The Affordable Care Act and its association with length of stay and payer status for trauma patients at a level I trauma center

Background: Globally, surgical site infections (SSIs) not only complicate the surgeries but also lead to $5–10 billion excess health expenditures, along with the increased length of hospital stay. SSI rates have become a universal measure of quality in hospital-based surgical practice because they are probably the most preventable of all healthcare-associated infections. Although, many national regulatory bodies have made it mandatory to report SSI rates, the burden of SSI is still likely to be significant underestimated due to truncated SSI surveillance as well as underestimated postdischarge SSIs. A WHO survey found that in low- to middle-income countries, the incidence of SSIs ranged from 1.2 to 23.6 per 100 surgical procedures. This contrasted with rates between 1.2% and 5.2% in high-income countries. Objectives: We aimed to leverage the existing surveillance capacities at our tertiary-care hospital to estimate the incidence of SSIs in a cohort of trauma patients and to develop and validate an indigenously developed, electronic SSI surveillance system. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted at a 248-bed apex trauma center for 18 months. This project was a part of an ongoing multicenter study. The demographic details were recorded, and all the patients who underwent surgery (n = 770) were followed up until 90 days after discharge. The associations of occurrence of SSI and various clinico-microbiological variables were studied. Results: In total, 32 (4.2%) patients developed SSI. S. aureus (28.6%) were the predominant pathogen causing SSI, followed by E. coli (14.3%) and K. pneumoniae (14.3%). Among the patients who had SSI, higher SSI rates were associated in patients who were referred from other facilities (P = .03), had wound class-CC (P < .001), were on HBOT (P = .001), were not administered surgical antibiotics (P = .04), were not given antimicrobial coated sutures (P = .03) or advanced dressings (P = .02), had a resurgery (P < .001), had a higher duration of stay in hospital from admission to discharge (P = .002), as well as from procedure to discharge (P = .002). SSI was cured in only 16 patients (50%) by 90 days. SSI data collection, validation, and analyses are essential in developing countries like India. Thus, it is very crucial to implement a surveillance system and a system for reporting SSI rates to surgeons and conduct a robust postdischarge surveillance using trained and committed personnel to generate, apply, and report accurate SSI data.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

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Usefulness of Pelvic Radiographs in the Initial Trauma Evaluation with Concurrent CT: Is Additional Radiation Exposure Necessary?

International Journal of Pediatrics ◽

10.1155/2018/6260954 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-4 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Anne K. Misiura ◽

Autumn D. Nanassy ◽

Jacqueline Urbine

Keyword(s):

Trauma Center ◽

Pediatric Trauma ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Additional Information ◽

Pelvic Radiographs ◽

Pelvic Radiograph ◽

Digital Radiograph ◽

Urban Level ◽

Level I ◽

Pediatric Trauma Center

Trauma patients in a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center may undergo CT of the abdomen and pelvis with concurrent radiograph during initial evaluation in an attempt to diagnose injury. To determine if plain digital radiograph of the pelvis adds additional information in the initial trauma evaluation when CT of the abdomen and pelvis is also performed, trauma patients who presented to an urban Level I Pediatric Trauma Center between 1 January 2010 and 7 February 2017 in whom pelvic radiograph and CT of the abdomen and pelvis were performed within 24 hours of each other were analyzed. A total of 172 trauma patients had pelvic radiograph and CT exams performed within 24 hours of each other. There were 12 cases in which the radiograph missed pelvic fractures seen on CT and 2 cases in which the radiograph suspected a fracture that was not present on subsequent CT. Furthermore, fractures in the pelvis were missed on pelvic radiographs in 12 of 35 cases identified on CT. Sensitivity of pelvic radiograph in detecting fractures seen on CT was 65.7% with a 95% confidence interval of 47.79-80.87%. Results suggest that there is no added diagnostic information gained from a pelvic radiograph when concurrent CT is also obtained, a practice which exposes the pediatric trauma patient to unnecessary radiation.

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Does emergency medicine length of stay predict trauma outcomes at a Level 1 Trauma Center?

