Outcomes of 4-factor Prothrombin Complex Concentrate in Patients With Liver Disease and Nonvitamin K Antagonist-Related Coagulopathy: A Retrospective Study.

The administration of 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate (4F-PCC) has expanded beyond its Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved indication for the emergent reversal of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the risks and benefits associated with the expanded use of 4F-PCC. We conducted a single-center retrospective review of 4F-PCC administrations at our university hospital. Of the 159 patients who received 4F-PCC, 76% (n = 121) and 24% (n = 38) received it for the FDA-approved indication in the vitamin K-related coagulopathy (VKA) group and for expanded use in the nonvitamin K-related coagulopathy (nVKA) group, respectively. The expanded use of 4F-PCC was associated with a less robust reduction in the international normalized ratio (INR) (INR of -0.7 ± 1.3 vs INR of -1.6 ± 1.8, P = .002), and fewer patients in the nVKA group achieved a postadministration INR of less than1.5 (11% vs 79%, P = .001) than those in the VKA group. Furthermore, the 30-day mortality rate was significantly higher in the nVKA cohort than in the VKA cohort (42% vs 20%, P = .04). Notably, based on our data, underlying differences in the patient's comorbidities, particularly advanced liver disease, may have contributed to the observed outcome variations, including mortality rate. Therefore, factors, including comorbidities and the underlying etiology of coagulopathy, should be considered when deciding on the expanded use of 4F-PCC. Further research is needed to better understand the potential risks and benefits of 4F-PCC in expanded use scenarios, and the clinical decision to use 4F-PCC outside its FDA-approved indication should be made carefully, considering this information.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Fulminant Clostridioides Difficile Infection: A Combined Medical and Surgical Case Series.

INTRODUCTION: Urgent abdominal colectomy is indicated for patients with fulminant Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) when other medical therapies fail, yet mortality remains high. Fecal microbiota transplant is a less invasive alternative approach for patients with fulminant CDI. We report the 30-day complications of patients with fulminant CDI who underwent either abdominal colectomy, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), or FMT followed by abdominal colectomy (FMT-CO). Methods: We performed a single-center, retrospective case review of combined medical and surgical patients with CDI at a large academic medical center between 2008 and 2016. Cohorts were identified as patients with fulminant CDI who underwent total abdominal colectomy alone (CO), FMT alone (FMT), or FMT-CO. We analyzed patient demographics, history, comorbidities, clinical and laboratory variables, CDI severity scores, and mortality outcomes at 30 days. Results: We identified 5,150 patients with CDI at our center during the review period; 16 patients met the criteria for fulminant CDI and were included in this study, with four patients in the CO cohort, eight patients in the FMT cohort, and four patients in the FMT-CO cohort. Demographics and CDI severity scores were similar for all three groups, although the selected comorbidity profiles differed significantly among the three cohorts. The 30-day mortality rates for patients in the CO, FMT, and FMT-CO groups were 25%, 12.5%, and 25%, respectively. Conclusions: FMT is an alternative or adjunctive therapy to colectomy for patients with fulminant CDI that is not associated with increased mortality. Implementation of FMT protocols in clinical practice would be dependent on the availability of qualified transplant material and successful early identification of patients likely to benefit from FMT.

A laparoscopic approach to address massive splenomegaly, symptomatic cholelithiasis, and a planned postoperative pregnancy: A case report.

We report long-term follow-up of a patient who underwent a tailored laparoscopic procedure for symptomatic cholelithiasis, massive splenomegaly, and a planned pregnancy. There were no complications, and the patient remained symptom-free at the 5-year follow-up. We supplemented our case report with national surgical data demonstrating the safety of laparoscopic splenectomy.

Risk of hospital admission related to scooter trauma injuries: a national emergency room database study.

