Nationwide Administrative Database Research Articles

Antithrombin use and 28-day in-hospital mortality among severe-burn patients: an observational nationwide study

BackgroundPrevious studies have suggested that antithrombin may be beneficial for treating coagulopathy in patients with severe burns. However, robust evidence for this idea is lacking. We examined the hypothesis that antithrombin may be effective in treating patients with severe burns.MethodsWe performed propensity score-matched analyses of the nationwide administrative Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination inpatient database. We identified patients with severe burns (burn index ≥ 10) who were recorded in the database from 1 July 2010 to 31 March 2013. We compared patients who were administered antithrombin within 2 days of admission (antithrombin group) and those who were not administered antithrombin (control group). The main outcomes were 28-day mortality and ventilator-free days (VFDs).ResultsEligible patients (n = 3223) from 618 hospitals were categorized into either an antithrombin group (n = 152) or control group (n = 3071). Propensity score matching created a matched cohort of 103 pairs with and without antithrombin. Twenty-eight-day mortality was lower in the antithrombin group compared with the control group in propensity-matched analysis (control vs. antithrombin, 47.6 vs. 33.0%; difference, 14.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–28.0). Cox regression analysis showed a significant difference in 28-day in-hospital mortality between the control and antithrombin propensity-matched groups (hazard ratio 0.58; 95% CI 0.37–0.90). There were significantly more VFDs in the antithrombin compared with the control group in propensity score-matched analysis (control vs. antithrombin, 12.6 vs. 16.4 days; difference −3.7; 95% CI −7.2 to −0.12).ConclusionsThis nationwide database study demonstrated that antithrombin use may improve 28-day survival and increase VFDs in patients with severe burns. Further prospective studies are required to confirm these results.

Efficacy of early sivelestat administration on acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

The efficacy of sivelestat, a neutrophil elastase inhibitor, for acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains controversial. We investigated the role of sivelestat in ALI/ARDS patients on mortality as an end point between the sivelestat group and the non-sivelestat group within 7 days of admission. This study was performed using the Japanese nationwide administrative database (Diagnostic Procedure Combination; DPC) in 2012. We employed the propensity score weighting method with a Cox proportional hazards model to compare the mortality between the sivelestat group and the non-sivelestat group. A total of 4276 patients were eligible for this study; 1997 patients were treated with sivelestat and 2279 patients did not receive sivelestat within 7 days of admission. After adjusting for confounds, the mortality within 3 months was significantly lower in the sivelestat group compared with the non-sivelestat group (weighted hazard ratio: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.75-0.93; P < 0.002). Multiple regression analysis revealed that younger age, absence of cancer, no need for haemodialysis and no use of high-dose methylprednisolone were significantly correlated with treatment success (survive). These results of this retrospective and observational study suggest that administration of sivelestat within 7 days of admission may improve the prognosis of patients with ALI/ARDS. To our knowledge, this is the largest study to evaluate the efficacy of sivelestat on ALI/ARDS.

Hospital volume and adverse events following esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection in Japan.

Background and study aims Esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has gradually acquired popularity as a minimally invasive surgery for early cancers not only in Japan, but also in other countries. However, most reported outcomes have been based on relatively small samples of patients from specialized centers. Therefore, the association between hospital volume and the rate of adverse events following esophageal ESD has been poorly understood. Patients and methods Using a nationwide administrative database in Japan, we identified patients who underwent esophageal ESD between 1 July 2007 and 31 March 2013. Hospital volume was defined as the number of esophageal ESD procedures performed per year at each hospital and was categorized into quartiles. Results In total, 12 899 esophageal ESD procedures at 699 institutions were identified during the study period. Perforation and perforation-related disorders were observed in 422 patients (3.3 %), and one patient died after perforation. There was a significant association between a lower hospital volume and a higher proportion of adverse events following esophageal ESD. Although not statistically significant, a similar tendency was observed in the occurrence of blood transfusion within 1 week after ESD and all-cause in-hospital death. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that hospitals with very high case volumes were less likely to experience adverse events following esophageal ESD than hospitals with very low volumes. Conclusions The proportion of perforation and perforation-related disorders following esophageal ESD was permissibly low, and there was a linear association between higher hospital volume and lower rates of adverse events following esophageal ESD.

