Length Of Stay Rates Research Articles

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and comorbid psychiatric disorders: preliminary results of an 8-year retrospective study using real data

IntroductionChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of mortality worldwide. In Portugal, it is estimated to afflict 14.2% of the population over the age of 45 and is one of the most common causes of morbidity, with a significant social impact and excessive expenses. Moreover, COPD is associated with high levels of psychological distress and diverse psychiatric disorders that heighten the disease burden as they are associated with increased risk of exacerbations and frequent hospitalizations. Despite this overview, psychiatric conditions remain understudied compared to comorbid general medical conditions, and few studies have assessed their effect on COPD hospitalization outcomes.ObjectivesThis study aimed to describe the occurrence of a vast array of psychiatric comorbid diagnoses in COPD hospitalizations and to understand their impact on hospitalization outcomes.MethodsA retrospective observational study was conducted. All inpatient episodes from 2008 to 2015 of patients with at least 40 years and a primary diagnosis of COPD (ICD-9-CM codes 491.x, 492.x and 496) were selected from a national administrative database that included all hospitalizations in mainland public hospitals. From these sampled episodes, secondary psychiatric diagnoses were identified (ICD-9-CM codes 290.x-319.x). Age at hospitalization, sex, psychiatric comorbidities, length of stay (LoS) in days, admission type and date, destination after discharge, in-hospital mortality and hospital charges were analyzed.ResultsFrom a total of 66,661 COPD hospitalizations, 17,652 (26.5%) corresponded to episodes with a secondary psychiatric diagnosis. Patients with a comorbid psychiatric diagnosis were on average younger at admission (70.3 vs. 75.9 years, p<0.001), had a longer median LoS (9.89 vs. 9.33 days, p<0.001) and higher urgent admission rates (96.2% vs. 95.7%, p=0.009). There was also a significant association between discharge destination and psychiatric diagnoses (p<0.001).ConclusionsThese findings suggest that mental disorders have an adverse and quantifiable impact on COPD hospitalization outcomes. With this in mind, to provide optimal treatment for patients with both conditions, psychiatric disorders should become a matter of routine evaluation and follow-up.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Ileal Conduit Versus Orthotopic Neobladder Urinary Diversion in Robot-assisted Radical Cystectomy: Results from a Multi-institutional Series

BackgroundHead-to-head comparisons between ileal conduit (IC) and orthotopic neobladder (ONB) in terms of peri- and postoperative outcomes and complications, in the specific setting of robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC), are not available. ObjectiveTo address the impact of the type of urinary diversion (UD, IC vs ONB) on RARC morbidity, as well as operative time (OT), length of stay (LOS), and readmissions. Design, setting, and participantsUrothelial bladder cancer patients treated with RARC at nine high-volume European institutions between 2008 and 2020 were identified. InterventionRARC with either IC or ONB. Outcome measurements and statistical analysisIntra- and postoperative complications were collected and reported according to the Intraoperative Complications Assessment and Reporting with Universal Standards recommendations and European Association of Urology guidelines, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression models tested the impact of UD on outcomes, after adjustment for clustering at single hospital level. Results and limitationsOverall, 555 nonmetastatic RARC patients were identified. In 280 (51%) and 275 (49%) patients, an IC and an ONB were performed, respectively. Eighteen intraoperative complications were recorded. The rates of intraoperative complications were 4% in IC patients and 3% in ONB patients (p = 0.4). The median LOS and readmission rates were 10 versus 12 d (p < 0.001) and 20% versus 21% (p = 0.8) in IC versus ONB patients, respectively. At a multivariable logistic regression analyses, the type of UD (IC vs ONB) reached the independent predictor status for prolonged OT (odds ratio [OR]: 0.61, p = 0.03) and prolonged LOS (OR: 0.34, p < 0.001), but not for readmission (OR: 0.92, p = 0.7). Overall, 513 postoperative complications were experienced by 324 patients (58%). At least one postoperative complication was experienced by 160 (57%) IC patients versus 164 (60%) ONB patients (p = 0.6). The type of UD reached the status of an independent predictor of UD-related complications (OR: 0.64, p = 0.03). ConclusionsCompared with RARC with ONB, RARC with IC is less prone to UD-related postoperative complications, prolonged OT, and prolonged LOS. Patient summaryTo date, the impact of the type of urinary diversion, namely, ileal conduit versus orthotopic neobladder, on peri- and postoperative outcomes of robot-assisted radical cystectomy is unknown. Based on a rigorous data accrual, which relied on established complication reporting systems (Intraoperative Complications Assessment and Reporting with Universal Standards and European Association of Urology recommended systems), we reported intra- and postoperative complications according to urinary diversion type. Moreover, we found that ileal conduit was associated with lower operative time and length of stay, and yielded a protective effect in terms of urinary diversion–related complications.