BACKGROUND: We investigated key risk factors for hospital admission related to powered scooters, which are modes of transportation with increasing accessibility across the United States (US). METHODS: We queried the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) for injuries related to powered scooters, obtaining US population projections of injuries and hospital admissions. We determined mechanism of injury, characterized injury types, and performed multivariate regression analyses to determine factors associated with hospital admission. RESULTS: One thousand one hundred ninety-one patients sustained electric-motorized scooter (e-scooter) injuries and 10.9% (131) required hospitalization from 2013 to 2018. This extrapolated to a US annual total of 862 (95% CI:745-979) scooter injuries requiring hospitalization, with estimated annual mortality of 6.7 patients per year (95% CI:4.8-8.5). The incidence of hospital admissions increased by an average of 13.1% each year of the study period. Fall (79 [60%]) and motor vehicle collision (33 [25%]) were the most common mechanism. Injury locations included head (44 [34%]), lower extremity (22 [17%]), and lower trunk (16 [12%]). On multivariable analysis, significant factors associated with admission included increased age (OR 1.02, 95% CI:1.01-1.02), torso injuries (OR 6.19, 2.93-13.10), concussion (25.45, 5.88-110.18), fractures (21.98, 7.13-67.66), musculoskeletal injury (6.65, 1.20-36.99), and collision with vehicle (3.343, 2.009-5.562). Scooter speed, seasonality, and gender were not associated with risk of hospitalization. CONCLUSION: Our findings show increased hospital admissions and mortality from powered scooter trauma, with fall and motor vehicle collisions as the most common mechanisms resulting in hospitalization. This calls for improved rider safety measures and regulation surrounding vehicular collision scenarios.

Massive blood transfusion following older adult trauma: The effect of blood ratios on mortality.

BACKGROUND: Massive blood transfusion (MBT) following older adult trauma poses unique challenges. Despite extensive evidence on optimal resuscitative strategies in the younger adult patients, there is limited research in the older adult population. METHODS: We used the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) database from 2013 to 2017 to identify all patients over 65 years old who received a MBT. We stratified our population into six fresh-frozen plasma:packed red blood cell (FFP:pRBC) ratio cohorts (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:6+). Our primary outcomes were 24-h and 30-day mortality. We constructed multivariable regression models with 1:1 group as the baseline and adjusted for confounders to estimate the independent effect of blood ratios on mortality. RESULTS: A total of 3134 patients met our inclusion criteria (median age 73 ± 7.6 years, 65% male). On risk-adjusted multivariable analysis, 1:1 FFP:pRBC ratio was independently associated with lowest 24-h mortality (1:2 odds ratio [OR] 1.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25-2.06, p < 0.001) and 30-day mortality (1:2 OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.15-1.80, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to all other ratios, the 1:1 FFP:pRBC ratio had the lowest 24-h and 30-day mortality following older adult trauma consistent with findings in the younger adult population.

A Pharmacist-Driven Glycemic Control Protocol to Reduce the Rate of Severe Hypoglycemia in High-Risk Patients.

Purpose: Hospital pharmacists contribute to patient safety and quality initiatives by overseeing the prescribing of antidiabetic medications. A pharmacist-driven glycemic control protocol was developed to reduce the rate of severe hypoglycemia events (SHE) in high-risk hospitalized patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the rates of SHE (defined as blood glucose ≤40 mg/dL), before and after instituting a pharmacist-driven glycemic control protocol over a 4-year period. A hospital glucose management team that included a lead Certified Diabetes Educator Pharmacist (CDEP), 5 pharmacists trained in diabetes, a lead hospitalist, critical care and hospital providers established a process to first identify patients at risk for severe hypoglycemia and then implement our protocol. Criteria from the American Diabetes Association and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists was utilized to identify and treat patients at risk for SHE. We analyzed and compared the rate of SHE and physician acceptance rates before and after protocol initiation. Results: From January 2015 to March 2019, 18 297 patients met criteria for this study; 139 patients experienced a SHE and approximately 80% were considered high risk diabetes patients. Physician acceptance rates for the new protocol ranged from 77% to 81% from the year of initiation (2016) through 2018. The absolute risk reduction of SHE was 9 events per 1000 hospitalized diabetic patients and the relative risk reduction was 74% SHE from the start to the end of the protocol implementation. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that SHE decreased by 1.5 events per 1000 hospitalized diabetic patients (95% confidence interval, -1.54 to -1.48, P < .001) during the 2 years following the introduction of the protocol. This represents a 15% relative reduction of SHE per year. Conclusion: The pharmacist-driven glycemic control protocol was well accepted by our hospitalists and led to a significant reduction in SHE in high-risk diabetes patient groups at our hospital. It was cost effective and strengthened our physician-pharmacist relationship while improving diabetes care.

Recent Trends in Admission Diagnosis and Related Mortality in the Medically Critically Ill.

