Optimal Definition of Pancreaticoduodenectomy in the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Procedure Coding System.

BACKGROUND: The implementation of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS) has created difficulty in identifying certain procedures, including pancreaticoduodenectomy. We sought to evaluate which combinations of ICD-10-PCS codes best identify pancreaticoduodenectomy. STUDY DESIGN: We used 2017-2018 Medicare data to identify acute care hospitalization claims of beneficiaries with both ICD-10-PCS and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes available. We developed 12 candidate ICD-10-PCS definitions of pancreaticoduodenectomy and evaluated their test characteristics in identifying hospitalizations involving CPT codes 48150, 48152, 48153, 48154, or 48155 as the criterion standard. We selected one candidate definition with the best balance of test characteristics, then performed decision tree analysis and evaluated the conditional marginal sensitivity and positive predictive value of each individual code to understand which were most informative. RESULTS: Among 964,613 hospitalization claims from 4648 hospitals, 385 claims from 217 hospitals involved a CPT code for pancreaticoduodenectomy. The ICD-10-PCS definition with the best balance had a sensitivity of 92.2% (95% CI: 89.2%-94.4%), specificity of 99.9977% (95% CI: 99.9961%-99.9984%), positive predictive value of 93.7% (95% CI: 90.3%-95.9%), and negative predictive value of 99.9969% (95% CI: 99.9955%-99.9978%). The most informative procedure codes involved open nondiagnostic excision or resection of the duodenum (0DB90ZZ and 0DT90ZZ) and pancreas (0FBG0ZZ and 0FTG0ZZ). CONCLUSION: An ICD-10-PCS definition of pancreaticoduodenectomy using codes for (1) open or percutaneous endoscopic excision or resection of the pancreas and (2) similar codes for the duodenum, consistent with coding guidelines, has satisfactory test characteristics. We suggest researchers consider such characteristics in defining pancreaticoduodenectomy using ICD-10-PCS.

Poor utilization of palliative care among Medicare patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) experience high annual mortality and would benefit from timely palliative care intervention. We sought to better characterize use of palliative care among patients with CLTI in the Medicare population. METHODS: Using Medicare data from 2017 to 2018, we identified patients with CLTI, defined as two or more encounters with a CLTI diagnosis code. Palliative care evaluations were identified using ICD-10-CM Z51.5 "Encounter for palliative care." Time intervals between CLTI diagnosis, palliative consultation, and death or end of follow-up were calculated. Associations between patient demographics, comorbidities, and palliative care consultation were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 12,133 Medicare enrollees with complete data were categorized as having CLTI. Of these, 7.4% (894) underwent a palliative care evaluation at a median of 170 days (interquartile range, 45-352 days) from their CLTI diagnosis. Compared with those who did not undergo evaluation, palliative patients were more likely to be dual eligible for Medicaid (45.2% vs 38.1%; P < .001) and had more comorbid conditions (P < .001). After controlling for gender and race, age (odds ratio [OR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.04), dual eligibility (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.22-1.62), solid organ malignancy (OR, 2.82; 95% CI, 1.92-4.14), hematologic malignancy (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.27-3.98), congestive heart failure (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.15-1.88), complicated diabetes (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.11-1.65), dementia (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.04-1.66), and severe renal failure (OR, 1.56; 85% CI. 1.24-1.98) were independently associated with palliative care evaluation. During mean follow up of 410 ± 220 days, 16.9% (2044) of patients died at a mean of 268 (±189) days after their CLTI diagnosis. Among living patients, only 3.2% (325) underwent palliative evaluation. Comparatively, 27.8% (569) of patients who died received palliative care at a median of 196 days (interquartile range, 55-362 days) after their diagnosis and 15 days (interquartile range, 5-63 days) prior to death. CONCLUSIONS: Despite high mortality, palliative care services were rarely provided to Medicare patients with CLTI. Age, medical complexity, and income status may play a role in the decision to consult palliative care. When obtained, evaluations occurred closer to time of death than to time of CLTI diagnosis, suggesting misuse of palliative care as end-of-life care.

Updated estimates for the burden of chronic limb-threatening ischemia in the Medicare population.

