Representation of the hierarchical and functional structure of an ambulatory network of medical consultations through Social Network Analysis, with an emphasis on the role of medical specialties.

BACKGROUND: Ambulatory Health Care Networks (Amb-HCN) are circuits of patient referral and counter-referral that emerge, explicitly or spontaneously, between doctors who provide care in their offices. Finding a meaningful analytical representation for the organic and hierarchical functioning of an Amb-HCN may have managerial and health policymaking implications. We aimed to characterize the structural and functional topology of an Amb-HCN of a private health insurance provider (PHIP) using objective metrics from graph theory. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional quantitative study with a secondary data analysis study design. A Social Network Analysis (SNA) was conducted using office visits performed between April 1, 2021 and May 15, 2022, retrieved from secondary administrative claim databases from a PHIP in Belo Horizonte, Southeastern Brazil. Included were beneficiaries of a healthcare plan not restricting the location or physician caring for the patient. A directional and weighted network was constructed, where doctors were the vertices and patient referrals between doctors, within 7-45 days, were the network edges. Vertex-level SNA measures were calculated and grouped into three theoretical constructs: patient follow-up (aimed at assessing the doctor's pattern of patient follow-up); relationship with authorities (which assessed whether the doctor is an authority or contributes to his or her colleague's authority status); and centrality (aimed at positioning the doctor relative to the network graph). To characterize physician profiles within each dimension based on SNA metrics results, a K-means cluster analysis was conducted. The resulting physician clusters were assigned labels that sought to be representative of the observed values of the vertex metrics within the clusters. FINDINGS: Overall, 666,263 individuals performed 3,863,222 office visits with 4,554 physicians. A total of 577 physicians (12.7%) had very low consultation productivity and contributed very little to the network (i.e., about 1.1% of all referrals made or received), being excluded from subsequent doctor profiles analysis. Cluster analysis found 951 (23.9%) doctors to be central in the graph and 1,258 (31.6%) to be peripheral; 883 (22.2%) to be authorities and 266 (6.7%) as seeking authorities; 3,684 (92.6%) mostly shared patients with colleagues, with patient follow-up intensities ranging from weak to strong. Wide profile dispersion was observed among specialties and, more interestingly, within specialties. Non-primary-care medical specialties (e.g., cardiology, endocrinology etc.) were associated with central profile in the graph, while surgical specialties predominated in the periphery, along with pediatrics. Only pediatrics was associated with strong and prevalent (i.e., low patient sharing pattern) follow-up. Many doctors from internal medicine and family medicine had unexpectedly weak and shared patient follow-up profiles. Doctor profiles exhibited pairwise relationships with each other and with the number of chronic comorbidities of the patients they treated. For example, physicians identified as authorities were frequently central and treated patients with more comorbidities. Ten medical communities were identified with clear territorial and specialty segregation. CONCLUSIONS: Viewing the Amb-HCN as a social network provided a topological and functional representation with potentially meaningful and actionable emerging insights into the most influential actors and specialties, functional hierarchies, factors that lead to self-constituted medical communities, and dispersion from expected patterns within medical specialties.

ICU Admission, Invasive Mechanical Ventilation, and Mortality among Children and Adolescents Hospitalized for COVID-19 in a Private Healthcare System.

Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic devastated healthcare around the world. Data about the COVID-19 outcomes among young people are still scarce. We aim to identify factors associated with the composite outcome among children and adolescents hospitalized due to COVID-19. Methods: We performed a search in the database of a large Brazilian private healthcare system. Insured people aged 21 years or younger who were hospitalized due to COVID-19 from Feb/28th/2020 to Nov/1st/2021 were included. The primary endpoint was the composite outcome consisting of ICU admission, need for invasive mechanical ventilation, or death. Results: We evaluated 199 patients who had an index hospitalization due to COVID-19. The median monthly rate of index hospitalization was 2.7 (interquartile range [IQR], 1.6-3.9) per 100,000 clients aged 21 years or less. The median age of the patients was 4.5 years (IQR, 1.4-14.1). At the index hospitalization, the composite outcome rate was 26.6%. The composite outcome was associated with all the previous coexisting morbidities evaluated. The median follow-up was 249.0 days (IQR, 152.0-438.5). There were 27 readmissions (16 patients) within 30 days after the discharge. Conclusions: In conclusion, hospitalized children and adolescents had a composite outcome rate of 26.6% at the index hospitalization. Having previous chronic morbidity was associated with the composite.