Childhood forecasting of a small segment of the population with large economic burden.

Policy-makers are interested in early-years interventions to ameliorate childhood risks. They hope for improved adult outcomes in the long run, bringing return on investment. How much return can be expected depends, partly, on how strongly childhood risks forecast adult outcomes. But there is disagreement about whether childhood determines adulthood. We integrated multiple nationwide administrative databases and electronic medical records with the four-decade Dunedin birth-cohort study to test child-to-adult prediction in a different way, by using a population-segmentation approach. A segment comprising one-fifth of the cohort accounted for 36% of the cohort's injury insurance-claims; 40% of excess obese-kilograms; 54% of cigarettes smoked; 57% of hospital nights; 66% of welfare benefits; 77% of fatherless childrearing; 78% of prescription fills; and 81% of criminal convictions. Childhood risks, including poor age-three brain health, predicted this segment with large effect sizes. Early-years interventions effective with this population segment could yield very large returns on investment.

Comparison of Stroke- and Bleed-Specific Healthcare Resource Utilization and Costs Among Patients with Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation, Newly Treated with Dabigatran or Warfarin

INTRODUCTION: In the pivotal Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulant Therapy (RE-LY) clinical trial, dabigatran was associated with lower rates of stroke and systemic embolism compared to adjusted-dose warfarin. However, real-world evidence comparing stroke- and bleed-specific healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), costs, length of stay (LOS) per hospitalization and readmissions in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients newly treated with dabigatran or warfarin is limited.METHODS: Using a nationwide administrative claims database in the US, a retrospective matched-cohort of newly diagnosed NVAF patients aged ≥18 years treated with dabigatran or warfarin in 01/01/2011-12/31/2013 was evaluated. Index date was the first dabigatran or warfarin claim date. All patients had data for 12 months before the index date and a maximum follow-up of 12 months or until discontinuation or switch, disenrollment, end of study period, or inpatient death. Propensity scores were used to match dabigatran and warfarin users 1:1. Stroke or bleed-specific HCRU and costs were defined as hospitalizations with stroke or bleed as the primary discharge diagnosis and outpatient claims with stroke or bleed diagnosis in any position. Percentage and incidence rate (IR) of first stroke or bleed per 100 person-years and associated 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported. Stroke- and bleed-specific per-patient-per-year (PPPY) HCRU and costs were analyzed for all patients. Among those with a hospitalization for stroke or bleed, LOS and readmissions of patients who were admitted and discharged home were reported. Cox regression examined the risk of stroke or bleed and logistic regression assessed the impact on stroke- and bleed-specific readmission between dabigatran and warfarin users.RESULTS: A total of 18,980 dabigatran patients were matched to corresponding warfarin patients. Of these, the percentage of dabigatran patients with stroke (0.5%, n=87 vs 0.8%, n=142; P<0.001) or bleed (1.2%, n=227 vs 1.6%, n=294; P=0.003) was significantly lower than warfarin patients. The IR (95% CI) of stroke [0.65 (0.51-0.78) vs. 1.06 (0.89-1.24)] and bleed [1.69 (1.47-1.91) vs. 2.20 (1.95-2.46)] was also lower in dabigatran patients compared to warfarin patients. After adjustment, compared to warfarin patients, the hazard ratio (HR) of having a first stroke or bleed was significantly lower in dabigatran patients [(HR = 0.60 (95% CI = 0.46-0.79)) and (HR = 0.76 (95% CI = 0.64-0.91)), respectively].Among all NVAF patients, dabigatran users had a significantly lower number of stroke-specific hospitalizations (0.007 vs 0.013, P<0.001) and outpatient visits (0.304 vs 0.450, P<0.001) compared to warfarin patients. Similarly, dabigatran users had significantly lower bleed-specific hospitalizations (0.024 vs 0.035, P=0.008) and outpatient visits (0.820 vs 0.920, P=0.018). Dabigatran users had significantly lower stroke-specific outpatient visit costs ($84 vs $144, P=0.01) and bleed-specific hospitalization costs ($360 vs $612, P=0.007). There was no significant difference observed in stroke-specific hospitalization costs and bleed-specific outpatient costs between the two groups.Among dabigatran patients with a stroke or bleed, average LOS was significantly lower compared to warfarin patients [(4.74 days vs 5.70 days) and (4.30 days vs 4.60 days), both P<0.001]. Stroke-related 30-day readmissions did not significantly differ between dabigatran and warfarin patients (0.4%, n=14 vs 0.6%, n=25, P=0.078). However, the odds of stroke-related readmission were significantly lower in dabigatran compared to warfarin users [Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.59 (95% CI = 0.51-0.69)]. Bleed-related 30-day readmissions were significantly lower for dabigatran than warfarin users (0.8%, n=30 vs. 1.5%, n=59, P=0.002); similar results were found after adjustment [OR=0.54 (95% CI = 0.47-0.63)].CONCLUSION: Using real-world data of newly diagnosed NVAF patients, dabigatran users had a lower risk of stroke or bleed than warfarin users. Dabigatran users had lower stroke- and bleed-specific HCRU (including LOS per hospitalization), and lower odds of stroke- and bleed-specific readmissions compared to warfarin users. Also, costs associated with bleed-specific hospitalizations and stroke-specific outpatient visits were significantly lower for dabigatran users compared to warfarin users. DisclosuresSong:Truven Health Analytics: Employment; Amgen: Other: This study was funded by Amgen.. Gilligan:Truven Health Analytics, an IBM Company: Employment. Sander:Boehringer Ingelheim: Employment. Smith:Truven Health Analytics: Employment.

