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Sample records for requiring hospital admission

  1. Clinical audit of COPD patients requiring hospital admissions in Spain: AUDIPOC study.

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    Francisco Pozo-Rodríguez

    Full Text Available BACKGROUNDS: AUDIPOC is a nationwide clinical audit that describes the characteristics, interventions and outcomes of patients admitted to Spanish hospitals because of an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (ECOPD, assessing the compliance of these parameters with current international guidelines. The present study describes hospital resources, hospital factors related to case recruitment variability, patients' characteristics, and adherence to guidelines. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: An organisational database was completed by all participant hospitals recording resources and organisation. Over an 8-week period 11,564 consecutive ECOPD admissions to 129 Spanish hospitals covering 70% of the Spanish population were prospectively identified. At hospital discharge, 5,178 patients (45% of eligible were finally included, and thus constituted the audited population. Audited patients were reassessed 90 days after admission for survival and readmission rates. A wide variability was observed in relation to most variables, hospital adherence to guidelines, and readmissions and death. Median inpatient mortality was 5% (across-hospital range 0-35%. Among discharged patients, 37% required readmission (0-62% and 6.5% died (0-35%. The overall mortality rate was 11.6% (0-50%. Hospital size and complexity and aspects related to hospital COPD awareness were significantly associated with case recruitment. Clinical management most often complied with diagnosis and treatment recommendations but rarely (<50% addressed guidance on healthy life-styles. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The AUDIPOC study highlights the large across-hospital variability in resources and organization of hospitals, patient characteristics, process of care, and outcomes. The study also identifies resources and organizational characteristics associated with the admission of COPD cases, as well as aspects of daily clinical care amenable to improvement.

  2. Puberty menorrhagia Requiring Inpatient Admission

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    AH Khosla

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Puberty menorrhagia is a significant health problem in adolescent age group and severe cases may require admission and blood transfusion. Aim of this study was to evaluate the causes, associated complications and management of puberty menorrhagia. METHODS: Hospital records of all patients of puberty menorrhagia requiring admission were analyzed for etiology, duration since menarche, duration of bleeding, investigation profile and management. RESULTS: There were 18 patients of puberty menorrhagia requiring hospital admission. Etiology was anovulatory bleeding in 11 patients, bleeding disorders in five which included idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura in three and one each with Von-Willebrand disease and leukemia. Two patients had hypothyroidism as the cause. Fourteen patients presented with severe anaemia and required blood transfusion. All except one responded to oral hormonal therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Puberty menorrhagia can be associated with severe complications and requiring blood transfusion. Although most common cause is anovulation but bleeding disorder, other medical condition and other organic causes must be ruled out in any patient of Puberty menorrhagia. KEYWORDS: anovulation, bleeding disorder, puberty, menorrhagia, anaemia.

  3. [Hospital admissions due to varicella in a tertiary hospital].

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    Guzmán Laura, K P; Periañez Vasco, A; Falcón Neyra, M D; Croche Santander, B

    2014-06-01

    Varicella (chickenpox) can cause serious complications and admission to hospital. Several countries included the varicella vaccine in their immunization schedules. A descriptive and retrospective study of hospitalizations due to varicella and its complications was conducted in a referral center from 2005 to 2011. A total of 1192 children with varicella were seen in the emergency room, of which 99 (8.5%) required admission. The annual incidence of admissions due to varicella and varicella complications was, 19.4 and 15.3 cases per 100,000 children under 14 years, respectively. Complications were more common in children under 5 years (79.5%), and with no underlying disease (78.2%). Infection of skin and soft tissue was the most common complication (62%). The mean hospital stay was 4.5 days (SD 4). Varicella causes high morbidity, and is more frequent in absolute terms in healthy children under 5 years of age. Therefore, routine vaccination recommended by the Immunization Advisory Committee should be mandatory. Copyright © 2013 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  4. Service philosophies for hospital admission planning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Adan, I.J.B.F.; Vissers, J.M.H.; Vissers, J.M.H.; Beech, R.

    2005-01-01

    The ‘traditional’ service philosophy underlying hospital admission planning has been one of optimising the use of scarce hospital resources without paying much attention to the level of service offered to patients. As patients nowadays do not accept long waiting times for hospital admission, it

  5. Causes of Hospital Admissions in Domus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skov Benthien, Kirstine; Nordly, Mie; von Heymann-Horan, Annika

    2018-01-01

    CONTEXT: Avoidable hospital admissions are important negative indicators of quality of end-of-life care. Specialized palliative care (SPC) may support patients remaining at home. OBJECTIVES: Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate if SPC at home could prevent hospital admissions...... in patients with incurable cancer. METHODS: These are secondary results of Domus: a randomized controlled trial of accelerated transition to SPC with psychological intervention at home (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01885637). Participants were patients with incurable cancer and limited antineoplastic treatment...... significantly in overall potentially avoidable admissions. Both groups felt mostly safe about their place of care. CONCLUSION: The intervention did not prevent hospital admissions. Likely, any intervention effects were outweighed by increased identification of problems in the intervention group leading...

  6. Impact of Rotavirus Vaccine Introduction and Postintroduction Etiology of Diarrhea Requiring Hospital Admission in Haydom, Tanzania, a Rural African Setting

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    Platts-Mills, James A.; Amour, Caroline; Gratz, Jean; Nshama, Rosemary; Walongo, Thomas; Mujaga, Buliga; Maro, Athanasia; McMurry, Timothy L; Liu, Jie; Mduma, Estomih; Houpt, Eric R

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background No data are available on the etiology of diarrhea requiring hospitalization after rotavirus vaccine introduction in Africa. The monovalent rotavirus vaccine was introduced in Tanzania on 1 January 2013. We performed a vaccine impact and effectiveness study as well as a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)–based etiology study at a rural Tanzanian hospital. Methods We obtained data on admissions among children <5 years to Haydom Lutheran Hospital between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2015 and estimated the impact of vaccine introduction on all-cause diarrhea admissions. We then performed a vaccine effectiveness study using the test-negative design. Finally, we tested diarrheal specimens during 2015 by qPCR for a broad range of enteropathogens and calculated pathogen-specific attributable fractions (AFs). Results Vaccine introduction was associated with a 44.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.6%–97.4%) reduction in diarrhea admissions in 2015, as well as delay of the rotavirus season. The effectiveness of 2 doses of vaccine was 74.8% (95% CI, –8.2% to 94.1%) using an enzyme immunoassay–based case definition and 85.1% (95% CI, 26.5%–97.0%) using a qPCR-based case definition. Among 146 children enrolled in 2015, rotavirus remained the leading etiology of diarrhea requiring hospitalization (AF, 25.8% [95% CI, 24.4%–26.7%]), followed by heat-stable enterotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (AF, 18.4% [95% CI, 12.9%–21.9%]), Shigella/enteroinvasive E. coli (AF, 14.5% [95% CI, 10.2%–22.8%]), and Cryptosporidium (AF, 7.9% [95% CI, 6.2%–9.3%]). Conclusions Despite the clear impact of vaccine introduction in this setting, rotavirus remained the leading etiology of diarrhea requiring hospitalization. Further efforts to maximize vaccine coverage and improve vaccine performance in these settings are warranted. PMID:28575304

  7. Temperature effects on hospital admissions for kidney morbidity in Taiwan

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    Lin, Yu-Kai; Wang, Yu-Chun; Ho, Tsung-Jung; Lu, Chensheng

    2013-01-01

    Objective: This study aimed to associate hospital admissions of kidney diseases with extreme temperature and prolonged heat/cold events in 7 regions of Taiwan. Methods: Age-specific ( 10 , O 3 , and NO 2 ) and potential confounders. Results: We observed a V or J-shape association between daily average temperatures and the RR estimates for hospital admissions of kidney diseases in Taiwan. The lowest risk for hospital admissions of kidney diseases was found at around 25 °C, and risk increased as temperatures deviated from 25 °C. The pooled cumulative 8-day RR for all ages of population of the 7 study areas were 1.10 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.19) at 18 °C and 1.45 (95% CI: 1.27, 1.64) at 30 °C. High temperature has more profound influence on hospital admission of kidney diseases than low temperature. Temperature risks for hospital admissions were similar between younger (< 65 years) and elderly (65 + years) population. This study observed no significant effects of prolonged heat extremes on hospital admissions of kidney diseases. Conclusions: The heat effect for kidney morbidities leading to hospital admission was more significant than that of the cold temperature. This study did not find the age-dependent relative risks for temperature associating with hospital admissions of kidney diseases. - Highlights: ► V or J-shaped association was observed between daily temperatures and hospital admissions for renal diseases in Taiwan. ► The pooled relative risks accounting for 8 days of lag for the 7 study areas were 1.1 at 18 °C and 1.46 at 30 °C. ► There is no difference of the relative risk estimates for hospital admissions between younger and elderly population. ► We found significant protective effects of hospital admissions for prolonged cold extremes, but not for heat extremes

  8. Impact of rotavirus vaccine introduction and post-introduction etiology of diarrhea requiring hospital admission in Haydom, Tanzania, a rural African setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Platts-Mills, James A; Amour, Caroline; Gratz, Jean; Nshama, Rosemary; Walongo, Thomas; Mujaga, Buliga; Maro, Athanasia; McMurry, Timothy L; Liu, Jie; Mduma, Estomih; Houpt, Eric R

    2017-05-29

    No data are available on the etiology of diarrhea requiring hospitalization after rotavirus vaccine introduction in Africa. The monovalent rotavirus vaccine was introduced in Tanzania on January 1, 2013. We performed a vaccine impact and effectiveness study as well as a qPCR-based etiology study at a rural Tanzanian hospital. We obtained data on admissions among children under 5 years to Haydom Lutheran Hospital between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2015, and estimated the impact of vaccine introduction on all-cause diarrhea admissions. We then performed a vaccine effectiveness study using the test-negative design. Finally, we tested diarrheal specimens during 2015 by qPCR for a broad range of enteropathogens and calculated pathogen-specific attributable fractions. Vaccine introduction was associated with a 44.9% (95% CI 17.6 - 97.4) reduction in diarrhea admissions in 2015, as well as delay of the rotavirus season. The effectiveness of two doses of vaccine was 74.8% (-8.2 - 94.1) using an enzyme immunoassay-based case definition and 85.1% (26.5 - 97.0) using a qPCR-based case definition. Among 146 children enrolled in 2015, rotavirus remained the leading etiology of diarrhea requiring hospitalization (AF 25.8%, 95% CI: 24.4 - 26.7), followed by heat-stabile enterotoxin-producing E. coli (18.4%, 12.9 - 21.9), Shigella/enteroinvasive E. coli (14.5%, 10.2 - 22.8), and Cryptosporidium (7.9%, 6.2 - 9.3). Despite the clear impact of vaccine introduction in this setting, rotavirus remained the leading etiology of diarrhea requiring hospitalization. Further efforts to maximize vaccine coverage and improve vaccine performance in these settings are warranted. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

  9. Using preventive home monitoring to reduce hospital admission rates and reduce costs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dinesen, Birthe Irene; Haesum, Lisa K E; Soerensen, Natascha

    2012-01-01

    We studied whether preventive home monitoring of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) could reduce the frequency of hospital admissions and lower the cost of hospitalization. Patients were recruited from a health centre, general practitioner (GP) or the pulmonary hospital ward....... They were randomized to usual care or tele-rehabilitation with a telehealth monitoring device installed in their home for four months. A total of 111 patients were suitable for inclusion and consented to be randomized: 60 patients were allocated to intervention and three were lost to follow...... of admissions was €3461 per patient in the intervention group and €4576 in the control group; this difference was not significant. The Kaplan-Meier estimates for time to hospital admission were longer for the intervention group than the controls, but the difference was not significant. Future work requires...

  10. Trends in hospital admissions, re-admissions, and in-hospital mortality among HIV-infected patients between 1993 and 2013: Impact of hepatitis C co-infection.

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    Meijide, Héctor; Mena, Álvaro; Rodríguez-Osorio, Iria; Pértega, Sonia; Castro-Iglesias, Ángeles; Rodríguez-Martínez, Guillermo; Pedreira, José; Poveda, Eva

    2017-01-01

    New patterns in epidemiological characteristics of people living with HIV infection (PLWH) and the introduction of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) have changed the profile of hospital admissions in this population. The aim of this study was to evaluate trends in hospital admissions, re-admissions, and mortality rates in HIV patients and to analyze the role of HCV co-infection. A retrospective cohort study conducted on all hospital admissions of HIV patients between 1993 and 2013. The study time was divided in two periods (1993-2002 and 2003-2013) to be compared by conducting a comparative cross-sectional analysis. A total of 22,901 patient-years were included in the analysis, with 6917 hospital admissions, corresponding to 1937 subjects (75% male, mean age 36±11 years, 37% HIV/HCV co-infected patients). The median length of hospital stay was 8 days (5-16), and the 30-day hospital re-admission rate was 20.1%. A significant decrease in hospital admissions related with infectious and psychiatric diseases was observed in the last period (2003-2013), but there was an increase in those related with malignancies, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and chronic respiratory diseases. In-hospital mortality remained high (6.8% in the first period vs. 6.3% in the second one), with a progressive increase of non-AIDS-defining illness deaths (37.9% vs. 68.3%, P<.001). The admission rate significantly dropped after 1996 (4.9% yearly), but it was less pronounced in HCV co-infected patients (1.7% yearly). Hospital admissions due to infectious and psychiatric disorders have decreased, with a significant increase in non-AIDS-defining malignancies, cardiovascular, and chronic respiratory diseases. In-hospital mortality is currently still high, but mainly because of non-AIDS-defining illnesses. HCV co-infection increased the hospital stay and re-admissions during the study period. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y

  11. Temperature effects on hospital admissions for kidney morbidity in Taiwan

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    Lin, Yu-Kai [Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 (United States); Wang, Yu-Chun [Department of Bioenvironmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, 200 Chung-Pei Road, Chung Li 320, Taiwan (China); Research Center for Environmental Risk Management, Chung Yuan Christian University, 200 Chung-Pei Road, Chung Li 320, Taiwan (China); Ho, Tsung-Jung [The Division of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Beigang Hospital, Taiwan (China); School Of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, 91 Xueshi Road, Taichung City 404, Taiwan (China); Lu, Chensheng, E-mail: cslu@hsph.harvard.edu [Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 (United States)

    2013-01-15

    Objective: This study aimed to associate hospital admissions of kidney diseases with extreme temperature and prolonged heat/cold events in 7 regions of Taiwan. Methods: Age-specific (< 65 years, 65 + years and all ages) hospital admission records of nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, or nephrosis, in the form of electronic insurance reimbursement claims, were retrieved from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database during the period of 2000–2008. The area–age-specific relative risk (RR) accounting for 8 days of lag for temperature on hospital admissions of kidney diseases were estimated using distributed lag non-linear models with the Poisson distribution controlling for extreme temperature events, levels of air pollutants (PM{sub 10}, O{sub 3}, and NO{sub 2}) and potential confounders. Results: We observed a V or J-shape association between daily average temperatures and the RR estimates for hospital admissions of kidney diseases in Taiwan. The lowest risk for hospital admissions of kidney diseases was found at around 25 °C, and risk increased as temperatures deviated from 25 °C. The pooled cumulative 8-day RR for all ages of population of the 7 study areas were 1.10 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.19) at 18 °C and 1.45 (95% CI: 1.27, 1.64) at 30 °C. High temperature has more profound influence on hospital admission of kidney diseases than low temperature. Temperature risks for hospital admissions were similar between younger (< 65 years) and elderly (65 + years) population. This study observed no significant effects of prolonged heat extremes on hospital admissions of kidney diseases. Conclusions: The heat effect for kidney morbidities leading to hospital admission was more significant than that of the cold temperature. This study did not find the age-dependent relative risks for temperature associating with hospital admissions of kidney diseases. - Highlights: ► V or J-shaped association was observed between daily temperatures and

  12. [Intelligence, socio-economic status and hospital admissions of young adults].

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    Bosma, H; Traag, T; Berger-van Sijl, M; van Eijk, J; Otten, F

    2007-05-12

    To determine whether socio-economic differences in hospital admissions of adolescents and young adults are related to differences in intelligence. . Retrospective cohort study. The data were derived from a group of 10,231 young adults and adolescents who were followed for a total of 47,212 person years with regard to their hospital admissions. Intelligence was measured in the first year of secondary school by 2 non-verbal intelligence tests for fluid intelligence. Data from hospital admissions were matched to a large-scale educational and occupational cohort. Data were analysed with Cox proportional hazards analysis. Intelligence was not found to be related to hospital admissions. However, a low occupational and educational level of the young adults or their parents, was strongly related to heightened risk for hospital admissions. In particular, the low socio-economic status of a respondent was associated with heightened risk for hospital admissions due to accidents (relative risk: 3.49; 95% confidence interval: 1.91-6.39). The small extent to which the socio-economic differences in hospital admissions seem to be based upon fluid intelligence, at least in adolescents and young adults, as well as the heightened risks of hospital admissions in lower socio-economic status groups and the associated high costs for health care legitimise further study of the determinants of these differences.

  13. [Evaluation of hospital admissions: admission guidelines implementation in a pediatric emergency department].

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    Katz, Manuel; Warshawsky, Sheila S; Rosen, Shirley; Barak, Nurit; Press, Joseph

    2004-10-01

    To develop and implement locally tailored pediatric admission guidelines for use in a pediatric emergency department and evaluate the appropriateness of admissions based on these guidelines. Our Study was based on the development of admission guidelines by senior physicians, using the Delphi Consensus Process, for use in the Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) at Soroka University Medical Center (Soroka). We evaluated the appropriateness of admissions to the pediatric departments of Soroka on 33 randomly selected days in 1999 and 2000 prior to guideline implementation and 30 randomly selected days in 2001, after guideline implementation. A total of 1037 files were evaluated. A rate of 12.4% inappropriate admissions to the pediatric departments was found based on locally tailored admission guidelines. There was no change in the rate of inappropriate admissions after implementation of admission guidelines in PED. Inappropriate admissions were associated with age above 3 years, hospital stay of two days or less and the season. The main reasons for evaluating an admission as inappropriate were that the admission did not comply with the guidelines and that the case could be managed in an ambulatory setting. There were distinctive differences in the characteristics of the Bedouin and Jewish populations admitted to the pediatric departments, although no difference was found in the rate of inappropriate admissions between these populations. Patient management in Soroka PED is tailored to the conditions of this medical center and to the characteristics of the population it serves. The admission guidelines developed reflect these special conditions. Lack of change in the rate of inappropriate admissions following implementation of the guidelines indicates that the guidelines reflect the physicians' approach to patient management that existed in Soroka PED prior to guideline implementation. Hospital admission guidelines have a role in the health management system; however

  14. Can advanced paramedics in the field diagnose patients and predict hospital admission?

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Cummins, Niamh Maria

    2013-02-13

    BACKGROUND: Accurate patient diagnosis in the prehospital environment is essential to initiate suitable care pathways. The advanced paramedic (AP) is a relatively recent role in Ireland, and refers to a prehospital practitioner with advanced life-support skills and training. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to compare the diagnostic decisions of APs with emergency medicine (EM) physicians, and to investigate if APs, as currently trained, can predict the requirement for hospital admission. METHODS: A prospective study was initiated, whereby each emergency ambulance call received via the statutory 999 system was recorded by the attending AP. The AP was asked to provide a clinical diagnosis for each patient, and to predict if hospital admission was required. The data was then cross-referenced with the working diagnosis of the receiving emergency physician and the hospital admission records. RESULTS: A total of 17 APs participated in the study, and 1369 emergency calls were recorded over a 6-month period. Cases where a general practitioner attended the scene were excluded from the concordance analysis. Concordance with the receiving emergency physician represents 70% (525\\/748) for all cases of AP diagnosis, and is mirrored with 70% (604\\/859) correct hospital admission predictions. CONCLUSIONS: AP diagnosis and admission prediction for emergency calls is similar to other emergency medical services systems despite the relative recency of the AP programme in Ireland. Recognition of non-concordance case types may identify priorities for AP education, and drive future AP practice in areas such as \\'treat and refer\\'.

  15. Admission rates in a general practitioner-based versus a hospital specialist based, hospital-at-home model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, Christian Backer; Ankersen, Ejnar Skytte; Lindberg, Mats J

    2018-01-01

    . CONCLUSIONS: The GP based HaH model was more effective than the hospital specialist model in avoiding hospital admissions within 7 days among elderly patients with an acute medical condition with no differences in mental or physical recovery rates or deaths between the two models. REGISTRATION: No. NCT......BACKGROUND: Hospital at home (HaH) is an alternative to acute admission for elderly patients. It is unclear if should be cared for a primarily by a hospital intern specialist or by the patient's own general practitioner (GP). The study assessed whether a GP based model was more effective than...... Denmark, including + 65 years old patients with an acute medical condition that required acute hospital in-patient care. The patients were randomly assigned to hospital specialist based model or GP model of HaH care. Five physical and cognitive performance tests were performed at inclusion and after 7...

  16. Outpatient admissions and hospital costs of Syrian refugees in a Turkish university hospital.

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    Tahirbegolli, Bernard; Çavdar, Sabanur; Çetinkaya Sümer, Esin; Akdeniz, Sıdıka I; Vehid, Suphi

    2016-07-01

    To examine the most frequent admitted polyclinics, diagnoses, and the costs of Syrian refugee patient in a Turkish university hospital in the metropolitan city of Istanbul, Western part of Turkey.  Research methodology consist of analyzing outpatient admissions to the Hospital Polyclinics of Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey from January-June 2014. We carried out diagnosis groups as classified in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification, and analyzed the hospital cost of first admission through records based in the hospital information system.  Median age of 251 Syrian refugee patients is 19 years, inter quartile rate 7-34 years. Patients aged 65 and older compared with those until 18 years and 19 to 64 years aged groups have made statistically significant (p less than 0.001) less hospital admissions. The Most frequented clinic was the emergency clinic. On June there have been significantly (p less than 0.001) more admissions compared with other months. The most common diagnoses were diseases of the respiratory system. The costs of per admission was estimated nearly 48 US Dollar/per patient and the total amount of hospital admissions was 12,031.93 US Dollar.  On the specified dates, the clinics were mostly frequented from Syrian refugees until 18 years group. The most common presenting symptoms are respiratory diseases and most frequented clinic is emergency.

  17. Patient-controlled hospital admission for patients with severe mental disorders

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Christoffer Torgaard; Benros, Michael Eriksen; Hastrup, Lene Halling

    2016-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Patient-controlled hospital admission for individuals with severe mental disorders is a novel approach in mental healthcare. Patients can admit themselves to a hospital unit for a short stay without being assessed by a psychiatrist or contacting the emergency department. Previous...... studies assessing the outcomes of patient-controlled hospital admission found trends towards reduction in the use of coercive measures and length of hospital stay; however, these studies have methodological shortcomings and small sample sizes. Larger studies are needed to estimate the effect of patient-controlled...... hospital admission on the use of coercion and of healthcare services. DESIGN AND METHODS: We aim to recruit at least 315 patients who are offered a contract for patient-controlled hospital admissions in eight different hospitals in Denmark. Patients will be followed-up for at least 1 year to compare...

  18. Pre-hospital National Early Warning Score (NEWS is associated with in-hospital mortality and critical care unit admission: A cohort study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tom E.F. Abbott

    2018-03-01

    Conclusion: Pre-hospital NEWS was associated with death or critical care unit escalation within 48 h of hospital admission. NEWS could be used by ambulance crews to assist in the early triage of patients requiring hospital treatment or rapid transport. Further cohort studies or trials in large samples are required before implementation.

  19. Analysis of the medication reconciliation process conducted at hospital admission

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    María Beatriz Contreras Rey

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To analyze the outcomes of a medication reconciliation process at admission in the hospital setting. To assess the role of the Pharmacist in detecting reconciliation errors and preventing any adverse events entailed. Method: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the medication reconciliation activity during the previous six months. The study included those patients for whom an apparently not justified discrepancy was detected at admission, after comparing the hospital medication prescribed with the home treatment stated in their clinical hospital records. Those patients for whom the physician ordered the introduction of home medication without any specification were also considered. In order to conduct the reconciliation process, the Pharmacist prepared the best pharmacotherapeutical history possible, reviewing all available information about the medication the patient could be taking before admission, and completing the process with a clinical interview. The discrepancies requiring clarification were reported to the physician. It was considered that the reconciliation proposal had been accepted if the relevant modification was made in the next visit of the physician, or within 24-48 hours maximum; this case was then labeled as a reconciliation error. For the descriptive analysis, the Statistics® SPSS program, version 17.0, was used. Outcomes: 494 medications were reconciled in 220 patients, with a mean of 2.25 medications per patient. More than half of patients (59.5% had some discrepancy that required clarification; the most frequent was the omission of a medication that the patient was taking before admission (86.2%, followed by an unjustified modification in dosing or way of administration (5.9%. In total, 312 discrepancies required clarification; out of these, 93 (29.8% were accepted and considered as reconciliation errors, 126 (40% were not accepted, and in 93 cases (29,8% acceptance was not relevant due to a change in

  20. Predicting respiratory hospital admissions in young people with cerebral palsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackmore, Amanda Marie; Bear, Natasha; Blair, Eve; Langdon, Katherine; Moshovis, Lisa; Steer, Kellie; Wilson, Andrew C

    2018-03-19

    To determine the early predictors of respiratory hospital admissions in young people with cerebral palsy (CP). A 3-year prospective cohort study using linked data. Children and young people with CP, aged 1 to 26 years. Self-reported and carer-reported respiratory symptoms were linked to respiratory hospital admissions (as defined by the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision codes) during the following 3 years. 482 participants (including 289 males) were recruited. They were aged 1 to 26 years (mean 10 years, 10 months; SD 5 years, 11 months) at the commencement of the study, and represented all Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS) levels. During the 3-year period, 55 (11.4%) participants had a total of 186 respiratory hospital admissions, and spent a total of 1475 days in hospital. Statistically significant risk factors for subsequent respiratory hospital admissions over 3 years in univariate analyses were GMFCS level V, at least one respiratory hospital admission in the year preceding the survey, oropharyngeal dysphagia, seizures, frequent respiratory symptoms, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, at least two courses of antibiotics in the year preceding the survey, mealtime respiratory symptoms and nightly snoring. Most risk factors for respiratory hospital admissions are potentially modifiable. Early identification of oropharyngeal dysphagia and the management of seizures may help prevent serious respiratory illness. One respiratory hospital admission should trigger further evaluation and management to prevent subsequent respiratory illness. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  1. Comparing Indications for Cardiovascular Admissions into a Nigerian and an Israeli Hospital

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ukpabi, Ogba Joseph; Uwanurochi, Kelechukwu

    2017-01-01

    Background: Changing epidemiologic profile with increase in cardiovascular risk factors is well documented in literature. Our study sought to see how this is reflected in cardiovascular admissions into medical wards of a Nigerian and an Israeli hospital. Objective: To compare the range and pattern of cardiovascular admissions encountered in a Nigerian hospital and an Israel hospital. Methods: This was a retrospective study of admission records of patients admitted into both Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria, and Sheba Medical Centre, Israel. Results: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) was the most prevalent among the Israeli hospital's admissions but ranks very low as an indication for admission in Nigeria. The most common causes of admission in Nigeria were hypertension and heart failure (HF). The spectrum of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) was very limited in the Nigerian hospital, indicating disparity in diagnostic capacity. Conclusion: There were more patients with CVD as a cause of medical admission in the Israel hospital as compared to the Nigerian hospital. Hypertension and HF were prevalent indications for CVD in FMC, Umuahia, Nigeria, while hypertension and IHD were the prevalent indications for admission in Sheba Medical Centre, Israel. Future studies are needed to monitor spectrum and frequency of cardiovascular admissions in view of evolving epidemiological transition in developing countries. PMID:28469120

  2. Prediction of mortality 1 year after hospital admission.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Kellett, J

    2012-09-01

    Hospital admission, especially for the elderly, can be a seminal event as many patients die within a year. This study reports the prediction of death within a year of admission to hospital of the Simple Clinical Score (SCS) and ECG dispersion mapping (ECG-DM). ECG-DM is a novel technique that analyzes low-amplitude ECG oscillations and reports them as the myocardial micro-alternation index (MMI).

  3. The impact of ice-skating injuries on orthopaedic admissions in a regional hospital.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Dillon, J P

    2012-02-03

    Since the opening of a temporary ice-rink in our hospital\\'s catchment area, we have observed an increase in patients requiring in-patient treatment for orthopaedic intervention. The authors performed a prospective analysis of all patients admitted to our unit over a one-month period. Epidemiological data, wearing of protective gear and skater experience were collected. Fracture type, treatment required, average length of hospital stay and number of days missed from work was also recorded. Ice-skating injuries accounted for 7.7% of our total admissions over the study period. There was a significant variation noted in the types of fracture sustained ranging from comminuted fractures of the radial head to spiral fractures of the tibia. The average length of hospital stay was 2.6 days and average time missed from work was 6.1 weeks. This paper highlights the potential serious injuries that can occur in ice-skating and their impact on admissions to our orthopaedic unit.

