Emergency department resource utilization among nursing home residents, a National Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: Persons 65 years and older (older persons), particularly residents of nursing homes (NHs), disproportionately access the emergency department (ED) and utilize more medical resources. The goal of this study is to provide a contemporary description of healthcare utilization patterns and disposition decisions for United States (US) NH residents presenting to EDs. METHODS: Older persons presenting to EDs in the US were identified in the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) 2017, 2018 and 2019 datasets. We examined demographic, clinical, and resource use characteristics and outcomes. After survey weighting, we compared the frequency of different imaging, medications, clinical interventions, and outcomes in the ED between NH residents and those residing outside NHs. RESULTS: From 2017 to 2019, older persons made 24,441,285 annual visits to the ED, comprising 17.5% of all visits. Among these, 1,579,916 visits (6.5%) were by NH residents. Compared with non-NH residents, NH residents were older (mean age: 81.2 [95%CI 81.5-82.9] vs 76.1 [95%CI 75.8-76.4]), underwent more imaging (82.8% [95%CI 79.5-86.1] vs 71.6% [95%CI 69.9-73.3]), were administered fewer potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in the ED or upon discharge (9.5% [95%CI 6.2-2.7] vs 17.1% [95%CI 15.8-18.4]), and had a higher proportion of visits resulting in hospital admission (44.1% [95%CI 38.2-49.9] vs 26.0% [95%CI 23.3, 28.7]). CONCLUSIONS: Older NH residents presenting to the ED use more resources and are more likely to be hospitalized compared to older persons residing outside NHs. The resource-intensive nature of these visits highlights the importance of targeted, multi-disciplinary interventions that optimize ED care for this population.

Body Mass Index Is Associated With Myocutaneous Free Flap Reliability: Overcoming the Obesity Obstacle With a Proposed Clinical Algorithm to Identify and Manage High-Risk Patients Undergoing Gracilis Free Flap With Skin Paddle Harvest.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of body mass index (BMI) in predicting postoperative complications following myocutaneous free flap transfer. In addition, we sought to identify certain body composition variables that may be used to stratify patients into low- versus high-risk for gracilis myocutaneous free flap with skin paddle failure. METHODS: Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, we collected data for all patients who underwent myocutaneous free flap transfer from 2015 to 2021. Demographic data, medical history, surgical characteristics, and postoperative outcomes, including complications, reoperations, and readmissions, were collected. Body mass index was correlated with outcome measures to determine its role in predicting myocutaneous free flap reliability. Subsequently, we retrospectively obtained measurements of perigracilis anatomy in patients who underwent computed tomography angiography bilateral lower extremity scans with intravenous contrast at our institution. We compared body composition data with mathematical equations calculating the potential area along the skin of the thigh within which the gracilis perforator may be found. RESULTS: Across the United States, 1549 patients underwent myocutaneous free flap transfer over the 7-year study period. Being in obesity class III (BMI ≥40 kg/m2) was associated with a 4-times greater risk of flap complications necessitating a return to the operating room compared with being within the normal BMI range. In our computed tomography angiography analysis, average perigracilis adipose thickness was 18.3 ± 8.0 mm. Adipose thickness had a strong, positive exponential relationship with the area of skin within which the perforator may be found. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, higher BMI was associated with decreased myocutaneous free flap reliability. Specifically, inner thigh adipose thickness can be used to estimate the area along the skin within which the gracilis perforator may be found. This variable, along with BMI, can be used to identify patients who are considered high-risk for flap failure and who may benefit from additional postoperative monitoring, such as the use of a color flow Doppler probe and more frequent and prolonged skin paddle monitoring.