Stroke severity may predict causes of readmission within one year in patients with first ischemic stroke event

IntroductionReadmissions after stroke are costly. Risk assessment using information available upon admission could identify high-risk patients for potential interventions to reduce readmissions. Baseline stroke severity has been suspected to be a factor in readmission; however, the exact nature of the impact has not been adequately understood. MethodsHospitalized adult patients with first-ever ischemic stroke were identified from a nationwide administrative database. Stroke severity was assessed using a validated claims-based stroke severity index. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate the relationship between stroke severity and first readmission within one year. ResultsOf the 10,877 patients, 4295 (39.5%) were readmitted in one year. The cumulative risk of readmission was 34.1%, 44.7%, and 62.9% in patients with mild, moderate, and severe stroke, respectively. Patients with greater stroke severity had a significantly higher adjusted risk of first readmission for infection, metabolic disorders, neurological sequelae, and pulmonary diseases, whereas those with lesser stroke severity were prone to first readmission due to accidents. Stroke severity did not affect the risk of first readmission for recurrent stroke/transient ischemic attack, other cardiovascular events, malignancy, ulcers/upper gastrointestinal bleeding, kidney diseases, and others. ConclusionsStroke severity in patients with first-ever ischemic stroke not only predicts readmission but also relates to the cause of readmission. Our results might provide important information for tailoring discharge planning to prevent readmissions.

Perioperative Visual Loss in Spine Fusion Surgery: Ischemic Optic Neuropathy in the United States from 1998 to 2012 in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.

Perioperative ischemic optic neuropathy (ION) causes visual loss in spinal fusion. Previous case-control studies are limited by study size and lack of a random sample. The purpose of this study was to study trends in ION incidence in spinal fusion and risk factors in a large nationwide administrative hospital database. In the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for 1998 to 2012, procedure codes for posterior thoracic, lumbar, or sacral spine fusion and diagnostic codes for ION were identified. ION was studied over five 3-yr periods (1998 to 2000, 2001 to 2003, 2004 to 2006, 2007 to 2009, and 2010 to 2012). National estimates were obtained using trend weights in a statistical survey procedure. Univariate and Poisson logistic regression assessed trends and risk factors. The nationally estimated volume of thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spinal fusion from 1998 to 2012 was 2,511,073. ION was estimated to develop in 257 patients (1.02/10,000). The incidence rate ratio (IRR) for ION significantly decreased between 1998 and 2012 (IRR, 0.72 per 3 yr; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.88; P = 0.002). There was no significant change in the incidence of retinal artery occlusion. Factors significantly associated with ION were age (IRR, 1.24 per 10 yr of age; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.45; P = 0.009), transfusion (IRR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.38 to 5.37; P = 0.004), and obesity (IRR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.09 to 5.66; P = 0.030). Female sex was protective (IRR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.56; P = 0.0002). Perioperative ION in spinal fusion significantly decreased from 1998 to 2012 by about 2.7-fold. Aging, male sex, transfusion, and obesity significantly increased the risk.

