Hospital Length Of Hospital Stay Research Articles

Sepsis-Associated Coagulopathy Predicts Hospital Mortality in Critically Ill Patients With Postoperative Sepsis.

BackgroundThe incidence of coagulopathy, which was responsible for poor outcomes, was commonly seen among patients with sepsis. In the current study, we aim to determine whether the presence of sepsis-associated coagulopathy (SAC) predicts the clinical outcomes among critically ill patients with postoperative sepsis.MethodsWe conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study by including patients with sepsis admitted to surgical ICU of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2018. Baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared with respect to the presence of SAC. Kaplan-Meier analysis was applied to calculate survival rate, and Log-rank test was carried out to compare the differences between two groups. Furthermore, multivariable Cox and logistic and linear regression analysis were performed to assess the relationship between SAC and clinical outcomes, including hospital mortality, development of septic shock, and length of hospital stay (LOS), respectively. Additionally, both sensitivity and subgroup analyses were performed to further testify the robustness of our findings.ResultsA total of 175 patients were included in the current study. Among all included patients, 41.1% (72/175) ICU patients were identified as having SAC. In-hospital mortality rates were significantly higher in the SAC group when compared to that of the No SAC group (37.5% vs. 11.7%; p < 0.001). By performing univariable and multivariable regression analyses, presence of SAC was demonstrated to significantly correlate with an increased in-hospital mortality for patients with sepsis in surgical ICU [Hazard ratio (HR), 3.75; 95% Confidence interval (CI), 1.90–7.40; p < 0.001]. Meanwhile, a complication of SAC was found to be the independent predictor of the development of septic shock [Odds ratio (OR), 4.11; 95% CI, 1.81–9.32; p = 0.001], whereas it was not significantly associated with prolonged hospital LOS (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.83–1.14; p = 0.743).ConclusionThe presence of SAC was significantly associated with increased risk of in-hospital death and septic shock among postoperative patients with sepsis admitted to ICU. Moreover, there was no statistical difference of hospital LOS between the SAC and no SAC groups.

Complete opioid transition to sublingual Buprenorphine after abdominal surgery is associated with significant reductions in opioid requirements, but not reduction in hospital length of stay: a retrospective cohort study

BackgroundThe use of sublingual buprenorphine (SLBup) for acute pain after major abdominal surgery may offer the potential advantages of unique analgesic properties and more reliable absorption during resolving ileus. We hypothesized that complete opioid transition to SLBup rather than oral oxycodone (OOxy) in the early postoperative period after major abdominal surgery would reduce hospital length of stay, and acute pain and total OMEDD (Oral Morphine Equivalent Daily Dose) requirements in the first 24 h from post-parenteral opioid transition.MethodsWe reviewed 146 patients who had undergone elective and emergency abdominal surgery under our quaternary referral centre’s Upper Gastro-Intestinal and Colo-Rectal Surgical Units 6 months before and after the introduction of complete postoperative transition to sublingual buprenorphine, rather than oral oxycodone, in July 2017. Our primary endpoint was 24-hourly post-transition OMEDDs; secondary endpoints were 24-hourly post-transition Mean NRS-11 pain scores on movement (POM) and length of hospital stay (LOS). Univariate analysis and linear multivariate regression analyses were used to quantify effect size and identify surgical, patient & other analgesic factors associated with these outcome measures.ResultsPatients transitioning to SLBup had reduced 24-hourly post-transition OMEDD requirements on postoperative day 2 (POD) (26 mg less, p = 0.04) and NRS-11 POM at POD1 (0.7 NRS-11 units less, p = 0.01). When adjusting for patient, surgical and special analgesic factors, SLBup was associated with a similar reduction in OMEDDs (Unstandardised beta-coefficient -26 mg, p = 0.0001), but not NRS-11 POM (p = 0.47) or hospital LOS (p = 0.16).ConclusionsOur change of practice from use of OOxy to SLBup as primary transition opioid from patient-controlled analgesia delivered full opioid agonists was associated with a clinically significant decrease in 24-hourly post-parenteral opioid transition OMEDDs and improved NRS-11 POM, but without an association with hospital LOS after major abdominal surgery. Further prospective randomized work is required to confirm these observed associations and impact on other important patient-centred outcomes.

In-house testing for COVID-19: effects on length of stay, isolation and the need for inpatient rehabilitation.

