Dysphagia in hospitalized patients: Prevalence, related factors and impact on aspiration pneumonia and mortality.

BACKGROUND: Oropharyngeal dysphagia can be highly concerning in hospitalized patients, increasing morbidity and mortality, making its early identification essential. We aimed to characterize dysphagia and its association with aspiration pneumonia and mortality in a tertiary hospital in Barcelona, Spain. METHODS: Using data from all hospital discharges during the period 2018-2021, we identified the characteristics of patients with dysphagia and their distribution among hospital departments through the minimum data set, which codifies patients' diagnoses according to the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10). We used logistic regression models to assess the association between dysphagia, aspiration pneumonia and mortality. RESULTS: Dysphagia was present in 2.4% of all hospital discharges and was more frequent in older patients and in men. The diagnoses most frequently associated with dysphagia were aspiration pneumonia (48.2%) and stroke (14%). Higher prevalence of dysphagia was found in the acute geriatric unit (10.3%), neurology (7.6%) and internal medicine (7.5%) wards. Dysphagia was associated with aspiration pneumonia, aOR = 8.04 (95%CI, 6.31-10.25), and independently increased the odds of death among hospitalized patients, aOR = 1.43 (95%CI, 1.19-1.73). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that dysphagia is a prevalent and transversal condition, increasing the risk of mortality in all patients, and efforts should be intensified to increase its early detection and correct management.

Adherence of long-term breast cancer survivors to follow-up care guidelines: a study based on real-world data from the SURBCAN cohort.

PURPOSE: To identify adherence to follow-up recommendations in long-term breast cancer survivors (LTBCS) of the SURBCAN cohort and to identify its determinants, using real-world data. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study using electronic health records from 2012 to 2016 of women diagnosed with incident breast cancer in Spain between 2000 and 2006 and surviving at least 5 years. Adherence to basic follow-up recommendations, adherence according to risk of recurrence, and overall adherence were calculated based on attendance at medical appointments and imaging surveillance, by year of survivorship. Logistic regression models were fitted to depict the association between adherence and its determinants. RESULTS: A total of 2079 LTBCS were followed up for a median of 4.97 years. Of them, 23.6% had survived ≥ 10 years at baseline. We estimated that 79.5% of LTBCS were overall adherent to at least one visit and one imaging test. Adherence to recommendations decreased over time and no differences were found according to recurrence risk. Determinants of better overall adherence were diagnosis in middle age (50-69 years old), living in a more-deprived area, having fewer years of survival, receiving primary treatment, and being alive at the end of follow-up. CONCLUSION: We identified women apparently not complying with surveillance visits and tests. Special attention should be paid to the youngest and eldest women at diagnosis and to those with longer survival.

Multimorbidity clusters among long-term breast cancer survivors in Spain: Results of the SURBCAN study.

The disease management of long-term breast cancer survivors (BCS) is hampered by the scarce knowledge of multimorbidity patterns. The aim of our study was to identify multimorbidity clusters among long-term BCS and assess their impact on mortality and health services use. We conducted a retrospective study using electronic health records of 6512 BCS from Spain surviving at least 5 years. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify groups of similar patients based on their chronic diagnoses, which were assessed using the Clinical Classifications Software. As a result, multimorbidity clusters were obtained, clinically defined and named according to the comorbidities with higher observed/expected prevalence ratios. Multivariable Cox and negative binomial regression models were fitted to estimate overall mortality risk and probability of contacting health services according to the clusters identified. 83.7% of BCS presented multimorbidity, essential hypertension (34.5%) and obesity and other metabolic disorders (27.4%) being the most prevalent chronic diseases at the beginning of follow-up. Five multimorbidity clusters were identified: C1-unspecific (29.9%), C2-metabolic and neurodegenerative (28.3%), C3-anxiety and fractures (9.7%), C4-musculoskeletal and cardiovascular (9.6%) and C5-thyroid disorders (5.3%). All clusters except C5-thyroid disorders were associated with higher mortality compared to BCS without comorbidities. The risk of mortality in C4 was increased by 64% (adjusted hazard ratio 1.64, 95% confidence interval 1.52-2.07). Stratified analysis showed an increased risk of death among BCS with 5 to 10 years of survival in all clusters. These results help to identify subgroups of long-term BCS with specific needs and mortality risks and to guide BCS clinical practice regarding multimorbidity.

