Total Hospitalization Expenses Research Articles

Enhanced recovery after surgery in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery

BACKGROUND This study was designed to investigate the clinical outcomes of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in the perioperative period in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). AIM To investigate the potential enhancement of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in postoperative recovery in elderly patients with NSCLC. METHODS We retrospectively analysed the clinical data of 85 elderly NSCLC patients who underwent ERAS (the ERAS group) and 327 elderly NSCLC patients who received routine care (the control group) after VATS at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Peking University Shenzhen Hospital between May 2015 and April 2017. After propensity score matching of baseline data, we analysed the postoperative stay, total hospital expenses, postoperative 48-h pain score, and postoperative complication rate for the 2 groups of patients who underwent lobectomy or sublobar resection. RESULTS After propensity score matching, ERAS significantly reduced the postoperative hospital stay (6.96 ± 4.16 vs 8.48 ± 4.18 d, P = 0.001) and total hospital expenses (48875.27 ± 18437.5 vs 55497.64 ± 21168.63 CNY, P = 0.014) and improved the satisfaction score (79.8 ± 7.55 vs 77.35 ± 7.72, P = 0.029) relative to those for routine care. No significant between-group difference was observed in postoperative 48-h pain score (4.68 ± 1.69 vs 5.28 ± 2.1, P = 0.090) or postoperative complication rate (21.2% vs 27.1%, P = 0.371). Subgroup analysis showed that ERAS significantly reduced the postoperative hospital stay and total hospital expenses and increased the satisfaction score of patients who underwent lobectomy but not of patients who underwent sublobar resection. CONCLUSION ERAS effectively reduced the postoperative hospital stay and total hospital expenses and improved the satisfaction score in the perioperative period for elderly NSCLC patients who underwent lobectomy but not for patients who underwent sublobar resection.

RENAL PROTECTIVE EFFECT AND CLINICAL ANALYSIS OF VITAMIN B 6 IN PATIENTS WITH SEPSIS.

Objective: To investigate the protective effect and possible mechanisms of vitamin B 6 against renal injury in patients with sepsis. Methods: A total of 128 patients with sepsis who met the entry criteria in multiple centers were randomly divided into experimental (intravenous vitamin B 6 therapy) and control (intravenous 0.9% sodium chloride therapy) groups based on usual care. Clinical data, the inflammatory response indicators interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and endothelin-1 (ET-1), the oxidative stress response indicators superoxide dismutase, glutathione and malondialdehyde, and renal function (assessed by blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and renal resistance index monitored by ultrasound) were compared between the two groups. Results: After 7 d of treatment, the IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and ET-1 levels in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group, the oxidative stress response indicators were significantly improved in the experimental group and the blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and renal resistance index values in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference between the two groups in the rate of renal replacement therapy and 28 d mortality ( P > 0.05). However, the intensive care unit length of stay and the total hospitalization expenses in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: The administration of vitamin B 6 in the treatment of patients with sepsis attenuates renal injury, and the mechanism may be related to pyridoxine decreasing the levels of inflammatory mediators and their regulation by redox stress.

Impacts of the Zero-Markup Drug Policy on Hospitalization Expenses of Patients with Stroke in Western China: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

In 2016, an innovative medical pricing reform called zero-markup drug policy (ZMDP) was implemented in selected pilot cities in China, which focuses on curbing the unreasonable growth of medical expenses. This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of ZMDP on medical expenditure of stroke in western China. The quantitative data of inpatients diagnosed with stroke was extracted from the medical insurance system in 7 tertiary public hospitals. An interrupted time series (ITS) was used to analyze the instantaneous level and long-term trend changes of hospitalization expenses per visit from January 2015 to November 2018. A total of 22,407 stroke inpatients were extracted. The total hospitalization expense per visit had the highest proportion of 20,000 CNY and above (33.66%). After the ZMDP, the median total hospitalization expense and western medicine expense per visit decreased by 631.74 CNY and 966.35 CNY, respectively (P <0.001). Before the policy, the total hospitalization expense, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) expense, examination expense, treatment expense, laboratory expense and surgical expense per visit showed upward trends (P<0.05), while the anesthesia expense per visit showed a downward trend (P<0.001). When the policy was implemented, the anesthesia expense per visit instantaneously increased by 91.70% (P<0.001). After the policy, the total hospitalization expense, western medicine expense, TCM expense, treatment expense and surgical expense per visit changed from upward trends to downward trends (P<0.05). The anesthesia expense per visit changed from a downward trend to an upward trend (P<0.001), and the examination expense per visit maintained an upward trend (P=0.005). The economic burden of stroke inpatients decreased significantly with the implementation of the ZMDP, especially for the drug expenses. The medical service expenses increased significantly, reflecting the improvement in the value of medical staff's technical labor. However, the unexpected increase in the examination expenses was likely to be associated with the unreasonable medical compensation mechanism.