  4. The ED-inpatient dashboard: Uniting emergency and inpatient clinicians to improve the efficiency and quality of care for patients requiring emergency admission to hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Staib, Andrew; Sullivan, Clair; Jones, Matt; Griffin, Bronwyn; Bell, Anthony; Scott, Ian

    2017-06-01

    Patients who require emergency admission to hospital require complex care that can be fragmented, occurring in the ED, across the ED-inpatient interface (EDii) and subsequently, in their destination inpatient ward. Our hospital had poor process efficiency with slow transit times for patients requiring emergency care. ED clinicians alone were able to improve the processes and length of stay for the patients discharged directly from the ED. However, improving the efficiency of care for patients requiring emergency admission to true inpatient wards required collaboration with reluctant inpatient clinicians. The inpatient teams were uninterested in improving time-based measures of care in isolation, but they were motivated by improving patient outcomes. We developed a dashboard showing process measures such as 4 h rule compliance rate coupled with clinically important outcome measures such as inpatient mortality. The EDii dashboard helped unite both ED and inpatient teams in clinical redesign to improve both efficiencies of care and patient outcomes. © 2016 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

  5. Environmental pollutants and stroke-related hospital admissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nascimento, Luiz Fernando Costa; Francisco, Juliana B; Patto, Marielle Beatriz R; Antunes, Angélica M

    2012-07-01

    Some effects of environmental pollution on human health are known, especially those affecting the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. The current study aimed to estimate these effects on the production of hospital admissions for stroke. This was an ecological study using hospital admissions data in São José dos Campos, São Paulo State, Brazil, with diagnosis of stroke, from January 1, 2007, to April 30, 2008. The target pollutants were particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. Use of a Poisson linear regression model showed that same-day exposure to particulate matter was associated with hospitalization for stroke (RR = 1.013; 95%CI: 1.001-1.025). An increase of 10 µg/m(3) in this pollutant increased the risk of hospitalization by 12% (RR = 1.137; 95%CI: 1.014-1.276). In the multi-pollutant model, it was thus possible to identify particulate matter as associated with hospitalization for stroke in a medium-sized city like São José dos Campos.

  6. Prevention of hospital payment errors and implications for case management: a study of nine hospitals with a high proportion of short-term admissions over time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hightower, Rebecca E

    2008-01-01

    medical advice) occurring during the baseline and remeasurement time frames was examined. The baseline period consisted of 1 month's claims-the complete month just prior to the start of approved project activities. Remeasurement was performed by each hospital and reported to the Quality Improvement Organization on a monthly basis following implementation of the hospital's quality improvement plan. Each hospital was required to provide a monthly remeasurement report by indicator until it had met its stated goal(s) for improvement for 2 consecutive months; therefore, each hospital completed its required monthly reporting for a specific indicator in a different month. Results were calculated for the following indicators: INDICATOR 1: Proportion of unnecessary short-term admissions = number of unnecessary short-term inpatient admissions/total short-term inpatient admissions in time frame. INDICATOR 2: Proportion of errors in billed treatment setting, that is, outpatient observation billed as inpatient = number of errors in billed treatment setting/total short-term admissions in time frame.Six of the 9 hospitals were able to accomplish reduction of their error rates within 6 months from the beginning of the study. The seventh hospital reached its goals in the 7th month, with the 2 remaining hospitals making progress toward their goals by the conclusion of the study. 1 Case managers must be up-to-date with payor requirements regarding medical record documentation for medical necessity of services and timing of inpatient admission, e.g., for Medicare, the date and time of the written physician's order for admission to the inpatient care setting is the date and time of inpatient admission. 2 The balancing of clinical decisions and financial considerations required of case managers in hospital settings remains an ongoing challenge. 3 Senior leadership must be engaged in ensuring the success of the case management program by providing the resources required. 4 Managers of case

  7. HHARP: The Historical Hospital Admission Records Project – a review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cara Hirst

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Hospital records have frequently been used in epidemiological research (Kilgore et al. 2017; Rushton 2016, and in some cases palaeopathological research. However, the availability of data is problematic, with written records requiring considerable time to interpret, digitise and analyse. In 2001, the Historical Hospital Records Project (HHARP began digitising over 140,000 hospital admission records from four hospitals in London and Glasgow, providing researchers with an online data base of hospital records (Figure 1. I review the data available in the HHARP database, as well as make a preliminary analysis of the hospital records from London and Glasgow between c.1852-1921 which illustrates the value of the HHARP database in understanding disease and medical care during this period.

  8. Urological Emergency Admissions to a Community Hospital: A Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atkins, Sam O.

    1983-01-01

    A one-year study was conducted on the impact of emergency admissions to the 125-bed Southwest Community Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. During the study in 1979, 70 urological emergency room admissions were made, of which 44 (62.8 percent) were males and 26 (37.2 percent) were females. In comparison, 93 admissions were made directly from the private office. The study considered the timeliness of diagnosis and treatment, surgical procedures performed, impact on urological emergency room nursing and medical personnel, physician response to notification, cost containment, and implied legal ramifications and organization structure. Thus, an immediate close scrutiny of urological emergency admission at the nonuniversity affiliated Southwest Community Hospital was permitted. PMID:6876189

  9. All-Cause Hospital Admissions Among Older Adults After a Natural Disaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Sue Anne; Abir, Mahshid; Choi, HwaJung; Cooke, Colin; Iwashyna, Theodore

    2017-08-05

    We characterize hospital admissions among older adults for any cause in the 30 days after a significant natural disaster in the United States. The main outcome was all-cause hospital admissions in the 30 days after natural disaster. Separate analyses were conducted to examine all-cause hospital admissions excluding the 72 hours after the disaster, ICU admissions, all-cause inhospital mortality, and admissions by state. A self-controlled case series analysis using the 2011 Medicare Provider and Analysis Review was conducted to examine exposure to natural disaster by elderly adults located in zip codes affected by tornadoes during the 2011 southeastern superstorm. Spatial data of tornado events were obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Severe Report database, and zip code data were obtained from the US Census Bureau. All-cause hospital admissions increased by 4% for older adults in the 30 days after the April 27, 2011, tornadoes (incidence rate ratio 1.04; 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.07). When the first 3 days after the disaster that may have been attributed to immediate injuries were excluded, hospitalizations for any cause also remained higher than when compared with the other 11 months of the year (incidence rate ratio 1.04; 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.07). There was no increase in ICU admissions or inhospital mortality associated with the natural disaster. When data were examined by individual states, Alabama, which had the highest number of persons affected, had a 9% increase in both hospitalizations and ICU admissions. When all time-invariant characteristics were controlled for, this natural disaster was associated with a significant increase in all-cause hospitalizations. This analysis quantifies acute care use after disasters through examining all-cause hospitalizations and represents an important contribution to building models of resilience-the ability to recover from a disaster-and hospital surge capacity

  10. Rising rates of hospital admissions for atrial fibrillation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Friberg, Jens; Buch, Nina Pernille Gardshodn; Scharling, Henrik

    2003-01-01

    Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia associated with excess morbidity and mortality. We studied temporal changes in hospital admission rates for atrial fibrillation using data from a prospective population-based cohort study spanning 2 decades (the Copenhagen City Heart Study).......Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia associated with excess morbidity and mortality. We studied temporal changes in hospital admission rates for atrial fibrillation using data from a prospective population-based cohort study spanning 2 decades (the Copenhagen City Heart Study)....

  11. Increase in hospital admissions for acute childhood asthma in Cape ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    To determine whether hospital admissions for acute childhood asthma were rising in Cape Town in line with the experience of other countries, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital's records for the period 1978 - 1990 were analysed. These were compared with total admissions for non-surgical causes and lower ...

  12. Advantages of a Web-Based Real-Time Bed-Management System for Hospital Admission Monitoring in Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abedian, Somayeh; Bitaraf, Ehsan; Askari, Marjan

    2018-01-01

    Lack of up-to-date information of hospitals beds, specifically in emergencies, is a significant problem in many large countries; The Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran (MOHME) designed and implemented a dynamic system that reports the status of beds in 2012. This system created great opportunities for national bed management, including real-time hospital admission monitoring, especially for emergency departments, ICUs and CCUs. Therefore, an additional online system was planned to be implemented for monitoring hospital admissions, including a national alert system. Prior to the design of this system, a study was done using literature study and expert opinion to investigate the advantages and features that this monitoring system was required to have. We used the MoSCoW method to prioritize the requirements of the system. This system was designed to have the following advantages, among other things: the hospitals as well as government should be able to track the patients, manage patient distribution in healthcare centers, and make policy for supplying extra beds. It should also be possible for the hospitals executive board, as well as the government, to monitor the performance of the hospitals regarding patient admissions (i.e., the rate of rejection of patients with severe conditions).

  13. Steering patients to safer hospitals? The effect of a tiered hospital network on hospital admissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scanlon, Dennis P; Lindrooth, Richard C; Christianson, Jon B

    2008-10-01

    To determine if a tiered hospital benefit and safety incentive shifted the distribution of admissions toward safer hospitals. A large manufacturing company instituted the hospital safety incentive (HSI) for union employees. The HSI gave union patients a financial incentive to choose hospitals that met the Leapfrog Group's three patient safety "leaps." The analysis merges data from four sources: claims and enrollment data from the company, the American Hospital Association, the AHRQ HCUP-SID, and a state Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Changes in hospital admissions' patterns for union and nonunion employees using a difference-in-difference design. We estimate the probability of choosing a specific hospital from a set of available alternatives using conditional logistic regression. Patients affiliated with the engineers' union and admitted for a medical diagnosis were 2.92 times more likely to select a hospital designated as safer in the postperiod than in the preperiod, while salaried nonunion (SNU) patients (not subject to the financial incentive) were 0.64 times as likely to choose a compliant hospital in the post- versus preperiod. The difference-in-difference estimate, which is based on the predictions of the conditional logit model, is 0.20. However, the machinists' union was also exposed to the incentive and they were no more likely to choose a safer hospital than the SNU patients. The incentive did not have an effect on patients admitted for a surgical diagnosis, regardless of union status. All patients were averse to travel time, but those union patients selecting an incentive hospital were less averse to travel time. Patient price incentives and quality/safety information may influence hospital selection decisions, particularly for medical admissions, though the optimal incentive level for financial return to the plan sponsor is not clear.

  14. Contribution of renal impairment to potentially preventable medication-related hospital admissions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A.J. Leendertse (Anne); E.A. van Dijk (Elisabeth); P.A. de Smet (Peter); T.C.G. Egberts (Toine); P.M.L.A. van den Bemt (Patricia)

    2012-01-01

    textabstractBackground: Medication errors and renal impairment contribute to severe adverse drug events, which may lead to hospital admission. Objective: To determine whether medication errors and renal impairment contribute to hospital admission and examine these errors for strategies to prevent

  15. Local macroeconomic trends and hospital admissions for child abuse, 2000-2009.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Joanne N; Medina, Sheyla P; Feudtner, Chris; Luan, Xianqun; Localio, Russell; Fieldston, Evan S; Rubin, David M

    2012-08-01

    To examine the relationship between local macroeconomic indicators and physical abuse admission rates to pediatric hospitals over time. Retrospective study of children admitted to 38 hospitals in the Pediatric Hospital Information System database. Hospital data were linked to unemployment, mortgage delinquency, and foreclosure data for the associated metropolitan statistical areas. Primary outcomes were admission rates for (1) physical abuse in children <6 years old, (2) non-birth, non-motor vehicle crash-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) in infants <1 year old (which carry high risk for abuse), and (3) all-cause injuries. Poisson fixed-effects regression estimated trends in admission rates and associations between those rates and trends in unemployment, mortgage delinquency, and foreclosure. Between 2000 and 2009, rates of physical abuse and high-risk TBI admissions increased by 0.79% and 3.1% per year, respectively (P ≤ .02), whereas all-cause injury rates declined by 0.80% per year (P < .001). Abuse and high-risk TBI admission rates were associated with the current mortgage delinquency rate and with the change in delinquency and foreclosure rates from the previous year (P ≤ .03). Neither abuse nor high-risk TBI rates were associated with the current unemployment rate. The all-cause injury rate was negatively associated with unemployment, delinquency, and foreclosure rates (P ≤ .007). Multicenter hospital data show an increase in pediatric admissions for physical abuse and high-risk TBI during a time of declining all-cause injury rate. Abuse and high-risk TBI admission rates increased in relationship to local mortgage delinquency and foreclosure trends.

  16. Perceived coercion in voluntary hospital admission.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Donoghue, Brian

    2014-01-30

    The legal status of service users admitted to psychiatric wards is not synonymous with the level of coercion that they can perceive during the admission. This study aimed to identify and describe the proportion of individuals who were admitted voluntarily but experienced levels of perceived coercion comparable to those admitted involuntarily. Individuals admitted voluntarily and involuntarily to three psychiatric hospitals were interviewed using the MacArthur Admission Experience Interview and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV diagnoses. One hundered sixty-one individuals were interviewed and 22% of the voluntarily admitted service users had levels of perceived coercion similar to that of the majority of involuntarily admitted service users. Voluntarily admitted service users who experienced high levels of perceived coercion were more likely to have more severe psychotic symptoms, have experienced more negative pressures and less procedural justices on admission. Individuals brought to hospital under mental health legislation but who subsequently agreed to be admitted voluntarily and those treated on a secure ward also reported higher levels of perceived coercion. It needs to be ensured that if any service user, whether voluntary or involuntary, experiences treatment pressures or coercion that there is sufficient oversight of the practice, to ensure that individual\\'s rights are respected.

  17. Profile of neurological admissions at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekenze, O S; Onwuekwe, I O; Ezeala Adikaibe, B A

    2010-01-01

    The burden of Neurological diseases may be on the increase especially in developing countries. Improved outcome in these settings may require appreciation of the spectrum of Neurological diseases and the impediments to their management. We aim to determine the profile of neurological admissions and the challenges of managing these diseases at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu South East Nigeria. Analysis of Neurological admissions into the medical wards of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu from January 2003 to December 2007. Neurological admissions comprise about 14.8% of medical admissions. There were 640 (51%) males and 609 (49%) females. The spectrum of neurological diseases were stroke 64.9%, central nervous system infections (21.8% ), HIV related neurological diseases 3.5%, hypertensive encephalopathy (3.4%), dementia (3%), subarachnoid haemorrhage (2.2%), Guillian Barre syndrome (1.2%), Parkinson's disease (1.1%), myasthenia gravis (1.0%), motor neurone disease and peripheral neuropathy and accounted for 0.8% and 0.6% respectively. Overall, noninfectious disease accounted for 78.2% of neurological admissions while infectious diseases accounted for 11.8%. A wide spectrum of neurological diseases occurs in our setting. The high incidence of CNS infections indicates that efforts should be geared towards preventive measures. A major challenge to be addressed in the management of neurological diseases in our setting is the lack of specialized facilities.

  18. Admission to acute care hospitals for adolescent substance abuse: a national descriptive analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chisolm Deena J

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Use of alcohol and illicit drugs by adolescents remains a problem in the U.S. Case identification and early treatment can occur within a broad variety of healthcare and non-healthcare settings, including acute care hospitals. The objective of this study is to describe the extent and nature of adolescent admissions to the acute inpatient setting for substance abuse (SA. We use the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ 2000 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids Inpatient Database (HCUP-KID which includes over 2.5 million admissions for youth age 20 and under to 2,784 hospitals in 27 states in the year 2000. Specifically, this analysis estimates national number of admissions, mean total charges, and mean lengths of stay for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 admitted to an acute care hospital for the following diagnostic categories from the AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software categories: "alcohol-related mental disorders" and "substance-related mental disorders". Frequency and percentage of total admissions were calculated for demographic variables of age, gender and income and for hospital characteristic variables of urban/rural designation and children's hospital designation. Results SA admissions represented 1.25 percent of adolescent admissions to acute care hospitals. Nearly 90 percent of the admission occurred in non-Children's hospitals. Most were for drug dependence (38% or non-dependent use of alcohol or drugs (35%. Costs were highest for drug dependence admissions. Nearly half of admissions had comorbid mental health diagnoses. Higher rates of admission were seen in boys, in older adolescents, and in "self-pay" patients. Alcohol and drug rehabilitation/detoxification, alone or in combination with psychological and psychiatric evaluation and therapy, was documented for 38 percent of admissions. Over 50 percent of cases had no documentation of treatment specific to substance use behavior

  19. Complications Requiring Hospital Admission and Causes of In-Hospital Death over Time in Alcoholic and Nonalcoholic Cirrhosis Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hee Yeon; Kim, Chang Wook; Choi, Jong Young; Lee, Chang Don; Lee, Sae Hwan; Kim, Moon Young; Jang, Byoung Kuk; Wo, Hyun Young

    2016-01-01

    Data on the epidemiology of alcoholic cirrhosis, especially in Asian countries, are limited. We compared the temporal evolution of patterns of alcoholic and nonalcoholic cirrhosis over the last decade. We retrospectively examined the inpatient datasets of five referral centers during 2002 and 2011. The study included patients who were admitted due to specific complications of liver cirrhosis. We compared the causes of hospital admissions and in-hospital deaths between patients with alcoholic and nonalcoholic cirrhosis. Among the included 2,799 hospitalizations (2,165 patients), 1,496 (1,143 patients) were from 2002, and 1,303 (1,022 patients) were from 2011. Over time, there was a reduction in the rate of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) as a cause of hospitalization and an increase in the rate of hepatocellular carcinoma. Deaths that were attributable to HE or spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) significantly decreased, whereas those due to hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) significantly increased over time in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. However, in patients with nonalcoholic cirrhosis, hepatic failure and HRS remained the principal causes of in-hospital death during both time periods. The major causes of in-hospital deaths have evolved from acute cirrhotic complications, including HE or SBP to HRS in alcoholic cirrhosis, whereas those have remained unchanged in nonalcoholic cirrhosis during the last decade.

  20. Unemployment and Causes of Hospital Admission Considering Different Analytical Approaches

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berg-Beckhoff, Gabriele; Gulis, Gabriel; Kronborg Bak, Carsten

    2016-01-01

    and circulatory disease. Register-based data was analysed for the period of 2006 to 2009. In the cross-sectional analysis, a multiple logistic regression model was conducted based on the year 2006 and cohort information from the same year onward up to 2009 was available for a cox regression model. Social welfare...... compensated unemployment and both types of disease specific hospital admission was associated statistically significant in the cross-sectional analysis. With regard to circulatory disease, the cohort approach suggests that social welfare compensated unemployment might lead to hospital admission due...... to the disease. Given the significant results in the cross-sectional analysis for hospital admission due to cancer, the unfound cohort effect might indicate a reverse causation suggesting that the disease caused joblessness and finally, social welfare compensated unemployment and not vice versa. Comparing...

  1. Acute admissions among immigrants and asylum seekers to a psychiatric hospital in Norway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iversen, Valentina Cabral; Morken, Gunnar

    2003-09-01

    The purpose of the present study was to compare admission rates, including admission by coercion, length of hospital stay and diagnosis among immigrants, asylum seekers and Norwegian-born patients. All admissions (n=3053) to Østmarka Hospital during the period 1995-2000 were examined. A sample including all immigrants (94) and asylum seekers (39) as well as a control group of 133 Norwegians was analysed. Immigrants and Norwegians had the same relative risk of admission (1.07). The relative risk of admission was higher for asylum seekers compared to Norwegians (8.84). There were differences in the diagnoses given at discharge in the three groups of patients, both among men (chi2=22.33, df=6, pimmigrants. The number of admissions by coercion was highest among immigrants, and lowest among asylum seekers (chi2=12.03, df=2, pimmigrants, asylum seekers had high admission rates and low frequency of admissions by coercion. Schizophrenia was frequent among female immigrants admitted to hospital.

  2. Visa refusal following compulsory hospital admission under the Mental Health Act 1983 (England and Wales): fact or fiction?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashmore, R

    2015-08-01

    Historically, compulsory hospital admission led to discrimination for service users. For example, until recently detention under the Mental Health Act 1983 (England and Wales) would disqualify a person from being a Member of Parliament. There is a belief among mental health professionals that compulsory hospital admission will result in service users being refused a tourist visa. However, there is a paucity of literature on this topic, particularly from an international perspective. Based on the information reviewed in this study, there is no evidence to support this belief. Of 262 travel destinations, 96 (36.6%) require British citizens to obtain a tourist visa. Six (2.3%) destinations require applicants to declare a mental health condition in order to obtain a tourist visa. None of these destinations ask applicants to declare a history of compulsory hospital admission. However, the possibility exists that anyone declaring a mental health problem may be asked to provide further information about their condition before a visa is granted. Mental health nurses require education to ensure that their knowledge of mental health legislation is up to date. This education should include information on the potential consequences of compulsory hospital admission for the service user's social life following discharge. Service users and their families should be provided with written information on the potential social impact of detention along with a list of organizations that can provide advice on specific issues. This study sought to establish whether a history of compulsory hospital admission prevented a person from obtaining a tourist visa. A visa application form and/or other relevant information were obtained for 262 travel destinations visited by British citizens. Ninety-six (36.6%) destinations require British citizens to obtain a tourist visa. All visas are issued subject to travellers meeting a number of conditions, for example being in possession of travel insurance

  3. Individual and hospital-related determinants of potentially inappropriate admissions emerging from administrative records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fusco, Marco; Buja, Alessandra; Piergentili, Paolo; Golfetto, Maria Teresa; Serafin, Gianni; Gallo, Silvia; Dalla Barba, Livio; Baldo, Vincenzo

    2016-11-01

    The appropriate use of health care is an important issue in developed countries. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the extent of potentially inappropriate hospital admissions and their individual, clinical and hospital-related determinants. Medical records were analyzed for the year 2014 held by the Local Heath Unit n. 13 in the Veneto Region of north-east Italy (19,000 records). The outcomes calculated were: admissions for conditions amenable to day hospital care; brief medical admissions; outlier lengths of stay for elderly patients' medical admissions; and medical admissions to surgical wards. Univariate analyses and logistic regression models were used to test associations with demographic, clinical and hospital ward covariates, including organizational indicators. Inappropriate reliance on acute care beds ranged from 6% to 28%, depending on the type of quality indicator analyzed. Some individual features, and wards' specific characteristics were associated with at least one of the phenomena of inappropriate hospital resource usage. In particular, male gender, younger age and transferals seemed to affect inappropriate admissions to surgical wards. Potentially avoidable admissions featuring inpatients amenable to day hospital care were associated with subjects with fewer comorbidities and lower case-mix wards, while inappropriately short medical stays were influenced by patients' higher functional status and local residency and by lower bed occupancy rates. In conclusion, inappropriately long hospital stays for elderly cases were associated with patients with multiple pathologies in wards with a low bed-occupancy. Education level and citizenship did not seem to influence inappropriate admissions. Some individual, clinical ad structural characteristics of patients and wards emerging from administrative records could be associated with inappropriate reliance on acute hospital beds. Analyzing the indicators considered in this study could generate

  4. Understanding inappropriate hospital admissions of patients presenting to the Emergency Department.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberta Siliquini

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available

    Objectives. To identify 1 the characteristics of patients receiving non acute (inappropriate care and 2 the variables associated to inappropriate hospital use, in order to 3 estimate the relevance of the problem and to 4 focus future concurrent reviews and efforts to allocate patients to alternative health care settings.

    Design. A prospective review of a random sample of adult patients who presented to the Emergency Department of the Molinette Hospital. Patients were assessed at admission and on day 3, 5and 8 using the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (Italian validated version. Patients: 490 overall; 312 (64 % medical and 178 (36 % surgical.

    Outcome measures. Acute (appropriate and non acute (inappropriate admissions, Major Disease Category, costs, mean weights of Diagnosis Related Groups, and length of stay (days.

    Results. The proportion of patients requiring acute care declined rapidly from presentation (84.5% to the fifth day of admission (60.9%. Patients admitted during weekends showed a higher rate of inappropriate stay on day 5 (P=0.04. The proportion of inappropriate admissions was higher for medical rather than surgical patients (P=0.07 at presentation and at day 5 (P < 0.01. Traditional social-demographic variables were not significant risk indicators for inappropriate admissions. The likelihood ratio for inappropriate admission at presentation was significantly higher for minor illnesses and disturbances (P=0.03.

    Inappropriate stay on day 5 was significantly associated with lower cost (P < 0.01, lower mean DRG weight (P < 0.01 and shorter length of stay (P=0.05 for medical but not for surgical admissions.

    Conclusions. Traditional epidemiological indicators are inadequate to target prospective concurrent reviews. Qualitative studies focusing on patient physician dialogue in different situations and contexts could

  5. [Philanthropic general hospitals: a new setting for psychiatric admissions].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larrobla, Cristina; Botega, Neury José

    2006-12-01

    To understand the process that led Brazilian philanthropic general hospitals to implement psychiatric units and to describe the main characteristics and therapeutic approaches of these services. Ten institutions in three Brazilian states (Minas Gerais, São Paulo e Santa Catarina) were assessed in 2002. Forty-three semi-structured interviews were carried out with health professionals who worked at the hospitals to collect data on service implementation process, therapeutic approaches and current situation. The interviews were audio-recorded and their content was analyzed. There was no mental hospital in the cities where the institutions were located. In five hospitals, psychiatric patients were admitted to general medical wards because there was no psychiatric unit. The therapeutic approach in six hospitals was based on psychopharmacological treatment. Due to lack of resources and more appropriate therapeutic planning, the admission of patients presenting psychomotor agitation increases resistance against psychiatric patients in general hospitals. Financial constraints regarding laboratory testing is still a challenge. There is no exchange between local authorities and hospital administrators of these institutions that are compelled to exceed the allowed number of admissions to meet the demand of neighboring cities. The need for mental health care to local populations combined with individual requests of local authorities and psychiatrists made possible the implementation of psychiatric units in these localities. In spite of the efforts and flexibility of health professional working in these institutions, there are some obstacles to be overcome: resistance of hospital community against psychiatric admissions, financial constraints, limited professional training in mental health and the lack of a therapeutic approach that goes beyond psychopharmacological treatment alone.

  6. Frequent hospital admissions in Singapore: clinical risk factors and impact of socioeconomic status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Low, Lian Leng; Tay, Wei Yi; Ng, Matthew Joo Ming; Tan, Shu Yun; Liu, Nan; Lee, Kheng Hock

    2018-01-01

    Frequent admitters to hospitals are high-cost patients who strain finite healthcare resources. However, the exact risk factors for frequent admissions, which can be used to guide risk stratification and design effective interventions locally, remain unknown. Our study aimed to identify the clinical and sociodemographic risk factors associated with frequent hospital admissions in Singapore. An observational study was conducted using retrospective 2014 data from the administrative database at Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. Variables were identified a priori and included patient demographics, comorbidities, prior healthcare utilisation, and clinical and laboratory variables during the index admission. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for frequent admissions. A total of 16,306 unique patients were analysed and 1,640 (10.1%) patients were classified as frequent admitters. On multivariate logistic regression, 16 variables were independently associated with frequent hospital admissions, including age, cerebrovascular disease, history of malignancy, haemoglobin, serum creatinine, serum albumin, and number of specialist outpatient clinic visits, emergency department visits, admissions preceding index admission and medications dispensed at discharge. Patients staying in public rental housing had a 30% higher risk of being a frequent admitter after adjusting for demographics and clinical conditions. Our study, the first in our knowledge to examine the clinical risk factors for frequent admissions in Singapore, validated the use of public rental housing as a sensitive indicator of area-level socioeconomic status in Singapore. These risk factors can be used to identify high-risk patients in the hospital so that they can receive interventions that reduce readmission risk. Copyright: © Singapore Medical Association

  7. [Factors associated with involuntary hospital admissions in technology-dependent children].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okido, Aline Cristiane Cavicchioli; Pina, Juliana Coelho; Lima, Regina Aparecida Garcia

    2016-02-01

    To identify the factors associated with involuntary hospital admissions of technology-dependent children, in the municipality of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo State, Brazil. A cross-sectional study, with a quantitative approach. After an active search, 124 children who qualified under the inclusion criteria, that is to say, children from birth to age 12, were identified. Data was collected in home visits to mothers or the people responsible for the children, through the application of a questionnaire. Analysis of the data followed the assumptions of the Generalized Linear Models technique. 102 technology-dependent children aged between 6 months and 12 years participated in the study, of whom 57% were male. The average number of involuntary hospital admissions in the previous year among the children studied was 0.71 (±1.29). In the final model the following variables were significantly associated with the outcome: age (OR=0.991; CI95%=0.985-0.997), and the number of devices (OR=0.387; CI95%=0.219-0.684), which were characterized as factors of protection and quantity of medications (OR=1.532; CI95%=1.297-1.810), representing a risk factor for involuntary hospital admissions in technology-dependent children. The results constitute input data for consideration of the process of care for technology-dependent children by supplying an explanatory model for involuntary hospital admissions for this client group.

  8. Impact of urban atmospheric environment on hospital admissions in the elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edelci Nunes da Silva

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of intra-urban atmospheric conditions on circulatory and respiratory diseases in elder adults. METHODS: Cross-sectional study based on data from 33,212 hospital admissions in adults over 60 years in the city of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil, from 2003 to 2007. The association between atmospheric variables from Congonhas airport and bioclimatic index, Physiological Equivalent Temperature, was analyzed according to the district's socioenvironmental profile. Descriptive statistical analysis and regression models were used. RESULTS: There was an increase in hospital admissions due to circulatory diseases as average and lowest temperatures decreased. The likelihood of being admitted to the hospital increased by 12% with 1ºC decrease in the bioclimatic index and with 1ºC increase in the highest temperatures in the group with lower socioenvironmental conditions. The risk of admission due to respiratory diseases increased with inadequate air quality in districts with higher socioenvironmental conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The associations between morbidity and climate variables and the comfort index varied in different groups and diseases. Lower and higher temperatures increased the risk of hospital admission in the elderly. Districts with lower socioenvironmental conditions showed greater adverse health impacts.