Factors that Influence Treatment Delay for Patients with Breast Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The diagnosis or treatment of breast cancer is sometimes delayed. A lengthy delay may have a negative psychological impact on patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate the sociodemographic, clinical and pathological factors associated with delay in the provision of surgical treatment for localised breast cancer, in a prospective cohort of patients. METHODS: This observational, prospective, multicentre study was conducted in ten hospitals belonging to the Spanish national public health system, located in four Autonomous Communities (regions). The study included 1236 patients, diagnosed through a screening programme or found to be symptomatic, between April 2013 and May 2015. The study variables analysed included each patient's personal history, care situation, tumour history and data on the surgical intervention, pathological anatomy, hospital admission and follow-up. Treatment delay was defined as more than 30 days elapsed between biopsy and surgery. RESULTS: Over half of the study population experienced surgical treatment delay. This delay was greater for patients with no formal education and among widows, persons not requiring assistance for usual activities, those experiencing anxiety or depression, those who had a high BMI or an above-average number of comorbidities, those who were symptomatic, who did not receive NMR spectroscopy, who presented a histology other than infiltrating ductal carcinoma or who had poorly differentiated carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS: Certain sociodemographic and clinical variables are associated with surgical treatment delay. This study identifies factors that influence surgical delays, highlighting the importance of preventing these factors and of raising awareness among the population at risk and among health personnel.

Emergency department and hospital admissions among people with dementia living at home or in nursing homes: results of the European RightTimePlaceCare project on their frequency, associated factors and costs.

BACKGROUND: Evidence is lacking on the differences between hospitalisation of people with dementia living in nursing homes and those living in the community. The objectives of this study were: 1) to describe the frequency of hospital admission among people with dementia in eight European countries living in nursing homes or in the community, 2) to examine the factors associated with hospitalisation in each setting, and 3) to evaluate the costs associated with it. METHODS: The present study is a secondary data analysis of the RightTimePlaceCare European project. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with data collected from people with dementia living at home or who had been admitted to a nursing home in the last 3 months, as well as from their caregivers. Data on hospital admissions at 3 months, cognitive and functional status, neuropsychiatric symptoms, comorbidity, polypharmacy, caregiver burden, nutritional status, and falls were assessed using validated instruments. Multivariate regression models were used to investigate the factors associated with hospital admission for each setting. Costs were estimated by multiplying quantities of resources used with the unit cost of each resource and inflated to the year 2019. RESULTS: The study sample comprised 1700 people with dementia living in the community and nursing homes. Within 3 months, 13.8 and 18.5% of people living in nursing homes and home care, respectively, experienced ≥1 hospital admission. In the nursing home setting, only polypharmacy was associated with a higher chance of hospital admission, while in the home care setting, unintentional weight loss, polypharmacy, falls, and more severe caregiver burden were associated with hospital admission. Overall, the estimated average costs per person with dementia/year among participants living in a nursing home were lower than those receiving home care. CONCLUSION: Admission to hospital is frequent among people with dementia, especially among those living in the community, and seems to impose a remarkable economic burden. The identification and establishment of an individualised care plan for those people with dementia with polypharmacy in nursing homes, and those with involuntary weight loss, accidental falls, polypharmacy and higher caregiver burden in the home care setting, might help preventing unnecessary hospital admissions.

Cost-Effectiveness of the Screening for the Primary Prevention of Fragility Hip Fracture in Spain Using FRAX®.