PURPOSE: With decades of declining ICU mortality, we hypothesized that the outcomes and distribution of diseases cared for in the ICU have changed and we aimed to further characterize them. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis of 287,154 nonsurgical-critically ill adults, from 237 U.S. ICUs, using the manually abstracted Cerner APACHE Outcomes database from 2008 to 2016 was performed. Surgical patients, rare admission diagnoses (<100 occurrences), and low volume hospitals (<100 total admissions) were excluded. Diagnoses were distributed into mutually exclusive organ system/disease-based categories based on admission diagnosis. Multi-level mixed-effects negative binomial regression was used to assess temporal trends in admission, in-hospital mortality, and length of stay (LOS). RESULTS: The number of ICU admissions remained unchanged (IRR 0.99, 0.98-1.003) while certain organ system/disease groups increased (toxicology [25%], hematologic/oncologic [55%] while others decreased (gastrointestinal [31%], pulmonary [24%]). Overall risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality was unchanged (IRR 0.98, 0.96-1.0004). Risk-adjusted ICU LOS (Estimate -0.06 days/year, -0.07 to -0.04) decreased. Risk-adjusted mortality varied significantly by disease. CONCLUSION: Risk-adjusted ICU mortality rate did not change over the study period, but there was evidence of shifting disease burden across the critical care population. Our data provides useful information regarding future ICU personnel and resource needs.

Morbidity and Mortality Trends of Pancreatitis: An Observational Study.

Background: Pancreatitis accounts for more than $2.5 billion of healthcare costs and remains the most common gastrointestinal (GI) admission. Few contemporary studies have assessed temporal trends of incidence, complications, management, and outcomes for acute pancreatitis in hospitalized patients at the national level. Methods: We used data from one of the largest hospital-based databases available in the United States, the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's (HCUP) State Inpatient Database, from 10 states between 2008 and 2015. We included patients with a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis (ICD-9 CM 577.0). Patient- and hospital-level data were used to estimate incidence and inpatient mortality rates. Results: From 80,736,256 hospitalizations, 929,914 (1.15%) cases of acute pancreatitis were identified, 186,226 (20.2%) of which were caused by gallbladder disease). The median age was 53 years (interquartile range [IQR], 41-67) and 50.8% were men. In-hospital mortality was 2.5% and crude mortality rates declined from 2.9% to 2.0% over the study period. Admission year remained significant after adjusting for patient demographics and comorbidities (odds ratio [OR], 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89-0.90; p < 0.001). Gallbladder disease was associated with decreased odds of mortality (OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.57-0.62). Median length of stay was four days (IQR, 2-7) and decreased over time. The rates of surgical and endoscopic interventions were highest in 2011 (peak incidence of 16.1% and 9.5%, respectively) and have been decreasing since. Surgical providers were, on average, more likely than medical providers to perform surgery in both those with and without gallbladder disease etiology (gallbladder disease OR, 7.11; 95% CI, 5.46-9.25; non-gallbladder disease OR, 20.50; 95% CI, 16.81-25.01), endoscopy (gallbladder disease OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.87-1.72; non-gallbladder disease OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.18-2.16), or both (gallbladder disease OR, 7.00; 95% CI, 5.22-9.37; non-gallbladder disease OR, 8.85; 95% CI, 5.61-13.96). Conclusions: The incidence of pancreatitis, from 2008 to 2015, has increased whereas inpatient mortality (i.e., case fatality) has decreased. Understanding temporal trends in outcomes and management along with provider, hospital, and regional variation can better identify areas for future research and collaboration in managing these patients.

An Interprofessional Senior Medical Student Preparation Course: Improvement in Knowledge and Self-Confidence Before Entering Surgical Training.