Analysis of the composition and influencing factors of hospitalization expenses for 1517 patients with lung malignant tumors in Beijing.

This study aimed to analyze the composition of the total hospitalization expenses of patients with lung cancer in Beijing TongRen Hospital from January 2018 to December 2020 before and after the implementation of the "Beijing Medical Consumption Linkage Comprehensive Reform Implementation Plan" (hereinafter referred to as "Reform"). The SPSS 25.0 statistical software was used to perform descriptive statistics on the total hospitalization costs of selected 1517 patients with lung malignant tumors, and single factor and multivariate regression analysis were used to clarify the influencing factors of the patients' total hospitalization costs. From 2018 to 2020, the total hospitalization costs of patients with lung malignant tumors increased year by year (P < .05), and the average length of hospital stay decreased year by year (P < .05). The total hospitalization expenses of patients with lung malignant tumors mainly include material expenses, surgical expenses, inspection expenses, inspection expenses and medicine expenses. After the implementation of the "Reform," the proportion of medicine, inspection, nursing and other expenses in the total hospitalization expenses of patients with lung malignant tumors has been significantly reduced (P < .05), and the proportion of surgical expenses has been significantly increased (P < .05). The results of the univariate analysis showed that gender, age, length of stay in the hospital, surgery, and tumor location were the main factors affecting the total hospitalization expenses of patients (P < .05). The results of multivariate analysis showed that gender (female), age (<40 years old), length of stay (≥15 days), surgery (yes), and tumor location (right lung) are the main factors affecting the total hospitalization cost of patients with malignant tumors (P < .05). Under the premise of ensuring the efficacy of patients, the economic burden of patients is reduced by reducing the cost of materials, shortening the length of hospitalization, strengthening hospital management, and controlling the continuous growth of hospitalization costs.

Urban–rural disparities in the association of nitrogen dioxide exposure with cardiovascular disease risk in China: effect size and economic burden

BackgroundTogether with rapid urbanization, ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure has become a growing health threat. However, little is known about the urban–rural disparities in the health implications of short-term NO2 exposure. This study aimed to compare the association between short-term NO2 exposure and hospitalization for cardiovascular disease (CVD) among urban and rural residents in Shandong Province, China. Then, this study further explored the urban–rural disparities in the economic burden attributed to NO2 and the explanation for the disparities.MethodsDaily hospitalization data were obtained from an electronic medical records dataset covering a population of 5 million. In total, 303,217 hospital admissions for CVD were analyzed. A three-stage time-series analytic approach was used to estimate the county-level association and the attributed economic burden.ResultsFor every 10-μg/m3 increase in NO2 concentrations, this study observed a significant percentage increase in hospital admissions on the day of exposure of 1.42% (95% CI 0.92 to 1.92%) for CVD. The effect size was slightly higher in urban areas, while the urban–rural difference was not significant. However, a more pronounced displacement phenomenon was found in rural areas, and the economic burden attributed to NO2 was significantly higher in urban areas. At an annual average NO2 concentration of 10 μg/m3, total hospital days and expenses in urban areas were reduced by 81,801 (44,831 to 118,191) days and 60,121 (33,002 to 86,729) thousand CNY, respectively, almost twice as much as in rural areas. Due to disadvantages in socioeconomic status and medical resources, despite similar air pollution levels in the urban and rural areas of our sample sites, the rural population tended to spend less on hospitalization services.ConclusionsShort-term exposure to ambient NO2 could lead to considerable health impacts in either urban or rural areas of Shandong Province, China. Moreover, urban–rural differences in socioeconomic status and medical resources contributed to the urban–rural disparities in the economic burden attributed to NO2 exposure. The health implications of NO2 exposure are a social problem in addition to an environmental problem. Thus, this study suggests a coordinated intervention system that targets environmental and social inequality factors simultaneously.

