Predictors of Same-Day Discharge in Primary Total Joint Arthroplasty Patients and Risk Factors for Post-Discharge Complications.

BACKGROUND: Same-day (<24 h) discharge total joint arthroplasty (TJA) may be a safe and effective option for certain patients with end-stage osteoarthritis. Given the growing pressure to improve quality and lower TJA episode costs, surgeons must identify which TJA patients can be appropriately discharged home quickly and safely. This study identifies characteristics associated with same-day discharge post-TJA as well as assesses risk factors for complications in this select patient population. METHODS: Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed using perioperative variables from the 2011 to 2014 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. RESULTS: In total, 7474 primary TJAs among 120,847 TJA patients were discharged within 24 h post-surgery. These patients were more likely to be younger (<50 years), male sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists class 1 or 2, and less likely to be obese or taking steroids (P < .05 for all). They were also less likely to have co-morbidities. Rates of severe adverse event (SAE) or unplanned readmission post-discharge were 1.3% and 1.9%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified age >80 (odds ratio [OR] 4.16, P = .001), smoking (OR 1.61, P = .03), bleeding-causing disorders (OR 2.56, P = .01), American Society of Anesthesiologists class 3 or 4 (OR 1.42, P < .05), and SAE pre-discharge (OR 13.13, P < .0001) as independent predictors for adverse events or readmission in this population. CONCLUSION: Patient characteristics, co-morbidities, and SAEs pre-discharge can be used to assess potential for discharge within 24 h. The results of our analysis may be used to develop risk stratification tools for identification of patients that are truly appropriate for same-day discharge TJA.

Home Discharge After Primary Elective Total Joint Arthroplasty: Postdischarge Complication Timing and Risk Factor Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Bundled payment programs for primary total joint arthroplasty (TJA) have identified reducing nonhome discharge as a major area of cost savings. Health care providers must therefore identify, risk stratify, and appropriately care for home-discharged TJA patients. This study aimed to analyze risk factors and timing of postdischarge complications among home-discharged primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients and risk stratify them to identify those who would benefit from higher level care. METHODS: Patients discharged home after elective primary THA/TKA from 2011 to 2014 were identified in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed using perioperative variables. RESULTS: A total of 50,376 and 71,293 home-discharged THA and TKA patients were included for analysis, of which, 1575 THA (3.1%) and 2490 TKA (3.5%) patients suffered postdischarge severe complications or unplanned readmissions. These patients were older, smokers, obese, and functionally dependent (P < .001 for all). In multivariate analysis, severe adverse event predischarge, age, male gender, functional status, and 10 other variables were all associated with ≥1.22 odds of postdischarge severe adverse event or readmission (P < .05). THA and TKA patients with 2, 3, or ≥4 risk factors had 1.43-5.06 times odds of complications within 14 days post discharge and 1.41-3.68 times odds of complications beyond 14 days compared to those with 0 risk factors (P < .001 for all). CONCLUSION: Risk factors can be used to predict which home-discharged TJA patients are at greatest risk of postdischarge complications. Given that this is a growing population, we recommend the development of formal risk-stratification protocols for home-discharged TJA patients.

Myocardial Infarction Risk in Arthroplasty vs Arthroscopy: How Much Does Procedure Type Matter?

BACKGROUND: This study aimed at assessing short-term risk of serious cardiac events after elective total joint arthroplasty (TJA) as compared to a less-invasive procedure, knee arthroscopy (KA). METHODS: Patients who underwent elective primary total hip arthroplasty (THA), total knee arthroplasty (TKA), or KA from 2011 to 2014 were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. A 1:1 propensity matching was used to generate 2 control cohorts of KA patients with similar characteristics. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were assessed using perioperative variables. RESULTS: A total of 24,203 THA, 21,740 TKA, and 45,943 KA patients were included. Bivariate analysis revealed significantly higher rates of serious 30-day cardiac events (myocardial infarction or cardiac arrest) among THA (0.15% vs 0.05%, P < .001) and TKA patients (0.14% vs 0.05%, P < .03) vs KA controls. In multivariate analysis controlling for patient characteristics and comorbidities, THA and TKA were associated with a 2.61 and 1.98 times odds of serious 30-day cardiac events as compared to controls (P ≤ .03 for both). Additional independent predictors of serious 30-day cardiac events included age, smoking, cardiac disease, and American Society of Anesthesiologists class 3/4. In the THA and TKA cohorts, serious cardiac events occurred within the first 3 days postoperation compared to 4 days in controls. CONCLUSION: After controlling for patient characteristics and comorbidities, TJA increased the short-term risk of serious cardiac event compared to a less-invasive procedure. This information better quantifies the risk differential for patients considering surgery as they engage in shared decision making with their providers. In addition, our data may have an impact on perioperative management of antithrombotic medications used in patients with cardiac disease. The median time in days to serious cardiac event was 2 in THA and 3 in TKA vs 4 in KA, which may have implications in postoperative monitoring of patients after surgery.

Using a Large Language Model to Identify Adolescent Patient Portal Account Access by Guardians.

This diagnostic/prognostic study assesses the ability of a large language model (LLM) to detect guardian authorship of messages originating from adolescent patient portals.

The Outcome of Patients With Localized Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma of the Lower Extremity Treated at Stanford University.

BACKGROUND: As a diagnosis of exclusion, Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma (UPS) has unclear clinical characteristics. The objective of this retrospective cohort study is to investigate which clinical and prognostic factors of primary lower-extremity UPS will determine failure. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 55 primary lower-extremity UPS cases treated at Stanford between 1998 and 2015. Overall Survival (OS) and Disease-Free Survival (DFS) curves were calculated. Univariate Fisher's Exact Tests were used to examine relationships between disease recurrence, treatment, patient factors, tumor characteristics, and surgical margins. RESULTS: 5-year DFS and OS rates were 60% (95% CI, 45%-72%) and 68% (95% CI, 53%-79%), respectively. The 5-year DFS rate for patients with positive margins was 33.3% (95% CI, 5%-68%) compared with 63% (95% CI, 47%-76%) for patients with negative margins. (Log-rank, P=0.03). The OS rate for those with disease recurrence was 42% % (95% CI, 16%-67%) compared with 76% (95% CI, 59%-87%) for patients who did not have disease recurrence (log-rank, P=0.021). Local failure occurred more frequently with omission of radiation therapy (Fisher's exact test, P=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Positive surgical margins are an important prognostic factor for predicting relapse in UPS. Relapse of any kind led to worse OS. Radiation therapy improved local control of disease but had no statistically significant effect on DFS, highlighting the need for improved diagnostics to identify those at highest risk for hematogenous metastasis and for selection of patients for adjuvant systemic treatment.