Virologic and immunologic effectiveness of darunavir-based salvage therapy in HIV-1-infected adults in a Brazilian clinical practice setting: results of a multicenter and retrospective cohort study

Background: Darunavir has been proven efficacious for antiretroviral-experienced HIV-1-infected patients in randomized trials. However, effectiveness of darunavir-based salvage therapy is understudied in routine care in Brazil. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of HIV-1-infected patients from three public referral centers in Belo Horizonte, who received a darunavir-based therapy between 2008 and 2010, after virologic failure. Primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with viral load <50 copies/mL at week 48. Change in CD4 cell count was also evaluated. Outcome measures were analyzed on an intent-to-treat basis applied to observational studies. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of missing data at week 48. Predictors of virologic failure were examined using rare-event, finite sample, bias-corrected logistic regression. Results: Among 108 patients, the median age was 44.2 years, and 72.2% were male. They had long-standing HIV-1 infection (median 11.6 years) and advanced disease (76.9% had an AIDS-defining event). All patients had previously received protease inhibitors and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, 75% nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and 4.6% enfuvirtide. The median length of protease inhibitor use was 8.9 years, and 90.8% of patients had prior exposure to unboosted protease inhibitor. Genotypic resistance profile showed a median of three primary protease inhibitor mutations and 10.2% had three or more darunavir resistance-associated mutations. Virologic success at week 48 was achieved by 78.7% (95% CI = 69.7–86%) of patients and mean CD4 cell count increase from baseline was 131.5 cells/μL (95% CI = 103.4–159.6). In multiple logistic regression analysis, higher baseline viral load (RR = 1.04 per 10,000 copies/mL increase; 95% CI = 1.01–1.09) and higher number of darunavir resistance-associated mutations (RR = 1.23 per each; 95% CI = 0.95–1.48) ...

Short communication: Effectiveness at 48 weeks of switching from enfuvirtide to raltegravir in virologically suppressed multidrug-resistant HIV type 1-infected patients in a Brazilian cohort.

The effectiveness of switching from enfuvirtide to raltegravir in HIV-1-infected patients on a suppressive antiretroviral regimen has been poorly studied in the clinical practice of developing countries. We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study in HIV-1-infected, multidrug-experienced adults (≥18 years old) with plasma HIV-1-RNA <400 copies/ml for at least 4 months on an enfuvirtide-containing therapy between 2005 and 2010, in whom the attending physician switched from enfuvirtide to raltegravir. Effectiveness endpoints were measured at week 48 after switch. Analyses were conducted on an intent-to-treat basis and two strategies for handling missing outcome data were used (hereafter, strategies 1 and 2). Overall, 87 patients were eligible for analysis. At baseline, the median CD4(+) T cell count was 400 cells/µl and 91.9% of patients had <50 HIV-1-RNA copies/ml. At week 48, the proportions of patients with plasma HIV-1-RNA <50 and <400 copies/ml were, respectively, 86.2% (95% CI=77.1; 92.7%) and 88.5% (95% CI=79.9; 94.3%) (strategies 1 and 2) and 89.7% (95% CI=81.3; 95.2%) and 90.8% (95% CI=82.7; 95.9%) (strategies 1 and 2). This was a -10.3% (95% CI=-2.8; -17.9%) and -9.2% (95% CI=-2; -16.4%) difference from baseline in the proportion of patients with plasma HIV-1-RNA <400 copies/ml. The median increase in CD4(+) T cell counts was 41 and 64 cells/µl (p<0.001) (strategies 1 and 2). No patient withdrew raltegravir or developed opportunistic infections, but one was diagnosed with HIV-related dementia. In conclusion, switching from enfuvirtide to raltegravir in patients on a virologically suppressive regimen is an effective strategy even in a Brazilian clinical setting.

