Impact of coil price knowledge by the operator on the cost of aneurysm coiling. A single center study

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 602-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanos Finitsis ◽  
Robert Fahed ◽  
Ian Gaulin ◽  
Daniel Roy ◽  
Alain Weill
Keyword(s):  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Additional Measure ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Aneurysm Embolization ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Aneurysm Coiling ◽  
Reference Cohort

BackgroundEndovascular treatment of aneurysms with coils is among the most frequent treatments in interventional neuroradiology, and represents an important expense. Each manufacturer has created several types of coils, with prices varying among brands and coil types. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of cost awareness of the exact price of each coil by the operating physician on the total cost of aneurysm coiling.Materials and methodsThis was a comparative study conducted over 1 year in a single tertiary care center. The reference cohort and the experimental cohort consisted of all aneurysm embolization procedures performed during the first 6 months and the last 6 months, respectively. During the second period, physicians were given an information sheet with the prices of all available coils and were requested to look at the sheet during each procedure with the instruction to try to reduce the total cost of the coils used. Expenses related to the coiling procedures during each period were compared.Results77 aneurysms (39 ruptured) in the reference cohort and 73 aneurysms (36 ruptured) in the experimental cohort were treated, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference regarding aneurysm location and mean size. The overall cost of the coiling procedures, the mean number of coils used per procedure, and the median cost of each procedure did not differ significantly between the two cohorts.ConclusionAwareness of the precise price of coils by operators without any additional measure did not have a scientifically proven impact on the cost of aneurysm embolization.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on an Israeli Acute Care Surgery Unit: Fewer Patients, More Disease

2021 ◽  
pp. 000313482110111
Author(s):  
Yossi Maman ◽  
Adam Lee Goldstein ◽  
Uri Neeman ◽  
Yonatan Lessing ◽  
Lior Orbach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Acute Care Surgery ◽  
Charlson Comorbidity Index Score ◽  
Apache Ii Score ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Care Surgery ◽  
The Impact

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed and affected every aspect of health care. Like any catastrophic event, the stress on hospitals to maintain a certain level of function is immense. Acute surgical pathologies cannot be prevented or curtailed; therefore, it is important to understand patterns and outcomes during catastrophes in order to optimize care and organize the health care system. Methods In a single urban tertiary care center, a retrospective study examined the first complete lockdown period of Israel during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was compared to the same time period the previous year. Results During the pandemic, time to hospitalization was significantly decreased. There was also an overall reduction in surgical admissions yet with a higher percentage being hospitalized for further treatment (69.2% vs 23.5%). The patients admitted during this time had a higher APACHE-II score and Charlson comorbidity index score. During the pandemic, time to surgery was decreased, there were less laparoscopic procedures, and more RBC units were used per patient. There were no differences in overall complications, except when sub-analyzed for major complications (9.7% vs 6.3%). There was no significant difference in overall in-house mortality or morbidity. Length of hospitalization was significantly decreased in the elderly population during the pandemic. Conclusion During the COVID-19 pandemic, despite a significantly less number of patients presenting to the hospital, there was a higher percentage of those admitted needing surgical intervention, and they were overall sicker than the previous year.

Predictors for Postoperative Chyle Leak Following Neck Dissection, a Technique-Based Comparison

2021 ◽  
pp. 019459982199381
Author(s):  
Quinn Dunlap ◽  
Matthew Bridges ◽  
Kurt Nelson ◽  
Deanne King ◽  
Brendan C. Stack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surgical Technique ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Severe Malnutrition ◽  
Chyle Leak ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Monopolar Electrocautery ◽  
The Impact

