Large Regional Healthcare System Research Articles

Impact of the geriatric emergency medicine specialist intervention on final emergency department disposition.

The Geriatric Emergency Medicine Specialist (GEMS) pilot program is an innovative approach that utilizes geriatric-trained advanced practice providers to facilitate geriatric assessments and care planning for older adults in the emergency department (ED). The objective of this study was to explore the effect of GEMS on the use of observation status and final ED disposition. This was a retrospective study under a target trial emulation framework. Geriatric patients (65+ years old) who presented to two ED sites within a large regional healthcare system between December 2020 and December 2022 were included. The primary outcome was final ED disposition (discharge, hospital inpatient admission, or hospital observation admission). Secondary outcomes included ED observation and ED length of stay. Non-GEMS patients were propensity score matched 5:1 to GEMS patients. Doubly robust regression was used to estimate the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of inpatient admission, discharge, hospital observation admission, ED observation admission, and estimate the mean ED length of stay. A total of 427 of 43,064 total patients (1.0%) received a GEMS intervention during the study period. Our analysis included 2,302 geriatric ED patients (410 GEMS, 1,892 non-GEMS) after propensity score matching. Hospital admission rates were 34.1% for GEMS compared to 56.4% for conventional treatment. GEMS patients had decreased odds of inpatient admission (OR: 0.41, 95 CI: 0.34-0.51, p < 0.001), increased odds of discharge (OR: 1.19 95 CI: 1.00-1.42, p = 0.047), hospital observation admission (OR: 2.97, 95 CI: 2.35-3.75, p < 0.001), ED observation admission (OR: 4.84 95 CI: 3.67-6.38, p < 0.001), and had a longer average ED length of stay (170 min, 95 CI: 84.6-256, p < 0.001) compared to non-GEMS patients. Patients seen by GEMS during their ED visit were associated with higher rates of hospital discharge and lower rates of hospital admissions.

Engaging Emergency Nurses in Strategies to Address the Social Determinants of Health

IntroductionFor patients with social needs, emergency departments can be an essential bridge between the health care system and the community. Emergency nurses’ knowledge of and engagement in this work need to be examined to ensure that efforts for social determinants of health screening and the resulting community connections are effective. However, there is limited research in this area of nursing practice. The purpose of this study is to describe emergency nurses’ knowledge about social needs in their community, assess their knowledge of existing community resources, and examine their perceived confidence to respond to the social needs of their patients. MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted with 243 nurses employed in a large regional health care system. Data were collected using an adapted 81-item social determinants of health survey instrument to measure knowledge of social determinants of health, confidence, and frequency of discussing social determinants of health with emergency department patients and awareness of social resources available in the community. Survey participants were asked about barriers to incorporating social determinants of health into their emergency department workflow and to provide general demographic information. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze study results. ResultsMost of the 243 emergency nurse participants believed that addressing social determinants of health was important and that emergency nurses should be involved in issues around social determinants of health. However, most nurses reported limited knowledge about social determinants of health and had very limited knowledge about the resources available in their community to help patients with needs related to food, housing, medical care, and transportation. Nurses reported that although they know that their patients are unlikely to ask for help with social needs during an emergency department visit, they are still unlikely to ask their patients about social needs owing to low confidence about having social needs conversations, limited time, and competing care priorities. Participants advocated for greater case manager presence. Feeling connected to the community was significantly correlated to increased knowledge, confidence, and likelihood to ask about social needs (P < .05). DiscussionThe emergency department is a logical place for screening for social determinants of health and connecting patients with social needs to community resources. Emergency nurses included in this study acknowledged that they want to address the social needs of their patients but reported that they lack knowledge about both social determinants of health and more importantly about the resources available to help patients with social needs. In general, they did not feel confident discussing social determinants of health with their patients in the emergency department and are unlikely to ask about social needs. Barriers to screening include time, competing care priorities, and lack of knowledge and support needed from case managers. Findings from this study have implications for supporting emergency nurses employed in institutions that seek to address social influences of health for the patients in their communities.

Prospective External Validation of a Commercial Model Predicting the Likelihood of Inpatient Admission From the Emergency Department.