Actual conditions of the acute phase management in acute pancreatitis: A study using a nationwide administrative database in Japan

Actual conditions of the acute phase management in acute pancreatitis: A study using a nationwide administrative database in Japan

The economic burden of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in community-onset pneumonia inpatients.

The quantitative effect of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections on real-world health care resources is not clear. This study aimed to estimate the burden of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in pneumonia inpatients in Japan. Using a nationwide administrative claims database, we analyzed pneumonia patients who had been hospitalized in 1,063 acute care hospitals. Patients who received anti-MRSA drugs were categorized into an anti-MRSA drug group, and the remaining patients comprised the control group. We estimated the burden of length of stay, in-hospital mortality, total antibiotic agent costs, and total hospitalization costs. Risk adjustments were conducted using propensity score matching. The study sample comprised 634 patients administered anti-MRSA drugs and 87,427 control patients. In propensity score-matching analysis (1 to 1), the median length of stay, antibiotic costs, and hospitalization costs of the anti-MRSA drug group were significantly higher than those of the control group (21 days vs 14 days [P < .001], $756 vs $172 [P < .001] and $8,741 vs $5,063 [P < .001], respectively); the attributable excess of these indicators were 9.0 ± 1.6 days, $1,044 ± $101, and $5,548 ± $580, respectively. These findings may serve as a reference to support further research on multidrug-resistant bacterial infections and eventually inform policy formulation.

The impact of body habitus on outcomes after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a Nationwide Inpatient Sample analysis.

OBJECTIVE Although the prevalence of obesity is increasing rapidly both nationally and internationally, few studies have analyzed outcomes among obese patients undergoing cranial neurosurgery. The goal of this study, which used a nationwide data set, was to evaluate the association of both obesity and morbid obesity with treatment outcomes among patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH); in addition, the authors sought to analyze how postoperative complications for obese patients with SAH differ by the treatment modality used for aneurysm repair. METHODS Clinical data for adult patients with SAH who underwent microsurgical or endovascular aneurysm repair were extracted from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). The body habitus of patients was classified as nonobese (body mass index [BMI] < 30 kg/m2), obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 and ≤ 40 kg/m2), or morbidly obese (BMI > 40 kg/m2). Multivariable logistic regression analyzed the association of body habitus with in-hospital mortality rate, complications, discharge disposition, and poor outcome as defined by the composite NIS-SAH outcome measure. Covariates included patient demographics, comorbidities (including hypertension and diabetes), health insurance status, the NIS-SAH severity scale, treatment modality used for aneurysm repair, and hospital characteristics. RESULTS In total, data from 18,281 patients were included in this study; the prevalence of morbid obesity increased from 0.8% in 2002 to 3.5% in 2011. Obese and morbidly obese patients were significantly younger and had a greater number of comorbidities than nonobese patients (p < 0.001). Mortality rates for obese (11.5%) and morbidly obese patients (10.5%) did not significantly differ from those for nonobese patients (13.5%); likewise, no differences in neurological complications or poor outcome were observed among these 3 groups. Morbid obesity was associated with significantly increased odds of several medical complications, including venous thromboembolic (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.01-2.30, p = 0.046) and renal (OR 1.64, 95% CI: 1.11-2.43, p = 0.01) complications and infections (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.08-1.67, p = 0.009, attributable to greater odds of urinary tract and surgical site infections). Moreover, morbidly obese patients had higher odds of a nonroutine hospital discharge (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.03-1.71, p = 0.03). Patients with milder obesity had decreased odds of some medical complications, including cardiac, pulmonary, and infectious complications, primarily among patients who had undergone coil embolization. CONCLUSIONS In this study involving a nationwide administrative database, milder obesity was not significantly associated with increased mortality rates, neurological complications, or poor outcomes after SAH. Morbid obesity, however, was associated with increased odds of venous thromboembolic, renal, and infectious complications, as well as of a nonroutine hospital discharge. Notably, milder obesity was associated with decreased odds of some medical complications, primarily in patients treated with coiling.