OBJECTIVE: Estimates of chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) based on diagnosis codes of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) suggest a prevalence of 0.23%-0.32% and incidence of 0.20%-0.26% among Medicare patients. ICD-10-CM includes 144 CLTI diagnosis codes, allowing improved specificity in identifying affected patients. We sought to use ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes to determine the prevalence of CLTI among Medicare patients and describe the patient cohort affected by this condition. METHODS: Using two years of data from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, we identified all patients that had at least one CLTI diagnosis code to determine prevalence and incidence rates. Sensitivity analyses were performed to compare our methodology to prior publications and quantify the extent of missed diagnoses. The number and type of vascular procedures that occurred after diagnosis were tabulated. A cohort of patients with two or more CLTI diagnosis codes were then identified for further descriptive analysis. Associations between patient demographics and survival were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Over 65 million patients were enrolled in Medicare in 2017 to 2018. Of these, 480,227 had diagnosis of CLTI, with a corresponding to a 1-year incidence of 0.33% and a 2-year prevalence of 0.74%. Patients underwent an average of 43.6 vascular procedures per 100 person-years. Sensitivity analyses identified 89,805 additional patients that had a diagnosis code of peripheral arterial disease who underwent revascularization or amputation. Patients with CLTI were predominantly male (56.2%), white (76.4%), and qualified for Medicare due to age (64.0%). Thirty-seven percent were dual-eligible. One-year survival was 77.7%, significantly lower than estimated actuarial survival adjusted for age, sex, and race (95.1%; P < .001). Cox proportional hazards models demonstrate significantly increased mortality for men vs women (hazard ratio, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.10; P < .001), but no association between race and overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.98-1.01; P = .83). CONCLUSIONS: Using ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes, we demonstrated slightly higher incidence and prevalence of CLTI than in published literature, reflecting our more complete methodology. Sensitivity analyses suggest that increased complexity of the highly specific ICD-10-CM coding may diminish capture of CLTI. Inclusion of patients with non-CLTI peripheral arterial disease diagnoses produces moderate increases in incidence and prevalence at the cost of decreased specificity in identifying patients with CLTI. Medicare patients with CLTI are older, and more commonly male, black, and dual eligible compared with the general Medicare population. Observed mid-term survival for patients with CLTI is significantly lower than actuarial estimates, confirming the importance of focused efforts on identifying and aligning goals of care in this complex patient population.

A Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator-Derived Predictive Model for Postoperative Respiratory Failure in a Heterogeneous Adult Elective Surgery Patient Population.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative respiratory failure (PRF) is associated with increased hospital charges and worse patient outcomes. Reliable prediction models can help to guide postoperative planning to optimize care, to guide resource allocation, and to foster shared decision-making with patients. RESEARCH QUESTION: Can a predictive model be developed to accurately identify patients at high risk of PRF? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In this single-site proof-of-concept study, we used structured query language to extract, transform, and load electronic health record data from 23,999 consecutive adult patients admitted for elective surgery (2014-2021). Our primary outcome was PRF, defined as mechanical ventilation after surgery of > 48 h. Predictors of interest included demographics, comorbidities, and intraoperative factors. We used logistic regression to build a predictive model and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator procedure to select variables and to estimate model coefficients. We evaluated model performance using optimism-corrected area under the receiver operating curve and area under the precision-recall curve and calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and Brier scores. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-five patients (0.94%) demonstrated PRF. The 18-variable predictive model included: operations on the cardiovascular, nervous, digestive, urinary, or musculoskeletal system; surgical specialty orthopedic (nonspine); Medicare or Medicaid (as the primary payer); race unknown; American Society of Anesthesiologists class ≥ III; BMI of 30 to 34.9 kg/m2; anesthesia duration (per hour); net fluid at end of the operation (per liter); median intraoperative FIO2, end title CO2, heart rate, and tidal volume; and intraoperative vasopressor medications. The optimism-corrected area under the receiver operating curve was 0.835 (95% CI,0.808-0.862) and the area under the precision-recall curve was 0.156 (95% CI, 0.105-0.203). INTERPRETATION: This single-center proof-of-concept study demonstrated that a structured query language extract, transform, and load process, based on readily available patient and intraoperative variables, can be used to develop a prediction model for PRF. This PRF prediction model is scalable for multicenter research. Clinical applications include decision support to guide postoperative level of care admission and treatment decisions.

Outcomes and risk factors for delayed-onset postoperative respiratory failure: a multi-center case-control study by the University of California Critical Care Research Collaborative (UC3RC).