Virologic and immunologic effectiveness of darunavir-based salvage therapy in HIV-1-infected adults in a Brazilian clinical practice setting: results of a multicenter and retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Darunavir has been proven efficacious for antiretroviral-experienced HIV-1-infected patients in randomized trials. However, effectiveness of darunavir-based salvage therapy is understudied in routine care in Brazil. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of HIV-1-infected patients from three public referral centers in Belo Horizonte, who received a darunavir-based therapy between 2008 and 2010, after virologic failure. Primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with viral load<50 copies/mL at week 48. Change in CD4 cell count was also evaluated. Outcome measures were analyzed on an intent-to-treat basis applied to observational studies. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of missing data at week 48. Predictors of virologic failure were examined using rare-event, finite sample, bias-corrected logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 108 patients, the median age was 44.2 years, and 72.2% were male. They had long-standing HIV-1 infection (median 11.6 years) and advanced disease (76.9% had an AIDS-defining event). All patients had previously received protease inhibitors and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, 75% nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and 4.6% enfuvirtide. The median length of protease inhibitor use was 8.9 years, and 90.8% of patients had prior exposure to unboosted protease inhibitor. Genotypic resistance profile showed a median of three primary protease inhibitor mutations and 10.2% had three or more darunavir resistance-associated mutations. Virologic success at week 48 was achieved by 78.7% (95% CI=69.7-86%) of patients and mean CD4 cell count increase from baseline was 131.5 cells/µL (95% CI=103.4-159.6). In multiple logistic regression analysis, higher baseline viral load (RR=1.04 per 10,000 copies/mL increase; 95% CI=1.01-1.09) and higher number of darunavir resistance-associated mutations (RR=1.23 per each; 95% CI=0.95-1.48) were independently associated with virologic failure. CONCLUSION: Virologic suppression is a realistic endpoint for most treatment-experienced patients who begin a darunavir-based therapy outside the controlled conditions of a randomized trial, at routine care settings.

Virologic and immunologic effectiveness at 48 weeks of darunavir-ritonavir-based regimens in treatment-experienced persons living with HIV-1 infection in clinical practice: a multicenter Brazilian cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Published data addressing the effectiveness of darunavir-ritonavir (DRV/r)-based therapy for multiexperienced patients in developing countries are scarce. This study evaluated the 48-week virologic and immunologic effectiveness of salvage therapy based on DRV/r for the treatment of multidrug-experienced HIV-1-infected adults in Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multicenter retrospective cohort study was carried out with multidrug-experienced adults who were on a failing antiretroviral therapy and started a DRV/r-based salvage therapy between 2008 and 2010. The primary effectiveness end point was the proportion of patients with virologic success (plasma HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL at week 48). RESULTS: At 48 weeks, 73% of the patients had HIV-RNA <50 copies/mL and a mean increase of 108 CD4 cells/mm(3). Higher baseline viral load, lower baseline CD4 count, younger age, and 3 or more DRV/r-associated resistance mutations were significantly predictive of virologic failure. Concomitant use of raltegravir was strongly associated with virologic success. CONCLUSION: The use of DRV/r-based regimens for salvage therapy is an effective strategy in the clinical care setting of a developing country.

Avaliação de efetividade da atenção domiciliar de uma cooperativa médica de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil / Home care effectiveness assessment in a health maintenance organization in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil / Evaluación de la eficacia de un programa de atención domiciliaria en una cooperativa médica de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil

A retrospective cohort study was performed to assess the impact of a Case Management Home Care Program supplied by the Unimed-BH medical cooperative on hospitalization-free survival time among eligible patients 60 years or older. A Cox proportional hazards model was fitted to assess the impact of home visits by health professionals on hospitalization-free survival time in a sample of 2,943 elders, while adjusting for patient age, physical dependence, medicines, feeding route, pressure ulcers, supplemental oxygen therapy, cognitive impairment, outpatient visits, and hospitalizations in the preceding quarter. Risk factors for shorter hospitalization-free survival time were: degree of physical dependence, enteral nutrition, supplemental oxygen therapy, pressure ulcers, and hospital admissions in the previous quarter. Higher rates of home visits by physicians and nurses showed a protective dose-response effect on hospitalization-free survival time. The data suggest that regular home visits by physicians and nurses lengthen hospitalization-free survival time among elderly patients enrolled in the program.

