A Randomized Crossover Trial Evaluating the Impact of Cultural Dexterity Training on Surgical Residents' Knowledge, Cross-Cultural Care, Skills, and Beliefs: The Provider Awareness and Cultural dexterity Training for Surgeons (PACTS) Trial.

OBJECTIVES: This trial examines the impact of the Provider Awareness and Cultural dexterity Toolkit for Surgeons (PACTS) curriculum on surgical residents' knowledge, cross-cultural care, skills, and beliefs. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Cross-cultural training of providers may reduce healthcare outcome disparities, but its effectiveness in surgical trainees is unknown. METHODS: PACTS focuses on developing skills needed for building trust, working with patients with limited English proficiency, optimizing informed consent, and managing pain. The PACTS trial was a randomized crossover trial of 8 academic general surgery programs in the United States: The Early group ("Early") received PACTS between Periods 1 and 2, while the Delayed group ("Delayed") received PACTS between Periods 2 and 3. Residents were assessed pre- and post-intervention on Knowledge, Cross-Cultural Care, Self-Assessed Skills, and Beliefs. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were conducted to evaluate within- and between-intervention group differences. RESULTS: Of 406 residents enrolled, 315 were exposed to the complete PACTS curriculum. Early residents' Cross-Cultural Care (79.6% to 88.2%, P<0.0001), Self-Assessed Skills (74.5% to 85.0%, P<0.0001), and Beliefs (89.6% to 92.4%, P=0.0028) improved after PACTS; Knowledge scores (71.3% to 74.3%, P=0.0661) were unchanged. Delayed resident scores pre- to post-PACTS showed minimal improvements in all domains. When comparing the two groups at Period 2, Early residents had modest improvement in all 4 assessment areas, with statistically significant increase in Beliefs (92.4% vs 89.9%, P=0.0199). CONCLUSION: The PACTS curriculum is a comprehensive tool that improved surgical residents' knowledge, preparedness, skills, and beliefs, which will help with caring for diverse patient populations.

Patterns and Trends of Gun Violence Against Women in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To examine patterns and trends of firearm injuries in a nationally representative sample of US women. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Gun violence in the United States exceeds rates seen in most other industrialized countries. Due to the paucity of data little is known regarding demographics and temporal variations in firearm injuries among women. METHODS: Data were extracted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (2001-2017) for women 18 years and older. Number of nonfatal firearm assaults and homicide per year were extracted and crude population-based injury rates were calculated. Sub-stratification by age-group and time period were performed. RESULTS: Between 2001 and 2017, there were 88,823 nonfatal firearm assaults involving women and 29,106 firearm homicides. There were 4116 victims of nonfatal firearm assault in 2001 (3.8 per 105) and 12,959 by 2017 (10.0 per 105). Homicide rates were 1.5 per 105 in 2001 and 1.7 per 105 in 2017. Sub-stratification by age-group and time period showed that there were no significant changes in nonfatal firearm assault rates between 2001 and 2010 (P-trend = 0.132 in 18-44 yo; 0.298 in 45-64 yo). However between 2011 and 2017, nonfatal assault rates increased from 7.10 per 105 to 19.24 per 105 in 18-44 yo (P-trend = 0.013) and from 1.48 per 105 to 3.93 per 105 in 45-64 yo (P-trend = 0.003). Similar trends were seen with firearm homicide among 18-44 yo (1.91 per 105 to 2.47 per 105 in 2011-2017, P-trend = 0.022). However, the trends among 45-64 yo were not significant in both time periods. CONCLUSIONS: Female victims of gun violence are increasing and more recent years have been marked with higher rates of firearm injuries, particularly among younger women. These data suggest that improved public health strategies and policies may be beneficial in reducing gun violence against US women.

