Hospital Days Research Articles

Nomogram for predicting the risk of nosocomial infections among obstetric inpatients: a large-scale retrospective study in China

ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram for assessing the risk of nosocomial infections among obstetric inpatients, providing a valuable reference for predicting and mitigating the risk of postpartum infections.MethodsA retrospective observational study was performed on a cohort of 28,608 obstetric patients admitted for childbirth between 2017 and 2022. Data from the year 2022, comprising 4,153 inpatients, were utilized for model validation. Univariable and multivariable stepwise logistic regression analyses were employed to identify the factors influencing nosocomial infections among obstetric inpatients. A nomogram was subsequently developed based on the final predictive model. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was utilized to calculate the area under the curve (AUC) to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the nomogram in both the training and validation datasets.ResultsThe gestational weeks > = 37, prenatal anemia, prenatal hypoproteinemia, premature rupture of membranes (PROM), cesarean sction, operative delivery, adverse birth outcomes, length of hospitalization (days) > 5, CVC use and catheterization of ureter were included in the ultimate prediction model. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.828 (0.823, 0.833) in the training dataset and 0.855 (0.844, 0.865) in the validation dataset.ConclusionThrough a large-scale retrospective study conducted in China, we developed and independently validated a nomogram to enable personalized postpartum infections risk estimates for obstetric inpatients. Its clinical application can facilitate early identification of high-risk groups, enabling timely infection prevention and control measures.

Classic divided sigmoidostomy vs loop sigmoidostomy in anorectal malformations: time for change?

Divided sigmoidostomy (DS) is the classic stoma for patients with anorectal malformations (ARM). Loop sigmoidostomies (LS) in ARM are associated with a higher risk of stoma prolapse and urinary tract infections (UTI). This is not clearly supported by literature. We compared our experience with both techniques. Retrospective study of ARM patients who underwent DS or LS between 2013 and 2023. We analysed demographics, associated malformations, intraoperative variables, oral intake and stoma functioning times, hospital stay, complications, prolapses, and UTI. Of 40 patients, 29 underwent open DS and 11 laparoscopic LS. Demographics, malformation type, associated anomalies, surgical time, intraoperative and anaesthetic complications were comparable. Postoperative complications were higher in DS than LS [14(48.3%) vs 1(9.1%), (p = 0.02)], mostly due to wound complications [12(41.3%) vs 0(0%), (p = 0.01)]; with 3 dehiscenses and 3 strictures reintervened. The hours to oral intake and stoma functioning were higher for DS [48(39-90) and 48(24-48) vs 24(24-48) and 24(24-24), (p < 0.05)], with more days of hospital stay [36(19-60) vs 8(5-10), (p = 0.001)]. Prolapses [1(3.4%) vs 1(9.1%)] and UTIs [3(10.3%) vs 1(9.1%) (p > 0.05)] were comparable. LS in ARM patients have no higher risk of prolapse or UTI than DS. DS had more complications, mostly wound infections, strictures and dehiscenses.

Clinical Observation of Zero-P System Interbody Fusion Combined with Traditional Chinese Medicine-Directed Drug Delivery Technology for Treating Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of the Zero-profile fusion cage (Zero-P) combined with Traditional Chinese Medicine-directed drug delivery technique in the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy, and to assess its impact on potential postoperative complications. Methods: 13 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy were selected from January 2022 to October 2023. The intraoperative bleeding volume, operation duration, and hospitalization days were recorded, the incidence and improvement of postoperative complications were observed, and the pain index and cervical function index were analyzed, including Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, Neck Disability Index (NDI) index, etc. Results: The operation duration of patients was 65–110 (81.92 ± 13.47) min; mean intraoperative blood loss was 12.30 ± 7.80 ml, and mean postoperative hospital days were 9.62 ± 3.52 days. All patients in this group were followed up over 3 months after surgery, and the study found that the VAS, JOA, and NDI scores improved significantly compared with the preoperative difference (P &lt; 0.01); and the VAS, JOA, and NDI scores 1 month postoperative improved significantly compared with 1 week postoperative (P &lt; 0.01). In addition, the incidence of postoperative complications of the Zero-P system was low, with no incision infection, implant rejection, fracture, displacement, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, and laryngeal edema; one patient had mild dysphagia (7.69%) and nine patients had throat dryness and discomfort (69.23%), which completely disappeared after 1 week of TCM-directed drug treatment and symptomatic treatment. Conclusion: Zero-P system interbody fusion has a significant effect on cervical spondylotic myelopathy, with a low incidence of postoperative complications and fast improvement speed, which can effectively enhance the impact of surgery on cervical spondylotic myelopathy patients, thus it is worthy of application and promotion.