Early notification of admissions from the emergency department (ED) may allow hospitals to plan for inpatient bed demand. This study aimed to assess Epic's ED Likelihood to Occupy an Inpatient Bed predictive model and its application in improving hospital bed planning workflows. All ED adult (18 years and older) visits from September 2021 to August 2022 at a large regional health care system were included. The primary outcome was inpatient admission. The predictive model is a random forest algorithm that uses demographic and clinical features. The model was implemented prospectively, with scores generated every 15 minutes. The area under the receiver operator curves (AUROC) and precision-recall curves (AUPRC) were calculated using the maximum score prior to the outcome and for each prediction independently. Test characteristics and lead time were calculated over a range of model score thresholds. Over 11 months, 329,194 encounters were evaluated, with an incidence of inpatient admission of 25.4%. The encounter-level AUROC was 0.849 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.848 to 0.851), and the AUPRC was 0.643 (95% CI, 0.640 to 0.647). With a prediction horizon of 6 hours, the AUROC was 0.758 (95% CI, 0.758 to 0.759,) and the AUPRC was 0.470 (95% CI, 0.469 to 0.471). At a predictive model threshold of 40, the sensitivity was 0.49, the positive predictive value was 0.65, and the median lead-time warning was 127 minutes before the inpatient bed request. The Epic ED Likelihood to Occupy an Inpatient Bed model may improve hospital bed planning workflows. Further study is needed to determine its operational effect.

Severe COVID-19 outcomes in pediatrics: an observational cohort analysis comparing Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants

COVID-19 can rarely lead to severe illness in pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to determine if severe outcomes in pediatric COVID-19 have changed over the course of the pandemic. This was a multicenter, observational cohort analysis from a large regional healthcare system in metro Detroit using electronic health record data to evaluate emergency visits, hospitalization, and severe COVID-19 disease in pediatric patients. Consecutive pediatric patients presenting to the emergency department with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19 were included. Outcomes data was gathered from three distinct time intervals that coincided with Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variant predominance (Time interval 1 (T1) 1/1/2021-6/30/2021: Alpha, T2 7/1/2021-12/31/2021: Delta, T3 1/1/2022-6/16/2022): Omicron. The primary outcome was severe disease inclusive of composite intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), myocarditis, or death. Secondary outcomes included severe outcomes considering viral coinfection and vaccination status. Between 1/1/2021 and 6/16/2022, there were 4517 emergency COVID-19 visits, of which 12.5% (566) of children were hospitalized. 24.4% (138), 31.6% (179), and 44.0% (249) of admissions occurred during T1, T2 and T3 respectively. Most patients were male (55.1%) and 59.9% identified as Caucasian. The median age was 5.0 (interquartile range 1.0, 13.0) with infants comprising 22.8% (129), toddlers 25.1% (142), children 23.0% (130), and teenagers 29.2% (165). Over the course of the pandemic, the proportion of infants in hospitalization increased from 16.7% in T1 to 19.6% in T2 to 28.5% in T3 (p<0.01) while the proportion of teenagers in hospitalization decreased from 39.1% in T1 to 31.3% in T2 to 22.1% in T3 (p<0.001). Oxygen therapy was required in a minority (29.9%) of cases with supplemental oxygen utilized the least in T3 (16.5%) and most in T2 (30.2%). Composite severe disease decreased throughout the pandemic occurring in 36.2% in T1, 27.4% in T2, and 18.9% in T3. A multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed the odds of composite severe disease was significantly lower in T3 compared to T1 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.35, 95% Confidence Interval 0.21-0.60, p<0.001). Fully vaccinated or fully vaccinated and boosted admission rates remained low throughout all periods with 4.4% in T1, 4.5% in T2 and 8.4% in T3. Viral coinfection was most common during T2 (16.8%) followed by T3 (12.5%) and least common in T1 (5.1%) (p=0.006). Coinfection occurred more commonly in younger children with a median age of 1.2 (0.0, 4.5) compared to those with mono-infection with a median age of 6 (1.0, 14.0) (p<0.001). Severe outcomes occurred in 45.6% of coinfection cases compared to 22.1% without coinfection (p<0.001). While Omicron cases had the highest admission frequency, severe illness was lower than Delta and Alpha variants. Coinfection with respiratory viruses increased the risk of severe outcomes and impacted infants more than older children. None.

