Toward more accurate documentation in neurosurgical care

OBJECTIVE Accurate clinical documentation is foundational to any quality improvement endeavor as it is ultimately the medical record that is measured in assessing change. Literature on high-yield interventions to improve the accuracy and completeness of clinical documentation by neurosurgical providers is limited. Therefore, the authors sought to share a single-institution experience of a two-part intervention to enhance clinical documentation by a neurosurgery inpatient service. METHODS At an urban, level I trauma, academic teaching hospital, a two-part intervention was implemented to enhance the accuracy of clinical documentation of neurosurgery inpatients by residents and advanced practice providers (APPs). Residents and APPs were instructed on the most common neurosurgical complications or comorbidities (CCs) and major complications or comorbidities (MCCs), as defined by Medicare. Additionally, a “system-based” progress note template was changed to a “problem-based” progress note template. Prepost analysis was performed to compare the CC/MCC capture rates for the 12 months prior to the intervention with those for the 3 months after the intervention. RESULTS The CC/MCC capture rate for the neurosurgery service line rose from 62% in the 12 months preintervention to 74% in the 3 months after intervention, representing a significant change (p = 0.00002). CONCLUSIONS Existing clinical documentation habits by neurosurgical residents and APPs may fail to capture the extent of neurosurgical inpatients with CC/MCCs. An intervention that focuses on the most common CC/MCCs and utilizes a problem-based progress note template may lead to more accurate appraisals of neurosurgical patient acuity.

620. Identifying the Role for a Pharmacist on an Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) Team in an Academic Teaching Hospital

Background Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is currently an emerging practice to continue effective treatment after hospital discharge for patients requiring parenteral (IV) treatment. Pharmacists can collaborate with outpatient services like home infusion services to allow for safe administration and monitoring of IV antibiotics. The role of pharmacists in an OPAT team has been shown to improve patient outcomes such as optimizing antimicrobial therapy and reducing hospital length of stay and readmissions. We sought to define the utility of an OPAT pharmacist at an academic teaching hospital that currently does not have an OPAT service. Methods Patients receiving IV therapy via home infusion from 1/4/21 to 3/4/21 were screened for inclusion and excluded if antimicrobials were not prescribed. Infection characteristics and antimicrobial therapy were recorded. Interventions on day of and after discharge were noted. Duration of therapy (DOT) was calculated by the difference between start and stop dates of appropriate antibiotics. Discharge delays due to OPAT-related reasons were recorded. Continuous data are expressed as median (IQR). Categorical data are expressed as frequencies (%). Results Of the patients screened, 77 of 123 patients met inclusion criteria. Most patients were treated for a bone/joint infection (29/77, 38%). Ceftriaxone (18/82, 22%) and vancomycin (13/82, 16%) were the most frequently prescribed agents. The median DOT was 30 days (IQR 15, 42). On day of discharge, 52 opportunities for a pharmacist initiated intervention were identified with majority being clarifying DOT (19/52, 37%), streamlining or escalating antibiotic (8/52, 15%), and optimizing drug dose (8/52, 15%). OPAT-related discharge delays resulted in an excess of 58 hospital days and over 25% of patients (20/77) were readmitted 30 days after discharge. The most common post-discharge issues (n=56) were worsening infection (11/56, 20%), PICC line issues (9/56, 16%), and drug related adverse events (8/56, 14%). Conclusion A pharmacist on a dedicated OPAT service can assist with antimicrobial selection, treatment duration, and drug monitoring to promote patient safety in patients discharged on antimicrobials. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Association between number of parathyroid glands identified during total thyroidectomy and functional parathyroid preservation

Purpose Systematic identification of all 4 parathyroid glands has been recommended during total thyroidectomy (TT); however, it is unclear whether this strategy necessarily translates into optimized functional parathyroid preservation. We wished to investigate the association between number of parathyroids identified intraoperatively during TT, and incidence of incidental parathyroidectomy, and postoperative hypoparathyroidism. Methods Retrospective review of prospectively maintained database of 511 consecutive patients undergoing TT at an academic teaching hospital. The association between number of parathyroid glands identified intraoperatively and incidence of biochemical hypocalcaemia (defined as any calcium < 2 mmol/L n first 48 h after surgery), symptomatic hypocalcaemia; permanent hypoparathyroidism (defined as any hypocalcaemia or need for calcium or vitamin D > 6 months after surgery), and incidental parathyroidectomy, was investigated. The association between number of parathyroid glands visualized and postoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels was investigated in a subset of 454 patients. Results Patients in whom a greater number of parathyroids had been identified had a significantly higher incidence of biochemical and symptomatic hypocalcaemia, and significantly lower postoperative PTH levels, than patients with fewer glands identified. There were no significant differences in incidence of permanent hypoparathyroidism or incidental parathyroidectomy. On multivariate analysis, malignancy, Graves disease, and identification of 3–4 parathyroids were independent predictors of biochemical hypocalcaemia. For symptomatic hypocalcaemia, identification of 2–4 parathyroids, and identification of 3–4 parathyroids, were significant. Conclusions Systematic identification of as many parathyroid glands as possible during TT is not necessary for functional parathyroid preservation.