Trends in Firearm Injuries Among Children and Teenagers in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Gun violence among children and teenagers in the United States occurs at a magnitude many times that of other industrialized countries. The trends of injury in this age group relative to the adult population are not well studied. This study seeks to measure trends in pediatric firearm injuries in the United States. METHODS: Data from the National Trauma Data Bank (2010-2016) were used in selecting patients evaluated for firearm injury. Patients were classified as children and teenagers (<20 y) or adults (≥20 y). Changes in the proportion of firearm injuries among children and teenagers relative to the overall population (pediatric component) were determined using trend analyses. RESULTS: There were 240,510 firearm injuries with children and teenagers accounting for 45,075 of these injuries (pediatric component of 18.7%). Pediatric firearm injury was mostly among males (87.4%), Blacks (60.7%), and victims of assault (76.0%). The pediatric component of firearm injuries decreased from 21.7% in 2010 to 18.2% in 2016 (P-trend < 0.001). Although there was a decrease from 22.7% to 17.6% in the pediatric component of assault (P-trend < 0.001), there was an increase from 8.7% to 10.1% in the pediatric component of self-inflicted injuries (P-trend = 0.028). Substratification by race/ethnicity showed decrease in the pediatric component of firearm injuries among all groups (P-trend < 0.001) except Whites (P-trend = 0.847). CONCLUSIONS: Despite reductions in the pediatric component of firearm injuries, there remains a significant burden of injury in this group. Continued public health efforts are necessary to ensure safety and reduce firearm injuries among children and teenagers in the United States.

Assessment of the "Weekend Effect" in Lower Extremity Vascular Trauma.

BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that patients admitted on weekends may have worse outcomes as compared with those admitted on weekdays. Lower extremity vascular trauma (LEVT) often requires emergent surgical intervention and might be particularly sensitive to this "weekend effect." The objective of this study was to determine if a weekend effect exists for LEVT. METHODS: The National and Nationwide Inpatient Sample Database (2005-2014) was queried to identify all adult patients who were admitted with an LEVT diagnosis. Patient and hospital characteristics were recorded or calculated and outcomes including in-hospital mortality, amputation, length of stay (LOS), and discharge disposition were assessed. Independent predictors of outcomes were identified using multivariable regression models. RESULTS: There were 9,282 patients admitted with LEVT (2,866 weekend admissions vs. 6,416 weekday admissions). Patients admitted on weekends were likely to be younger than 45 years (68% weekend vs. 55% weekday, P < 0.001), male (81% weekend vs. 75% weekday, P < 0.001), and uninsured (22% weekend vs. 17% weekday, P < 0.001) as compared with patients admitted on weekdays. There were no statistically significant differences in mortality (3.8% weekend vs. 3.3% weekday, P = 0.209), amputation (7.2% weekend vs. 6.6% weekday, P = 0.258), or discharge home (57.4% weekend vs. 56.1% weekday, P = 0.271). There was no clinically significant difference in LOS (median 7 days weekend vs. 7 days weekday), P = 0.009. On multivariable regression analyses, there were no statistically significant outcome differences between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study did not identify a weekend effect in LEVT patients in the United States. This suggests that factors other than the day of admission may be important in influencing outcomes after LEVT.

Assessing surgical care delivery at facilities caring for higher volumes of minority children utilizing the pediatric quality indicator for perforated appendicitis: a propensity-matched analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The pediatric quality indicator (PDI) measures released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provide an impetus for benchmarking quality of care in children. The PDI-17, aimed at studying perforation in appendicitis, is one such measure that this study aims to utilize to assess surgical care delivery and outcomes in children managed at majority-minority hospitals. METHODS: The Kid Inpatient Database (2000-2012) was queried for pediatric patients (< 18 years) with a diagnosis of appendicitis, with and without perforation. Facilities were categorized into tertiles based on rates of perforation (PDI-17). Similarly, tertiles were generated based on volume of minority patients (Black and Hispanic) treated at each facility. Multivariable regression analysis adjusted for demographic parameters, hospital-level characteristics, propensity score quintiles, clinically relevant outcomes, and tertiles of minority patients treated. RESULTS: Of the 322,805 patients with appendicitis 28.7% had perforated appendicitis. Patients presenting to facilities caring for a higher volume of perforated appendicitis were younger with public insurance or no insurance and, however, these patients were less likely to belong to a minority group (p < 0.05). Additionally, these patients were less likely to belong to the highest income quartile (OR [95% CI] 0.45 [0.39-0.52]). Hospitals treating the highest volume of minority patients [majority-minority hospitals (MMHs)] had an 87% (OR [95% CI] 1.87 [1.77-1.98]) increased likelihood of also treating the highest rates of perforated appendicitis. CONCLUSION: Hospitals treating a high volume of complicated appendicitis are less likely to care for minority groups. Additionally, MMHs lacking experience and volume in caring for complicated appendicitis have an increased likelihood of patients with perforations which is indicative of poor healthcare access.

