scholarly journals Mapping Pediatric Tetanus Cases in Central Pennsylvania and Analyzing Hospital Costs Associated with Treatment

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. S323-S323
Author(s):  
Bilaal Ahmed ◽  
Michael Beck ◽  
Parvathi Kumar

Abstract Background Pennsylvania is home to Amish and Mennonite communities with an estimated combined population of over 90,000 people. Under-immunization is common with vaccine preventable diseases, including tetanus, periodically presenting among children from these communities. Nearly 20% of nationally reported pediatric tetanus cases in the past 10 years were treated at our institution, the tertiary care center which serves these unique populations. We characterize demographics and costs of treating this rare, but largely preventable infection. Methods Chart review based on ICD-9 codes for tetanus infection in patients aged 0–17 years treated for clinically diagnosed tetanus infection between January 2006 and December 2015. Cost data were extracted from Horizon Business Insight software and analyzed in Microsoft Excel. Cases were mapped using UDS Mapper. Results Four cases of pediatric tetanus infection were identified with 100% occurring in unimmunized patients and 3 of 4 (75%) in Amish individuals. Treatment costs amounted to $121,170 with estimated payment of $80,664 resulting in a net loss to the hospital of $40,506 over the course of 10 years. Each case treated resulted in a median loss of $4,402 to the hospital. Conclusion The costs of treating this vaccine preventable disease for both hospitals and under-immunized Amish and Mennonite communities, who tend to pay out-of-pocket, should be emphasized in targeted outreach and education programs at the population level. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

1998 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 254-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dick Zoutman ◽  
Shirley McDonald ◽  
Dilini Vethanayagan

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE: To determine the total and attributable costs of surgical-wound infections in a Canadian teaching hospital.DESIGN: Retrospective incidence series study with chart review and examination of resource utilization attributable to wound infection. The charts of inpatients with wound infections were examined using the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP), a validated chart review instrument designed to determine appropriateness of care, modified for wound infections.SETTING: A university referral center in Canada.PATIENTS: Medical records were abstracted from patients with wound infections who underwent an inpatient clean or clean-contaminated procedure during 1991.MEASUREMENTS: During the wound-infection treatment period, the hospital costs associated with providing care were tabulated for all inpatient days and for outpatient and emergency visits. Costs taken into account included nursing salary and benefits, nonphysician professional services, operating room time, laboratory, pharmacy, supplies, ancillary tests, and hotel costs.RESULTS: We identified 108 wound infections. Twenty-two patients required 28 surgical procedures related to a wound infection. Inpatient days totalled 1,116, costing $394,337. Fifty-five emergency and 42 clinic visits occurred, costing $27,193. By applying the AEP to the inpatient days, 833 days, or 10.2 days per case, were directly attributable to the wound infection. The hospital costs for inpatient care attributable to wound infections were $321,533 in total, or $3,937 per infection. Costs were distributed as follows: nursing, 51%; hotel, 14%; pharmacy, 10%; laboratory, 9%; emergency and outpatient clinic, 6%; professional services, 5%; operating room, 3%; and ancillary tests, 2%.CONCLUSIONS: Wound infections contribute markedly to extra days of hospitalization and related costs. The AEP method is applied easily to determine attributable days of care and costs of wound infections, which are necessary to calculate the cost-benefit of infection control programs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 37-40
Author(s):  
Satvinder Singh Bakshi ◽  
Soumyajit Das ◽  
Seepana Ramesh ◽  
Suriyanarayanan Gopalakrishnan

<b>Background:</b> Mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection affecting people with impaired immunity. The aim of this study is to shed light on the epidemiology, incidence, and outcome of patients with mucormycosis hospitalized at a tertiary care center in Pondicherry. <br><b>Methods:</b> We conducted a retrospective chart review between January 2008 and January 2018. All patients with proven or probable mucormycosis were included. <br><b>Results:</b> A total of 24 patients were included. Their median age was 49 years and the majority were males. Comorbidities included mainly hematologic malignancy and diabetes mellitus. A liposomal amphotericin B formulation alone or in combination with other antifungals was used as a first line agent in all patients. <br><b>Conclusion:</b> The incidence of mucormycosis has significantly increased over the past 10 years at our institution, most likely due to increased risk factors.