Effectiveness of Lay Bystander Hands-Only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on a Mattress versus the Floor: A Randomized Cross-Over Trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation increases the likelihood of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival by more than two-fold. A common barrier to the prompt initiation of compressions is moving victims to the floor, but compression quality on a "floor" versus a "mattress" has not been tested among lay bystanders. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, randomized, cross-over trial comparing lay bystander compression quality using a manikin on a bed versus the floor. Participants included adults without professional health care training. We randomized participants to the order of manikin placement, either on a mattress or on the floor. For both, participants were instructed to perform 2 minutes of chest compressions on a cardiopulmonary resuscitation Simon manikin Gaumard (Gaumard Scientific, Miami, FL). The primary outcome was mean compression depth (cm) over 2 minutes. We fit a linear regression model adjusted for scenario order, age, sex, and body mass index with robust standard errors to account for repeated measures and reported mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Our sample of 80 adults was 66% female with a mean age of 50.5 years (SD 18.2). The mean compression depth on the mattress was 2.9 cm (SD 2.3) and 3.5 cm (SD 2.2) on the floor, a mean difference of 0.58 cm (95% CI 0.18, 0.98). Compression depth fell below the 5 to 6 cm depth recommended by the American Heart Association on both surfaces. In the adjusted model, the mean depth was greater when the manikin was on the floor than the mattress (adjusted mean difference 0.62 cm; 95% CI 0.23 to 1.01), and mean depth was less for females than males (adjusted mean difference -1.42 cm, 95% CI -2.59, -0.25). In addition, the difference in compression depth was larger for female participants (mean difference 0.94 cm; 95% CI 0.54, 1.34) than for male participants (mean difference -0.01 cm; 95% CI -0.80, 0.78), and the interaction was statistically significant (P = .04). CONCLUSION: The mean compression depth was significantly smaller on the mattress and with female bystanders. Further research is needed to understand the benefit of moving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims to the floor relative to the detrimental effect of delaying chest compressions.

Assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards causal directed acyclic graphs: a qualitative research project.

Causal graphs provide a key tool for optimizing the validity of causal effect estimates. Although a large literature exists on the mathematical theory underlying the use of causal graphs, less literature exists to aid applied researchers in understanding how best to develop and use causal graphs in their research projects. We sought to understand why researchers do or do not regularly use DAGs by surveying practicing epidemiologists and medical researchers on their knowledge, level of interest, attitudes, and practices towards the use of causal graphs in applied epidemiology and health research. We used Twitter and the Society for Epidemiologic Research to disseminate the survey. Overall, a majority of participants reported being comfortable with using causal graphs and reported using them 'sometimes', 'often', or 'always' in their research. Having received training appeared to improve comprehension of the assumptions displayed in causal graphs. Many of the respondents who did not use causal graphs reported lack of knowledge as a barrier to using DAGs in their research. Causal graphs are of interest to epidemiologists and medical researchers, but there are several barriers to their uptake. Additional training and clearer guidance are needed. In addition, methodological developments regarding visualization of effect measure modification and interaction on causal graphs is needed.

Camillus de Lellis (1550-1614), Patron Saint of Hospitals.

Camillus de Lellis was an Italian nobleman born in 1550 who served as a soldier fighting the Turks. Three times between 1571 and 1584, his abscessed leg forced him to seek care in a Roman hospital; each time he worked there during and after his treatment. He was disgusted by the bad care in the hospital and decided a religious order devoted to helping the sick was the best way to better physical and spiritual care. In 1585, he founded the Ministers of the Sick, today called the Order of Saint Camillus. It gained full papal approval as a religious order in 1591. By 1607, it had 242 members working in ten leading Italian cities.

New Medical Device Acquisition During Pediatric Severe Sepsis Hospitalizations.