Racial Differences in Complication Risk Following Emergency General Surgery: Who Your Surgeon Is May Matter.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the mechanisms that lead to health-care disparities is necessary to create robust solutions that ensure all patients receive the best possible care. Our objective was to quantify the influence of the individual surgeon on disparate outcomes for minority patients undergoing an emergency general surgery (EGS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using the Florida State Inpatient Database, we analyzed patients who underwent one or more of seven EGS procedures from 2010 to 2014. The primary outcome was development of a major postoperative complication. To determine the individual surgeon effect on complications, we performed multilevel mixed effects modeling, adjusting for clinical and hospital factors, such as diagnosis, comorbidities, and hospital teaching status and volume. RESULTS: 215,745 cases performed by 5816 surgeons at 198 hospitals were included. The overall unadjusted complication rate was 8.6%. Black patients had a higher adjusted risk of having a complication than white patients (odds ratio 1.12, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.22). Surgeon random effects, when hospital fixed effects were held constant, accounted for 27.2% of the unexplained variation in complication risk among surgeons. This effect was modified by patient race; for white patients, surgeon random effects explained only 12.4% of the variability, compared to 52.5% of the variability in complications among black patients. CONCLUSIONS: This multiinstitution analysis within a single large state demonstrates that not only do black patients have a higher risk of developing a complication after undergoing EGS than white patients but also surgeon-level effects account for a larger proportion of the between-surgeon variation. This suggests that the individual surgeon contributes to racial disparities in EGS.

The impact of individual physicians on outcomes after trauma: is it the system or the surgeon?

BACKGROUND: Benchmarking of mortality outcomes across the country has revealed major differences in survival based on the trauma center at which a patient receives care. The role of the individual surgeon in determining trauma outcomes is unknown. Most believe that differences in outcomes are primarily driven by system- and process-based variations. Our objective was to determine if variation in individual surgeon outcomes could help explain difference in survival after trauma. METHODS: Analysis of trauma patients in the Florida State Inpatient Database from 2010 to 2014. The presence of unique physician identifiers, in addition to hospital identifiers, rendered this data set ideal for performance of multilevel analysis. The amount of the variation attributable to surgeon-level variation was calculated using multilevel random-effects models controlling for patient clinical factors (such as injury severity and comorbidities/age) and hospital-level factors, such as case mix and bed size. RESULTS: There were 31 hospitals, 175 surgeons, and 65,706 admissions. The overall mortality rate was 5.6%. The average mortality rate across surgeons ranged from 0% to 17.4% (mean 0.4%, standard deviation 1.85). At the individual surgeon level, when controlling for clinical and hospital-level factors, 9% of this variation was attributable solely to the surgeon. CONCLUSIONS: At the state level, we found that differences in outcomes among trauma centers are impacted by individual surgeon-level variation. Implementation of protocolized, system-based trauma care is useful for improving the overall quality of care for injured patients but does not entirely negate surgeon-specific variations in management.

Age-related mortality in blunt traumatic hemorrhagic shock: the killers and the life savers.