2021 ◽  
pp. 019459982110089
Author(s):  
Quinn Dunlap ◽  
James Reed Gardner ◽  
Amanda Ederle ◽  
Deanne King ◽  
Maya Merriweather ◽  
...  

Objective Neck dissection (ND) is one of the most commonly performed procedures in head and neck surgery. We sought to compare the morbidity of elective ND (END) versus therapeutic ND (TND). Study Design Retrospective chart review. Setting Academic tertiary care center. Methods Retrospective chart review of 373 NDs performed from January 2015 to December 2018. Patients with radical ND or inadequate chart documentation were excluded. Demographics, clinicopathologic data, complications, and sacrificed structures during ND were retrieved. Statistical analysis was performed with χ2 and analysis of variance for comparison of categorical and continuous variables, respectively, with statistical alpha set a 0.05. Results Patients examined consisted of 224 males (60%) with a mean age of 60 years. TND accounted for 79% (n = 296) as compared with 21% (n = 77) for END. Other than a significantly higher history of radiation (37% vs 7%, P < .001) and endocrine pathology (34% vs 2.6%, P < .001) in the TND group, no significant differences in demographics were found between the therapeutic and elective groups. A significantly higher rate of structure sacrifice and extranodal extension within the TND group was noted to hold in overall and subgroup comparisons. No significant difference in rate of surgical complications was appreciated between groups in overall or subgroup analysis. Conclusion While the significantly higher rate of structure sacrifice among the TND population represents an increased morbidity profile in these patients, no significant difference was found in the rate of surgical complications between groups. The significant difference seen between groups regarding history of radiation and endocrine pathology likely represents selection bias.


2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 791-798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anucha Apisarnthanarak ◽  
Kanokporn Thongphubeth ◽  
Sirinaj Sirinvaravong ◽  
Danai Kitkangvan ◽  
Chananart Yuekyen ◽  
...  

Objective.To evaluate the efficacy of a multifaceted hospitalwide quality improvement program that featured an intervention to remind physicians to remove unnecessary urinary catheters.Methods.A hospitalwide preintervention-postintervention study was conducted over 2 years (July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2006). The intervention consisted of nurse-generated daily reminders that were used by an intervention team to remind physicians to remove unnecessary urinary catheters, beginning 3 days after insertion. Clinical, microbiological, pharmaceutical, and cost data were collected.Results.A total of 2,412 patients were enrolled in the study. No differences were found in the demographic and/or clinical characteristics of patients between the preintervention and postintervention periods. After the intervention, reductions were found in the rate of inappropriate urinary catheterization (mean rate, preintervention vs postintervention, 20.4% vs 11% [P = .04]), the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CA-UTI) (mean rate, 21.5 vs 5.2 infections per 1,000 catheter-days [P <.001]), the duration of urinary catheterization (mean, 11 vs 3 days [P < .001]), and the total length of hospitalization (mean, 16 vs 5 days [P < .001]). A linear relationship was seen between the monthly average duration of catheterization and the rate of CA-UTI (r = 0.89; P < .001). The intervention had the greatest impact on the rate of CA-UTI in the intensive care units (mean rate, preintervention vs postintervention, 23.4 vs 3.5 infections per 1,000 catheter-days [P = .01]). The monthly hospital costs for antibiotics to treat CA-UTI were reduced by 63% (mean, $3,739 vs $1,378 [P < .001]), and the hospitalization cost for each patient during the intervention was reduced by 58% (mean, $366 vs $154 [P < .001]).Conclusions.This study suggests that a multifaceted intervention to remind physicians to remove unnecessary urinary catheters can significantly reduced the duration of urinary catheterization and the CA-UTI rate in a hospital in a developing country.