Retrospective analyses of the outcomes among hospitalized liver cirrhosis patients with heart failure and COVID-19 infection: Insight from the National Inpatient Sample

BackgroundThere is paucity of data regarding the impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection on the outcomes of hospitalized liver cirrhosis (LC) patients with heart failure (HF). MethodsUtilizing the 2020 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) Database, we conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate the outcomes of hospitalized LC patients with HF and COVID-19 infection, looking at its impact on in-hospital mortality, risk for acute kidney injury (AKI) and length of stay (LOS). ResultsWe identified a total of 10,810 hospitalized LC patients with HF, of which 1.39 % (n = 150/10,810) had COVID-19 infection. Using a stepwise survey multivariable logistic regression model that adjusted for patient and hospital level confounders, COVID-19 infection among hospitalized LC patients with HF was found to be an independent predictor of overall in-hospital mortality (aOR 3.73; 95 % CI, 1.58–8.79; p = 0.00) and risk for AKI (aOR 3.06; 95 % CI, 1.27–7.37; p = 0.01) compared to those without COVID-19 infection. However, there were comparable rates of LOS among LC patients with HF regardless of COVID-19 infection status. Moreover, AKI was found to be an independent predictor of longer LOS (coefficient 4.40, 95 % CI 3.26–5.38; p = 0.00). On subgroup analysis, diastolic HF was found to be associated with increased risk for in-hospital mortality (aOR 6.54; 95 % CI, 2.02–21.20; p = 0.00), development of AKI (aOR 3.33; 95 % CI, 1.12–9.91; p = 0.03) and longer LOS (coefficient 4.30, 95 % CI 0.79–9.45; p = 0.03). ConclusionConcomitant COVID-19 infection among hospitalized LC patients with HF was associated with higher risk for in-hospital mortality and AKI but did not significantly affect hospital LOS.

Financial Toxicity in Emergency General Surgery: Novel Propensity-Matched Outcome Comparison.

Financial toxicity describes the harmful effect of individual treatment costs and fiscal burdens that have a compounding negative impact on outcomes in surgery. While this phenomenon has been widely studied in surgical oncology, the purpose of this study was to perform a novel exploration of the impact of financial toxicity in emergency general surgery (EGS) patients throughout the US. The Nationwide Readmissions Database for January and February 2018 was queried for all EGS patients aged 18 to 65 years. One-to-one propensity matching was performed with and without risk for financial toxicity. The primary outcome was mortality, and the secondary outcomes were venous thromboembolism (VTE), prolonged length of stay (LOS), and readmission within 30 days. There were 24,154 EGS patients propensity matched. The mortality rate was 0.2% (n = 39), and the rate of VTE was 0.5% (n = 113). With financial toxicity, there was no statistically significant difference for mortality (p = 0.08) or VTE (p = 0.30). The rate of prolonged LOS was 6.2% (n = 824), and the risk was increased with financial toxicity (risk ratio 1.24 [1.12 to 1.37]; p < 0.001). The readmission rate was 7.0% (n = 926), and the risk with financial toxicity was increased (risk ratio 1.21 [1.10 to 1.33]; p < 0.001). The mean count of comorbidities per patient per admission during readmission within 1 year with financial toxicity was 2.1 ± 1.9 versus 1.8 ± 1.7 without (p < 0.001). Despite little difference in the rate of mortality or VTE, EGS patients at risk for financial toxicity have an increased risk of readmission and longer LOS. Fewer comorbidities were identified at index admission than during readmission in patients at risk for financial toxicity. Future studies aimed at reducing this compounding effect of financial toxicity and identifying missed comorbidities have the potential to improve EGS outcomes.

Operative versus percutaneous drainage with fibrinolysis for complicated pediatric pleural effusions: A nationwide analysis