Laparoscopic D2+ lymph node dissection in patients with obesity and gastric cancer: A retrospective study.

D2 lymph node dissection is widely used in laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer, and its efficacy and safety are known for patients with obesity. Currently, D2+ lymph node dissection is also applied to certain patients with gastric cancer of later stages. Due to the high difficulty of D2+ surgery, it is more challenging to perform on patients with obesity. There is currently limited research on the efficacy and safety of D2+ surgery in obese patients with gastric cancer. The present study aimed to retrospectively analyze the clinical data of patients undergoing laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer admitted to a single gastroenterology department. Patients with a body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 were included in the study. A total of 149 patients were selected as the research subjects and divided into two groups. The observation group comprised 74 patients who underwent D2+ lymph node dissection, while the control group comprised 75 patients who underwent standard D2 lymph node dissection. The surgical performance, postoperative recovery and postoperative complications of the two groups were compared. The results showed that the rates of conversion to open surgery in the D2+ and D2 groups were 5.4% (4/74) and 2.7% (2/75), respectively, and were not significantly different. The duration of surgery in the D2+ group (282.55±23.02 min) was significantly longer than that in the D2 group (271.45±20.05 min). The mean number of lymph node dissections in the D2+ group was 28.57±7.19, which was significantly higher than that in the D2 group (25.29±6.41). No statistically significant differences in intraoperative blood loss, time to first flatus, postoperative hospitalization days, total hospitalization expenses or postoperative complications was detected between the two groups. There were no deaths in either group within the 30-day perioperative period. In addition, there was no significant difference in the 3-year overall survival rate between the two groups, while the 5-year overall survival rate of the D2+ group was significantly higher than that of the D2 group. For obese patients with gastric cancer, D2+ surgery may increase the duration of surgery and slightly increase intraoperative blood loss compared with standard D2 radical surgery, but does not increase the incidence of postoperative complications. Moreover, D2+ surgery increases the number of lymph node dissections and improves the 5-year survival rate of patients. Therefore, it may be concluded that laparoscopic D2+ lymph node dissection is safe and feasible for obese patients with gastric cancer.

Nutritional status associated with clinical outcomes in children with solid tumors: A retrospective cohort study from China.

To investigate the long-term changes in nutritional status in children with solid tumors during treatment and the relationship between nutritional status and clinical outcomes. This study was a retrospective medical records review of data from children who were diagnosed with solid tumors and followed up for more than 3 months from January 2016 to December 2021 in China. Patient demographics and clinical information, including nutritional status, parenteral nutrition use, intensive care unit (ICU) transfers, infection during hospitalization, hospitalization frequency, length of stay, hospitalization costs and antibiotic costs, were collected to analyze the nutritional status of children with different types of solid tumors, the dynamic changes in nutritional status during treatment, and the relationship between nutritional status and clinical outcomes. Among the 764 patients (383 males (50.1%); 381 females (49.9%); mean age: 2.58 years), 41.6% of the solid tumors were neuroblastomas, 17.1% were hepatoblastomas, and Wilms tumors as the third most common solid tumors (8.9%). The median follow-up duration was 6 months (range: 3-40 months). At diagnosis, the proportion of children who were undernourished (underweight and wasting) versus overweight or obese were 26.71% versus 5.21% (25.86% vs. 2.89% in the third month; 29.77% vs. 2.28% in the sixth month; 24.77% vs. 3.27% in the 12th month). The body mass index Z scores decreased from the initial values after the first month (-0.56 (-1.47, 0.23) vs. -0.44 (-1.29, 0.41)) but improved later and decreased again at 6 months. The children in the undernutrition group had longer hospital stays (p < 0.001), higher hospitalization costs (p < 0.001), higher antibiotic costs (p < 0.001), a higher risk of neutropenia (OR = 4.781 (95% CI: 1.571-14.553), p = 0.006), and a higher risk of ICU transfers (OR = 1.498 (95% CI: 1.010-2.224), p = 0.044). No significant differences in those associations by malnutrition and infection, ICU duration, or length of parenteral nutrition were observed. There is a considerable prevalence of malnutrition in children with solid tumors. Malnutrition is related to adverse clinical outcomes and increases in total hospital expenses and antibiotic costs.