BACKGROUND: There are sparse data on the association between age and mortality in hemorrhagic shock (HS). We examined this association in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Glue Grant database was analyzed. Patients aged ≥16 y with blunt traumatic HS were stratified into eight age groups (16-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, 75-84, and ≥85 y) to identify the mortality inflection point. Subsequently, patients were restratified into young age (16-44 y), middle age (45-64 y), and elderly (≥65 y). Multivariate analysis was used to determine predictors of mortality by group. RESULTS: A total of 1976 patients were included, with mortality of 16%. Mortality by initial age group is as follows: 16-24 (13.0%), 25-34 (11.9%), 35-44 (11.9%), 45-54 (15.6%), 55-64 (15.7%), 65-74 (20.3%), 75-84 (38.2%), and ≥85 y (51.6%), delineating 65 y as the mortality inflection point. Overall, 55% were young, 30% middle age, and 15% elderly. Predictors of mortality in the young include multiple-organ dysfunction score (MODS; odds ratio [OR]: 1.93, confidence interval [CI]: 1.62-2.30), emergency room lactate (OR: 1.14, CI: 1.02-1.27), injury severity score (OR: 1.06, CI: 1.03-1.09), and cardiac arrest (OR: 10.60, CI: 3.05-36.86). Predictors of mortality in the middle age include MODS (OR: 1.38, CI: 1.24-1.53), cardiac arrest (OR: 12.24, CI: 5.38-27.81), craniotomy (OR: 5.62, CI: 1.93-16.37), and thoracotomy (OR: 2.76, CI: 1.28-5.98). In the elderly, predictors of mortality were age (OR: 1.07, CI: 1.02-1.13), MODS (OR: 1.47, CI: 1.26-1.72), laparotomy (OR: 2.04, CI: 1.02-4.08), and cardiac arrest (OR: 11.61, CI: 4.35-30.98). Open fixation of nonfemoral fractures was protective against mortality in all age groups. CONCLUSIONS: In blunt HS, mortality parallels increasing age, with the inflection point at 65 y. MODS and cardiac arrest uniformly predict mortality across all age groups. Craniotomy and thoracotomy are associated with mortality in the middle age, whereas laparotomy is associated with mortality in the elderly.

Incremental Cost of Emergency Versus Elective Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To determine hospital costs and the adjusted risk of death associated with emergent versus elective surgery. BACKGROUND: Emergency surgery has a higher cost and worse outcomes compared with elective surgery. However, no national estimates of the excess burden of emergency surgery exist. METHODS: Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data from 2001 to 2010 were analyzed. Patients aged 18 years or older who underwent abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, coronary artery bypass graft, or colon resection for neoplasm were included. Using generalized linear models with propensity scores, cost differences for emergent versus elective admission were calculated for each procedure. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to investigate the adjusted odds of mortality comparing elective and emergent cases. Discharge-level weights were applied to analyses. RESULTS: A total of 621,925 patients, representing a weighted population of 3,057,443, were included. The adjusted mean cost difference for emergent versus elective care was $8741.22 (30% increase) for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, $5309.78 (17% increase) for coronary artery bypass graft, and $7813.53 (53% increase) for colon resection. If 10% of the weighted estimates of emergency procedures had been performed electively, the cost benefit would have been nearly $1 billion, at $996,169,160 (95% confidence interval [CI], $985,505,565-$1,006,834,104). Elective surgery patients had significantly lower adjusted odds of mortality for all procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Even a modest reduction in the proportion of emergent procedures for 3 conditions is estimated to save nearly $1 billion over 10 years. Preventing emergency surgery through improved care coordination and screening offers a tremendous opportunity to save lives and decrease costs.