Foi realizado estudo de coorte retrospectiva com o objetivo de avaliar o impacto do plano de cuidados do Programa de Atenção Domiciliar da Unimed-BH, modalidade Gerenciamento de Casos (PrGC/AD), sobre o tempo livre de hospitalização entre os pacientes com 60 anos ou mais assistidos pelo programa. Utilizou-se o modelo de Cox para avaliar o efeito do intervalo entre as visitas domiciliares dos profissionais do programa sobre o tempo livre de hospitalização de 2.943 idosos, ajustado por idade, medicamentos em uso, via de alimentação, úlcera de pressão, déficit cognitivo, dependência física, oxigenioterapia, consultas ambulatoriais e hospitalizações no trimestre anterior. Foram fatores de risco para menor tempo livre de hospitalização: o grau de dependência física, alimentação enteral, oxigenioterapia suplementar, úlceras de pressão e hospitalizações no trimestre anterior. Observouse efeito protetor dose-resposta da frequência de visitas médicas e de enfermagem. Os resultados sugerem que visitas domiciliares regulares de médico e enfermeiro aumentam significativamente o tempo livre de hospitalização nos pacientes assistidos pelo PrGC/AD.

Se realizó un estudio de cohorte retrospectivo para evaluar el impacto de un plan de asistencia del Programa de Atención Domiciliaria de Unimed-BH, modalidad de Gestión de Casos (PrGC/AD), sobre el tiempo libre de hospitalización en pacientes con 60 años o más. Se usó el modelo de riesgos proporcionales de Cox para evaluar el efecto del intervalo entre las visitas domiciliarias de los profesionales del programa sobre el tiempo libre de hospitalización de 2.943 ancianos, ajustado por edad, medicamentos usados, vía de alimentación, úlcera por presión, deterioro cognitivo, dependencia física, oxigenoterapia, consultas ambulatorias y hospitalizaciones en el trimestre anterior. Fueron factores de riesgo para un menor tiempo libre de hospitalización: grado de dependencia física, alimentación enteral, oxigenoterapia suplementaria, úlcera por presión y hospitalizaciones en el trimestre anterior. Las frecuencias de visitas médicas y de enfermeros tuvieron un efecto protector dosis-respuesta. Los resultados sugieren que las visitas domiciliarias regulares de médico y enfermero aumentan el tiempo libre de hospitalización en los pacientes asistidos por el PrGC/AD.

[Home care effectiveness assessment in a health maintenance organization in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil]. / Avaliação de efetividade da atenção domiciliar de uma cooperativa médica de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil.

A retrospective cohort study was performed to assess the impact of a Case Management Home Care Program supplied by the Unimed-BH medical cooperative on hospitalization-free survival time among eligible patients 60 years or older. A Cox proportional hazards model was fitted to assess the impact of home visits by health professionals on hospitalization-free survival time in a sample of 2,943 elders, while adjusting for patient age, physical dependence, medicines, feeding route, pressure ulcers, supplemental oxygen therapy, cognitive impairment, outpatient visits, and hospitalizations in the preceding quarter. Risk factors for shorter hospitalization-free survival time were: degree of physical dependence, enteral nutrition, supplemental oxygen therapy, pressure ulcers, and hospital admissions in the previous quarter. Higher rates of home visits by physicians and nurses showed a protective dose-response effect on hospitalization-free survival time. The data suggest that regular home visits by physicians and nurses lengthen hospitalization-free survival time among elderly patients enrolled in the program.

Slow clinical improvement after treatment initiation in Leishmania/HIV coinfected patients.