De-escalation versus continuation of empirical antimicrobial therapy in community-acquired pneumonia

To compare mortality between de-escalation and continued empirical treatment in patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Using a nationwide administrative database, we identified adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, other streptococci, Haemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, or Escherichia coli (n=10,231) or of unknown etiology (n=8247), discharged between July 2010 and March 2013. De-escalation was determined by the spectrum and number of antimicrobials at day 4. We used propensity score matching to obtain 489 pairs of de-escalation and continuation groups among pathogen-identified patients and 278 pairs among culture-negative patients to compare mortalities. In the pathogen-identified patients, de-escalation was noninferior to continuation in 15-day mortality [5.3% in de-escalation versus 4.3% in continuation, a difference of 1.0% (95% confidence interval, -1.7% to 3.7%)] and in-hospital mortality [8.0% in de-escalation versus 8.8% in continuation, a difference of -0.8% (95% confidence interval, -4.3% to 2.7%)]. In the culture-negative cases, de-escalation was noninferior to continuation in terms of 15-day mortality but not in terms of in-hospital mortality. Among patients with community-acquired pneumonia of specific etiology, de-escalation was noninferior to continuation of empirical treatment, suggesting that de-escalation is a safe strategy and supporting current recommendations. Safety of de-escalation in culture-negative cases is questionable.

Risk and outcome of pyelonephritis among renal transplant recipients.

BackgroundUrinary tract infection is the most common infectious disease requiring hospitalisation following renal transplantation. However, the risk and outcome of post-transplant pyelonephritis remains unclear.MethodsThis population-based cohort study was conducted from 1 January 1990 to 31 December 2009. Each member of a Danish population-based, nationwide cohort of first-time renal transplant recipients was matched by age and gender with up to 19 population controls. Information on hospital discharge diagnosis, emigration, and mortality was obtained from nationwide administrative databases. Individuals were observed from the date of first renal transplantation and until graft loss, emigration, or death. Risk factors were assessed by Poisson regression.ResultsThe incidence rate (IR) of first-time hospitalisation for pyelonephritis was 18.5 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 16.4–20.9) per 1,000 person-years of follow-up (PYFU) among renal transplant recipients (N = 2,656) and 0.26 (CI: 0.21–0.31) per 1,000 PYFU among population controls (N = 49,226) yielding an incidence rate-ratio (IRR) of 72.0 (95 % CI: 57.8–89.7). Among renal transplant recipients, the risk of pyelonephritis decreased during the entire study period and was lowest in 2005–09 (IRR = 0.46, CI: 0.31–0.68). The highest risk of pyelonephritis was observed within the first six months post-transplantation (IR = 69.9 per 1,000 PYFU; CI: 56.4–86.7). Other risk factors for post-transplant pyelonephritis included female gender, high Charlson comorbidity index score, HLA-DR mismatch, cause of renal failure, and calendar period. Interestingly, we found that the combined risk of graft loss and death was 45 %, (CI: 19–77 %) higher in renal transplant recipients following post-transplant pyelonephritis compared to those who had no admission due to pyelonephritis.ConclusionsThe risk of first-time hospitalisation for pyelonephritis among renal transplant recipients is high. Further, post-transplant pyelonephritis was associated with excess risk of graft loss and death; this indicates that strategies aimed at reducing upper urinary tract infections are likely to enhance renal graft survival.

Mortality-Reducing Effect of Rehabilitation for COPD: Observational Propensity-Matched Cohort Study Using a Nationwide Database.