PURPOSE: Senior medical students are variably prepared to begin surgical training; and a national curriculum was established through the American College of Surgeons to better prepare senior medical students for surgical training. The purpose of our course is to prepare senior medical students to more effectively enter surgical training programs. We recently enhanced our independently developed surgical training preparation course by increasing exposure to surgical anatomy, medical physiology, surgical skills, and point-of-care ultrasound. We evaluated the impact of our interprofessional training course to increase confidence and readiness among senior medical students entering surgical training. METHODS: The course focused on pre- and post-operative patient care, surgical anatomy, human physiology, and bedside ultrasound. Didactic lectures in anatomy, human physiology, and bedside ultrasound were provided prior to all hands-on simulated patient care sessions and mock surgical procedures. To evaluate our interprofessional curriculum, we administered pre- and post-course surveys, pre- and post-course knowledge tests, and a final surgical anatomy laboratory practical examination to 22 senior medical students who were enrolled in the course. All students created a final surgical anatomy presentation. RESULTS: The students demonstrated a 100% pass rate in surgical anatomy. The knowledge test, which included assessment of knowledge on perioperative surgical decision making, human physiology, and bedside ultrasound, demonstrated an average improvement of 10%. Statistically significant improvements in median confidence values were identified in 10 of 32 surveyed categories, including surgical skills (p < 0.05); 84% of student goals for the course were achieved. The medical students' surveys confirmed increased confidence related to the use of point-of-care ultrasound, teamwork experience, and basic surgical skills through small group interactive seminars and surgical simulation exercises. CONCLUSION: Our preparation for surgical training course resulted in high student satisfaction and demonstrated an increased sense of confidence to begin surgical training. The 10% improvement in medical student knowledge, as evaluated by a written examination, and the significant improvement in confidence level self-assessment scores confirms this surgery preparation course for senior medical students successfully achieved the desired goals of the course.

Intrawound vancomycin application after spinal surgery: a propensity score-matched cohort analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Surgical site infection (SSI) following spine surgery is associated with increased morbidity and healthcare costs. In an effort to reduce SSI rates, the application of intrawound vancomycin powder has gained popularity. However, there is limited high-quality evidence to support the safety and efficacy of this practice. The authors sought to determine if intrawound application of vancomycin powder improves 90-day overall SSI rates. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective, vancomycin exposure-matched cohort study at a single tertiary care hospital over 21 months. They included all patients undergoing elective spinal surgery and stratified the patients into two groups: those who received intrawound vancomycin powder application and those who received no application of vancomycin powder. The primary outcome of interest was the 90-day overall SSI rate. Secondary outcomes included rates of superficial SSI, deep SSI, wound disruption, and a post hoc analysis of the microbiology and minimum inhibitory concentrations. Baseline patient demographics, clinical presentation, comorbidities, perioperative factors, and 90-day postoperative outcomes were manually abstracted from patient charts. To mitigate bias, we performed 1:1 matching after calculating propensity scores and identified 1 patient from the no-vancomycin cohort for each patient in the vancomycin cohort. RESULTS: A total of 997 patients met our inclusion criteria (473 patients receiving vancomycin and 524 patients not receiving vancomycin). Propensity score matching produced 221 matched pairs. Risk-adjusted analysis demonstrated similar overall SSI rates between the groups (OR 1.9, p = 0.329). On unadjusted analysis, the overall 90-day SSI rate was greater in the vancomycin group (n = 10 [4.5%]) than in the no-vancomycin group (n = 5 [2.3%]) (p < 0.001), as were the superficial SSI rate (7 [3.2%] vs 4 [1.8%], p < 0.001), deep SSI rate (3 [1.4%] vs 1 [0.5%], p < 0.001), and wound disruption rate (5 [2.3%] vs 1 [0.5%], p < 0.001). No cultured isolate demonstrated vancomycin resistance. CONCLUSIONS: The authors observed no difference in SSI rates after the intrawound application of vancomycin powder during spine surgery. Vancomycin use did not contribute to antimicrobial resistance; however, it may select out gram-negative bacteria and increase rates of wound disruption.

Castleman disease: A single-center case series.