Journal of Hospital Administration ◽

10.5430/jha.v4n5p1 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 (5) ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Erin Powers Kinney ◽

Kamal Gursahani ◽

Eric Armbrecht ◽

Preeti Dalawari

Keyword(s):

Length Of Stay ◽

Trauma Center ◽

Injury Severity ◽

Hospital Length ◽

Hospital Length Of Stay ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Hospital Capacity ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Level 1 ◽

Level 1 Trauma Center

Objective: Previous studies looking at emergency department (ED) crowding and delays of care on outcome measures for certain medical and surgical patients excluded trauma patients. The objectives of this study were to assess the relationship of trauma patients’ ED length of stay (EDLOS) on hospital length of stay (HLOS) and on mortality; and to examine the association of ED and hospital capacity on EDLOS.Methods: This was a retrospective database review of Level 1 and 2 trauma patients at a single site Level 1 Trauma Center in the Midwest over a one year period. Out of a sample of 1,492, there were 1,207 patients in the analysis after exclusions. The main outcome was the difference in hospital mortality by EDLOS group (short was less than 4 hours vs. long, greater than 4 hours). HLOS was compared by EDLOS group, stratified by Trauma Injury Severity Score (TRISS) category (< 0.5, 0.51-0.89, > 0.9) to describe the association between ED and hospital capacity on EDLOS.Results: There was no significant difference in mortality by EDLOS (4.8% short and 4% long, p = .5). There was no significant difference in HLOS between EDLOS, when adjusted for TRISS. ED census did not affect EDLOS (p = .59), however; EDLOS was longer when the percentage of staffed hospital beds available was lower (p < .001).Conclusions: While hospital overcrowding did increase EDLOS, there was no association between EDLOS and mortality or HLOS in leveled trauma patients at this institution.

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Experiences of Older Adult Trauma Patients Discharged Home From a Level I Trauma Center

Journal of Trauma Nursing ◽

10.1097/jtn.0000000000000288 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 182-192

Author(s):

Nathalie Rodrigue ◽

Andréa Maria Laizner ◽

Nancy Tze ◽

Maida Sewitch

Keyword(s):

Older Adult ◽

Trauma Center ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Level I

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Direct transport of geriatric trauma patients with pelvic fractures to a Level I trauma center within an organized trauma system: impact on two-week incidence of in-hospital complications

The American Journal of Surgery ◽

10.1016/j.amjsurg.2012.05.020 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 204 (6) ◽

pp. 921-926 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Tabitha Garwe ◽

Zachary V. Roberts ◽

Roxie M. Albrecht ◽

Ashley E. Morgan ◽

Jeremy J. Johnson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Trauma Center ◽

Trauma System ◽

Pelvic Fractures ◽

Geriatric Trauma ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Level I ◽

System Impact

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Early Psychiatric Consultation Is Associated With Decreased Cost and Length of Stay in the Patient Population at a Level I Trauma Center

Cureus ◽

10.7759/cureus.17572 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marin A Chavez ◽

Jason P Caplan ◽

Curtis A McKnight ◽

Andrew B Schlinkert ◽

Kristina M Chapple ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Length Of Stay ◽

Patient Population ◽

Trauma Center ◽

Psychiatric Consultation ◽

Level I

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Analysis of factors related to the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia: use of existing databases

American Journal of Critical Care ◽

10.4037/ajcc2000.9.5.344 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 344-349 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

JF Byers ◽

ML Sole

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Ventilation ◽

Length Of Stay ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Tube Feeding ◽

Causative Organism ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia ◽

Receptor Antagonists ◽

Level I

OBJECTIVE: To investigate factors related to ventilator-associated pneumonia to assist in the development and implementation of prevention strategies. METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive design was used. Power analysis determined sample size. A consecutive sample of 120 patients admitted to the critical care units of a level I trauma center who were receiving mechanical ventilation was used. Data were obtained from clinical and financial databases. Variables included demographic data, causative organism of the pneumonia, medications, comorbid conditions, complications, duration of therapies, length of stay, and cost per case. RESULTS: The average patient was a 49-year-old man. The sample was 54.9% trauma patients, and the prevalence of ventilator-associated pneumonia was 16.7%. Significant factors included duration of intubation (r = 0.28, P = .005), mechanical ventilation (r = 0.26, P = .005), and tube feeding (r = 0.30, P = .001); trauma (phi = 0.24, P = .009); and use of histamine2 receptor antagonists (phi = -0.25, P = .006). The only variable that significantly increased the odds ratio for ventilator-associated pneumonia was trauma. The only variable that significantly decreased the odds ratio was use of histamine2 receptor antagonists. Patients in whom ventilator-associated pneumonia developed had a 16-day increase in length of stay (t = -2.68, P = .008), and a $29,369 increase in cost per case (t = -3.649, P = .000). CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide a baseline for discussions about potential changes in practice to help prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia.

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