Management of complicated pleural effusions and empyema using tube thoracostomy with intrapleural fibrinolysis versus surgical drainage has been debated for decades. However, there remains considerable variation in management with these approaches in the pediatric population. This study aims to compare the nationwide outcomes of pediatric patients with complicated pleural effusions. Patients <18 years old with a diagnosis of pleural effusion or empyema associated with pneumonia were identified from the Nationwide Readmissions Database (2016-2018). Demographics, hospital characteristics, and complications were compared among patients undergoing isolated percutaneous drainage (PD), percutaneous drainage with intrapleural fibrinolysis (PDF), or operative drainage (OD) using standard statistical tests. 5424 patients (age 4 [IQR 1-11] years) were identified with a pleural effusion or empyema who underwent percutaneous or surgical intervention. PD (22%) and OD (24%) were utilized more frequently than PDF (3%). Index complications, including bleeding and postprocedural air leak, were similar between groups. Those receiving PDF had lower index length of stay (LOS) and admission costs. Thirty-day and overall readmission rates were highest in patients receiving PD (15% and 24%) and OD (12% and 23%) versus PDF, all p<0.001. Those receiving OD had fewer readmission complications including recurrent effusion or empyema, pneumonia, and bleeding. Overall readmission cost was highest in those receiving PD (p=0.005). In this nationwide cohort, PDF was associated with lower index admission cost, shorter LOS and lower rates of readmissions compared to OD. This knowledge should be used to improve selection of these treatments in this patient population. Retrospective Comparative LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Clinical and cost-effectiveness analysis of carbapenems versus ciprofloxacin in the treatment of urinary tract infections due to extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common infectious diseases in both hospital and community settings. The management of UTIs caused by extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-PE) has become more complicated given the limited options of effective antibiotic agents besides the amplification of total healthcare costs. This was a retrospective cohort study conducted among hospitalized patients between January 2018 and March 2020. Adults diagnosed with UTI due to ESBL-PE with at least 2days of admission were included. Excluded were patients with concomitant infection, polymicrobial UTI, and pregnant women. The primary endpoints were clinical cure and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Clinical cure, hospitalization, and antibiotics costs were considered to evaluate ICER. The secondary endpoints included microbiological eradication, length of stay (LOS), and 30-day readmission. Of 102 patients, 89 received acarbapenem and 13 received ciprofloxacin. The patients had similar baseline characteristics, including history of hospitalization and UTI within 3months. No difference was observed in clinical cure rates (86.5% vs. 100%, P = 0.159), microbiological eradication (93.1% vs. 100%, P = 0.639), median LOS (6days in both groups, P = 0.773), and 30-day readmission rates (41.6% vs. 46.2%, P = 0.755). The ICER of carbapenem to ciprofloxacin was - 7,626.05, indicating that ciprofloxacin was more cost-effective compared with carbapenems. Ciprofloxacin had comparable cure rates with carbapenems, lower risk of 30-day readmission, and was more cost-effective for the treatment of UTI due to ESBL-PE. Therefore, it should be considered as a valuable option if ESBL-PE showed susceptibility to it.

Enoxaparin may be associated with lower rates of mortality than unfractionated heparin in neurocritical and surgical patients.

Unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) are often administered to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in critically ill patients. However, the preferred prophylactic agent (UFH or LMWH) is not known. We compared the all-cause mortality rate in patients receiving UFH to LMWH for VTE prophylaxis. We conducted a retrospective propensity score adjusted analysis of patients admitted to neuro-critical, surgical, or medical intensive care units. Patients were included if they were screened with venous duplex ultrasonography or computed tomography angiography for detection of VTE. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included the prevalence of VTE, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), and hospital length of stay (LOS). Initially 2228 patients in the cohort were included for analysis, 1836 (82%) patients received UFH, and 392 (18%) patients received enoxaparin. After propensity score matching, a well-balanced cohort of 618 patients remained in the study (309 patients receiving UFH; 309 patients receiving enoxaparin). The use of UFH for VTE prophylaxis in ICU patients was associated with similar rates of all-cause mortality compared with enoxaparin [RR 0.73; 95% CI 0.43-1.24, p = 0.310]. There were no differences in the prevalence of DVT, prevalence of PE or hospital LOS between the two groups, DVT [RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.56-1.53, p = 0.889], PE [RR 1.50; 95% CI 0.78-2.90, p = 0.296] and LOS [9 ± 9days vs 9 ± 8; p = 0.857]. A trend toward mortality benefit was observed in NICU [RR 0.37; 95% CI 0.13-1.07, p = 0.062] and surgical patients [RR 0.43; 95% CI 0.17-1.02, p = 0.075] favoring the enoxaparin group. The use of UFH for VTE prophylaxis in ICU patients was associated with similar rates of VTE, all-cause mortality and LOS compared to enoxaparin. In subgroup analysis, neuro-critical and surgical patients who received UFH had a higher rate of mortality than those who received enoxaparin.

PS-P05-2: THE CORRELATION OF HYPERTENSION WITH LENGTH OF STAY OF ADHF IN CVCU OF SAIFUL ANWAR GENERAL HOSPITAL, MALANG, INDONESIA

Background: Long-term hypertension eventually leads to heart failure (HF), and therefore, most patients with HF have a history of hypertension. Conversely, the absence of hypertension in midlife was associated with a lower risk of new-onset heart failure later in life. Cardiac remodeling with major pressure overload includes diastolic dysfunction and concentric left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. If pressure overload persists, diastolic dysfunction progresses and concentrically remodeled left ventricular filling decreases, followed by heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Objectives: The aim of this study was to ascertain the correlation of pre-existence hypertension with the length of stay (LOS) of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) patients admitted in CVCU of Dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital, Malang. Method: The study was a retrospective analytic in ADHF patients in CVCU of Dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital Malang in August 2021 to April 2022. The presence of pre-existence hypertension in admission were compared with non-hypertensive group. Result: A total of 86 patients met study criteria in August 2021 to April 2022, respectively. The prevalence of hypertensive group ADHF patients was 61.6% (53 of 86), with comparable rates for men (74.4% [64 of 86]) and women (25.6% [22 of 86]). The LOS rate was higher in hypertensive group (11 days in average) than non-hypertensive group ADHF patients (8 days in average). Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension as comorbid of heart failure patients is higher than the non-hypertensive heart failure group in CVCU of Dr. Saiful Anwar Malang in August 2021 to April 2022. Based on admission vital signs, patients with longer LOS have hypertension as pre-exsistence comorbid.