INTRODUCTION: In Brazil there is a large area of overlap of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and HIV infection, which favored a increased incidence of coinfection Leishmania/HIV. METHODS: This study evaluated 65 consecutive patients with VL and their clinical response to treatment in two health care settings in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. RESULTS: At baseline, the clinical picture was similar between both groups, although diarrhea and peripheral lymphadenomegaly were more frequent in HIV-infected subjects. HIV-positive patients had lower median blood lymphocyte counts (686/mm³ versus 948/mm³p = 0.004) and lower values of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (48IU/L versus 75.6IU/L p = 0.016) than HIV-negative patients. HIV-positive status (hazard ratio = 0.423, p = 0.023) and anemia (HR = 0.205, p = 0.002) were independent negative predictors of complete clinical response following antileishmanial treatment initiation. CONCLUSIONS: This study reinforces that all patients with VL should be tested for HIV infection, regardless of their clinical picture. This practice would allow early recognition of coinfection with initiation of antiretroviral therapy and, possibly, reduction in treatment failure.

Slow clinical improvement after treatment initiation in Leishmania/HIV coinfected patients / Melhora clínica após o início do tratamento em pacientes portadores de co-infecção Leishmania/HIV

INTRODUCTION: In Brazil there is a large area of overlap of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and HIV infection, which favored a increased incidence of coinfection Leishmania/HIV. METHODS: This study evaluated 65 consecutive patients with VL and their clinical response to treatment in two health care settings in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. RESULTS: At baseline, the clinical picture was similar between both groups, although diarrhea and peripheral lymphadenomegaly were more frequent in HIV-infected subjects. HIV-positive patients had lower median blood lymphocyte counts (686/mm³ versus 948/mm³p = 0.004) and lower values of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (48IU/L versus 75.6IU/L p = 0.016) than HIV-negative patients. HIV-positive status (hazard ratio = 0.423, p = 0.023) and anemia (HR = 0.205, p = 0.002) were independent negative predictors of complete clinical response following antileishmanial treatment initiation. CONCLUSIONS: This study reinforces that all patients with VL should be tested for HIV infection, regardless of their clinical picture. This practice would allow early recognition of coinfection with initiation of antiretroviral therapy and, possibly, reduction in treatment failure.

INTRODUÇÃO: No Brasil, há uma grande área de sobreposição de leishmaniose visceral (LV) e infecção pelo HIV, o que favoreceu o aumento da incidência de co-infecção Leishmania/HIV. MÉTODOS: Este estudo avaliou a resposta clínica ao tratamento de 65 pacientes em dois centros de referência de saúde em Belo Horizonte, Brasil. RESULTADOS: O quadro clínico inicial foi semelhante entre os dois grupos, exceto pela maior frequência de diarréia e linfadenomegalia periférica em indivíduos infectados pelo HIV. Pacientes HIV-positivos apresentaram menor contagem de linfócitos no sangue (686/mm³versus 948/mm³p = 0,004) e menores valores de alanina aminotransferase (ALT) (48UI/L versus75,6UI/Lp = 0,016) do que pacientes HIV-negativos. Infecção pelo HIV-1 (hazard ratio-HR= 0,423, p = 0,023) e anemia (HR = 0,205, p = 0,002) foram preditores independentes de resposta clínica incompleta após o início do tratamento leishmanicida. CONCLUSÕES: Este estudo reforça a indicação de testagem para HIV em todos os pacientes diagnosticados com LV. O procedimento permitiria o reconhecimento precoce da co-infecção, levando à adequação do manejo clínico e o início da terapia antirretroviral, aumentando as chances de sucesso terapêutico.