Objective The COVID-19 pandemic has strained healthcare worldwide. Its direct complications, management and prognosis have been described. Downstream effects, including length of hospital stay (LOS), implications on discharge planning, and effect of in-house testing require formal study. Methods A retrospective cohort study of patients suspected of COVID-19 infection admitted at a metropolitan Australian hospital was conducted. Outcomes before and after availability of in-house COVID-19 testing were compared. Results A total of 129 admissions were analysed. Indications for COVID-testing were dyspnoea (61.2%), fever (19.3%) and delirium (10.8%). All tested negative for COVID-19. Prior to in-house testing, mean LOS was 7.17 days (s.d. ± 4.2), and mean isolation of 1.8 days (s.d. ± 0.8). After availability of in-house testing, mean LOS was 4.78 days (s.d. ± 4.3) with mean isolation of 1.3 days (s.d. ± 0.9), both statistically significant differences. There were five inpatient falls, equivalent to 14.8 falls per 1000 patient/days. Twenty-two patients (17%) required subsequent sub-acute admission, 15 before in-house testing and five after (P = 0.058); however, a sub-group analysis for age >65 years was performed, and the results were significant (P < 0.05), showing all patients who required subacute admissions were aged >65. Conclusion In-house COVID-19 testing is suggested to significantly reduce the duration patients spend in isolation and overall LOS in hospital. A shorter period of isolation and hospital LOS may reduce the need for subacute transfer in patients aged greater than 65 years, as well as the rates of inpatient falls. Large scale studies are needed to further elucidate these findings.

Association between Air Pollution and Risk of Hospital Admission for Pediatric Pneumonia in a Tropical City, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Recent evidences have shown that particulate matter (PM) and other air pollutants are associated with pulmonary and systemic inflammation; however, the relationship between air pollutants and the risk of admission for pediatric pneumonia has not been well surveyed. This study aimed to estimate the hazards of air pollutants on the risk of pediatric pneumonia emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalization. Data on PM2.5 (PM with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 μm), PM10 (PM with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 μm), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) in each of the 11 air monitoring stations in Kaohsiung city were collected. The medical records of non-traumatic patients under 17 years of age who had visited the ED between 2008 to 2013, with a principal diagnosis of pneumonia were extracted. We evaluated the relationship between air pollutant exposure and the risk of admission and length of hospital stay (LOS). An interquartile range increments of PM2.5 (odds ratio [OR]: 1.677, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.381–2.041), PM10 (OR: 1.568, 95% CI: 1.312–1.880), NO2 (OR: 1.383, 95% CI: 1.179–1.625), SO2 (OR: 1.261, 95% CI: 1.170–1.361), and O3 (OR: 1.182, 95% CI: 1.024–1.366) were statistically significantly associated with the risk of pediatric pneumonia hospitalization on lag 0–3. In the two-pollutant model, after adjusting for NO2 (OR: 1.534, 95% CI: 1.206–1.958), SO2 (OR: 1.534, 95% CI: 1.206–1.958), or O3 (OR: 1.741, 95% CI: 1.385–2.196), PM2.5 was still statistically significantly associated with pediatric pneumonia hospitalization. Furthermore, higher PM2.5 concentration (> 45 μg/m3) was associated with prolonged hospital LOS (OR: 0.217, 95% CI: 0.03–0.404, P = 0.023), especially for younger children (≤ 5 years). In conclusion, we found that PM2.5, PM10, and SO2 exposure were risk factors for hospitalization due to pediatric pneumonia.

Clinical characteristics and factors influencing waiting time to surgery and length of stay in elderly patients with hip fractures

Introduction To investigate clinical, laboratory findings and identify pre-operative variables associated with increased waiting time to surgery (WTS) and length of hospital stay (LOS) among hip fracture patients. Material and methods This prospective study is conducted between April 2020 and April 2021. Patients’ information was collected from medical records and subjected to analysis using a univariate and multivariate model. Results The study included 118 patients in a mean age of 79.5 years, and the majority were female (68.6 %). Overall, 66.9 % of the patients had at least one comorbidity. Almost all (95.8 %) patients had fractures due to a low-impact fall and an intertrochanteric fracture was the predominant type (61.9 %). The most abnormal laboratory findings at admission were elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (94.9 %) followed by decreased mineral density (85.1 %), anaemia (81.4 %), electrolyte abnormalities (69.4 %) and hypoalbuminemia (66.1 %). The mean of WTS among 115 patients undergoing surgical treatment was 52.1 ± 47 hours and no patient-related factors had a significant influence on WTS. The mean hospital LOS was 15.9 ± 4.7 days. Marked elevation of CRP level (OR = 3.317, p = 0.042), type of surgery (OR = 4.413, p = 0.005) and WTS (OR = 4.602, p = 0.001) were independent predictors of prolonged LOS. Conclusion Most patients with hip fractures are elderly and suffer from many comorbidities and laboratory abnormalities. No patient-related factors are predictors of WTS but the elevation of CRP, type of surgery and time of waiting to surgery influence the LOS.