To assess the cost-effectiveness of the primary prevention of fragility hip fractures through opportunistic risk-based screening using FRAX® among women aged 70 to 89 years, and the subsequent treatment with alendronate in women at high-risk, from the Spanish national health system perspective. We performed a discrete-event simulation model. Women were categorized in low, intermediate and high-risk of fragility hip fracture through screening based on the FRAX® risk assessment tool score (Spanish version). Low-risk women received lifestyle recommendations whereas the high-risk group was assigned to alendronate treatment. For women at intermediate-risk, treatment decision was based on a recalculated score considering bone mineral density (BMD). The cost-effectiveness analysis tested six scenarios defined by different FRAX® cut-off values assessing the incremental costs per averted fracture in 20 years. Deterministic sensitivity analysis was performed. We included a random sample of 5146 women obtained from a Spanish cohort of women referred for BMD. The most cost-effective intervention had an Incremental Cost-effectiveness Ratio (ICER) of 57,390 € per averted hip fracture and consisted of using the FRAX® score without BMD and treating women with a score higher than 5%. The ICER exceeded the acceptability threshold of 25,000 € in all the scenarios. Sensitivity analysis based on time to fracture, treatment efficacy, adherence to treatment and cost of dependence resulted in ICERs ranging from 39,216 € to 254,400 €. An ICER of 24,970 € was obtained when alendronate cost was reduced to 1.13 € per month. The use of FRAX® as screening tool followed by alendronate treatment is not cost-effective in senior women in Spain. Other primary preventions strategies are advisable.

Adherence to follow-up in high-risk adenoma patients diagnosed by, and excluded from the Barcelona colorectal cancer screening programme. / Adherencia al seguimiento de las personas con adenoma de alto riesgo diagnosticadas y excluidas del Programa de detección precoz de cáncer de colon y recto de Barcelona.

INTRODUCTION: Colorectal cancer screening programmes have been shown to reduce incidence and mortality. High-risk adenomas (HRA) are the most frequently diagnosed lesions in these programmes, and these patients are referred to a specialist. However, few studies have evaluated the adherence of HRA patients to the recommended endoscopic follow-up. OBJECTIVES: To analyse follow-up adherence and duration in patients diagnosed with HRA in a screening programme. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with HRA within one of the participating hospitals of the colorectal cancer screening programme of Barcelona, during the first round of the programme (2010-2011). The follow-up period was 75.5 months. Descriptive analyses, logistic regression and survival models were performed. RESULTS: 602 patients were included in the study, 66.6% of which were men. The adherence rate was 83.7% (n=504). Follow-up colonoscopy was performed within the recommended time (36±6months) in 57.7%, with a mean follow-up of 34 months. The Cox regression only showed differences at the socioeconomic level, with a lower adherence rate in the most deprived quintile (HR 0.70; 95% CI, 0.53-0.93). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to previous studies, the follow-up adherence rate is considered to be acceptable. However, follow-up was not performed within the recommended time frame in a high proportion of cases. There is a need to further explore the reasons leading to lower follow-up adherence in the most deprived socioeconomic group and to increase the equity of the programme beyond participation.

Economic evaluation of the breast cancer screening programme in the Basque Country: retrospective cost-effectiveness and budget impact analysis.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer screening in the Basque Country has shown 20 % reduction of the number of BC deaths and an acceptable overdiagnosis level (4 % of screen detected BC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the breast cancer early detection programme in the Basque Country in terms of retrospective cost-effectiveness and budget impact from 1996 to 2011. METHODS: A discrete event simulation model was built to reproduce the natural history of breast cancer (BC). We estimated for lifetime follow-up the total cost of BC (screening, diagnosis and treatment), as well as quality-adjusted life years (QALY), for women invited to participate in the evaluated programme during the 15-year period in the actual screening scenario and in a hypothetical unscreened scenario. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated with the use of aggregated costs. Besides, annual costs were considered for budget impact analysis. Both population level and single-cohort analysis were performed. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis was applied to assess the impact of parameters uncertainty. RESULTS: The actual screening programme involved a cost of 1,127 million euros and provided 6.7 million QALYs over the lifetime of the target population, resulting in a gain of 8,666 QALYs for an additional cost of 36.4 million euros, compared with the unscreened scenario. Thus, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was 4,214€/QALY. All the model runs in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio lower than 10,000€/QALY. The screening programme involved an increase of the annual budget of the Basque Health Service by 5.2 million euros from year 2000 onwards. CONCLUSIONS: The BC screening programme in the Basque Country proved to be cost-effective during the evaluated period and determined an affordable budget impact. These results confirm the epidemiological benefits related to the centralised screening system and support the continuation of the programme.