BACKGROUND: Few interventions are known to reduce the incidence of respiratory failure that occurs following elective surgery (postoperative respiratory failure; PRF). We previously reported risk factors associated with PRF that occurs within the first 5 days after elective surgery (early PRF; E-PRF); however, PRF that occurs six or more days after elective surgery (late PRF; L-PRF) likely represents a different entity. We hypothesized that L-PRF would be associated with worse outcomes and different risk factors than E-PRF. METHODS: This was a retrospective matched case-control study of 59,073 consecutive adult patients admitted for elective non-cardiac and non-pulmonary surgical procedures at one of five University of California academic medical centers between October 2012 and September 2015. We identified patients with L-PRF, confirmed by surgeon and intensivist subject matter expert review, and matched them 1:1 to patients who did not develop PRF (No-PRF) based on hospital, age, and surgical procedure. We then analyzed risk factors and outcomes associated with L-PRF compared to E-PRF and No-PRF. RESULTS: Among 95 patients with L-PRF, 50.5% were female, 71.6% white, 27.4% Hispanic, and 53.7% Medicare recipients; the median age was 63 years (IQR 56, 70). Compared to 95 matched patients with No-PRF and 319 patients who developed E-PRF, L-PRF was associated with higher morbidity and mortality, longer hospital and intensive care unit length of stay, and increased costs. Compared to No-PRF, factors associated with L-PRF included: preexisiting neurologic disease (OR 4.36, 95% CI 1.81-10.46), anesthesia duration per hour (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.04-1.44), and maximum intraoperative peak inspiratory pressure per cm H20 (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.06-1.22). CONCLUSIONS: We identified that pre-existing neurologic disease, longer duration of anesthesia, and greater maximum intraoperative peak inspiratory pressures were associated with respiratory failure that developed six or more days after elective surgery in adult patients (L-PRF). Interventions targeting these factors may be worthy of future evaluation.

Patient and clinician perceptions of the trauma and acute care surgery hospitalization discharge transition of care: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: Trauma and acute care surgery (TACS) patients face complex barriers associated with hospitalization discharge that hinder successful recovery. We sought to better understand the challenges in the discharge transition of care, which might suggest interventions that would optimize it. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study of patient and clinician perceptions about the hospital discharge process at an urban level 1 trauma center. We performed semi-structured interviews that we recorded, transcribed, coded both deductively and inductively, and analyzed thematically. We enrolled patients and clinicians until we achieved data saturation. RESULTS: We interviewed 10 patients and 10 clinicians. Most patients (70%) were male, and the mean age was 57±16 years. Clinicians included attending surgeons, residents, nurse practitioners, nurses, and case managers. Three themes emerged. (1) Communication (patient-clinician and clinician-clinician): clinicians understood that the discharge process malfunctions when communication with patients is not clear. Many patients discussed confusion about their discharge plan. Clinicians lamented that poorly written discharge summaries are an inadequate means of communication between inpatient and outpatient clinicians. (2) Discharge teaching and written instructions: patients appreciated discharge teaching but found written discharge instructions to be overwhelming and unhelpful. Clinicians preferred spending more time teaching patients and understood that written instructions contain too much jargon. (3) Outpatient care coordination: patients and clinicians identified difficulties with coordinating ongoing outpatient care. Both identified the patient's primary care physician and insurance coverage as important determinants of the outpatient experience. CONCLUSION: TACS patients face numerous challenges at hospitalization discharge. Clinicians struggle to effectively help their patients with this stressful transition. Future interventions should focus on improving communication with patients, active communication with a patient's primary care physician, repurposing, and standardizing the discharge summary to serve primarily as a means of care coordination, and assisting the patient with navigating the transition. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III-descriptive, exploratory study.

Incorporating harms into the weighting of the revised Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Patient Safety for Selected Indicators Composite (Patient Safety Indicator 90).