Evolution of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation trigger criteria in COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome

ObjectiveTo understand the implications of a tiered extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) criteria framework and the outcomes of patients with COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome who we were consulted on for ECMO but ultimately declined. MethodsAll patients declined for ECMO support by a large regional health care system between March 2020 and July 2021 were included. Restrictive selection criteria were enacted midway through the study stratifying the cohort into 2 groups. Primary outcomes included 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included reasons for declining ECMO and survival stratified by phase. ResultsOne hundred ninety-three patients with COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome were declined for ECMO within the study period out of 260 ECMO consults. At the time of consult, 71.0% (n = 137) were mechanically ventilated and 38% (n = 74) were proned and chemically paralyzed. Thirty-day mortality was 66% (n = 117), which increased from 53% to 73% (P = .010) when restrictive criteria were enacted. Patients with multisystem organ failure, prolonged ventilator time, and advanced age had respectively an 11-fold (odds ratio, 10.6; 95% CI, 1.7-65.2), 4-fold (odds ratio, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.1-12.0), and 4-fold (odds ratio, 4.4; 95% CI, 1.9-10.2) increase in the odds of mortality. ConclusionsPatients with COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome declined for ECMO represent a critically ill cohort. We observed an increase in the severity of disease and 30-day mortality in consults in the latter phase of our study period. These findings may reflect our use of tiered selection criteria coupled with ongoing education and communication with referring centers, sparing both patients likely to respond to medical therapy and those who were unsalvageable by ECMO.

Implementation of a Patient-Tailored Opioid Prescribing Guideline in Ventral Hernia Surgery

IntroductionOpioids are commonly prescribed beyond what is necessary to adequately manage postoperative pain, increasing the likelihood of chronic opioid use, pill diversion, and misuse. We sought to assess opioid utilization and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients undergoing ventral hernia repair (VHR) following the implementation of a patient-tailored opioid prescribing guideline. MethodsA patient-tailored opioid prescribing guideline was implemented in March of 2018 for patients undergoing inpatient VHR in a large regional healthcare system. We retrospectively assessed opioid utilization and patient-reported outcomes among patients who did (n = 42) and did not receive guideline-based care (n = 121) between March 2018 and December 2019. PROs, operative details, and patient characteristics were extracted from the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative (ACHQC) registry data, and length-of-stay and prescription information were extracted from the electronic health record system at the healthcare institution. ResultsThe milligram morphine equivalents (MME) prescribed at discharge was lower for patients receiving guideline-based care (Median = 65, interquartile range [IQR] = 50-75) than patients receiving standard care (Median = 100, IQR = 60-150). After adjusting for patient characteristics, the odds of receiving an opioid refill after discharge did not significantly differ between patient groups (P = 0.43). Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pain scores and hernia-specific quality-of-life (HerQLes) scores at follow-up also did not differ between patients receiving guideline-based care (Mean PROMIS = 57.3; Mean HerQLes = 53.1) versus those that did not (Mean PROMIS = 56.7; Mean HerQLes = 46.6). ConclusionsPatients who received tailored, guideline-based opioid prescriptions were discharged with lower opioid dosages and did not require more opioid refills than patients receiving standard opioid prescriptions. Additionally, we found no differences in pain or quality-of-life scores after discharge, indicating the opioids prescribed under the guideline were sufficient for patients.

Predictors of hospitalization and severe disease due to breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection in fully vaccinated individuals.