  9. After-hours equine emergency admissions at a university referral hospital (1998 - 2007 : causes and interventions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Viljoen

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Medical records of equine after-hours admissions from 1998 to 2007 are reviewed. Data extracted from the medical records included signalment, reason for admission, pre-admission treatment, clinical presentation, procedures performed, final diagnoses, complications occurring in hospital, length of stay and outcome. Eight hundred and twenty after-hours admissions were available of which 75 % were classified as emergencies. Most horses originated from Gauteng province (82 %, with Thoroughbred, Arabian, and Warmbloods representing 46 %, 10 % and 7 % of horses. Horses had a median age of 7 years and were predominantly male (60 %. Gastrointestinal (64 % and musculoskeletal (19 % disorders were the primary reasons for admission. Anti-inflammatories, sedation and antibiotics were given in 51 %, 20 % and 15 % of cases respectively prior to referral. On admission, 23 % of horses had surgical intervention. Intravenous catheterisation (64 %, rectal examination (61 %, nasogastric intubation (56 %, abdominocentesis (33 % and ultrasonography (19 % were the procedures performed most frequently. Surgical and medical colics constituted 28 % and 27 % respectively of the overall diagnoses, while piroplasmosis was diagnosed in 5 % of horses. Post-admission complications occurred in <2 % of horses. The median length of stay was 4 days (95 % CI: 1 to 21 days. Overall survival to discharge was 74 %. This study demonstrates that the majority of after-hours equine admissions to a university referral hospital required medical intervention and were mostly due to gastrointestinal disorders. Information obtained from this study can be used in emergency referral planning.

  10. Prognostic Importance of Low Admission Serum Creatinine Concentration for Mortality in Hospitalized Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thongprayoon, Charat; Cheungpasitporn, Wisit; Kittanamongkolchai, Wonngarm; Harrison, Andrew M; Kashani, Kianoush

    2017-05-01

    The study objective was to assess the association between low serum creatinine value at admission and in-hospital mortality in hospitalized patients. This was a retrospective single-center cohort study conducted at a tertiary referral hospital. All hospitalized adult patients between 2011 and 2013 who had an admission creatinine value available were identified for inclusion in this study. Admission creatinine value was categorized into 7 groups: ≤0.4, 0.5 to 0.6, 0.7 to 0.8, 0.9 to 1.0, 1.1 to 1.2, 1.3 to 1.4, and ≥1.5 mg/dL. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Logistic regression analysis was performed to obtain the odds ratio of in-hospital mortality for the various admission creatinine levels, using a creatinine value of 0.7 to 0.8 mg/dL as the reference group in the analysis of all patients and female patients and of 0.9 to 1.0 mg/dL in the analysis of male patients because it was associated with the lowest in-hospital mortality. Of 73,994 included patients, 973 (1.3%) died in the hospital. The association between different categories of admission creatinine value and in-hospital mortality assumed a U-shaped distribution, with both low and high creatinine values associated with higher in-hospital mortality. After adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, principal diagnosis, and comorbid conditions, very low creatinine value (≤0.4 mg/dL) was significantly associated with increased mortality (odds ratio, 3.29; 95% confidence interval, 2.08-5.00), exceeding the risk related to a markedly increased creatinine value of ≥1.5 mg/dL (odds ratio, 2.56; 95% confidence interval, 2.07-3.17). The association remained significant in the subgroup analysis of male and female patients. Low creatinine value at admission is independently associated with increased in-hospital mortality in hospitalized patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. [Classification and monitoring of the appropriateness of emergency admissions in a tertiary hospital].

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Picazo Ferrer, J J; Tomás García, N; Cubillana Herrero, J D; Gómez Company, J A; de Dios Cánovas García, J

    2014-01-01

    To measure the appropriateness of hospital admissions, to classify its Clinical Services (CS) according to the level of inappropriateness, and to determine the usefulness of applying rapid assessment techniques (lot quality assurance sampling) in these types of measurements. A descriptive, retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary hospital to assess the clinical records of emergency admissions to the 12 CS with a higher volume of admissions, using the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP). A four-level («A» to «D») increasingly inadequate admissions scale was constructed setting both standard and threshold values in every stratum. Every CS was classified in one of them using lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS). A total of 156 cases (13 cases from every CS) were assessed. The assessment effort (devoted time) was also estimated. There were 22.4±6.3% of inadequate admissions. In the CS classification, 9 (75%) got a good or acceptable appropriateness level, and only 1 (8%) got an inacceptable level. The time devoted was estimated at 17 hours. AEP is useful to assess the admission appropriateness and may be included in the «Emergencies» process management, although its variability prevents the use for external comparisons. If both LQAS and the appropriateness classification level and the global estimation (by unifying lot samples) are combined, the monitoring is affordable without a great effort. To extend these tools to other quality indicators requiring direct observation or clinical records, manual assessment could improve the monitoring efficiency. Copyright © 2013 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  12. Hospital readmission performance and patterns of readmission: retrospective cohort study of Medicare admissions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, Angela F; Lin, Zhenqiu; Bueno, Héctor; Ross, Joseph S; Horwitz, Leora I; Barreto-Filho, José Augusto; Kim, Nancy; Suter, Lisa G; Bernheim, Susannah M; Drye, Elizabeth E; Krumholz, Harlan M

    2013-01-01

    Objectives To determine whether high performing hospitals with low 30 day risk standardized readmission rates have a lower proportion of readmissions from specific diagnoses and time periods after admission or instead have a similar distribution of readmission diagnoses and timing to lower performing institutions. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Medicare beneficiaries in the United States. Participants Patients aged 65 and older who were readmitted within 30 days after hospital admission for heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, or pneumonia in 2007-09. Main outcome measures Readmission diagnoses were classified with a modified version of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ condition categories, and readmission timing was classified by day (0-30) after hospital discharge. Hospital 30 day risk standardized readmission rates over the three years of study were calculated with public reporting methods of the US federal government, and hospitals were categorized with bootstrap analysis as having high, average, or low readmission performance for each index condition. High and low performing hospitals had ≥95% probability of having an interval estimate respectively less than or greater than the national 30 day readmission rate over the three year period of study. All remaining hospitals were considered average performers. Results For readmissions in the 30 days after the index admission, there were 320 003 after 1 291 211 admissions for heart failure (4041 hospitals), 102 536 after 517 827 admissions for acute myocardial infarction (2378 hospitals), and 208 438 after 1 135 932 admissions for pneumonia (4283 hospitals). The distribution of readmissions by diagnosis was similar across categories of hospital performance for all three conditions. High performing hospitals had fewer readmissions for all common diagnoses. Median time to readmission was similar by hospital performance for heart failure and acute myocardial

  13. Fall related hospital admissions among seniors in Poland in 2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buczak-Stec, Elzbieta; Goryński, Paweł

    2013-01-01

    Falls among elderly people causing hospitalization are considered one of the most important public health problems. Our objective was to analyse fall related hospital admissions among seniors (> or = 65 years old) in Poland in 2010. The analyses were conducted with regard to gender, place of residence and age. Additionally, the health consequences of falls among elderly people were studied. Injuries and other consequences of external causes, were expressed in the form of three-character ICD-10 codes representing the underlying disease (S00-T98). Data on hospital admissions resulting from falls among seniors were obtained from the database held at the Department - Centre for Monitoring and Analyses of Population Health Status and Health Care System by the National Institute of Public Health - National Institute of Hygiene. Analysis has shown that the hospitalization ratio due to falls is much higher for women than for men. On average, 1 024 per 100 000 women are hospitalized due to a fall, while the number for men is 649. For every analysed age group women are at a higher risk of hospitalization due to a fall than men. In 2010 nearly 70% of hospital admissions of elderly people due to a fall were caused by a fall on the same level as a result of tripping or slipping (31 712 hospitalizations). No differences in relation to gender were observed. Risk of hospitalization due to a fall increases with age. For people over 80 years of age it is 2.5 times higher than for people in the 65-69 age group (1 459 and 570 per 100 000 respectively). It was observed that the length of hospital stay increases with age. There were no significant differences between the number of hospitalizations depending on the place of residence. The analysis showed that differences in the length of stay for women and men are statistically significant. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the lengths of stay depending on a place of residence. Almost one-third of

  14. Waiving the three-day rule: admissions and length-of-stay at hospitals and skilled nursing facilities did not increase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grebla, Regina C; Keohane, Laura; Lee, Yoojin; Lipsitz, Lewis A; Rahman, Momotazur; Trivedi, Amal N

    2015-08-01

    The traditional Medicare program requires an enrollee to have a hospital stay of at least three consecutive calendar days to qualify for coverage of subsequent postacute care in a skilled nursing facility. This long-standing policy, implemented to discourage premature discharges from hospitals, might now be inappropriately lengthening hospital stays for patients who could be transferred sooner. To assess the implications of eliminating the three-day qualifying stay requirement, we compared hospital and postacute skilled nursing facility utilization among Medicare Advantage enrollees in matched plans that did or did not eliminate that requirement in 2006-10. Among hospitalized enrollees with a skilled nursing facility admission, the mean hospital length-of-stay declined from 6.9 days to 6.7 days for those no longer subject to the qualifying stay but increased from 6.1 to 6.6 days among those still subject to it, for a net decline of 0.7 day when the three-day stay requirement was eliminated. The elimination was not associated with more hospital or skilled nursing facility admissions or with longer lengths-of-stay in a skilled nursing facility. These findings suggest that eliminating the three-day stay requirement conferred savings on Medicare Advantage plans and that study of the requirement in traditional Medicare plans is warranted. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  15. The cost of lower respiratory tract infections hospital admissions in the Canadian Arctic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Banerji

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Background . Inuit infants who reside in the Nunavut (NU regions of Arctic Canada have extremely high rates of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs associated with significant health expenditures, but the costs in other regions of Arctic Canada have not been documented. Objective . This prospective surveillance compares, across most of Arctic Canada, the rates and costs associated with LRTI admissions in infants less than 1 year of age, and the days of hospitalization and costs adjusted per live birth. Design . This was a hospital-based surveillance of LRTI admissions of infants less than 1 year of age, residing in Northwest Territories (NT, the 3 regions of Nunavut (NU; [Kitikmeot (KT, Kivalliq (KQ and Qikiqtani (QI] and Nunavik (NK from 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2010. Costs were obtained from the territorial or regional governments and hospitals, and included transportation, hospital stay, physician fees and accommodation costs. The rates of LRTI hospitalizations, days of hospitalization and associated costs were calculated per live birth in each of the 5 regions. Results . There were 513 LRTI admissions during the study period. For NT, KT, KQ, QI and NK, the rates of LRTI hospitalization per 100 live births were 38, 389, 230, 202 and 445, respectively. The total days of LRTI admission per live birth were 0.25, 3.3, 2.6, 1.7 and 3 for the above regions. The average cost per live birth for LRTI admission for these regions was $1,412, $22,375, $14,608, $8,254 and $10,333. The total cost for LRTI was $1,498,232 in NT, $15,662,968 in NU and $3,874,881 in NK. Medical transportation contributed to a significant proportion of the costs. Conclusion . LRTI admission rates in NU and Nunavik are much higher than that in NT and remain among the highest rates globally. The costs of these admissions are exceptionally high due to the combination of very high rates of admission, very expensive medical evacuations and prolonged hospitalizations

  16. Pharmacy services at admission and discharge in adult, acute, public hospitals in Ireland.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Grimes, Tamasine

    2012-02-01

    OBJECTIVES: to describe hospital pharmacy involvement in medication management in Ireland, both generally and at points of transfer of care, and to gain a broad perspective of the hospital pharmacy workforce. METHODS: a survey of all adult, acute, public hospitals with an accident and emergency (A&E) department (n = 36), using a semi-structured telephone interview. KEY FINDINGS: there was a 97% (n = 35) response rate. The majority (n = 25, 71.4%) of hospitals reported delivery of a clinical pharmacy service. On admission, pharmacists were involved in taking or verifying medication histories in a minority (n = 15, 42.9%) of hospitals, while few (n = 6,17.1%) deployed staff to the A&E\\/acute medical admissions unit. On discharge, the majority (n = 30,85.7%) did not supply any take-out medication, a minority (n =5,14.3%) checked the discharge prescription, 51.4% (n = 18) counselled patients, 42.9% (n = 15) provided medication compliance charts and one hospital (2.9%) communicated with the patient\\'s community pharmacy. The number of staff employed in the pharmacy department in each hospital was not proportionate to the number of inpatient beds, nor the volume of admissions from A&E. There were differences identified in service delivery between hospitals of different type: urban hospitals with a high volume of admissions from A&E were more likely to deliver clinical pharmacy. CONCLUSIONS: the frequency and consistency of delivering pharmacy services to facilitate medication reconciliation at admission and discharge could be improved. Workforce constraints may inhibit service expansion. Development of national standards of practice may help to eliminate variation between hospitals and support service development.

  17. Coding accuracy for Parkinson's disease hospital admissions: implications for healthcare planning in the UK.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muzerengi, S; Rick, C; Begaj, I; Ives, N; Evison, F; Woolley, R L; Clarke, C E

    2017-05-01

    Hospital Episode Statistics data are used for healthcare planning and hospital reimbursements. Reliability of these data is dependent on the accuracy of individual hospitals reporting Secondary Uses Service (SUS) which includes hospitalisation. The number and coding accuracy for Parkinson's disease hospital admissions at a tertiary centre in Birmingham was assessed. Retrospective, routine-data-based study. A retrospective electronic database search for all Parkinson's disease patients admitted to the tertiary hospital over a 4-year period (2009-2013) was performed on the SUS database using International Classification of Disease codes, and on the local inpatient electronic prescription database, Prescription and Information Communications System, using medication prescriptions. Capture-recapture methods were used to estimate the number of patients and admissions missed by both databases. From the two databases, between July 2009 and June 2013, 1068 patients with Parkinson's disease accounted for 1999 admissions. During these admissions, the Parkinson's disease was coded as a primary or secondary diagnosis. Ninety-one percent of these admissions were recorded on the SUS database. Capture-recapture methods estimated that the number of Parkinson's disease patients admitted during this period was 1127 patients (95% confidence interval: 1107-1146). A supplementary search of both SUS and Prescription and Information Communications System was undertaken using the hospital numbers of these 1068 patients. This identified another 479 admissions. SUS database under-estimated Parkinson's disease admissions by 27% during the study period. The accuracy of disease coding is critical for healthcare policy planning and must be improved. If the under-reporting of Parkinson's disease admissions on the SUS database is repeated nationally, expenditure on Parkinson's disease admissions in England is under-estimated by approximately £61 million per year. Copyright © 2016 The Royal

  18. Assessment and prediction of short term hospital admissions: the case of Athens, Greece

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kassomenos, P.; Papaloukas, C.; Petrakis, M.; Karakitsios, S.

    The contribution of air pollution on hospital admissions due to respiratory and heart diseases is a major issue in the health-environmental perspective. In the present study, an attempt was made to run down the relationships between air pollution levels and meteorological indexes, and corresponding hospital admissions in Athens, Greece. The available data referred to a period of eight years (1992-2000) including the daily number of hospital admissions due to respiratory and heart diseases, hourly mean concentrations of CO, NO 2, SO 2, O 3 and particulates in several monitoring stations, as well as, meteorological data (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed/direction). The relations among the above data were studied through widely used statistical techniques (multivariate stepwise analyses) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). Both techniques revealed that elevated particulate concentrations are the dominant parameter related to hospital admissions (an increase of 10 μg m -3 leads to an increase of 10.2% in the number of admissions), followed by O 3 and the rest of the pollutants (CO, NO 2 and SO 2). Meteorological parameters also play a decisive role in the formation of air pollutant levels affecting public health. Consequently, increased/decreased daily hospital admissions are related to specific types of meteorological conditions that favor/do not favor the accumulation of pollutants in an urban complex. In general, the role of meteorological factors seems to be underestimated by stepwise analyses, while ANNs attribute to them a more important role. Comparison of the two models revealed that ANN adaptation in complicate environmental issues presents improved modeling results compared to a regression technique. Furthermore, the ANN technique provides a reliable model for the prediction of the daily hospital admissions based on air quality data and meteorological indices, undoubtedly useful for regulatory purposes.

  19. Hospital admission patterns subsequent to diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in children : a systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Waugh Norman

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Patients with type 1 diabetes are known to have a higher hospital admission rate than the underlying population and may also be admitted for procedures that would normally be carried out on a day surgery basis for non-diabetics. Emergency admission rates have sometimes been used as indicators of quality of diabetes care. In preparation for a study of hospital admissions, a systematic review was carried out on hospital admissions for children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, whilst under the age of 15. The main thrust of this review was to ascertain where there were gaps in the literature for studies investigating post-diagnosis hospitalisations, rather than to try to draw conclusions from the disparate data sets. Methods A systematic search of the electronic databases PubMed, Cochrane LibrarMEDLINE and EMBASE was conducted for the period 1986 to 2006, to identify publications relating to hospital admissions subsequent to the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes under the age of 15. Results Thirty-two publications met all inclusion criteria, 16 in Northern America, 11 in Europe and 5 in Australasia. Most of the studies selected were focussed on diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA or diabetes-related hospital admissions and only four studies included data on all admissions. Admission rates with DKA as primary diagnosis varied widely between 0.01 to 0.18 per patient-year as did those for other diabetes-related co-morbidity ranging from 0.05 to 0.38 per patient year, making it difficult to interpret data from different study designs. However, people with Type 1 diabetes are three times more likely to be hospitalised than the non-diabetic populations and stay in hospital twice as long. Conclusion Few studies report on all admissions to hospital in patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes whilst under the age of 15 years. Health care costs for type 1 patients are higher than those for the general population and information on associated patterns of

  20. Construction of a Composite Hospital Admission Index Using the Aggregated Weights of Criteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nor Hasliza Mat Desa; Abdul Aziz Jemain; Maznah Mat Kasim

    2015-01-01

    The issue of age difference in hospital admission should be given special attention since it affects the structure of hospital care and treatments. Patients of different age groups should be given different priority in service provision. Due to crucial time and limited resources, health care managers need to make wise decisions in identifying priorities in age of admission. This paper aimed to propose a construction of a daily composite hospital admission index (CHAI) as an indicator that captures relevant information about the overall performance of hospital admission over time. It involves five different age groups of total patients admitted to seven major public hospitals in the Klang Valley, Malaysia for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases for a period of three years, 2008 - 2010. The criteria weights were predetermined by aggregating the subjective weight based on rank ordered centroid (ROC) method and objective weight based on entropy - kernel method. The highest and lowest scores of CHAI were marked, while the groups of patients were prioritized according to the criteria weight ranking orders. (author)

  1. Short-term effects of air pollution on hospital admissions in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Son, Ji-Young; Lee, Jong-Tae; Park, Yoon Hyeong; Bell, Michelle L

    2013-07-01

    Numerous studies have identified short-term effects of air pollution on morbidity in North America and Europe. The effects of air pollution may differ by region of the world. Evidence on air pollution and morbidity in Asia is limited. We investigated associations between ambient air pollution and hospital admissions in eight Korean cities for 2003-2008. We applied a two-stage Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate city-specific effects and the overall effects across the cities. We considered lagged effects of pollutants by cause (allergic disease, asthma, selected respiratory disease, and cardiovascular disease), sex, and age (0-14, 15-64, 65-74, and ≥ 75 years). We found evidence of associations between hospital admissions and short-term exposure to air pollution. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM10 (30.7 µg/m) was associated with an overall increase of 2.2% (95% posterior interval = 0.5%-3.9%), 2.8% (1.3%-4.4%), 1.7% (0.9%-2.6%), and 0.7% (0.0%-1.4%) in allergic, asthma, selected respiratory, and cardiovascular admissions, respectively. For NO2 (IQR 12.2 ppb), the corresponding figures were 2.3% (0.6%-4.0%), 2.2% (0.3%-4.1%), 2.2% (0.6%-3.7%), and 2.2% (1.1%-3.4%). For O3, we found positive associations for all the studied diagnoses except cardiovascular disease. SO2 was associated with hospital admissions for selected respiratory or cardiovascular causes, whereas O3 was negatively associated with cardiovascular admissions. We found suggestive evidence for stronger associations in younger and older age groups. Associations were similar for men and women. Ambient air pollution was associated with increased risk of hospital admissions in Korea. Results suggest increased susceptibility among the young or the elderly for pollution effects on specific diseases.

  2. Paediatric mild head injury: is routine admission to a tertiary trauma hospital necessary?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tallapragada, Krishna; Peddada, Ratna Soundarya; Dexter, Mark

    2018-03-01

    Previous studies have shown that children with isolated linear skull fractures have excellent clinical outcomes and low risk of surgery. We wish to identify other injury patterns within the spectrum of paediatric mild head injury, which need only conservative management. Children with low risk of evolving neurosurgical lesions could be safely managed in primary hospitals. We retrospectively analysed all children with mild head injury (i.e. admission Glasgow coma score 13-15) and skull fracture or haematoma on a head computed tomography scan admitted to Westmead Children's Hospital, Sydney over the years 2009-2014. Data were collected regarding demographics, clinical findings, mechanism of injury, head computed tomography scan findings, neurosurgical intervention, outcome and length of admission. Wilcoxon paired test was used with P value <0.05 considered significant. Four hundred and ten children were analysed. Three hundred and eighty-one (93%) children were managed conservatively, 18 (4%) underwent evacuation of extradural haematoma (TBI surgery) and 11 (3%) needed fracture repair surgery. Two children evolved a surgical lesion 24 h post-admission. Only 17 of 214 children transferred from peripheral hospitals needed neurosurgery. Overall outcomes: zero deaths, one needed brain injury rehabilitation and 63 needed child protection unit intervention. Seventy-five percentage of children with non-surgical lesions were discharged within 2 days. Eighty-three percentage of road transfers were discharged within 3 days. Children with small intracranial haematomas and/or skull fractures who need no surgery only require brief inpatient symptomatic treatment and could be safely managed in primary hospitals. Improved tertiary hospital transfer guidelines with protocols to manage clinical deterioration could have cost benefit without risking patient safety. © 2017 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

  3. Predicting Hospital Admission for Emergency Department Patients using a Bayesian Network

    OpenAIRE

    Leegon, Jeffrey; Jones, Ian; Lanaghan, Kevin; Aronsky, Dominik

    2005-01-01

    Hospital admission delays in the Emergency Department (ED) reduce volume capacity and contribute to the nation’s ED diversion problem. This study evaluated the accuracy of a Bayesian network for the early prediction of hospital admission status using data from 16,900 ED encounters. The final model included nine variables that are commonly available in many ED settings. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.894 (95% CI: 0.887-0.902) for the validati...

  4. Air pollution and emergency hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases in Valencia, Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballester, F; Tenías, J M; Pérez-Hoyos, S

    2001-01-01

    To estimate the short-term association between air pollution levels and emergency hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases in Valencia, within 1994-1996 period. Daily levels of air pollution and emergency admissions for cardiovascular diseases were related to using an ecological time series design. The number of admissions was obtained from the hospital records database. Selected groups of causes were all cardiovascular diseases, heart admissions, and admissions for cerebrovascular diseases. The number of admissions for digestive diseases was used as control. Pollutants were black smoke, sulphur dioxide (SO(2)), nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O(3)). Magnitude of association was estimated by Poisson autoregressive regression. Estimations were calculated according the hottest (May to October) and the coldest (November to April) periods. City of Valencia, Spain, about 750,000 inhabitants. People being admitted to the two major hospitals in the city, with a catchment area of nearly 400,000 inhabitants. For the whole period, a significant association for SO(2)-24 h was found so a rise in its levels of 10 microg/m(3) was associated with an increment of 3% (95%CI 0.4 to 5.7%) in the expected number of cardiovascular admissions. A significant association for black smoke, SO(2)-24 h, SO(2)-1 h, and CO-1 h was found in the hottest semester. All these associations were verified with a lag of two days. The estimates of the associations for particles, SO(2), and CO were affected by the inclusion of the other pollutants in their models. NO(2) was independently associated with cerebrovascular admissions. There were no significant associations between air pollution and admissions for digestive diseases. Current levels of air pollution and emergency cardiovascular admissions are significantly related in Valencia.

  5. A medical admission unit reduces duration of hospital stay and number of readmissions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vork, Jan C; Brabrand, Mikkel; Folkestad, Lars

    2011-01-01

    Political initiatives promoting a more efficient emergency admission process have triggered a reorganisation of the Danish health system with a view to creating fewer and larger admission units counting more experienced physicians. At our hospital, a medical admission unit (MAU) was established. ...... present the effect of this on the length of hospital stay, mortality rates and the number of readmissions for the last year with the previous structure and the first year of the new MAU structure....

  6. Association of hypercapnia on admission with increased length of hospital stay and severity in patients admitted with community-acquired pneumonia: a prospective observational study from Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iqbal, Nousheen; Irfan, Muhammad; Zubairi, Ali Bin Sarwar; Awan, Safia; Khan, Javaid A

    2017-06-15

    To determine whether the presence of hypercapnia on admission in adult patients admitted to a university-based hospital in Karachi, Pakistan with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) correlates with an increased length of hospital stay and severity compared with no hypercapnia on admission. A prospective observational study. Tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. The severity of pneumonia was assessed by CURB-65 and PSI scores. An arterial blood gas analysis was obtained within 24 hours of admission. Based on arterial PaCO 2 levels, patients were divided into three groups: hypocapnic (PaCO 2 45 mm Hg) and normocapnic (PaCO 2 <35-45 mm Hg). The primary outcome was the association of hypercapnia on admission with mean length of hospital stay. Secondary outcomes were the need for mechanical ventilation, ICU admission and in-hospital mortality. A total of 295 patients of mean age 60.20±17.0 years (157 (53.22%) men) were enrolled over a 1-year period. Hypocapnia was found in 181 (61.35%) and hypercapnia in 57 (19.32%) patients. Hypercapnic patients had a longer hospital stay (mean 9.27±7.57 days), increased requirement for non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV) on admission (n=45 (78.94%)) and longer mean time to clinical stability (4.39±2.0 days) compared with the other groups. Overall mortality was 41 (13.89%), but there was no statistically significant difference in mortality (p=0.35) and ICU admission (p=0.37) between the three groups. On multivariable analysis, increased length of hospital stay was associated with NIMV use, ICU admission, hypercapnia and normocapnia. Hypercapnia on admission is associated with severity of CAP, longer time to clinical stability, increased length of hospital stay and need for NIMV. It should be considered as an important criterion to label the severity of the illness and also a determinant of patients who will require a higher level of hospital

  7. Access to primary care and the route of emergency admission to hospital: retrospective analysis of national hospital administrative data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowling, Thomas E; Harris, Matthew; Watt, Hilary; Soljak, Michael; Richards, Emma; Gunning, Elinor; Bottle, Alex; Macinko, James; Majeed, Azeem

    2016-06-01

    The UK government is pursuing policies to improve primary care access, as many patients visit accident and emergency (A and E) departments after being unable to get suitable general practice appointments. Direct admission to hospital via a general practitioner (GP) averts A and E use, and may reduce total hospital costs. It could also enhance the continuity of information between GPs and hospital doctors, possibly improving healthcare outcomes. To determine whether primary care access is associated with the route of emergency admission-via a GP versus via an A and E department. Retrospective analysis of national administrative data from English hospitals for 2011-2012. Adults admitted in an emergency (unscheduled) for ≥1 night via a GP or an A and E department formed the study population. The measure of primary care access-the percentage of patients able to get a general practice appointment on their last attempt-was derived from a large, nationally representative patient survey. Multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate associations, adjusting for patient and admission characteristics. The analysis included 2 322 112 emergency admissions (81.9% via an A and E department). With a 5 unit increase in the percentage of patients able to get a general practice appointment on their last attempt, the adjusted odds of GP admission (vs A and E admission) was estimated to increase by 15% (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.17). The probability of GP admission if ≥95% of appointment attempts were successful in each general practice was estimated to be 19.6%. This probability reduced to 13.6% when <80% of appointment attempts were successful. This equates to 139 673 fewer GP admissions (456 232 vs 316 559) assuming no change in the total number of admissions. Associations were consistent in direction across geographical regions of England. Among hospital inpatients admitted as an emergency, patients registered to more accessible general practices were more

  8. Acute and chronic effects of particles on hospital admissions in New-England.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Itai Kloog

    Full Text Available Many studies have reported significant associations between exposure to PM(2.5 and hospital admissions, but all have focused on the effects of short-term exposure. In addition all these studies have relied on a limited number of PM(2.5 monitors in their study regions, which introduces exposure error, and excludes rural and suburban populations from locations in which monitors are not available, reducing generalizability and potentially creating selection bias.Using our novel prediction models for exposure combining land use regression with physical measurements (satellite aerosol optical depth we investigated both the long and short term effects of PM(2.5 exposures on hospital admissions across New-England for all residents aged 65 and older. We performed separate Poisson regression analysis for each admission type: all respiratory, cardiovascular disease (CVD, stroke and diabetes. Daily admission counts in each zip code were regressed against long and short-term PM(2.5 exposure, temperature, socio-economic data and a spline of time to control for seasonal trends in baseline risk.We observed associations between both short-term and long-term exposure to PM(2.5 and hospitalization for all of the outcomes examined. In example, for respiratory diseases, for every 10-µg/m(3 increase in short-term PM(2.5 exposure there is a 0.70 percent increase in admissions (CI = 0.35 to 0.52 while concurrently for every 10-µg/m(3 increase in long-term PM(2.5 exposure there is a 4.22 percent increase in admissions (CI = 1.06 to 4.75.As with mortality studies, chronic exposure to particles is associated with substantially larger increases in hospital admissions than acute exposure and both can be detected simultaneously using our exposure models.