Performance, revision, and extension of the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system's risk index in Brazilian hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the benefit of using procedure-specific alternative cutoff points for National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) risk index variables and of extending surgical site infection (SSI) risk prediction models with a postdischarge surveillance indicator. DESIGN: Open, retrospective, validation cohort study. SETTING: Five private, nonuniversity Brazilian hospitals. PATIENTS: Consecutive inpatients operated on between January 1993 and May 2006 (other operations of the genitourinary system [n = 20,723], integumentary system [n = 12,408], or musculoskeletal system [n = 15,714] and abdominal hysterectomy [n = 11,847]). METHODS: For each procedure category, development and validation samples were defined nonrandomly. In the development samples, alternative SSI prognostic scores were constructed using logistic regression: (i) alternative NNIS scores used NNIS risk index covariates and cutoff points but locally derived SSI risk strata and rates, (ii) revised scores used procedure-specific alternative cutoff points, and (iii) extended scores expanded revised scores with a postdischarge surveillance indicator. Performances were compared in the validation samples using calibration, discrimination, and overall performance measures. RESULTS: The NNIS risk index showed low discrimination, inadequate calibration, and predictions with high variability. The most consistent advantage of alternative NNIS scores was regarding calibration (prevalence and dispersion components). Revised scores performed slightly better than the NNIS risk index for most procedures and measures, mainly in calibration. Extended scores clearly performed better than the NNIS risk index, irrespective of the measure or operative procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Locally derived SSI risk strata and rates improved the NNIS risk index's calibration. Alternative cutoff points further improved the specification of the intrinsic SSI risk component. Controlling for incomplete postdischarge SSI surveillance provided consistently more accurate SSI risk adjustment.

Resistance-associated mutation prevalence according to subtypes B and non-B of HIV type 1 in antiretroviral-experienced patients in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The emergence of resistance-associated mutations to the antiretroviral agents and the genetic variability of HIV-1 impose challenges to therapeutic success. We report the results of genotype testing assays performed between 2002 and 2006 in 240 antiretroviral-experienced patients followed up in an HIV reference center in Brazil. Drug resistance mutations and viral subtypes were assessed through the algorithms from the Brazilian Genotyping Network (RENAGENO-Brazil) and from Stanford University. Mutation 184VI was the most prevalent (70%) and the thymidine analogue mutations that appeared most frequently were 215FY, 41L, 67N, and 210W, in this order. Among nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor mutations, 103NS (32.5%) stood out. HIV subtype B was identified in 184 patients (76.7%). A significant increasing trend in the prevalence of non-B subtypes was observed during the study period (p=0.004). The main differences in prevalence of mutations among HIV-1 subtypes were related to viral protease, with 20MRI, 36I, and 89IMT more prevalent among non-B subtypes, and 84V, 10FR, 63P, 71LTV, and 77I more common in subtype B (p<0.05). Most mutations to etravirine had a prevalence lower than 10%, but at least one mutation to this drug was observed in 45% of the patients. In only 11 patients (4.6%) three mutations to etravirine were verified. Regional surveillance of the resistance profile and HIV-1 subtypes is crucial in the context of public health, to prevent the transmission of resistant strains and to guide the introduction of new drugs in a specific population.

Accounting for incomplete postdischarge follow-up during surveillance of surgical site infection by use of the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system's risk index.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the usefulness of a simple method to account for incomplete postdischarge follow-up during surveillance of surgical site infection (SSI) by use of the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system's risk index. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study that used data prospectively collected from 1993 through 2006. SETTING: Five private, nonuniversity healthcare facilities in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. PATIENTS: Consecutive patients undergoing the following NNIS operative procedures: 20,981 operations on the genitourinary system, 11,930 abdominal hysterectomies, 7,696 herniorraphies, 6,002 cholecystectomies, and 6,892 laparotomies. METHODS: For each operative procedure category, 2 SSI risk models were specified. First, a model based on the NNIS system's risk index variables was specified (hereafter referred to as the NNIS-based model). Second, a modified model (hereafter referred to as the modified NNIS-based model), which was also based on the NNIS system's risk index, was specified with a postdischarge surveillance indicator, which was assigned the value of 1 if the patient could be reached during follow-up and a value of 0 if the patient could not be reached. A formal comparison of the capabilities of the 2 models to assess the risk of SSI was conducted using measures of calibration (by use of the Pearson goodness-of-fit test) and discrimination (by use of receiver operating characteristic curves). Goodman-Kruskal correlations (G) were also calculated. RESULTS: The rate of incomplete postdischarge follow-up varied between 29.8% for abdominal hysterectomies and 50.5% for cholecystectomies. The modified NNIS-based model for laparotomy did not show any significant benefit over the NNIS-based model in any measure. For all other operative procedures, the modified NNIS-based model showed a significantly improved discriminatory ability and higher G statistics, compared with the NNIS-based model, with no significant impairment in calibration, except if used to assess the risk of SSI after operations on the genitourinary system or after a cholecystectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the NNIS-based model, the modified NNIS-based model added potentially useful clinical information regarding most of the operative procedures. Further work is warranted to evaluate this method for accounting for incomplete postdischarge follow-up during surveillance of SSI.