Hastanede Yatan Hastaların Beslenme Durumlarının Nutrisyonel Risk Skoru 2002 ve Subjektif Global Değerlendirme ile Taranması

Aim: The assessment of the nutritional status of hospitalized patients is important to detect individuals who are under malnourishment risk and malnutrition-related conditions. The present study aimed to screen the nutritional status of hospitalized patients with Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002) and Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) screening and to compare the results of two screening methods in predicting malnutrition. Materials and Methods: NRS-2002 and SGA were administered to 134 non-critical service patients within the first days of hospital admission. Tool performance in predicting malnutrition and the association with length of hospital stay (LOS) were analyzed. Results: 22.4% (n=30) of the patients were at nutritional risk when screened with NRS-2002; when screened with SGA, 35.8% (n=48) of the patients were found to be malnourished (p=0.015). The hospital LOS (day) of malnourished patients and non-malnourished patients according to NRS-2002 were similar. However, according to SGA screening, the hospital LOS of malnourished patients was longer than non-malnourished patients (17.90±16.93 vs 10.79±11.23) (p=0.004). In both screening tools most of the malnourished patients were overweight or obese (the total overweight and obese patients rate 70% and 75% according to NRS-2002 and SGA; respectively). Factors associated with malnutrition were only age and hospital LOS (p&amp;lt;0.05). Conclusion: Considering current criteria for nutritional risk, NRS-2002, as an objective and remarkably powerful tool, seems to provide a better yield for an objective assessment. Besides this, adding subjective parameters to the assessment by applying SGA could increase the capability of detecting the nutrition risk of hospitalized patients for a comprehensive nutritional assessment.

Immature Platelets and Disease Severity in Patients Hospitalized with Acute COVID-19 Who Are Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Introduction: COVID-19 has killed more than four million people worldwide and resulted in strained health resources globally(Dong Lancet ID 2020). There is a critical need for prognostic biomarkers to predict severity and outcomes in COVID-19 patients to allow more efficient resource allocation. Studies using pre-vaccination hospitalized patient data have demonstrated that elevated initial and peak immature platelet fraction (IPF), as well as related platelet indices, were associated with progression to severe COVID-19 outcomes (Welder Br J Haem 2021). This suggests the potential role of immature platelets as a cost-effective biomarker. The underlying pathophysiology of immature platelets in COVID-19 is unclear but these results support the hypothesis of higher inflammatory response, leading to thrombopoiesis mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines and platelet hyper-reactivity in this population (Manne Blood 2021). It is unclear if this holds true in patients vaccinated against COVID-19. This study aims to assess the relationship between immature platelets in patients vaccinated against COVID-19 and hospitalized with acute COVID-19.Methods: This study used a COVID-19 patient registry established by the University of Texas Southwestern that comprises patients between May 2020 to July 2021. The database was approved by the Institutional Review Board. The study included 22 fully vaccinated adult patients with the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines hospitalized with acute COVID-19 and had IPF measurements during the hospitalization as well as 519 non-intensive care unit (ICU) patients admitted with acute COVID-19 prior to availability of a COVID-19 vaccine (pre-vaccination era). The study conducted non-parametric tests to compare hospital outcomes and covariates of interest between vaccinated patients and pre-vaccination era non-ICU patients. Covariates included for analysis are age, gender, race, length of hospital stay (LOS), dexamethasone use, platelet count, immature platelet count (IPC), IPF, thrombotic events and mortality.Results: All patients vaccinated against COVID-19 were alive without thrombotic events at the time of analysis. One out of 22 vaccinated patients required ICU admission and use of a ventilator. IPF and platelet counts at admission were similar between vaccinated patients and non-ICU patients from pre-vaccine era while IPC was significantly lower in the vaccinated group (Table 1). The vaccinated patient requiring ICU admission and mechanical ventilation was a heavy tobacco user with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (IPF 6.1%, IPC 4x10 9/L, platelet count 66x10 9/L). There was a disproportionate number of Hispanic patients in the vaccinated cohort (44%, P = 0.02). The LOS was significantly shorter in vaccinated patients compared to pre-vaccination era non-ICU patients by a day and a half (P = 0.047). The admission IPF and IPC were not correlated with increased LOS (IPF Spearman ρ = 0.23, P = 0.31; IPC ρ = -0.34, P = 0.13), while platelet count at admission negatively correlated with LOS (ρ = -0.41, P = 0.06).Discussion: IPF, IPC, and platelet count have previously been demonstrated to be a predictor of increased ICU and hospital LOS, ventilator duration, and in-hospital mortality. To our knowledge, this is the first study assessing the relationship between IPF and platelet indices in hospitalized patients vaccinated against COVID-19. Due to the lack of severe COVID-19 outcomes in these vaccinated patients, LOS was the only variable able to be analyzed and lower platelet count was found to be associated with increased LOS . These preliminary results demonstrated similar initial IPF and platelet counts but lower IPC in a small cohort of vaccinated COVID-19 patients compared with the pre-vaccination era patients with no severe outcomes. This suggests that the predictive value of these biomarkers may also apply to the vaccinated patient population. As IPC in this current study is derived from IPF and platelet counts, independent measure of IPC is needed to confirm this finding in a larger cohort. This study also potentially suggests the protective benefits of COVID-19 vaccines as reported in prior randomized trials (Polack NEJM 2020). Further research is needed to confirm these findings in a larger vaccinated cohort assessing severe outcomes, hospitalization, and death, especially with future infection waves with contagious COVID-19 variants rapidly emerging. [Display omitted] DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Understanding the Impacts of Temperature on Hospital Admissions, Length of Stay, and Related Healthcare Costs under the Changing Climate