OBJECTIVES: Severe sepsis is a significant cause of healthcare utilization and morbidity among pediatric patients. However, little is known about how commonly survivors acquire new medical devices during pediatric severe sepsis hospitalization. We sought to determine the rate of new device acquisition (specifically, tracheostomy placement, gastrostomy tube placement, vascular access devices, ostomy procedures, and amputation) among children surviving hospitalizations with severe sepsis. For contextualization, we compare this to rates of new device acquisition among three comparison cohorts: 1) survivors of all-cause pediatric hospitalizations; 2) matched survivors of nonsepsis infection hospitalizations; and 3) matched survivors of all-cause nonsepsis hospitalization with similar organ dysfunction. DESIGN: Observational cohort study. SETTING: Nationwide Readmission Database (2016), including all-payer hospitalizations from 27 states. PATIENTS: Eighteen-thousand two-hundred ten pediatric severe sepsis hospitalizations; 532,738 all-cause pediatric hospitalizations; 16,173 age- and sex-matched nonsepsis infection hospitalizations; 15,025 organ dysfunction matched all-cause nonsepsis hospitalizations; and all with live discharge. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Among 18,210 pediatric severe sepsis hospitalizations, 1,024 (5.6%) underwent device placement. Specifically, 3.5% had new gastrostomy, 3.1% new tracheostomy, 0.6% new vascular access devices, 0.4% new ostomy procedures, and 0.1% amputations. One-hundred forty hospitalizations (0.8%) included two or more new devices. After applying the Nationwide Readmissions Database sampling weights, there were 55,624 pediatric severe sepsis hospitalizations and 1,585,194 all-cause nonsepsis hospitalizations with live discharge in 2016. Compared to all-cause pediatric hospitalizations, severe sepsis hospitalizations were eight-fold more likely to involve new device acquisition (6.4% vs 0.8%; p < 0.001). New device acquisition was also higher in severe sepsis hospitalizations compared with matched nonsepsis infection hospitalizations (5.1% vs 1.2%; p < 0.01) and matched all-cause hospitalizations with similar organ dysfunction (4.7% vs 2.8%; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this nationwide, all-payer cohort of U.S. pediatric severe sepsis hospitalizations, one in 20 children surviving severe sepsis experienced new device acquisition. The procedure rate was nearly eight-fold higher than all-cause, nonsepsis pediatric hospitalizations, and four-fold higher than matched nonsepsis infection hospitalizations.

High Prevalence of Hepatitis C Infection Among Adult Patients at Four Urban Emergency Departments - Birmingham, Oakland, Baltimore, and Boston, 2015-2017.

Identifying persons with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has become an urgent public health challenge because of increasing HCV-related morbidity and mortality, low rates of awareness among infected persons, and the advent of curative therapies (1). Since 2012, CDC has recommended testing of all persons born during 1945-1965 (baby boomers) for identification of chronic HCV infection (1); urban emergency departments (EDs) are well positioned venues for detecting HCV infection among these persons. The United States has witnessed an unprecedented opioid overdose epidemic since 2013 that derives primarily from commonly injected illicit opioids (e.g., heroin and fentanyl) (2). This injection drug use behavior has led to an increase in HCV infections among persons who inject drugs and heightened concern about increases in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HCV infection within communities disproportionately affected by the opioid crisis (3,4). However, targeted strategies for identifying HCV infection among persons who inject drugs is challenging (5,6). During 2015-2016, EDs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; Highland Hospital, Oakland, California; Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland; and Boston University Medical Center, Massachusetts, adopted opt-out (i.e., patients can implicitly accept or explicitly decline testing), universal hepatitis C screening for all adult patients. ED staff members offered HCV antibody (anti-HCV) screening to patients who were unaware of their status.* During similar observation periods at each site, ED staff members tested 14,252 patients and identified an overall 9.2% prevalence of positive results for anti-HCV among the adult patient population. Among the 1945-1965 birth cohort, prevalence of positive results for anti-HCV (13.9%) was significantly higher among non-Hispanic blacks (blacks) (16.0%) than among non-Hispanic whites (whites) (12.2%) (p<0.001). Among persons born after 1965, overall prevalence of positive results for anti-HCV was 6.7% and was significantly higher among whites (15.3%) than among blacks (3.2%) (p<0.001). These findings highlight age-associated differences in racial/ethnic prevalences and the potential for ED venues and opt-out, universal testing strategies to improve HCV infection awareness and surveillance for hard-to-reach populations. This opt-out, universal testing approach is supported by new recommendations for hepatitis C screening at least once in a lifetime for all adults aged ≥18 years, except in settings where the prevalence of positive results for HCV infection is <0.1% (7).

Agreement of claims-based methods for identifying sepsis with clinical criteria in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort.