Objective Assess the impact of surgical technique used to address level IV on the rate of postoperative chyle leak. Study Design Retrospective chart review. Setting Academic tertiary care center. Methods An analysis of 436 consecutive neck dissections (NDs) in 368 patients was performed by 3 head and neck surgeons between 2014 and 2017. Variation in technique reflects individual approaches to the management of level IV and included suture ligation (SL), monopolar electrocautery (MC), and harmonic scalpel transection (HS). Data points included patient demographics, surgical technique, intraoperative findings, postoperative chyle leaks, and leak management. Correlation between variables was analyzed through χ2 test and Student t test with statistical α set at .05. Results Overall, 12 patients (3.2%) developed chyle leaks postoperatively. Nine of 12 and 3 of 12 presented with left- and right-sided leaks, respectively. Five of 12 leaks occurred following bilateral ND, 5 of 12 following left ND, and 2 of 12 following right ND. Univariate analysis showed a statistically significant difference ( P = .001) favoring SL (1.0%) and MC (1.2%) techniques over the HS technique (8.6%). A statistically significant increase existed in the rate of leak with endocrine vs nonendocrine pathology ( P = .003). Average duration of leak was 13.3 ± 13.5 days. Management included diet modification (n = 11, 91.6%), pressure-dressing placement (n = 7, 58.3%), and octreotide (n = 5, 41.7%). No cases required reoperation, and no mortality or severe malnutrition was observed in this series. Conclusions SL and MC techniques demonstrated superiority over the HS technique in preventative management of chyle leak in level IV, with a significantly higher rate of chyle leak observed in endocrine-related pathology.

scholarly journals The impact of Ramadan on visits related to diabetes emergencies at a tertiary care center

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah M. AlZahrani ◽  
Mawaddah M. Zawawi ◽  
Naif A. Almutairi ◽  
Ammar Y. Alansari ◽  
Amina A. Bargawi
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Military Hospital ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Patients With Diabetes ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar were Muslims fast from dawn until sunset. This prolonged fasting period might have an impact on patients with diabetes and their disease control. This study aimed to determine the variation in visits at the Emergency Room department (ER) during Ramadan in comparison with other lunar months at a tertiary care hospital in Jeddah city in relation to the diabetes emergencies. Methodology A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using electronic medical record review of patients with diabetes emergencies who visited ER of a Military hospital, from 9th to 11th lunar months during 2017–2018. Diabetes patients who visited ER and aged more than 18 years old were included. Frequency of ER visits, sociodemographic characteristics and clinical features were determined. Chi-square test, Student ‘s t-test and one-way ANOVA at p < 0.05 were used in assessing associations between variables. Results Within the selected study period, a total of 24,498 admissions were recorded in ER. The prevalence of diabetes emergencies visits was only 0.84%. Based on inclusion criteria, a total of 133 subjects were included in the study (54.1% men, 45.9% women). Majority of whom (73.7%) were on insulin therapy, and more than half of whom (51.9%) were type 2 diabetes. There was a significant difference (p = 0.001) in the prevalence of diabetes emergencies visits between the three lunar months Shaban, Ramadan and Shawal, 7, 5 and 4%, respectively. However, the highest prevalence was not in Ramadan. Despite some correlations were identified, the study found no significant differences between frequency of ER visits and various demographic, clinical factors and diabetes profile between Ramadan and other both preceding and succeeding lunar month. Conclusion In contrary with previous studies, a downward trend of prevalence, from Shaban to Ramadan, to Shawal was found. This indicated that fasting during month of Ramadan does not impact negatively on the diabetes emergencies in comparison with other months. Hyperglycemia among type 2 diabetes and insulin treated patients were recorded the highest feature of diabetes emergences visits during the three months studied with no significant differences between the months. These findings highlight the need of type 2 and insulin treated patients to be thoroughly assess by the Primary Care physicians and in-depth health education and guidance should be given to them.