Developing a framework for identifying risk factors and estimating direct economic disease burden attributable to healthcare-associated infections: a case study of a Chinese Tuberculosis hospital

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) represent a major global health burden, which necessitate effective frameworks to identify potential risk factors and estimate the corresponding direct economic disease burden. In this article, we proposed a framework designed to address these needs through a case study conducted in a Tuberculosis (TB) hospital in Hubei Province, China, using data from 2018 to 2019. A comprehensive multistep procedure was developed, including ethical application, participant inclusion, risk factor identification, and direct economic disease burden estimation. In the case study, ethical approval was obtained, and patient data were anonymized to ensure privacy. All TB hospitalized patients over the study period were included and classified into groups with and without HAIs after screening the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Key risk factors, including gender, age, and invasive procedure were identified through univariate and multivariate analyses. Then, propensity score matching was employed to select the balanced groups with similar characteristics. Comparisons of medical expenditures (total medical expenditure, medicine expenditure, and antibiotics expenditure) and hospitalization days between the balanced groups were calculated as the additional direct economic disease burden measures caused by HAIs. This framework can serve as a tool for not only hospital management and policy-making, but also implementation of targeted infection prevention and control measures. Moreover, it has the potential to be applied in various healthcare settings at local, regional, national, and international levels to identify high-risk areas, optimize resource allocation, and improve hospital management and governance, as well as inter-organizational learning. Challenges to implement the framework are also raised, such as data quality, regulatory compliance, considerations on unique nature of communicable diseases and other diseases, and training need for professionals.

Impact of robotic-assisted surgery on length of hospital stay in Paris public hospitals: a retrospective analysis

The number of available hospital beds is decreasing in many countries. Reducing the length of hospital stay (LOS) and increasing bed turnover could improve patient flow. We evaluated whether robot-assisted surgery (RAS) had a beneficial impact on the LOS in a French hospital trust with a long-established robotic program (Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, AP-HP). We extracted data from “Programme de Médicalisation des Systèmes d’Information” to determine the median LOS for adults in our trust after RAS versus laparoscopy and open surgery in 2021–2022 for eight target procedures, and compared data nationally and at similar academic centres (same database). We also calculated the number of hospitalisation days ‘saved’ using RAS. Overall, 9326 target procedures were performed at AP-HP: 3864 (41.4%) RAS, 2978 (31.9%) laparoscopies, and 2484 (26.6%) open surgeries. The median LOS for RAS was lower than laparoscopy and open surgery for all procedures, apart from hysterectomy and colectomy (equivalent to laparoscopy). Results for urological procedures at AP-HP reflected national values. The equivalent of 5390 hospitalisation days was saved in 2021–2022 using RAS instead of open surgery or laparoscopy at AP-HP; of these, 86% represented hospitalisation days saved using RAS in urological procedures. Using RAS instead of open surgery or laparoscopy (particularly in urological procedures) reduced the median LOS and may save thousands of hospitalisation days every year. This should help to increase patient turnover and facilitate patient flow.

An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of early oral feeding vs. traditional oral feeding after gastric cancer surgery.

Early oral feeding (EOF) has been shown to improve postoperative recovery for many surgeries. However, surgeons are still skeptical about EOF after gastric cancer surgery due to possible side effects. This updated systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of EOF in patients after gastric cancer surgery. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating EOF in patients after gastric cancer surgery were searched in the databases of PubMed, Embase, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Cochrane from 2005 to 2023, and an updated meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. The results of 11 RCTs involving 1,352 patients were included and scrutinized in this analysis. Hospital days [weighted mean difference (WMD), -1.72; 95% confidence interval (CI), -2.14 to -1.30; p<0.00001), the time to first flatus (WMD, -0.72; 95% CI, -0.99 to -0.46; p<0.00001), and hospital costs (WMD, -3.78; 95% CI, -4.50 to -3.05; p<0.00001) were significantly decreased in the EOF group. Oral feeding tolerance [risk ratio (RR), 1.00; 95% CI, 0.95-1.04; p=0.85), readmission rates (RR, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.50-3.28; p=0.61), postoperative complications (RR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.81-1.29; p=0.84), anastomotic leakage (RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.25-2.78; p=0.76), and pulmonary infection (RR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.31-1.39; p=0.27) were not significantly statistical between two groups. This meta-analysis reveals that EOF could reduce hospital days, the time to first flatus, and hospital costs, but it was not associated with oral feeding tolerance, readmission rates, or postoperative complications especially anastomotic leakage and pulmonary infection, regardless of whether laparoscopic or open surgery, partial or total gastrectomy, or the timing of EOF initiation.