Explaining the Paradoxical Age-based Racial Disparities in Survival After Trauma: The Role of the Treating Facility.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to determine if differences in outcomes at treating facilities can help explain these age-based racial disparities in survival after trauma. BACKGROUND: It has been previously demonstrated that racial disparities in survival after trauma are dependent on age. For patients younger than 65 years, blacks had an increased odds of mortality compared with whites, but among patients 65 years or older the opposite association was found. METHODS: Data on white and black trauma patients were extracted from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2003-2009) using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes. Standardized observed-to-expected mortality ratios were calculated for individual treating facilities, adjusting for age, sex, insurance status, mechanism of injury, overall injury severity, head injury severity, and comorbid conditions. Observed-to-expected ratios were used to benchmark facilities as high-, average-, or low-performing facilities. Proportions and survival outcomes of younger (range, 16-64 years) and older (≥65 years) patients admitted within each performance stratum were compared. RESULTS: A total of 934,476 patients from 1137 facilities (8.3% high-performing, 85% average-performing, and 6.7% low-performing) were analyzed. Younger black patients had a higher adjusted odds of mortality compared with younger white patients [odds ratio, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-1.27], whereas older black patients had a lower odds of mortality compared with older white patients [odds ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.74-88]. A significantly greater proportion of younger black patients were treated at low-performing facilities compared with both younger white patients and older black patients (49.6% vs 42.2% and 38.7%, respectively; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of all young black trauma patients are treated at low-performing facilities. However, facility-based differences do not seem to explain the paradoxical age-based racial disparities after trauma observed in the older population.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in nonagenarians.

BACKGROUND: The feasibility of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair in nonagenarians on a national level is largely unknown. We undertook this study to determine the outcomes of open and endovascular AAA repair in this population on a national level. METHODS: A retrospective review of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample Database was conducted to determine all patients 90 years and older who underwent either an open or endovascular repair of a nonruptured AAA from 1997 to 2008. Preoperative comorbidities and postoperative complications in the inpatient setting were recorded. The primary end point was mortality. Secondary end points were postoperative neurologic, cardiac, and respiratory complications. This group was then compared with all adult patients less than 90 years old (age, 18-89) who had undergone repair of a nonruptured AAA during this same period. RESULTS: Four hundred twenty-three patients 90 years and older underwent repair of a nonruptured AAA (compared with 52,370 < 90). Of these, 132 patients underwent open repair (31%) and 291 (69%) underwent endovascular repair. Inpatient mortality was 18.3% for the ≥90 open, 4.6% for the <90 open, 3.1% for the ≥90 endovascular, and 1.2% for <90 endovascular group. CONCLUSIONS: Open repair of AAA's in nonagenarians is associated with significantly high perioperative mortality, whereas endovascular repair is feasible with acceptable perioperative mortality. This mortality, although significantly higher than that obtained for endovascular repair in patients <90, is nonetheless not significantly different for the mortality noted for patients <90 undergoing open AAA repair.

Association between intentional injury and long-term survival after trauma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk-adjusted mortality of intentionally injured patients within 7 to 9 years postinjury, compared with unintentionally injured patients. BACKGROUND: Violent injury contributes significantly to trauma mortality in the United States. Homicide is the second leading killer of American youth, aged 15 to 24 years. Long-term survival among intentionally injured patients has not been well studied. It is also unknown whether intentionally injured patients have worse long-term survival compared with unintentionally or accidentally injured patients with equivalent injuries. METHODS: Adult trauma patients admitted for 24 hours or more and discharged alive from the Johns Hopkins Hospital from January 1, 1998, to December 31, 2000, were included. The primary outcome was mortality within 7 to 9 years postinjury. Long-term patient survival was determined using the National Death Index. The association between injury intentionality and mortality was investigated using a Cox proportional hazard regression model, adjusted for confounders such as injury severity and patient race, socioeconomic status, and comorbid conditions. Overall differences in survival between those with intentional versus unintentional injury were also determined by comparing adjusted Kaplan-Meier survival curves. RESULTS: A total of 2062 patients met inclusion criteria. Of these, 56.4% were intentionally injured and 43.6% were unintentionally injured. Compared with unintentionally injured patients, intentionally injured patients were younger and more often male and from a zip code with low median household income. Approximately 15% of all patients had died within 7 to 9 years of follow-up. Older age and presence of comorbidities were associated with this outcome; however, intentional injury was not found to be significantly associated with long-term mortality rates. There was also no significant difference in survival curves between groups; intentionally injured patients were much more likely to die of a subsequent injury, whereas those with unintentional injury commonly died of noninjury causes. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in mortality between intentionally injured and unintentionally injured patients within 7 to 9 years postinjury. These results confirm the long-term effectiveness of lifesaving trauma care for those with intentional injury. However, given that patients with intentional injuries were more likely to suffer a subsequent violent death, interventions focused on breaking the cycle of violence are needed.