Rates of surgical site infection as a performance measure: Are we ready?

With the introduction of quality assurance in health care delivery, there has been a proliferation of research studies that compare patient outcomes for similar conditions among many health care delivery facilities. Since the 1990s, increasing interest has been placed in the incorporation of clinical adverse events as quality indicators in hospital quality assurance programs. Adverse post-operative events, and very especially surgical site infection (SSI) rates after specific procedures, gained popularity as hospital quality indicators in the 1980s. For a SSI rate to be considered a valid indicator of the quality of care, it is essential that a proper adjustment for patient case mix be performed, so that meaningful comparisons of SSI rates can be made among surgeons, institutions, or over time. So far, a significant impediment to developing meaningful hospital-acquired infection rates that can be used for intra- and inter-hospital comparisons has been the lack of an adequate means of adjusting for case mix. This paper discusses what we have learned in the last years regarding risk adjustment of SSI rates for provider performance assessment, and identifies areas in which significant improvement is still needed.

Comparison of the risk of surgical site infection after laparoscopic cholecystectomy and open cholecystectomy.

We assessed the independent contributions of the surgical approach and other variables of the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System (NNIS) surgical patient component to the surgical site infection risk after cholecystectomy. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was associated with a lower overall risk of surgical site infection and a lower risk of incisional infection but not a reduced risk of organ-space infection, compared with open cholecystectomy. The contribution of most of the variables of the NNIS surgical patient component to the risk of surgical site infection depended on the depth of the infection.

Factors influencing the risk of surgical site infection following diagnostic exploration of the abdominal cavity.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the contribution of the surgical approach and the NNIS system's surgical component variables to surgical site infection (SSI) risk after diagnostic exploration of the abdominal cavity. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study with prospective data collection (1993-2006) in five private, non-universitary, secondary or tertiary healthcare facilities. Outcome variable was SSI development within 30 days after surgery. Explanatory variables were age, gender, surgical approach (laparoscopic/open), elective/emergency/trauma procedure, hospital, surgeon, year, additional procedures, wound class, operation duration and ASA-PS score. RESULTS: Consecutive in-patients (6761) were included. Mean age was 38.1 (+/-14.1) years and 87.3% were female; 68% procedures were laparoscopic. Postdischarge follow-up was obtained for 57.7% patients. Patients operated on laparoscopically had reduced adjusted overall risk of SSI (OR=0.40, 95% CI=0.28-0.56), incisional infection (OR=0.43, 95% CI=0.29-0.62) and organ/space infection (OR=0.19, 95% CI=0.07-0.49). Older age, longer procedures, emergency or trauma procedures, medium- or high-risk surgeons and year

C-reactive protein-guided approach may shorten length of antimicrobial treatment of culture-proven late-onset sepsis: an intervention study.