334. Clinical Outcomes with Implementation of Accelerate Pheno Blood Culture Detection System for Gram Negative Bacteremia

Abstract Background Bacteremia is a life-threatening illness. Delayed treatment increases patient morbidity and healthcare costs. Accelerate Pheno™ Blood Culture Detection System (AXDX) is a novel diagnostic technology for rapid detection of gram-negative bacteremia. Studies have shown accurate and faster time to speciation and sensitivity (TTSS) by AXDX compared to conventional modality. Our unique study examined the direct impact of AXDX on clinical outcomes and cost. Methods This retrospective study consisted of 213 patients aged 18 years and older admitted to our academic institution with gram-negative bacteremia. The pre-AXDX group had 109 patients admitted in 2019 and the post-AXDX group had 104 patients admitted in 2021. Demographics, microbes, TTSS, time to de-escalation of therapy (TTDeT), length of stay (LOS), readmissions, mortality rates, and Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) rates were recorded. Results The pre-AXDX group had 51.4% females, mean age of 60.3 years, mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCMI) of 2.2, mean LOS of 21.2 days, and mean Pitt Bacteremia Score (PBS) of 2.4. The post-AXDX group had 52.0% females, mean age of 63.7 years, mean CCMI of 3.0, mean LOS of 15.0 days, and mean PBS of 2.7. Both groups’ top 2 sources of bacteremia were urinary and gastrointestinal and top 2 microbes were Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Pre-AXDX's mean TTSS was 71.9 hours and 23.6 hours for post-AXDX. Pre-AXDX's mean TTDeT was 74.0 hours and 43.9 hours for post-AXDX. The pre-AXDX cohort had 7.4% more related readmissions, 5.5% more CDI, and 0.3% more inpatient mortality than post-AXDX group. Conclusion In addition to faster TTSS with AXDX as seen with previous studies, our study shows clinical advantages with AXDX use. Both groups were comparable in bacteremia sources and microbes. The post-AXDX group had higher CCMI and PBS scores, indicating they were more ill. Despite this, the pre-AXDX group had 30.05 hours longer TTDeT, 6.17 days longer mean LOS, 5.45% more CDI, 7.12% more readmissions, and 0.26% higher mortality. The pre-AXDX group also reported adverse reactions to antibiotics, while post-AXDX did not. Our data shows AXDX use improves clinical outcomes with reduced adverse effects, mortality and CDI rate and lower costs with less LOS and readmission rates. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.

Impact of the 24-hour time target policy for emergency departments in South Korea: a mixed method study in a single medical center

BackgroundIn South Korea, after the spread of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome epidemic was aggravated by long stays in crowded emergency departments (EDs), a 24-hour target policy for EDs was introduced to prevent crowding and reduce patients' length of stay (LOS). The policy requires at least 95% of all patients to be admitted, discharged or transferred from an ED within 24 hours of arrival. This study analyzes the effects of the 24-hour target policy on ED LOS and compliance rates and describes the consequences of the policy.MethodsA mixed-methods approach was applied to a retrospective observational study of ED visits combined with a survey of medical professionals. The primary measure was ED LOS, and the secondary measure was policy compliance rate which refers to the proportion of patient visits with a LOS shorter than 24 hours. Patient flow, quality of care, patient safety, staff workload, and staff satisfaction were also investigated through surveys. Mann–Whitney U and χ2 tests were used to compare variables before and after the introduction of the policy.ResultsThe median ED LOS increased from 3.9 hours (interquartile range [IQR] = 2.1–7.6) to 4.5 hours (IQR = 2.5–8.5) after the policy was introduced. This was likely influenced by the average monthly number of patients, which greatly increased from 4819 (SD = 340) to 5870 (SD = 462) during the same period. The proportion of patients with ED LOS greater than 24 hours remained below5% only after 6 months of policy implementation, but the number of patients whose disposition was decided at 23 hours increased by 4.84 times. Survey results suggested that patient flow and quality of care improved slightly, while the workload of medical staff worsened.ConclusionsAfter implementing the 24-hour target policy, the proportion of patients whose ED LOS exceeded 24 hours decreased, even though the median ED LOS increased. However, the unintended consequences of the policy were observed such as increased medical professional workload and abrupt expulsion of patients before 24 hours.