Impact of the Kidney Allocation Revision on Access to Kidney Transplantation and Outcomes in the United States.

BACKGROUND: The 2014 Kidney Allocation System (KAS) revision aimed to enhance equity in organ allocation and improve patient outcomes. This study assesses the impacts of the KAS revision on renal transplantation demographics and outcomes in the United States. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study utilizing the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (OPTN/SRTR) database from 1998 to 2022. We compared recipient and donor characteristics, and outcomes (graft failure and recipient survival) pre- and post-KAS revision. RESULTS: Post-KAS, recipients were significantly older (53 vs 48, P < .001) with an increase in Medicaid beneficiaries (7.3% vs 5.5%, P < .001). Despite increased graft survival, HR = .91 (95% CI 0.80-.92, P < .001), overall recipient survival decreased, HR = 1.06 (95% CI 1.04-1.09, P < .001). KAS revision led to greater racial diversity among recipients and donors, enhancing equity in organ allocation. However, disparities persist in graft failure rates and recipient survival across racial groups. DISCUSSION: The 2014 Kidney Allocation System revision has led to important changes in the renal transplantation landscape. While progress has been made towards increasing racial equity in organ allocation, further refinements are needed to address ongoing disparities. Recognizing the changing patient profiles and socio-economic factors will be crucial in shaping future policy modifications.

The relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic status and short-term outcomes following colon resection.

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the association between neighborhood socioeconomic status, measured by the Distressed Communities Index (DCI), and short-term outcomes following colon resection. METHODS: Utilizing the Maryland State Inpatient Sample database (SID 2018-2020), we determined the association between DCI and post-op outcomes following colon resection including length of stay, readmissions, 30-day in-hospital mortality, and non-routine discharges. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to control for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: Of the 13,839 patients studied, median age was 63, with 54.3 â€‹% female and 64.5 â€‹% elective admissions. Laparoscopic surgery was performed in 36.9 â€‹% cases, with a median hospital stay of 5 days. Patients in distressed communities faced higher risks of emergency admission (OR: 1.31), prolonged hospitalization (OR: 1.29), non-routine discharges (OR: 1.36), and readmission (OR: 1.33). Black patients had longer stays than White patients (OR: 1.3). Despite adjustments, in-hospital mortality did not significantly differ among neighborhoods. CONCLUSION: Our study reveals that patients residing in distressed neighborhoods face a higher risk of prolonged hospitalization, non-routine discharges, and readmission rate after colon resection.

Early Cholecystectomy in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease with Uncomplicated Cholelithiasis Is Associated with Better Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Up to 85% of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) will develop gallstones by their third decade. Cholecystectomy is the most commonly performed procedure in these patients. Cholecystectomy is recommended for patients with SCD with symptomatic cholelithiasis and leads to lower morbidity. No contemporary large studies have evaluated this recommendation or associated clinical outcomes. This study evaluates clinical outcomes after cholecystectomy in patients with SCD and cholelithiasis with specific advanced clinical presentations. STUDY DESIGN: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was queried for patients with SCD and gallbladder disease between 2006 and 2015. Patients were divided into groups based on their disease presentation, including uncomplicated cholelithiasis, acute and chronic cholecystitis, and gallstone pancreatitis. Clinical outcomes associated with disease presentation were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t -test, chi-square test, ANOVA, and logistic regression. RESULTS: There were 6,662 patients with SCD who presented with cholelithiasis. Median age was 20 (interquartile range 16 to 34) years and 54% were female patients. Cholecystectomy was performed in 1,779 patients with SCD with the most common indication being chronic cholecystitis (44%), followed by uncomplicated cholelithiasis (27%), acute cholecystitis (21%), and choledocholithiasis or gallstone pancreatitis (8%). On multivariable regression, advanced clinical presentation was the strongest predictor of perioperative vaso-occlusive crisis, which was the most common complication. Patients undergoing cholecystectomy for uncomplicated cholelithiasis were at lower risk than those with acute cholecystitis (odds ratio [OR] 2.37; 95% CI 1.64 to 3.41), chronic cholecystitis (OR 1.74; 95% CI 1.26 to 2.4), and choledocholithiasis or gallstone pancreatitis (OR 2.24; 95% CI 1.41 to 3.57). CONCLUSIONS: Seventy-three percent of patients with SCD have advanced clinical presentation at the time of their cholecystectomy. After cholecystectomy, perioperative vaso-occlusive events were significantly increased in patients with advanced clinical presentation. These data support screening abdominal ultrasounds and early cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis in patients with SCD.

