Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty outcome assessment with quantitative computer-assisted videoendoscopic airway analysis.

CONCLUSION: Quantitative digital imaging upper airway analysis enables surgeons to assess the pre- and postoperative upper airway morphology quantitatively, objectively and accurately, and to correlate these changes in surgical parameters with improvement of obstructive sleep apnea. OBJECTIVE: This was a prospective study using a new method of quantitative computer-assisted digital-imaging videoendoscopic upper airway analysis to quantify objectively and correlate the changes in surgical parameters with improvement of obstructive sleep apnea following uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nineteen male patients underwent uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for obstructive sleep apnea after continuous positive airway pressure trial. All had undergone pre- and postoperative digital imaging upper airway examination, Epworth scores, and polysomnographic studies. Postoperative static and dynamic changes in upper airway parameters were compared, analyzed and correlated with improvement of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) by statistical regression. RESULTS: There were 65.12% and 64.37% improvements in the AHI and Epworth scales, respectively, after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. Retropalatal areas measured were significantly correlated with improvement of the AHI. A 1 cm2 increase in retropalatal area during Mueller's maneuver in the supine position resulted in an improvement of 32.65 in the AHI; a 1 cm increase in the transverse diameter of the retropalatal area in the erect position resulted in an improvement of 31.83 in the AHI.

Economic evaluation of a clinical protocol for diagnosing emergency patients with suspected pulmonary embolism.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this paper is to estimate the amount of cost-savings to the Australian health care system from implementing an evidence-based clinical protocol for diagnosing emergency patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) at the Emergency department of a Victorian public hospital with 50,000 presentations in 2001-2002. METHODS: A cost-minimisation study used the data collected in a controlled clinical trial of a clinical protocol for diagnosing patients with suspected PE. The number and type of diagnostic tests in a historic cohort of 185 randomly selected patients, who presented to the emergency department with suspected PE during an eight month period prior to the clinical trial (January 2002-August 2002) were compared with the number and type of diagnostic tests in 745 patients, who presented to the emergency department with suspected PE from November 2002 to August 2003. Current Medicare fees per test were used as unit costs to calculate the mean aggregated cost of diagnostic investigation per patient in both study groups. A t-test was used to estimate the statistical significance of the difference in the cost of resources used for diagnosing PE in the control and in the intervention group. RESULTS: The trial demonstrated that diagnosing PE using an evidence-based clinical protocol was as effective as the existing clinical practice. The clinical protocol offers the advantage of reducing the use of diagnostic imaging, resulting in an average cost savings of at least $59.30 per patient. CONCLUSION: Extrapolating the observed cost-savings of $59.30 per patient to the whole of Australia could potentially result in annual savings between $3.1 million to $3.7 million.

Reducing the use of diagnostic imaging in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism: validation of a risk assessment strategy.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to measure the: (i) effects of implementation of a new risk assessment strategy for patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) on the use of imaging and D-dimer assay; (ii) negative predictive value for PE of a combination of low risk and negative D-dimer assay; and (iii) compliance of ED clinicians with the strategy. METHODS: A non-randomized clinical trial was conducted in the ED of a 720-bed teaching hospital between November 2002 and August 2003. Study subjects with suspected PE were compared with 191 randomly selected historical controls. The risk assessment strategy of Kline et al. was disseminated and implemented. RESULTS: The negative predictive value for PE was 99% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 97-100%) in 114 patients with low risk and negative D-dimer. There was a 21% absolute reduction in the rate of imaging following the implementation of the risk assessment strategy (56% vs 77%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Low risk combined with a negative D-dimer result may allow exclusion of PE without imaging.