BACKGROUND AND AIM: A growing number of studies have investigated the effect of increasing temperatures on morbidity and health service use. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the temperature-attributable cost burden.This study examines the relationship of daily mean temperature with hospital admissions, length of hospital stay (LoS), and costs; and estimates the baseline temperature-attributable hospital admissions, and costs and in relation to warmer climate scenarios in Adelaide, South Australia. METHODS: A daily time series analysis using distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) was used to explore exposure-response relationships and to estimate the aggregated burden of hospital admissions for conditions associated with temperatures (i.e. renal diseases, mental health, diabetes, ischaemic heart diseases and heat-related illnesses) as well as the associated LoS and costs, for the baseline period (2010-2015) and different future climate scenarios in Adelaide, South Australia. RESULTS:During the six-year baseline period, the overall temperature-attributable hospital admissions, LoS, and associated costs were estimated to be 3,915 cases (95% empirical confidence interval (eCI): 235, 7,295), 99,766 days (95% eCI: 14,484, 168,457), and AU$159 million (95% eCI: 18.8, 269.0), respectively. A climate scenario consistent with RCP8.5 emissions, and including projected demographic change, is estimated to lead to increases in heat-attributable hospital admissions, LoS, and costs of 2.2% (95% eCI: 0.5, 3.9), 8.4% (95% eCI: 1.1, 14.3), and 7.7% (95% eCI: 0.3, 13.3), respectively by mid-century. CONCLUSIONS:There is already a substantial temperature-attributable impact on hospital admissions, LoS, and costs which are estimated to increase due to climate change and an increasing aged population. Unless effective climate and public health interventions are put into action, the costs of treating temperature-related admissions will be high. KEYWORDS: Climate, Temperature, Temperature variability

The relationship of the geriatric nutritional risk index to mortality and length of stay in elderly patients with acute respiratory failure: A retrospective cohort study

BackgroundElderly people with acute respiratory failure (ARF) have prolonged length of hospital stay (LOS) and high mortality rates. Malnutrition is negatively correlated with these LOS and mortality. However, no tools have been used to detect the risk of malnutrition and assist in designing nutritional support for these patients. The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) is reported as a novel tool for evaluating the risk of malnutrition. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship of the GNRI score with mortality and LOS in elderly patients with ARF. MethodsData of elderly patients diagnosed with ARF were retrieved from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III) database. A total of 1250 patients were divided into two groups based on their GNRI score: the malnutrition risk group (GNRI ≤ 98) and no risk group (GNRI > 98). The primary endpoints of this study were hospital mortality and hospital LOS. ResultsThe higher GNRI score was associated with lower hospital mortality and shorter hospital LOS. Odds ratio (OR) for hospital mortality of patients with nutritional risk (GNRI ≤ 98) was 1.264 (95% CI:1.067–1.497) in the adjusted model. Patients with GNRI ≤98 had longer hospital LOS (adjusted OR: 1.142, 95%CI: 1.044–1.250) compared with those with GNRI > 98. Subgroup analysis showed that higher GNRI was only significantly associated with lower hospital mortality in the patients that did not undergo mechanical ventilator (MV) treatment (adjusted OR: 0.985, 95% CI: 0.977–0.992, P < 0.01). Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that the 90-day survival was significantly lower in the group with nutrition risk (GNRI≤98) compared with the no risk group (GNRI > 98, p < 0.05). ConclusionThese findings imply that GNRI is a useful prognostic tool in elderly patients with ARF.

Ramifications of Postoperative Dysphagia on Health Care Resource Utilization Following Elective Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Interbody Fusion for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy.