Utilization and Outcomes of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery Following the Affordable Care Act in the United States.

BACKGROUND: The passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 marked a pivotal moment in American health care policy, significantly expanding access to health care services. This study aims to explore the relationship between the ACA and the utilization and outcomes of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) surgery. METHODS: Using data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) Database, this retrospective study compares the pre-ACA period (2007-2009) with the post-ACA period (2017-2019), encompassing patients who had RYGB. Multivariable logistic analysis was done accounting for patient's characteristics, comorbidities, and hospital type. RESULTS: In the combined periods, there were 158 186 RYGB procedures performed, with 30.0% transpiring in pre-ACA and 70.0% in the post-ACA. Post-ACA, the proportion of uninsured patients decreased from 4.8% to 3.6% (P < .05), while Black patients increased from 12.5% to 18.5% (P < .05). Medicaid-insured patients increased from 6.8% to 18.1% (P < .05), and patients in the poorest income quartile increased from 20% to 26% (P < .05). Patients in the post-ACA period were less likely to have longer hospital stays (OR = .16: 95% CI .16-.17, P < .01), in-hospital mortality (OR = .29: 95% CI .18-.46, P < .01), surgical site infection (OR = .25: 95% CI .21-.29, P < .01), postop hemorrhage (OR = .24: 95% CI .21-.28, P < .01), and anastomotic leak (OR = .14: 95% CI .10-.18, P < .01) than those in the pre-ACA period. DISCUSSION: Following the implementation of the ACA, utilization of bariatric surgery significantly increased, especially among Black patients, Medicaid beneficiaries, and low-income patients. Moreover, despite the inclusion of more high-risk surgical patients in the post-ACA period, there were better outcomes after surgery.

Minority trauma patients tend to cluster at trauma centers with worse-than-expected mortality: can this phenomenon help explain racial disparities in trauma outcomes?

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether minority trauma patients are more commonly treated at trauma centers (TCs) with worse observed-to-expected (O/E) survival. BACKGROUND: Racial disparities in survival after traumatic injury have been described. However, the mechanisms that lead to these inequities are not well understood. METHODS: Analysis of level I/II TCs included in the National Trauma Data Bank 2007-2010. White, Black, and Hispanic patients 16 years or older sustaining blunt/penetrating injuries with an Injury Severity Score of 9 or more were included. TCs with 50% or more Hispanic or Black patients were classified as predominantly minority TCs. Multivariate logistic regression adjusting for several patient/injury characteristics was used to predict the expected number of deaths for each TC. O/E mortality ratios were then generated and used to rank individual TCs as low (O/E <1), intermediate, or high mortality (O/E >1). RESULTS: A total of 556,720 patients from 181 TCs were analyzed; 86 TCs (48%) were classified as low mortality, 6 (3%) intermediate, and 89 (49%) as high mortality. More of the predominantly minority TCs [(82% (22/27) vs 44% (67/154)] were classified as high mortality (P < 0.001). Approximately 64% of Black patients (55,673/87,575) were treated at high-mortality TCs compared with 54% Hispanics (32,677/60,761) and 41% Whites (165,494/408,384) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Minority trauma patients are clustered at hospitals with significantly higher-than-expected mortality. Black and Hispanic patients treated at low-mortality hospitals have a significantly lower odds of death than similar patients treated at high-mortality hospitals. Differences in TC outcomes and quality of care may partially explain trauma outcomes disparities.