Comparative Morbidity Profile of Elective vs Therapeutic Neck Dissection

2021 ◽  
pp. 019459982110089
Author(s):  
Quinn Dunlap ◽  
James Reed Gardner ◽  
Amanda Ederle ◽  
Deanne King ◽  
Maya Merriweather ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neck Dissection ◽  
Surgical Complications ◽  
Chart Review ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Neck Surgery ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
History Of

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.

scholarly journals Impact of Rapid PCR Influenza Testing on the Rate of Inpatient Admissions During Influenza Season at a Tertiary-Care Center

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s263-s264
Author(s):  
Jordan Polistico ◽  
Avnish Sandhu ◽  
Teena Chopra ◽  
Erin Goldman ◽  
Jennifer LeRose ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Season ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Turnaround Time ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Tertiary Care Center ◽  
Pediatric Hospital ◽  
Rapid Pcr ◽  
The Impact

Background: Influenza causes a high burden of disease in the United States, with an estimate of 960,000 hospitalizations in the 2017–2018 flu season. Traditional flu diagnostic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests have a longer (24 hours or more) turnaround time that may lead to an increase in unnecessary inpatient admissions during peak influenza season. A new point-of-care rapid PCR assays, Xpert Flu, is an FDA-approved PCR test that has a significant decrease in turnaround time (2 hours). The present study sought to understand the impact of implementing a new Xpert Flu test on the rate of inpatient admissions. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to compare rates of inpatient admissions in patients tested with traditional flu PCR during the 2017–2018 flu season and the rapid flu PCR during the 2018–2019 flu season in a tertiary-care center in greater Detroit area. The center has 1 pediatric hospital (hospital A) and 3 adult hospitals (hospital B, C, D). Patients with influenza-like illness who presented to all 4 hospitals during 2 consecutive influenza seasons were analyzed. Results: In total, 20,923 patients were tested with either the rapid flu PCR or the traditional flu PCR. Among these, 14,124 patients (67.2%) were discharged from the emergency department and 6,844 (32.7%) were admitted. There was a significant decrease in inpatient admissions in the traditional flu PCR group compared to the rapid flu PCR group across all hospitals (49.56% vs 26.6% respectively; P < .001). As expected, a significant proportion of influenza testing was performed in the pediatric hospital, 10,513 (50.2%). A greater reduction (30% decrease in the rapid flu PCR group compared to the traditional flu PCR group) was observed in inpatient admissions in the pediatric hospital (Table 1) Conclusions: Rapid molecular influenza testing can significantly decrease inpatient admissions in a busy tertiary-care hospital, which can indirectly lead to improved patient quality with easy bed availability and less time spent in a private room with droplet precautions. Last but not the least, this testing method can certainly lead to lower healthcare costs.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

Prehospital Intubations Are Associated with Elevated Endotracheal Tube Cuff Pressures: A Cross-Sectional Study Characterizing ETT Cuff Pressures at a Tertiary Care Emergency Department

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Ruo S. Chen ◽  
Laurel O’Connor ◽  
Matthew R. Rebesco ◽  
Kara L. LaBarge ◽  
Edgar J. Remotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endotracheal Tube ◽  
Cuff Pressure ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Endotracheal Tube Cuff ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Tube Cuff ◽  
Respiratory Therapists ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Introduction: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers are trained to place endotracheal tubes (ETTs) in the prehospital setting when indicated. Endotracheal tube cuffs are traditionally inflated with 10cc of air to provide adequate seal against the tracheal lumen. There is literature suggesting that many ETTs are inflated well beyond the accepted safe pressures of 20-30cmH2O, leading to potential complications including ischemia, necrosis, scarring, and stenosis of the tracheal wall. Currently, EMS providers do not routinely check ETT cuff pressures. It was hypothesized that the average ETT cuff pressure of patients arriving at the study site who were intubated by EMS exceeds the safe pressure range of 20-30cmH2O. Objectives: While ETT cuff inflation is necessary to close the respiratory system, thus preventing air leaks and aspiration, there is evidence to suggest that over-inflated ETT cuffs can cause long-term complications. The purpose of this study is to characterize the cuff pressures of ETTs placed by EMS providers. Methods: This project was a single center, prospective observational study. Endotracheal tube cuff pressures were measured and recorded for adult patients intubated by EMS providers prior to arrival at a large, urban, tertiary care center over a nine-month period. All data were collected by respiratory therapists utilizing a cuff pressure measurement device which had a detectable range of 0-100cmH2O and was designed as a syringe. Results including basic patient demographics, cuff pressure, tube size, and EMS service were recorded. Results: In total, 45 measurements from six EMS services were included with ETT sizes ranging from 6.5-8.0mm. Mean patient age was 52.2 years (67.7% male). Mean cuff pressure was 81.8cmH2O with a range of 15 to 100 and a median of 100. The mode was 100cmH2O; 40 out of 45 (88.9%) cuff pressures were above 30cmH2O. Linear regression showed no correlation between age and ETT cuff pressure or between ETT size and cuff pressure. Two-tailed T tests did not show a significant difference in the mean cuff pressure between female versus male patients. Conclusion: An overwhelming majority of prehospital intubations are associated with elevated cuff pressures, and cuff pressure monitoring education is indicated to address this phenomenon.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Anxiety Level of Mothers of Children with Epilepsy during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Halil Celik ◽  
Sadettin Burak Acikel ◽  
Fatih Mehmet Akif Ozdemir ◽  
Erhan Aksoy ◽  
Ulkuhan Oztoprak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neurological Disease ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Anxiety Level ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Routine Examination ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Anxiety Levels