BACKGROUND: Claims-based algorithms are commonly used to identify sepsis in health services research because the laboratory features required to define clinical criteria may not be available in administrative data. METHODS: We evaluated claims-based sepsis algorithms among adults in the US aged ≥65 years with Medicare health insurance enrolled in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. Suspected infections from baseline (2003-2007) through December 31, 2012 were analyzed. Two claims-based algorithms were evaluated: (1) infection plus organ dysfunction diagnoses or sepsis diagnoses (Medicare-Implicit/Explicit) and (2) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Severe Sepsis/Septic Shock Measure diagnoses (Medicare-CMS). Three classifications based on clinical criteria were used as standards for comparison: (1) the sepsis-related organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (REGARDS-SOFA), (2) "quick" SOFA (REGARDS-qSOFA), and (3) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention electronic health record criteria (REGARDS-EHR). RESULTS: There were 2217 suspected infections among 9522 participants included in the current study. The total number of suspected infections classified as sepsis was 468 for Medicare-Implicit/Explicit, 249 for Medicare-CMS, 541 for REGARDS-SOFA, 185 for REGARDS-qSOFA, and 331 for REGARDS-EHR. The overall agreement between Medicare-Implicit/Explicit and REGARDS-SOFA, REGARDS-qSOFA, and REGARDS-EHR was 77, 79, and 81%, respectively, sensitivity was 46, 53, and 57%, and specificity was 87, 82, and 85%. Comparing Medicare-CMS and REGARDS-SOFA, REGARDS-qSOFA, and REGARDS-EHR, agreement was 77, 87, and 85%, respectively, sensitivity was 27, 41, and 36%, and specificity was 94, 92, and 93%. Events meeting the REGARDS-SOFA classification had a lower 90-day mortality rate (140.7 per 100 person-years) compared with the Medicare-CMS (296.1 per 100 person-years), REGARDS-qSOFA (238.6 per 100 person-years), Medicare-Implicit/Explicit (219.4 per 100 person-years), and REGARDS-EHR classifications (201.8 per 100 person-years). CONCLUSION: Claims-based sepsis algorithms have high agreement and specificity but low sensitivity when compared with clinical criteria. Both claims-based algorithms identified a patient population with similar 90-day mortality rates as compared with classifications based on qSOFA and EHR criteria but higher mortality relative to SOFA criteria.

The utility of iPhone oximetry apps: A comparison with standard pulse oximetry measurement in the emergency department.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if a correlation exists between 3 iphone pulse ox applications' measurements and the standard pulse oximetry (SpO2) and whether these applications can accurately determine hypoxia. METHODS: Three applications reportedly measuring SpO2 were downloaded onto an iPhone 5s. Two of these applications used the onboard light and camera lens "Pulse Oximeter" (Pox) and "Heart Rate and Pulse Oximeter" (Ox) and one used an external device that plugged into the iphone (iOx). Patients in the ED were enrolled with chief complaints of cardiac/pulmonary origin or a SpO2 ≤ 94%. All measurements were compared to controls. Concordance correlation coefficients, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 191 patients were enrolled. The concordance correlation of iOx with control was 0.55 (CI 0.46, 0.63), POx was 0.01 (CI -0.09, 0.11), and Ox was 0.07 (CI -0.02, 0.15). 68/191 patients (35%) were found to have hypoxemia. Sensitivities for detecting hypoxia were 69%, 0%, and 7% for iOx, POx, and Ox, respectively. Specificities were 89%, 100%, and 89%. Even iOx (the most accurate) 21 (11%) were incorrectly classified nonhypoxic, and 22 (12%) were incorrectly classified hypoxic. CONCLUSIONS: While iOx has modest concordance with control, Ox and POx showed almost none. The iOx device was best in correctly identifying hypoxia patients, but almost 1/4 of patients were incorrectly classified. The three apps provided inaccurate SpO2 measurements and had limited to no ability to accurately detect hypoxia. These apps should not be relied upon to provide accurate SpO2 measurements in emergent, even austere conditions.

Epidemiology and Outcomes of Cancer-Related Versus Non-Cancer-Related Sepsis Hospitalizations.