Healthcare utilization and economics evaluation of paliperidone palmitate once-monthly in schizophrenia: a one-year, real-world, and retrospective mirror image study in China.

Investigation and analysis of the changes in healthcare resources and burden of schizophrenia in the real world before and after switching from oral antipsychotics (OAPs) to paliperidone palmitate once-monthly (PP1M) could provide evidence to clinicians and patients for choosing treatment modality and data support for health policy optimization. The first dosage of PP1M was set as mirror point, and patients with mirror point between January 2020 and June 2022 were recruited in the study. The differences in treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization, and costs within one year before and after the mirror point were compared. A total of 72 patients transitioning from OAPs to PP1M (mean age, 35.33 years; 43.06% female) were included in the study. Of the 72 patients, the application of PP1M resulted in a significant reduction in the hospitalization times, emergency room visits, and direct medical costs (P < 0.001), while the pharmacy cost and total cost increased by 222.57% (P < 0.001) and 16.35% (P < 0.001), respectively; PP1M accounted for 88.48% of the pharmacy cost. For patients with ≥1 hospitalization during the OAPs phase (n = 25), the number of hospitalizations, hospitalization days and hospitalization expenses decreased by more than 90% (P < 0.001). Total one-year expenses decreased by 37.67% (P < 0.001), and pharmacy expenses increased by 185.21% (P < 0.001). For patients with no hospitalizations during the OAPs phase (n = 47), emergency and outpatient visits decreased by 70% (P < 0.001) and 30.27% (P < 0.05), respectively, while the total cost increased by 117.56% (P < 0.001), and the pharmacy cost increased by 260.15% (P < 0.001) after initiation of PP1M treatment. After the transition to PP1M, the number of hospitalizations and outpatient and emergency department visits reduced, and healthcare resources were conserved. Switching to PP1M may be more economically beneficial for patients with prior hospitalizations while on OAP regimens. The high price of PP1M might be an obstacle to its widespread use.

Liquid nitrogen-based cryoablation: complication rates for lung, bone, and soft tissue tumors cryoablation.

This study aimed to assess the complication rate during and 24 hours after cryoablation in lung, bone, and soft tissue tumors. We reviewed complications in a total of 85 consecutive patients who underwent cryoablation using a liquid nitrogen-based system in various lesions between April 2017 and October 2022. There were no liver and renal lesions. Complications were categorized using the Society of Interventional Radiology classification. Eighty-five patients were treated for 96 lesions in the bone (36.4%; 35 of 96), lung (18.8%; 18 of 96), and soft tissue (44.8%; 43 of 96). The primary technical success rate was 97.7% (83 of 85). The total grade 2 and 1 complication rates were 5.2% (5/96) and 20.8% (20/96), respectively. Two patients had asymptomatic pulmonary embolisms incidentally noted at the 24-hour follow-up computed tomography (grade 2). The most frequent complications were simple and hemorrhagic pleural effusions (18.7%; 18 of 96). Lung procedures had the highest complication rate, where 13 patients (72.2%; 13 of 18) reported complications, including 2 cases of symptomatic hydropneumothorax requiring drainage (grade 2) and an additional 2 days of hospital stay. Eight patients (24.2%; 8 of 33) with bone lesions and 4 (9.3%; 4 of 43) with soft tissue lesions experienced complications. Cryoablation using a liquid nitrogen-based system is safe, with only minor complications observed. This study provides data on the safety of liquid nitrogen-based percutaneous cryoablation in tumors located in lung, in bones and in soft tissues. Despite using larger diameter cryoprobes than those typically reported with argon-based system, our experience shows that complications are mostly low and comparable in frequency and severity.