How the National Health Insurance Coverage policy changed the use of lenvatinib for adult patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective cohort analysis with real world big data

BackgroundTo establish a long-term mechanism to control the cost burden of drugs, the Chinese government organized seven rounds of price negotiations for the national reimbursement drug list (NRDL) from 2016 to the end of 2022. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of the National Health Insurance Coverage (NHIC) policy on the use of lenvatinib as the first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within a specific medical insurance region from the micro perspective of individual patient characteristics.MethodsThe data of HCC patients that received lenvatinib from September 2019 to August 2022 was retrieved from the Medical and Health Big Data Center and longitudinally analyzed. Contingency table chi-square statistics and binary logistic regression analysis were used to compare the differences in the categorical variables. Interrupted time-series (ITS) regression analysis was performed to evaluate the changes in the utilization of lenvatinib over 36 months. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the impact of receiving lenvatinib on the total hospitalization expenses of hospitalized patients with advanced HCC.ResultsA total of 12,659 patients with advanced HCC were included in this study. The usage rate of lenvatinib increased from 6.19% to 15.28% over 36 months (P < 0.001). By controlling the other factors, consistent with this, the probability of patients with advanced HCC receiving lenvatinib increased by 2.72-fold after the implementation of the NHIC policy (OR = 2.720, 95% CI:2.396–3.088, P < 0.001). Older, residency in rural areas, lack of fixed income, treatment at hospitals below the tertiary level, and coverage by urban-rural residents’ basic medical insurance (URRBMI) were the factors affecting the use of lenvatinib among patients with advanced HCC (P < 0.05). After the implementation of the NHIC policy, the total hospitalization expenses increased (Beta=-0.040, P < 0.001). However, compared to patients who received lenvatinib, the total hospitalization expenses were higher for those who did not receive the drug (US$5022.07 ± US$5488.70 vs. US$3701.63 ± US$4330.70, Beta = 0.062, P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe NHIC policy has significantly increased the utilization of lenvatinib. In addition, we speculate that establishing multi-level medical insurance systems for economically disadvantaged patients would be beneficial in improving the effectiveness of the NHIC policy in the real world.

Role of pre-hospital emergency medical systems in the rescue of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a series of clinical syndromes caused by ischemic necrosis of myocardial cells that results from severe and persistent acute ischemia of the myocardium due to a dramatic reduction or interruption of coronary blood supply. In this study, we analyzed the role of pre-hospital emergency services in the rescue of patients suffering from ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We enrolled 229 patients with STEMI who were transported to the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University by Tianjin Emergency Center from January 2017 to June 2021. With the development of the pre-hospital emergency medical system in Tianjin (2019) as the time node, the patients were divided into three groups: A (87 cases), B (68 cases), and C (74 cases). The onset-to-call time, emergency response time, door-to-balloon (D-B) time, first medical contact to balloon dilation (FMC-B) time, symptom onset-to-balloon dilation (S-B) time, proportion of patients receiving prehospital administration of bispecific antibodies, number of days hospitalized, total hospitalization expenses, and in-hospital incidence and mortality of heart failure were compared between the three groups. Group C differed significantly from group A and group B in terms of emergency response time, D-B time, FMC-B time, S-B time, the proportion of patients who received prehospital administration of bispecific antibodies, and the number of days of hospitalization (P< 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the onset-to-call time (P> 0.05) and the decreasing trends in the in-hospital incidence and mortality of heart failure were not statistically significant (incidence: 9.50% vs. 13.23%, 12.64%; mortality: 4.10% vs. 5.90%, 4.60%). A reasonable pre-hospital emergency medical network layout and resource investment, as well as the strengthening of the interface between pre-hospital and in-hospital medical emergencies and pre-hospital standardized rescue, can shorten the emergency response time and the total ischemic time in patients with chest pain, which can improve patient prognosis to a certain extent.

Risk Factors for a High Comprehensive Complication Index after Splenectomy Plus Pericardial Devascularization for Portal Hypertension.

