Value in acute care surgery, Part 1: Methods of quantifying cost.

BACKGROUND: With health care expenditures continuing to increase rapidly, the need to understand and provide value has become more important than ever. In order to determine the value of care, the ability to accurately measure cost is essential. The acute care surgeon leader is an integral part of driving improvement by engaging in value increasing discussions. Different approaches to quantifying cost exist depending on the purpose of the analysis and available resources. Cost analysis methods range from detailed microcosting and time-driven activity-based costing to less complex gross and expenditure-based approaches. An overview of these methods and a practical approach to costing based on the needs of the acute care surgeon leader is presented.

Promoting use of booster seats in rural areas through community sports programs.

BACKGROUND: Booster seats reduce mortality and morbidity for young children in car crashes, but use is low, particularly in rural areas. This study targeted rural communities in 4 states using a community sports-based approach. OBJECTIVE: The Strike Out Child Passenger Injury (Strike Out) intervention incorporated education about booster seat use in children ages 4-7 years within instructional baseball programs. We tested the effectiveness of Strike Out in increasing correct restraint use among participating children. METHODS: Twenty communities with similar demographics from 4 states participated in a nonrandomized, controlled trial. Surveys of restraint use were conducted before and after baseball season. Intervention communities received tailored education and parents had direct consultation on booster seat use. Control communities received only brochures. RESULTS: One thousand fourteen preintervention observation surveys for children ages 4-7 years (Intervention Group [I]: N = 511, Control [C]: N = 503) and 761 postintervention surveys (I: N = 409, C: N = 352) were obtained. For 3 of 4 states, the intervention resulted in increases in recommended child restraint use (Alabama +15.5%, Arkansas +16.1%, Illinois +11.0%). Communities in 1 state (Indiana) did not have a positive response (-9.2%). Overall, unadjusted restraint use increased 10.2% in intervention and 1.7% in control communities (P = .02). After adjustment for each state in the study, booster seat use was increased in intervention communities (Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio 1.56, 95% confidence interval [1.16-2.10]). CONCLUSIONS: A tailored intervention using baseball programs increased appropriate restraint use among targeted rural children overall and in 3 of 4 states studied. Such interventions hold promise for expansion into other sports and populations.

The failure of nonoperative management in pediatric solid organ injury: a multi-institutional experience.

BACKGROUND: Nonoperative management (NOM) is the accepted treatment of most pediatric solid organ injuries (SOI) and, is typically successful. We sought to elucidate predictors of, and the time course to, failure in the subset of children suffering SOI who required operative intervention. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed from January 1997 through December 2002 of all pediatric patients (age 0-20 years) with a SOI (liver, spleen, kidney, pancreas) from the trauma registries of seven designated, level I pediatric trauma centers. Failure of NOM was defined as the need for intra-abdominal operative intervention. Data reviewed included demographics, injury mechanism, injury severity (ISS, AIS, SOI grade, and GCS), and outcome. For the failures of NOM, time to operation and relevant clinical variables were also abstracted. A summary AIS (sAIS) was calculated for each patient by summing the AIS values for each SOI, to account for multiple SOI in the same patient. Univariate and multivariate analyses were employed, and significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 1,880 children were identified. Of these, 62 sustained nonsurvivable head injuries that precluded assessment of NOM outcome and were thus excluded. The remaining 1,818 patients comprised the overall study population. There were 1,729 successful NOM patients (controls -- C) and 89 failures (F), for an overall NOM failure rate of 5%. For isolated organ injuries, the failure rates were: kidney 3%, liver 3%, spleen 4%, and pancreas 18%. There were 14 deaths in the failure group from nonsalvageable injuries (mean ISS = 54 +/- 15). The two groups did not differ with respect to mean age or gender. An MVC was the most common injury mechanism in both groups. Only bicycle crashes were associated with a significantly increased risk of failing NOM (RR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.02-3.04, p < 0.05). Injury severity and organ specific injuries were associated with NOM failure. When controlling for ISS and GCS, multivariate regression analysis confirmed that a sAIS > or = 4, isolated pancreatic injury, and >1 organ injured were significantly associated with NOM failure (p < 0.01). The median time to failure was 3 hours (range, 0.5-144 hours) with 38% having failed by 2 hours, 59% by 4 hours, and 76% by 12 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Failure of NOM is un common (5%) and typically occurs within the first 12 hours after injury. Failure is associated with injury severity and multiplicity, as well as isolated pancreatic injuries.

Laparoscopic splenectomy has become the gold standard in children.

Splenectomy is frequently required in children with various hematologic disorders. The reported advantages of laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) include less pain, shorter hospital stay, and improved cosmesis. This report evaluates the outcome of children undergoing LS at a single children's facility. One hundred twelve children underwent LS by the lateral approach between August 1995 and February 2001. Indications for LS were hereditary spherocytosis in 58, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in 21, sickle cell disease in 19, and other conditions in 14. LS alone was completed in 89 children and LS and cholecystectomy (LSC) in 20. Three required conversion to open splenectomy. Accessory spleens were identified in 19. Complications included ileus (four), acute chest syndrome (four), bleeding (two), pneumonia (one), and diaphragm perforation (one). There was no mortality. An accessory spleen was missed in one child with recurrent anemia. Average operative time for LS was 106 minutes and for LSC 135 minutes. Operative time for LS decreased with experience but the difference was not significant. Average length of stay was 1.51 days (range 1-11) and was longer in sickle cell disease (2.47 days) versus hereditary spherocytosis (1.29 days) and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (1.16 days). We conclude that LS is safe and effective in children with hematologic disorders and is associated with minimal morbidity, zero mortality, and a short length of stay.

The utility of lung biopsy in recipients of stem cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Pulmonary infiltrates in recipients of stem cell transplantation often present as diagnostic dilemmas. Although lung biopsy may establish the diagnosis of parenchymal disease, it remains unclear whether such a procedure results in a significant change in the patient's treatment and outcome. This study evaluates the efficacy of lung biopsy in recipients of stem cell transplantation. METHODS: The medical records of 15 stem cell transplant recipients who underwent 18 lung biopsies were reviewed. The indications for stem cell transplantation were leukemia in 10 patients, lymphoma in 2, histiocytosis in 1, neuroblastoma in 1, and Ewing's sarcoma in 1. The results of the lung biopsies were correlated to the clinical management and outcomes. RESULTS: The overall mortality rate was 67% (10 patients). Eight of the 9 patients who required mechanical ventilatory support at the time of lung biopsy died. The pathologic diagnoses were pneumonitis in 6 biopsies, fibrosis in 6, brochiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia in 3, hemorrhage in 2, and infarction in 1. Therapy was changed in 1 patient who improved after a course of steroids for bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia. Lung biopsy cultures were positive in 6 patients but rarely resulted in changes in antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Results of very few lung biopsies performed in stem cell transplant recipients redirected therapy. Furthermore, the ultimate outcome of these patients were not improved by the results of lung biopsies.