  9. Risk factors for hospital admission with RSV bronchiolitis in England: a population-based birth cohort study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanna Murray

    Full Text Available To examine the timing and duration of RSV bronchiolitis hospital admission among term and preterm infants in England and to identify risk factors for bronchiolitis admission.A population-based birth cohort with follow-up to age 1 year, using the Hospital Episode Statistics database.71 hospitals across England.We identified 296618 individual birth records from 2007/08 and linked to subsequent hospital admission records during the first year of life.In our cohort there were 7189 hospital admissions with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis, 24.2 admissions per 1000 infants under 1 year (95%CI 23.7-24.8, of which 15% (1050/7189 were born preterm (47.3 bronchiolitis admissions per 1000 preterm infants (95% CI 44.4-50.2. The peak age group for bronchiolitis admissions was infants aged 1 month and the median was age 120 days (IQR = 61-209 days. The median length of stay was 1 day (IQR = 0-3. The relative risk (RR of a bronchiolitis admission was higher among infants with known risk factors for severe RSV infection, including those born preterm (RR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.8-2.0 compared with infants born at term. Other conditions also significantly increased risk of bronchiolitis admission, including Down's syndrome (RR = 2.5, 95% CI 1.7-3.7 and cerebral palsy (RR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.5-4.0.Most (85% of the infants who are admitted to hospital with bronchiolitis in England are born at term, with no known predisposing risk factors for severe RSV infection, although risk of admission is higher in known risk groups. The early age of bronchiolitis admissions has important implications for the potential impact and timing of future active and passive immunisations. More research is needed to explain why babies born with Down's syndrome and cerebral palsy are also at higher risk of hospital admission with RSV bronchiolitis.

  10. Influence of smoking and alcohol consumption on admissions and duration of hospitalization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hvidtfeldt, Ulla A; Rasmussen, Søren; Grønbaek, Morten

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Previous studies have linked smoking and alcohol consumption to a considerable disease burden and large healthcare expenditures. However, findings from studies based on individual level data are sparse and inconclusive. Our objective was to assess the association between alcohol...... consumption, smoking and patterns of hospitalization, defined as admission and duration of hospitalization. METHODS: The study was based on 12 698 men and women, aged 20 years or more, enrolled in the Copenhagen City Heart Study. We related smoking and alcohol to hospital admission from any cause, smoking...

  11. Effects of air pollution on respiratory hospital admissions in İstanbul, Turkey, 2013 to 2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Çapraz, Özkan; Deniz, Ali; Doğan, Nida

    2017-08-01

    We examined the associations between the daily variations of air pollutants and hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in İstanbul, the largest city of Turkey. A time series analysis of counts of daily hospital admissions and outdoor air pollutants was performed using single-pollutant Poisson generalized linear model (GLM) while controlling for time trends and meteorological factors over a 3-year period (2013-2015) at different time lags (0-9 days). Effects of the pollutants (Excess Risk, ER) on current-day (lag 0) hospital admissions to the first ten days (lag 9) were determined. Data on hospital admissions, daily mean concentrations of air pollutants of PM 10 , PM 2.5 and NO 2 and daily mean concentrations of temperature and humidity of İstanbul were used in the study. The analysis was conducted among people of all ages, but also focused on different sexes and different age groups including children (0-14 years), adults (35-44 years) and elderly (≥65 years). We found significant associations between air pollution and respiratory related hospital admissions in the city. Our findings showed that the relative magnitude of risks for an association of the pollutants with the total respiratory hospital admissions was in the order of: PM 2.5 , NO 2 , and PM 10 . The highest association of each pollutant with total hospital admission was observed with PM 2.5 at lag 4 (ER = 1.50; 95% CI = 1.09-1.99), NO 2 at lag 4 (ER = 1.27; 95% CI = 1.02-1.53) and PM 10 at lag 0 (ER = 0.61; 95% CI = 0.33-0.89) for an increase of 10 μg/m3 in concentrations of the pollutants. In conclusion, our study showed that short-term exposure to air pollution was positively associated with increased respiratory hospital admissions in İstanbul during 2013-2015. As the first air pollution hospital admission study using GLM in İstanbul, these findings may have implications for local environmental and social policies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. [Big data, Roemer's law and avoidable hospital admissions].

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Horst, H E

    2016-01-01

    From an analysis of data from 23 European countries to determine the impact of primary care on avoidable hospital admissions for uncontrolled diabetes it appeared that, contrary to expectation, countries with strong primary care did not have a lower rate of avoidable hospital admission. It is clear that Roemer's law, 'a bed built is a bed filled,' still applies. However, the validity of this sort of analysis can be questioned, as these data are highly aggregated, and registration quality differs between countries. It is also questionable if these datasets can be considered as 'big data' as there are relatively small numbers per country. Big data analyses are useful for discerning patterns and formulating hypotheses, but not for proving causality. An unwanted side effect of this kind of analysis might be that policymakers use these not so valid results to underpin their policy to their advantage.

  13. Cardiovascular diseases-related hospital admissions of patients with inflammatory arthritis.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ursum, J.; Nielen, M.M.J.; Twisk, J.W.R.; Peters, M.J.L.; Schellevis, F.G.; Nurmohamed, M.T.; Korevaar, J.C.

    2015-01-01

    Objective: Patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) have an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), suggesting a high rate of CVD-related hospitalizations, but data on this topic are limited. Our study addressed hospital admissions for CVD in a primary care-based population of patients

  14. Association between air pollution and hospital admission: Case study at three monitoring stations in Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zahari, Marina; Zin@Ibrahim, Wan Zawiah Wan; Ismail, Noriszura; Ni, Tan Hui

    2014-06-01

    The relationships between the exposure of pollutants towards hospitalized admission and mortality have been identified in several studies on Asian cities such as Taipei, Bangkok and Tokyo. In Malaysia, evidence on the health risks associated with exposure to pollutants is limited. In this study, daily time-series data were analysed to estimate risks of cardiovascular and respiratory hospitalized admissions associated with particulate matter ≤ 10 μm (PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and ozone concentrations in Klang Valley during 2004-2009. Daily counts of hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory outcomes were obtained from eleven hospitals while pollutants data were taken from several air quality monitoring stations located nearest to the hospitals. These data were fitted with Generalised Additive Poisson regression models. Additionally, temperature, humidity, and time data were also included to allow for potential effect of weather and time-varying influences on hospital admissions. CO showed the most significant (P Malaysia.

  15. The impact of migration on deaths and hospital admissions from work-related injuries in Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reid, Alison; Peters, Susan; Felipe, Nieves; Lenguerrand, Erik; Harding, Seeromanie

    2016-02-01

    The shift from an industrial to a service-based economy has seen a decline in work-related injuries (WRIs) and mortality. How this relates to migrant workers, who traditionally held high-risk jobs is unknown. This study examined deaths and hospital admissions from WRI, among foreign and Australian-born workers. Tabulated population data from the 1991 to 2011 censuses, national deaths 1991-2002 and hospital admission for 2001-10. Direct age standardised mortality and hospital admission rates (DSRs) and rate ratios (RRs) were derived to examine differences in work-related mortality/hospital admissions by gender, country of birth, employment skill level and years of residence in Australia. DSRs and RRs were generally lower or no different between Australian and foreign-born workers. Among men, mortality DSRs were lower for nine of 16 country of birth groups, and hospital admissions DSRs for 14 groups. An exception was New Zealand-born men, with 9% (95%CI 9-13) excess mortality and 24% (95%CI 22-26) excess hospital admissions. Four decades ago, foreign-born workers were generally at higher risk of WRI than Australian-born. This pattern has reversed. The local-born comprise 75% of the population and a pro-active approach to health and safety regulation could achieve large benefits. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

  16. Predictors of admission to a high-security hospital of people with intellectual disability with and without schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doody, G A; Thomson, L D; Miller, P; Johnstone, E C

    2000-04-01

    reduction in the number of admissions to high-security hospitals in the UK. In people with comorbid intellectual disability and schizophrenia, males with an early age of onset and no known family history are more likely to require care and treatment in a secure psychiatric setting. Such comorbid subjects may be suffering from a particular malignant form of schizophrenia, manifesting in childhood as cognitive impairment prior to the early onset of psychosis in teenage years.

  17. Admission time to hospital: a varying standard for a critical definition for admissions to an intensive care unit from the emergency department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nanayakkara, Shane; Weiss, Heike; Bailey, Michael; van Lint, Allison; Cameron, Peter; Pilcher, David

    2014-11-01

    Time spent in the emergency department (ED) before admission to hospital is often considered an important key performance indicator (KPI). Throughout Australia and New Zealand, there is no standard definition of 'time of admission' for patients admitted through the ED. By using data submitted to the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Adult Patient Database, the aim was to determine the differing methods used to define hospital admission time and assess how these impact on the calculation of time spent in the ED before admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). Between March and December of 2010, 61 hospitals were contacted directly. Decision methods for determining time of admission to the ED were matched to 67,787 patient records. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between decision method and the reported time spent in the ED. Four mechanisms of recording time of admission were identified, with time of triage being the most common (28/61 hospitals). Reported median time spent in the ED varied from 2.5 (IQR 0.83-5.35) to 5.1 h (2.82-8.68), depending on the decision method. After adjusting for illness severity, hospital type and location, decision method remained a significant factor in determining measurement of ED length of stay. Different methods are used in Australia and New Zealand to define admission time to hospital. Professional bodies, hospitals and jurisdictions should ensure standardisation of definitions for appropriate interpretation of KPIs as well as for the interpretation of studies assessing the impact of admission time to ICU from the ED. WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE TOPIC?: There are standards for the maximum time spent in the ED internationally, but these standards vary greatly across Australia. The definition of such a standard is critically important not only to patient care, but also in the assessment of hospital outcomes. Key performance indicators rely on quality data to improve decision

  18. Delay in admission for elective coronary-artery bypass grafting is associated with increased in-hospital mortality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Levy Adrian R

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Many health care systems now use priority wait lists for scheduling elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG surgery, but there have not yet been any direct estimates of reductions in in-hospital mortality rate afforded by ensuring that the operation is performed within recommended time periods. Methods We used a population-based registry to identify patients with established coronary artery disease who underwent isolated CABG in British Columbia, Canada. We studied whether postoperative survival during hospital admission for CABG differed significantly among patients who waited for surgery longer than the recommended time, 6 weeks for patients needing semi-urgent surgery and 12 weeks for those needing non-urgent surgery. Results Among 7316 patients who underwent CABG, 97 died during the same hospital admission, for a province-wide death rate at discharge of 1.3%. The observed proportion of patients who died during the same admission was 1.0% (27 deaths among 2675 patients for patients treated within the recommended time and 1.5% (70 among 4641 for whom CABG was delayed. After adjustment for age, sex, anatomy, comorbidity, calendar period, hospital, and mode of admission, patients with early CABG were only 2/3 as likely as those for whom CABG was delayed to experience in-hospital death (odds ratio 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39 to 0.96. There was a linear trend of 5% increase in the odds of in-hospital death for every additional month of delay before surgery, adjusted OR = 1.05 (95% CI 1.00 to 1.11. Conclusion We found a significant survival benefit from performing surgical revascularization within the time deemed acceptable to consultant surgeons for patients requiring the treatment on a semi-urgent or non-urgent basis.

  19. Hospital admissions for dental treatment among children with cleft lip and/or palate born between 1997 and 2003: an analysis of Hospital Episode Statistics in England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzsimons, Kate J; Copley, Lynn P; Smallridge, Jacqueline A; Clark, Victoria J; van der Meulen, Jan H; Deacon, Scott A

    2014-05-01

    Children with clefts have an increased tendency for dental anomalies and caries. To determine the pattern of hospital admissions for dental treatment during primary dentition among children with clefts. Cohort study based on Hospital Episode Statistics, an administrative database of all admissions to National Health Service hospitals in England. Patients born alive between 1997 and 2003 who had both a cleft diagnosis and cleft repair were included. The number of hospital admissions for surgical removal of teeth, simple extraction of teeth, and restoration of teeth before the age of seven was examined. Eight hundred and fifty-eight hospital admissions for dental treatment among 6551 children (dental treatment. The presence of additional anomalies, having a more severe cleft type, and living in relatively deprived areas increased the risk of hospital admission. Factors increasing the risk of hospital admission among cleft children should be taken into account when planning services. Efforts to reduce the number of hospital admissions should be focused on disease prevention, particularly among those most at risk of caries. © 2013 BSPD, IAPD and John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. [Evaluations by hospital-ward physicians of patient care management quality for patients hospitalized after an emergency department admission].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartiaux, M; Mols, P

    2017-01-01

    patient management in the acute and sub-acute setting of an Emergency Department is challenging. An assessment of the quality of provided care enables an evaluation of failings. It contributes to the identification of areas for improvement. to obtain an analysis, by hospital-ward physicians, of adult patient care management quality, as well as of the correctness of diagnosis made during emergency admissions. To evaluate the consequences of inadequate patient care management on morbidity, mortality and cost and duration of hospitalization. prospective data analysis obtained between the 1/12/2009 and the 21/12/2009 from physicians using a questionnaire on adult-patient emergency admissions and subsequent hospitalization. questionnaires were completed for 332 patients. Inadequate management of patient care were reported for 73/332 (22 %) cases. Incorrect diagnoses were reported for 20/332 (6 %) cases. 35 cases of inadequate care management (10.5 % overall) were associated with morbidity (34 cases) or mortality (1 case), including 4 cases (1.2 % ) that required emergency intensive-care or surgical interventions. this quality study analyzed the percentage of patient management cases and incorrect diagnoses in the emergency department. The data for serious outcome and wrong diagnosis are comparable with current literature. To improve performance, we consider the process for establishing a diagnosis and therapeutic care.

  1. Daily weather variables and affective disorder admissions to psychiatric hospitals

    Science.gov (United States)

    McWilliams, Stephen; Kinsella, Anthony; O'Callaghan, Eadbhard

    2014-12-01

    Numerous studies have reported that admission rates in patients with affective disorders are subject to seasonal variation. Notwithstanding, there has been limited evaluation of the degree to which changeable daily meteorological patterns influence affective disorder admission rates. A handful of small studies have alluded to a potential link between psychiatric admission rates and meteorological variables such as environmental temperature (heat waves in particular), wind direction and sunshine. We used the Kruskal-Wallis test, ARIMA and time-series regression analyses to examine whether daily meteorological variables—namely wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, rainfall, hours of sunshine, sunlight radiation and temperature—influence admission rates for mania and depression across 12 regions in Ireland over a 31-year period. Although we found some very weak but interesting trends for barometric pressure in relation to mania admissions, daily meteorological patterns did not appear to affect hospital admissions overall for mania or depression. Our results do not support the small number of papers to date that suggest a link between daily meteorological variables and affective disorder admissions. Further study is needed.

  2. Stroke admissions in Kubwa General Hospital: A 30-month review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Osaze Ojo

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available >Background: Stroke is a common neurological disorder that contributes significantly to the morbidity and mortality of medical admissions.Objectives: To review the types, risk factors, hemispheric involvement, and outcomes of admitted stroke patients in Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria.Subjects and Methods: We carried out a retrospective study of patients who had a clinical diagnosis of stroke in Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria, between January 2013 and June 2015.Results: A total of 60 patients who had stroke were admitted during this period, accounting for 4.25% of medical admissions. Men and women accounted for 68.3% and 31.7%, respectively, with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1. Their mean age was 54.9 ± 13.5 years while the median age was 52.5 years. The mean hospital stay for these patients was 8.4 ± 5.5 days. Ischemic stroke occurred more frequently (65% compared with hemorrhagic stroke (35%. Hypertension (65%, alcohol (25%, previous stroke (18.3%, diabetes mellitus, and hypercholesterolemia (18.3% were the common identifiable risk factors for stroke. Ten patients (16.7% had two risk factors for stroke, whereas 8 patients (13.3% had three risk factors for stroke. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures on admission were 171.5 ± 41.6 mmHg and 103.3 ± 24.0 mmHg, respectively. The left hemisphere (53.3% was more often affected than the right hemisphere in these patients. Majority of the patients (48.3% were discharged following improvement while the case fatality was 11.7%.Conclusion: Stroke is not uncommon as a cause of medical admission in Kubwa General Hospital. Ischemic stroke occurred more commonly and the left hemisphere was more often involved compared with the right hemisphere. Hypertension was the most common risk factor for stroke in these patients.

  3. Epidemiology of Hospital Admissions with Influenza during the 2013/2014 Northern Hemisphere Influenza Season: Results from the Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puig-Barberà, Joan; Natividad-Sancho, Angels; Trushakova, Svetlana; Sominina, Anna; Pisareva, Maria; Ciblak, Meral A.; Badur, Selim; Yu, Hongjie; Cowling, Benjamin J.; El Guerche-Séblain, Clotilde; Mira-Iglesias, Ainara; Kisteneva, Lidiya; Stolyarov, Kirill; Yurtcu, Kubra; Feng, Luzhao; López-Labrador, Xavier; Burtseva, Elena

    2016-01-01

    Background The Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network was established in 2012 to obtain valid epidemiologic data on hospital admissions with influenza-like illness. Here we describe the epidemiology of admissions with influenza within the Northern Hemisphere sites during the 2013/2014 influenza season, identify risk factors for severe outcomes and complications, and assess the impact of different influenza viruses on clinically relevant outcomes in at-risk populations. Methods Eligible consecutive admissions were screened for inclusion at 19 hospitals in Russia, Turkey, China, and Spain using a prospective, active surveillance approach. Patients that fulfilled a common case definition were enrolled and epidemiological data were collected. Risk factors for hospitalization with laboratory-confirmed influenza were identified by multivariable logistic regression. Findings 5303 of 9507 consecutive admissions were included in the analysis. Of these, 1086 were influenza positive (534 A(H3N2), 362 A(H1N1), 130 B/Yamagata lineage, 3 B/Victoria lineage, 40 untyped A, and 18 untyped B). The risk of hospitalization with influenza (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval]) was elevated for patients with cardiovascular disease (1.63 [1.33–2.02]), asthma (2.25 [1.67–3.03]), immunosuppression (2.25 [1.23–4.11]), renal disease (2.11 [1.48–3.01]), liver disease (1.94 [1.18–3.19], autoimmune disease (2.97 [1.58–5.59]), and pregnancy (3.84 [2.48–5.94]). Patients without comorbidities accounted for 60% of admissions with influenza. The need for intensive care or in-hospital death was not significantly different between patients with or without influenza. Influenza vaccination was associated with a lower risk of confirmed influenza (adjusted odds ratio = 0.61 [0.48–0.77]). Conclusions Influenza infection was detected among hospital admissions with and without known risk factors. Pregnancy and underlying comorbidity increased the risk of detecting influenza

  4. Emergency Department (ED, ED Observation, Day Hospital, and Hospital Admissions for Adults with Sickle Cell Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susan Silva

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Use of alternative venues to manage uncomplicated vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC, such as a day hospital (DH or ED observation unit, for patients with sickle cell anemia, may significantly reduce admission rates, which may subsequently reduce 30-day readmission rates. Methods: In the context of a two-institution quality improvement project to implement best practices for management of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD VOC, we prospectively compared acute care encounters for utilization of 1 emergency department (ED; 2 ED observation unit; 3 DH, and 4 hospital admission, of two different patient cohorts with SCD presenting to our two study sites. Using a representative sample of patients from each institution, we also tabulated SCD patient visits or admissions to outside hospitals within 20 miles of the patients’ home institutions. Results: Over 30 months 427 patients (297 at Site 1 and 130 at Site 2 initiated 4,740 institutional visits, totaling 6,627 different acute care encounters, including combinations of encounters. The range of encounters varied from a low of 0 (203 of 500 patients [40.6%] at Site 1; 65 of 195 patients [33.3%] at Site 2, and a high of 152 (5/month acute care encounters for one patient at Site 2. Patients at Site 2 were more likely to be admitted to the hospital during the study period (88.4% vs. 74.4%, p=0.0011 and have an ED visit (96.9% vs. 85.5%, p=0.0002. DH was used more frequently at Site 1 (1.207 encounters for 297 patients at Site 1, vs. 199 encounters for 130 patients at Site 2, and ED observation was used at Site 1 only. Thirty-five percent of patients visited hospitals outside their home academic center. Conclusion: In this 30-month assessment of two sickle cell cohorts, healthcare utilization varied dramatically between individual patients. One cohort had more hospital admissions and ED encounters, while the other cohort had more day hospital encounters and used a sickle cell disease

  5. Incidence and preventability of adverse events requiring intensive care admission: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vlayen, Annemie; Verelst, Sandra; Bekkering, Geertruida E; Schrooten, Ward; Hellings, Johan; Claes, Neree

    2012-04-01

    Adverse events are unintended patient injuries or complications that arise from health care management resulting in death, disability or prolonged hospital stay. Adverse events that require critical care are a considerable financial burden to the health care system, but also their global impact on patients and society is probably underestimated. The objectives of this systematic review were to synthesize the best available evidence regarding the estimates of the incidence and preventability of adverse events that necessitate intensive care admission, to determine the type and consequences [mortality, length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay and costs] of these adverse events. MEDLINE (from 1966 to present), EMBASE (from 1974 to present) and CENTRAL (version 1-2010) were searched for studies reporting on unplanned admissions on ICUs. Several other sources were searched for additional studies. Only quantitative studies that used chart review for the detection of adverse events requiring intensive care admission were considered for eligibility. For the purposes of this systematic review, ICUs were defined as specialized hospital facilities which provide continuous monitoring and intensive care for acutely ill patients. Studies that were published in the English, Dutch, German, French or Spanish language were eligible for inclusion. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies. A total of 27 studies were reviewed. Meta-analysis of the data was not appropriate because of methodological and statistical heterogeneity between studies; therefore, results are presented in a descriptive way. The percentage of surgical and medical adverse events that required ICU admission ranged from 1.1% to 37.2%. ICU readmissions varied from 0% to 18.3%. Preventability of the adverse events varied from 17% to 76.5%. Preventable adverse events are further synthesized by type of event. Consequences of the adverse events included a

  6. Hospital costs estimation and prediction as a function of patient and admission characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramiarina, Robert; Almeida, Renan Mvr; Pereira, Wagner Ca

    2008-01-01

    The present work analyzed the association between hospital costs and patient admission characteristics in a general public hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The unit costs method was used to estimate inpatient day costs associated to specific hospital clinics. With this aim, three "cost centers" were defined in order to group direct and indirect expenses pertaining to the clinics. After the costs were estimated, a standard linear regression model was developed for correlating cost units and their putative predictors (the patients gender and age, the admission type (urgency/elective), ICU admission (yes/no), blood transfusion (yes/no), the admission outcome (death/no death), the complexity of the medical procedures performed, and a risk-adjustment index). Data were collected for 3100 patients, January 2001-January 2003. Average inpatient costs across clinics ranged from (US$) 1135 [Orthopedics] to 3101 [Cardiology]. Costs increased according to increases in the risk-adjustment index in all clinics, and the index was statistically significant in all clinics except Urology, General surgery, and Clinical medicine. The occupation rate was inversely correlated to costs, and age had no association with costs. The (adjusted) per cent of explained variance varied between 36.3% [Clinical medicine] and 55.1% [Thoracic surgery clinic]. The estimates are an important step towards the standardization of hospital costs calculation, especially for countries that lack formal hospital accounting systems.

  7. Identification of medication discrepancies during hospital admission in Jordan: Prevalence and risk factors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lana Salameh

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Medication errors are considered among the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in hospital setting. Among these errors are discrepancies identified during transfer of patients from one care unit to another, from one physician care to another, or upon patient discharge. Thus, the aims of this study were to identify the prevalence and types of medication discrepancies at the time of hospital admission to a tertiary care teaching hospital in Jordan and to identify risk factors affecting the occurrence of these discrepancies. Methods: A three months prospective observational study was conducted at the department of internal medicine at Jordan university hospital. During the study period, 200 patients were selected using convenience sampling, and a pre-prepared data collection form was used for data collection. Later, a comparison between the pre-admission and admission medication was conducted to identify any possible discrepancies, and all of these discrepancies were discussed with the responsible resident to classify them into intentional (documentation errors or unintentional. Linear regression analysis was performed to assess risk factors associated with the occurrence of unintentional discrepancies. Results: A total of 412 medication discrepancies were identified at the time of hospital admission. Among them, 144 (35% were identified as unintentional while the remaining 268 (65% were identified as intentional discrepancies. Ninety-four patients (47% were found to have at least one unintentional discrepancy and 92 patients (46% had at least one documentation error. Among the unintentional discrepancies, 97 (67% were found to be associated with a potential harm/deterioration to the patients. Increasing patients’ age (beta = 0.195, p-value = .013 and being treated by female residents (beta = 0.139, p-value = .045 were significantly associated with higher number of discrepancies. Conclusion: The prevalence of

  8. Hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction before and after implementation of a comprehensive smoke-free policy in Uruguay

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sebrié, Ernesto Marcelo; Sandoya, Edgardo; Hyland, Andrew; Bianco, Eduardo; Glantz, Stanton A; Cummings, K Michael

    2012-01-01

    Background Stimulated by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, many countries in Latin America adopted comprehensive smoke-free policies. In March 2006, Uruguay became the first Latin American country to adopt 100% smoke-free national legislation, which ended smoking in all indoor public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars. The objective of this study was to evaluate trends in hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease 2 years before and 2 years after the policy was implemented in Uruguay. Methods Reports of hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (International Classification of Disease-10 I21) from 37 hospitals (79% of all hospital admissions in the country), representing the period 2 years before and 2 years after the adoption of a nationwide smoke-free policy in Uruguay (between 1 March 2004 and 29 February 2008), were reviewed. A time series analysis was undertaken to compare the average monthly number of events of hospital admission for AMI before and after the smoke-free law. Results A total of 7949 hospital admissions for AMI were identified during the 4-year study period. Two years after the smoke-free policy was enacted, hospital admissions for AMI fell by 22%. The same pattern and roughly the same magnitude of reduction in AMI admissions were observed for patients seen in public and private hospitals, men, women and people aged 40–65 years and older than 65 years. Conclusions The national smoke-free policy implemented in Uruguay in 2006 was associated with a significant reduction in hospital admissions for AMI. PMID:22337557

  9. Hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction before and after implementation of a comprehensive smoke-free policy in Uruguay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sebrié, Ernesto Marcelo; Sandoya, Edgardo; Hyland, Andrew; Bianco, Eduardo; Glantz, Stanton A; Cummings, K Michael

    2013-05-01

    Stimulated by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, many countries in Latin America adopted comprehensive smoke-free policies. In March 2006, Uruguay became the first Latin American country to adopt 100% smoke-free national legislation, which ended smoking in all indoor public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars. The objective of this study was to evaluate trends in hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease 2 years before and 2 years after the policy was implemented in Uruguay. Reports of hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (International Classification of Disease-10 I21) from 37 hospitals (79% of all hospital admissions in the country), representing the period 2 years before and 2 years after the adoption of a nationwide smoke-free policy in Uruguay (between 1 March 2004 and 29 February 2008), were reviewed. A time series analysis was undertaken to compare the average monthly number of events of hospital admission for AMI before and after the smoke-free law. A total of 7949 hospital admissions for AMI were identified during the 4-year study period. Two years after the smoke-free policy was enacted, hospital admissions for AMI fell by 22%. The same pattern and roughly the same magnitude of reduction in AMI admissions were observed for patients seen in public and private hospitals, men, women and people aged 40-65 years and older than 65 years. The national smoke-free policy implemented in Uruguay in 2006 was associated with a significant reduction in hospital admissions for AMI.