Prevalence of persistent pain after breast cancer treatment by detection mode among participants in population-based screening programs.

BACKGROUND: To date, the study of the risks and benefits of breast cancer screening has not included the onset of persistent pain after breast cancer treatment within the context of population-based screening programs. Our purpose was to investigate the prevalence of persistent pain and associated factors in women diagnosed with breast cancer (screening or interval) in the context of a population-based breast cancer screening program in Spain. METHODS: A total of 1,057 women participating in a population-based breast cancer screening program were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2000 and 2008. The women were treated surgically and followed-up to 2013. The risk of developing persistent pain was estimated through multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Breast cancer was detected during routine screening in 732 women (69.3 %) and emerged as an interval cancer between two screening rounds in 325 (30.7 %). Persistent pain was present in 118 women (11.3 %). Women diagnosed through routine screening reported a higher prevalence of persistent pain (12.9 %) than those with interval cancers (7.8 %)(P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified two other variables associated with persistent pain: having a Charlson index > =2 (Odds Ratio [OR]: 4.5 95 % Confidence Interval [CI]: 2.1-9.5) versus no comorbidities, and having undergone an axillary lymph node dissection (OR: 2.0 95 % CI: 1.0-4.0) versus sentinel lymph node biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of persistent pain was relatively low. The detection mode was not related to the onset of persistent pain. The factors associated with persistent pain were a Charlson index > =2 and the performance of axillary lymph node dissection. Women treated for breast cancer are at risk for developing persistent pain regardless of the detection mode, especially those with comorbidities and those who have undergone axillary lymph node dissection.

Predicting the Burden of Revision Knee Arthroplasty: Simulation of a 20-Year Horizon.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate future utilization scenarios for knee arthroplasty (KA) revision in the Spanish National Health System in the short- and long-term and their impact on primary KA utilization. METHODS: A discrete-event simulation model was built to represent KA utilization for 20 years (2012-2031) in the Spanish National Health System. Data on KA utilization from 1997 to 2011 were obtained from the minimum data set. Three scenarios of future utilization of primary KA (1, fixed number since 2011; 2, fixed age- and sex-adjusted rates since 2011; and 3, projection using a linear regression model) were combined with two prosthesis survival functions (W [worse survival], from a study including primary KA from 1995 to 2000; and B [better survival], from the Catalan Registry of Arthroplasty, including primary KA from 2005 to 2013). The simulation results were analyzed in the short-term (2015) and the long-term (2030). RESULTS: Variations in the number of revisions depended on both the primary utilization rate and the survival function applied, ranging from increases of 8.3% to 31.6% in the short- term and from 38.3% to 176.9% in the long-term, corresponding to scenarios 1-B and 3-W, respectively. The prediction of increases in overall surgeries ranged from 0.1% to 22.3% in the short-term and from 3.7% to 98.2% in the long-term. CONCLUSIONS: Projections of the burden of KA provide a quantitative basis for future policy decisions on the concentration of high-complexity procedures, the number of orthopedic surgeons required to perform these procedures, and the resources needed.

A retrospective review of medical errors adjudicated in court between 2002 and 2012 in Spain.