OBJECTIVE: To reweight the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Patient Safety for Selected Indicators Composite (Patient Safety Indicator [PSI] 90) from weights based solely on the frequency of component PSIs to those that incorporate excess harm reflecting patients' preferences for outcome-related health states. DATA SOURCES: National administrative and claims data involving hospitalizations in nonfederal, nonrehabilitation, acute care hospitals. STUDY DESIGN: We estimated the average excess aggregate harm associated with the occurrence of each component PSI using a cohort sample for each indicator based on denominator-eligible records. We used propensity scores to account for potential confounding in the risk models for each PSI and weighted observations to estimate the "average treatment effect in the treated" for those with the PSI event. We fit separate regression models for each harm outcome. Final PSI weights reflected both the disutilities and the frequencies of the harms. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: We estimated PSI frequencies from the 2012 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases with present on admission data and excess harms using 2012-2013 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Medicare Fee-for-Service data. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Including harms in the weighting scheme changed individual component weights from the original frequency-based weighting. In the reweighted composite, PSIs 11 ("Postoperative Respiratory Failure"), 13 ("Postoperative Sepsis"), and 12 ("Perioperative Pulmonary Embolism or Deep Vein Thrombosis") contributed the greatest harm, with weights of 29.7%, 21.1%, and 20.4%, respectively. Regarding reliability, the overall average hospital signal-to-noise ratio for the reweighted PSI 90 was 0.7015. Regarding discrimination, among hospitals with greater than median volume, 34% had significantly better PSI 90 performance, and 41% had significantly worse performance than benchmark rates (based on percentiles). CONCLUSIONS: Reformulation of PSI 90 with harm-based weights is feasible and results in satisfactory reliability and discrimination, with a more clinically meaningful distribution of component weights.

Injuries Sustained During Incarceration Among Prisoners.

BACKGROUND: The U.S. prison population has increased substantially in recent years, and violent injury is common among prisoners. We sought to describe injury patterns and other characteristics of prisoners who presented to a trauma center after injury. Because penetrating trauma from an improvised weapon (e.g., shank) is frequent, we also sought to compare characteristics and outcomes of prisoners and non-prisoners who sustained an anterior abdominal stab or shank wound (AASW). METHODS: We analyzed injured adult prisoners who presented to a Level 1 trauma center between February, 2011, and April, 2017. We described characteristics of the injured prisoners and their hospitalizations. We compared prisoners who sustained an AASW to a random sample of non-prisoners with the same mechanism of injury using the chi-square test, Student's t-test, and logistic and Poisson regression. RESULTS: Of 14,461 hospitalized injured adults, 299 (2.0%) were injured while incarcerated. 185 (62%) encounters involved interpersonal violence and 36 prisoners (12%) presented with self-inflicted injuries. 98 (33%) had a psychiatric disorder. Among 33 prisoners and 66 non-prisoners who sustained an AASW, prisoners were less likely to have undergone a laparotomy [14/33 (42%) vs 44/66 (67%); RR 0.64 (95% CI 0.41-0.98)] or sustained an injury requiring operative intervention [2/33 (6%) vs 23/66 (35%); RR 0.17 (95% CI 0.04-0.69)]. CONCLUSIONS: Many injured prisoners have psychiatric illness, are involved in interpersonal violence, or harm themselves. Among hospitalized patients, abdominal stab/shank wounds sustained in prison are less likely to result in significant injuries or operative intervention than similar wounds in non-prisoners.

Risk Factors Associated With Early Postoperative Respiratory Failure: A Matched Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative respiratory failure is the most common serious postoperative pulmonary complication, yet little is known about factors that can reduce its incidence. We sought to elucidate modifiable factors associated with respiratory failure that developed within the first 5 d after an elective operation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Matched case-control study of adults who had an operation at five academic medical centers between October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2015. Cases were identified using administrative data and confirmed via chart review by critical care clinicians. Controls were matched 1:1 to cases based on hospital, age, and surgical procedure. RESULTS: Our total sample (n = 638) was 56.4% female, 71.3% white, and had a median age of 62 y (interquartile range 51, 70). Factors associated with early postoperative respiratory failure included male gender (odds ratio [OR] 1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-2.63), American Society of Anesthesiologists class III or greater (OR 2.85, 95% CI 1.74-4.66), greater number of preexisting comorbidities (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.004-1.30), increased operative duration (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.06-1.22), increased intraoperative positive end-expiratory pressure (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.13-1.35) and tidal volume (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.004-1.27), and greater net fluid balance at 24 h (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.07-1.28). CONCLUSIONS: We found greater intraoperative ventilator volume and pressure and 24-h fluid balance to be potentially modifiable factors associated with developing early postoperative respiratory failure. Further studies are warranted to independently verify these risk factors, explore their role in development of early postoperative respiratory failure, and potentially evaluate targeted interventions.

Do the 2018 Leapfrog Group Minimal Hospital and Surgeon Volume Thresholds for Esophagectomy Favor Specific Patient Demographics?