  10. Weekend admission to hospital has a higher risk of death in the elective setting than in the emergency setting: a retrospective database study of national health service hospitals in England

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed Mohammed A

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although acute hospitals offer a twenty-four hour seven day a week service levels of staffing are lower over the weekends and some health care processes may be less readily available over the weekend. Whilst it is thought that emergency admission to hospital on the weekend is associated with an increased risk of death, the extent to which this applies to elective admissions is less well known. We investigated the risk of death in elective and elective patients admitted over the weekend versus the weekdays. Methods Retrospective statistical analysis of routinely collected acute hospital admissions in England, involving all patient discharges from all acute hospitals in England over a year (April 2008-March 2009, using a logistic regression model which adjusted for a range of patient case-mix variables, seasonality and admission over a weekend separately for elective and emergency (but excluding zero day stay emergency admissions discharged alive admissions. Results Of the 1,535,267 elective admissions, 91.7% (1,407,705 were admitted on the weekday and 8.3% (127,562 were admitted on the weekend. The mortality following weekday admission was 0.52% (7,276/1,407,705 compared with 0.77% (986/127,562 following weekend admission. Of the 3,105,249 emergency admissions, 76.3% (2,369,316 were admitted on the weekday and 23.7% (735,933 were admitted on the weekend. The mortality following emergency weekday admission was 6.53% (154,761/2,369,316 compared to 7.06% (51,922/735,933 following weekend admission. After case-mix adjustment, weekend admissions were associated with an increased risk of death, especially in the elective setting (elective Odds Ratio: 1.32, 95% Confidence Interval 1.23 to 1.41; vs emergency Odds Ratio: 1.09, 95% Confidence Interval 1.05 to 1.13. Conclusions Weekend admission appears to be an independent risk factor for dying in hospital and this risk is more pronounced in the elective setting. Given the planned

  11. Increased hospital admissions associated with extreme-heat exposure in King County, Washington, 1990-2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isaksen, Tania Busch; Yost, Michael G; Hom, Elizabeth K; Ren, You; Lyons, Hilary; Fenske, Richard A

    2015-01-01

    Increased morbidity and mortality have been associated with extreme heat events, particularly in temperate climates. Few epidemiologic studies have considered the impact of extreme heat events on hospitalization rates in the Pacific Northwest region. This study quantifies the historic (May to September 1990-2010) heat-morbidity relationship in the most populous Pacific Northwest County, King County, Washington. A relative risk (RR) analysis was used to explore the association between heat and all non-traumatic hospitalizations on 99th percentile heat days, whereas a time series analysis using a piecewise linear model approximation was used to estimate the effect of heat intensity on hospitalizations, adjusted for temporal trends and day of the week. A non-statistically significant 2% [95% CI: 1.02 (0.98, 1.05)] increase in hospitalization risk, on a heat day vs. a non-heat day, was noted for all-ages and all non-traumatic causes. When considering the effect of heat intensity on admissions, we found a statistically significant 1.59% (95% CI: 0.9%, 2.29%) increase in admissions per degree increase in humidex above 37.4°C. Admissions stratified by cause and age produced statistically significant results with both relative risk and time series analyses for nephritis and nephrotic syndromes, acute renal failure, and natural heat exposure hospitalizations. This study demonstrates that heat, expressed as humidex, is associated with increased hospital admissions. When stratified by age and cause of admission, the non-elderly age groups (<85 years) experience significant risk for nephritis and nephrotic syndromes, acute renal failure, natural heat exposure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma hospitalizations.

  12. Family Caregiver Knowledge, Patient Illness Characteristics, and Unplanned Hospital Admissions in Older Adults With Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geddie, Patricia I; Wochna Loerzel, Victoria; Norris, Anne E

    2016-07-01

    To explore factors related to unplanned hospital admissions and determine if one or more factors are predictive of unplanned hospital admissions for older adults with cancer.
. A prospective longitudinal design and a retrospective chart review.
. Adult oncology outpatient infusion centers and inpatient units at Orlando Regional Medical Center in Florida.
. A convenience sample of 129 dyads of older adults with cancer and their family caregivers. 
. Family caregiver demographic and side effect knowledge data were collected prospectively during interviews with family caregivers using a newly developed tool, the Nurse Assessment of Family Caregiver Knowledge and Action Tool. Patient demographic and clinical data were obtained through a retrospective chart review. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate data and examine relationships among variables.
. Patient illness characteristics; impaired function; side effects, such as infection, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea; family caregiver knowledge; and unplanned hospital admissions.
. Unplanned hospital admissions were more likely to occur when older adults had impaired function and side effects, such as infection, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. Impaired function and family caregiver knowledge did not moderate the effects of these side effects on unplanned hospital admissions. 
. Findings suggest that the presence of impaired function and side effects, such as infection, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea, predict unplanned hospital admissions in older adults with cancer during the active treatment phase. Side effects may or may not be related to chemotherapy and may be related to preexisting comorbidities. 
. Nurses can conduct targeted assessments to identify older adults and their family caregivers who will need additional follow-up and support during the cancer treatment trajectory. Information gained from these assessments will assist nurses to provide practical and

  13. Associations between environmental factors and hospital admissions for sickle cell disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piel, Frédéric B.; Tewari, Sanjay; Brousse, Valentine; Analitis, Antonis; Font, Anna; Menzel, Stephan; Chakravorty, Subarna; Thein, Swee Lay; Inusa, Baba; Telfer, Paul; de Montalembert, Mariane; Fuller, Gary W.; Katsouyanni, Klea; Rees, David C.

    2017-01-01

    Sickle cell disease is an increasing global health burden. This inherited disease is characterized by a remarkable phenotypic heterogeneity, which can only partly be explained by genetic factors. Environmental factors are likely to play an important role but studies of their impact on disease severity are limited and their results are often inconsistent. This study investigated associations between a range of environmental factors and hospital admissions of young patients with sickle cell disease in London and in Paris between 2008 and 2012. Specific analyses were conducted for subgroups of patients with different genotypes and for the main reasons for admissions. Generalized additive models and distributed lag non-linear models were used to assess the magnitude of the associations and to calculate relative risks. Some environmental factors significantly influence the numbers of hospital admissions of children with sickle cell disease, although the associations identified are complicated. Our study suggests that meteorological factors are more likely to be associated with hospital admissions for sickle cell disease than air pollutants. It confirms previous reports of risks associated with wind speed (risk ratio: 1.06/standard deviation; 95% confidence interval: 1.00–1.12) and also with rainfall (1.06/standard deviation; 95% confidence interval: 1.01–1.12). Maximum atmospheric pressure was found to be a protective factor (0.93/standard deviation; 95% confidence interval: 0.88–0.99). Weak or no associations were found with temperature. Divergent associations were identified for different genotypes or reasons for admissions, which could partly explain the lack of consistency in earlier studies. Advice to patients with sickle cell disease usually includes avoiding a range of environmental conditions that are believed to trigger acute complications, including extreme temperatures and high altitudes. Scientific evidence to support such advice is limited and

  14. Trends in admissions, morbidity and outcomes at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, Cape Town, 2004 - 2013

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y Isaacs-Long

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Background. Routinely collected patient information has the potential to yield valuable information about health systems and population health, but there have been few comprehensive analyses of paediatric admissions at South African (SA hospitals. Objectives. To investigate trends in hospitalisation and outcomes at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital (RCWMCH, a major referral hospital for children in the Western Cape and SA. Methods. Using routinely collected observational health data from the hospital informatics system, we investigated admissions between 2004 and 2013. Clinical classification software was used to group International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10 codes to rank causes during 2008 - 2013, when ICD-10 codes were widely available. Analyses examined trends in medical and surgical admissions over time. Results. There were 215 536 admissions over 10 years of 129 733 patients. Admissions increased by 9.3%, with increases in the general medical wards (5%, medical specialty wards (74%, the burns unit (73%, and the intensive care unit (16%. In contrast, admissions decreased in the trauma unit (21% and short-stay medical wards (1%. In-hospital mortality decreased by 54% (p-trend <0.001 over 10 years. Diarrhoea and lower-respiratory tract illness were the most common causes for medical admissions, although admissions and deaths due to these conditions decreased between 2008 and 2013, which coincided with the national introduction of related vaccines. Similarly, tuberculosis admissions and deaths decreased over this period. These trends could be owing to a concurrent decrease in HIV comorbidity (p-trend <0.001. Trauma was the most common reason for surgical admission. Conclusion. Paediatric in-hospital mortality decreased consistently over a decade, despite an overall increase in admissions. Pneumonia and diarrhoea admissions decreased markedly over a 6-year period, but

  15. Admissions for drug-related problems at the Emergency Department of a University Hospital in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mastour S Alghamdy

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim: Medication Errors can result in drug-related problems (DRPs. Insight into the frequency, type, and severity of DRPs could help reduce their incidence. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of admissions as a result of DRPs at the Emergency Department (ED of a university hospital in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Files of suspected cases of DRPs reporting to ED in the year 2012 were scrutinized. Suspicion arose from the hospital record system based on Diagnosis Code Numbers (ICD-9-CM, Professional 2010 and from triggers, such as some drugs, laboratory tests, and signs and symptoms pointing to DRPs. Results: Of 5574 admissions, 253 (4.5% were DRPs and were categorized as: Overdose toxicity and side effects of drugs 50 (19.8%, drug-interactions 29 (11.5%, accidental and suicidal drug ingestions 26 (10.3%, drug abuse 18 (7.1%, drug allergy 10 (4%, super-infections 8 (3.2%, and noncompliance to treatment 112 (44.3%. About 70% of DRPs were preventable; 67 (26.5% required hospital admission for 7-102 days and 10 (4% died. Conclusions: Noncompliance to treatment, overdose toxicity, drug interactions, and drug abuse are important causes of hospital admissions as a result of DRPs. Awareness of prescribers to the problem and their education would help to prevent them and improve patient care.

  16. A review of one year of British Armed Forces mental health hospital admissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finnegan, A; Finnegan, S; Gamble, D

    2007-03-01

    The paper provides a review of one year of military Mental Health (MH) hospital admissions. This includes an exploration into demographic trends, differences in clinical opinion and how information gained is used to improve the service and ensure appropriate, cost effective care in the optimum environment. The sample group is entitled military MH hospital admissions from 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006. Data was collected on questionnaires with SPSS used for the management and analysis of the quantitative data, with the information exposed to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. There were 344 admissions. The paper contains a detailed review of a number of variables. Depression was the most common diagnosis resulting in 112 (33%) hospital admissions and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder accounted for 23 (7%). There were statistically significant differences that may be attributable to gender with more women admitted with depression and more men with alcohol related disorders. The average length of stay was 21 days, with 48% of patients discharged within 3 weeks. 45% of all returns included significant events reporting that highlighted written evidence of good and poor practice. This study is part of an extensive monitoring programme of military MH hospital admissions. Depression is the most common MH problem leading to hospital admission. The results indicate that Service-personnel have access to a highly responsive service that provides brief assessment and treatment within a safe therapeutic environment. 45% of returns included significant event information that resulted in policy changes, leading to improved patient care and a better interface with the NHS. Bench-marking, both internally between military Departments of Community Mental Health and externally have improved visibility and self awareness leading to better GP induction programmes, PHC educational seminars and the establishment of MH web-pages. The Armed Forces need an effective MH service

  17. Increasing Short-Stay Unplanned Hospital Admissions among Children in England; Time Trends Analysis ’97–‘06

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saxena, Sonia; Bottle, Alex; Gilbert, Ruth; Sharland, Mike

    2009-01-01

    Background Timely care by general practitioners in the community keeps children out of hospital and provides better continuity of care. Yet in the UK, access to primary care has diminished since 2004 when changes in general practitioners' contracts enabled them to ‘opt out’ of providing out-of-hours care and since then unplanned pediatric hospital admission rates have escalated, particularly through emergency departments. We hypothesised that any increase in isolated short stay admissions for childhood illness might reflect failure to manage these cases in the community over a 10 year period spanning these changes. Methods and Findings We conducted a population based time trends study of major causes of hospital admission in children 2 days. By 2006, 67.3% of all unplanned admissions were isolated short stays <2 days. The increases in admission rates were greater for common non-infectious than infectious causes of admissions. Conclusions Short stay unplanned hospital admission rates in young children in England have increased substantially in recent years and are not accounted for by reductions in length of in-hospital stay. The majority are isolated short stay admissions for minor illness episodes that could be better managed by primary care in the community and may be evidence of a failure of primary care services. PMID:19829695

  18. Patient mix optimisation in hospital admission planning: a case study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Adan, I.J.B.F.; Vissers, J.M.H.

    2002-01-01

    Admissions planning decides on the number of patients admitted for a specialty each day, but also on the mix of patients admitted. Within a specialty different categories of patients can be distinguished on behalf of their requirement of resources. The type of resources required for an admission may

  19. Patient mix optimisation in hospital admission planning : a case study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Adan, I.J.B.F.; Vissers, J.M.H.

    2001-01-01

    Admissions planning decides on the number of patients admitted for a specialty each day, but also on the mix of patients admitted. Within a specialty different categories of patients can be distinguished on behalf of their requirement of resources. The type of resources required for an admission may

  20. Reducing hospital admissions and improving the diagnosis of COPD in Southampton City: methods and results of a 12-month service improvement project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkinson, Tom; North, Mal; Bourne, Simon C

    2014-08-21

    The British Lung Foundation highlighted Southampton City as a hotspot for patients at future risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations due to severe deprivation levels and a high undiagnosed level of disease based on health economic modelling. We developed a strategy spanning primary and secondary care to reduce emergency admissions of patients with acute exacerbations of COPD and increase the diagnosed prevalence of COPD on general practitioner (GP) registers closer to that predicted from local modelling. A comprehensive 3-year audit of admissions was performed. Patients who had been admitted with an exacerbation to University Hospital Southampton three or more times in the previous 12 months were cohorted and cared for in a consultant-led, but community based, COPD service. Within primary care, a programme of education and case-based finding was delivered to most practices within the city. Thirty-four patients were found to be responsible for 176 admissions (22% of total COPD admissions) to the hospital. These 34 patients required 185 active interventions during the 12-month period but only 39 hospital admissions. The 30-day readmission rate dropped from 13.4 to 1.9% (Pmodel.

  1. Influences on hospital admission for asthma in south Asian and white adults: qualitative interview study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffiths, C; Kaur, G; Gantley, M; Feder, G; Hillier, S; Goddard, J; Packe, G

    2001-10-27

    To explore reasons for increased risk of hospital admission among south Asian patients with asthma. Qualitative interview study using modified critical incident technique and framework analysis. Newham, east London, a deprived area with a large mixed south Asian population. 58 south Asian and white adults with asthma (49 admitted to hospital with asthma, 9 not admitted); 17 general practitioners; 5 accident and emergency doctors; 2 out of hours general practitioners; 1 asthma specialist nurse. Patients' and health professionals' views on influences on admission, events leading to admission, general practices' organisation and asthma strategies, doctor-patient relationship, and cultural attitudes to asthma. South Asian and white patients admitted to hospital coped differently with asthma. South Asians described less confidence in controlling their asthma, were unfamiliar with the concept of preventive medication, and often expressed less confidence in their general practitioner. South Asians managed asthma exacerbations with family advocacy, without systematic changes in prophylaxis, and without systemic corticosteroids. Patients describing difficulty accessing primary care during asthma exacerbations were registered with practices with weak strategies for asthma care and were often south Asian. Patients with easy access described care suggesting partnerships with their general practitioner, had better confidence to control asthma, and were registered with practices with well developed asthma strategies that included policies for avoiding hospital admission. The different ways of coping with asthma exacerbations and accessing care may partly explain the increased risk of hospital admission in south Asian patients. Interventions that increase confidence to control asthma, confidence in the general practitioner, understanding of preventive treatment, and use of systemic corticosteroids in exacerbations may reduce hospital admissions. Development of more sophisticated

  2. Seasonality of hospital admissions and birth dates among inpatients with eating disorders: a nationwide population-based retrospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Chih-Sung; Chung, Chi-Hsiang; Tsai, Chia-Kuang; Chien, Wu-Chien

    2018-04-01

    Seasonal variation exists in the psychopathology of eating disorders. However, it is still unknown whether there is seasonal variation in eating disorder symptom severity. This study investigated seasonal trends in hospital admissions and birth dates among patients with eating disorders in Taiwan (25°N). Subgroup analyses by gender and comorbid affective disorders were also of interest. Data on all hospital admissions between 2000 and 2013 were collected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, and 1954 patients with eating disorders were identified. Hospital admissions and birth dates were recorded by day. The four seasons and cross-seasons were defined by solstices and equinoxes. The expected distribution of births was determined using data from all patients hospitalized from 2000 to 2013 (n = 13,139,306). Hospital admissions among patients with eating disorders exceeded the rate of expected hospital admissions in the summer season (p distributions of birth dates among these patients did not differ from the expected distributions. Interestingly, hospital admissions among patients with comorbid affective disorders exceeded the rates of hospital admissions among non-affective patients during the spring (p = 0.004). Moreover, the number of non-affective patients born during autumn exceeded the birth rates of affective patients during this season (p = 0.001). Gender and comorbid affective disorders were not associated with cross-seasonal differences in either hospitalizations or dates of birth. Affective psychopathology in inpatients with eating disorders may substantially contribute to symptom severity that waxes and wanes with the seasons. Moreover, the seasonal distribution of birth dates was significantly different in patients without comorbid affective disorders.

  3. Occupational noise exposure and noise-induced hearing loss are associated with work-related injuries leading to admission to hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Girard, Serge-André; Leroux, Tony; Courteau, Marilene; Picard, Michel; Turcotte, Fernand; Richer, Olivier

    2015-04-01

    This study focuses on work-related injuries that required admission to hospital in a population of male workers exposed to occupational noise (≥80 dBA) which some displayed a hearing loss due to their exposure. The study population count 46 550 male workers, 1670 (3.6%) of whom incurred at least one work-related injury requiring admission to hospital within a period of 5 years following hearing tests conducted between 1987 and 2005. The noise exposure and hearing loss-related data were gathered during occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) screening. The hospital data were used to identify all members of the study population who were admitted, and the reason for admission. Finally, access to the death-related data made it possible to identify participants who died during the course of the study. Cox proportional hazards model taking into account hearing status, noise levels, age and cumulative duration of noise exposure at the time of the hearing test established the risk of work-related injuries leading to admission to hospital. For each dB of hearing loss, a statistically significant risk increase was observed (HR=1.01 dB 95% CI 1.006 to 1.01). An association (HR=2.36 95% CI 2.01 to 2.77) was also found between working in an occupational ambient noise ≥100 dBA and the risk of injury. From a safety perspective, this issue is highly relevant; especially when workers are exposed to intense ambient noise and NIHL. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  4. Hospital Admissions for Physical Health Conditions for People with Intellectual Disabilities: Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunn, Kirsty; Hughes-McCormack, Laura; Cooper, Sally-Ann

    2018-01-01

    Background: People with intellectual disabilities may have inequalities in hospital admissions compared with the general population. The present authors aimed to investigate admissions for physical health conditions in this population. Methods: The present authors conducted a systematic review, searching six databases using terms on intellectual…

  5. A descriptive analysis of admissions to Amanuel Psychiatric Hospital ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were the top two discharge diagnoses. The median length of hospital stay (LOS) was 63 days. Diagnosis of schizophrenia and place of residence, i.e. living outside of Addis Ababa independently predicted LOS above the median. Conclusion: Admission data demonstrated a huge mental ...

  6. Long-term exposure to traffic pollution and hospital admissions in London

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halonen, Jaana I.; Blangiardo, Marta; Toledano, Mireille B.; Fecht, Daniela; Gulliver, John; Anderson, H. Ross; Beevers, Sean D.; Dajnak, David; Kelly, Frank J.; Tonne, Cathryn

    2016-01-01

    Evidence on the effects of long-term exposure to traffic pollution on health is inconsistent. In Greater London we examined associations between traffic pollution and emergency hospital admissions for cardio-respiratory diseases by applying linear and piecewise linear Poisson regression models in a small-area analysis. For both models the results for children and adults were close to unity. In the elderly, linear models found negative associations whereas piecewise models found non-linear associations characterized by positive risks in the lowest and negative risks in the highest exposure category. An increased risk was observed among those living in areas with the highest socioeconomic deprivation. Estimates were not affected by adjustment for traffic noise. The lack of convincing positive linear associations between primary traffic pollution and hospital admissions agrees with a number of other reports, but may reflect residual confounding. The relatively greater vulnerability of the most deprived populations has important implications for public health. - Highlights: • Evidence concerning associations between traffic pollutants and morbidity is scarce. • We addressed this using state of the art small-area statistical methods. • There was no convincing evidence of positive linear associations with admissions. - In this study, there was no convincing evidence of positive linear associations between long-term exposure to primary traffic pollutants and cardio-respiratory hospitalizations.

  7. Spatial variation in nitrogen dioxide concentrations and cardiopulmonary hospital admissions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dijkema, Marieke B A; van Strien, Robert T; van der Zee, Saskia C; Mallant, Sanne F; Fischer, Paul; Hoek, Gerard; Brunekreef, Bert; Gehring, Ulrike

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Air pollution episodes are associated with increased cardiopulmonary hospital admissions. Cohort studies showed associations of spatial variation in traffic-related air pollution with respiratory and cardiovascular mortality. Much less is known in particular about associations with

  8. Trends in hospital admissions for sunburn in Western Australia, 1988 to 2008.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duke, Janine; Wood, Fiona; Semmens, James; Edgar, Dale W; Rea, Suzanne

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this study was to assess the trends in hospitalization for sunburn in Western Australia from 1988 to 2008. De-identified linked hospital morbidity data for all index sunburn admissions in Western Australia for the period 1988 to 2008 were analyzed. Poisson regression analysis was used to estimate trends in hospital admissions. Hospitalizations increased from 1.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0-2.2) per 100 000 person years in 1988 to 2.7 (95% CI = 1.9-3.4) per 100 000 person years in 1997, declining thereafter to 1.5 (95% CI = 1.0-2.0) per 100 000 person years in 2008. Increased hospitalizations rates were estimated for adults 25 to 44 years and 65 years or older, with a significant decline estimated for children younger than 5 years; rates remained stable for all other age groups. This study found no significant overall reduction in sunburn hospitalizations over the 20-year study period. raise concerns about the sun-protective behaviors and skin cancer risk of the population in Western Australia.

  9. Service users' perceptions about their hospital admission elicited by service user-researchers or by clinicians.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Donoghue, Brian

    2013-05-01

    OBJECTIVE Service users may express positive, ambivalent, or negative views of their hospital admission. The objective of this study was to determine whether the background of the interviewer-service user-researcher or clinician-influences the information elicited. The primary outcome was the level of perceived coercion on admission, and secondary outcomes were perceived pressures on admission, procedural justice, perceived necessity for admission, satisfaction with services, and willingness to consent to participate in the study. METHODS Participants voluntarily and involuntarily admitted to three hospitals in Ireland were randomly allocated to be interviewed at hospital discharge by either a service user-researcher or a clinician. Interviewers used the MacArthur Admission Experience Survey and the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. RESULTS A total of 161 participants were interviewed. No differences by interviewer status or by admission status (involuntary or voluntary) were found in levels of perceived coercion, perceived pressures, procedural justice, perceived necessity, or satisfaction with services. Service users were more likely to decline to participate if their consent was sought by a service user-researcher (24% versus 8%, p=.003). CONCLUSIONS Most interviewees gave positive accounts of their admission regardless of interviewer status. The findings indicate that clinicians and researchers can be more confident that service users\\' positive accounts of admissions are not attributable to a response bias. Researchers can also feel more confident in directly comparing the results of studies undertaken by clinicians and by service user-researchers.

  10. Trends in stroke admissions to a Tanzanian hospital over four decades: a retrospective audit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Richard W; Viney, Rachel; Green, Laura; Mawanswila, Manasseh; Maro, Venance P; Gjertsen, Charlotte; Godfrey, Hannah; Smailes, Rosanna; Gray, William K

    2015-10-01

    The aim of this study was to record stroke admissions to a tertiary referral hospital in Tanzania over four decades. We audited the medical records held at a large teaching and tertiary referral hospital in northern Tanzania over four decades. We collected records for the years 1974-1976, 1984-1986, 1994-1995 and 2008. All patients admitted as inpatients with a primary diagnosis of stroke were included in the study. Data collected included age, sex, stroke subtype, predominant side of symptoms and survival to discharge. The number of stroke admissions rose from just four in the three-year period 1974-1976 (mean 1.3 cases annually) to 153 cases annually in 2008. The mean age of those admitted rose steadily during this period, as did the proportion of females admitted. The burden of stroke on health services in Tanzania appears to have increased rapidly. If this increase is to be slowed, then sustainable primary preventative measures to target known stroke risk factors will be required. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Risk of hospital admission for COPD following smoking cessation and reduction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Godtfredsen, N S; Vestbo, J; Osler, M

    2002-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Little is known about the effects of changes in smoking habits on the subsequent risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between smoking cessation and reduction and admission to hospital for COPD in a general...... by at least 50% between the two initial examinations without quitting and smokers who stopped smoking during this time were compared with continuous heavy smokers using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: During the follow up period 1,260 subjects (741 men and 519 women) were admitted to hospital...... for COPD. After multivariate adjustment, quitting smoking was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of hospital admission. The relative hazard (HR) was 0.57 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.33 to 0.99). Those who reduced smoking did not show a significantly lower risk of hospitalisation than...

  12. Forecasting asthma-related hospital admissions in London using negative binomial models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soyiri, Ireneous N; Reidpath, Daniel D; Sarran, Christophe

    2013-05-01

    Health forecasting can improve health service provision and individual patient outcomes. Environmental factors are known to impact chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma, but little is known about the extent to which these factors can be used for forecasting. Using weather, air quality and hospital asthma admissions, in London (2005-2006), two related negative binomial models were developed and compared with a naive seasonal model. In the first approach, predictive forecasting models were fitted with 7-day averages of each potential predictor, and then a subsequent multivariable model is constructed. In the second strategy, an exhaustive search of the best fitting models between possible combinations of lags (0-14 days) of all the environmental effects on asthma admission was conducted. Three models were considered: a base model (seasonal effects), contrasted with a 7-day average model and a selected lags model (weather and air quality effects). Season is the best predictor of asthma admissions. The 7-day average and seasonal models were trivial to implement. The selected lags model was computationally intensive, but of no real value over much more easily implemented models. Seasonal factors can predict daily hospital asthma admissions in London, and there is a little evidence that additional weather and air quality information would add to forecast accuracy.

  13. Comparative evaluation of human heat stress indices on selected hospital admissions in Sydney, Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldie, James; Alexander, Lisa; Lewis, Sophie C; Sherwood, Steven

    2017-08-01

    To find appropriate regression model specifications for counts of the daily hospital admissions of a Sydney cohort and determine which human heat stress indices best improve the models' fit. We built parent models of eight daily counts of admission records using weather station observations, census population estimates and public holiday data. We added heat stress indices; models with lower Akaike Information Criterion scores were judged a better fit. Five of the eight parent models demonstrated adequate fit. Daily maximum Simplified Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (sWBGT) consistently improved fit more than most other indices; temperature and heatwave indices also modelled some health outcomes well. Humidity and heat-humidity indices better fit counts of patients who died following admission. Maximum sWBGT is an ideal measure of heat stress for these types of Sydney hospital admissions. Simple temperature indices are a good fallback where a narrower range of conditions is investigated. Implications for public health: This study confirms the importance of selecting appropriate heat stress indices for modelling. Epidemiologists projecting Sydney hospital admissions should use maximum sWBGT as a common measure of heat stress. Health organisations interested in short-range forecasting may prefer simple temperature indices. © 2017 The Authors.

  14. Coerced hospital admission and symptom change--a prospective observational multi-centre study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas W Kallert

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Coerced admission to psychiatric hospitals, defined by legal status or patient's subjective experience, is common. Evidence on clinical outcomes however is limited. This study aimed to assess symptom change over a three month period following coerced admission and identify patient characteristics associated with outcomes. METHOD: At study sites in 11 European countries consecutive legally involuntary patients and patients with a legally voluntary admission who however felt coerced, were recruited and assessed by independent researchers within the first week after admission. Symptoms were assessed on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Patients were re-assessed after one and three months. RESULTS: The total sample consisted of 2326 legally coerced patients and 764 patients with a legally voluntary admission who felt coerced. Symptom levels significantly improved over time. In a multivariable analysis, higher baseline symptoms, being unemployed, living alone, repeated hospitalisation, being legally a voluntary patient but feeling coerced, and being initially less satisfied with treatment were all associated with less symptom improvement after one month and, other than initial treatment satisfaction, also after three months. The diagnostic group was not linked with outcomes. DISCUSSION: On average patients show significant but limited symptom improvements after coerced hospital admission, possibly reflecting the severity of the underlying illnesses. Social factors, but not the psychiatric diagnosis, appear important predictors of outcomes. Legally voluntary patients who feel coerced may have a poorer prognosis than legally involuntary patients and deserve attention in research and clinical practice.

  15. Ethnic group variations in alcohol-related hospital admissions in England: does place matter?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barry, Eleanor; Laverty, Anthony A; Majeed, Azeem; Millett, Christopher

    2015-01-01

    The health burden of alcohol use is socially and geographically patterned in many countries. Less is known about variations in this burden between ethnic groups and whether this differs across place of residence. National cross-sectional study using hospital admission data in England. Alcohol-related admission rates, where an alcohol-related condition was either the primary diagnosis (considered as the reason for admission) or a comorbidity, were calculated using ethnic group specific rates for English regions. In 2010/11 there were a total of 264,870 alcohol-related admissions in England. Admission rates were higher in the North of England than elsewhere (e.g. for primary diagnosis 161 per 100,000 population in the North vs. 62 per 100,000 in the South). These patterns were not uniform across ethnic groups however. For example, admission rates for alcohol-related comorbidity were four times higher among White Irish in London compared with those in the South of England (306 to 76 per 100,000) and four times higher in Indians living in the Midlands compared with those in the South of England (128 to 29 per 100,000). These patterns were similar for admissions with a comorbid alcohol-related condition. Geographical location may be an important determinant of within and between ethnic group variations in alcohol-related hospital admissions in England. While a number of factors were not examined here, this descriptive analysis suggests that this heterogeneity should be taken into account when planning interventions and services for the prevention and management of alcohol misuse.