Prediction of anemia and estimation of hemoglobin concentration using a smartphone camera

Anemia, defined as a low hemoglobin concentration, has a large impact on the health of the world’s population. We describe the use of a ubiquitous device, the smartphone, to predict hemoglobin concentration and screen for anemia. This was a prospective convenience sample study conducted in Emergency Department (ED) patients of an academic teaching hospital. In an algorithm derivation phase, images of both conjunctiva were obtained from 142 patients in Phase 1 using a smartphone. A region of interest targeting the palpebral conjunctiva was selected from each image. Image-based parameters were extracted and used in stepwise regression analyses to develop a prediction model of estimated hemoglobin (HBc). In Phase 2, a validation model was constructed using data from 202 new ED patients. The final model based on all 344 patients was tested for accuracy in anemia and transfusion thresholds. Hemoglobin concentration ranged from 4.7 to 19.6 g/dL (mean 12.5). In Phase 1, there was a significant association between HBc and laboratory-predicted hemoglobin (HBl) slope = 1.07 (CI = 0.98–1.15), p<0.001. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of HBc for predicting anemia was 82.9 [79.3, 86.4], 90.7 [87.0, 94.4], and 73.3 [67.1, 79.5], respectively. In Phase 2, accuracy, sensitivity and specificity decreased to 72.6 [71.4, 73.8], 72.8 [71, 74.6], and 72.5 [70.8, 74.1]. Accuracy for low (<7 g/dL) and high (<9 g/dL) transfusion thresholds was 94.4 [93.7, 95] and 86 [85, 86.9] respectively. Error trended with increasing HBl values (slope 0.27 [0.19, 0.36] and intercept -3.14 [-4.21, -2.07] (p<0.001) such that HBc tended to underestimate hemoglobin in higher ranges and overestimate in lower ranges. Higher quality images had a smaller bias trend than lower quality images. When separated by skin tone results were unaffected. A smartphone can be used in screening for anemia and transfusion thresholds. Improvements in image quality and computational corrections can further enhance estimates of hemoglobin.

Adverse Events and Unsuccessful Intubation Attempts Are Frequent During Neonatal Nasotracheal Intubations

Background: Intubation of neonates is difficult and hazardous. Factors associated with procedure-related adverse events and unsuccessful intubation attempts are insufficiently evaluated, especially during neonatal nasotracheal intubations.Objective: Aim of this study was to determine the frequency of tracheal intubation–associated events (TIAEs) during neonatal nasotracheal intubations and to identify factors associated with TIAEs and unsuccessful intubation attempts in our neonatal unit.Methods: This was a prospective, single-site, observational study from May 2017 to November 2019, performed at a tertiary care neonatal intensive care unit in a German academic teaching hospital. All endotracheal intubation encounters performed by the neonatal team were recorded.Results: Two hundred and fifty-eight consecutive intubation encounters in 197 patients were analyzed. One hundred and forty-eight (57.4%) intubation encounters were associated with at least one TIAE. Intubation inexperience (&lt;10 intubation encounters) (OR = 2.15; 95% CI, 1.257–3.685) and equipment problems (OR = 3.43; 95% CI, 1.12–10.52) were predictive of TIAEs. Intubation at first attempt (OR = 0.10; 95% CI, 0.06–0.19) and videolaryngoscopy (OR = 0.47; 96% CI, 0.25–0.860) were predictive of intubation encounters without TIAEs. The first intubation attempt was commonly done by pediatric residents (67.8%). A median of two attempts were performed until successful intubation. Restricted laryngoscopic view (OR = 3.07; 95% CI, 2.08–4.53; Cormack-Lehane grade 2 vs. grade 1), intubation by pediatric residents when compared to neonatologists (OR = 1.74; 95% CI, 1.265–2.41) and support by less experienced neonatal nurses (OR = 1.60; 95% CI, 1.04–2.46) were associated with unsuccessful intubation attempts.Conclusions: In our unit, TIAEs and unsuccessful intubation attempts occurred frequently during neonatal nasotracheal intubations. To improve success rates, quality improvement und further research should target interprofessional education and training, equipment problems and videolaryngoscopy.