Multitask Deep Learning for Cost-Effective Prediction of Patient's Length of Stay and Readmission State Using Multimodal Physical Activity Sensory Data.

In a hospital, accurate and rapid mortality prediction of Length of Stay (LOS) is essential since it is one of the essential measures in treating patients with severe diseases. When predictions of patient mortality and readmission are combined, these models gain a new level of significance. Therefore, the most expensive components of patient care are LOS and readmission rates. Several studies have assessed readmission to the hospital as a single-task issue. The performance, robustness, and stability of the model increase when many correlated tasks are optimized. This study develops multimodal multitasking Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Deep Learning (DL) model that can predict both LOS and readmission for patients using multi-sensory data from 47 patients. Continuous sensory data is divided into eight sections, each of which is recorded for an hour. The time steps are constructed using a dual 10-second window-based technique, resulting in six steps per hour. The 30 statistical features are computed by transforming the sensory input into the resulting vector. The proposed multitasking model predicts 30-day readmission as a binary classification problem and LOS as a regression task by constructing discrete time-step data based on the length of physical activity during a hospital stay. The proposed model is compared to a random forest for a single-task problem (classification or regression) because typical machine learning algorithms are unable to handle the multitasking challenge. In addition, sensory data combined with other cost-effective modalities such as demographics, laboratory tests, and comorbidities to construct reliable models for personalized, cost-effective, and medically acceptable prediction. With a high accuracy of 94.84%, the proposed multitask multimodal DL model classifies the patient's readmission status and determines the patient's LOS in hospital with a minimal Mean Square Error (MSE) of 0.025 and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.077, which is promising, effective, and trustworthy.

Perioperative and Oncologic Outcomes Associated with Simultaneous Radical Cystectomy and Nephroureterectomy

To compare the perioperative and oncologic outcomes associated with RCNU to a matched cohort undergoing RC alone. Simultaneous radical cystectomy and nephroureterectomy (RCNU) for synchronous upper tract and bladder urothelial carcinoma is an uncommon procedure. Sparse literature exists comparing outcomes in patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC) alone versus RCNU. Adults treated with RCNU for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) and upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) between 1980 and 2020 were identified. Patients were matched 2:1 to patients undergoing RC alone for UCB based on age (+/- 5 years), gender, BMI (+/- 5), Charlson Comorbidity Index, pathologic staging (stage ≤pT2 vs >pT2), and receipt of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Outcomes included overall survival (OS), recurrence free survival (RFS), cancer specific survival (CSS), 30-day complications, length of stay (LOS), operative time, and estimated blood loss (EBL). A total of 39 patients undergoing RCNU were identified and matched to 74 patients undergoing RC. There were no significant differences in LOS, EBL, or 30-day complication rates. Operative time was significantly longer in the RC cohort. OS (HR 0.58, CI 0.35-0.97, P=.036) was significantly better for patients undergoing RC alone, while no significant difference was noted in RFS (HR 0.65, 0.34-1.24) and CSS (HR 0.58, CI 0.31-1.08, P=.08). Patients undergoing RCNU had significantly lower OS compared to a matched group of patients undergoing RC alone. Perioperative outcomes between the groups did not differ significantly. This data can inform patient counseling for treatment of this rare disease state.

Qualitative Analysis of Length of Stay and Readmission after Carotid Endarterectomy

Length of stay (LOS) and readmissions are common measures to evaluate quality of health care. The objective of this study was to evaluate factors related to hospital LOS and readmission within 90days following carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in patients who have not had a stroke. Using a single institution database, patients who underwent CEA for carotid stenosis between 2014 and 2019 were identified. Asymptomatic carotid stenosis (no history of any stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) within 6months prior to CEA), and patients who had a TIA without stroke were included. Demographic and perioperative factors were collected. Primary outcomes analyzed were increased LOS (>1day) and readmission within 90days after surgery. There were 125 patients identified who underwent CEA for 133 carotid stenosis, and 8 patients had bilateral CEA; of which 36.8% were asymptomatic carotid stenosis with the remaining being operated on for TIA without any stroke. The mean age was 68years old and 36.1% of cases were female. The median postoperative LOS was 2days. Increased LOS occurred in 81 cases (60.9%). Increased LOS, compared to no increased LOS, occurred more often in patients with diabetes (48.1% vs. 30.8%, P=0.047), in those with operations starting after 12:00 pm (45.7% vs. 21.2%, P=0.004) and those with any minor complications such as neck swelling, neck pain, and urinary retention (30.9% vs. 15.4%, P=0.044). Readmission within 90days after CEA occurred in 24 (18%) of cases. Readmission within 90days, compared to no readmission within 90days, occurred more often in patients with a history of coronary artery disease (58.3% vs. 27.5%, P=0.004), congestive heart failure (37.5% vs. 11%, P=0.001), and atrial fibrillation (29.2% vs. 8.3%, P=0.004). More than half of patients undergoing CEA for carotid stenosis were discharged after postoperative day 1. Interventions on modifiable clinical risk factors, such as morning CEA scheduling and management of comorbidities, may decrease LOS and 90-day readmission rates.