ObjectiveWe aimed to identify risk factors for hospital admission and severe disease among fully vaccinated (FV) individuals with COVID‐19. Further, we investigated if risk factors for hospitalization and severe disease are similar between unvaccinated (UV) and vaccinated individuals.MethodsThis was a multicenter, observational cohort analysis from a large regional healthcare system in metro Detroit using electronic health record data to evaluate risk factors for hospitalization and severe COVID‐19 disease. Vaccination data were retrieved using electronic medical records linked to our statewide immunization database. Consecutive adult FV and UV patients with a primary admission diagnosis of COVID‐19 were included in the comparative analysis. Partially vaccinated patients and patients who had received a booster dose were excluded. The primary outcome of this study was hospital admission and severe disease inclusive of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, or death.ResultsBetween December 15, 2020 and December 19, 2021, 20,584 emergency department visits met our inclusion criteria. Among these, 2005 (9.7%) visits consisted of FV individuals, 18,579 (90.3%) were UV, and 40.3% of UV and 52.7% of FV required hospitalization with similar (12.7% and 12.6%, respectively) rates of severe disease. Hospitalized UV patients with severe disease were younger than their FV counterparts (49.5% <65 years vs. 13.5% p < 0.001). Risk factors for severe disease on UV and FV included age ≥65 years (UV: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28–1.73, p < 0.001 and FV: aOR 2.50, 95% CI 1.44–4.36 p = 0.001) and weighted Elixhauser score >10 (UV: aOR 9.11, 95% CI 6.92–12.00, p < 0.001 and FV: aOR 6.04, 95% CI 2.68–13.26, p < 0.001). However, only on UV status, body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 was associated with increased odds of severe disease (aOR 2.59, 95% CI 2.09–3.22, p < 0.001).ConclusionsFV patients with breakthrough SARS‐CoV‐2 infection who require hospitalization and have severe disease are older and have more medical comorbidities compared to UV patients. When comparing risk factors for severe disease between UV and FV individuals, FV status is particularly associated with reduced risk among patients with a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 and a moderate number of medical comorbidities, regardless of age, highlighting the importance of vaccination in these particularly vulnerable groups.

Early Prediction of Cardiogenic Shock Using Machine Learning.

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a severe condition with in-hospital mortality of up to 50%. Patients who develop CS may have previous cardiac history, but that may not always be the case, adding to the challenges in optimally identifying and managing these patients. Patients may present to a medical facility with CS or develop CS while in the emergency department (ED), in a general inpatient ward (WARD) or in the critical care unit (CC). While different clinical pathways for management exist once CS is recognized, there are challenges in identifying the patients in a timely manner, in all settings, in a timeframe that will allow proper management. We therefore developed and evaluated retrospectively a machine learning model based on the XGBoost (XGB) algorithm which runs automatically on patient data from the electronic health record (EHR). The algorithm was trained on 8 years of de-identified data (from 2010 to 2017) collected from a large regional healthcare system. The input variables include demographics, vital signs, laboratory values, some orders, and specific pre-existing diagnoses. The model was designed to make predictions 2 h prior to the need of first CS intervention (inotrope, vasopressor, or mechanical circulatory support). The algorithm achieves an overall area under curve (AUC) of 0.87 (0.81 in CC, 0.84 in ED, 0.97 in WARD), which is considered useful for clinical use. The algorithm can be refined based on specific elements defining patient subpopulations, for example presence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or congestive heart failure (CHF), further increasing its precision when a patient has these conditions. The top-contributing risk factors learned by the model are consistent with existing clinical findings. Our conclusion is that a useful machine learning model can be used to predict the development of CS. This manuscript describes the main steps of the development process and our results.

Unique Considerations for the Management of Gout in the Hmong Population: Examining Tertiary Encounters at a Large Regional Health Care System.

To evaluate demographic characteristics, care encounters, comorbidities, and clinical differences in Hmong and non-Hmong patients with gout. Using retrospective chart review, all inpatient encounters (Hmong versus non-Hmong) were reviewed from 2014 to 2017. Acute or chronic gout was the primary or secondary diagnosis for the encounter. Hmong gout patients were on average 11 years younger than non-Hmong patients, but after adjustment for age, sex, and type of encounter, they had similar rates of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and heart disease. Hmong patients had significantly decreased renal function at the time of presentation; the odds ratio of chronic kidney disease for Hmong patients was 2.33 versus 1.48 for non-Hmong patients (P < 0.05), the mean creatinine level was 3.3 mg/dl versus 2.0 mg/dl (β=1.35, P < 0.001), and the glomerular filtration rate was 44.8 ml/minute versus 49.3 ml/minute (β=-6.95, P < 0.001). Hmong gout patients were more likely to use emergency care versus elective or urgent care, they were less likely to be using medications for the treatment of gout prior to admission (32.3% versus 58.2%), and the length of hospital stay was increased (8.8 versus 5.2 days; P < 0.05). Hmong gout patients who had a tertiary care encounter were 11 years younger than non-Hmong patients with similar rates of comorbidities but had worse renal function despite the age differences. They were more likely to use emergency services, to be insured through Medicaid, and not to use preventive medications for gout prior to their encounter. Intensive efforts are needed in the Hmong population for culturally appropriate preventive care management of gout along with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disease, and kidney disease.

