Emergency percutaneous nephrostomy: technical success based on level of operator experience.

PURPOSE: The outcomes of emergency percutaneous nephrostomy procedures performed by operators with different levels of experience were analyzed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study of 160 patients undergoing 169 emergency percutaneous nephrostomies was conducted. Three categories of operator experience were compared based on the number of percutaneous nephrostomies performed each year (level 1 = more than 20, level 2 = 10-20, or level 3 = less than 10). RESULTS: The level 1 operators (mean fluoroscopy time, 2 minutes; mean procedure time, 25 minutes) achieved success in 141 of 142 cases (99%) and failed in one case (1%), which was repeated successfully the next day. The level 2 operators (mean fluoroscopy time, 6 minutes; mean procedure time, 35 minutes) achieved initial success in all of 15 cases (100%), but three cases (20%) were repeated the next day because of catheter migration or malposition. Level 3 operators (mean fluoroscopy time, 10 minutes; mean procedure time, 42 minutes) were successful in 10 of 12 cases (83%), but in four cases (33%) the procedure had to be repeated. CONCLUSION: The experience of the operators played little role in the initial success rate of the procedure after they had performed 10 or more per year. However, the level of experience did influence the number of procedures that needed to be repeated, the prevalence of minor complications, and the mean fluoroscopy and procedure time.

Emergency percutaneous nephrostomy: results and complications.

PURPOSE: Percutaneous nephrostomy is a well-established standardized procedure in the management of patients with various urologic problems. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of percutaneous nephrostomy in an emergency setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Emergency percutaneous nephrostomy was performed in 160 patients with ages ranging from 2 to 89 years (mean, 52 years). Access to the kidney was planned and achieved with C-arm fluoroscopic guidance. RESULTS: The initial technical success rate was 98%. Overall complication rate was 34%; 6% were major and 28% were minor. Major procedure-related complications, including sepsis, occurred in 6% of patients. Hematuria requiring transfusion was noted in 2.4% of patients. Minor complications included catheter displacement or malposition (4.8%), pelvic perforation (4.3%), paralytic ileus (2.4%), pneumonia/atelectasis (1.8%), and pleural effusion (1.2%). High-risk patients included those with diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. No deaths or significant morbidity resulted from any complication. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency percutaneous nephrostomy under fluoroscopic guidance is a simple, safe, and effective procedure and should be offered in all suitably equipped radiology departments.

How have hospitals faced the pricing issues of the 1990's?

National health care expenditures are rising rapidly, bringing on a health care financing crisis. For this reason, it is useful to see how hospitals are facing the price issues of the 1990's. This study examines the price strategies hospitals follow and analyzes their observations on price sensitivity and payer mix. The results clearly show that hospitals have not given much attention to the pricing variable. The study suggests that marketing and finance will have to work closely together in developing future pricing strategies.

Is performance related to marketing research in the health care industry?

Marketing research has grown to become indispensable for superior performance in packaged goods industries. While health care institutions are spending large amounts on marketing research, few studies focus upon the relationship of marketing research to health care organizational performance. Utilizing a national sample of U.S. hospitals, this article points out that marketing research and superior performance are positively associated.

Is product-line management appropriate for your health care facility?

Although many hospitals have adopted product-line management as a management tool, questions remain about its applicability in the health care industry. Using a national sample, the authors examine the impact of product-line management on operating results and profile hospitals in which product-line management has been associated with higher performance. Their study reveals the circumstances under which product-line management is likely to be the most successful.

Organization of marketing in U.S. hospitals: an empirical investigation.

In this article the results of an empirical investigation of the marketing function in U.S. hospitals are reported. The relationship between hospital marketing orientation and hospital performance is examined. Results of the study indicate that substantial evidence exists to conclude that marketing is effective in the health care industry. Marketing failures in hospitals seem to be related to inappropriate marketing organization and inadequate top management support.

Inadequacy of captopril challenge test for diagnosing renovascular hypertension in children and adolescents.

A captopril challenge test (CCT) for renovascular disease in adults was described recently. We used it in 20 consecutive, untreated hypertensive children and adolescents. All had a normal urinalysis and glomerular filtration rate and non-diagnostic renal sonograms or intravenous urograms. Plasma renin activity (PRA) was measured before and 1 h after administration of captopril (0.76 +/- 0.17 mg/kg). The CCT was positive in 10 patients. Renal arteriograms were performed in 7 patients with a positive CCT and in 2 with a negative CCT. Renovascular disease was found in 4 patients, 1 of whom had a negative CCT. The PRA response to captopril was the same in patients with true- and the false-positive tests. The predictive value of the positive test was 43%. In conclusion, we did not find the CCT, as described for adults, to be of value in children and adolescents.

Marketing parallax in health care industry: an empirical study of hospitals.

It is about two decades since the marketing scholars identified the need and relevance of marketing in health care organizations. The health care industry itself has been undergoing significant changes brought on by deregulation, declining demand, intraorganizational competition and growth of HMO's and PPO's. Yet, the industry has not fully implemented the marketing concept. For many health care organizations, marketing seems still to mean advertising and public relations as evidenced by an empirical study.

Factors affecting credit rating downgrades of hospital revenue bonds.