Diagnosis Code and Health Care Utilization Patterns Associated With Diagnostic Uncertainty.

Diagnostic uncertainty is challenging to identify and study in clinical practice. This study compares differences in diagnosis code and health care utilization between a unique cohort of hospitalized children with uncertain diagnoses (UD) and matched controls. This case-control study was conducted at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Cases were defined as patients admitted to the pediatric hospital medicine service and having UDs during their hospitalization. Control patients were matched on age strata, biological sex, and time of year. Outcomes included type of diagnosis codes used (ie, disease- or nondisease-based) and change in code from admission to discharge. Differences in diagnosis codes were evaluated using conditional logistic regression. Health care utilization outcomes included hospital length of stay (LOS), hospital transfer, consulting service utilization, rapid response team activations, escalation to intensive care, and 30-day health care reutilization. Differences in health care utilization were assessed using bivariate statistics. Our final cohort included 240 UD cases and 911 matched controls. Compared with matched controls, UD cases were 8 times more likely to receive a nondisease-based diagnosis code (odds ratio [OR], 8.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.7-11.2) and 2.5 times more likely to have a change in their primary International Classification of Disease, 10th revision, diagnosis code between admission and discharge (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.9-3.4). UD cases had a longer average LOS and higher transfer rates to our main hospital campus, consulting service use, and 30-day readmission rates. Hospitalized children with UDs have meaningfully different patterns of diagnosis code use and increased health care utilization compared with matched controls.

Epidemiology and outcomes of culture-positive bloodstream pathogens prior to and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: a multicenter evaluation

BackgroundBloodstream infections (BSIs) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. We evaluate incidence of community- and hospital-onset BSI rates and outcomes before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study evaluating patients who were hospitalized for ≥ 1 day with discharge or death between June 1, 2019, and September 4, 2021, across 271 US health care facilities. Community- and hospital-onset BSI and related outcomes before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, including intensive care admission rates, and overall and ICU-specific length of stay (LOS) was evaluated. Bivariate correlations were calculated between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods overall and by SARS-CoV-2 testing status.ResultsOf 5,239,692 patient admissions, there were 20,113 community-onset BSIs before the pandemic (11.2/1000 admissions) and 39,740 (11.5/1000 admissions) during the pandemic (P ≤ 0.0062). Corresponding rates of hospital-onset BSI were 2,771 (1.6/1000 admissions) and 6,864 (2.0/1000 admissions; P < 0.0062). Compared to the pre-pandemic period, rates of community-onset BSI were higher in patients who tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 (15.8/1000 admissions), compared with 9.6/1000 BSI admissions among SARS-CoV-2-positive patients. Compared with patients in the pre-pandemic period, SARS-CoV-2-positive patients with community-onset BSI experienced greater ICU admission rates (36.6% vs 32.8%; P < 0.01), greater ventilator use (10.7% vs 4.7%; P < 0.001), and longer LOS (12.2 d vs 9.1 d; P < 0.001). Rates of hospital-onset BSI were higher in the pandemic vs the pre-pandemic period (2.0 vs 1.5/1000; P < 0.001), with rates as high a 7.3/1000 admissions among SARS-CoV-2-positive patients. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, SARS-CoV-2-positive patients with hospital-onset BSI had higher rates of ICU admission (72.9% vs 55.4%; P < 0.001), LOS (34.8 d vs 25.5 d; P < 0.001), and ventilator use (52.9% vs 21.5%; P < 0.001). Enterococcus species, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Candida albicans were more frequently detected in the pandemic period.Conclusions and relevanceThis nationally representative study found an increased risk of both community-onset and hospital-onset BSI during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic period, with the largest increased risk in hospital-onset BSI among SARS-CoV-2-positive patients. SARS-CoV-2 positivity was associated with worse outcomes.

Increasing Patient Complexity Is Associated With Longer In-Hospital Lengths of Stay and Higher Rates of Medical Complications Following Primary 1- to 2-Level Lumbar Fusion.

The Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI) is a stratification tool to predict adverse surgical outcomes. No studies have explored the relationship between ECI and outcomes following primary 1- to 2-level lumbar fusion (1-2LF). The purpose was to determine whether an ECI score greater than 1 correlated with (1) longer in-hospital length of stay (LOS) and (2) greater odds of developing 90-day medical complications. A retrospective review from 2004 to 2015 was performed using the Medicare Standard Analytical Files for patients undergoing primary LF. Patients with ECI scores from 2 to 5 served as the study cohorts (1 for each ECI score), and patients with an ECI score of 1 served as the control cohort. In-hospital LOS and 90-day medical complications were compared between cohorts. A P value of <0.001 was statistically significant. A total of 105,120 patients were equally distributed between the 5 cohorts. Patients with an ECI score of 2 (6.00 ± 4.51), ECI 3 (6.22 ± 4.67), ECI 4 (7.35 ± 5.05), or ECI 5 (8.99 ± 5.67) had longer in-hospital LOS compared with patients with an ECI score of 1 (4.28 ± 4.36) (all P < 0.001). Patients with an ECI score of 2 (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.05-1.30, P = 0.003; 2.85% vs 2.45%), ECI 3 (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.10-1.36, P < 0.001; 2.98% vs 2.45%), ECI 4 (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.13-1.40, P < 0.001; 3.10% vs 2.45%), or ECI 5 (OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.06-1.31, P = 0.001; 2.89% vs 2.45%) had greater incidence and odds of 90-day medical complications such as pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis, cerebrovascular accidents, and myocardial infarctions than patients in the control group (all P < 0.0001). Increasing ECI score was associated with longer in-hospital LOS and increased 90-day medical complication rates following 1-2LF. This study is the first to establish a correlation between ECI score, in-hospital LOS, and complication rates following lumbar fusion. ECI score may assist physicians in adjusting pre- and postoperative care for complex patients undergoing 1-2LF.

Abstract 12243: Impacts of Obesity in Clinical Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized for Atrial Flutter

Introduction: Atrial Flutter is an abnormal heart rhythm affecting the heart's upper chamber. It has comparative stroke risk to atrial fibrillation but differs in the arrhythmia's origin. There is Paucity of data comparing the relationship between obesity and atrial flutter. This study aims to bridge that gap. Methods: We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2016 to 2019. The NIS was searched for hospitalized adult patients with atrial flutter as a principal diagnosis with and without obesity as a secondary diagnosis using ICD-10 codes. The primary outcome was inpatient mortality. The secondary outcomes were the rate of catheter ablation, cardiogenic shock (CS), cardiac arrest (CA), total hospital charge (THC), and length of stay (LOS). Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses were used accordingly to adjust for confounders. Results: About 1,891,479 patients were admitted for Atrial Flutter, 21% (398,040) had underlying Obesity. Cohorts with Obesity vs No Obesity had a mean age of 64.4 years [CI 64.3 - 64.5] vs 72.2 years [CI 72.1 - 72.3]; male (52.4% vs 50.4%), female (47.6% vs 49.6%); white (79.8% vs 82.2%), black (11.0% vs 7.8%), and Hispanic (6.2% vs 5.9%). Compared to patients without Obesity, patients admitted with coexisting Obesity had a statistically significant decrease in mortality (0.47% vs 0.95% aOR 0.72, 95% CI 0.64 - 0.81, P 0.001), CA (0.33% vs 0.42%, P=0.003), and CS (0.58% vs 0.61%, P&lt;0.001) compared to those without obesity. The obesity cohorts also had a statistically significant increase in rates of catheter ablation (aOR 1.18, P&lt;0.001), LOS (aIRR 1.05, P&lt;0.001) and THC (aIRR 1.08, P&lt;0.001). Conclusion: Patients admitted primarily for Atrial Flutter with co-existing Obesity had lower inpatient mortality, CA, and CS. There was a statistically significant increase in the rates of catheter ablation, LOS and THC among the obese group. Additional studies are required to elaborate on the management of this patient group.

Abstract 12969: Impact of Race and Ethnicity on Hospital Morbidity and Resource Utilization in Acute Care Pediatric Cardiology Patients

Introduction: Disparities in healthcare outcomes are well described among patients of different races and ethnicities including pediatric cardiology. Multicenter studies examining these outcomes are lacking in pediatric acute care cardiology. We hypothesize that Black and Hispanic patients admitted to pediatric acute care cardiology units have increased hospital and acute care encounter length of stay (LOS) and complication rates compared to their White and non-Hispanic peers. Methods: Utilizing the Pediatric Acute Care Cardiology Collaborative registry, we examined all acute care cardiology unit encounters from 2/1/2019 to 7/30/2021 ending in discharge to home or death. Hospitalizations were categorized by race and ethnicity. In-hospital complications included health-care acquired infections, iatrogenic incidents, pneumonia, sepsis, seizures and stroke. Data were analyzed for differences in LOS and complication rates using chi-square and ANOVA testing. We used Bonferroni correction to establish a significance threshold of 0.007. Results: Analysis included 30,404 hospitalizations from 29 centers. There were 16,233 White (70%), 4,533 Black (19%), 919 Asian (4%) and 1,629 other races (7%) encounters. There were 23,592 (78%) non-Hispanic and 4,583 (15%) Hispanic encounters. Black patients had higher rates of premature birth (21.4%) and low birth weight (10.7%), compared to White patients (15.6% and 5.9% respectively, p&lt;0.0001). Both non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients had longer total hospital and acute care LOS than non-Hispanic White patients. Complication rates analyzed by race trended towards significance between Black and White patients, and Hispanic patients had a higher complication rate than non-Hispanics. ( Table 1 ) Conclusions: Despite improved outcomes for patients with congenital and acquired heart disease, significant racial and ethnic disparities continue to exist. Directed efforts are needed to achieve equitable results.