OBJECTIVES: This paper describes verdicts in court involving injury-producing medical errors in Spain. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A descriptive analysis of 1041 closed court verdicts from Spain between January 2002 and December 2012. It was determined whether a medical error had occurred, and among those with medical error (n = 270), characteristics and results of litigation were analyzed. Data on litigation were obtained from the Thomson Reuters Aranzadi Westlaw databases. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All verdicts involving health system were reviewed and classified according to the presence of medical error. Among those, contributory factors, medical specialty involved, health impact (death, disability and severity) and results of litigation (resolution, time to verdict and economic compensations) were described. RESULTS: Medical errors were involved in 25.9% of court verdicts. The cause of medical error was a diagnosis-related problem in 25.1% and surgical treatment in 22.2%, and Obstetrics-Gynecology was the most frequent involved specialty (21%). Most of them were of high severity (59.4%), one-third (32%) caused death. The average time interval between the occurrence of the error and the verdict was 7.8 years. The average indemnity payment was €239 505.24; the highest was psychiatry (€7 585 075.86) and the lowest was Emergency Medicine (€69 871.19). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that in Spain medical errors are common among verdicts involving the health system, most of them causing high-severity adverse outcomes. The interval between the medical error and the verdict is excessive, and there is a wide range of economic compensation.

Evaluation of health benefits and harms of the breast cancer screening programme in the Basque Country using discrete event simulation.

BACKGROUND: Since the breast cancer screening programme in the Basque Country (BCSPBC) was started in 1996, more than 400,000 women aged 50 to 69 years have been invited to participate. Based on epidemiological observations and simulation techniques it is possible to extend observed short term data into anticipated long term results. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the programme through 2011 by quantifying the outcomes in breast cancer mortality, life-years gained, false positive results, and overdiagnosis. METHODS: A discrete event simulation model was constructed to reproduce the natural history of breast cancer (disease-free, pre-clinical, symptomatic, and disease-specific death) and the actual observed characteristics of the screening programme during the evaluated period in the Basque women population. Goodness-of-fit statistics were applied for model validation. The screening effects were measured as differences in benefits and harms between the screened and unscreened populations. Breast cancer mortality reduction and life-years gained were considered as screening benefits, whereas, overdiagnosis and false positive results were assessed as harms. Results for a single cohort were also obtained. RESULTS: The screening programme yielded a 16 % reduction in breast cancer mortality and a 10 % increase in the incidence of breast cancer through 2011. Almost 2 % of all the women in the programme had a false positive result during the evaluation period. When a single cohort was analysed, the number of deaths decreased by 13 %, and 4 % of screen-detected cancers were overdiagnosed. Each woman with BC detected by the screening programme gained 2.5 life years due to early detection corrected by lead time. CONCLUSIONS: Fifteen years after the screening programme started, this study supports an important decrease in breast cancer mortality due to the screening programme, with reasonable risk of overdiagnosis and false positive results, and sustains the continuation of the breast cancer screening programme in the Basque population.

Does digital mammography suppose an advance in early diagnosis? Trends in performance indicators 6 years after digitalization.

PURPOSE: To provide a complete evaluation of the long-term impact of full-field digital mammography (FFDM) on the improvement of early diagnosis in a population-based screening program. METHODS: We included 82,961 screen-film mammograms (SFM) and 79,031 FFDM from women aged 50-69 screened biennially from 1995-2010 in Spain and followed-up to 2012. The first screening round of the program was excluded. Rates of cancer detection, interval cancer, tumoral characteristics and other quality indicators were compared between SFM and FFDM periods using the Chi-square test. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted. RESULTS: Detection of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) significantly increased with FFDM (0.05 % vs 0.09 %; p = 0.010), along with the proportion of small invasive cancers (<20 mm) (69.37 % vs 78.90 %; p = 0.040). The false-positive rate decreased with FFDM (4.79 % vs 3.38 %; p < 0.001) without differences in the cancer detection rate (0.42 % vs 0.43 %; p = 0.685) or in the interval cancer rate (0.14 % vs 0.14 %; p = 0.816). Adjusted models showed a significant increase in the detection of DCIS in the FFDM periods. CONCLUSION: Digitalization has supposed an improvement in early diagnosis because DCIS and small invasive cancers increased without a change in detection rate. Moreover, false-positive reduction without an increase in the interval cancer rate was confirmed.