  16. Socioeconomic status, lung function and admission to hospital for COPD

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prescott, E; Lange, P; Vestbo, J

    1999-01-01

    This study analysed the effect of education and income on development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) assessing lung function and hospital admission. The study population consisted of 14,223 subjects, aged 20-90 yrs, randomly sampled from the population of Copenhagen in 1976....... Association between socioeconomic factors and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) at study entry was analysed by linear regression. The relation between socioeconomic factors and risk of admission to hospital for COPD from study entry until 1993 was assessed...... by register linkage. Education and income were independently associated with FEV1 and FVC. The age- and height-adjusted difference in FEV1 (mean+/-SEM) between the highest and lowest level of education and income was 259+/-31 mL in females and 400+/-39 mL in males. After additional adjustment for quantity...

  17. Prediction of Emergency Department Hospital Admission Based on Natural Language Processing and Neural Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xingyu; Kim, Joyce; Patzer, Rachel E; Pitts, Stephen R; Patzer, Aaron; Schrager, Justin D

    2017-10-26

    To describe and compare logistic regression and neural network modeling strategies to predict hospital admission or transfer following initial presentation to Emergency Department (ED) triage with and without the addition of natural language processing elements. Using data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), a cross-sectional probability sample of United States EDs from 2012 and 2013 survey years, we developed several predictive models with the outcome being admission to the hospital or transfer vs. discharge home. We included patient characteristics immediately available after the patient has presented to the ED and undergone a triage process. We used this information to construct logistic regression (LR) and multilayer neural network models (MLNN) which included natural language processing (NLP) and principal component analysis from the patient's reason for visit. Ten-fold cross validation was used to test the predictive capacity of each model and receiver operating curves (AUC) were then calculated for each model. Of the 47,200 ED visits from 642 hospitals, 6,335 (13.42%) resulted in hospital admission (or transfer). A total of 48 principal components were extracted by NLP from the reason for visit fields, which explained 75% of the overall variance for hospitalization. In the model including only structured variables, the AUC was 0.824 (95% CI 0.818-0.830) for logistic regression and 0.823 (95% CI 0.817-0.829) for MLNN. Models including only free-text information generated AUC of 0.742 (95% CI 0.731- 0.753) for logistic regression and 0.753 (95% CI 0.742-0.764) for MLNN. When both structured variables and free text variables were included, the AUC reached 0.846 (95% CI 0.839-0.853) for logistic regression and 0.844 (95% CI 0.836-0.852) for MLNN. The predictive accuracy of hospital admission or transfer for patients who presented to ED triage overall was good, and was improved with the inclusion of free text data from a patient

  18. Utilization of emergency medical transports and hospital admissions among persons with behavioral health conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuddeback, Gary; Patterson, P Daniel; Moore, Charity Galena; Brice, Jane H

    2010-04-01

    Emergency medical services transport and emergency department misuse among persons with behavioral health conditions is a concern. Administrative data were used to examine medical transports and hospital admissions among persons with behavioral health conditions. Data on 70,126 medical transports to emergency departments in three southeastern counties were analyzed. Compared with general medical transports, fewer behavioral health transports resulted in a hospital admission. Among behavioral health transports, persons with schizophrenia were 2.62 times more likely than those with substance use disorders to be admitted, and persons with mood disorders were 4.36 times more likely than those with substance use disorders to be admitted. Also, among behavioral health transports, rural transports were less likely than more urban transports to result in a hospital admission. More training of emergency medical services personnel and more behavioral health crisis resources, especially targeting rural areas and substance use disorders, are needed.

  19. COPD prevalence and hospital admissions in Galicia (Spain). An analysis using the potential of new health information systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbosa-Lorenzo, R; Ruano-Ravina, A; Fernández-Villar, A; López-Pardo, E; Carballeira-Roca, C; Barros-Dios, J M

    2018-05-05

    Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem. The aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of COPD and whether such prevalence was positively or negatively associated with COPD admissions, using all the data of a regional health care system. We designed a descriptive cross-sectional study which included all subjects aged over 45 years, diagnosed with COPD in primary care in 2013. We also calculated the number of such patients who had a record of hospital admissions due to this disease. COPD prevalence and incidence of admissions were calculated. Poisson regression models were then used to analyse the association between cases with diagnosis of COPD and admissions due to COPD, by sex, adjusting for socio-demographic variables and distance to hospital. Sensitivity subanalyses were performed by reference to the respective municipal rurality indices. Median municipal prevalence of COPD was 5.29% in men and 2.19% in women. Among patients with COPD, 28.22% of men and 16.00% of women had at least one hospital admission. The relative risk of admission per unit of the standardised prevalence ratio was 0.37 (95% CI 0.34-0.41) for men and 0.39 (95% CI 0.34-0.45) for women. There is a significant negative association between COPD prevalence and hospital admissions due to this disease. The proportion of admissions is lower in municipalities lying furthest from hospitals. There is considerable municipal variability in terms of COPD prevalence and proportion of admissions. In-depth attention should be given to disease-management training programmes. Copyright © 2018 Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  20. Exposure to fine particulate matter and hospital admissions due to pneumonia: Effects on the number of hospital admissions and its costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patto, Nicole Vargas; Nascimento, Luiz Fernando Costa; Mantovani, Katia Cristina C; Vieira, Luciana C P F S; Moreira, Demerval S

    2016-07-01

    Given that respiratory diseases are a major cause of hospitalization in children, the objectives of this study are to estimate the role of exposure to fine particulate matter in hospitalizations due to pneumonia and a possible reduction in the number of these hospitalizations and costs. An ecological time-series study was developed with data on hospitalization for pneumonia among children under 10 years of age living in São José do Rio Preto, state of São Paulo, using PM2.5 concentrations estimated using a mathematical model. We used Poisson regression with a dependent variable (hospitalization) associated with PM2.5 concentrations and adjusted for effective temperature, seasonality and day of the week, with estimates of reductions in the number of hospitalizations and costs. 1,161 children were admitted to hospital between October 1st, 2011, and September 30th, 2013; the average concentration of PM2.5 was 18.7 µg/m3 (≈32 µg/m3 of PM10) and exposure to this pollutant was associated with hospitalization four and five days after exposure. A 10 µg/m3 decrease in concentration would imply 256 less hospital admissions and savings of approximately R$ 220,000 in a medium-sized city.

  1. Hospital admission planning to optimize major resources utilization under uncertainty

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dellaert, N.P.; Jeunet, J.

    2010-01-01

    Admission policies for elective inpatient services mainly result in the management of a single resource: the operating theatre as it is commonly considered as the most critical and expensive resource in a hospital. However, other bottleneck resources may lead to surgery cancellations, such as bed

  2. Reasons for hospital admissions among youth and young adults with cerebral palsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Nancy L; McCormick, Anna M; Gilbert, Tom; Ayling-Campos, Anne; Burke, Tricia; Fehlings, Darcy; Wedge, John

    2011-01-01

    To identify the most common reasons for acute care hospital admissions among youth (age range, 13-17.9y) and young adults (age range, 23-32.9y) with cerebral palsy (CP). We completed a secondary analysis of data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) to determine the most frequently observed reasons for admissions and the associated lengths of stay (LOS). Participants were identified from 6 children's treatment centers in Ontario, Canada. Health records data from youth with CP (n=587) and young adults with CP (n=477) contributed to this study. Not applicable. The most common reasons for hospital admission, relative frequencies of admissions for each reason, and mean LOS were reported. The analysis of CIHI records identified epilepsy and pneumonia as the top 2 reasons for admissions in both age groups. Both age groups were commonly admitted because of infections other than pneumonia and urinary tract infections (UTIs), gastrointestinal (GI) problems such as malabsorption, and mental illness. The reasons that were unique to youth included orthopedic and joint-related issues, other respiratory problems, and scoliosis. In young adults, mental illness was the third most common reason for admission, followed by lower GI or constipation problems, malnutrition or dehydration, upper GI problems, fractures, and UTIs. This article provides important clinical information that can be used in the training of physicians and health care providers, and to guide future planning of ambulatory care services to support the clinical management of persons with CP over their lifespan. Copyright © 2011 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Spectrum of neonatal admissions and their outcome in a tertiary care hospital

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasmeen, S.; Waheed, K.A.I.; Gul, R.

    2017-01-01

    Objective: To study the spectrum of neonatal admissions and their outcome in a tertiary care hospital. Study Design: A descriptive observational study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Neonatal Unit of The Children's Hospital and Institute of Child Health, Lahore for a period of one year from 1st Jan 2015 to 31st Dec 2015. Material and Methods: Data of all admitted patients during the study period were reviewed and analysed in terms of gender, gestational age, age at presentation, weight, cause of admission and their outcome. Neonates with incomplete data were excluded subsequently. Diagnosis were made on clinical examination, radiological findings and laboratory investigations. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20. Results: Out of 11427 neonates admitted during the study period, 397 were excluded because of deficient record. Of the 11030 neonates males were 7673 (69.6%) and females were 3353 (30.4%). Full-term neonates were 8123 (73.64%) while preterm were 2907 (26.35%). Low birth weight (LBW) babies were 5636 (51.1%). Newborns presented within first 24 hours of life were 1478 (13.4%). Birth asphyxia 3518 (31.89%) was the most common cause of hospital admissions followed by prematurity 2907 (26.36%) and neonatal sepsis 1865 (16.91%). Out of 11030 babies, 7055 (64%) were discharged, 2805 (25.4%) left against medical advice and 1170 (10.6%) neonates expired. Highest number of deaths was because of prematurity 469 (39.32%) followed by asphyxia neonatorum 359 (30.68%) and neonatal sepsis 180 (15.38%). Conclusion: Birth asphyxia, prematurity and sepsis constitute three fourths of hospital admissions in our neonatal unit. Most common cause of mortality was prematurity followed by birth asphyxia and neonatal sepsis. (author)

  4. Admission of people with dementia to psychiatric hospitals in Japan: factors that can shorten their hospitalizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morikawa, Takako; Maeda, Kiyoshi; Osaki, Tohmi; Kajita, Hiroyuki; Yotsumoto, Kayano; Kawamata, Toshio

    2017-11-01

    People exhibiting serious behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia are usually voluntarily or involuntarily committed to psychiatric hospitals for treatment. In Japan, the average hospital stay for individuals with dementia is about 2 years. Ideally, individuals should be discharged once their symptoms have subsided. However, we see cases in Japan where individuals remain institutionalized long after behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia are no longer apparent. This study will attempt to identify factors contributing to shorter stays in psychiatric hospitals for dementia patients. Questionnaires consisting of 17 items were mailed to 121 psychiatric hospitals with dementia treatment wards in western Japan. Out of 121 hospitals that received the questionnaires, 45 hospitals returned them. The total number of new patient admissions at all 45 hospitals during the month of August 2014 was 1428, including 384 dementia patients (26.9%). The average length of stay in the dementia wards in August 2014 was 482.7 days. Our findings revealed that the rate of discharge after 2 months was 35.4% for the dementia wards. In addition, we found that the average stay in hospitals charging or planning to charge the rehabilitation fee to dementia patients was significantly shorter than in hospitals not charging the rehabilitation fee. In Japan, dementia patients account for over 25% of new admissions to psychiatric hospitals with dementia wards. The average length of stay in a psychiatric hospital dementia ward is more than 1 year. A discharge after fewer than 2 months is exceedingly rare for those in a dementia ward compared with dementia patients in other wards. If institutions focus on rehabilitation, it may be possible to shorten the stay of dementia patients in psychiatric hospitals. © 2017 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

  5. Time to inpatient rehabilitation hospital admission and functional outcomes of stroke patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hua; Camicia, Michelle; Terdiman, Joe; Hung, Yun-Yi; Sandel, M Elizabeth

    2011-04-01

    To study the association of time to inpatient rehabilitation hospital (IRH) admission and functional outcomes of patients who have had a stroke. A retrospective cohort study. A regional IRH. Moderately (n = 614) and severely (n = 1294) impaired patients who had a stroke who were admitted to the facility between 2002 and 2006. Not applicable. Change in total, motor, and cognitive Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores between IRH admission and discharge. After controlling for patient demographics and initial medical conditions and functional status, shorter periods from stroke onset to IRH admission were significantly associated with greater functional gains for these patients during IRH hospitalization. Moderately impaired patients achieved a greater total FIM gain when admitted to an IRH within 21 days of stroke. Severely impaired patients showed a gradient relationship between time to IRH admission and total FIM gain, with significantly different functional gain if admitted to an IRH within 30 and 60 days after stroke diagnosis. Results of multiple regression analysis also showed that age, race/ethnicity, side of stroke, history of a previous stroke, functional measures at IRH admission, IRH length of stay, and selected medications were associated with total, motor, and cognitive FIM score changes. In addition, certain factors such as older age, diagnosis of a hemorrhagic stroke or a previous history of stroke, and initial functional status were associated with longer periods between diagnosis and admission to an IRH after the stroke occurred. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that earlier transfer to an IRH may lead to better functional improvement after stroke. However, certain factors such as age, race/ethnicity, initial medical conditions and functional status, and length of stay at an IRH contributed to functional gain. Factors affecting the time to IRH admission also were addressed. Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Physical Medicine

  6. A qualitative examination of inappropriate hospital admissions and lengths of stay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hammond Christina L

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Research has shown that a number of patients, with a variety of diagnoses, are admitted to hospital when it is not essential and can remain in hospital unnecessarily. To date, research in this area has been primarily quantitative. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived causes of inappropriate or prolonged lengths of stay and focuses on a specific population (i.e., patients with long term neurological conditions. We also wanted to identify interventions which might avoid admission or expedite discharge as periods of hospitalisation pose particular risks for this group. Methods Two focus groups were conducted with a convenience sample of eight primary and secondary care clinicians working in the Derbyshire area. Data were analysed using a thematic content approach. Results The participants identified a number of key causes of inappropriate admissions and lengths of stay, including: the limited capacity of health and social care resources; poor communication between primary and secondary care clinicians and the cautiousness of clinicians who manage patients in community settings. The participants also suggested a number of strategies that may prevent inappropriate admissions or reduce length of stay (LoS, including: the introduction of new sub-acute care facilities; the introduction of auxiliary nurses to support specialist nursing staff and patient held summaries of specialist consultations. Conclusion Clinicians in both the secondary and primary care sectors acknowledged that some admissions were unnecessary and some patients remain in hospital for a prolonged period. These events were attributed to problems with the current capacity or structuring of services. It was noted, for example, that there is a shortage of appropriate therapeutic services and that the distribution of beds between community and sub-acute care should be reviewed.

  7. Effect of teaching and checklist implementation on accuracy of medication history recording at hospital admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lea, Marianne; Barstad, Ingeborg; Mathiesen, Liv; Mowe, Morten; Molden, Espen

    2016-02-01

    Medication discrepancies at hospital admission is an extensive problem and knowledge is limited regarding improvement strategies. To investigate the effect of teaching and checklist implementation on accuracy of medication history recording during hospitalization. Patients admitted to an internal medicine ward were prospectively included in two consecutive periods. Between the periods, non-mandatory teaching lessons were provided and a checklist assisting medication history recording implemented. Discrepancies between the recorded medications at admission and the patient's actual drug use, as revealed by pharmacist-conducted medication reconciliation, were compared between the periods. The primary endpoint was difference between the periods in proportion of patients with minimum one discrepancy. Difference in median number of discrepancies was included as a secondary endpoint. 56 and 119 patients were included in period 1 (P1) and period 2 (P2), respectively. There was no significant difference in proportion of patients with minimum one discrepancy in P2 (68.9 %) versus P1 (76.8 %, p = 0.36), but a tendency of lower median number of discrepancies was observed in P2 than P1, i.e. 1 and 2, respectively (p = 0.087). More powerful strategies than non-mandatory teaching activities and checklist implementation are required to achieve sufficient improvements in medication history recording during hospitalization.

  8. An increase in the burden of neonatal admissions to a rural district hospital in Kenya over 19 years

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marsh Kevin

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Most of the global neonatal deaths occur in developing nations, mostly in rural homes. Many of the newborns who receive formal medical care are treated in rural district hospitals and other peripheral health centres. However there are no published studies demonstrating trends in neonatal admissions and outcome in rural health care facilities in resource poor regions. Such information is critical in planning public health interventions. In this study we therefore aimed at describing the pattern of neonatal admissions to a Kenyan rural district hospital and their outcome over a 19 year period, examining clinical indicators of inpatient neonatal mortality and also trends in utilization of a rural hospital for deliveries. Methods Prospectively collected data on neonates is compared to non-neonatal paediatric (≤ 5 years old admissions and deliveries' in the maternity unit at Kilifi District Hospital from January 1st 1990 up to December 31st 2008, to document the pattern of neonatal admissions, deliveries and changes in inpatient deaths. Trends were examined using time series models with likelihood ratios utilised to identify indicators of inpatient neonatal death. Results The proportion of neonatal admissions of the total paediatric ≤ 5 years admissions significantly increased from 11% in 1990 to 20% by 2008 (trend 0.83 (95% confidence interval 0.45 -1.21. Most of the increase in burden was from neonates born in hospital and very young neonates aged 7 mmol/l predicted inpatient neonatal death with a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 68%. Conclusions There is clear evidence of increasing burden in neonatal admissions at a rural district hospital in contrast to reducing numbers of non-neonatal paediatrics' admissions aged ≤ 5years. Though the inpatient case fatality for all admissions aged ≤ 5 years declined significantly, neonates now comprise close to 60% of all inpatient deaths. Simple indicators may identify

  9. Consultant input in acute medical admissions and patient outcomes in hospitals in England: a multivariate analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Derek Bell

    Full Text Available Recent recommendations for physicians in the UK outline key aspects of care that should improve patient outcomes and experience in acute hospital care. Included in these recommendations are Consultant patterns of work to improve timeliness of clinical review and improve continuity of care. This study used a contemporaneous validated survey compared with clinical outcomes derived from Hospital Episode Statistics, between April 2009 and March 2010 from 91 acute hospital sites in England to evaluate systems of consultant cover for acute medical admissions. Clinical outcomes studied included adjusted case fatality rates (aCFR, including the ratio of weekend to weekday mortality, length of stay and readmission rates. Hospitals that had an admitting Consultant presence within the Acute Medicine Unit (AMU, or equivalent for a minimum of 4 hours per day (65% of study group had a lower aCFR compared with hospitals that had Consultant presence for less than 4 hours per day (p40 acute medical admissions per day had a lower aCFR compared to hospitals with fewer than 40 admissions per day (p<0.03 and had a lower 7 day re-admission rate (p<0.02. This study is the first large study to explore the potential relationships between systems of providing acute medical care and clinical outcomes. The results show an association between well-designed systems of Consultant working practices, which promote increased patient contact, and improved patient outcomes in the acute hospital setting.

  10. Air pollutants and hospital admissions due to cardiovascular diseases in São José do Rio Preto, Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mantovani, Kátia Cristina Cota; Nascimento, Luiz Fernando Costa; Moreira, Demerval Soares; Vieira, Luciana Cristina Pompeo Ferreira da Silva; Vargas, Nicole Patto

    2016-02-01

    This study aimed to estimate the effects of environmental pollutants on the increase of hospitalizations due to cardiovascular diseases. This was an ecological study conducted in the city of São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, with data from hospital admissions with diagnoses in the categories of I-00 to I-99, from October, 1, 2011, to September 30, 2012. Fineparticulate matter (PM2,5), ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide were the pollutants studied; they were estimated by CATT-BRAMs model. The use of an additive Poisson regression model showed association between exposure to PM2,5 and hospital admission due to cardiovascular diseases. In the fifth day after exposure to this pollutant (lag 5), the relative risk for hospitalization due to cardiovascular diseases increased 15 percent in according to 10 µg/m3 increase on PM2,5 concentrations. There were 650 avoidable hospital admissions and an excess of R$ 1.9 million in hospital expenses. Thus, it was possible to identify the association between exposure to PM2,5 and hospital admission due cardiovascular diseases in medium-sized cities, like São José do Rio Preto.

  11. The impact of airborne particulate matter on pediatric hospital admissions for pneumonia among children in Jinan, China: A case-crossover study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lv, Chenguang; Wang, Xianfeng; Pang, Na; Wang, Lanzhong; Wang, Yuping; Xu, Tengfei; Zhang, Yu; Zhou, Tianran; Li, Wei

    2017-06-01

    This study aims to examine the effect of short-term changes in the concentration of particulate matter of diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM 2.5 ) and ≤10 µm (PM 10 ) on pediatric hospital admissions for pneumonia in Jinan, China. It explores confoundings factors of weather, season, and chemical pollutants. Information on pediatric hospital admissions for pneumonia in 2014 was extracted from the database of Jinan Qilu Hospital. The relative risk of pediatric hospital admissions for pneumonia was assessed using a case-crossover approach, controlling weather variables, day of the week, and seasonality. The single-pollutant model demonstrated that increased risk of pediatric hospital admissions for pneumonia was significantly associated with elevated PM 2.5 concentrations the day before hospital admission and elevated PM 10 concentrations 2 days before hospital admission. An increment of 10 μg/m 3 in PM 2.5 and PM 10 was correlated with a 6% (95% CI 1.02--1.10) and 4% (95% CI 1.00-1.08) rise in number of admissions for pneumonia, respectively. In two pollutant models, PM 2.5 and PM 10 remained significant after inclusion of sulfur dioxide or nitrogen dioxide but not carbon monoxide. This study demonstrated that short-term exposure to atmospheric particulate matter (PM 2.5 /PM 10 ) may be an important determinant of pediatric hospital admissions for pneumonia in Jinan, China. This study demonstrated that short-term exposure to atmospheric particulate matter (PM 2.5 /PM 10 ) may be an important determinant of pediatric hospital admissions for pneumonia in Jinan, China, and suggested the relevance of pollutant exposure levels and their effects. As a specific group, children are sensitive to airborne particulate matter. This study estimated the short-term effects attribute to other air pollutants to provide references for relevant studies.

  12. Effectiveness of screening hospital admissions to detect asymptomatic carriers of Clostridium difficile: a modeling evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lanzas, Cristina; Dubberke, Erik R

    2014-08-01

    Both asymptomatic and symptomatic Clostridium difficile carriers contribute to new colonizations and infections within a hospital, but current control strategies focus only on preventing transmission from symptomatic carriers. Our objective was to evaluate the potential effectiveness of methods targeting asymptomatic carriers to control C. difficile colonization and infection (CDI) rates in a hospital ward: screening patients at admission to detect asymptomatic C. difficile carriers and placing positive patients into contact precautions. We developed an agent-based transmission model for C. difficile that incorporates screening and contact precautions for asymptomatic carriers in a hospital ward. We simulated scenarios that vary according to screening test characteristics, colonization prevalence, and type of strain present at admission. In our baseline scenario, on average, 42% of CDI cases were community-onset cases. Within the hospital-onset (HO) cases, approximately half were patients admitted as asymptomatic carriers who became symptomatic in the ward. On average, testing for asymptomatic carriers reduced the number of new colonizations and HO-CDI cases by 40%-50% and 10%-25%, respectively, compared with the baseline scenario. Test sensitivity, turnaround time, colonization prevalence at admission, and strain type had significant effects on testing efficacy. Testing for asymptomatic carriers at admission may reduce both the number of new colonizations and HO-CDI cases. Additional reductions could be achieved by preventing disease in patients who are admitted as asymptomatic carriers and developed CDI during the hospital stay.

  13. Hospital admissions in children with down syndrome: experience of a population-based cohort followed from birth.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrick Fitzgerald

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Children with Down syndrome, the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability, are prone to multiple and varied health-related problems. This study describes patterns of hospitalisations for children and young people with Down syndrome in Western Australia. METHODS: Birth records were linked to the Western Australian population-based Intellectual Disability database to identify all children born with Down syndrome in Western Australia between 1 January, 1983 and 31 December, 1999. These records were linked to the Hospital Morbidity Data System to provide information on all hospitalisations up to 31 December, 2004. Hospitalisation data, coded using ICD-9CM or ICD-10 (v0.5 were grouped into clinically relevant categories using the primary diagnosis. Rates of hospital admission for all and specific diagnoses were expressed in 1000-person-years at-risk and median age at first admission and length of stay were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 405 children, 395 had one or more hospital admissions, totalling 3786 admissions for all children and an estimated 39.5 person-years in hospital. On average, children were admitted 9.7 times, with an estimated rate of 757.2 admissions per 1000pyr (95% CI: 680, 843. A quarter of all admissions occurred in the first year of life. The average hospital length of stay was 3.8 days (95% CI: 3.7, 4.1. Upper respiratory tract conditions affected the most children (58.5% and accounted for 12.1% of all admissions. Other disorders which affected a high percentage of children were ear/hearing conditions (50.6%, disorders of the oral cavity (38.0% and lower respiratory tract conditions (37.5%. Overall, children with Down syndrome were hospitalised at a rate five times (95% CI = 4.3-6.2 that of the general population. CONCLUSION: Children with Down syndrome are at increased risk of morbidity for varied causes underlining the importance of comprehensive and targeted primary care for this group.

  14. Association of bystander interventions and hospital length of stay and admission to intensive care unit in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riddersholm, Signe; Kragholm, Kristian; Mortensen, Rikke Nørmark; Pape, Marianne; Hansen, Carolina Malta; Lippert, Freddy K; Torp-Pedersen, Christian; Christiansen, Christian F; Rasmussen, Bodil Steen

    2017-10-01

    The impact of bystander interventions on post-arrest hospital course is sparsely studied. We examined the association between bystander interventions and length of hospital stay and admission to intensive care unit (ICU) in one-day survivors after OHCA. This cohort study linked data of 4641 one-day OHCA survivors from 2001 to 2014 to data on hospital length of stay and ICU admission. We examined associations between bystander efforts and outcomes using regression, adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities, calendar year and witnessed status. We divided bystander efforts into three categories: 1. No bystander interventions; 2.Bystander CPR only; 3. Bystander defibrillation with or without bystander CPR. For patients surviving to hospital discharge, hospital length of stay was 20days for patients without bystander interventions, compared to 16 for bystander CPR, and 13 for bystander defibrillation. 82% of patients without bystander interventions were admitted to ICU compared to 77.2% for bystander CPR, and 61.2% for bystander defibrillation. In-hospital mortality was 60% in the first category compared to 40.5% and 21.7% in the two latter categories. In regression models, bystander CPR and bystander defibrillation were associated with a reduction of length of hospital stay of 21% (Estimate: 0.79 [95% CI: 0.72-0.86]) and 32% (Estimate: 0.68 [95% CI: 0.59-0.78]), respectively. Both bystander CPR (OR: 0.94 [95% CI: 0.91-0.97]) and bystander defibrillation (OR: 0.81 [0.76-0.85]), were associated with lower risk of ICU admission. Bystander interventions were associated with reduced hospital length of stay and ICU admission, suggesting that these efforts improve recovery in OHCA survivors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. The effects of air pollution on daily cardiovascular diseases hospital admissions in Wuhan from 2013 to 2015

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaoying; Wang, Wangcheng; Jiao, Shilin; Yuan, Jing; Hu, Chunping; Wang, Lin

    2018-06-01

    To evaluate the short-term effect of ambient air pollution on cardiovascular hospital admissions and capture the susceptible subpopulations in Wuhan, China, we adopted a generalized additive model to quantitatively analyze the influences of air pollutants on daily cardiovascular diseases hospital admissions and examine the influences of different subgroups. The largest significant effects for PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 on cardiovascular hospital admissions were observed at lag0, lag02 and lag02, respectively, and a 10μg/m3 increment in concentration of PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 were associated with 0.87% (95%CI: 0.05%-1.7%), 3.41% (95%CI: -0.21%-7.17%) and 2.98% (95%CI: 0.66%-5.37%) increases in cardiovascular hospital admissions. Nearly linear relationships were found for NO2 and PM2.5 with cardiovascular hospital admissions, and the J-shaped exposure-response relationship was observed for SO2 with cardiovascular hospital admissions. NO2 might have independent health effects of PM2.5 on the population at risk. The effect estimates for PM2.5 and SO2 were not sensitive with the inclusion of the co-pollutant adjustment. The gender, age and seasonal specific association between three pollutants and cardiovascular disease didn't show obvious differences in the magnitude and trend of the effects except that the seasonal difference of SO2 was significant. This study showed that PM2.5 and NO2 had effects on cardiovascular diseases, and the multiple pollutants should be considered together in the hazard models. In addition, the government should remind the resident to protect themselves and wear masks to avoid the harmful effect of air pollution, especially for the susceptible population.