OBJECTIVE: Cancer and its treatment are known to be important risk factors for sepsis, contributing to an estimated 12% of U.S. sepsis admissions in the 1990s. However, cancer treatment has evolved markedly over the past 2 decades. We sought to examine how cancer-related sepsis differs from non-cancer-related sepsis. DESIGN: Observational cohort. SETTING: National Readmissions Database (2013-2014), containing all-payer claims for 49% of U.S. PATIENTS: A total of 1,104,363 sepsis hospitalizations. INTERVENTIONS: We identified sepsis hospitalizations in the U.S. National Readmissions Database using explicit codes for severe sepsis, septic shock, or Dombrovskiy criteria (concomitant codes for infection and organ dysfunction). We classified hospitalizations as cancer-related versus non-cancer-related sepsis based on the presence of secondary diagnosis codes for malignancy. We compared characteristics (site of infection and organ dysfunction) and outcomes (in-hospital mortality and 30-d readmissions) of cancer-related versus non-cancer-related sepsis hospitalizations. We also completed subgroup analyses by age, cancer types, and specific cancer diagnoses. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There were 27,481,517 hospitalizations in National Readmissions Database 2013-2014, of which 1,104,363 (4.0%) were for sepsis and 4,150,998 (15.1%) were cancer related. In-hospital mortality in cancer-related sepsis was 27.9% versus 19.5% in non-cancer-related sepsis. The median count of organ dysfunctions was indistinguishable, but the rate of specific organ dysfunctions differed by small amounts (e.g., hematologic dysfunction 20.1% in cancer-related sepsis vs 16.6% in non-cancer-related sepsis; p < 0.001). Cancer-related sepsis was associated with an adjusted absolute increase in in-hospital mortality ranging from 2.2% to 15.2% compared with non-cancer-related sepsis. The mortality difference was greatest in younger adults and waned with age. Patients (23.2%) discharged from cancer-related sepsis were rehospitalized within 30 days, compared with 20.1% in non-cancer-related sepsis (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of over 1 million U.S. sepsis hospitalizations, more than one in five were cancer related. The difference in mortality varies substantially across age spectrum and is greatest in younger adults. Readmissions were more common after cancer-related sepsis.

Older Blood Is Associated With Increased Mortality and Adverse Events in Massively Transfused Trauma Patients: Secondary Analysis of the PROPPR Trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The transfusion of older packed RBCs may be harmful in critically ill patients. We seek to determine the association between packed RBC age and mortality among trauma patients requiring massive packed RBC transfusion. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Pragmatic, Randomized Optimal Platelet and Plasma Ratios trial. Subjects in the parent trial included critically injured adult patients admitted to 1 of 12 North American Level I trauma centers who received at least 1 unit of packed RBCs and were predicted to require massive blood transfusion. The primary exposure was volume of packed RBC units transfused during the first 24 hours of hospitalization, stratified by packed RBC age category: 0 to 7 days, 8 to 14 days, 15 to 21 days, and greater than or equal to 22 days. The primary outcome was 24-hour mortality. We evaluated the association between transfused volume of each packed RBC age category and 24-hour survival, using random-effects logistic regression, adjusting for total packed RBC volume, patient age, sex, race, mechanism of injury, Injury Severity Score, Revised Trauma Score, clinical site, and trial treatment group. RESULTS: The 678 patients included in the analysis received a total of 8,830 packed RBC units. One hundred patients (14.8%) died within the first 24 hours. On multivariable analysis, the number of packed RBCs greater than or equal to 22 days old was independently associated with increased 24-hour mortality (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.05 per packed RBC unit; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01 to 1.08): OR 0.97 for 0 to 7 days old (95% CI 0.88 to 1.08), OR 1.04 for 8 to 14 days old (95% CI 0.99 to 1.09), and OR 1.02 for 15 to 21 days old (95% CI 0.98 to 1.06). Results of sensitivity analyses were similar only among patients who received greater than or equal to 10 packed RBC units. CONCLUSION: Increasing quantities of older packed RBCs are associated with increased likelihood of 24-hour mortality in trauma patients receiving massive packed RBC transfusion (≥10 units), but not in those who receive fewer than 10 units.

Frailty Syndrome and Risk of Sepsis in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Cohort.