Transparent Cap-Assisted Blunt Endoscopic Dissection of Gastric Submucosal Tumours Smaller than 2cm.

To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of transparent cap-assisted blunt dissection (TCABD) in the endoscopic resection of gastric submucosal tumours (G-SMT) smaller than 2cm, as compared with conventional electronic knife dissection. Randomised controlled analysis. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The School of Clinical Medicine, Fujian Medical University, The First Hospital of Putian City, Putian, China, from July 2020 to 2022. Fifty-eight patients having G-SMT smaller than 2cm were included. They were randomly divided into two groups; undergoing transparent cap-assisted blunt dissection (BD group) and conventional endoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE group). The pathology, lesion size in long diameter (mm), operation time, the number of clips used to close the wounds, the number of snare used to resect the tumour, hospital days, hospitalisation expense, en bloc resection rate, and the complications including perforation, postoperative bleeding, and postoperative infection were compared between the two groups. The mean long diameter in the BD group was 9.6 ± 3.6mm, while the conventional ESE group was 10.7 ± 4.5mm. As compared with the conventional ESE group, the operation time, the number of clips used to close the wounds, the number of snare used to resect the tumours, the hospital days, and the hospitalisation expense were all significantly decreased (p <0.05). The perforation rate was lower in the BD group (p <0.05). TCABD was effective and safe in the endoscopic resection of G-SMT smaller than 2cm. TCABD could help to reduce the perforation rate, shorten the operation time and hospital days, and decrease the hospitalisation expense in the endoscopic resection of G-SMT. Endoscopic submucosal excavation, Endoscopic full-thickness resection, Endoscopic resection, Submucosal tumour, Transparent cap-assisted blunt dissection.

Вегетативный показатель кровообращения при ишемическом инсульте у взрослых на фоне перенесенного COVID-19

INTRODUCTION. Stroke is a severe consequence arising against the background of coronavirus. The development of this disease aggravates the course of the infection proper and creates an additional threat to the restoration of neurological functions and the patient's life. AIM. To reveal the prognostic significance of the severity of ischemic stroke in adults against the background of COVID-19. MATERIAL AND METHODS. The main group consisted of 165 patients who underwent ischemic stroke with COVID-19 (98 men and 67 women), mean age 52.4±10.9 years. The comparison group consisted of 85 patients with ischemic stroke without COVID-19 in the history (46 men and 39 women), mean age 65.9±4.8 years. The control group included relatively healthy individuals (n=20; mean age 52.4±6.5 years). RESULTS. The vegetative index of blood circulation at admission in patients who died in the acute period (according to the Rankin scale of 6 points) was characterized by a clear predominance of sympathicotonia (1.86 cu.), which became even more predominant on day 7 (2.32 cu.), remaining somewhat less pronounced until death (1.45 cu.). A decrease in the vegetative index of blood circulation against the background of high NIYSS and Rankin scores indicates the depletion of the autonomic nervous system against the background of prolonged pronounced sympathicotonia. The vegetative index of blood circulation in patients with moderate ischemic stroke on the Rankin scale corresponded to moderate sympathicotonia (1.38 cu) and in dynamics, on the 7th and 14th days of hospital stay, decreased quantitatively – 1.27 and 1.13 cu, respectively. CONCLUSION. The obtained results showed that against the background of stabilization of vegetative homeostasis there was a positive neurological dynamic. In this category of patients, the average Kerdo index according to Charlson and CIRS scales was also recorded 6.2 and 5.6, respectively. In patients with a good outcome of ischaemic stroke according to the Rankin scale, the autonomic circulatory index (ICI) at hospital admission was characterized by moderate sympathicotonia (1.26 u.u.), on the 7th and 14th day of hospital treatment the ICI was 1.16 and 1.09 u.u., respectively. In this category of patients, the Charlson IR and CIRS scale scores were 3.1 and 3.9, respectively (with significant intergroup differences). KEYWORDS: stroke, COVID-19, autonomic nervous system

The Accuracy of using Antibiotics with the Gyssens Method on MDRO Events and its Impact on Cost Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) and Length of stay at RSUD dr. Iskak Tulungagung