The impact of converting a power plant from coal to natural gas on pediatric acute asthma

Background and Objectives Air pollutants play a pivotal role in the frequency and severity of asthma symptoms. As cleaner air initiatives are increasingly being implemented, it is important to appraise how these changes relate to acute pediatric asthma. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of a Gas and Electric Company’s transition from using coal to natural gas as their fuel source on pediatric asthma-related illnesses in Louisville, KY. Methods Data were collected for children 2–17 years old from a large regional healthcare system, for which an asthma-related primary diagnosis was present between April 1, 2013 and April 1, 2018. Using an interrupted time series design, we analyzed monthly rates of asthma-related visits to urgent care (UC) and emergency departments (ED). Segmented Poisson regression models were used to assess whether the power company’s transition was associated with changes in trends of asthma-related visits. Results There were a total of 7,735 subjects who met inclusion criteria. Prior to the complete factory transition from coal to natural gas, the mean monthly rate for asthma-related visits was 163.9. After the transition, we observed a significant decrease to a mean monthly rate of 100.3 asthma-related visits (p < 0.001). In addition, the proportion of inpatient (23.7% vs. 30.5%, p < 0.001) visits significantly increased, while ED & UC (76.3 vs. 69.5%, p < 0.001) were significantly decreased. Conclusion Converting an electrical power plant from coal to natural gas lead to a profound and sustained decrease in pediatric acute asthma exacerbation in Louisville, KY.

Total Mission Time and Mortality in a Regional Interhospital Critical Care Transport System: A Retrospective Observational Study

ObjectiveWe assessed the mortality risk related to the time for intensive care unit transport in a geographically large regional health care system. MethodsPatient-level data from critical care ambulance missions were analyzed for 2,067 cases, mission time, and relevant patient factors. Mission time was used as a surrogate for the “distance” to tertiary care, and mortality at 7 days and other intervals was assessed.Results: No increased mortality risk was found at 7 days in an unadjusted regression analysis (odds ratio = 1.00; range, 0.999-1.002; P = .66). In a secondary analysis, an increased mortality risk was observed in longer mission time subgroups and at later mortality assessment intervals (> 375 mission minutes and 90-day mortality; adjusted hazard ratio = 1.56; range, 1.07-2.28; P = .02). Negative changes in oxygenation and hemodynamic status and transport-related adverse events were associated with the longest flight times. Measurable but small changes during flight were noted for mean arterial pressure and oxygenation. ConclusionThe main finding was that there was no overall difference in mortality risk based on mission time. We conclude that transport distances or accessibility to critical care in the tertiary care center in a geographically large but sparsely populated region is not clearly associated with mortality risk.

Abstract MP1: Safety and Efficacy of IV-tPA for Acute Ischemic Stroke After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Introduction: Peri-procedural acute ischemic stroke (AIS) risk after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is between 3% to 6.7%, and administration of IV-tPA for its management is not well studied. We analyzed patients who had peri-procedural AIS after TAVR and compared those treated with IV-tPA to those who were not. Methods: Data were retrospectively abstracted for patients with an AIS after TAVR within a large regional healthcare system. Baseline demographics were analyzed using the Pearson Chi-Square test. Post AIS outcomes (bleeding events, cardiac events, and functional outcomes) were analyzed using the Pearson Chi Square test and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: From 2011 - 2019, 779 patients underwent TAVR, of which 22 (2.6%) had peri- procedural AIS. 8 received tPA and 14 did not. There was no difference in baseline characteristics. See Table 1. During index hospitalization, there were more groin bleeding events in the tPA group (6 {75%} in tPA vs. 0 {0%} in non-tPA p=0.005). More patients in the tPA group had a trend towards a drop in hemoglobin by 2 g/dL and total aggregate bleeding events. There were no differences in symptomatic ICH, other intracranial bleeding, post-procedural Afib/flutter, post-procedural new CHF, and discharge functional outcomes. At 90 days, there were no differences in safety outcomes and median 90-day mRS. Conclusions: This is the largest case series to describe patients who had AIS after TAVR and received tPA. There was no difference between adverse neurological or cardiac outcomes at discharge and 90 days in the tPA group vs. non-tPA group. More tPA patients had groin bleeding, which did not cause any long-term functional impairment. There was a trend toward tPA patients having a lower discharge NIHSS. Overall, tPA appears to be a safe intervention for AIS after TAVR. More evidence is needed to determine its efficacy in TAVR patients.