  16. Two-epoch cross-sectional case record review protocol comparing quality of care of hospital emergency admissions at weekends versus weekdays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bion, Julian; Aldridge, Cassie P; Girling, Alan; Rudge, Gavin; Beet, Chris; Evans, Tim; Temple, R Mark; Roseveare, Chris; Clancy, Mike; Boyal, Amunpreet; Tarrant, Carolyn; Sutton, Elizabeth; Sun, Jianxia; Rees, Peter; Mannion, Russell; Chen, Yen-Fu; Watson, Samuel Ian; Lilford, Richard

    2017-12-22

    The mortality associated with weekend admission to hospital (the 'weekend effect') has for many years been attributed to deficiencies in quality of hospital care, often assumed to be due to suboptimal senior medical staffing at weekends. This protocol describes a case note review to determine whether there are differences in care quality for emergency admissions (EAs) to hospital at weekends compared with weekdays, and whether the difference has reduced over time as health policies have changed to promote 7-day services. Cross-sectional two-epoch case record review of 20 acute hospital Trusts in England. Anonymised case records of 4000 EAs to hospital, 2000 at weekends and 2000 on weekdays, covering two epochs (financial years 2012-2013 and 2016-2017). Admissions will be randomly selected across the whole of each epoch from Trust electronic patient records. Following training, structured implicit case reviews will be conducted by consultants or senior registrars (senior residents) in acute medical specialities (60 case records per reviewer), and limited to the first 7 days following hospital admission. The co-primary outcomes are the weekend:weekday admission ratio of errors per case record, and a global assessment of care quality on a Likert scale. Error rates will be analysed using mixed effects logistic regression models, and care quality using ordinal regression methods. Secondary outcomes include error typology, error-related adverse events and any correlation between error rates and staffing. The data will also be used to inform a parallel health economics analysis. The project has received ethics approval from the South West Wales Research Ethics Committee (REC): reference 13/WA/0372. Informed consent is not required for accessing anonymised patient case records from which patient identifiers had been removed. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications in high-quality journals and through local High-intensity Specialist-Led Acute

  17. Hospital admissions for traumatic brain injury of Austrian residents vs. of visitors to Austria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mauritz, Walter; Brazinova, Alexandra; Majdan, Marek; Leitgeb, Johannes

    2014-01-01

    The goal was to compare epidemiology of hospital admissions for traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Austrian residents vs. visitors to Austria. Data on all hospital admissions due to TBI (ICD-10 codes S06.0-S06.9; years 2009-2011) was provided by the Austrian Statistical Office. Data on Austrian population and on tourism (visitor numbers, nights spent) was retrieved from www.statistik.at . Age, sex, mechanism of injury, season and mortality was analysed for Austrian residents vs. visitors. Visitors contributed 3.9% to the total population and 9.2% of all TBI cases. Incidence of hospital admissions was 292/100,000/year in Austrian residents and was 727/100,000/year in visitors. Male:female ratio was 1.39:1 in Austrian residents and 1.55:1 in visitors. Austrian cases were older than visitors' cases (mean age 41 vs. 28 years). Austrian cases were distributed evenly over the seasons, while 75% of the visitors' cases happened during winter and spring. The most frequently observed causes of TBI in Austrian residents were private accidents, while sports caused almost half of the visitors' cases. Hospital mortality was lower in visitors than in Austrian residents (0.8 vs. 2.1%). Sports-related TBI of visitors causes a significant workload for Austrian hospitals. Better prevention is warranted.

  18. An Investigation of Perspectives of Respite Admission Among People Living With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and the Hospitals That Support Them.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakai, Michiko; Narita, Yugo; Tomimoto, Hidekazu

    2017-07-01

    Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive disease with rapid degeneration. Respite care is an essential service for improving the well-being of both patients with this disease and their family caregivers, but accessibility of respite services is limited. This study investigates perspectives on respite admission among people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and the hospitals supporting them. We conducted semistructured interviews among 3 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 12 family members, exploring demographic information and their awareness and experience of respite admission. We also interviewed 16 representatives from hospitals about awareness of and preparation for respite admission for patients with this disease, the role of regional networks for intractable diseases, and knowledge about communication support schemes. We found significant differences in the revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale between patients who had and had not received respite admission. Qualitative analysis of the data indicated that respite admission was a contributory factor in continuing and stabilizing home care. Limited provision of social services and hospital care quality were barriers to respite admission. Respite admission was essential to continued home care for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Severe-stage patients were eligible for respite admission. Its accessibility, however, was limited, especially for patients living in rural areas. Supporting hospitals had limited capacity to respond to patients' needs. Individualized care and communication were internal barriers to respite admission.

  19. The Influence of Group Versus Individual Prenatal Care on Phase of Labor at Hospital Admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tilden, Ellen L; Emeis, Cathy L; Caughey, Aaron B; Weinstein, Sarah R; Futernick, Sarah B; Lee, Christopher S

    2016-07-01

    Group prenatal care, an alternate model of prenatal care delivery, has been associated with various improved perinatal outcomes in comparison to standard, individual prenatal care. One important maternity care process measure that has not been explored among women who receive group prenatal care versus standard prenatal care is the phase of labor (latent vs active) at hospital admission. A retrospective case-control study was conducted comparing 150 women who selected group prenatal care with certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) versus 225 women who chose standard prenatal care with CNMs. Analyses performed included descriptive statistics to compare groups and multivariate regression to evaluate the contribution of key covariates potentially influencing outcomes. Propensity scores were calculated and included in regression models. Women within this sample who received group prenatal care were more likely to be in active labor (≥ 4 cm of cervical dilatation) at hospital admission (odds ratio [OR], 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-2.99; P = .049) and were admitted to the hospital with significantly greater cervical dilatation (mean [standard deviation, SD] 5.7 [2.5] cm vs. 5.1 [2.3] cm, P = .005) compared with women who received standard prenatal care, controlling for potential confounding variables and propensity for group versus individual care selection. Group prenatal care may be an effective and safe intervention for decreasing latent labor hospital admission among low-risk women. Neither group prenatal care nor active labor hospital admission was associated with increased morbidity. © 2016 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  20. Contributing factors in self-poisoning leading to hospital admission in adolescents in northern Finland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liisanantti, Janne Henrik; Ala-Kokko, Tero Ilmari; Dunder, Teija Sinikka; Ebeling, Hanna Elina

    2010-07-01

    To evaluate the frequencies of different agents used in self-poisonings and acute factors contributing to intoxication of patients aged 12-18 years in northern Finland. Retrospective medical record review of all hospitalized patients during the period from January 1, 1991 to December 31, 2006. Cause of the admission, contributing factors, readmissions within one year. There were 309 admissions during the period, 54% were females. The leading cause of admission was alcohol, in 222 cases (71.8%). Hospitalizations related to alcohol consumption were associated with accidental poisoning in recreational use. There were no acute contributing factors in the majority of all patients. Over one-third of all intoxications were intentional self-harm, although previously diagnosed psychiatric diseases were rare. It is crucial to recognize adolescent psychiatric disorders in time and consult child and adolescent psychiatrist in case of poisoning.

  1. Coarse Particulate Air Pollution Associated with Increased Risk of Hospital Admissions for Respiratory Diseases in a Tropical City, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Meng-Hsuan; Chiu, Hui-Fen; Yang, Chun-Yuh

    2015-10-16

    This study was undertaken to determine whether there was an association between coarse particles (PM₂.₅-₁₀) levels and frequency of hospital admissions for respiratory diseases (RD) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Hospital admissions for RD including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and pneumonia, and ambient air pollution data levels for Kaohsiung were obtained for the period from 2006 to 2010. The relative risk of hospital admissions for RD was estimated using a case-crossover approach, controlling for weather variables, day of the week, seasonality, and long-term time trends. For the single pollutant model (without adjustment for other pollutants), increased rate of admissions for RD were significantly associated with higher coarse PM levels only on cool days (pollutant models, PM₂.₅-₁₀ levels remained significantly correlated with higher rate of RD admissions even controlling for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, or ozone on cool days. This study provides evidence that higher levels of PM₂.₅-₁₀ enhance the risk of hospital admissions for RD on cool days.

  2. The relationship between thermal sensation and the rate of hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease in Kermanshah, Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammadi, Bakhtiyar; Karimi, Shilan

    2017-11-01

    Climate and weather conditions are the most important factors that influence activities and human health. Bioclimatology/biometeorology are concerned with the study of weather effects on living creatures, including humans, plants, and animals. This research was prepared in order to understand the bioclimatic condition of Kermanshah and its relation to the level of hospital admissions of cardiovascular patients in this city. In addition to the climatic variables, the statistics on the number of daily admissions of cardiovascular patients in Kermanshah during March 27, 2009 to April 30, 2015 was prepared. First, Kermanshah's bioclimatic conditions were identified on a daily basis. Then, the relationship between each of the thermal sensations with the level of hospital admissions of cardiovascular patients in Kermanshah using Levene's test, univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA), Scheffe and Games-Howell post hoc tests was investigated. The results of this study showed that in each index, only very few bioclimatic conditions have had an impact on the increase of hospital admissions of cardiovascular diseases. For example, based on the equivalent temperature index (Tek or EqT), there is a significant relationship between extreme conditions and the rate of cardiovascular admissions. But, however, in the effective temperature index (TE), a significant correlation between warm/hot conditions and an increase in the number of cardiovascular admissions was seen. Based on the predicted mean vote (PMV) and physiological equivalent temperature (PET) indices, cool and cold conditions more than warm and comfort conditions have an effect on the number of hospital admissions of cardiovascular patients. Overall, the obtained results showed that the extreme climatic conditions were directly related to an increase in cardiovascular disease in Kermanshah.

  3. Inpatient dermatology: Characteristics of patients and admissions in a tertiary level hospital in Eastern India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arpita Sen

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Dermatology is primarily a non-acute, outpatient-centered clinical specialty, but substantial number of patients need indoor admission for adequate management. Over the years, the need for inpatient facilities in Dermatology has grown manifold; however, these facilities are available only in some tertiary centers. Aims and Objectives: To analyze the characteristics of the diseases and outcomes of patients admitted in the dermatology inpatient Department of a tertiary care facility in eastern India. Materials and Methods: We undertook a retrospective analysis of the admission and discharge records of all patients, collected from the medical records department, admitted to our indoor facility from 2011 to 2014. The data thus obtained was statistically analyzed with special emphasis on the patient's demographic profile, clinical diagnosis, final outcome, and duration of stay. Results and Analysis: A total of 375 patients were admitted to our indoor facility during the period. Males outnumbered females, with the median age in the 5th decade. Immunobullous disorders (91 patients, 24.27% were the most frequent reason for admissions, followed by various causes of erythroderma (80 patients, 21.33% and infective disorders (73 patients, 19.47%. Other notable causes included cutaneous adverse drug reactions, psoriasis, vasculitis, and connective tissue diseases. The mean duration of hospital stay was 22.2±15.7 days; ranging from 1 to 164 days. Majority of patients (312, 83.2% improved after hospitalization; while 29 (7.73% patients died from their illness. About 133 patients (35.64% required referral services during their stay, while 8 patients (2.13% were transferred to other departments for suitable management. Conclusion: Many dermatoses require inpatient care for their optimum management. Dermatology inpatient services should be expanded in India to cater for the large number of cases with potentially highly severe dermatoses.

  4. Impact of tornadoes on hospital admissions for acute cardiovascular events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva-Palacios, Federico; Casanegra, Ana Isabel; Shapiro, Alan; Phan, Minh; Hawkins, Beau; Li, Ji; Stoner, Julie; Tafur, Alfonso

    2015-11-01

    There is a paucity of data describing cardiovascular events after tornado outbreaks. We proposed to study the effects of tornadoes on the incidence of cardiovascular events at a tertiary care institution. Hospital admission records from a single center situated in a tornado-prone area three months before and after a 2013 tornado outbreak were abstracted. To control for seasonal variation, we also abstracted data from the same period of the prior year (control). Hospital admissions for cardiovascular events (CVEs) including acute myocardial infarction, stroke and venous thromboembolism (VTE) were summated by zip codes, and compared by time period. There were 22,607 admissions analyzed, of which 6,705 (30%), 7,980 (35%), and 7,922 (35%) were during the pre-tornado, post-tornado, and control time frames, respectively. There were 344 CVE in the controls, 317 CVE in pre-tornado and 364 CVEs in post tornado periods. There was no difference in the prevalence of CVE during the post-tornado season compared with the control (PPR=1.05 95% CI: 0.91 to 1.21, p=0.50) or the pre-tornado season (PPR=0.96, 95% CI: 0.83 to 1.21, p=0.63). In conclusion, tornado outbreaks did not increase the prevalence of cardiovascular events. In contrast to the effect of hurricanes, implementation of a healthcare policy change directed toward the early treatment and prevention of cardiovascular events after tornadoes does not seem warranted. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Acute general hospital admissions in people with serious mental illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayatilleke, Nishamali; Hayes, Richard D; Chang, Chin-Kuo; Stewart, Robert

    2018-02-28

    Serious mental illness (SMI, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder) is associated with worse general health. However, admissions to general hospitals have received little investigation. We sought to delineate frequencies of and causes for non-psychiatric hospital admissions in SMI and compare with the general population in the same area. Records of 18 380 individuals with SMI aged ⩾20 years in southeast London were linked to hospitalisation data. Age- and gender-standardised admission ratios (SARs) were calculated by primary discharge diagnoses in the 10th edition of the World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes, referencing geographic catchment data. Commonest discharge diagnosis categories in the SMI cohort were urinary conditions, digestive conditions, unclassified symptoms, neoplasms, and respiratory conditions. SARs were raised for most major categories, except neoplasms for a significantly lower risk. Hospitalisation risks were specifically higher for poisoning and external causes, injury, endocrine/metabolic conditions, haematological, neurological, dermatological, infectious and non-specific ('Z-code') causes. The five commonest specific ICD-10 diagnoses at discharge were 'chronic renal failure' (N18), a non-specific code (Z04), 'dental caries' (K02), 'other disorders of the urinary system' (N39), and 'pain in throat and chest' (R07), all of which were higher than expected (SARs ranging 1.57-6.66). A range of reasons for non-psychiatric hospitalisation in SMI is apparent, with self-harm, self-neglect and/or reduced healthcare access, and medically unexplained symptoms as potential underlying explanations.

  6. The effect of temperature on cardiovascular disease hospital admissions among elderly people in Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam

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    Pham Ngan Giang

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Projected increases in weather variability due to climate change will have severe consequences on human health, increasing mortality, and disease rates. Among these, cardiovascular diseases (CVD, highly prevalent among the elderly, have been shown to be sensitive to extreme temperatures and heat waves. Objectives: This study aimed to find out the relationship between daily temperature (and other weather parameters and daily CVD hospital admissions among the elderly population in Thai Nguyen province, a northern province of Vietnam. Methods: Retrospective data of CVD cases were obtained from a data base of four hospitals in Thai Nguyen province for a period of 5 years from 2008 to 2012. CVD hospital admissions were aggregated by day and merged with daily weather data from this period. Distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM was used to derive specific estimates of the effect of weather parameters on CVD hospital admissions of up to 30 days, adjusted for time trends using b-splines, day of the week, and public holidays. Results: This study shows that the average point of minimum CVD admissions was at 26°C. Above and below this threshold, the cumulative CVD admission risk over 30 lag days tended to increase with both lower and higher temperatures. The cold effect was found to occur 4–15 days following exposure, peaking at a week's delay. The cumulative effect of cold exposure on CVD admissions was statistically significant with a relative risk of 1.12 (95% confidence interval: 1.01–1.25 for 1°C decrease below the threshold. The cumulative effect of hot temperature on CVD admissions was found to be non-significant and was estimated to be at a relative risk of 1.17 (95% confidence interval: 0.90–1.52 for 1°C increase in the temperature. No significant association was found between CVD admissions and the other weather variables. Conclusion: Exposure to cold temperature is associated with increasing CVD admission risk among the

  7. Deaths and hospital admissions as a result of home injuries among young and middle-aged New Zealand adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kool, Bridget; Chelimo, Carol; Robinson, Elizabeth; Ameratunga, Shanthi

    2011-12-16

    New Zealand lacks a comprehensive national profile of home injuries, this information is necessary to develop effective targeted injury prevention initiatives. This study describes the epidemiology of unintentional home injuries resulting in death or admission to hospital among young and middle-age New Zealanders. Cases were selected from Ministry of Health public hospital discharge (2000-2009) and mortality data (1998-2007), and included all 20-64 year olds where the place of injury occurrence was classified as 'home'. Only initial hospitalisations with a stay of 24 hours or longer were included. The circumstances of injury were coded according to the ICD-10 external cause categories. Mean annual rates of death or hospitalisation were calculated using census and intercensal denominator data. On average 4000 young and middle-age adults are admitted to hospital and 60 die annually as a result of unintentional injuries sustained at home. Overall, mortality rates were highest amongst males, older adults (50 to 64 years), and Māori. The leading causes of unintentional home injury deaths were poisoning, falls, and burns. Hospitalisation rates were highest among males, the older age groups (> 40 years), and Maori. As age increased so did the incidence of hospital admission. The leading contributors resulting in admission to hospital were falls, cutting or piercing, overexertion, and poisoning. Injuries due to falls had the highest median length of hospital stay and in-hospital mortality rate. As deprivation increased so did the frequency of hospital admissions due to fall and cutting or piercing injuries. Poisonings and falls are the leading causes of unintentional home injury death among young and middle-aged New Zealanders. In addition, falls are a significant contributor to home injury resulting in admission to hospital. The large numbers of home injuries occurring each year in New Zealand, mean that even moderately successful injury prevention interventions could

  8. Vulnerabilities to Temperature Effects on Acute Myocardial Infarction Hospital Admissions in South Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bo Yeon Kwon

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Most previous studies have focused on the association between acute myocardial function (AMI and temperature by gender and age. Recently, however, concern has also arisen about those most susceptible to the effects of temperature according to socioeconomic status (SES. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of heat and cold on hospital admissions for AMI by subpopulations (gender, age, living area, and individual SES in South Korea. The Korea National Health Insurance (KNHI database was used to examine the effect of heat and cold on hospital admissions for AMI during 2004–2012. We analyzed the increase in AMI hospital admissions both above and below a threshold temperature using Poisson generalized additive models (GAMs for hot, cold, and warm weather. The Medicaid group, the lowest SES group, had a significantly higher RR of 1.37 (95% CI: 1.07–1.76 for heat and 1.11 (95% CI: 1.04–1.20 for cold among subgroups, while also showing distinctly higher risk curves than NHI for both hot and cold weather. In additions, females, older age group, and those living in urban areas had higher risks from hot and cold temperatures than males, younger age group, and those living in rural areas.

  9. Trend of urban-rural disparities in hospital admissions and medical expenditure in China from 2003 to 2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Rong; Wang, Yupeng; Bao, Han; Wang, Zhiqiang; Li, Yongquan; Su, Shaofei; Liu, Meina

    2014-01-01

    To assess the trend of urban-rural disparities in hospital admissions and medical expenditure between 2003 and 2011 in the context of Chinese health-care system reform. The data were from three different national surveys: the Third National Health Services Survey in 2003, the Fourth National Health Services Survey in 2008 and the national health-care reform phased assessment survey in 2011. There were 151421, 143380 and 48356 respondents aged 15 years or older in 2003, 2008 and 2011, respectively. The health insurance coverage expanded considerably from 27.7% in 2003 to 96.4% in 2011 among respondents aged 15 years or older. Hospitalization rate increased rapidly from 4.1% in 2003 to 9.6% in 2011. Urban respondents had higher hospital admissions than rural respondents, and the RR (95% CI) of hospitalization was 1.23 (1.17-1.30), 1.06 (1.02-1.10) and 1.16 (1.10-1.23) in 2003, 2008 and 2011, respectively. The urban-rural disparity in hospital admissions significantly narrowed over time. Urban respondents had a higher admission rate if insured and a lower admission if not insured than their rural counterparts. Of the six medical expenditure measures, the disparities in reimbursement rate and the proportion of hospitalization direct cost to the total consumer spending significantly narrowed. The health insurance coverage has been continually expanding and health service utilization has been substantially improved. Urban-rural disparities have been narrowed but still exist. Therefore, policy-makers should focus on increasing investment and reimbursement levels, developing a uniform standard health insurance system for urban and rural residents and improving the medical assistance system.

  10. Predictors of hospital re-admissions among Hispanics with hepatitis C-related cirrhosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atla, Pradeep R; Sheikh, Muhammad Y; Gill, Firdose; Kundu, Rabindra; Choudhury, Jayanta

    2016-01-01

    Hospital re-admissions in decompensated cirrhosis are associated with worse patient outcomes. Hispanics have a disproportionately high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related morbidity and mortality. The goal of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting re-admission rates among Hispanics with HCV-related cirrhosis. A total of 292 consecutive HCV-related cirrhosis admissions (Hispanics 189, non-Hispanics 103) from January 2009 to December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed; 132 were cirrhosis-related re-admissions. The statistical analysis was performed using STATA version 11.1. Chi-square/Fisher's exact and Student's t-tests were used to compare categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors for hospital readmissions. Among the 132 cirrhosis-related readmissions, 71% were Hispanics while 29% were non-Hispanics (P=0.035). Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and esophageal variceal hemorrhage were the most frequent causes of the first and subsequent readmissions. Hispanics with readmissions had a higher Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) class (B and C) and higher model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores (≥15), as well as a higher incidence of alcohol use, HE, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and varices (P<0.05). The majority of the study patients (81%) had MELD scores <15. Multivariate regression analysis identified alcohol use (OR 2.63; 95%CI 1.1-6.4), HE (OR 5.5; 95%CI 2-15.3), varices (OR 3.2; 95%CI 1.3-8.2), and CTP class (OR 3.3; 95%CI 1.4-8.1) as predictors for readmissions among Hispanics. CTP classes B and C, among other factors, were the major predictors for hospital readmissions in Hispanics with HCV-related cirrhosis. The majority of these readmissions were due to HE and variceal hemorrhage.

  11. [Estimating emergency hospital admissions to gauge short-term effects of air pollution: evaluation of health data quality].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bois de Fer, Béatrice; Host, Sabine; Chardon, Benoît; Chatignoux, Edouard; Beaujouan, Laure; Brun-Ney, Dominique; Grémy, Isabelle

    2009-01-01

    The study of the short-term effects and health impact of air pollution is carrier out by the ERPURS regional surveillance program which utilizes hospitalization data obtained from the French hospital information system (PMSI) to determine these links. This system does not permit the distinction between emergency hospital admissions from scheduled ones, which cannot be related to short term changes in air pollution levels. This study examines how scheduled admissions affect the quality of the health indicators used to estimate air pollution effects. This indicator is compared to three new emergency hospitalisation indicators reconstructed based on data from the public hospitals in Paris, partly from the PMSI data and partly with data from an on-line emergency network that regroups all of the computerized emergency services. According to the pathology, scheduled admissions present a difficulty which affects the capacity to highlight the weakest risks with any precision.

  12. Unanticipated hospital admission in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease undergoing ambulatory noncardiac surgical procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuki, Koichi; Koutsogiannaki, Sophia; Lee, Sandra; DiNardo, James A

    2018-05-18

    An increasing number of surgical and nonsurgical procedures are being performed on an ambulatory basis in children. Analysis of a large group of pediatric patients with congenital heart disease undergoing ambulatory procedures has not been undertaken. The objective of this study was to characterize the profile of children with congenital heart disease who underwent noncardiac procedures on an ambulatory basis at our institution, to determine the incidence of adverse cardiovascular and respiratory adverse events, and to determine the risk factors for unscheduled hospital admission. This is a retrospective study of children with congenital heart disease who underwent noncardiac procedures on an ambulatory basis in a single center. Using the electronic preoperative anesthesia evaluation form, we identified 3010 patients with congenital heart disease who underwent noncardiac procedures of which 1028 (34.1%) were scheduled to occur on an ambulatory basis. Demographic, echocardiographic and functional status data, cardiovascular and respiratory adverse events, and reasons for postprocedure admission were recorded. Univariable analysis was conducted. The unplanned hospital admission was 2.7% and univariable analysis demonstrated that performance of an echocardiogram within 6 mo of the procedure and procedures performed in radiology were associated with postoperative admission. Cardiovascular adverse event incidence was 3.9%. Respiratory adverse event incidence was 1.8%. Ambulatory, noncomplex procedures can be performed in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease and good functional status with a relatively low unanticipated hospital admission rate. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Combining Different Privacy-Preserving Record Linkage Methods for Hospital Admission Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stausberg, Jürgen; Waldenburger, Andreas; Borgs, Christian; Schnell, Rainer

    2017-01-01

    Record linkage (RL) is the process of identifying pairs of records that correspond to the same entity, for example the same patient. The basic approach assigns to each pair of records a similarity weight, and then determines a certain threshold, above which the two records are considered to be a match. Three different RL methods were applied under privacy-preserving conditions on hospital admission data: deterministic RL (DRL), probabilistic RL (PRL), and Bloom filters. The patient characteristics like names were one-way encrypted (DRL, PRL) or transformed to a cryptographic longterm key (Bloom filters). Based on one year of hospital admissions, the data set was split randomly in 30 thousand new and 1,5 million known patients. With the combination of the three RL-methods, a positive predictive value of 83 % (95 %-confidence interval 65 %-94 %) was attained. Thus, the application of the presented combination of RL-methods seem to be suited for other applications of population-based research.

  14. Emergency department admissions are more profitable than non-emergency department admissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henneman, Philip L; Lemanski, Michael; Smithline, Howard A; Tomaszewski, Andrew; Mayforth, Janice A

    2009-02-01

    We compare the contribution margin per case per hospital day of emergency department (ED) admissions with non-ED admissions in a single hospital, a 600-bed, academic, tertiary referral, Level I trauma center with an annual ED census of 100,000. This was a retrospective comparison of the contribution margin per case per day for ED and non-ED inpatient admissions for fiscal years 2003, 2004, and 2005 (October 1 through September 30). Contribution margin is defined as net revenue minus total direct costs; it is then expressed per case per hospital day. Service lines are a set of linked patient care services. Observation admissions and outpatient services are not included. Resident expenses (eg, salary and benefits) and revenue (ie, Medicare payment of indirect medical expenses and direct medical expenses) are not included. Overhead expenses are not included (eg, building maintenance, utilities, information services support, administrative services). For fiscal year 2003 through fiscal year 2005, there were 51,213 ED and 57,004 non-ED inpatient admissions. Median contribution margin per day for ED admissions was higher than for non-ED admissions: ED admissions $769 (interquartile range $265 to $1,493) and non-ED admissions $595 (interquartile range $178 to $1,274). Median contribution margin per day varied by site of admissions, by diagnosis-related group, by service line, and by insurance type. In summary, ED admissions in our institution generate a higher contribution margin per day than non-ED admissions.

  15. Association of bystander interventions and hospital length of stay and admission to intensive care unit in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riddersholm, Signe; Kragholm, Kristian; Mortensen, Rikke Nørmark

    2017-01-01

    for bystander defibrillation. 82% of patients without bystander interventions were admitted to ICU compared to 77.2% for bystander CPR, and 61.2% for bystander defibrillation. In-hospital mortality was 60% in the first category compared to 40.5% and 21.7% in the two latter categories. In regression models.......76-0.85]), were associated with lower risk of ICU admission. CONCLUSIONS: Bystander interventions were associated with reduced hospital length of stay and ICU admission, suggesting that these efforts improve recovery in OHCA survivors....

  16. Association between prescribing of cardiovascular and psychotropic medications and hospital admission for falls or fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Payne, Rupert A; Abel, Gary A; Simpson, Colin R; Maxwell, Simon R J

    2013-04-01

    Falls are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. This study examined the frequency of hospital admission for falls or fractures, and the association with a recent change in the use of cardiovascular and psychotropic medications. We conducted a retrospective case-cohort study of 39,813 patients aged >65 years from 40 Scottish general practices. Data on current prescriptions, dates of drug changes (defined as increases in dose or starting new drugs), diagnoses and clinical measurements were extracted from primary care electronic records, linked to national hospital admissions data. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model the association of change in prescribing of cardiovascular or psychotropic medication with admission to hospital for falls or fractures in the following 60 days. A total of 838 patients (2.1 %) were admitted in the 1-year study period. Following adjustment for factors including age, sex, socioeconomic deprivation, co-morbidity and current prescribing, changes in both cardiovascular and psychotropic medications were associated with subsequent admission for falls or fractures (odds ratio [OR] 1.54 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.17-2.03] and 1.68 [95 % CI 1.28-2.22], respectively). There was no evidence for a difference in the effect of change in medication for different cardiovascular drug types (p = 0.86), but there was evidence (p = 0.003) for variation in the association between change in different psychotropic medications and admission; the strongest associations were observed for changes in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants (OR 1.99 [95 % CI 1.29-3.08]), non-SSRI/tricyclic antidepressants (OR 4.39 [95 % CI 2.21-8.71]) and combination psychotropic medication (OR 3.05 [95 % CI 1.66-5.63]). Recent changes in psychotropic and cardiovascular medications are associated with a substantial increase in risk of hospital admission for falls and fractures. Caution should thus be taken when

  17. Evaluation of the causes of neonatal jaundice, based on the infant’s age at disease onset and age at hospital admission

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassan Boskabadi

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Jaundice is the most common cause of neonatal admission within the first month after birth. Therefore, by identifying the causes of jaundice based on the infant’s age at disease onset and age at hospital admission and providing the required training, jaundice can be managed and its associated complications can be prevented. This study was performed to evaluate the causes of neonatal jaundice, based on the infant’s age at disease onset and age at hospital admission. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, out of 3,130 infants with jaundice, referring to Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, from 2003 to 2015, 2,658 newborns were selected. Causes of jaundice are determined based on hematocrit, direct and indirect bilirubin, Coombs test, reticulocyte count, blood group and Rh of mother and neonate, thyroid tests, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD enzyme testing, urinalysis, urine culture, and If necessary, Na, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and other tests depending on the doctor's supervision. After confirming jaundice in infants, based on the physician’s diagnosis and laboratory results, a researcher-made questionnaire including the infant’s characteristics, was completed. Results: Based on our study, 27.9% of infants had identified as causes of jaundice. Known causes of jaundice were blood group incompatibility (40%, infection (19%, G6PD enzyme deficiency (12%, endocrine disorders (8%, neonatal hypernatremic dehydration (7%, polycythemia (6%, congenital heart disease (CHD (4%, occult bleeding (3% and Crigler-Najjar syndrome (2%. The most common time of hospital admission of jaundice was 4-6 days after birth due to blood incompatibilities, occult bleeding, endocrine disorders, hypernatremic dehydration, CHD, polycythemia and G6PD enzyme deficiency. Moreover, the most common time of admission due to infection was after the first week of birth. Conclusion: The most common age of onset of jaundice was first three days of birth

  18. Short communication: risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization among HIV patients at hospital admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Linda K; Win, Mar Kyaw; Veeraraghavan, Meyyur A; Wong, Chia Siong; Chow, Angela L; Leo, Yee-Sin

    2013-05-01

    Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a nosocomial pathogen that has become increasingly prominent in hospitals and the community. HIV-positive patients may be one of the most MRSA-susceptible populations because of their immunocompromised status. At the Communicable Disease Centre, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, we implemented a universal MRSA screening program and performed a case-control study to identify risk factors for MRSA colonization among 294 HIV patients at admission from January 2009 to January 2010. Among 54 HIV-positive patients who were MRSA positive at hospital admission, 16 (29.6%) were positive at the nares/axilla/groin (NAG; one combined swab), 14 (25.9%) were NAG and perianal positive, 3 (5.6%) were NAG and throat positive, 10 (18.5%) were NAG, perianal, and throat positive, 6 (11.1%) were throat positive, and 5 (9.3%) were perianal positive. Upon multivariate analysis, we found that age [odds ratio (OR)=1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.07, p=0.006] and CD4 count hospital admission.