Author(s):  
Nivedita Basu ◽  
Madeline Mahowald ◽  
Kris Kawamoto ◽  
Melinda Davis

Background: Few studies have evaluated temporal trends in outcomes and risk factors for peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). Prior research using administrative data could only assess short-term in-hospital adverse events. It has also been hypothesized that the incidence of PPCM is rising due to advancing maternal age and increased risk factors. Therefore, we examined long-term outcomes and prognostic factors to determine if there has been any change over the past decade. Methods: Patients seen at a tertiary care center between 2000 and 2011 with a diagnosis of PPCM were identified by ICD9 code 674.5x and confirmed by manual chart review. Year of diagnosis, clinical and demographic variables, echocardiographic data, and outcomes including myocardial recovery (defined as EF>=55%), ICD placement, LVAD, transplant, and death were reviewed for follow-up through November 2016. Results: Of 60 patients, 31 (52%) were diagnosed recently (2006-2011) and 29 (48%) were diagnosed prior to 2006 (1996-2005). There were no significant differences in the recent group compared to the past group in initial EF (19% vs 22%), final EF (39% vs 39%), and final recovery status (52% vs 48%). Similarly, there were no differences in rates of ICD implantation, LVAD/transplant, mortality, and years of survival. There were no differences in age at diagnosis or in rates of hypertension, smoking, or diabetes. Few patients in either category underwent a subsequent pregnancy. Mean years of follow-up (through 2016) were longer for those diagnosed prior to 2006 (8.3 years vs 3.4 years, p<0.001). Conclusions: There has been no improvement in outcomes for patients diagnosed with PPCM in the past decade. Maternal age and risk factors do not appear to be increasing. Despite advances in heart failure treatment and increased awareness of PPCM, more research about the management and follow-up of young mothers with PPCM is needed.


2005 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Bakir ◽  
Mehmet Ugurlu ◽  
Basak Dokuzoguz ◽  
Hurrem Bodur ◽  
Mehmet A Tasyaran ◽  
...  

A Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) outbreak emerged from 2001 to 2003 in the Middle Anatolia region of Turkey. This study describes the clinical characteristics and outcome features of CCHF patients admitted to four tertiary care hospitals in Turkey. Definitive diagnosis was based on the detection of CCHF virus-specific IgM by ELISA or of genomic segments of the CCHF virus by RT-PCR. Related data were collected by a retrospective chart review. Hospital costs were extracted from the final discharge bills. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine the independent predictors of mortality. CCHF virus-specific antibodies or genomic segments were detected in the sera of 99 cases. Seven cases that were treated with ribavirin were excluded from the study. Cases were mostly farmers (83 cases, 90 %), and 60 % had a tick-bite history before the onset of fever. Impaired consciousness and splenomegaly were independent predictors of a fatal outcome.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Sneha Rangu ◽  
Leslie Castelo-Soccio

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Trichotillomania (TTM) is a complex disease with varying clinical characteristics, and psychosocial impairment is noted in many TTM patients. Despite its prevalence in childhood, there is limited research on pediatric TTM. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To analyze the clinical and epidemiologic features of TTM in children evaluated by dermatologists and behavioral health specialists. <b><i>Method:</i></b> We performed a retrospective chart review of 137 pediatric patients seen at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with initial presentation of TTM at age 17 or younger. Patients were treated by dermatology or behavioral health. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The majority of the patients were females, with an average diagnosis age around 8 years. Over half had a psychiatric comorbidity, and over a quarter had a skin disorder. Skin disorders were more commonly present in those evaluated by dermatology, and psychiatric comorbidities were more commonly present in those evaluated by behavioral health. The most common form of treatment was behavioral therapy, with medications prescribed more often by dermatologists. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> TTM patients choose to present to behavioral health or dermatology; however, there are distinctive differences between the two cohorts. With behavioral and pharmacologic treatment options, a relationship between dermatologists and behavioral health specialists is necessary for multifactorial management of TTM.