Late-onset sepsis (LOS) (i.e., sepsis in a neonate after 72 hours of life) is associated with high mortality and significantly prolonged antibiotic exposure and hospital stay in neonates admitted to intensive care units (ICU). In this study, we assessed the reliability of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) as a determinant of antimicrobial treatment duration of LOS. From January 1996 to December 2002, all consecutive infants aged <28 days admitted to a single medical-surgical ICU and diagnosed with primary LOS were enrolled in a prospective, intervention trial with historical controls. Only blood culture-positive LOSs were included. Exclusion criteria were: age >28 days at diagnosis of LOS, development of site-specific infection, and central venous catheter-related LOS. From January 1996 to July 1998 (historical control group), antimicrobial treatment of LOS was offered for at least 14 days. From August 1998 to December 2002 (intervention group), neonates underwent serial semiquantitative measurements of serum CRP, and antimicrobial treatment was discontinued when CRP was <12 mg/L. Primary efficacy endpoint was the duration of antimicrobial therapy. Secondary efficacy endpoints were the proportion of relapsing sepsis within 72 hours of antibiotic withdrawal and the overall mortality rate. The historical control group comprised 76 neonates developing 85 episodes of LOS; 138 LOS occurring in 120 patients comprised the intervention group. Length of antimicrobial treatment of LOS was significantly shorter during the second study period (16 days vs. 9 days, p<0.001). Secondary efficacy endpoints showed similar rates of relapsing sepsis and overall mortality in both time periods.

A 10-year prospective surveillance of nosocomial infections in neonatal intensive care units.

BACKGROUND: We report on nosocomial infections (NIs), causative organisms, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in neonates who were admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), and assess the performance of birth weight (BW) as a variable for risk-stratified NI rate reporting. METHODS: A prospective, 10-year follow-up, open cohort study that involved six Brazilian NICUs was conducted. The NI incidence rates were calculated using different denominators. RESULTS: Six thousand two hundred forty-three newborns and 450 NICU-months of data were available for analysis. This included 3603 NIs that occurred in 2286 newborns over 121,008 patient-days. The most frequent NIs were primary bloodstream infection (pBSI; 45.9%), conjunctivitis (12.1%), skin infections (9.6%), and pneumonia (6.8%). Only the pBSI (but not pneumonia or central venous catheter-related pBSI) rate distribution differed significantly with varying BW. Gram-negative rods (mainly Klebsiella sp. and Escherichia coli) were responsible for 51.6% episodes of pBSI. Gram-positive organisms (mainly coagulase-positive staphylococci) accounted for 37.4%. Candida sp. was the fourth isolated organism. A high resistance to third-generation cephalosporins was recorded in K pneumoniae and E coli isolates. CONCLUSIONS: This report highlights the burden of NI, and identifies the major focus for future NI control and prevention programs. Except for pBSI, BW had a poor performance as a variable for risk-stratified NI rate reporting.

C-reactive protein-guided approach may shorten length of antimicrobial treatment of culture-proven late-onset sepsis: an intervention study

Late-onset sepsis (LOS) (i.e., sepsis in a neonate after 72 hours of life) is associated with high mortality and significantly prolonged antibiotic exposure and hospital stay in neonates admitted to intensive care units (ICU). In this study, we assessed the reliability of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) as a determinant of antimicrobial treatment duration of LOS. From January 1996 to December 2002, all consecutive infants aged <28 days admitted to a single medical-surgical ICU and diagnosed with primary LOS were enrolled in a prospective, intervention trial with historical controls. Only blood culture-positive LOSs were included. Exclusion criteria were: age >28 days at diagnosis of LOS, development of site-specific infection, and central venous catheter-related LOS. From January 1996 to July 1998 (historical control group), antimicrobial treatment of LOS was offered for at least 14 days. From August 1998 to December 2002 (intervention group), neonates underwent serial semiquantitative measurements of serum CRP, and antimicrobial treatment was discontinued when CRP was <12 mg/L. Primary efficacy endpoint was the duration of antimicrobial therapy. Secondary efficacy endpoints were the proportion of relapsing sepsis within 72 hours of antibiotic withdrawal and the overall mortality rate. The historical control group comprised 76 neonates developing 85 episodes of LOS; 138 LOS occurring in 120 patients comprised the intervention group. Length of antimicrobial treatment of LOS was significantly shorter during the second study period (16 days vs. 9 days, p<0.001). Secondary efficacy endpoints showed similar rates of relapsing sepsis and overall mortality in both time periods.