Validation of the modified Sk\xe5ne emergency department assessment of patient load (mSEAL) model for emergency department crowding and comparison with international models; an observational study

BackgroundEmergency Department crowding is associated with increased morbidity and mortality but no measure of crowding has been validated in Sweden. We have previously derived and internally validated the Skåne Emergency Department Assessment of Patient Load (SEAL) score as a measure of crowding in Emergency Departments (ED) in a large regional healthcare system in Sweden. Due to differences in electronic health records (EHRs) between health care systems in Sweden, all variables in the original SEAL-score could not be measured reliably nationally. We aimed to derive and validate a modified SEAL (mSEAL) model and to compare it with established international measures of crowding.MethodsThis was an observational cross sectional study at four EDs in Sweden. All clinical staff assessed their workload (1–6 where 6 is the highest workload) at 5 timepoints each day. We used linear regression with stepwise backward elimination on the original SEAL dataset to derive and internally validate the mSEAL score against staff workload assessments. We externally validated the mSEAL at four hospitals and compared it with the National Emergency Department Overcrowding Score (NEDOCS), the simplified International Crowding Measure in Emergency Department (sICMED), and Occupancy Rate. Area under the receiver operating curve (AuROC) and coefficient of determination was used to compare crowding models. Crowding was defined as an average workload of 4.5 or higher.ResultsThe mSEAL score contains the variables Patient Hours and Time to physician and showed strong correlation with crowding in the derivation (r2 = 0.47), internal validation (r2 = 0.64 and 0.69) and in the external validation (r2 = 0.48 to 0.60). AuROC scores for crowding in the external validation were 0.91, 0.90, 0.97 and 0.80 for mSEAL, Occupancy Rate, NEDOCS and sICMED respectively.ConclusionsThe mSEAL model can measure crowding based on workload in Swedish EDs with good discriminatory capacity and has the potential to systematically evaluate crowding and help policymakers and researchers target its causes and effects. In Swedish EDs, Occupancy Rate and NEDOCS are good alternatives to measure crowding based on workload.

Characteristics of COVID-19 patients with bacterial coinfection admitted to the hospital from the emergency department in a large regional healthcare system.

IntroductionThe rate of bacterial coinfection with SARS‐CoV‐2 is poorly defined. The decision to administer antibiotics early in the course of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection depends on the likelihood of bacterial coinfection.MethodsWe performed a retrospective chart review of all patients admitted through the emergency department with confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection over a 6‐week period in a large healthcare system in the United States. Blood and respiratory culture results were abstracted and adjudicated by multiple authors. The primary outcome was the rate of bacteremia. We secondarily looked to define clinical or laboratory features associated with bacteremia.ResultsThere were 542 patients admitted with confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, with an average age of 62.8 years. Of these, 395 had blood cultures performed upon admission, with six true positive results (1.1% of the total population). An additional 14 patients had positive respiratory cultures treated as true pathogens in the first 72 h. Low blood pressure and elevated white blood cell count, neutrophil count, blood urea nitrogen, and lactate were statistically significantly associated with bacteremia. Clinical outcomes were not statistically significantly different between patients with and without bacteremia.ConclusionsWe found a low rate of bacteremia in patients admitted with confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. In hemodynamically stable patients, routine antibiotics may not be warranted in this population.

Cost analysis of laparoscopic appendectomy in a large integrated healthcare system.