OBJECTIVE: We examine how esophagectomy volume thresholds reflect outcomes relative to patient characteristics. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Esophagectomy outcomes are associated with surgeon and hospital operative volumes, leading the Leapfrog Group to recommend minimum annual volume thresholds of 7 and 20 respectively. METHODS: Patients undergoing esophagectomy for cancer were identified from the 2007-2013 New York and Florida Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's State Inpatient Databases. Logit models adjusted for patient characteristics evaluated in-hospital mortality, complications, and prolonged length of stay (PLOS). Median surgeon and hospital volumes were compared between young-healthy (age 18-57, Elixhauser Comorbidity Index [ECI] <2) and older-sick patients (age ≥71, ECI >4). RESULTS: Of 4330 esophagectomy patients, 3515 (81%) were male, median age was 64 (interquartile range 58-71), and mortality was 4.0%. Patients treated by both low-volume surgeons and hospitals had the greatest mortality risk (5.0%), except in the case of older-sick patients mortality was highest at high-volume hospitals with high-volume surgeons (12%). For mortality <1%, annual hospital and surgeon volumes needed were 23 and 8, respectively; mortality rose to 4.2% when volumes dropped to the Leapfrog thresholds of 20 and 7, respectively. Complication rose from 53% to 63% when hospital and surgeon volumes decreased from 28 and 10 to 19 and 7, respectively. PLOS rose from 19% to 27% when annual hospital and surgeon volumes decreased from 27 and 8 to 20 and 7, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Current Leapfrog Group esophagectomy volume guidelines may not predict optimal outcomes for all patients, especially at extremes of age and comorbidities.

Association of Hospital-Level Intensive Care Unit Use and Outcomes in Older Patients With Isolated Rib Fractures.

Importance: The optimal level of care for older patients with rib fractures as an isolated injury is unknown. Objectives: To characterize interhospital variability in intensive care unit (ICU) vs non-ICU admission of older patients with isolated rib fractures and to evaluate whether greater hospital-level use of ICU admission is associated with improved outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study included trauma patients aged 65 years and older with isolated rib fractures who were admitted to US trauma centers participating in the National Trauma Data Bank between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016. Patients were excluded if they had other significant injuries, were intubated or had assisted respirations in the emergency department (ED), or had a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of less than 9 in the ED. Hospitals with fewer than 10 eligible patients were excluded. Data analysis was conducted from May 2019 through September 2020. Exposures: Admission to the ICU. Main Outcomes and Measures: Composite of unplanned intubation, pneumonia, or death during hospitalization. Results: Among 23 951 patients (11 066 [46.2%] women; mean [SD] age, 77.0 [7.2] years) at 573 hospitals, the median (interquartile range) proportion of ICU use was 16.7% (7.4%-32.0%), but this varied from a low of 0% to a high of 91.9%. The composite outcome occurred in 787 patients (3.3%), with unplanned intubation in 317 (1.3%), pneumonia in 180 (0.8%), and death in 451 (1.9%). Accounting for the hierarchical nature of the data and adjusting for propensity scores reflecting factors associated with ICU admission, receiving care at a hospital with the greatest ICU use (quartile 4), compared with a hospital with the lowest ICU use, was associated with decreased likelihood of the composite outcome (adjusted odds ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.55-0.92). Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, admission location of older patients with isolated rib fractures was variable across hospitals, but hospitalization at a center with greater ICU use was associated with improved outcomes. It may be warranted for hospitals with low ICU use to admit more such patients to an ICU.

Use of Statewide Administrative Data to Assess Clinical Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Therapeutic Anticoagulation for Isolated Calf Vein Thrombosis.