BACKGROUND: Castleman disease (CD) is a rare lymphocytic disorder. Unicentric CD (UCD) has an excellent long-term prognosis after surgical excision; however, multicentric CD (MCD) has a severe clinical course with poor outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed the clinical presentation of 28 patients treated at a single institution from 1995 to 2017. Demographics, clinical variables, anatomical site, centricity, histopathology, immunochemistry, and surgical approach were reviewed. We evaluated the 5-year recurrence and survival for patients with UCD and MCD. RESULTS: Of the 28 patients, 57 % (n = 16) were female, with a mean age of 41.6 ± 15.6 years. CD was asymptomatic in 57 % (n = 16) of patients, 21 % (n = 6) presented with local symptoms such as pain, and 21 % (n = 6) of patients also had systemic symptoms, including weight loss and fever. CD was unicentric in 64 % (n = 18) and multicentric in 36 % (n = 10). The hyaline vascular variant was noted in 57 % (n = 16) of the tumors, plasmacytoid variant in 36 % (n = 10), and mixed variants in 7% (n = 2) of tumors. Anatomical distributions included: head and neck (20 %), thorax and axilla (24 %), retroperitoneal (13 %), abdominopelvic (30 %) regions, and other (13 %). Complete surgical resection was performed in 95 % of patients with UCD. Surgical biopsy and medical therapy were provided to all patients with MCD. The recurrence rate for UCD and MCD was 6 % (n = 1) and 14 % (n = 1), respectively. The five-year disease-free survival rate for UCD was 95 % (n = 19) and MCD was 33 % (n = 2). We found 100 % survival in patients with UCD and histology demonstrating the HV variant. CONCLUSION: CD is rare and often misdiagnosed due to the absence of specific clinical symptoms. Surgeons should include CD in their differential diagnoses when evaluating patients with lymph node hyperplasia. Surgery can be curative in nearly all patients with UCD. Patients with MCD require a combination of surgical therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy; however, cytoreductive surgery benefits for patients with MCD have not been established.

Factors Associated With Morbidity Following Total Pancreatectomy and Islet Autotransplantation: A NSQIP Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation is a therapeutic surgical option for patients with chronic pancreatitis leading to significant reduction in pain, improvement in quality of life, and potential for preservation of partial to full endocrine function. Data on the factors associated with short-term morbidities are limited. METHODS: We queried the American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Project for patients undergoing total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation from 2005 to 2015. We determined 30-day morbidity and mortality and performed univariate and multivariate analysis to determine the preoperative and intraoperative factors associated with development of postoperative infectious complications. RESULTS: The rate of 30-day postoperative morbidity in 384 patients undergoing total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation was 36% with an overall mortality of 1%. Postoperative infectious complications developed in 29% of patients and were associated with increased operative time (P = .016),and higher postoperative wound class (P = .045). After risk adjustment, only increased operative time was independently associated with increased rates of infectious complications (OR=1.1, 95% CI = 1.01-1.13, P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Total operative time is independently associated with increased postoperative infectious complications in total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation. Future interventions aimed at optimizing islet isolation, surgical approach, and refinement of patient selection criteria present opportunities for reducing operative time and potentially reducing the morbidity of this surgical procedure.

Treatment of Hypothermic Cardiac Arrest in the Pediatric Drowning Victim, a Case Report, and Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES: Drowning is the second leading cause of death in children. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has become the criterion standard therapy to resuscitate the hypothermic drowning victim in cardiac arrest. We present our own experience treating 5 children with hypothermic cardiac arrest in conjunction with a systematic review to analyze clinical features predictive of survival. METHODS: Our search resulted in 55 articles. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) younger than 18 years, (2) ECMO therapy, and (3) drowning. Ten articles met our inclusion criteria. We included studies using both central and peripheral ECMO and salt or fresh water submersions. We compared clinical features of survivors to nonsurvivors. RESULTS: A total of 29 patients from the 10 different studies met our criteria. Data analyzed included presenting cardiac rhythm, time to initiation of ECMO, submersion time, pH, potassium, lactate, duration of chest compressions, and survival. There was a significant increase in mortality for presenting rhythm of asystole and with hyperkalemia (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is an important resuscitation tool for the hypothermic drowning victim. Hyperkalemia and presenting cardiac rhythm correlate with survival although they are not reasons to end resuscitation. More studies are needed to compare the outcomes in using ECMO for the hypothermic drowning victim.

Discordant Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Code Status at Death.

CONTEXT: One fundamental way to honor patient autonomy is to establish and enact their wishes for end-of-life care. Limited research exists regarding adherence with code status. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to characterize cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) attempts discordant with documented code status at the time of death in the U.S. and to elucidate potential contributing factors. METHODS: The Cerner Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) outcomes database, which includes 237 U.S. hospitals that collect manually abstracted data from all critical care patients, was queried for adults admitted to intensive care units with a documented code status at the time of death from January 2008 to December 2016. The primary outcome was discordant CPR at death. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify patient-level and hospital-level associated factors after adjustment for age, hospital, and illness severity (APACHE III score). RESULTS: A total of 21,537 patients from 56 hospitals were included. Of patients with a do-not-resuscitate code status, 149 (0.8%) received CPR at death, and associated factors included black race, higher APACHE III score, or treatment in small or nonteaching hospitals. Of patients with a full code status, 203 (9.0%) did not receive CPR at death, and associated factors included higher APACHE III score, primary neurologic or trauma diagnosis, or admission in a more recent year. CONCLUSION: At the time of death, 1.6% of patients received or did not undergo CPR in a manner discordant with their documented code statuses. Race and institutional factors were associated with discordant resuscitation, and addressing these disparities may promote concordant end-of-life care in all patients.

