Abstract 105: 24/7 In-House Consultant Staffing for Cardiac Surgical ICU Patients: A Cost-Effective Model

Author(s):  
Kanwal Kumar ◽  
Brett Hiebert ◽  
Hilary P Grocott ◽  
Dean D Bell ◽  
Ryan Zarychanski ◽  
...  

Introduction: Intensive care staffing models vary amongst institutions. There is increasing evidence that in-house consultant care is beneficial in the intensive care unit. We have previously published beneficial results associated with 24-hour / 7-days a week in-house consultants working in a dedicated post-cardiac surgical unit. The cost-effectiveness of employing 24-hour / 7-days a week in-house consultants (both in the postoperative cardiac surgery and the general systems intensive care unit settings) remains largely unknown. The objective of this study was to analyze the cost implications of such a model. Methods: Using a prospectively collected database, an observational before and after cohort analysis of consecutive patients undergoing a cardiac surgical procedure at a single tertiary center was performed. The control cohort (n=1425) consisted of patients admitted to a traditional mixed surgical intensive care unit (SICU) from Jan.2005 - Jan.2007. The intervention cohort (n=1824) consisted of patients admitted to a newly created cardiac surgery ICU (CICU) from Jan.2007 - Sept.2008, which was staffed by 24/7 in-house consultants. Cost estimates were calculated for each patient from time of ICU admission to hospital discharge. For comparison purposes, propensity analysis was performed matching both cohorts on over twenty clinical, physiological, and surgical variables. Results: 1,182 patients (83%) per cohort were matched. Pre-operative demographics and surgical variables were similar between both cohorts. The CICU model was associated with a significant decrease in mean hospital bed, laboratory, and blood transfusion costs (Table 1). A higher mean ICU consultant salary cost offset this. Total estimated median cost was ∼14% lower in the CICU model relative to the SICU model (Table 1). Conclusions: We present a large before-after observational study examining the cost-effectiveness of 24/7 ICU consultant staffing. Our data suggests that the greater savings associated with improvement in post-operative care offsets the salary costs associated with 24/7 in-house consultants.

1985 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 388-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. McKowen ◽  
George J. Magovern ◽  
George A. Liebler ◽  
Sang B. Park ◽  
John A. Burkholder ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. e20200069
Author(s):  
Anastasia N.L. Newman ◽  
Michelle E. Kho ◽  
Jocelyn E. Harris ◽  
Alison Fox-Robichaud ◽  
Patricia Solomon

Purpose: This article describes current physiotherapy practice for critically ill adult patients requiring prolonged stays in critical care (> 3 d) after complicated cardiac surgery in Ontario. Method: We distributed an electronic, self-administered 52-item survey to 35 critical care physiotherapists who treat adult cardiac surgery patients at 11 cardiac surgical sites. Pilot testing and clinical sensibility testing were conducted beforehand. Participants were sent four email reminders. Results: The response rate was 80% (28/35). The median (inter-quartile range) reported number of cardiac surgeries performed per week was 30 (10), with a median number of 14.5 (4) cardiac surgery beds per site. Typical reported caseloads ranged from 6 to 10 patients per day pe therapist, and 93% reported that they had initiated physiotherapy with patients once they were clinically stable in the intensive care unit. Of 28 treatments, range of motion exercises (27; 96.4%), airway clearance techniques (26; 92.9%), and sitting at the edge of the bed (25; 89.3%) were the most common. Intra-aortic balloon pump and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation appeared to limit physiotherapy practice. Use of outcome measures was limited. Conclusions: Physiotherapists provide a variety of interventions with critically ill cardiac surgery patients. Further evaluation of the limited use of outcome measures in the cardiac surgical intensive care unit is warranted.


2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (8) ◽  
pp. 818-822 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy N. Hildreth ◽  
Toby Enniss ◽  
Robert S. Martin ◽  
Preston R. Miller ◽  
Donna Mitten-Long ◽  
...  