This is a retrospective cohort study. The aim of this study was to investigate patient risk factors and health care resource utilization associated with postoperative dysphagia following elective anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. There is a paucity of data on factors predisposing patients to dysphagia and the burden this complication has on health care resource utilization following ACDF. A retrospective cohort study was performed using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2016 to 2017. All adult (above 18 y old) patients undergoing ACDF for cervical spondylotic myelopathy were identified using the ICD-10-CM diagnosis and procedural coding system. Patients were then categorized by whether they had a recorded postoperative dysphagia or no dysphagia. Weighted patient demographics, comorbidities, perioperative complications, length of hospital stay (LOS), discharge disposition, and total cost of admission were assessed. A multivariate stepwise logistic regression was used to determine both the odds ratio for risk-adjusted postoperative dysphagia as well as extended LOS. A total of 17,385 patients were identified, of which 1400 (8.1%) experienced postoperative dysphagia. Compared with the No-Dysphagia cohort, the Dysphagia cohort had a greater proportion of patients experiencing a complication (P=0.004), including 1 complication (No-Dysphagia: 2.9% vs. Dysphagia: 6.8%), and >1 complication (No-Dysphagia: 0.3% vs. Dysphagia: 0.4%). The Dysphagia cohort experienced significantly longer hospital stays (No-Dysphagia: 1.9±2.1 d vs. Dysphagia: 4.2±4.3 d, P<0.001), higher total cost of admission (No-Dysphagia: $19,441±10,495 vs. Dysphagia: $25,529±18,641, P<0.001), and increased rates of nonroutine discharge (No-Dysphagia: 16.5% vs. Dysphagia: 34.3%, P<0.001). Postoperative dysphagia was found to be a significant independent risk factor for extended LOS on multivariate analysis, with an odds ratio of 5.37 (95% confidence interval: 4.09, 7.05, P<0.001). Patients experiencing postoperative dysphagia were found to have significantly longer hospital LOS, higher total cost of admission, and increased nonroutine discharge when compared with the patients who did not. Level III.

Sequencing of Renal Mass Biopsy and Ablation: Results from the National Cancer Database.

We assessed current utilization and sequencing of renal mass biopsy (RMB) and thermal ablation for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients in the United States. The 2004-2014 National Cancer Database was queried for adult patients with histopathologically diagnosed American Joint Committee on Cancer stage I RCC ≤5 cm undergoing RMB and thermal ablation. RMB sequencing was stratified into "staged RMB" (separate sessions for RMB/ablation) or "concomitant RMB" (same date RMB/ablation). Demographics, cancer variables and time trends were compared. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression identified predictors of concomitant RMB, and evaluated their impact on inpatient hospital stay and 30-day unplanned readmissions. A total of 6,323 patients were included, of whom 2,913 (46.1%) underwent staged RMB and 3,410 (53.9%) underwent concomitant RMB. Concomitant RMB was more frequently performed until 2012, and staged RMB thereafter (trend p <0.001). In multivariable logistic regression models, private insurance, clear cell RCC, right-sided disease and smaller tumor diameter demonstrated higher probability of concomitant RMB. Furthermore, geographical differences across the United States were evident (concomitant RMB West/South Central region 64.6% versus New England 29.3%, multivariable p <0.05). Concomitant RMB was associated with greater odds of inpatient hospital stay (multivariable OR=1.42, 95% CI=1. 27-1. 60; p <0.001) and 30-day unplanned hospital readmissions (OR=1.55, 95% CI=1.07-2.27; p=0.022). Staged RMB is more frequently performed in more recent years and is associated with lower odds of inpatient hospital stay and unplanned readmissions within 30 days. These potential benefits, combined with the potential to limit ablation of benign tumors, need to be weighed against additional health care costs and inconvenience associated with 2 interventions.

Racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes exist despite comparable Elixhauser comorbidity indices between Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Whites

Factors contributing to racial inequities in outcomes from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remain poorly understood. We compared by race the risk of 4 COVID-19 health outcomes––maximum length of hospital stay (LOS), invasive ventilation, hospitalization exceeding 24 h, and death––stratified by Elixhauser comorbidity index (ECI) ranking. Outcomes and ECI scores were constructed from retrospective data obtained from the Cerner COVID-19 De-Identified Data cohort. We hypothesized that racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes would exist despite comparable ECI scores among non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs), and NH Whites. Compared with NH Whites, NH Blacks had longer hospital LOS, higher rates of ventilator dependence, and a higher mortality rate; AI/ANs, higher odds of hospitalization for ECI = 0 but lower for ECI ≥ 5, longer LOS for ECI = 0, a higher risk of death across all ECI categories except ECI ≥ 5, and higher odds of ventilator dependence; Hispanics, a lower risk of death across all ECI categories except ECI = 0, lower odds of hospitalization, shorter LOS for ECI ≥ 5, and higher odds of ventilator dependence for ECI = 0 but lower for ECI = 1–4. Our findings contest arguments that higher comorbidity levels explain elevated COVID-19 death rates among NH Blacks and AI/ANs compared with Hispanics and NH Whites.