This paper identifies the key institutional, operational, financial, and market-area factors associated with downgrades in the credit ratings of hospitals' outstanding, tax-exempt revenue bonds between 1985 and 1988. We examined data from 41 hospitals whose ratings had been downgraded from A to BBB by Standard and Poor's Corp., as well as data from 17 hospitals whose ratings had been downgraded from BBB to BB and lower, compared with hospitals having unchanged A and BBB ratings, respectively. The analysis found only two variables--the hospital's occupancy rate and its ratio of cash and cash equivalents to debt service payments--that were significantly associated with both types of downgrades.

The role of alpha-macroglobulin in experimental intestinal ischemia.

Intestinal ischemia can lead to mucosal damage and presumably increased intestinal permeability. alpha-Macroglobulin (alpha-MG) is a plasma protein responsible for the inhibition and clearance of systemic proteases, including those derived from the intestinal lumen. In this study, we sought to determine the relationship between intestinal ischemia and alpha-MG in dogs using a nonsurgical model of ischemia. In addition, we sought to detect plasma alpha-MG complexes after ischemic injury. We found that alpha-MG levels were significantly reduced 24 h after induction of occlusion compared with those values obtained immediately after vascular occlusion. The onset of the decline in alpha-MG coincided with the onset of full-thickness intestinal damage, alpha-MG levels in the control animals were unchanged. However, alpha-MG complexes were not elevated in the experimental dogs after ischemia. We suggest that the decline in alpha-MG levels reflects a response to excessive protease uptake across a damaged intestine, leading to increase formation of alpha-MG-protease complexes, which are then rapidly cleared. The absence of detectable systemic complexes suggests that in ischemia, clearance is effective in removing the complexes from the bloodstream, alpha-MG appears to play an important role in protecting against proteolytic damage in prolonged intestinal ischemia.

Regional anatomical differences in the venographic occurrence of deep venous thrombosis and long-term follow-up.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the various factors that influence the anatomical site of occurrence of DVT and to determine if the clinical course differed in patients afflicted with DVT at different anatomical sites in the lower extremity. Forty four of 92 patients undergoing venography during a 4-1/2 year period had positive venograms for DVT. Patients were grouped into one of three categories: iliofemoral thrombosis (IFT) n = 9, superficial femoral vein thrombosis with or without distal thrombosis (SFV) n = 21, and popliteal/calf thrombosis (clot limited to below the knee) (PCT) n = 14. Patients in the IFT group had a significantly prolonged hospital stay (p less than .05) and a significantly lower mean weight (129 lbs) when compared to the PCT group (173 lbs) (p less than .05). Pain was present equally among the three groups. Swelling was much more common in the SFV group, whereas tenderness was most frequent in the PCT group. Of those patients with swelling, 70% were in the SFV group and of those patients with tenderness, 60% were in the PCT group. DVT as the primary diagnosis was seen in 39% of cases of which half had disease limited to the PCT region. Post-op DVT occurred equally among the groups. DVT occurred much more frequently in the PCT region after myocardial infarctions and after orthopedic procedures, whereas in patients with malignancies, the most common site was the SFV region. Pulmonary embolism developed in 11% of patients and occurred in the IFT and SFV groups only. No patient with DVT of the calf/popliteal developed a pulmonary embolism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Computed tomography of abdominal aortic aneurysm. An in vivo pathological report with a note on dynamic predictors.

A group of computed tomography (CT) descriptors were derived for abdominal aortic aneurysms. Terminology was defined and applied to the interpretation of the CT image in 55 prospective cases. Correlation of geometric parameters of aneurysm and analysis of the relationship of internal aneurysm components such as lumen and thrombus was performed. Predictive growth patterns for aneurysm demonstrated a synchronous increase in the volume of thrombus within the aneurysm in those aneurysms measuring 5 to 7 cm. Aneurysms greater than 7 cm were associated with an expansion of the patent pulsatile lumen, with no appreciable increase in thrombus volume. The thrombus-lumen ratio effectively described the changing internal architecture of aneurysm associated with increase in size. Proper utilization of CT descriptors develops a language that interprets aneurysm stability and potential for rupture and may provide an improved basis for timely surgical planning.

Superior mesenteric artery balloon occlusion. A nonoperative model of small bowel ischemia in dogs.

The purpose of this study was to develop a nonoperative animal model of small bowel ischemia that could be used for subsequent studies of intestinal ischemia. Ten mongrel dogs underwent balloon occlusion of their superior mesenteric artery after percutaneous insertion of a balloon tipped catheter through the femoral artery. Small bowel biopsies taken at various time intervals demonstrated mucosal congestion, hemorrhage, and sloughing consistent with classic small bowel ischemia. These changes consistently began 3 hours after occlusion with transmural necrosis and perforation occurring by 18 hours after occlusion. Fluoroscopy demonstrated little or no flow in the mesenteric circulation during balloon occlusion. This model provides a standard nonoperative approach for the induction of intestinal ischemia in dogs and could be a valuable tool in the study of intestinal ischemia.

Interruption of systemic venous return with portal continuation: assessment using magnetic resonance imaging.

A case of interruption of both the superior and infrahepatic inferior vena cava with portal continuation of the systemic venous return is described. This unusual abnormality is probably acquired and represents the result of earlier, silent thrombosis of the venae cavae. Magnetic resonance imaging provided valuable anatomic information supplementing venography.

Investing in the wrong future for hospitals.

The process of offering hospital debt in public markets is strongly influenced by the feasibility study. The inaccuracy of such studies may produce substantial overinvestment in hospital capital.