Exploring long-term breast cancer survivors' care trajectories using dynamic time warping-based unsupervised clustering.

OBJECTIVES: Long-term breast cancer survivors (BCS) constitute a complex group of patients, whose number is estimated to continue rising, such that, a dedicated long-term clinical follow-up is necessary. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A dynamic time warping-based unsupervised clustering methodology is presented in this article for the identification of temporal patterns in the care trajectories of 6214 female BCS of a large longitudinal retrospective cohort of Spain. The extracted care-transition patterns are graphically represented using directed network diagrams with aggregated patient and time information. A control group consisting of 12 412 females without breast cancer is also used for comparison. RESULTS: The use of radiology and hospital admission are explored as patterns of special interest. In the generated networks, a more intense and complex use of certain healthcare services (eg, radiology, outpatient care, hospital admission) is shown and quantified for the BCS. Higher mortality rates and numbers of comorbidities are observed in various transitions and compared with non-breast cancer. It is also demonstrated how a wealth of patient and time information can be revealed from individual service transitions. DISCUSSION: The presented methodology permits the identification and descriptive visualization of temporal patterns of the usage of healthcare services by the BCS, that otherwise would remain hidden in the trajectories. CONCLUSION: The results could provide the basis for better understanding the BCS' circulation through the health system, with a view to more efficiently predicting their forthcoming needs and thus designing more effective personalized survivorship care plans.

Effect of comorbidity and multimorbidity on adherence to follow-up recommendations among long-term breast cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVES: To study the impact of comorbidities, multimorbidity, and multimorbidity clusters on adherence to recommended follow-up guidelines among long-term breast cancer survivors. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study based on 2078 women diagnosed with breast cancer from 2000 to 2006 and followed up from 2012 to 2016. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adherence to breast cancer follow-up recommendations (annual medical visit and imaging) was determined. Comorbidities were classified as acute/chronic. Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of two or more chronic comorbidities aside from breast cancer. Five multimorbidity clusters were considered. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to determine the relationship between adherence to recommendations and the presence of comorbidities and multimorbidity, considering both sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: Overall adherence to recommendations was 79.5 %. Adherence was lower among long-term breast cancer survivors with no comorbidities (75.8 %). Among multimorbidity clusters, adherence was highest in the anxiety and fractures cluster (84.3 %) and was lowest in the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular cluster (76.4 %). In adjusted multivariate models, multimorbidity was associated with higher levels of adherence (OR = 1.52 95 %CI 1.16-1.99), and adherence was highest in the metabolic and degenerative cluster (OR = 2.2 95 %CI 1.4-3.5). CONCLUSION: Adherence to follow-up recommendations was higher among long-term breast cancer survivors with multimorbidity than among those without. Adherence also differed by multimorbidity cluster. These results suggest suboptimal adherence to the current follow-up recommendations in certain groups, suggesting the need to adapt clinical practice guidelines to reflect patients' comorbidities and different characteristics.