Completion Rates of Advance Directives in a Trauma Emergency Room: Association with Age

Introduction An advance directive (AD) is a written legal document in which a person can express wishes and preferences for medical treatment for the moment when that person is no longer able to make medical decisions because of a serious illness or injury. While ADs have emerged in public, it is unclear, how many adults in Germany have completed an AD, and frequencies differ among different patient cohorts and medical settings. The aim of this study was to evaluate how many patients visiting a trauma emergency room (ER) in an academic teaching hospital had completed an AD. Furthermore, patient characteristics were compared between patients who had completed an AD and those who had not completed an AD. Methods. Patients with a traumatic injury or disease who attended the ER of an academic teaching hospital in the period from October 2015 to March 2016 (n = 499) were surveyed for completion rates of ADs. Results. Prior to their visit to the ER, 12.8% of the included patients possessed a completed AD. Patients with a completed AD had a higher age (median age: 54 (IQR: 34–66) vs. 35 (IQR: 25–50) p < 0.001 ) and were less often living in an urban residential location (UR) (UR: 23.5% vs. 39.4%, p = 0.029 ). Groups did not differ between sex ( p = 0.115 ), frequencies of high school graduates ( p = 0.482 ), and possession of a private health insurance ( p = 0.072 ), disability insurance ( p = 0.291 ), or an accident insurance ( p = 0.790 ). Conclusion. Completion rates of ADs remain low among patients visiting an ER of an academic teaching hospital in Germany. Increasing age but not factors such as sex, educational background, or insurance status were associated with a higher frequency of completed ADs.

A Retrospective Study: Characteristics and Management of Gonorrhea

Background: Gonorrhea (GO) is a sexually transmitted infection that remains an important clinical and public health problem worldwide. Its incidence tends to increase both in males and females. Given the scale of the public health impact of GO, the selection of appropriate therapy is essential. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics, management, and recovery of gonorrhea patients. Methods: The research material was obtained from the medical record of gonorrhea patients at the Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Outpatient Clinic, Dermatology and Venerelogy Department, Dr. Soetomo General Academic Teaching Hospital, Surabaya, from January 2016 to December 2018. Result: We found 84 new GO patients (0.02%) out of the total new outpatients at the Dermatology and Venereology Department, Dr. Soetomo General Academic Teaching Hospital, Surabaya. Most of them were males (92.9%), 17–25 years age group (52.4%), unmarried (67.9%), and heterosexual (90.5%). The majority of therapy is dual therapy, was combination of doxycycline and cefixime (78%). Only 34 patients (40.5%) attended the follow-up visits, and 94.1% of them recovered, and 5.9% presented with cystitis. Conclusion: The characteristics features of GO varies in each variable. One of important to control GO is provide effective and appropriate treatment and routinely clinical and laboratories were needed control.

The Effect of a Points System on Incentivizing Academic Behaviors of Attending Ophthalmologists

(1) Background: Little is known regarding the best ways to promote academic throughput within the ranks of attending ophthalmology physicians. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effect of a monetized points system on incentivizing research output and other academic activity in academic ophthalmology attendings. (2) Methods: This is a retrospective study of 15 academic ophthalmology attendings at a single academic teaching hospital from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2020. A points system was implemented in the 2017 academic year (1 July 2016–30 June 2017), in which ophthalmology attendings accrued points for eight categories of academic achievement. We compared the overall number of publications, number of first/senior author publications, and corresponding impact factors of journals via the PubMed database in the two years of data before and after the points system was implemented. We analyzed points awarded for eight categories of academic achievement in the first, second, and third year of the program. (3) Results: There was no significant change in research productivity for attending ophthalmologists after institution of the points system. From 2017 to 2019, Mann–Whitney analysis revealed a significant increase in points awarded for mentorship per physician (p = 0.013). (4) Conclusions: Our data suggest that within the framework of the points system, attendings—rather than prioritizing publications—gravitated towards mentorship activities to accrue points.