In some populations, intensive care unit (ICU) mobility has been shown to be safe and beneficial. We gathered data on 50 nonintubated surgical patients in a 10-bed surgical ICU (SICU) who met physiologic inclusion criteria beginning in May 2008 (A group). In January 2009, we began mandatory entry of computerized mobility orders as part of a standardized ICU order set. We also created a mobility protocol for nurses in this ICU. We then collected data on 50 patients in this postintervention cohort (B group). Both groups had similar baseline characteristics. A group patients had some form of mobility orders entered in 29 patients (58%) versus 47 patients (82%) in the B group, P < 0.05. In the A group, 11 patients (22%) were mobilized; in the B group, 40 patients (80%) were mobilized, P < 0.05. In our SICU patient population, mandatory entry of computerized mobility orders as part of a standard SICU order set and establishment of an ICU mobility nursing protocol was associated with an increase in number of mobility orders entered as well as an increase in SICU patient activity. Further studies should focus on measurement of the effect of mobility interventions on patient outcomes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Blanco ◽  
Anthony D. Harris ◽  
Clare Rock ◽  
J. Kristie Johnson ◽  
Lisa Pineles ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii, associated with broad-spectrum antibiotic use, is an important nosocomial pathogen associated with morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of MDR A. baumannii perirectal colonization among adult patients upon admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) over a 5-year period and to identify risk factors and outcomes associated with colonization. A retrospective cohort analysis of patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) and surgical intensive care unit (SICU) at the University of Maryland Medical Center from May 2005 to September 2009 was performed using perirectal surveillance cultures on admission. Poisson and logistic models were performed to identify associated risk factors and outcomes. Four percent of the cohort were positive for MDR A. baumannii at ICU admission. Among patients admitted to the MICU, those positive for MDR A. baumannii at admission were more likely to be older, to have received antibiotics before ICU admission, and to have shorter length of stay in the hospital prior to ICU admission. Among patients admitted to the SICU, those colonized were more likely to have at least one previous admission to our hospital. Patients positive for MDR A. baumannii at ICU admission were 15.2 times more likely to develop a subsequent positive clinical culture for A. baumannii and 1.4 times more likely to die during the current hospitalization. Risk factors associated with MDR A. baumannii colonization differ by ICU type. Colonization acts as a marker of disease severity and of risk of developing a subsequent Acinetobacter infection and of dying during hospitalization. Therefore, active surveillance could guide empirical antibiotic selection and inform infection control practices.


2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Themistocles Exarchopoulos ◽  
Efstratia Charitidou ◽  
Panagiotis Dedeilias ◽  
Christos Charitos ◽  
Christina Routsi

Background Most scoring systems used to predict clinical outcome in critical care were not designed for application in cardiac surgery patients. Objectives To compare the predictive ability of the most widely used scoring systems (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation [APACHE] II, Simplified Acute Physiology Score [SAPS] II, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment [SOFA]) and of 2 specialized systems (European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation [EuroSCORE] II and the cardiac surgery score [CASUS]) for clinical outcome in patients after cardiac surgery. Methods Consecutive patients admitted to a cardiac surgical intensive care unit (CSICU) were prospectively studied. Data on the preoperative condition, intraoperative parameters, and postoperative course were collected. EuroSCORE II, CASUS, and scores from 3 general severity-scoring systems (APACHE II, SAPS II, and SOFA) were calculated on the first postoperative day. Clinical outcome was defined as 30-day mortality and in-hospital morbidity. Results A total of 150 patients were included. Thirty-day mortality was 6%. CASUS was superior in outcome prediction, both in relation to discrimination (area under curve, 0.89) and calibration (Brier score = 0.043, χ2 = 2.2, P = .89), followed by EuroSCORE II for 30-day mortality (area under curve, 0.87) and SOFA for morbidity (Spearman ρ= 0.37 and 0.35 for the CSICU length of stay and duration of mechanical ventilation, respectively; Wilcoxon W = 367.5, P = .03 for probability of readmission to CSICU). Conclusions CASUS can be recommended as the most reliable and beneficial option for benchmarking and risk stratification in cardiac surgery patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 154-162
Author(s):  
Chiedozie I. Udeh ◽  
Matthew Wanek ◽  
Belinda L. Udeh ◽  
J. Steven Hata

Objective: Hyperoncotic 25% albumin is widely used for fluid resuscitation in intensive care units. However, this practice remains controversial. By 2012 in our intensive care unit, annual 25% albumin expenditures had steadily increased to exceed $1 million. This prompted efforts to promote more judicious use. Design: Prospective time series cohort analysis using statistical process control charts. Setting: Seventy-six-bed quaternary level cardiovascular surgical intensive care unit (CVICU), organized into 6 adjacent units. Patients: Adult cardiac, thoracic, and vascular surgery patients admitted postoperatively to the CVICU during the study period. Interventions: Over 12 months starting March 2013, we sequentially implemented unit-level 25% albumin cost transparency, provider education, and individualized audit and feedback of anonymized peer ranking of albumin prescriptions. Measurements and Main Results: C control charts were used for analysis of monthly unit-level direct albumin costs for 20 months. Balance measures including red cell transfusions, number of diagnoses of pleural effusions, and length of stay were also tracked. Monthly average albumin expenditures had decreased 61% by December 2014, and there was no evidence of adverse changes in any of the balance measures. These reductions have been sustained. Conclusion: Sequential implementation of multimodal strategies can alter clinician practices to achieve substantial unit-level reduction in 25% albumin utilization without harm to patients.


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