<b><i>Background and Aim:</i></b> Although anyone can be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, it may cause additional concern for people with chronic conditions. Epilepsy is the most common neurological disease in childhood and adolescence. The aim of this study was to determine anxiety levels among the mothers of children under follow-up for epilepsy in our clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The study group consisted of the mothers of epilepsy patients who were under follow-up in the pediatric neurology outpatient clinic of the tertiary care center and were scheduled for a routine examination during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mothers’ anxiety levels according to the Beck Anxiety Inventory and their opinions about COVID-19 in relation to their child were assessed and compared based on whether the mother/patient attended their appointments in person and whether the child had frequent or infrequent seizures. <b><i>Results:</i></b> There was no statistically significant difference in anxiety level between the mothers of 64 children with epilepsy who attended their appointment during the pandemic and those of the mothers of 52 who did not attend their appointment. However, the mothers of children with frequent seizures had significantly higher anxiety levels. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Anxiety level of mothers whose children have frequent seizures was significantly higher compared to mothers whose children have infrequent seizures. It is important to be aware about this point and using telemedicine approach in suitable population and postpone routine outpatient follow-up appointments as much as possible.

scholarly journals Paradigm Shift in Clinical Practice of Sexual Health in Men During COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 263183182110323
Author(s):  
Aditya Prakash Sharma ◽  
Japleen Kaur ◽  
Ravimohan S. Mavuduru ◽  
Shrawan K. Singh
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Surgical Procedures ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Health Care Seeking ◽  
Care Seeking ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
The Impact

Sexual health-care seeking behavior and practices have been affected during COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 on this subspecialty is far reaching. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on health-care seeking practice pertaining to sexual health in men in our tertiary care center and review the relevant literature regarding impact of COVID-19 on sexual health seeking practice and challenges faced. Outpatient data was analyzed from January 2019 to April 2021. Patients awaiting surgical procedures due to COVID were documented. A narrative synthesis of literature based on systematic search using the keywords sexual health, sexual health seeking, sexual health practice, andrology, and COVID with operators “AND” and “OR” was carried out in three search engines PubMed, Scopus, and Embase. The study outcomes were obtained by comparing data of outpatient attendance and compiling the reviewed literature. The mean attendance fell significantly from 95.11±11.17 to 17.25±13.70 persons (P <.0001) per outpatient clinic, March 2020 being the reference point. Teleconsultation has taken over physical consultation. In 98/949 cases, teleconsult could not be provided despite registration. Over 25 patients were waiting for surgical procedures pertaining to andrology due to shut down of elective services. Similar trends have been reported from other countries. Number of patients seeking consultation for sexual health problems has dramatically decreased during COVID-19 era. Establishment of data safe teleconsultation facility and its widespread advertisement is needed to encourage patients to seek consult.