Surgical management of esophageal diverticulum: a review of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal diverticulum is rare in the United States. The mainstay treatment of symptomatic esophageal diverticulum is surgical correction. Much of the available information regarding esophageal diverticulum and its surgical management has been derived from small studies and institutional reviews. Our study objective was to investigate the demographics, perioperative conditions, and predictors of outcomes after surgical treatment of acquired esophageal diverticulum using a nationally representative database. METHODS: A retrospective review using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database from 2000-2009 was performed for patients with acquired esophageal diverticulum. The patients were stratified into Zenker's diverticulum (ZD) or non-Zenker's diverticulum (NZD) subgroups. The covariates retrieved included age, gender, ethnicity, insurance type, and Charlson comorbidity index. A multivariate analysis was performed to determine the predictors of postoperative morbidity. Discharge-level weights were applied. RESULTS: Overall, a total of 4253 patients met our inclusion criteria, 3197 (75%) with ZD and 1056 (25%) with NZD. In the ZD group, the mean age was 73 ± 12.3 y, and most were men (55%) and white (67%). The mean length of stay was 5.82 ± 8.08 d, and the mortality rate was 1.2%. The most common complication was septicemia or sepsis (2.0%). The black patients had higher odds of postoperative morbidity than the white patients (odds ratio [OR] 2.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-5.17). The risk of overall postoperative morbidity was 52% greater for women (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.01-2.29). An increasing Charlson comorbidity index was an independent predictor of morbidity. In the NZD group, the mean age was 69 ± 13.9 y, and most were also men (51%) and white (63%). The mean length of stay was 8.13 ± 10.56 d, and the mortality rate was 1.6%. The most common complication was air leak (3.1%). The black and Hispanic patients had higher odds of postoperative morbidity than the white patients (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.05-3.72 and OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.06-5.30, respectively). An increasing Charlson comorbidity index was an independent predictor of morbidity. Compared with laparoscopy, the risk of developing postoperative morbidity was higher with the thoracotomy procedure (OR 7.45, 95% CI 1.11-50.18). CONCLUSIONS: Using a nationally representative database, our study found that female gender, black race, and the presence of comorbidities were associated with increased postoperative morbidity among patients with ZD. Among the patients with NZD, black and Hispanic patients had worse postoperative morbidity than the white patients, and the presence of comorbidities was associated with increased postoperative morbidity. Thoracotomy for the correction of NZD was associated with increased postoperative morbidity compared with the laparoscopic approach.

Counting the lives lost: how many black trauma deaths are attributable to disparities?

BACKGROUND: The number of black trauma deaths attributable to racial disparities is unknown. The objective of this study was to quantify the excess mortality experienced by black patients given disparities in the risk of mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients aged 16-65 y with blunt and penetrating injuries, who were included in the National Trauma Data Bank from 2007-2010. Generalized linear modeling estimated the relative risk of death for black patients versus white patients, adjusting for known confounders. This analysis determined the difference in the observed number of black trauma deaths at Level I and II centers and the expected number of deaths if the risk of mortality for black patients had been equivalent to that of white patients. RESULTS: A total of 1.06 million patients were included. Among patients with blunt and penetrating injuries at Level I trauma centers, white males and females had a relative risk of death of 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80-0.85) and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.74-0.83), respectively, compared with black patients. Similarly, at Level II trauma centers, white males and females had a relative risk of death of 0.84 (95% CI, 0.80-0.88) and 0.82 (95% CI, 0.73-0.91). Overall, of the estimated 41,613 deaths that occurred at Level I and II centers, 2206 (5.3%) were excess deaths among black patients. CONCLUSIONS: Over a 4-y period, approximately 5% of trauma center deaths could be attributed to racial disparities in trauma outcomes. These data underscore the need to better understand and intervene against the mechanisms that lead to trauma outcomes disparities.