Donor-Recipient Matching to Optimize the Utility of High Kidney Donor Profile Index Kidneys.

BACKGROUND: In December 2014, the Kidney Donor Profile Index (KDPI) was developed to give more precise information on donor kidney quality. Kidneys with KDPI scores ≥ 85 (K ≥ 85) have been reported to have inferior outcomes to kidneys with KDPI scores < 85. METHODS: After the implementation of the new Kidney Allocation System, we developed a protocol to evaluate K ≥ 85 use. We analyzed the safety and efficacy of our institutional criteria and evaluated post-transplant outcomes. K ≥ 85 recipients were stratified based on their 1-year creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rates to elucidate characteristics associated with serum creatinine < 1.7 mg/dL or estimated glomerular filtration rates ≤ 45 mL/min/1.73 m2. RESULTS: From December 2014 to December 2019, 304 deceased donor kidney transplants were performed at Hartford Hospital; 58 (19%) were K ≥ 85 with an average KDPI of 91%. There were 4 graft losses; 2 were death censored. Prolonged cold ischemia time and black recipient race were associated with inferior recipient graft function at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: High KDPI kidney use requires a multifaceted evaluation that takes into account donor and recipient characteristics for an ideal match. We have identified several characteristics that may predict optimal post-transplant kidney function.

National Trends and Variation of Functional Status Deterioration in the Medically Critically Ill.

OBJECTIVES: Physical and psychologic deficits after an ICU admission are associated with lower quality of life, higher mortality, and resource utilization. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and secular changes of functional status deterioration during hospitalization among nonsurgical critical illness survivors over the past decade. DESIGN: We performed a retrospective longitudinal cohort analysis. SETTING: Analysis performed using the Cerner Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation outcomes database which included manually abstracted data from 236 U.S. hospitals from 2008 to 2016. PATIENTS: We included nonsurgical adult ICU patients who survived their hospitalization and had a functional status documented at ICU admission and hospital discharge. Physical functional status was categorized as fully independent, partially dependent, or fully dependent. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Functional status deterioration occurred in 38,116 patients (29.3%). During the past decade, functional status deterioration increased in each disease category, as well as overall (prevalence rate ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.13-1.17; p < 0.001). Magnitude of functional status deterioration also increased over time (odds ratio, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.03-1.03; p < 0.001) with hematological, sepsis, neurologic, and pulmonary disease categories having the highest odds of severe functional status deterioration. CONCLUSIONS: Following nonsurgical critical illness, the prevalence of functional status deterioration and magnitude increased in a nationally representative cohort, despite efforts to reduce ICU dysfunction over the past decade. Identifying the prevalence of functional status deterioration and primary etiologies associated with functional status deterioration will elucidate vital areas for further research and targeted interventions. Reducing ICU debilitation for key disease processes may improve ICU survivor mortality, enhance quality of life, and decrease healthcare utilization.

An Undergraduate Surgery Interest Group: Introducing Premedical Students to the Practice of Surgery.

PURPOSE: Early exposure and surgical mentorship can augment interest in surgery. We evaluate the effect and feasibility of offering education and mentorship opportunities in surgery to premedical students at our institution through an undergraduate surgery interest group (USIG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a 1-year assessment of our USIG and reviewed its organizational structure, funding resources, media promotion, and educational activities. Our USIG hosted introductory-level surgical skills workshops, guest lectures by surgeons, and various facility tours. To assess participants' interests, as well as the influences on them to pursue a surgical profession, we analyzed pre- and post-event questionnaires. Similar questionnaires were completed by medical students in our medical student surgery interest group to compare any differences in perception between premedical and medical students. RESULTS: Our USIG currently has 378 undergraduate student members, with a higher proportion of women than in our medical student surgery interest group (P < 0.003). Neurosurgery was the most popular career choice among undergraduate participants. Participants reported the highest satisfaction with suturing and high-fidelity trauma surgery skills workshops. Undergraduate participants indicated that their intrinsic interest in the sciences is the highest motivation to pursue a surgical profession. Resident lifestyle and social obligations of a surgical career were actually positive influences for undergraduate participants; in contrast, medical students viewed those variables as negative factors. CONCLUSION: Our USIG was met with enthusiasm by premedical students and faculty alike. Participation strengthened premedical students' interest in pursuing surgery and increased their understanding of the surgical profession. Early mentorship may positively influence premedical students' perception of surgical careers. USIG is economically feasible and time-efficient; we encourage other academic institutions and educators to consider investing in similar interest groups.