BACKGROUND:: Frailty is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in older persons. We sought to characterize the associations between the frailty syndrome and long-term risk of sepsis in a large cohort of community-dwelling adults. METHODS:: We analyzed data on 30 239 community-dwelling adult participants in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort. We defined frailty as the presence of at least 2 frailty indicators (weakness, exhaustion, and low physical activity). We defined sepsis as hospitalization for a serious infection with ≥2 system inflammatory response syndrome criteria, identified for the period 2003-2012. We determined the associations between frailty and risk of first sepsis and sepsis 30-day case fatality. RESULTS:: Among REGARDS participants, frailty was present in 6018 (19.9%). Over the 10-year observation period, there were 1529 first-sepsis hospitalizations. Frailty was associated with increased risk of sepsis (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.44; 95% CI: 1.26 to 1.64). The total number of frailty indicators was associated with increased risk of sepsis ( P trend <.001). Among first-sepsis hospitalizations, frailty was associated with increased sepsis 30-day case fatality (adjusted OR 1.62; 95% CI: 1.06 to 2.50). CONCLUSIONS:: In the REGARDS cohort, frailty was associated with increased long-term risk of sepsis and sepsis 30-day case fatality.

Association of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status With Risk of Infection and Sepsis.

Background: Prior studies suggest disparities in sepsis risk and outcomes based on place of residence. We sought to examine the association between neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) and hospitalization for infection and sepsis. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study using data from 30239 participants in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. nSES was defined using a score derived from census data and classified into quartiles. Infection and sepsis hospitalizations were identified over the period 2003-2012. We fit Cox proportional hazards models, reporting hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and examining mediation by participant characteristics. Results: Over a median follow-up of 6.5 years, there were 3054 hospitalizations for serious infection. Infection incidence was lower for participants in the highest nSES quartile compared with the lowest quartile (11.7 vs 15.6 per 1000 person-years). After adjustment for demographics, comorbidities, and functional status, infection hazards were also lower for the highest quartile (HR, 0.84 [95% CI, .73-.97]), with a linear trend (P = .011). However, there was no association between nSES and sepsis at presentation among those hospitalized with infection. Physical weakness, income, and diabetes had modest mediating effects on the association of nSES with infection. Conclusions: Our study shows that differential infection risk may explain nSES disparities in sepsis incidence, as higher nSES is associated with lower infection hospitalization rates, but there is no association with sepsis among those hospitalized. Mediation analysis showed that nSES may influence infection hospitalization risk at least partially through physical weakness, individual income, and comorbid diabetes.

Racial Differences in Sepsis Mortality at U.S. Academic Medical Center-Affiliated Hospitals.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the racial disparities in severe sepsis hospitalizations and outcomes in U.S. academic medical center-affiliated hospitals. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of sepsis hospitalizations. SETTINGS: U.S. academic medical center-affiliated hospitals participating in Vizient Consortium from 2012 to 2014. PATIENTS: Sepsis hospitalizations using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth revision, discharge diagnoses codes defined by the Angus method. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We compared rates of sepsis hospitalization, ICU admission, organ dysfunction, and hospital mortality between blacks and whites. We repeated the analyses stratified by community-acquired, healthcare-associated, and hospital-acquired sepsis subtypes. Of 10,244,780 hospitalizations in our cohort, 1,114,386 (10.9%) had sepsis. Sepsis subtypes included community-acquired sepsis (61.8%), healthcare-associated sepsis (23.8%), and hospital-acquired sepsis (14.4%). Although the proportion of discharges with sepsis was lower for blacks than whites (106.72 vs 109.43 per 1,000 hospitalizations; p < 0.001), the proportion of black sepsis hospitalizations was higher for individuals greater than 30 years old. Blacks exhibited lower adjusted sepsis hospital mortality than whites (odds ratio, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.84-0.86). The adjusted odds of hospital mortality following community-acquired, healthcare-associated, and hospital-acquired sepsis were lower for blacks than whites. CONCLUSIONS: In this current series of hospital discharges at U.S. academic medical center-affiliated hospitals, blacks exhibited lower adjusted rates of sepsis hospitalizations and mortality than whites.

Report of a workshop on ensuring sustainable access to safe blood in developing countries: International Blood Safety Forum, March 24, 2017.