Performance measures for in-hospital care of acute ischemic stroke in public hospitals in Chile.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study were to describe acute care of ischemic stroke patients and adherence to performance measures, as well as the outcomes of these events, in a sample of patients treated in public hospitals in Chile. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of patients with ischemic stroke from a sample of seven public hospitals in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago. We analyzed adherence to the following evidence-based measures: clinical evaluation at admission, use of intravenous thrombolysis, dysphagia screening and prescription of antithrombotic therapy at discharge. As outcome measures we analyzed post-stroke pneumonia and 30-day case-fatality. We used a logistic regression model by each outcome with generalized estimating equations, which accounted for clustering of patients within hospitals and included sex, age (years), clinical status at admission (reduced level of consciousness, speech disturbance, aphasia and hemiplegia), comorbidities, dysphagia screening and neurological evaluation at admission as measures of acute stroke care. RESULTS: We reviewed the charts of 677 patients, of which 52.3% were men. The mean age was 69.8 years in women and 66.3 years in men. Diagnosis of stroke was confirmed by a computed tomography scan within 4.5 hours of symptom onset in only 9.6% of the patients. Intravenous thrombolysis was administered in 1.7%. Dysphagia screening was performed in 12.1% (95% CI 9.7-15.0) and antithrombotic therapy was prescribed in 68.9% (95% CI 64.6-72.9). Pneumonia was diagnosed in 23.6% (95% CI 20.4-27.2). Thirty-day fatality was 8.7% (95% CI 6.7-11.3). The variables independently associated with 30-day case fatality were age (OR 1.08, 95% 1.06-1.10), pneumonia (OR 7.7, 95% 95% CI 4.0-14.7), aphasia (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.1-5.6), reduced level of consciousness (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.3-4.4), and speech disturbance (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-1.9). No association was found between 30-day case fatality and dysphagia screening or neurological evaluation at admission. The factors associated with post-stroke pneumonia were female sex (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.0-2.3), age (OR 1.04 95% CI 1.03-1.05), diagnosis of diabetes (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.4-2.4), aphasia (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.5-2.7), hemiplegia (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.4), and reduced level of consciousness on admission (OR 3.4, 95% CI 2.1-5.5). No association was found between pneumonia and dysphagia screening or neurological evaluation at admission. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to evidence-based performance measures was low. Administration of intravenous thrombolysis was particularly low and diagnostic confirmation of ischemic stroke was delayed. The occurrence of post-stroke pneumonia was frequent and should be reduced. To improve acute stroke care in Chile, organizational change in the health service is urgently needed.

Cost-Effectiveness of Screening for Open Angle Glaucoma Compared With Opportunistic Case Finding.

PRCIS: The manuscript evaluates cost-effectiveness of glaucoma screening with imaging devices and telemedicine based on a screening campaign performed in Spain. The screening strategy implemented in our analysis was cost-effective compared with opportunistic case finding. INTRODUCTION: Open angle glaucoma is an asymptomatic ocular disease that represents one of the first causes of blindness. Diagnosis is currently made by opportunistic case finding, usually by community optometrists or general ophthalmologists. The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of a screening strategy based on optical coherence tomography and fundus photographs in glaucoma detection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cost-effectiveness analysis was carried out to compare 2 alternative strategies: opportunistic finding versus screening. A Markov tree model was carried out with 10 health states according to disease progression. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were used as a measure of effectiveness. We included short-term and long-term direct health costs and a discount rate of 3%. We performed a probabilistic sensitivity analysis and several 1-way sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: The cohort in the screening program entailed an increase in 0.097 QALYs and additional costs of €1187 versus opportunistic finding, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of about €12.214/QALY. The 1-way sensitivity analysis showed that inputs related to age and screening program (cost and detection rate) were those most strongly influencing the results of the analysis. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses showed that the model was robust to significant changes in the main variables of the analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The screening strategy implemented in our analysis was cost-effective compared with opportunistic finding in patients with glaucoma in this Spanish setting.