Epidemiological trends of surgical admissions to the intensive care unit in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic assessment of surgical admissions into intensive care units (ICUs) provides a framework to evaluate health care system efficiency and project future health care needs. METHODS: We performed a 9-year (2008-2016), retrospective, cohort analysis of all adult admissions to 88 surgical ICUs using the prospectively and manually abstracted Cerner Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Outcomes database. We stratified patients into 13 surgical cohorts and modeled temporal trends in admission, mortality, surgical ICU length of stay (LOS), and change in functional status (FS) using generalized mixed-effects and Quasi-Poisson models to obtain risk-adjusted outcomes. RESULTS: We evaluated 78,053 ICU admissions and observed a significant decrease in admissions after transplant and thoracic surgery, with a concomitant increase in admissions after otolaryngological and facial reconstructive procedures (all p < 0.05). While overall risk-adjusted mortality remained stable over the study period; mortality significantly declined in orthopedic, cardiac, urologic, and neurosurgical patients (all p < 0.05). Cardiac, urologic, gastrointestinal, neurosurgical, and orthopedic admissions showed significant reductions in LOS (all p < 0.05). The overall rate of FS deterioration increased per year, suggesting ICU-related disability increased over the study period. CONCLUSION: Temporal analysis demonstrates a significant change in the type of surgical patients admitted to the ICU over the last decade, with decreasing mortality and LOS in selected cohorts, but an increasing rate of FS deterioration. Improvement in ICU outcomes may highlight the success of health care advancements within certain surgical cohorts, while simultaneously identifying cohorts that may benefit from future intervention. Our findings have significant implications in health care systems planning, including resource and personnel allocation, education, and surgical training. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Economic/decision, level IV.Epidemiologic, level IV.

Single-stage management of choledocholithiasis: intraoperative ERCP versus laparoscopic common bile duct exploration.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the criterion standard for treating patients with symptomatic gallstone disease; however, the optimal technique for extracting common bile duct stones remains unclear. Recent studies have noted improved outcomes with single-stage techniques, such as intraoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (iERCP) and laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE); however only few studies have directly compared those two single-stage techniques. OBJECTIVES: Using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database, we retrospectively analyzed the postoperative outcomes of all patients who underwent single-stage LC for choledocholithiasis from 2005 to 2017. Using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, as well as International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) and 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes, we stratified patients into two cohorts: those who underwent iERCP and LCBDE. Applying univariate techniques, we evaluated baseline characteristics and postoperative outcomes for both cohorts. Our primary outcomes of interest were 30-day morbidity and 30-day mortality; our secondary outcomes included rates of reoperation, readmission, operative time, and hospital length of stay. RESULTS: Of the 1814 single-stage LC patients during our 13-year study period, 1185 (65.3%) underwent LCBDE; 629 (34.6%) underwent iERCP. Our univariate analysis showed that the two cohorts were homogeneous in terms of baseline characteristics, including demographics, preoperative comorbidities, laboratory values, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores. 30-day postoperative morbidity (including infectious and noninfectious complications) and overall mortality between groups were low and comparable. The mean operative time was slightly longer with LCBDE (125.1 ± 62.0 min) than iERCP (113.5 ± 65.2 min; P < 0.001), however the mean hospital length of stay, readmission rate, and reoperation rate were similar. CONCLUSION: We found that both iERCP and LCBDE resulted in low, comparable rates of morbidity and mortality. Centers with readily available endoscopic expertise might favor iERCP for its ease of access and shorter operative time. However, LCBDE remains an appropriate technique for patients with choledocholithiasis, especially when immediate endoscopic intervention is unavailable.