Healthcare expenditure is on the rise placing greater emphasis on operational excellence, cost containment, and high quality of care. Significant variation is seen in operating room (OR) costs with common surgical procedures such as laparoscopic appendectomy. Surgeons can influence cost through the selection of instrumentation for common surgical procedures such as laparoscopic appendectomy. We aimed to quantify the cost of laparoscopic appendectomy in our healthcare system and compare cost variations to operative times and outcomes. We performed a retrospective review of laparoscopic appendectomies in a large regional healthcare system during one-year period (2018). Operating room supply costs and procedure durations were obtained for each hospital.The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) outcomes and demographics were compared to the costs for each hospital. A total of 4757 laparoscopic appendectomies were performed at 20 hospitals (27 to 522 per hospital) by 233 surgeons. The average supply cost per case ranged from $650 to $1067. Individual surgeon cost ranged from $197 to $1181. The average operative time was 41min (range 33 to 60min). There was no association between lower cost and longer operative time. The patient demographics and comorbidities were similar between sites. There were no significant differences in postoperative complications between high- and low-cost centers.The items with the greatest increase in cost were single-use energy devices (SUD) and endoscopic stapler. We estimate that a saving of over $417 per case is possible by avoiding the use of energy devices and may be as high as $ 984 by adding selective use of staplers. These modifications would result in an annual savings of $1 million for our health system and more than $ 125 million nationwide. Performing laparoscopic appendectomy with reusable instruments and finding alternatives to expensive energy devices and staplers can significantly decrease costs and does not increase operative time or postoperative complications.

Taking outcomes to the next level: The clinical nurse specialist as a partner in changing practice.

In Brief This article describes the implementation of a nursing practice model incorporating the clinical nurse specialist role to lead multidisciplinary, evidence-based practice change efforts across a large regional healthcare system.

Association of Fine Particulate Matter and Risk of Stroke in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Air pollution is associated with cardiovascular outcomes. Specifically, fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) is associated with thrombosis, stroke, and myocardial infarction. Few studies have examined particulate matter and stroke risk in individuals with atrial fibrillation (AF). To assess the association of residential-level pollution exposure in 1 year and ischemic stroke in individuals with AF. This cohort study included 31 414 individuals with AF from a large regional health care system in an area with historically high industrial pollution. All participants had valid residential addresses for geocoding and ascertainment of neighborhood-level income and educational level. Participants were studied from January 1, 2007, through September 30, 2015, with prospective follow-up through December 1, 2017. Data analysis was performed from March 14, 2018, to October 9, 2019. Exposure to PM2.5 ascertained using geocoding of addresses and fine-scale air pollution exposure surfaces derived from a spatial saturation monitoring campaign and land-use regression modeling. Exposure to PM2.5 was estimated annually across the study period at the residence level. Multivariable-adjusted stroke risk by quartile of residence-level and annual PM2.5 exposure. The cohort included 31 414 individuals (15 813 [50.3%] female; mean [SD] age, 74.4 [13.5] years), with a median follow-up of 3.5 years (interquartile range, 1.6-5.8 years). The mean (SD) annual PM2.5 exposure was 10.6 (0.7) μg/m3. A 1-SD increase in PM2.5 was associated with a greater risk of stroke after both adjustment for demographic and clinical variables (hazard ratio [HR], 1.08; 95% CI, 1.03-1.14) and multivariable adjustment that included neighborhood-level income and educational level (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.00-1.14). The highest quartile of PM2.5 exposure had an increased risk of stroke relative to the first quartile (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.18-1.58). After adjustment for clinical covariates, income, and educational level, risk of stroke remained greater for the highest quartile of exposure relative to the first quartile (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.01-1.45). This large cohort study of individuals with AF identified associations between PM2.5 and risk of ischemic stroke. The results suggest an association between fine particulate air pollution and cardiovascular disease and outcomes.

Particulate matter and emergency visits for asthma: a time-series study of their association in the presence and absence of wildfire smoke in Reno, Nevada, 2013\u20132018