Hospital costs of nosocomial multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa acquisition.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess the hospital economic costs of nosocomial multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa acquisition. METHODS: A retrospective study of all hospital admissions between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2006 was carried out in a 420-bed, urban, tertiary-care teaching hospital in Barcelona (Spain). All patients with a first positive clinical culture for P. aeruginosa more than 48 h after admission were included. Patient and hospitalization characteristics were collected from hospital and microbiology laboratory computerized records. According to antibiotic susceptibility, isolates were classified as non-resistant, resistant and multi-drug resistant. Cost estimation was based on a full-costing cost accounting system and on the criteria of clinical Activity-Based Costing methods. Multivariate analyses were performed using generalized linear models of log-transformed costs. RESULTS: Cost estimations were available for 402 nosocomial incident P. aeruginosa positive cultures. Their distribution by antibiotic susceptibility pattern was 37.1% non-resistant, 29.6% resistant and 33.3% multi-drug resistant. The total mean economic cost per admission of patients with multi-drug resistant P. aeruginosa strains was higher than that for non-resistant strains (15,265 vs. 4,933 Euros). In multivariate analysis, resistant and multi-drug resistant strains were independently predictive of an increased hospital total cost in compared with non-resistant strains (the incremental increase in total hospital cost was more than 1.37-fold and 1.77-fold that for non-resistant strains, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: P. aeruginosa multi-drug resistance independently predicted higher hospital costs with a more than 70% increase per admission compared with non-resistant strains. Prevention of the nosocomial emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistant microorganisms is essential to limit the strong economic impact.

[Costs associated with nosocomial bacteraemias in a University Hospital]. / Costes asociados a las bacteriemias nosocomiales en un hospital universitario.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the increase in costs due to patients who had any episode of nosocomial bacteraemia (NB) in a University Hospital, compared to the costs of patients with the same illness who did not. METHODS: Descriptive and retrospective study. POPULATION: all hospitalisation episodes between January 2005 and December 2007. We compared the patients who suffered some episode of NB, with the patients who did not. Dependent variable: cost of the hospitalisation episode. Main explanatory variable: presence of nosocomial bacteraemia. A generalized linear model was adjusted, with Gamma distribution and link logarithm function, given the distribution of the costs. RESULTS: There were 640 hospital episodes with NB and 28,459 with no NB. The average incremental cost for the hospitalisations with NB was 14,735.5€, adjusted for the disease. The impact on the costs for the hospital due to patients with NB was 9,430,713€. The most frequent source of infection was the catheter (35.5%), with an average increase in cost of 18,078€. In the multivariable model, the cost of patients with NB and involving a Gram(+) microorganism was 2.1 times more than that of patients without bacteraemia (95% CI; 1.96-2.23), if the microorganism was Gram(-) it was 1.8 times more (95% CI; 1.70-1.93), and for a fungus it was 2.4 time more (95% CI; 1.95-2.89). CONCLUSIONS: This analysis shows the significant impact in the financial costs due to NB, and gives a measure of the cost-benefit of investing in resources to prevent them. Knowing the source cause of the bacteraemia allows priority to be given to these areas and to promote the necessary actions designed to prevent them.

Impact of COVID-19 on Hospital Admissions and Healthcare Quality Indicators in Non-COVID Patients: A Retrospective Study of the First COVID-19 Year in a University Hospital in Spain.

Few studies have assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-COVID diseases and healthcare quality. We aimed to evaluate changes in rates of hospitalisations, complications, in-hospital mortality, and readmissions among patients with non-COVID diseases during a one-year period after the pandemic onset. From March 2018 to February 2021 a retrospective observational study of hospital admissions in a university hospital in Spain was conducted. Non-COVID hospitalisations admitted through the emergency department were compared between the pre-COVID period (n = 28,622) and the COVID period (n = 11,904). We assessed rate ratios (RaR), comparing the weekly number of admissions and risk ratios (RR) to examine rates of complications, in-hospital mortality, readmissions, and severity. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The weekly admission rate dropped by 20.8% during the complete lockdown. We observed significant reductions in admissions related to diseases of the respiratory system and circulatory system. Admissions for endocrine and metabolic diseases increased. The complication rates increased (RR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.05;1.4), while in-hospital mortality rates held steady during the COVID period (RR = 1.09, 95% CI: 0.98;1.2). Hospital efforts to maintain quality and safety standards despite disruptions translated into a moderate increase in complications but not in in-hospital mortality. Reduced hospitalisations for conditions requiring timely treatment may have significant public health consequences.