Evaluation of antibiotics in terms of the quality of antibiotic use was carried out using the Gyssens method to evaluate the accuracy of the use of MDRO incidence antibiotics. The purpose of the study was to analyze the effect of the accuracy of antibiotic use on the incidence of MDRO and its impact on cost effectiveness analysis (CEA) and length of stay at Dr. Iskak Hospital Tulungagung. Research design in the form of quantitative research with case control analytical observational research methods with a retrospective approach. The research samples were some employees at RSUD dr. Iskak Tulunggung Regency as many as 50 case groups and 50 control groups with sampling techniques using the simple random sampling method. Data analysis using Path Analysis. The results showed that the punctuality variable of antibiotic administration had an indirect influence on the variable length of hospitalization days of -0.065, indicating that the timeliness of antibiotic administration would affect the length of hospitalization days must pass the MDRO incidence of -0.194. The variable accuracy of antibiotic administration has a direct effect on the length of days of treatment by -0.522. The variables of timeliness of antibiotic administration and the accuracy of the duration of antibiotic administration have a direct influence on the cost effective analysis of -0.191 and -0.426 without passing the MDRO event. Revise antibiogram guidelines, Increase monitoring activities for the use of antibiotics regularly, Increase teamwork of health professionals in an effort to improve the quality of antibiotic use and prevention of MDRO.

Comparison of surgical outcomes between robot-assisted and conventional laparoscopic nerve-sparing modified radical hysterectomy for deep endometriosis.

Drug resistance and severe pelvic pain often warrant surgical intervention for treating deep endometriosis (DE); however, damage to the autonomic nervous system can occur because of anatomical considerations. We aimed to investigate the advantages of robotic technology in enabling precise dissection, even in DE. We retrospectively compared the surgical outcomes of robot-assisted (RA) and conventional laparoscopic (CL) nerve-sparing modified radical hysterectomies (NSmRHs) for DE. Between the two groups (RA-NSmRH group, n = 50; CL-NSmRH group, n = 18), no differences were identified based on patient demographics, such as age, body mass index, previous surgery, revised American Society of Reproductive Medicine classification, Enzian classification, uterine weight, number of removed DE lesions, and concomitant procedures. All patients in both groups achieved complete removal of the DE lesions with complete bilateral pelvic autonomic nerve preservation. The mean operative time (OT) was significantly longer (130 ± 46 vs. 98 ± 22min, p < 0.01), and estimated blood loss (EBL) was lower (35 ± 44 vs. 131 ± 49ml, p < 0.01) in the RA-NSmRH group than in the CL-NSmRH group. The hospitalization days (4.3 ± 1.3 vs. 4.1 ± 0.2days, p = 0.45) and perioperative complications with Clavien-Dindo classification ≥ grade III (0% vs. 0%) were not significant in both the groups. None of the patients required self-catheterization after surgery. Compared with CL-NSmRH, RA-NSmRH was associated with longer OT and lower EBL, whereas the number of hospitalization days and complications were similar in both groups. Our results imply that nerve-sparing surgery can be safely and reproducibly performed using conventional or robotic laparoscopic modalities to treat DE.

Is there a need for revised guidelines in the treatment of perforated appendicitis in children? A study of risk factors for prolonged hospital stay and postoperative complications

PurposeTo study the need for revised guidelines in the treatment of children with acute perforated appendicitis (APA) by describing the clinical course of children surgically treated for APA in one county in Sweden, with focus on length of hospital stay (LOS) and risk of postoperative complications. The study also aimed to identify variation in practice, comparing a university children's hospital (UCH) to county hospitals (CH). MethodsTwo thousand children, <16 years, who had surgery for acute appendicitis 2014-2018 in four public hospitals (1 UCH and 3 CH), were identified. Patients with perforation of the appendix, n=383(19%) were selected for study and retrospective assessment of patient records. Uni and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to identify risk factors for prolonged length of stay (PLOS) and complications. ResultsThe median LOS was 5.05 days (0.5-61.9), 6.79 (1.81-61.91) for the UCH (n=186) and 3.65 (0.54-35.65) for CH's (n=197)(p<0.0001). PLOS (=>5 days in hospital) was seen in 147 (79%) at UCH and 53(26.9%) at CH's(p<0.0001). Intra-abdominal abscess within 30 days was identified in 36 (9.4%) and surgical re-intervention was needed in 19 (5%) with no differences between hospitals. The need for readmission within 30 days was higher at CH n=22(11.4%) than at UCH n=4(2.2%), (p=0.0006). Multivariable analyses showed independent predictors of PLOS to be: male gender(OR 2.97 (1.68-5.23)), treatment at UCH(OR 10.24 (6.38-16.44)), CRP >135mg/l(OR per 50 units 1.42 (1.16-1.73)), prehospital delay>2.5 days(OR 1.22 (1.01-1.47)), delayed time to surgery(OR per 10 hours 1.74 (1.26-2.41)) extended surgery time(OR per 2 hours 4.59 (1.43-14.76)) and use of urinary catheter(OR 2.99 (1.42-6.29)). ConclusionGuidelines for treatment of childhood APA, focusing on minimizing antibiotics and facilitating early discharge, would optimize care of the patients but also the economical use of resources. Most children with APA have an uncomplicated course, but factors predicting PLOS have been identified. We found a pronounced variation in practice between the UCH and CH's, without increasing the risk of postoperative complications.