BackgroundHealth risks due to particulate matter (PM) from wildfires may differ from risk due to PM from other sources. In places frequently subjected to wildfire smoke, such as Reno, Nevada, it is critical to determine whether wildfire PM poses unique risks. Our goal was to quantify the difference in the association of adverse asthma events with PM on days when wildfire smoke was present versus days when wildfire smoke was not present.MethodsWe obtained counts of visits for asthma at emergency departments and urgent care centers from a large regional healthcare system in Reno for the years 2013–2018. We also obtained dates when wildfire smoke was present from the Washoe County Health District Air Quality Management Division. We then examined whether the presence of wildfire smoke modified the association of PM2.5, PM10–2.5, and PM10 with asthma visits using generalized additive models. We improved on previous studies by excluding wildfire-smoke days where the PM concentration exceeded the maximum PM concentration on other days, thus accounting for possible nonlinearity in the association between PM concentration and asthma visits.ResultsAir quality was affected by wildfire smoke on 188 days between 2013 and 2018. We found that the presence of wildfire smoke increased the association of a 5 μg/m3 increase in daily and three-day averages of PM2.5 with asthma visits by 6.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.1–10.3%) and 6.8% (CI: 1.2–12.7%), respectively. Similarly, the presence of wildfire smoke increased the association of a 5 μg/m3 increase in daily and three-day averages of PM10 with asthma visits by 5.5% (CI: 2.5–8.6%) and 7.2% (CI: 2.6–12.0%), respectively. We did not observe any significant increases in association for PM10–2.5 or for seven-day averages of PM2.5 and PM10.ConclusionsSince we found significantly stronger associations of PM2.5 and PM10 with asthma visits when wildfire smoke was present, our results suggest that wildfire PM is more hazardous than non-wildfire PM for patients with asthma.

Utilization of Radiographic Imaging for Infant Hydronephrosis over the First 12 Months of Life.

Purpose The workup and surveillance strategies for infant hydronephrosis (HN) vary, although this could be due to grade-dependent differences in imaging intensity. We aimed to describe the frequency of imaging studies for HN within the first year of life, stratified by initial HN grade, within a large regional healthcare system. Study Design and Data Source. Retrospective cohort using Intermountain Healthcare Data Warehouse. Inclusion criteria: (1) birth between 1/1/2005 and 12/31/2013, (2) CPT code for HN, and (3) ultrasound (U/S) confirmed HN within four months of birth. Data Collection. Grade of HN on initial postnatal U/S; number of HN-associated radiologic studies (renal U/Ss, voiding cystourethrograms (VCUGs), and diuretic renal scans); demographic and medical variables. Primary Outcome. Sum of radiologic studies within the first year of life or prior to pyeloplasty. Statistical Analysis. Multivariate poisson regression to analyze association between the primary outcome and the initial HN grade. Results Of 1,380 subjects (993 males and 387 females), 990 (72%), 230 (17%), and 160 (12%) had mild, moderate, and severe HN, respectively. Compared with those with mild HN, patients with moderate (RR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.42–1.73) and severe (RR: 2.09; 95% CI: 1.88–2.32) HN had a significantly higher rate of imaging use over 12 months (or prior to surgery) after controlling for potential confounders. Conclusions In a large regional healthcare system, imaging use for HN is proportional to its initial grade. This suggests that within our system, clinicians treating this condition are using a risk-stratified approach to imaging.

Integrating the Social Determinants of Health into Nursing Practice: Nurses' Perspectives.

The purpose of this study was to assess nurses' knowledge, perceived self-efficacy, and intended behaviors relative to integrating the social determinants of health (SDoH) into clinical practice. A cross-sectional study was completed with 768 nurses working in three hospitals within a large regional healthcare system located in the Midwest. Data were collected using an adapted 71-item SDoH Survey, which measured nurses' confidence in and frequency of discussing the SDoH with patients, general knowledge of the SDoH, familiarity with patients' social and economic conditions, and awareness of their institution's health equity strategic plan to achieve health equity. The institution's health equity strategic plan reflects the organization's commitment to improving the health of individuals and neighborhoods by addressing the SDoH known to influence health status and life expectancy. Finally, participants were asked to describe barriers to incorporating the SDoH into practice along with completing five demographic items. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the findings. Of the 768 respondents, 63% had a baccalaureate degree in nursing and 33.1% reported more than 20 years in nursing. Fifty percent of respondents reported feeling more knowledgeable or confident in their ability to discuss access to care issues with patients compared to the other SDoH. Identified barriers to discussing the SDoH included insufficient time to address identified needs and unfamiliarity with internal and external resources. Respondents stressed the need for interdisciplinary education and collaboration along with more information on the role of social workers. Nurses are more confident in discussing certain determinants of health and could benefit from more skill development in discussing SDoH issues and stronger collaborative partnerships to address identified needs. Findings from the study have implications for supporting the educational and resource needs of front-line nurses employed in hospitals and health systems seeking to address broader societal issues influencing the health status and outcomes of patients and communities.