Associations of Preoperative Self-rated Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression on Length of Hospital Stay and Long-term Quality of Life in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery.

Anxiety and depression are often associated with cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, few study authors have investigated psychological effects on immediate and long-term cardiac surgery-related outcomes, such as surgical complications, length of hospital stay (LOS), and long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aims of this study were to (a) investigate the role of preoperative symptoms of anxiety and depression in predicting LOS in a sample of surgical patients and (b) evaluate the impact of preoperative symptoms of anxiety and depression on the patients' HRQoL 3 months after surgery. One hundred fifty-one patients waiting for surgery were included. To evaluate symptoms of anxiety and depression, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the impact of both clinical and psychological factors on LOS, whereas quantile regression was performed to assess their effect on the patients' HRQoL 3 months after surgery. The multiple regression shows that EuroSCORE, length of endotracheal intubation, and anxiety symptoms predict LOS. The multiple quantile regression analyses also show that both symptoms of anxiety and depression predict a negative HRQoL up to 3 months after surgery. Preoperative symptoms of anxiety predict the patients' LOS, and both symptoms of anxiety and depression predict a scarce HRQoL 3 months after cardiac surgery. These results suggest the need for implementing presurgical in-hospital screening procedures for both symptoms of anxiety and depression. Finally, focused psychological interventions should be implemented for reducing inpatients' hospital LOS and improving their future quality of life.

Increasing impacts of temperature on hospital admissions, length of stay, and related healthcare costs in the context of climate change in Adelaide, South Australia

BackgroundA growing number of studies have investigated the effect of increasing temperatures on morbidity and health service use. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the temperature-attributable cost burden. ObjectivesThis study examines the relationship of daily mean temperature with hospital admissions, length of hospital stay (LoS), and costs; and estimates the baseline temperature-attributable hospital admissions, and costs and in relation to warmer climate scenarios in Adelaide, South Australia. MethodA daily time series analysis using distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) was used to explore exposure-response relationships and to estimate the aggregated burden of hospital admissions for conditions associated with temperatures (i.e. renal diseases, mental health, diabetes, ischaemic heart diseases and heat-related illnesses) as well as the associated LoS and costs, for the baseline period (2010–2015) and different future climate scenarios in Adelaide, South Australia. ResultsDuring the six-year baseline period, the overall temperature-attributable hospital admissions, LoS, and associated costs were estimated to be 3915 cases (95% empirical confidence interval (eCI): 235, 7295), 99,766 days (95% eCI: 14,484, 168,457), and AU$159 million (95% eCI: 18.8, 269.0), respectively. A climate scenario consistent with RCP8.5 emissions, and including projected demographic change, is estimated to lead to increases in heat-attributable hospital admissions, LoS, and costs of 2.2% (95% eCI: 0.5, 3.9), 8.4% (95% eCI: 1.1, 14.3), and 7.7% (95% eCI: 0.3, 13.3), respectively by mid-century. ConclusionsThere is already a substantial temperature-attributable impact on hospital admissions, LoS, and costs which are estimated to increase due to climate change and an increasing aged population. Unless effective climate and public health interventions are put into action, the costs of treating temperature-related admissions will be high.

Prevalencia de hiperglicemia y su relación con el tiempo de estadía en un hospital terciario

BACKGROUND Hyperglycemia during hospital stay is associated with adverse outcomes. AIM To characterize the frequency of hyperglycemia in a tertiary hospital and to correlate it with length of hospital stay (LOS). MATERIAL AND METHODS Review of medical records of hospitalized patients. Demographic data and laboratory data, previous diabetes mellitus (DM) history, current main diagnosis, unit of hospitalization and the two highest capillary blood glucose values from the analyzed period were recorded for each patient. LOS was obtained from electronic clinical records. RESULTS 210 subjects, aged 60 ± 19 years (104 women) were included. 113 patients (54%) developed hyperglycemia ≥ 140 mg/L. Thirty one percent of these had a previous history of diabetes and 29% had stress hyperglycemia (SHG). Patients with a history of DM had a higher average blood glucose than those with SHG (238.9 and 178.2 mg/dL, respectively, p < 0.01) and a greater percentage of cases with a blood glucose above 180 mg/dL (72 and 40.0%, respectively, p < 0.01). Hospital LOS was significantly longer in patients with hyperglycemia ≥ 140 mg/dL as compared with those with normoglycemia (29.3 and 12.8 days, respectively, p < 0.01). This association remained significant when introduced in a linear regression analysis including diagnosis, decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and hospitalization unit (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Hyperglycemia during hospitalization affects more than half of hospitalized patients and is associated with a longer length of stay.