2019 ◽  
Vol 04 (02) ◽  
pp. 079-084
Author(s):  
Shibba Takkar Chhabra ◽  
Gurleen Kaur ◽  
Samir Kapoor ◽  
Gagandeep Nagi ◽  
Devanshi Kajal ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Women have been thought to be protected against the perils of cardiovascular disease (CVD) till late in their lives. But the literature suggests quite the opposite with CVD being a major cause of death even in young women. In contrast, the lack of awareness among women is disheartening and needs to be addressed radically. Methods The study was designed and conducted as retrospective cohort at a tertiary care center. Data was collected from patients presenting for routine cardiac health checkup over the past 15 years. The parameters observed included age at presenting, symptoms and/or signs, plus area of residence or domicile. Results A total of 32,831 patients presented for routine cardiac health checkup, of which 9,211 (28.1%) patients were women and 23,620 (71.9%) were men. On 5 yearly cumulative assessment, the mean attendance of women was 28.1 ± 2.5% as compared with 71.9 ± 2.6% men. Trend observed over the past 15 years revealed little change in the number of women versus men presenting for cardiac health checkup annually. Statistical significance was seen at p < 0.01. Among the women presenting for the checkup, it was observed that most women were in the postmenopausal age group (42.8%), followed by perimenopausal age group (34.6%), and least in premenopausal age group (22.5%) during the timeline of the study. A similar trend was observed in the male attendance; the input of males being higher at all instances. Noteworthy were trends of urban women (69.6%) presenting for health checkup more often as compared with 30.4% visiting from rural residence. Conclusions Coronary artery disease (CAD) is not uncommon in female gender. It is accompanied by varying symptom presentation with high mortality. It is seen that cardiac health awareness is significantly lacking among women as compared with men. There are almost static trends observed over the past 15 years, especially in premenopausal age group and rural domicile. Corrective actions inclining toward campaigns and communication to distribute information on cardiac disease prevention and treatment modalities among women are needed to curb CAD. This may promote early detection of CAD leading to early interventions to promote a healthy heart among women. Recommendations and necessary actions steps for a woman oriented cardiac program are the need of the hour.


2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (7) ◽  
pp. 627-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather VanderMeulen ◽  
Jeffrey M. Pernica ◽  
Madan Roy ◽  
April J. Kam

Objective. To assess the promptness and appropriateness of management in pediatric cases of necrotizing fasciitis (NF). Methods. A retrospective chart review examined cases of pediatric NF treated at a pediatric tertiary care center over a 10-year period. Results. Twelve patients were identified over the 10-year period. The median (25th to 75th centile) times to appropriate antibiotic administration, infectious disease consults, surgical consults and debridement surgeries were 2.6 (2.1-3.2), 7.7 (3.4-24.4), 4.6 (1.7-21.0), and 22.1 (10.3-28.4) hours following assessment at triage. The initial antibiotic(s) administered covered the causative organism in 9 of 12 cases. The median (25th to 75th centile) length of hospital stay was 21 (14.0-35.5) days. Conclusions. The large variability in the care of these patients speaks to the range of their presenting symptomatology. The lack of a standardized approach to the pediatric patient with suspected NF results in delays in management and suboptimal antibiotic choice.


Author(s):  
Naveen Kumar ◽  
Shruti Patel

Background: Arteriovenous Fistula creation is one of the commonly performed procedure among Plastic surgeons. There is always an argument regarding various techniques of the fistula with lack of conclusive evidences in the past literature to recommend any of the anastomosis type. With this study we aimed to compare the two different common techniques of fistula - end to side (ES) and side to side (SS). Material and Methods: Total 80 patients were included for the retrospective analysis from January 2018 to January 2020 who were divided into two groups as ES (proximal end of the transected vein to the side of the artery anastomosis) and SS (side of the artery to the side of the vein anastomosis) groups. Each group was containing 40 patients. Follow up was done at 3 and 6 months. Results: Statistical analysis of demographic, preoperative, complications and follow-up data did not show any statistically significant difference. However, post operative complications like venous hypertension and steal syndrome were found only in SS group. Conclusion: With our study we can conclude that after comparing for a follow up period of 6 months we found statistically no significant difference between the two techniques. However, possibility of better insight in regard of patency rate, complications and other parameters after a longer duration of follow up could not be ruled out. Keywords: Arteriovenous, complications, fistula, patency, technique


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