Mathematical integration of all complications from the Clavien-Dindo classification into one number called the comprehensive complication index provides a novel method to capture morbidity. This objective of this study was to compare the evaluations of complications between the novel comprehensive complication index and Clavien-Dindo classification for portal hypertension patients who underwent splenectomy plus pericardial devascularization. Patients treated with either splenectomy plus simplified pericardial devascularization or splenectomy plus traditional pericardial devascularization were included retrospectively. Correlation and logistic regression analyses of the postoperative hospital stay and total hospitalization expense were compared between the comprehensive complication index and Clavien-Dindo classification. The cumulative sum-comprehensive complication index was generated and compared between operation types. The Child-Pugh classification at admission, spleen thickness, and intraoperative blood loss were risk factors for high comprehensive complication index. Comprehensive complication index showed a stronger relationship with the postoperative hospital stay and total hospitalization expense than the Clavien-Dindo classification. Logistic regression analysis of the postoperative hospital stay demonstrated that the R2 values for the comprehensive complication index and Clavien-Dindo classification were 0.15 and 0.14, respectively. The cumulative sum-comprehensive complication index graph showed a steady dynamic decrease in the cumulative sum score for the individual operation type, with splenectomy plus simplified pericardial devascularization revealing a more notable decrease than splenectomy plus traditional pericardial devascularization. Comprehensive complication index is an excellent method to assess postoperative morbidity in portal hypertension patients. The cumulative sum-comprehensive complication index chart can better dynamically monitor and compare different operation types. Splenectomy plus simplified pericardial devascularization is better than splenectomy plus traditional pericardial devascularization at decreasing cumulative sum-comprehensive complication index.

Efficacy of extended view totally extra peritoneal approach versus laparoscopic intraperitoneal on lay mesh plus for abdominal wall hernias: a single center preliminary retrospective study

BackgroundLaparoscopic minimally invasive surgery has become the primary treatment for ventral hernias. The laparoscopic intraperitoneal on lay mesh (IPOM) plus approach for abdominal wall hernias is the most used procedure, while extended view totally extraperitoneal (e‑TEP) repair is a newer option. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness and complications of the 2 procedures for abdominal wall hernias repair.MethodsThis was a retrospective and comparative single-center study done at The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University Hospital (Shenzhen People’s Hospital), Shenzhen, China. The study included patients with a 2 to 6 cm abdominal wall defect who underwent hernia repair from January 2022 to December 2022. Patients’ baseline characteristics, hernia features, operative time, blood loss, postoperative pain level, and total hospitalization expenses were extracted from the medical records and compared between patients who underwent the IPOM plus and e-TEP repair.ResultsA total of 53 patients were included: 22 in the e-TEP group and 31 in IPOM plus group. Patient demographic characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. The operation time of the e-TEP groups was significantly longer than the IPOM plus (98.5 ± 10.7 min vs. 65.9 ± 7.3 min, P < 0.01). Postoperative pain levels (VAS; visual analog scale) (4.2 ± 0.9 vs. 6.7 ± 0.9, P < 0.01), analgesic requirements (Tramadol) (25.0 ± 37.0 mg vs. 72.6 ± 40.5 mg, P < 0.01), length of hospital stay (1.2 ± 0.5days vs. 2.2 ± 0.6days, P < 0.01), and total hospitalization expenses (19695.9 ± 1221.7CNY vs. 35286.2 ± 1196.6CNY, P < 0.01) were significantly lower in the e-TEP group. The mean intraoperative blood loss was similar between the 2 groups. No postoperative complications were observed in either group.ConclusionThe e-TEP approach for abdominal wall hernias appears to be better than IPOM plus with respect to postoperative pain levels(VAS: 4.2 ± 0.9 vs. 6.7 ± 0.9, P < 0.01), analgesic requirements(25.0 ± 37.0 mg vs. 72.6 ± 40.5 mg, P < 0.01), length of hospital stay(1.2 ± 0.5days vs. 2.2 ± 0.6days, P < 0.01), and hospitalization costs (19695.9 ± 1221.7CNY vs. 35286.2 ± 1196.6CNY, P < 0.01).