In the course of therapy of patients with COPD, non-pharmacologic treatment, such as rehabilitation, plays an important role. Although some studies have provided concrete evidence of the effectiveness of rehabilitation in improving functional outcomes in subjects with COPD, evidence of its mortality-reducing effect has been insufficient. In the present study, we examined whether rehabilitation had positive effects on in-hospital mortality of subjects with COPD. We used the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination nationwide administrative claims database. This was a retrospective cohort study, and there were 18,037 eligible subjects with COPD from 1,055 hospitals. The main outcome was in-hospital mortality rates. A one-to-one propensity score matching method was used to compare hospital mortality rates after admission between rehabilitation and non-rehabilitation groups. A total of 3,356 pairs of subjects were selected from the rehabilitation and non-rehabilitation groups (n = 6,712). Subjects in the rehabilitation program showed a reduction in the odds of mortality (odds ratio = 0.80, 95% CI 0.65-1.00, P = .045). In the subgroup analyses, the rehabilitation group had a lower in-hospital mortality in the pre-obese subgroup (body mass index 25.0-29.9) than the non-rehabilitation group (P = .02). Although not significant, the rehabilitation group showed a relatively low in-hospital mortality in the Hugh-Jones dyspnea scale class 5 subgroup (P = .066). This large nationwide cohort study showed that rehabilitation indeed contributed to a reduction of in-hospital mortality. These findings underscore the importance of adopting rehabilitation as part of the treatment of COPD.

Association of Palliative Care Consultation With Reducing Inpatient Chemotherapy Use in Elderly Patients With Cancer in Japan: Analysis Using a Nationwide Administrative Database.

The administration of chemotherapy at the end of life is considered an aggressive life-prolonging treatment. The use of unnecessarily aggressive therapy in elderly patients at the end of life is an important health-care concern. To explore the impact of palliative care consultation (PCC) on chemotherapy use in geriatric oncology inpatients in Japan by analyzing data from a national database. We conducted a multicenter cohort study of patients aged ≥65 years, registered in the Japan National Administrative Healthcare Database, who died with advanced (stage ≥3) lung, stomach, colorectal, liver, or breast cancer while hospitalized between April 2010 and March 2013. The relationship between PCC and chemotherapy use in the last 2 weeks of life was analyzed using χ2 and logistic regression analyses. We included 26 012 patients in this analysis. The mean age was 75.74 ± 6.40 years, 68.1% were men, 81.8% had recurrent cancer, 29.5% had lung cancer, and 29.5% had stomach cancer. Of these, 3134 (12%) received PCC. Among individuals who received PCC, chemotherapy was administered to 46 patients (1.5%) and was not administered to 3088 patients (98.5%). Among those not receiving PCC, chemotherapy was administered to 909 patients (4%) and was not administered to the remaining 21 978 patients (96%; odds ratio [OR], 0.35; 95% confidence interval, 0.26-0.48). The OR of chemotherapy use was higher in men, young-old, and patients with primary cancer. Palliative care consultation was associated with less chemotherapy use in elderly Japanese patients with cancer who died in the hospital setting.

The ADOPT-LC score: a novel predictive index of in-hospital mortality of cirrhotic patients following surgical procedures, based on a national survey.

We aimed to develop a model for predicting in-hospital mortality of cirrhotic patients following major surgical procedures using a large sample of patients derived from a Japanese nationwide administrative database. We enrolled 2197 cirrhotic patients who underwent elective (n = 1973) or emergency (n = 224) surgery. We analyzed the risk factors for postoperative mortality and established a scoring system for predicting postoperative mortality in cirrhotic patients using a split-sample method. In-hospital mortality rates following elective or emergency surgery were 4.7% and 20.5%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, patient age, Child-Pugh (CP) class, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and duration of anesthesia in elective surgery were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. In emergency surgery, CP class and duration of anesthesia were significant factors. Based on multivariate analysis in the training set (n = 987), the Adequate Operative Treatment for Liver Cirrhosis (ADOPT-LC) score that used patient age, CP class, CCI, and duration of anesthesia to predict in-hospital mortality following elective surgery was developed. This scoring system was validated in the testing set (n = 986) and produced an area under the curve of 0.881. We also developed iOS/Android apps to calculate ADOPT-LC scores to allow easy access to the current evidence in daily clinical practice. Patient age, CP class, CCI, and duration of anesthesia were identified as important risk factors for predicting postoperative mortality in cirrhotic patients. The ADOPT-LC score effectively predicts in-hospital mortality following elective surgery and may assist decisions regarding surgical procedures in cirrhotic patients based on a quantitative risk assessment.

