0.10 (P=0.0011). Major teaching hospitals displayed 19% lower odds of FTR versus non-teaching hospitals (odds ratio=0.81, P<0.0001), while hospitals as a group defined by teaching hospital status, comprehensive cardiac technology, and having good nursing mix and staffing, displayed a 33% lower odds of FTR (odds ratio=0.67, P<0.0001) versus hospitals without any of these characteristics. A modified FTR metric can be created that has many of the advantageous properties of surgical FTR and can aid in studying the quality of care of AMI admissions.

Does Center Volume Affect Failure to Rescue Rates in Lung Transplantation? A U.S. Nationwide Analysis

Failure to Rescue (FTR) is increasingly employed as a quality improvement tool in many surgical specialties. However, an FTR analysis has not yet been described in lung transplantation (LTX). The aim of this study is to assess FTR rates for 5 complications following LTX, and to test if per-center variability in FTR is related to differences in volume.

Hospital Teaching Status and Patients\u2019 Outcomes After Colon Cancer Surgery

Background and objectivesIt is increasingly accepted that quality of colon cancer surgery might be secured by combining volume standards with audit implementation. However, debate remains about other structural factors also influencing this quality, such as hospital teaching status. This study evaluates short-term outcomes after colon cancer surgery of patients treated in general, teaching or academic hospitals.MethodsAll patients (n = 23,593) registered in the Dutch Colorectal Audit undergoing colon cancer surgery between 2011 and 2014 were included. Patients were divided into groups based on teaching status of their hospital. Main outcome measures were serious complications, failure to rescue (FTR) and 30-day or in-hospital mortality. Multivariate logistic regression models on these outcome measures and with hospital teaching status as primary determinant were used, adjusted for case-mix, year of surgery and hospital volume.ResultsPatients treated in teaching and academic hospitals showed higher adjusted serious complication rates, compared to patients treated in general hospitals (odds ratio 1.25 95% CI [1.11–1.39] and OR 1.23 [1.05–1.46]). However, patients treated in teaching hospitals had lower adjusted FTR rates than patients treated in general hospitals (OR 0.63 [0.44–0.89]). However, for all outcomes there was considerable between-hospitals variation within each type of teaching status.ConclusionOn average, patients treated in general hospitals had lower serious complication rates, but patients treated in teaching hospitals had more favorable FTR rates. Given the hospital variation within each hospital teaching type, it is possible to deliver excellent care regardless of the hospital teaching type.

Variation in hospital mortality after pancreatoduodenectomy is related to failure to rescue rather than major complications: a nationwide audit

BackgroundIn the mandatory nationwide Dutch Pancreatic Cancer Audit, rates of major complications and Failure to Rescue (FTR) after pancreatoduodenectomy between low- and high-mortality hospitals are compared, and independent predictors for FTR investigated. MethodsPatients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy in 2014 and 2015 in The Netherlands were included. Hospitals were divided into quartiles based on mortality rates. The rate of major complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥3) and death after a major complication (FTR) were compared between these quartiles. Independent predictors for FTR were identified by multivariable logistic regression analysis. ResultsOut of 1.342 patients, 391 (29%) developed a major complication and in-hospital mortality was 4.2%. FTR occurred in 56 (14.3%) patients. Mortality was 0.9% in the first hospital quartile (4 hospitals, 327 patients) and 8.1% in the fourth quartile (5 hospitals, 310 patients). The rate of major complications increased by 40% (25.7% vs 35.2%) between the first and fourth hospital quartile, whereas the FTR rate increased by 560% (3.6% vs 22.9%). Independent predictors of FTR were male sex (OR = 2.1, 95%CI 1.2–3.9), age >75 years (OR = 4.3, 1.8–10.2), BMI ≥30 (OR = 2.9, 1.3–6.6), histopathological diagnosis of periampullary cancer (OR = 2.0, 1.1–3.7), and hospital volume <30 (OR = 3.9, 1.6–9.6). ConclusionsVariations in mortality between hospitals after pancreatoduodenectomy were explained mainly by differences in FTR, rather than the incidence of major complications.

Avoidable 30-day mortality analysis and failure to rescue in dysvascular lower extremity amputees

Background and purpose — An enhanced treatment program may decrease 30-day mortality below 20% after lower extremity amputations (LEA). The potential and limitations for further reduction are unknown. We analyzed postoperative causes of 30-day mortality, and assessed failure to rescue (FTR) rate in LEA patients who followed an enhanced treatment program.Patients and methods — Medical charts of 195 primary LEA procedures were reviewed independently by 3 of the authors, and deaths during hospitalization following amputation were classified according to consensus.Results — 31 patients died within 30 days after surgery. 4 deaths were classified as “definitely unavoidable,” 4 as “probably unavoidable,” and 23 as “FTR.” Patients who died had a higher incidence of sepsis, pneumonia, and acute myocardial infarction compared with those alive. A log binominal regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, ASA score, diabetes, nursing home admission, transfemoral amputation (TFA), and BMI showed that the risk of 30-day mortality was increased for TFA (RR =2.3, 95% CI 1.1–4.8) and for patients with diabetes (RR =2.7, 95% CI 1.3–5.6). The FTR rate (patients with 30-day mortality/all patients with a severe postoperative complication) was 30%. Of the FTR deaths, 20 at some point had active lifesaving care curtailed.Interpretation — Future initiatives should be directed at enhanced sepsis and pneumonia prophylactic actions, in addition to close monitoring of hemodynamics in anemic patients, with the potential to further reduce morbidity and mortality rates.

Predictors of Reoperation and Failure to Rescue in Bariatric Surgery.

Background and Objectives:Morbidity and mortality have been shown to increase several-fold in patients who have undergone bariatric surgery and returned to the operating room after their initial procedures. Failure-to-rescue (FTR) analyses allow for an understanding of patient management and outcomes that is more distinguished than assessments of adverse occurrences and mortality rates alone. The objective of this study was to assess failure to rescue (FTR) and the characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing reoperation after laparoscopic gastric bypass (LGBP) and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).Methods:The American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) participant data files were accessed to identify patients >18 years of age who underwent LGBP and LSG from 2011 through 2015. Patients were further classified into 3-day reoperation and nonreoperation cohorts. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and baseline health characteristics were collected. Pertinent outcomes, complications, and FTR were analyzed.Results:A total of 96,538 patients were included. Of those, 1,850 (1.92%) returned to the operating room, and 94,688 (98.08%) did not. Patients who underwent reoperation had a greater likelihood of having any complication (72.20% vs. 51.29%; P < .0001) and had a higher overall mortality rate (1.46% vs. 0.10%, P < .0001). The FTR rates were 2.01% in the reoperation group and 0.14% in the nonreoperation group (P < .0001).Conclusion:Patients who undergo LGBP and LSG and have reoperations are at higher risk of developing complications with subsequent mortality.