Efficacy and safety of using aminocaproic acid and tranexamic acid during the perioperative period for treating trochanteric fractures in elderly femurs

BackgroundTranexamic acid (TXA) has long been the antifibrinolytic hemostatic drug of choice for orthopedic surgery. In recent years, the hemostatic effect of epsilon aminocaproic acid (EACA) has gradually been recognized by orthopedic surgeons and has begun to be used in hip and knee arthroplasty with little mention of the comparison of these two drugs; Therefore, this study compared the efficacy and safety of EACA and TXA in the perioperative period of elderly patients with trochanteric fractures to verify whether EAC could be a "qualified alternative" to TXA and to provide theoretical support for the clinical application of TXA.MethodsTwo hundred and forty-three patients who received proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA) for trochanteric fractures from January 2021 to March 2022 at our institution were included and divided into the EACA group (n = 146) and the TXA group. (n = 97) determined by the drugs used in the perioperative period The main observations were blood loss and blood transfusion.The second second outcome was blood routine, coagulation, Hospital complications and complications after discharge.ResultsThe perioperative EACA patients had significantly lower significant blood loss (DBL) than the TXA group (p < 0.0001) and statistically significant lower C-reactive protein in the EACA group than in the TXA group on postoperative day 1 (p = 0.022). Patients on perioperative TXA had better postoperative day one (p = 0.002) and postoperative day five erythrocyte width than the EACA group (p = 0.004). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the remaining indicators in both drugs: blood items, coagulation indicators, blood loss, blood transfusion, length of hospital(LOH), total hospital expense, and postoperative complications (p > 0.05).ConclusionThe hemostatic effects and safety of EACA and TXA in the perioperative application of trochanteric fractures in the elderly are essentially similar, and EACA can be considered for use as an alternative to TXA, increasing the flexibility of physicians to use it in the clinical setting. However, the limited sample size included necessitated a high-quality, large sample of clinical studies and long-term follow-up.

Application of a selective hospitalization model in the clinical practice of breast surgery.

This study aimed to explore the clinical application of a selective hospitalization model in breast disease specialties and to evaluate its effectiveness. Information of patients registered in the selective hospitalization model and those registered in the direct model between October 1, 2020, and October 31, 2022, were collected. The hospitalization days and expenses of patients admitted through distinct modes and divergent medical categories were examined. After completing relevant examinations during the selected hospitalization period, 708 patients were admitted to our medical group for further treatment during the study period. Furthermore, 401 patients underwent hospitalization procedures immediately after the initial visit and received additional treatment after completing pertinent examinations during hospitalization. For patients who underwent benign surgery after admission, there was a significant difference in the length of hospital stay between patients admitted through selective hospitalization and those admitted directly (P < .001); however, there was no significant difference in total hospital expenses (P = .895). For patients who underwent malignant surgery after admission, there were significant differences in the length of hospital stay (P < .001) and total cost of hospitalization (P = .015). There was no significant difference in the length of hospital stay between the 2 groups of patients initially admitted for neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P = .589); however, the total cost of hospitalization significantly differed (P < .001). The selective hospitalization model can reduce medical expenses and the average length of hospital stay. This new hospitalization model is more flexible and allows for the inclusion of outpatient examination costs in subsequent hospitalization medical insurance reimbursement, greatly reducing the financial burden on patients. It is worthy of further exploration, optimization, and promotion.

Analysis of the risk factors for secondary hemorrhage after abdominal surgery.

This study aimed to conduct a clinical review and analysis to recommend options for the prevention and treatment of postoperative hemorrhage. A total of 138 patients who experienced postoperative hemorrhage after abdominal surgery in the period between January 2015 and December 2020 at the Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine, participated in this study. They were divided into a group with primary bleeding only and a secondary bleeding group. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed, followed by plotting of cumulative hazard and survival curves for the two groups. The main factors of interest found to be associated with secondary hemorrhage were duration of the operation, the time of the first bleeding incident, intervention time, performance of combined organ resection, use of surgical intervention, occurrence of abdominal infection, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), postoperative length of stay, and total hospitalization expenses. Among these, a long operative duration (>5 h) and an extended intervention time (>5 h) were identified as independent predictors of risk of secondary hemorrhage. Secondary hemorrhage after abdominal surgery is mainly associated with subjective human factors, and it is an important cause of poor prognosis and even death. Proper reductions in operation time and implementation of a quick response to bleeding are the key factors in tackling bleeding. Further reduction in the rates of postoperative hemorrhage and mortality will require a concerted effort by surgeons in terms of both intraoperative surgical techniques and postoperative management.