BACKGROUND: Single-center comparative effectiveness studies evaluating outcomes that can occur posthospitalization may become biased if outcomes diagnosed at other facilities are not ascertained. Administrative datasets that link patients' records across facilities may improve outcome ascertainment. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether use of linked administrative data significantly augments thromboembolic outcome ascertainment. RESEARCH DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SUBJECTS: Patients with an acute isolated calf deep vein thrombosis (DVT) diagnosed at 1 Californian center during 2010-2013. MEASURES: Proximal DVT or pulmonary embolism (PE) within 180 days. We ascertained outcomes from linked California hospitalization, emergency department, and ambulatory surgery data and compared this information to outcomes previously identified from review of the center's medical records. RESULTS: Among 384 patients with an isolated calf DVT, 333 could be linked to longitudinal administrative data records. Ten patients had a possible proximal DVT or PE (4 more clearly so) from administrative data; all were unknown from medical record review. Eleven patients with known outcomes from medical record review had no outcome from administrative data. The adjusted odds ratio of proximal DVT or PE with therapeutic anticoagulation attenuated from 0.33 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.12-0.87] using only medical record review to 0.64 (95% CI, 0.29-1.40) using both medical record review and possible outcomes from administrative data. Restricting the outcome to diagnoses clearly involving proximal DVT or PE, the adjusted odds ratio was 0.46 (95% CI, 0.19-1.10). CONCLUSIONS: Use of linked hospital administrative data augmented detection of outcomes but imperfect linkage, nonspecific diagnoses, and documentation/coding errors introduced uncertainty regarding the accuracy of outcome ascertainment.

Penetrating thoracic injury from a bean bag round complicated by development of post-operative empyema.

Bean bag guns were developed as a nonlethal means for law enforcement personnel to subdue individuals. The large surface area and lower velocities of the bean bag round theoretically result in transfer of most of the energy to the skin/subcutaneous tissue and minimize the likelihood of dermal penetration, thereby 'stunning' intended victims without causing injury to deeper structures. However, this technology has been associated with significant intra-abdominal and intrathoracic injuries, skin penetration and death. We present a 59-year-old man who sustained a penetrating thoracic injury from a bean bag gun. Although the bean bag was successfully removed, the patient developed a postoperative empyema requiring operative management. We discuss the unique aspects of thoracic trauma from bean bag ballistics as well as considerations in management of patients with this uncommon mechanism of injury.

Clamping trials prior to thoracostomy tube removal and the need for subsequent invasive pleural drainage.

BACKGROUND: There is little evidence supporting or refuting clamping trials, a period of clamping thoracostomy tubes prior to removal. We sought to evaluate whether clamping trials reduce the need for subsequent pleural drainage procedures. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of trauma patients who underwent tube thoracostomy during 2009-2015. We compared patients who underwent clamping trials to those who did not, adjusting for confounders. The primary outcome was subsequent ipsilateral pleural drainage within 30 days. RESULTS: We evaluated 214 clamping trial and 285 control patients. Only two of 214 patients failed their clamping trial and none developed a tension pneumothorax [0.0% (95% CI 0.0-1.7%)]. Clamping trials were associated with fewer pleural drainage procedures [13 (6%) vs. 33 (12%); adjusted OR 0.41 (95% CI 0.20-0.84)]. CONCLUSIONS: A clamping trial prior to thoracostomy tube removal seems to be safe and was associated with less likelihood of a subsequent pleural drainage procedure.

Hospital-level intensive care unit admission for patients with isolated blunt abdominal solid organ injury.

BACKGROUND: The optimal level of care for hemodynamically stable patients with isolated blunt hepatic, renal, or splenic injuries (solid organ injuries [SOIs]) is unknown. We sought to characterize interhospital variability in intensive care unit (ICU) admission of such patients and to determine whether greater hospital-level ICU use would be associated with improved outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the 2015 and 2016 National Trauma Data Bank. We included adult patients with blunt trauma with SOIs with an Abbreviated Injury Scale score of 2 to 4. We excluded patients with other significant injuries, hypotension, or another indication for ICU admission, and hospitals with less than 10 eligible patients. We categorized hospitals into quartiles based on the proportion of eligible patients admitted to an ICU. The primary outcome was a composite of organ failure (cardiac arrest, acute lung injury/acute respiratory failure, or acute kidney injury), infection (sepsis, pneumonia, or catheter-related blood stream infection), or death during hospitalization. RESULTS: Among 14,312 patients at 444 facilities, 7,225 (50%), 5,050 (35%), and 3,499 (24%) had splenic, hepatic, and renal injuries, respectively. The median proportion of ICU use was 44% (interquartile range, 27-59%, range 0-95%). The composite outcome occurred in 180 patients (1.3%), with death in 76 (0.5%), organ failure in 97 (0.7%), and infection in 53 (0.4%). Relative to hospitals with the lowest ICU use (quartile 1), greater hospital-level ICU use was not associated with decreased likelihood of the composite outcome (adjusted odds ratios, 1.31; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.88-1.95; 0.81; 95% CI, 0.52-1.26; and 0.94; 95% CI, 0.62-1.43 for quartiles 2-4, respectively) or its components. Unplanned ICU transfer was no more likely with lower hospital-level ICU use. CONCLUSION: Admission location of stable patients with isolated mild to moderate abdominal SOIs is variable across hospitals, but hospitalization at a facility with greater ICU use is not associated with substantially improved outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/care management, Level IV.