Comparative analysis of clinical profile, laboratory profile and outcome in COVID-19 patients with and without hypothyroidism.

Previous studies suggest that patients' thyroid status might directly impact the course of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The objective of the study was to determine the clinical profile of COVID-19 patients with hypothyroidism and compare it with that of COVID-19 patients without hypothyroidism. Retrospective observational study. The study was conducted in a tertiary healthcare centre in Tamil Nadu between May and June 2021. The study included 117 patients admitted with hypothyroidism and COVID-19 as well as 117 age and Gender matched COVID-19 patients without hypothyroidism. Data regarding the demography, comorbidities, presenting symptoms, method of diagnosis of COVID-19, computed tomography (CT) severity score, Interleukin 6 (IL-6), D-dimer, oxygen requirement, number of days in hospital and outcome were collected for both groups. Data analysis was conducted, and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The study comprised 234 patients over two months, from May to June 2021. Distribution of presenting symptoms showed that the hypothyroidism group presented with a higher incidence of fever (66.67%), loose stool (18.80%) and myalgia (7.69%). Results show that RTPCR+, O2 Requirement, death, D-dimer, IL-6, number of days admitted as well as CT-severity did not show any statistically significant differences (p>0.05) between both groups. The outcomes also showed that both groups reported four mortalities. The results of the study help conclude that the hypothyroidism status of a COVID-19 patient is not associated with higher severity of clinical symptoms, deranged laboratory values as well as mortality. None declared.

Factors associated with venous thromboembolism pharmacoprophylaxis initiation in hospitalized medical patients: the Medical Inpatients Thrombosis and Hemostasis study

BackgroundAlthough guidelines recommend risk assessment for hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE) to inform prophylaxis decisions, studies demonstrate inappropriate utilization of pharmacoprophylaxis in hospitalized medical patients. Predictors of pharmacoprophylaxis initiation in medical inpatients remain largely unknown. ObjectivesTo determine factors associated with HA-VTE pharmacoprophylaxis initiation in adults hospitalized on medical services. MethodsWe performed a cohort study using electronic health record data from adult patients hospitalized on medical services at 4 academic medical centers between 2016 and 2019. Main measures were candidate predictors of HA-VTE pharmacoprophylaxis initiation, including known HA-VTE risk factors, predicted HA-VTE risk, and bleeding diagnoses present on admission. ResultsAmong 111 550 admissions not on intermediate or full-dose anticoagulation, 48 520 (43.5%) received HA-VTE pharmacoprophylaxis on the day of or the day after admission. After adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and study site, the strongest clinical predictors of HA-VTE pharmacoprophylaxis initiation were malnutrition and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thrombocytopenia and history of gastrointestinal bleeding were associated with decreased odds of HA-VTE pharmacoprophylaxis initiation. Patients in the highest 2 tertiles of predicted HA-VTE risk were less likely to receive HA-VTE pharmacoprophylaxis than patients in the lowest (first) tertile (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.81-0.86 for the second tertile; OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.92-0.98 for the third tertile). ConclusionAmong patients not already receiving anticoagulants, HA-VTE pharmacoprophylaxis initiation during the first 2 hospital days was lower in patients with a higher predicted HA-VTE risk and those with risk factors for bleeding. Reasons for not initiating pharmacoprophylaxis in those with a higher predicted HA-VTE risk could not be assessed.