669. Rapid Molecular Testing of Sputum for Identification of Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Impact on Duration of Respiratory Isolation

BackgroundCurrent guidelines recommend molecular testing directly on sputum of patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) to facilitate discontinuation of airborne infection isolation (AII). Henry Ford Hospital (HFH), a tertiary care center in Detroit, MI serves a population at high-risk for TB. Molecular testing of sputum using GeneXpert/MTB RIF (Xpert; Cepheid) (GXTB) was implemented at HFH on March 2019. Providers were permitted to remove patients from AII using 3 negative acid-fast bacillus smears (AFB) or 2 negative GXTB results. We evaluated the impact of GXTB on duration of AII over a 2-year period: Pre-implementation (January 2018 to February 2019) and post-implementation (March 2019 to February 2020).MethodsRetrospective data was abstracted for all patients placed in AII during the study period. Demographic data, TB risk factors, duration of AII, length of hospital stay (LOS), accuracy and turn-around-times (TAT) of AFB and GXTB were compared in the pre- and post-implementation periods. Categorical variables were studied using chi-square testing, and continuous variables were studied using T-test or Mann Whitney U test as appropriate.ResultsDuring the study period, 269 patients with suspected TB were placed in AII: 137 pre-implementation and 132 post-implementation. Clinical characteristics and TB risk factors were generally comparable in both groups (Table 1). Abnormal chest X-ray was more frequent in patients in the post-implementation phase. All cases of culture positive TB were detected by AFB and GXTB. TAT of AFB results before and after implementation were similar and ranged from 20-24 hours (Table 2). In the post-implementation period, TAT of GXTB compared to AFB was 6.35 vs 21.28 hours (p < 0.0001). Duration of AII was shortened by almost 24 hours (70.2 vs 93.7 hours, p=0.031) (Table 3). Time from first sample collection to final results of all samples was 19.2 vs 52.6 hours, p< 0.0001. There was no difference in total LOS pre and post-implementation.Table 1. Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Suspected Pulmonary Tuberculosis Table 2. Turnaround times (TAT) of AFB and GeneXpert/MTB (Xpert) RIF before and after implementation Table 3. Duration of Airborne Isolation, Total Turn-Around Times, and Hospital Length of Stay in the Pre- and Post-implementation Period ConclusionImplementation of rapid direct molecular testing reduced the duration of respiratory isolation for patients with suspected pulmonary TB. Further provider education regarding the reliability of GXTB in excluding TB may be necessary to reduce overall hospital LOS.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

310. The Impact of Microscan versus Vitek-2 for Automated Susceptibility Testing on the Utilization of Vancomycin Alternatives for the Treatment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia

BackgroundAutomated susceptibility testing (AST) provides minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) to guide effective antibiotic therapy. AST is critical for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia, as susceptible MIC values ≥ 1.5 µg/mL are associated with vancomycin (VAN) failure. The Microscan (MS) instrument may report elevated MIC values compared to Vitek-2 (VTK), thus impacting treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of MS versus VTK on VAN alternative use in the treatment of MRSA bacteremia in a Texas health system.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted to the Ascension Seton health system in Austin, TX. Patient eligibility included: age ≥18 years, ≥1 positive MRSA blood culture, ≥72 hours of MRSA therapy, and VAN use within 48 hours of positive culture. Patients were stratified into the MS group (May 2013-Dec 2016) and VTK group (Jun 2017-Mar 2020). The primary outcome was therapy switch from VAN to VAN alternatives. Secondary endpoints include S. aureus MIC, 30-day all-cause mortality, 30 and 90-day readmission, and length of hospital stay (LOS). Outcomes were compared between groups using appropriate bivariable comparisons, as well as multivariable logistic regression and propensity score-adjusted logistic regression.ResultsA total of 199 patients were included: 91 in the MS group and 108 in the VTK group. Switch to VAN alternative was 56% vs. 19% (p< 0.0001) for MS and VTK, respectively. The median (interquartile range) MIC value reported was 2 μg/mL (2 – 2) and 1 μg/mL (0.5 – 1) for MS and VTK, respectively (p< 0.0001). Thirty-day readmission (19% vs. 20%, p=0.7647) and 30-day mortality (10% vs. 9%, p=0.5262) were comparable between MS and VTK groups, respectively. Hospital LOS significantly decreased in the VTK period (16 days vs. 12 days, p=0.0153). The MS group was the only independent positive predictor of VAN alternative therapy: logistic regression, OR 5.64 (95% CI 1.67–18.99) and propensity score adjusted, OR 4.21 (95% CI 1.32–13.48).ConclusionSince implementation of VTK from MS, Ascension Seton hospitals experienced a decreased median VAN MIC for MRSA bacteremia as well as therapy switches from VAN to VAN alternatives without affecting other patient health outcomes.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Earlier Initiation of Postoperative Physical Therapy Decreases Opioid Use after Total Knee Arthroplasty.