On March 24, 2017, more than 90 experts in blood safety and international development from blood centers, industry, government, and international and nongovernmental organizations gathered in Arlington, Virginia, for the Third International Blood Safety Forum, cosponsored by America's Blood Centers and Global Healing. This report summarizes presentations and major conclusions. The meeting explored ways to increase access to affordable, safe blood for low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) in an era when funding from the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund has been redirected from preventing the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to diagnosing and treating the 25 million-plus people living with HIV in LMICs. More effective management systems must be developed to improve cost recovery for blood. While blood systems become more sustainable, continued investment is required to keep them operating. The traditional model of large grants from bilateral and multilateral donors will need to be supplemented (or replaced) with public-private partnerships and nongovernmental investment. A continued emphasis on quality is fundamental. Blood systems must build quality programs, based on accepted standards, including hospitals, clinics, and rural health care providers to ensure proper and safe use of blood. Proposals to resolve health care inequities between LMICs and high-income countries (HICs) must include helping LMICs to define sustainable national policies and practices for blood availability and utilization to suit local contexts. The blood safety lexicon should be revised to include availability, accessibility, and affordability of safe blood and blood products as the goal of all blood safety initiatives.

Adherence to Mediterranean-style diet and risk of sepsis in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort.

Sepsis - syndrome of infection complicated by organ dysfunction - is responsible for over 750 000 hospitalisations and 200 000 deaths in the USA annually. Despite potential nutritional benefits, the association of diet and sepsis is unknown. Therefore, we sought to determine the association between adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet (Med-style diet) and long-term risk of sepsis in the REasons for Geographic Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort. We analysed data from REGARDS, a population-based cohort of 30 239 community-dwelling adults age ≥45 years. We determined dietary patterns from a baseline FFQ. We defined Med-style diet as a high consumption of fruit, vegetables, legumes, fish, cereal and low consumption of meat, dairy products, fat and alcohol categorising participants into Med-style diet tertiles (low: 0-3, moderate: 4-5, high: 6-9). We defined sepsis events as hospital admission for serious infection and at least two systematic inflammatory response syndrome criteria. We used Cox proportional hazard models to determine the association between Med-style diet tertiles and first sepsis events, adjusting for socio-demographics, lifestyle factors, and co-morbidities. We included 21 256 participants with complete dietary data. Dietary patterns were: low Med-style diet 32·0 %, moderate Med-style diet 42·1 % and high Med-style diet 26·0 %. There were 1109 (5·2 %) first sepsis events. High Med-style diet was independently associated with sepsis risk; low Med-style diet referent, moderate Med-style diet adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0·93 (95 % CI 0·81, 1·08), high Med-style diet adjusted HR=0·74 (95 % CI 0·61, 0·88). High Med-style diet adherence is associated with lower risk of sepsis. Dietary modification may potentially provide an option for reducing sepsis risk.

Assessing Advanced Airway Management Performance in a National Cohort of Emergency Medical Services Agencies.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Although often the focus of quality improvement efforts, emergency medical services (EMS) advanced airway management performance has few national comparisons, nor are there many assessments with benchmarks accounting for differences in agency volume or patient mix. We seek to assess variations in advanced airway management and conventional intubation performance in a national cohort of EMS agencies. METHODS: We used EMS data from ESO Solutions, a national EMS electronic health record system. We identified EMS emergency responses with attempted advanced airway management (conventional intubation, rapid sequence intubation, sedation-assisted intubation, supraglottic airway insertion, and cricothyroidotomy). We also separately examined cases with initial conventional intubation. We determined EMS agency risk-standardized advanced airway management and initial conventional intubation success rates by using mixed-effects regression models, fitting agency as a random intercept, adjusting for patient age, sex, race, cardiac arrest, or trauma status, and use of rapid sequence or sedation-assisted intubation, and accounting for reliability variations from EMS agency airway volume. We assessed changes in agency advanced airway management and initial conventional intubation performance rank after risk and reliability adjustment. We also identified high and low performers (reliability-adjusted and risk-standardized success confidence intervals falling outside the mean). RESULTS: During 2011 to 2015, 550 EMS agencies performed 57,209 advanced airway management procedures. Among 401 EMS agencies with greater than or equal to 10 advanced airway management procedures, there were a total of 56,636 procedures. Median reliability-adjusted and risk-standardized EMS agency advanced airway management success was 92.9% (interquartile range 90.1% to 94.8%; minimum 58.2%; maximum 99.0%). There were 56 advanced airway management low-performing and 38 high-performing EMS agencies. Among 342 agencies with greater than or equal to 10 initial conventional intubations, there were a total of 37,360 initial conventional intubations. Median reliability-adjusted and risk-standardized EMS agency initial conventional intubation success was 77.3% (interquartile range 70.9% to 83.6%; minimum 47.1%; maximum 95.8%). There were 64 initial conventional intubation low-performing and 45 high-performing EMS agencies. CONCLUSION: In this national series, EMS advanced airway management and initial conventional intubation performance varied widely. Reliability adjustment and risk standardization may influence EMS airway management performance assessments.