Impact of Elevated Serum Triglycerides on Children with Acute Recurrent or Chronic Pancreatitis from INSPPIRE-2

To determine if mild-moderate hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is associated with increased development of chronic pancreatitis (CP) or pancreatitis-associated complications in children with acute recurrent or CP. Longitudinal data from the INternational Study group of Pediatric Pancreatitis: In search for a cuRE-2 (INSPPIRE-2) cohort of children with acute recurrent or CP (n=559) were analyzed. Subjects were divided into normal triglycerides (<150mg/dL; 1.7mmol/L), any HTG (≥150mg/dL; ≥1.7mmol/L), mild-moderate HTG (150-499mg/dL; 1.7-5.6mmol/L), moderate HTG (500-999mg/dL; 5.6-11.3mmol/L), and severe HTG groups (≥1000mg/dL; ≥11.3mmol/L), based on highest serum triglyceride value. Laboratory, imaging, pancreatitis and hospital events, complications, and quality of life data were analyzed. In children with acute recurrent or CP and HTG, there was no increase in the number of pancreatitis attacks per person-years, nor an increase in CP prevalence. However, HTG severity was associated with increased pancreatic inflammation, pancreatic cysts, pain, hospital days, number of hospitalizations, intensive care, and missed school days. Mild-moderate HTG in children with acute recurrent or CP was not associated with increased pancreatitis frequency, nor increased development of CP, but was associated with increased pancreatitis complications and disease burden. As a treatable condition, treatment of mild-moderate HTG may be considered to reduce pancreatitis-associated complications and medical burden in children with acute recurrent or CP.

Age-Related Differences in Rejection Rates, Infections, and Tacrolimus Exposure in Pediatric Kidney Transplant Recipients in the CERTAIN Registry

IntroductionData on age-related differences in rejection rates, infectious episodes and tacrolimus exposure in pediatric kidney transplant recipients (pKTR) on a tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive regimen are scarce. MethodsWe performed a large-scale analysis of 802 pKTR from the CERTAIN registry from 40 centers in 14 countries. Inclusion criteria were a tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive regimen and at least two years of follow-up. The patient population was divided into three age groups (infants and young children <6 years, school-aged children 6-12 years, and adolescents >12 years) to assess age-related differences in outcome. ResultsMedian follow-up was 48 months (IQR, 36-72). Within the first 2 years post-transplant, infants and young children had a significantly higher incidence of infections (80.6% vs. 55.0% in adolescents, P<0.001) and a significantly higher number of cumulative hospital days (median 13 days vs. 7 days in adolescents, P < 0.001). Adolescents had a significantly higher rate of biopsy-proven acute rejection episodes in the first year post-transplant (21.7%) than infants and young children (12.6%, P=0.007). Infants and young children had significantly lower tacrolimus trough levels, lower tacrolimus concentration-to-dose ratios as an approximation for higher tacrolimus clearance, and higher tacrolimus intra-patient variability (all P < 0.01) than adolescents. ConclusionsThis largest study to date in European pKTR on a tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive regimen shows important age-related differences in rejection rates, infection episodes, tacrolimus exposure and clearance. These data suggest that immunosuppressive therapy in pKTR should be tailored and personalized according to the age-specific risk profiles of this heterogeneous patient population. The data may also serve as a benchmark for future studies with novel immunosuppressive drugs.

Application of modified Z-shaped cosmetic incision in parotid benign tumor resection

Objective:To explore the safety and aesthetic effect of modified Z-shaped cosmetic incision in parotid benign tumor resection. Methods:A prospective study was conducted. A total of 44 patients with benign parotid tumor resection were randomly divided into experimental group（n=22） and control group（n=22）. The experimental group underwent modified Z-shaped cosmetic incision, while the control group underwent the traditional S-shaped incision. The surgical duration, hospital stay, complications and maxillofacial aesthetics were compared between the two groups. Results:There was no significant difference in gender, age, surgical method, pathological type between the experimental group and the control group（P>0.05）. The maxillofacial aesthetics and surgical duration of the two groups was statistically significant（P<0.05）, while there was no statistically significant difference in terms of hospitalization days, surgical complications and Vancouver scar scale score （P>0.05）. Conclusion:The modified Z-shaped cosmetic incision has a better effect on improving the maxillofacial aesthetics after benign parotid tumor resection, and compared with the traditional S-shaped incision, the safety is consistent, so it is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

