Development and Implementation of a Clinical Pathway to Reduce Inappropriate Admissions Among Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia in a Private Health System in Brazil: An Observational Cohort Study and a Promising Tool for Efficiency Improvement.

PURPOSE: Patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) at low risk of death by CURB-65 scoring system are usually unnecessarily treated as inpatients generating additional economic and clinical burden. We aimed to implement an evidence-based clinical pathway to reduce hospital admissions of low-risk CAP and investigate factors related to mortality and readmissions within 30 days. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From November 2015 to August 2017, a clinical pathway was implemented at 20 hospitals. We included patients aged >18 years, with a diagnosis of CAP by the attendant physician. The main outcome was the monthly proportion of low-risk CURB-65 admission after the implementation of the clinical pathway. Logistic regression models were performed to assess variables associated with mortality and readmission in the admitted population within 30 days. RESULTS: We included 10,909 participants with suspected CAP. The proportion of low-risk CAP admitted decreased from 22.1% to 12.8% in the period. Among participants with low risk, there has been no perceptible increase in deaths (0.80%) or readmissions (6.92%). Regression analysis identified that CURB-65 variables, presence of pleural effusion (OR= 1.74; 95%CI=1.08-2.8; p=0.02) and leucopenia (OR= 2.47; 95%CI=1.11-5.48; p=0.02) were independently associated with 30-day mortality, whereas a prolonged hospital stay (OR= 2.09; 95%CI=1.14-3.83; p=0.01) was associated with 30-day readmission in the low-risk population. CONCLUSION: The implementations of a clinical pathway diminished the proportion of low-risk CAP admissions with no apparent increase in clinical outcomes within 30 days. Nonetheless, additional factors influence the clinical decision about the site of care management in low-risk CAP.

Central venous saturation: a prognostic tool in cardiac surgery patients.

BACKGROUND: Central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO(2)) is a valuable prognostic marker in sepsis. However, its value in cardiac surgery has not been assessed yet. This study aimed at evaluating ScvO(2) as a tool for predicting short-term organ dysfunction (OD) after cardiac surgery. METHODS: A prospective cohort including cardiac surgery patients submitted to a goal-oriented therapy to maintain ScvO(2) above 70% was studied. Postoperative blood samples collected at 30 minutes (T1), 6 hours (T2), and 24 hours (T3) for ScvO(2) measurement were selected to further analysis. Two groups were formed according to the absence (G0) or presence (G1) of OD defined as a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score >or=5 on the third postoperative day. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the variables independently associated with OD on the third postoperative day. RESULTS: From the 246 patients included, 54 (22%) developed OD and were defined as G1. The mortality rates in G0 and G1 were 1.6% and 31.5%, respectively (P < .001). In the comparative analysis between G0 and G1, the ScvO(2) values were remarkably lower in G1 at T1 (66.2 +/- 9.2 vs 62.3 +/- 11.6; P = .009), T2 (69.6 +/- 5.9 vs 63.5 +/- 9.4; P