For patients with advanced osteoarthritis of the knee, total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been shown to provide significant pain relief and improved function with consistent, reproducible results. Post-operative physical therapy (PT) plays an important role is restoring muscle strength and range of motion (ROM). Yet, the impact of earlier physical therapy initiation after TKA has not been well defined. We assessed 205 patients that underwent primary TKA including 136 patients who started PT on the first post-operative day (POD1) and a second group that started PT 3 days after surgery (POD3), or later. Length of hospital stay (LOS), opioid use during hospital stay, complications, re-admissions, knee ROM and the need for subsequent hospitalized rehabilitation were recorded. LOS was not significantly shorter in the early PT group, compared with the delayed PT group (6.4 ± 2.2 days vs. 6.8 ± 2 days, respectively, P = .217). Patients in the delayed PT group consumed more opioids during their inpatient stay compared with the early PT group on both POD 3 (89% vs 82%, p = 0.013) and POD 4 (81% vs 66%, p = 0.005). There was no significant difference in the incidence of Immediate post-operative complications or final knee ROM between the two groups. While early postoperative PT did not impact hospital LOS or final knee ROM, it was associated with an earlier reduction in postoperative opioid consumption after primary TKA.

Clinical Experience of Implementing Oral Versus Intravenous Antibiotics (OVIVA) in a Specialist Orthopedic Hospital.

The Oral Versus Intravenous Antibiotics (OVIVA) Trial demonstrated that oral therapy, when used during the initial 6 weeks in the treatment in bone and joint infection (BJI), is noninferior to intravenous therapy. To date there are no reports describing reproducibility of these findings in a real-world setting. We studied all patients diagnosed with BJI at our hospital 12 months pre- and postimplementation of the OVIVA trial findings into clinical practice. An infection consultant recommended antibiotic treatment and patients were followed up by an outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) service. Prospective data from a local registry was used to analyze baseline clinical details, outcome, length of hospital stay (LOS), and costs. A cohort of 328 patients (145 pre- and 183 postimplementation) was analyzed. Postimplementation, 66.1% of patients were switched to a suitable oral antibiotic regimen. Definite failure at 1 year was 13.6% in the preimplementation group and 18.6% in the postimplementation group (P = .154). Postimplementation, definite failure was more common in patients requiring intravenous antibiotics due to lack of suitable oral options (intravenous, 26.7% and oral, 14.3%). Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) requiring closer monitoring or change to treatment were more common postimplementation (21.0% and 37.1%, respectively). ADR-related hospital readmissions were similar in both groups (2.1 and 2.2%). Comparing both groups, the postimplementation group showed a reduction of 4 days in the median LOS and a median cost reduction of £2764.28 per patient. The OVIVA trial findings can be safely implemented into clinical practice when patients on oral antibiotics are followed up by an established OPAT service. Two-thirds of patients were switched to a suitable oral antibiotic regimen. Implementation led to reductions in hospital LOS and antibiotic costs.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol reduces LOS without additional adverse events in spine surgery

BackgroundEnhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols aim to reduce the physiological stress induced by surgery. These protocols are persistently associated with improved outcomes and reduced costs in several orthopaedic subspecialties. Recently, spine surgery has been explored in the literature as a potential and beneficial domain for ERAS protocols. The aim of this study was to compare the short-term postoperative spine surgery follow-up between patients who underwent the ERAS protocol and those who recovered conventionally. HypothesisThe ERAS protocol developed in our department since 2016 is beneficial to patients undergoing spinal surgery. Patients and methodsA retrospective analysis of data collected prospectively was performed to include all patients who underwent spinal surgery and went through the ERAS protocol in our clinic between January 2017 and January 2018. A control group was paired using a propensity score. Length of hospital stay (LOS), complications, rate of readmissions, postoperative pain, function and satisfaction were compared between the two groups. ResultsA total of 193 patients received the ERAS protocol during the study period. After pairing, 193 couples were selected resulting in a final database of 386 patients for the analysis. There was a significant difference in mean LOS, defined as the average number of days spent in hospital, between the two groups (ERAS group, mean LOS=2.6 days [median 2 days, range 1–7], control group mean LOS=4.4 days [median 4 days, range 2–14]; p<0.0001). Complications, rate of readmissions, postoperative pain, function and satisfaction were similar in the two groups. DiscussionThe ERAS protocol decreased hospital LOS, without resulting in additional adverse events after spinal surgery. These findings support the application of our ERAS protocol after spinal surgery. Level of evidenceIII, retrospective analysis.