458. THORACOSCOPY VERSUS ENDOSCOPY IN THE TREATMENT OF ESOPHAGEAL LEIOMYOMA: A SINGLE-CENTER RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Abstract Background Esophageal leiomyoma, also called Esophageal Smooth Muscle Tumor (SMT), is one of the most common benign tumors of the esophagus. Surgical treatment is the most widely used method, including thoracic surgery such as thoracotomy, and VATS, and endoscopic surgery such as ESD and STER. We aimed to conduct a retrospective analysis of all esophageal leiomyoma surgeries in our center to assist decision-making in minimally invasive surgery for leiomyomas. Methods From January 2015 to September 2023 patients with pathologically diagnosed esophageal leiomyoma at our hospital were retrospectively enrolled. Those who had any pathological malignant component or lack of detailed clinical information were excluded. At the same time, a 1:1 propensity matching analysis was conducted for thoracoscopy and endoscopic surgery. The matching factors included age, gender, tumor location, and size and the caliper was set as 0.2. Results Finally, 1376 patients were included, of whom 153 underwent thoracic surgery and 1223 underwent endoscopic treatment. Endoscopic surgeries were mainly composed of ESD (54.5%) and STER (45.5%), with respective proportions, of which 2 cases used thoracoscopic-assisted endoscopic resection. In the surgical group, 131 patients, accounting for 85.6%, underwent thoracoscopic surgery, of which 65 patients (42.5%) used endoscopic-assisted examination during the operation. In terms of operation time, endoscopic resection was shorter than surgical surgery (44.9 ±39.7 versus 109.4 ± 67.9 min, p&amp;lt;0.001). Similarly, for the postoperative hospitalization days, endoscopic resection was shorter than surgical surgery (2.0 [1.0, 3.0] versus 5.0 [3.0, 6.0] days, p&amp;lt;0.001), we also found that the maximum diameter of surgical resection specimens was significantly larger than that of endoscopic surgery (1.3 [0.8, 2.5] versus 5.0 [3.5, 7.0] cm, p &amp;lt;0.001). After PSM, the operation duration (p=0.031) and hospital stay (p&amp;lt;0.001) were still statistically different between the surgical treatment group and the endoscopic group. Conclusion Most esophageal leiomyomas can be resected endoscopically, which can shorten the operation duration and hospital stay compared with thoracic surgery. When the maximum diameter of the tumor is too large or near important organs, thoracic surgery should be the first choice. In order to prevent possible esophageal mucosal damage, thoracoscopic surgery combined with intraoperative endoscopy examination is a safe and effective surgical treatment method.

Outcome evaluation of pharmacist-physician collaborative protocol-based antimicrobial treatment for hospitalized stroke patients with aspiration pneumonia

ObjectivesTo evaluate the efficacy and patient outcomes of pharmacist-physician collaborative protocol-based antimicrobial treatment regimens for antimicrobial stewardship. MethodsPatients treated for aspiration pneumonia due to stroke within 48 h after admission to Kochi Medical School Hospital (January 2019 to December 2022) were included. Primary outcomes were the cumulative number of days of antimicrobial treatment and length of hospital stay. Secondary outcomes included the percentage of patients under-dosed with first-choice antimicrobial agents and inpatient mortality. ResultsGroup A (66 patients) did not receive the antimicrobial treatment protocol, whereas group B (46 patients) did. There were no differences in the patient backgrounds. Group B had a significantly lower percentage of patients who were undertreated with the first-choice antimicrobial agent (9.1 % vs. 42.9 %). There was no significant difference in inpatient mortality between group A and group B (6.1 % vs. 4.3 %). The cumulative number of days of antimicrobial administration and the length of hospital stay were significantly lower in group B: 7.0 days (95 % CI, 6.0–8.0) vs. 9.0 days (95 % CI, 8.0–11.0) for antimicrobial administration, and 28.5 days (95 % CI, 22.0–35.0) vs. 43.0 days (95 % CI, 28.0–55.0) for hospital stay. ConclusionsProtocol-based antimicrobial treatment for aspiration pneumonia supports appropriate antimicrobial usage and improves patient quality of life. These findings will assist in the effective treatment of aspiration pneumonia in an aging society.