National Characteristics of Emergency Medical Services Responses for Older Adults in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Older adults, those aged 65 and older, frequently require emergency care. However, only limited national data describe the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) care provided to older adults. We sought to determine the characteristics of EMS care provided to older adults in the United States. METHODS: We used data from the 2014 National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS), encompassing EMS response data from 46 States and territories. We excluded EMS responses for children <18 years, interfacility transports, intercepts, non-emergency medical transports, and standby responses. We defined older adults as age ≥65 years. We compared patient demographics (age, sex, race, primary payer), response characteristics (dispatch time, location type, time intervals), and clinical course (clinical impression, injury, procedures, medications) between older and younger adult EMS emergency 9-1-1 responses. RESULTS: During the study period there were 20,212,245 EMS emergency responses. Among the 16,116,219 adult EMS responses, there were 6,569,064 (40.76%) older and 9,547,155 (59.24%) younger adults. Older EMS patients were more likely to be white and the EMS incident to be located in healthcare facilities (clinic, hospital, nursing home). Compared with younger patients, older EMS patients were more likely to present with syncope (5.68% vs. 3.40%; OR 1.71; CI: 1.71-1.72), cardiac arrest/rhythm disturbance (3.27% vs. 1.69%; OR 1.97; CI: 1.96-1.98), stroke (2.18% vs. 0.74%; OR 2.99; CI: 2.96-3.02) and shock (0.77% vs. 0.38%; OR 2.02; CI: 2.00-2.04). Common EMS interventions performed on older persons included intravenous access (32.02%), 12-lead ECG (14.37%), CPR (0.87%), and intubation (2.00%). The most common EMS drugs administered to older persons included epinephrine, atropine, furosemide, amiodarone, and albuterol or ipratropium. CONCLUSION: One of every three U.S. EMS emergency responses involves older adults. EMS personnel must be prepared to care for the older patient.

National characteristics of Emergency Department visits by patients with cancer in the United States.

PURPOSE: The Emergency Department (ED) is an important venue for the care of patients with cancer. We sought to describe the national characteristics of ED visits by patients with cancer in the United States. METHODS: We performed an analysis of 2012-2014 ED visit data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). We included adult (age≥18years) ED patients, stratified by history of cancer. Using the NHAMCS survey design and weighting variables, we estimated the annual number of adult ED visits by patients with cancer. We compared demographics, clinical characteristics, ED resource utilization, and disposition of cancer vs. non-cancer patients. RESULTS: There were an estimated 104,836,398 annual ED visits. Patients with cancer accounted for an estimated 3,879,665 (95% CI: 3,416,435-4,342,895) annual ED visits. Compared with other ED patients, those with cancer were older (mean 64.8 vs. 45.4years), more likely to arrive by Emergency Medical Services (28.0 vs. 16.9%), and experienced longer lengths of ED stay (mean 4.9 vs. 3.8h). Over 65% of ED patients with cancer underwent radiologic imaging. Patients with cancer almost twice as likely to undergo CT scanning; four times more likely to present with sepsis; twice as likely to present with thrombosis, and three times more likely to be admitted to the hospital than non-cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cancer comprise nearly 4 million ED visits annually. The findings highlight the important role of the ED in cancer care and need for addressing acute care conditions in patients with cancer.