Midterm comparison of laparoscopic high uterosacral ligament suspension and sacrocolpopexy in the treatment of moderate to severe apical prolapse.

The objective was to retrospectively analyze the midterm efficacy of laparoscopic high uterosacral ligament suspension (HUS) and sacrocolpopexy (SC) in the treatment of moderate to severe apical prolapse. Patients who underwent laparoscopic HUS and SC in our center from 2013 to 2019 with follow-ups were included, consisting of laparoscopic HUS (group A, n=72) or SC (mesh added, group B, n=54). The general data of patients, pelvic organ prolapse quantitative examination (POP-Q) score, Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory short form 20 score (PFDI-20) before and after operation, perioperative conditions, Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I), and postoperative complications were collected for statistical analysis and comparison between groups. There was no statistical difference in preoperative data between groups. The median follow-up time was 48 months. The objective recurrence rate of group A was higher than that of group B, without statistical significance. One patient in group B had a second operation owing to recurrence. The exposure rate of mesh in group B was 3.70%. There was no significant difference in deviation of POP-Q and PFDI-20 pre- and post-operation. The proportion of new defecation abnormalities in group A was lower. The total hospitalization expenses and surgical consumables in group B were significantly higher than those in group A. The midterm curative effect of laparoscopic HUS is similar to that of SC in the treatment of moderate to severe apical prolapse. The former has the advantages of less intraoperative blood loss, shorter postoperative hospital stay, lower cost, fewer new defecation abnormalities, and there were no complications related to mesh.

Association between early ambulation exercise and short-term postoperative recovery after open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion: a single center retrospective analysis

BackgroundEarly ambulation in patients undergoing transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) surgery is recommended, however, the precise time interval after open surgery has never been specified. Current retrospective analysis was conducted aiming to clarify an accurate time interval.MethodsA retrospective analysis of eligible patients was conducted using the databases of the Bone Surgery Department, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from 2016 to 2021. Data pertaining to postoperative hospital stay length, expenses, incidence of complications were extracted and compared using Pearson’s χ2 or Student’s t-tests. A multivariate linear regression model was conducted to identify the relationship between length of hospital stay (LOS) and other outcomes of interest. A propensity analysis was conducted to minimize bias and to evaluate the reliability of results.ResultsA total of 303 patients met the criteria and were included for the data analysis. Multivariate linear regression results demonstrated that a high ASA grade (p = 0.016), increased blood loss (p = 0.003), cardiac disease (p < 0.001), occurrence of postoperative complications(p < 0.001) and longer ambulatory interval (p < 0.001) was significantly associated with an increased LOS. The cut-off analysis manifested that patients should start mobilization within 3 days after open TLIF surgery (B = 2.843, [1.395–4.292], p = 0.0001). Further comparative analysis indicated that patients who start ambulatory exercise within 3 days have shorter LOS (8.52 ± 3.28d vs 12.24 ± 5.88d, p < 0.001), total expenses ( 9398.12 ± 2790.82vs 10701.03 ± 2994.03 [USD], p = 0.002). Propensity analysis revealed such superiority was stable along with lower incidence of postoperative complications (2/61 vs 8/61, p = 0.0048).ConclusionsThe current analysis suggested that ambulatory exercise within 3 days for patients who underwent open TLIF surgery was significantly associated with reduced LOS, total hospital expenses, and postoperative complications. Further causal relationship would be confirmed by future randomized controlled trials.

The impacts of China's drug price zero-markup policy on medical expenditures and health outcomes

Drug overuse and high drug expenditures have long been of concern in China. In 2012, the Chinese government implemented the drug price zero-markup policy (ZMP) to contend with these problems. This paper investigates the impact of the ZMP on the hospitalization expenses and health outcomes of inpatients, using administrative data from Beijing. The findings show that the ZMP reduces inpatients' medicine expenses by an average of 20.4%, while total hospitalization expenses do not change significantly. The findings also show that the average length of hospital stay increases by 0.588 days. The results jointly indicate that hospitals adopt substitution behavior to make up for the drug revenue loss. The paper finds no evidence that the ZMP has a negative impact on patients' probability of death or readmission.