Reduced Socioeconomic Disparities in Cleft Care After Implementing a Cleft Nurse Navigator Program

2021 ◽  
pp. 105566562110056
Author(s):  
Connor Wagner ◽  
Carrie E. Zimmerman ◽  
Carlos Barrero ◽  
Christopher L. Kalmar ◽  
Paris Butler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cleft Palate ◽  
Cleft Lip ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Multidisciplinary Care ◽  
Socioeconomic Disparities ◽  
Outpatient Appointment ◽  
Nurse Navigator ◽  
Insured Patients ◽  
The Impact

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a Cleft Nurse Navigator (CNN) program on care for patients with cleft lip and cleft palate and assess the programs efficacy to reduce existing socioeconomic disparities in care. Design: Retrospective review and outcomes analysis (n = 739). Setting: Academic tertiary care center. Patients: All patients presenting with cleft lip and/or cleft palate (CL/P) born between May 2009 and November 2019 with exclusions for atypical clefts, submucous cleft palates, international adoption, and very late presentation (after 250 days of life). Interventions: Multidisciplinary care coordination program facilitated by the CNN. Main Outcome Measures: Patient age at first outpatient appointment and age at surgery, reported feeding issues, weight gain, and patient-cleft team communications. Results: After CNN implementation, median age at outpatient appointment decreased from 20 to 16 days ( P = .021), volume of patient-cleft team communications increased from 1.5 to 2.8 ( P < .001), and frequency of reported feeding concerns decreased (50% to 35%; P < .001). In the pre-CNN cohort, nonwhite and publicly insured patients experienced delays in first outpatient appointment ( P < .001), cleft lip repair ( P < .011), and cleft palate repair ( P < .019) compared to white and privately insured patients, respectively. In the post-CNN cohort, there were no significant differences in first appointment timing by race nor surgical timing on the basis of racial identity nor insurance type. Conclusions: A variety of factors lead to delays in cleft care for marginalized patient populations. These findings suggest that a CNN can reduce disparities of access and communication and improve early feeding in at-risk cohorts.

scholarly journals The Development of Patient Scheduling Groups for an Effective Appointment System

2016 ◽  
Vol 07 (01) ◽  
pp. 43-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Li Huang
Keyword(s):  
Access To Care ◽  
Treatment Time ◽  
Optimization Technique ◽  
Urgent Care ◽  
Patient Scheduling ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Patient Type ◽  
Clinic Efficiency ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

SummaryPatient access to care and long wait times has been identified as major problems in outpatient delivery systems. These aspects impact medical staff productivity, service quality, clinic efficiency, and health-care cost.This study proposed to redesign existing patient types into scheduling groups so that the total cost of clinic flow and scheduling flexibility was minimized. The optimal scheduling group aimed to improve clinic efficiency and accessibility.The proposed approach used the simulation optimization technique and was demonstrated in a Primary Care physician clinic. Patient type included, emergency/urgent care (ER/UC), follow-up (FU), new patient (NP), office visit (OV), physical exam (PE), and well child care (WCC). One scheduling group was designed for this physician. The approach steps were to collect physician treatment time data for each patient type, form the possible scheduling groups, simulate daily clinic flow and patient appointment requests, calculate costs of clinic flow as well as appointment flexibility, and find the scheduling group that minimized the total cost.The cost of clinic flow was minimized at the scheduling group of four, an 8.3% reduction from the group of one. The four groups were: 1. WCC, 2. OV, 3. FU and ER/UC, and 4. PE and NP. The cost of flexibility was always minimized at the group of one. The total cost was minimized at the group of two. WCC was considered separate and the others were grouped together. The total cost reduction was 1.3% from the group of one.This study provided an alternative method of redesigning patient scheduling groups to address the impact on both clinic flow and appointment accessibility. Balance between them ensured the feasibility to the recognized issues of patient service and access to care. The robustness of the proposed method on the changes of clinic conditions was also discussed.

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