Disparities in Hospital Length of Stay Across Race and Ethnicity Among Patients With Heart Failure.

Reducing hospital length of stay (LOS) has been identified as an important lever for minimizing the burden of heart failure hospitalization, yet the impact of social and structural determinants of health on LOS has received little attention. We investigated disparities in LOS across race/ethnicity and their possible drivers. We analyzed patients hospitalized for heart failure from 2017 to 2020 using the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure registry. We characterized LOS differences across race/ethnicity by insurance and disposition, adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, and clinical severity. Effects of hospital-level clustering on LOS across race/ethnicity were assessed using hierarchical mixed-effects models. We evaluated the association between LOS and discharge rates of guideline-directed medical therapy. Three thousand three seven hundred thirty patients hospitalized for heart failure were identified. After excluding inpatient deaths, the adjusted LOS for Black (5.72 days [95% CI, 5.62-5.82]), Hispanic (5.94 days [95% CI, 5.79-6.08]), and Indigenous American/Pacific Islander (6.06 days [95% CI, 5.85-6.27]) patients remained significantly longer compared with non-Hispanic White patients (5.32 days [95% CI, 5.25-5.39]). This pattern was driven by LOS differences among patients discharged to hospice or nursing facilities. After accounting for variability between hospitals, associations of race/ethnicity with LOS either were attenuated or reversed in direction. Guideline-directed medical therapy rates on discharge did not differ significantly across race/ethnicity despite longer LOS for Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous American/Pacific Islander patients. Differences between hospitals drive LOS disparities across race/ethnicity. Longer LOS among Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous American/Pacific Islander patients was not associated with improved quality of care.

RF23 | PSAT240 Suboptimal Thyroid Hormone Replacement is Associated with Worse Hospital Outcomes

Abstract Introduction Many patients in the US with hypothyroidism receive suboptimal treatment with thyroid hormone. Sustained off-target TSH levels have been shown to cause serious harm to patients, including increased risk of cardiovascular disease and excess mortality over time. Suboptimal treatment may also impact hospital outcomes. The primary objective of the study was to identify differences in hospital outcomes between patients with and without hypothyroidism. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study that utilized the propensity score-based fine stratification method to balance covariates. Patient data was extracted from a large, US-based, IBM MarketScan® Commercial Claims and Encounters Database from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2015. Participants included patients 64 years and younger who had commercial insurance and a thyrotropin (TSH) level collected prior to a medical or surgical hospital admission. Covariates included age, sex, US region, type of admission (medical vs surgical), year of admission, and co-morbidities. The primary exposure was defined as clinical hypothyroidism, which was divided into 4 subgroups based on pre-hospitalization TSH level: low (TSH &amp;lt;0.40 mIU/L), normal (TSH 0.40–4.50 mIU/L), intermediate (TSH 4.51–10.00 mIU/L), and high (TSH &amp;gt;10.00 mIU/L). Non-hypothyroidism was the non-exposure (control). The primary outcomes were length of stay (LOS), in-hospital mortality, and readmission outcomes following medical and surgical admission. Results A total of 46,235 patients were included in the final study population, of whom 9,394 had a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Those with a high pre-hospitalization TSH level had a LOS that was 1.2 days longer (95% CI [1.1–1.3]; p = 0.001), a 41% higher risk of 30-day readmission (RR 1.41, 95% CI [1.13–1.75]; p = 0.002), and 33% higher rate of 90-day readmission (RR 1.33, 95% CI [1.13–1.56]; p &amp;lt;0.001) compared to balanced controls. Patients with intermediate TSH levels exhibited increased likelihood of 30-day readmission (RR 1.20, 95% CI [1.01–1.43]; p = 0.04). Conversely, those with a normal pre-hospitalization TSH level had a decreased risk of in-hospital mortality (RR 0.55, 95% CI [0.34–0.89]; p = 0.02) and 90-day readmission (RR 0.91, 95% CI [0.85–0.99]; p = 0.02). Conclusions Suboptimal treatment of hypothyroidism appears to be associated with worse hospital outcomes, including longer LOS and higher rate of readmission. Public health strategies designed to deliver appropriate, consistent outpatient treatment of hypothyroidism are needed to improve hospital outcomes in those patients with off-target TSH levels. Presentation: Saturday, June 11, 2022 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Sunday, June 12, 2022 12:30 p.m. - 12:35 p.m.