Effects of Nursing Care Using a Fast-Track Surgery Approach in 49 Patients with Early-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing First-Line Treatment with Radiofrequency Ablation: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND Fast-track surgery (FTS), also known as enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS), includes a coordinated perioperative approach to patient care that aims to facilitate postoperative recovery. The role of nursing care is central to the concept of FTS. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the effects of nursing care using an FTS approach in 49 patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing first-line treatment with radiofrequency ablation (RFA). MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective analysis was made of 49 patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent first-line treatment with radiofrequency ablation in the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery in our hospital from January 2020 to December 2021. The nurses have been nursing the patients in accordance with the requirements of FTS from 2021. Compared with the data of patients receiving traditional nursing, the detailed differences in postoperative recovery, pain score, complication rate, liver and kidney function, and nursing satisfaction were analyzed. RESULTS After applying the FTS nursing model, the patients had significantly shorter time to first flatus, infusion, postoperative hospital stay, and lower total hospitalization expenses (P<0.05). Moreover, the Numerical Pain Rating Scale score was lower than that in the control group, the postoperative complications in the 2021 group were lower than those in the 2020 group, and the nursing satisfaction was also better than that of the 2020 group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Nursing care using a fast-track surgery approach with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing first-line treatment with radiofrequency ablation is better than conventional nursing, and improves recovery of patients.

Application of Flexible Holmium Laser Sheath in Rigid Ureteroscopy for the Treatment of Impacted Upper Ureteral Stones.

By comparing with rigid ureteroscopy (r-URS), we explored the application value of flexible holmium laser sheath combined with r-URS in treating impacted upper ureteral stones. We also verified its effectiveness, safety and economy and investigated its application prospects at community or primary hospitals. From December 2018 to November 2021, 158 patients with impacted upper ureteral stones were selected from Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Seventy-five patients in the control group were treated with r-URS, and 83 patients in the experimental group were treated with r-URS combined with a flexible holmium laser sheath if necessary. The operation time, postoperative hospital stay, hospitalization expenses, stone clearance rate after r-URS, auxiliary extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) ratio, auxiliary flexible ureteroscope, the incidence of postoperative complications and the stone clearance rate after one month were observed. The postoperative hospital stay, stone clearance rate after r-URS, the ratio of auxiliary ESWL, the ratio of the auxiliary flexible ureteroscope, and total hospitalization expenses in the experimental group were significantly less than those in the control group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in operation time, postoperative complications, and stone clearance rate after one month between the two groups (p > 0.05). r-URS combined with flexible holmium laser sheath in treating impacted upper ureteral stones can improve the stone clearance rate and reduce hospitalization expenses. Therefore, it has a certain application value in community or primary hospitals.

Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Technique Contrasted with Conventional Laparoscopy in Cystectomy for Benign Ovarian Cysts

To compare the laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) technique with conventional laparoscopy in cystectomy for benign ovarian cysts. A retrospective analysis was performed at Yixing People's Hospital from April 2020 until December 2021. Thirty-seven patients using the LESS technique were compared with a control group of 45 patients who underwent a traditional laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy. There was no statistically significant difference in the perioperative hemoglobin level changes, cyst rupture rate, postoperative recovery of exhausting time, or pain score at 24 hours after surgery between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). The mean operating time was significantly longer in the LESS group than that of the control group (88.38 ± 30.57 minutes vs 59.44 ± 24.22 minutes; P = 0.001). However, the length of postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in the LESS group (3.70 ± 0.57 days vs 4.38 ± 0.86 days; P = 0.001). In addition, total hospitalization expenses were higher in the LESS group (14,709.78 ± 1618.63 yuan vs 12,676.73 ± 1411.78 yuan; P = .001) and the satisfaction score was also significantly higher in the LESS group (z = -2.272; P = 0.023). After a follow-up time of 12 to 24 months, no patient in either group showed wound infection, umbilical hernia, or recurrent cysts. The LESS technique for benign ovarian cystectomy is safe, feasible, and equally effective compared with the multiport laparoscopic oophorocystectomy. Although it currently costs more, patients with benign ovarian cysts are highly satisfied with the LESS technique.