Impact of weekend admission on in-hospital mortality in severe community-acquired pneumonia patients in Japan.

Little is known about the consequences of weekend admission on the quality of care in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia. We compared the outcomes of weekend versus weekdays' admission for these patients on risk-adjusted mortality. Using a large nationwide administrative database, we analysed patients with severe pneumonia who had been hospitalized in 1044 acute care hospitals between 2012 and 2013. We compared risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality of guideline-concordant care between patients admitted weekdays and patients admitted on weekends. The study sample comprised 17 342 patients admitted on weekdays and 6190 patients admitted on weekends. The mortality rate of the weekend admission group was significantly higher than that of the weekday admission group (23.7% vs 20.5%; P < 0.001). Even after adjusting for baseline patient severity and need for urgent care, weekend admissions were associated with higher mortality (odds ratio: 1.10; 95% confidence interval: 1.02-1.19). The implementation rates of guideline-concordant microbiological tests (including sputum cultures and urine antigen tests) were significantly lower in the weekend admission group. These tests were found to be associated with lower in-hospital mortality. Our findings showed that weekend admission was associated with increased mortality in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia in Japan. This may have been influenced by lower implementation of microbiological testing.

Cost of Herpes Zoster in Patients With Selected Immune-Compromised Conditions in the United States.

Background. This retrospective study investigates the healthcare costs of herpes zoster (HZ) in patients with selected immune-compromised (IC) conditions in the United States (US). Methods. Patients with incident HZ diagnosis (index date) were selected from nationwide administrative claims databases from 2005 to 2009. Baseline IC groups, analyzed separately, included adults aged 18-64 years with the following: human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV), solid organ transplant (SOT), bone marrow or stem cell transplant (BMSCT), or cancer; and older adults (aged ≥65 years) with cancer. Herpes zoster patients (n = 2020, n = 1053, n = 286, n = 13 178, and n = 9089, respectively) were 1-to-1 matched to controls without HZ (with randomly selected index date) in the same baseline group. The healthcare resource utilization and costs (2014 US dollars) during the first 2 postindex quarters were compared between matched cohorts with continuous enrollment during the quarter. Results. Herpes zoster patients generally had greater use of inpatient, emergency room and outpatient services, and pain medications than matched controls (P < .05). The incremental costs of HZ during the first postindex quarter were $3056, $2649, $13 332, $2549, and $3108 for HIV, SOT, BMSCT, cancer in adults aged 18-64 years, and cancer in older adults, respectively (each P < .05). The incremental costs of HZ during the second quarter were only significant for adults aged 18-64 years with cancer ($1748, P < .05). The national incremental costs of HZ were projected to be $298 million annually across the 5 IC groups. Conclusions. The healthcare cost associated with HZ among patients with studied IC conditions was sizable and occurred mainly during the first 90 days after diagnosis.

In-hospital mortality following lung cancer resection: nationwide administrative database.

Our aim was to determine the effect of a national strategy for quality improvement in cancer management (the "Plan Cancer") according to time period and to assess the influence of type and volume of hospital activity on in-hospital mortality (IHM) within a large national cohort of patients operated on for lung cancer.From January 2005 to December 2013, 76 235 patients were included in the French Administrative Database. Patient characteristics, hospital volume of activity and hospital type were analysed over three periods: 2005-2007, 2008-2010 and 2011-2013.Global crude IHM was 3.9%: 4.3% during 2005-2007, 4% during 2008-2010 and 3.5% during 2011-2013 (p<0.01). 296, 259 and 209 centres performed pulmonary resections in 2005-2007, 2008-2010 and 2011-2013, respectively (p<0.01). The risk of death was higher in centres performing <13 resections per year than in centres performing >43 resections per year (adjusted (a)OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.197-1.834). The risk of death was lower in the period 2011-2013 than in the period 2008-2010 (aOR 0.841, 95% CI 0.764-0.926). Adjustment variables (age, sex, Charlson score and type of resection) were significantly linked to IHM, whereas the type of hospital was not.The French national strategy for quality improvement seems to have induced a significant decrease in IHM.