Evolving Strategies to Manage Clostridium difficile Colitis.

Clostridium difficile infection remains a common nosocomial illness with a significant impact on health care delivery. As molecular phenotyping of this organism has changed our understanding of its transmission and virulence, so too have diagnostic methods and treatment strategies evolved in recent years. The burden of this infection falls predominantly on elderly patients with comorbidities who have recently received antibiotics. Oral or enteral vancomycin is now preferred for first-line antimicrobial treatment across the disease spectrum, including mild-moderate initial cases. Fidaxomicin (a novel macrolide antibiotic), bezlotoxumab (a monoclonal antibody against toxin TcdB), and fecal microbiota transplantation expand the therapeutic armamentarium, particularly for recurrent infection. Operative treatment should be reserved for patients with fulminant infection, and early identification of patients who would benefit from an operation remains a challenge. Less invasive surgical options-such as laparoscopic diverting ileostomy with colonic irrigation-may improve survival and other outcomes relative to total abdominal colectomy and represent an attractive alternative particularly for frail patients.

Does one size fit all? An evaluation of the 2018 Leapfrog Group minimal hospital and surgeon volume thresholds for lung surgery.

BACKGROUND: In 2018, the Leapfrog Group set minimum annual lung cancer surgery hospital and surgeon volume thresholds of 40 and 15, respectively. We examined whether outcomes associated with these Leapfrog Group volume thresholds are comparable for patients at the extremes of age and comorbidities. METHODS: We assessed lung cancer patients undergoing lobectomy or pneumonectomy in the New York and Florida State Inpatient Databases for 2007 to 2013. Multivariate logit models evaluated in-hospital mortality, complications, and prolonged length of stay. Median surgeon and hospital volumes were compared between "younger-healthier" (age 18-60 years, Elixhauser Comorbidity Index <1) and "older-sicker" patients (age >77 years, Elixhauser Comorbidity Index >3). RESULTS: The 27,841 patients included 13,277 men (48%). The median patient age was 69 years (interquartile range, 61-77), and mortality was 2.1%. Patients treated by both low-volume surgeons (<15 annual cases) and at low-volume hospitals (<40) had the greatest risk of mortality (2.5%), except for the cohort of younger-healthier patients (mortality <2%). Mortality for older-sicker patients was highest for high-volume surgeons (12%), although higher hospital volume was protective. Increasing hospital volume was associated with decreased mortality (odds ratio [OR], 0.997; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.995-0.998; P = .0103), complications (OR, 0.998; 95% CI, 0.997-0.999; P < .001), and prolonged length of stay (OR, 0.998; 95% CI, 0.997-1.00; P = .01); similarly, higher surgeon volume was associated with decreased mortality (OR, 0.997; 95% CI, 0.99-1.00; P = .03), complications (OR, 0.997; 95% CI, 0.994-1.00; P = .02), and prolonged length of stay (OR, 0.991; 95% CI, 0.986-0.995; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Hospital volume has a greater effect on morbidity and mortality than surgeon volume especially for older-sicker patients, suggesting that Leapfrog Group volume guidelines should emphasize hospital volume over surgeon volume and may be less relevant for younger-healthier patients.

Postoperative respiratory failure: An update on the validity of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Patient Safety Indicator 11 in an era of clinical documentation improvement programs.

BACKGROUND: Administrative data can be used to identify cases of postoperative respiratory failure (PRF). We aimed to determine if recent changes to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Patient Safety Indicator 11 (PSI 11) and adoption of clinical documentation improvement programs have improved the validity of PSI 11. We also analyzed reasons why PSI 11 was falsely triggered. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of all eligible discharges using health record data from five academic medical centers between October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2015. RESULTS: Of 437 flagged records, 434 (99.3%) were accurately coded and 414 (94.7%) represented true clinical PRF. None of the false positive records involved respiratory failure present on admission. Most (78.3%) false positive records required airway protection but did not have respiratory failure. CONCLUSION: The validity of PSI 11 has improved with recent changes to the code criterion and adoption of clinical documentation improvement programs.