Does the microendoscopic technique reduce mortality and major complications in patients undergoing lumbar discectomy? A propensity score-matched analysis using a nationwide administrative database.

OBJECTIVE Although minimally invasive spinal surgery has recently gained popularity, few nationwide studies have compared the adverse events that occur during endoscopic versus open spinal surgery. The purpose of this study was to compare perioperative complications associated with microendoscopic discectomy (MED) and open discectomy for patients with lumbar disc herniation. METHODS The authors retrospectively extracted from the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, a national inpatient database in Japan, data for patients admitted between July 2010 and March 2013. Patients who underwent lumbar discectomy without fusion surgery were included in the analysis, and those with an urgent admission were excluded. The authors examined patient age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index, body mass index, smoking status, blood transfusion, duration of anesthesia, type of hospital, and hospital volume (number of patients undergoing discectomy at each hospital). One-to-one propensity score matching between the MED and open discectomy groups was performed to compare the proportions of in-hospital deaths, surgical site infections (SSIs), and major complications, including stroke, acute coronary events, pulmonary embolism, respiratory complications, urinary tract infection, and sepsis. The authors also compared the hospital length of stay between the 2 groups. RESULTS A total of 26,612 patients were identified in the database. The mean age was 49.6 years (SD 17.7 years). Among all patients, 17,406 (65.4%) were male and 6422 (24.1%) underwent MED. A propensity score-matched analysis with 6040 pairs of patients showed significant decreases in the occurrence of major complications (0.8% vs 1.3%, p = 0.01) and SSI (0.1% vs 0.2%, p = 0.02) in patients treated with MED compared with those who underwent open discectomy. Overall, MED was associated with significantly lower risks of major complications (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.43-0.89, p = 0.01) and SSI (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.09-0.87, p = 0.03) than open discectomy. There was a significant difference in length of hospital stay (11 vs 15 days, p < 0.001) between the groups. There was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality between MED and open discectomy. CONCLUSIONS The microendoscopic technique was associated with lower risks for SSI and major complications following discectomy in patients with lumbar disc herniation.

The Current Status of Cardiovascular Medicine in Japan - Analysis of a Large Number of Health Records From a Nationwide Claim-Based Database, JROAD-DPC.

Since cardiovascular disease accounts for one-quarter of deaths in the Japanese population, we developed a nationwide database using the administrative case-mix Diagnostic Procedure Combination (DPC) system (ie, theJapaneseRegistryOfAll cardiac and vascularDiseases (JROAD)-DPC) to reveal the current status of cardiovascular medicine in Japan.Methods and Results:The JROAD-DPC database included 704,593 health records' data of 2012 from 610 certificated hospitals of the Japanese Circulation Society. The 35,824 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 108,665 patients with heart failure (HF) were admitted to hospitals. Increased hospital case volume was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality rates for both AMI and HF (P for trend <0.001). Although there was little variation among AMI patients in terms of aspirin use at discharge (median prescription rate, 83.0%; interquartile range [IQR], 76.9-88.0%), there were wide variations in the proportions of patients prescribed β-blockers (BB) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI)/angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARB) at discharge (BB, 41.4%, IQR 27.6-55.7%; ACEI/ARB, 52.0%, IQR 40.3-62.3%). In patients with HF, there were between-hospital variations in medications at discharge (BB, 38.1%, IQR, 27.8-47.6%; ACEI/ARB, 41.0%, IQR 31.7-49.1%). A nationwide administrative database of patients with cardiovascular diseases (JROAD-DPC) provided useful information that will contribute to improved quality of medical care, especially in the aging society of Japan, where HF has become an important health problem. (Circ J 2016; 80: 2327-2335).