  19. Consultant input in acute medical admissions and patient outcomes in hospitals in England: a multivariate analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Derek; Lambourne, Adrian; Percival, Frances; Laverty, Anthony A; Ward, David K

    2013-01-01

    Recent recommendations for physicians in the UK outline key aspects of care that should improve patient outcomes and experience in acute hospital care. Included in these recommendations are Consultant patterns of work to improve timeliness of clinical review and improve continuity of care. This study used a contemporaneous validated survey compared with clinical outcomes derived from Hospital Episode Statistics, between April 2009 and March 2010 from 91 acute hospital sites in England to evaluate systems of consultant cover for acute medical admissions. Clinical outcomes studied included adjusted case fatality rates (aCFR), including the ratio of weekend to weekday mortality, length of stay and readmission rates. Hospitals that had an admitting Consultant presence within the Acute Medicine Unit (AMU, or equivalent) for a minimum of 4 hours per day (65% of study group) had a lower aCFR compared with hospitals that had Consultant presence for less than 4 hours per day (p40 acute medical admissions per day had a lower aCFR compared to hospitals with fewer than 40 admissions per day (pstudy is the first large study to explore the potential relationships between systems of providing acute medical care and clinical outcomes. The results show an association between well-designed systems of Consultant working practices, which promote increased patient contact, and improved patient outcomes in the acute hospital setting.

  20. The impact of rotavirus vaccination on emergency department visits and hospital admissions for acute diarrhea in children under 5 years

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo Locatelli Pedro Paulo

    Full Text Available Summary Introduction: Acute diarrheal disease is the second cause of death in children under 5 years. In Brazil, from 2003 to 2009, acute diarrhea was responsible for nearly 100,000 hospital admissions per year and 4% of the deaths in children under 5 years. Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe acute diarrhea worldwide. In 2006, the rotavirus monovalent vaccine (RV1 was added to the Brazilian National Immunization Program. Objectives: To analyze the impact of the RV1 on emergency department (ED visits and hospital admissions for acute diarrhea. Method: A retrospective ecologic study at the University Hospital, University of São Paulo. The study analyzed the pre-vaccine (2003–2005 and the post-vaccine (2007–2009 periods. We screened the main diagnosis of all ED attendances and hospital admissions of children under 5 years in an electronic registry system database and calculated the rates of ED visits and hospital admissions. The reduction rate was analyzed according to the following formula: reduction (% = (1 - odds ratio x 100. Results: The rates of ED visits for acute diarrhea was 85.8 and 80.9 per 1,000 total ED visits in the pre and post vaccination periods, respectively, resulting in 6% reduction (95CI 4 to 9%, p<0.001. The rates of hospital admissions for acute diarrhea was 40.8 per 1,000 in the pre-vaccine period and dropped to 24.9 per 1,000 hospitalizations, resulting in 40% reduction (95CI 22 to 54%, p<0.001. Conclusion: The introduction of the RV1 vaccine resulted in 6% reduction in the ED visits and 40% reduction in hospital admissions for acute diarrhea.

  1. The impact of rotavirus vaccination on emergency department visits and hospital admissions for acute diarrhea in children under 5 years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paulo, Rodrigo Locatelli Pedro; Rodrigues, André Broggin Dutra; Machado, Beatriz Marcondes; Gilio, Alfredo Elias

    2016-09-01

    Acute diarrheal disease is the second cause of death in children under 5 years. In Brazil, from 2003 to 2009, acute diarrhea was responsible for nearly 100,000 hospital admissions per year and 4% of the deaths in children under 5 years. Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe acute diarrhea worldwide. In 2006, the rotavirus monovalent vaccine (RV1) was added to the Brazilian National Immunization Program. To analyze the impact of the RV1 on emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions for acute diarrhea. A retrospective ecologic study at the University Hospital, University of São Paulo. The study analyzed the pre-vaccine (2003-2005) and the post-vaccine (2007-2009) periods. We screened the main diagnosis of all ED attendances and hospital admissions of children under 5 years in an electronic registry system database and calculated the rates of ED visits and hospital admissions. The reduction rate was analyzed according to the following formula: reduction (%) = (1 - odds ratio) x 100. The rates of ED visits for acute diarrhea was 85.8 and 80.9 per 1,000 total ED visits in the pre and post vaccination periods, respectively, resulting in 6% reduction (95CI 4 to 9%, p<0.001). The rates of hospital admissions for acute diarrhea was 40.8 per 1,000 in the pre-vaccine period and dropped to 24.9 per 1,000 hospitalizations, resulting in 40% reduction (95CI 22 to 54%, p<0.001). The introduction of the RV1 vaccine resulted in 6% reduction in the ED visits and 40% reduction in hospital admissions for acute diarrhea.

  2. Clinical Predictors of Hospital Admission in Children Aged 0-24 Months with Acute Bronchiolitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nucksheeba Aziz

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Bronchiolitis is a significant cause of acute morbidity in children less than 2 years old and some children with bronchiolitis are admitted to the hospital. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To identify clinical predictors of hospital admission in children aged 0-24 months with acute bronchiolitis.   METHODS: All children in the age group of 0-24 months presenting with acute bronchiolitis to a dedicated pediatric emergency department of GB pant cantonment children hospital, Govt Medical College Srinagar,   from April 2012-March 2013 were included in the study, provided they met the inclusion criteria. Non-parametric numerical variables were analyzed using Mann Whitney u test. Chi square was used to analyzecategorical variables, p value < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: 763(552(72.3% male, mean age 8.52+/- 3.59 months children (0-24months presented with acute bronchiolitis during the study period. 435(313 (72% male, mean age 6.69+/-3.8 monthspatients were admitted to the hospital. The eight best predictors of admission (age, respiratory rate, heart rate, oxygen saturation, fever, grunt, dehydration and duration of symptoms were determined. CONCLUSION:This study has identified clinical predictors of admission in children aged 0-24 months with acute bronchiolitis. This information can be used as a guide in deciding whether to admit a child with bronchiolitis.

  3. An observational study of PM10 and hospital admissions for acute exacerbations of chronic respiratory disease in Tasmania, Australia 1992-2002.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mészáros, D; Markos, J; FitzGerald, D G; Walters, E H; Wood-Baker, R

    2015-01-01

    Particulate matter with a diameter below 10 µ (PM10) has been a major concern in the Tamar Valley, Launceston, where wood heaters are extensively used. We examined the relationship between PM10 levels, meteorological variables, respiratory medications and hospital admissions for respiratory disease over the decade 1992-2002. PM10 levels were provided by the Department of Primary Industry Water, Parks and Environment, and meteorological variables from the Bureau of Meteorology. We obtained hospital discharge codes for the Launceston General Hospital. Poisson regression was used for statistical analyses. Mean daily PM10 levels declined from 50.7 to 16.5 μg/m(3). Hospitalisations for asthma decreased from 29 to 21 per month, whereas chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increased and bronchitis/bronchiolitis remained unchanged. We found a 10 μg/m(3) increase in PM10 to be associated with a 4% increase in admissions for acute bronchitis/bronchiolitis (p0.05), but no association with asthma or COPD was found. All respiratory diseases showed seasonal patterns of hospitalisation. This is the first long-term study in Australia to demonstrate an association between PM10 levels and respiratory diseases. Reducing exposure to PM10 may decrease hospital admissions for respiratory diseases. Better preventive measures, including sustained public health initiatives to combat air pollution, are required to reduce respiratory morbidity.

  4. Influence of air pollution on hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Niš, Serbia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milošević Zoran

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. In studies that investigate the health effects of short-term air pollution exposure, population-wide changes in acute outcomes such as mortality, hospital admissions and healthcare visits are linked to short-term variations in ambient pollutant concentrations. The aim of this study was to estimate the association between daily outdoor black smoke and sulphur dioxide levels and hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Niš, within a period 2001-2005. Methods. A time series analysis was performed using separated regression models for each pollutant and disease group, by age groups and population as a whole. The effects of copollutant, meteorological factors and cyclic oscillations in hospitalization numbers were controlled. Results. A significant increase in hospital admissions was associated with a 10 μg/m3 increase in the concentration of black smoke, for cardiovascular diseases: 3.14% (< 0.01 in children and youth under 19 years of age, 1.85% (< 0.001 in 19-64 age group, and 0.84% (< 0.05 in all ages, and for respiratory diseases: 1.77% (< 0.05 in 19-64 age group, and 0.91% (< 0.05 in all ages. The effects on hospitalizations for respiratory diseases in children and youth under 19 years of age, and for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in the elderly were not statistically significant. The increase of sulphur dioxide level was associated with the increased number of hospitalizations, for both cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in all age groups, but the influence was not statistically significant. Conclusion. Outdoor pollutants concentrations in urban area of Niš were below regulated limit values during most of the investigated period days but it is shown that even such a level of pollution has a significant effect on hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

  5. An analysis of acute admissions to a general hospital psychiatric unit

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Rapid turnover of patients in a general hospital psychiatric unit demands stabilization and discharge as soon as possible. It is likely that patients are being prematurely discharged because of this pressure. Aim: The study sought to analyse admissions to an acute psychiatric unit with a view to determining the demographic ...

  6. Factors affecting length of stay in forensic hospital setting: need for therapeutic security and course of admission.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Davoren, Mary

    2015-01-01

    Patients admitted to a secure forensic hospital are at risk of a long hospital stay. Forensic hospital beds are a scarce and expensive resource and ability to identify the factors predicting length of stay at time of admission would be beneficial. The DUNDRUM-1 triage security scale and DUNDRUM-2 triage urgency scale are designed to assess need for therapeutic security and urgency of that need while the HCR-20 predicts risk of violence. We hypothesized that items on the DUNDRUM-1 and DUNDRUM-2 scales, rated at the time of pre-admission assessment, would predict length of stay in a medium secure forensic hospital setting.

  7. Effect of air pollution control on mortality and hospital admissions in Ireland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dockery, Douglas W; Rich, David Q; Goodman, Patrick G; Clancy, Luke; Ohman-Strickland, Pamela; George, Prethibha; Kotlov, Tania

    2013-07-01

    During the 1980s the Republic of Ireland experienced repeated severe pollution episodes. Domestic coal burning was a major source of this pollution. In 1990 the Irish government introduced a ban on the marketing, sale, and distribution of coal in Dublin. The ban was extended to Cork in 1995 and to 10 other communities in 1998 and 2000. We previously reported decreases in particulate black smoke (BS*) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations, measured as total gaseous acidity, in Dublin after the 1990 coal ban (Clancy et al. 2002). In the current study we explored and compared the effectiveness of the sequential 1990, 1995, and 1998 bans in reducing community air pollution and in improving public health. We compiled records of daily BS, total gaseous acidity (SO2), and counts of cause-specific deaths from 1981 to 2004 for Dublin County Borough (1990 ban), county Cork (1995 ban), and counties Limerick, Louth, Wexford, and Wicklow (1998 ban). We also compiled daily counts of hospital admissions for cardiovascular, respiratory, and digestive diagnoses for Cork County Borough (1991 to 2004) and counties Limerick, Louth, Wexford, and Wicklow (1993 to 2004). We compared pre-ban and post-ban BS and SO2 concentrations for each city. Using interrupted time-series methods, we estimated the change in cause-specific, directly standardized mortality rates in each city or county after the corresponding local coal ban. We regressed weekly age- and sex-standardized mortality rates against an indicator of the post- versus pre-ban period, adjusting for influenza epidemics, weekly mean temperature, and a season smooth of the standardized mortality rates in Coastal counties presumably not affected by the bans. We compared these results with similar analyses in Midlands counties also presumably unaffected by the bans. We also estimated the change in cause-specific, directly standardized, weekly hospital admissions rates normalized for underreporting in each city or county after the 1995

  8. Acute electroconvulsive therapy followed by maintenance electroconvulsive therapy decreases hospital re-admission rates of older patients with severe mental illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shelef, Assaf; Mazeh, Doron; Berger, Uri; Baruch, Yehuda; Barak, Yoram

    2015-06-01

    Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly effective treatment for patients with severe mental illness (SMI). Maintenance ECT (M-ECT) is required for many elderly patients experiencing severe recurrent forms of mood disorders, whereas M-ECT for schizophrenia patients is a poorly studied treatment. We report on the outcomes in aged patients with SMI: schizophrenia and severe affective disorders treated by M-ECT of varying duration to prevent relapse after a successful course of acute ECT. The study measured the effectiveness of M-ECT in preventing hospital readmissions and reducing admission days. A retrospective chart review of 42 consecutive patients comparing the number and length of psychiatric admissions before and after the start of M-ECT was used. We analyzed diagnoses, previous ECT treatments, number of ECT treatments, and number and length of psychiatric admissions before and after M-ECT. Mean age in our sample was 71.5 (6.9) years. Twenty-two (52%) patients experienced severe affective disorders and 20 (48%) experienced schizophrenia. Patients were administered 92.8 (85.9) M-ECT treatments. Average duration of the M-ECT course was 34 (29.8) months. There were on average 1.88 admissions before M-ECT and only 0.38 admissions in the M-ECT period (P < 0.001). Duration of mean hospitalization stay decreased from 215.9 to 12.4 days during the M-ECT (P < 0.01). Our findings suggest that acute ECT followed by M-ECT is highly effective in selected elderly patients with SMIs.

  9. Social Welfare Centers Protect Outpatients with Mood Disorders from Risk of Hospital Admission.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyu-Tae Han

    Full Text Available South Korea faces difficulties in the management of mental disorders, and those difficulties are expected to gradually worsen. Therefore, we analyzed the relationship between social welfare centers and hospital admission after outpatient treatment for mood disorders.We used data from the National Health Insurance Service National Sample Cohort 2002-2013, which included all medical claims filed for the 50,160 patients who were newly diagnosed with a mood disorder among the 1,025,340 individuals in a nationally representative sample. We performed a logistic regression analysis using generalized estimating equation (GEE models to examine the relationship between social welfare centers and hospital admission after outpatient treatment for mood disorders (ICD-10: F3.There was a 3.9% admission rate among a total of 99,533 person-years. Outpatients who lived in regions with more social welfare centers were less likely to be admitted to a hospital (per increase of five social welfare centers per 100,000 people; OR: 0.958; 95% CI: 0.919-0.999. Social welfare centers had an especially strong protective effect on patients with relatively mild mood disorders and those who were vulnerable to medical expenditures.Considering the protective role of social welfare centers in managing patients with mood disorders, health-policy makers need to consider strategies for activating mental healthcare.

  10. Short term effects of particle exposure on hospital admissions in the Mid-Atlantic states: a population estimate.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Itai Kloog

    Full Text Available Many studies report significant associations between PM(2.5 (particulate matter <2.5 micrometers and hospital admissions. These studies mostly rely on a limited number of monitors which introduces exposure error, and excludes rural and suburban populations from locations where monitors are not available, reducing generalizability and potentially creating selection bias.Using prediction models developed by our group, daily PM(2.5 exposure was estimated across the Mid-Atlantic (Washington D.C., and the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York and West Virginia. We then investigated the short-term effects of PM(2.5exposures on emergency hospital admissions of the elderly in the Mid-Atlantic region.We performed case-crossover analysis for each admission type, matching on day of the week, month and year and defined the hazard period as lag01 (a moving average of day of admission exposure and previous day exposure.We observed associations between short-term exposure to PM(2.5 and hospitalization for all outcomes examined. For example, for every 10-µg/m(3 increase in short-term PM(2.5 there was a 2.2% increase in respiratory diseases admissions (95% CI = 1.9 to 2.6, and a 0.78% increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD admission rate (95% CI = 0.5 to 1.0. We found differences in risk for CVD admissions between people living in rural and urban areas. For every10-µg/m(3 increase in PM(2.5 exposure in the 'rural' group there was a 1.0% increase (95% CI = 0.6 to 1.5, while for the 'urban' group the increase was 0.7% (95% CI = 0.4 to 1.0.Our findings showed that PM(2.5 exposure was associated with hospital admissions for all respiratory, cardio vascular disease, stroke, ischemic heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admissions. In addition, we demonstrate that our AOD (Aerosol Optical Depth based exposure models can be successfully applied to epidemiological studies investigating the health

  11. Future respiratory hospital admissions from wildfire smoke under climate change in the Western US

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coco Liu, Jia; Mickley, Loretta J.; Sulprizio, Melissa P.; Yue, Xu; Peng, Roger D.; Dominici, Francesca; Bell, Michelle L.

    2016-12-01

    Background. Wildfires are anticipated to be more frequent and intense under climate change. As a result, wildfires may emit more air pollutants that can harm health in communities in the future. The health impacts of wildfire smoke under climate change are largely unknown. Methods. We linked projections of future levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) specifically from wildfire smoke under the A1B climate change scenario using the GEOS-Chem model for 2046-2051, present-day estimates of hospital admission impacts from wildfire smoke, and future population projections to estimate the change in respiratory hospital admissions for persons ≥65 years by county (n = 561) from wildfire PM2.5 under climate change in the Western US. Results. The increase in intense wildfire smoke days from climate change would result in an estimated 178 (95% confidence interval: 6.2, 361) additional respiratory hospital admissions in the Western US, accounting for estimated future increase in the elderly population. Climate change is estimated to impose an additional 4990 high-pollution smoke days. Central Colorado, Washington and southern California are estimated to experience the highest percentage increase in respiratory admissions from wildfire smoke under climate change. Conclusion. Although the increase in number of respiratory admissions from wildfire smoke seems modest, these results provide important scientific evidence of an often-ignored aspect of wildfire impact, and information on their anticipated spatial distribution. Wildfires can cause serious social burdens such as property damage and suppression cost, but can also raise health problems. The results provide information that can be incorporated into development of environmental and health policies in response to climate change. Climate change adaptation policies could incorporate scientific evidence on health risks from natural disasters such as wildfires.

  12. Association Between Hospital Admission Risk Profile Score and Skilled Nursing or Acute Rehabilitation Facility Discharges in Hospitalized Older Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Stephen K; Montgomery, Justin; Yan, Yu; Mecchella, John N; Bartels, Stephen J; Masutani, Rebecca; Batsis, John A

    2016-10-01

    To evaluate whether the Hospital Admission Risk Profile (HARP) score is associated with skilled nursing or acute rehabilitation facility discharge after an acute hospitalization. Retrospective cohort study. Inpatient unit of a rural academic medical center. Hospitalized individuals aged 70 and older from October 1, 2013 to June 1, 2014. Participant age at the time of admission, modified Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination score, and self-reported instrumental activities of daily living 2 weeks before admission were used to calculate HARP score. The primary predictor was HARP score, and the primary outcome was discharge disposition (home, facility, deceased). Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the association between HARP score and discharge disposition, adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, and length of stay. Four hundred twenty-eight individuals admitted from home were screened and their HARP scores were categorized as low (n = 162, 37.8%), intermediate (n = 157, 36.7%), or high (n = 109, 25.5%). Participants with high HARP scores were significantly more likely to be discharged to a facility (55%) than those with low HARP scores (20%) (P risk of skilled nursing or acute rehabilitation facility discharge. Early identification for potential facility discharges may allow for targeted interventions to prevent functional decline, improve informed shared decision-making about post-acute care needs, and expedite discharge planning. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

  13. The impact of a proactive chronic care management program on hospital admission rates in a German health insurance society.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamar, Brent; Wells, Aaron; Gandy, William; Haaf, Andreas; Coberley, Carter; Pope, James E; Rula, Elizabeth Y

    2010-12-01

    Hospital admissions are the source of significant health care expenses, although a large proportion of these admissions can be avoided through proper management of chronic disease. In the present study, we evaluate the impact of a proactive chronic care management program for members of a German insurance society who suffer from chronic disease. Specifically, we tested the impact of nurse-delivered care calls on hospital admission rates. Study participants were insured individuals with coronary artery disease, heart failure, diabetes, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who consented to participate in the chronic care management program. Intervention (n  = 17,319) and Comparison (n  = 5668) groups were defined based on records of participating (or not participating) in telephonic interactions. Changes in admission rates were calculated from the year prior to (Base) and year after program commencement. Comparative analyses were adjusted for age, sex, region of residence, and disease severity (stratification of 3 [least severe] to 1 [most severe]). Overall, the admission rate in the Intervention group decreased by 6.2% compared with a 14.9% increase in the Comparison group (P  management care calls can help reduce hospital admissions among German health insurance members with chronic disease.

  14. Integrating a Patient-Controlled Admission Program Into Mental Health Hospital Service: A Multicenter Grounded Theory Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ellegaard, Trine; Bliksted, Vibeke Fuglsang; Mehlsen, Mimi Yung

    2018-01-01

    Patient-controlled admissions (PCAs) enable mental health patients by means of a contract to initiate an admission at a mental health hospital unit without using traditional admission procedures. This study was part of a 3-year Danish multicenter project, and we explored how mental health...... the mental health professionals strived to integrate PCA into clinical practice. The process was motivated by the idea of establishing a partnership with patients and involved two interrelated strategies to manage (a) the patient-related duties and (b) the admission contracts. The professionals moved from...

  15. Trends in hospital admission rates for anorexia nervosa in Oxford (1968-2011) and England (1990-2011): database studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holland, Josephine; Hall, Nick; Yeates, David G R; Goldacre, Michael

    2016-02-01

    To report on long-term trends in hospital admission rates for anorexia nervosa using two English datasets. We used data on hospital day-case and inpatient care across five decades in the Oxford Record Linkage Study (ORLS), and similar data for all England from 1990. We analysed rates of admission for anorexia nervosa in people aged 10-44 years, using hospital episodes (counting every admission) and first-recorded admissions (counting only the first record for each person). Former Oxford NHS Region; and England. None; anonymous statistical records were used. In the longstanding ORLS, the age-standardised first-recorded admission rate for women was 2.7 (95% confidence interval 1.6-3.8) per 100,000 female population aged 10-44 years in 1968-1971; 2.7 (2.1-3.3) in 1992-1996; and 6.3 (5.5-7.2) in 2007-2011. Male rates were zero in the 1960s; 0.07 (0.0-0.1) per 100,000 men in 1992-1996; and 0.4 (0.2-0.6) in 2007-2011. In England, female rates increased from 4.2 (4.0-4.4) in 1998-2001 to 6.9 (6.7-7.1) in 2007-2011; and the corresponding male rates were 0.2 (0.1-0.3) and 0.5 (0.4-0.6). Episode-based admission rates rose more than person-based rates. The highest rates by far were in girls and women aged 15-19 years. In recent years, anorexia nervosa has become a greater burden on secondary care: not only have admission rates increased but so too have multiple admissions per person with anorexia nervosa. The increase in admission rates might reflect an increase in prevalence rates of anorexia nervosa in the general population, but other explanations, including lower clinical thresholds for admission, are possible and are discussed. © The Royal Society of Medicine.

  16. [Morbidity and mortality associated to influenza A (H1N1) 2009 admissions in two hospitals of the Metropolitan area and analysis of its economic impact].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong, Macarena; Fica, Alberto; Dabanch, Jeannette; Olivares, Felipe; Fasce, Rodrigo; Triantafilo, Vjera

    2012-12-01

    Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 infection was an important cause of morbidity and mortality in Chile. To characterize the clinical pattern of hospitalized patients, identify risk factors associated with ICU admission or death, and evaluate its economic impact. Twenty five adult patients admitted to 2 hospitals in the Metropolitan Area from May 2009 to December 2010 with PCR confirmed H1N1 infection were analyzed. Total hospital charges were obtained and, using data of registered cases, expenses for the whole country during the first epidemic wave were estimated. Aill cases presented a risk factor: age over 60 years old (n = 13, 52%), co-morbid conditions (n = 24, 96%) or pregnancy (n = 1, 4%). Pneumonia was present in 64% (n = 16) and 16% (n = 4) had hypotension. Only 6 patients (24%) had a CURB-65 score ≥ 2 and 36% (n = 9) requiring ICU admission. Case fatality rate was 16% (n = 4). By multivariate analysis, diabetes mellitus type 2 was independently associated with ICU admission or death (OR 8.12; IC95 1.11-59.2, p Chile during the first wave. The CURB-65 score was inappropriate to recognize patients at risk of hospitalization or ICU admission.

  17. Which Factors Affect the Hospital Re-admission After Treatment Approaches to Urethral Strictures?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reha Girgin

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To investigate patient- and procedure-related factors associated with hospital re-admission following urethral manipulations for the treatment of urethral strictures. Materials and Methods: Data of patients who underwent dilation or internal urethrotomy for urethral strictures between 2011 and 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients who were admitted to our institute for any reason within one month after hospital discharge were evaluated. The patient- and procedure-related factors affecting the readmission rates were revealed by multiple binary logistic regression using stepwise backward elinimination. Results: The average age of 76 male patients was 61.7±14.4 years. The mean maximal flow rate at preoperative uroflowmetry was 6.01±4.3 and the median American Society of Anesthesiologists score was 2.38. The process was the first for 45 (59.2% patients, the second for 16 (21.1% patients, the third for 9 (11.8% patients, and the fourth for 6 (7.9% patients. Amplatz dilators, cold knife and Ho:YAG laser were used in 50%, 27.6% and 22.4% of patients, respectively. The mean length of hospital stay was 0.89±0.31 days, and the complication rate was 19.7% (15/76. The mean urethral catheter dwell time was 8.9±14.2 day. Overall, the procedure was successful in 61 (80.3% patients and failed (Qmax <15 mL/sec in 19.7% of the cases. Fifteen (19.7% patients were re-admitted, while 2 (2.6% patients among them were re-hospitalized for further treatment. Comorbidity and age were independent predictors of re-admission. Conclusion: We found that younger age and lower comorbidities predicted hospital re-admission following procedures for urethral strictures.

  18. Exploring if day and time of admission is associated with average length of stay among inpatients from a tertiary hospital in Singapore: an analytic study based on routine admission data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Earnest, Arul; Chen, Mark I C; Seow, Eillyne

    2006-01-22

    It has been postulated that patients admitted on weekends or after office hours may experience delays in clinical management and consequently have longer length of stay (LOS). We investigated if day and time of admission is associated with LOS in Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), a 1,400 bed acute care tertiary hospital serving the central and northern regions of Singapore. This was a historical cohort study based on all admissions from TTSH from 1st September 2003 to 31st August 2004. Data was extracted from routinely available computerized hospital information systems for analysis by episode of care. LOS for each episode of care was log-transformed before analysis, and a multivariate linear regression model was used to study if sex, age group, type of admission, admission source, day of week admitted, admission on a public holiday or eve of public holiday, admission on a weekend and admission time were associated with an increased LOS. In the multivariate analysis, sex, age group, type of admission, source of admission, admission on the eve of public holiday and weekends and time of day admitted were independently and significantly associated with LOS. Patients admitted on Friday, Saturday or Sunday stayed on average 0.3 days longer than those admitted on weekdays, after adjusting for potential confounders; those admitted on the eve of public holidays, and those admitted in the afternoons and after office hours also had a longer LOS (differences of 0.71, 1.14 and 0.65 days respectively). Cases admitted over a weekend, eve of holiday, in the afternoons, and after office hours, do have an increased LOS. Further research is needed to identify processes contributing to the above phenomenon.

  19. Exploring if day and time of admission is associated with average length of stay among inpatients from a tertiary hospital in Singapore: an analytic study based on routine admission data

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    Chen Mark IC

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background It has been postulated that patients admitted on weekends or after office hours may experience delays in clinical management and consequently have longer length of stay (LOS. We investigated if day and time of admission is associated with LOS in Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH, a 1,400 bed acute care tertiary hospital serving the central and northern regions of Singapore. Methods This was a historical cohort study based on all admissions from TTSH from 1st September 2003 to 31st August 2004. Data was extracted from routinely available computerized hospital information systems for analysis by episode of care. LOS for each episode of care was log-transformed before analysis, and a multivariate linear regression model was used to study if sex, age group, type of admission, admission source, day of week admitted, admission on a public holiday or eve of public holiday, admission on a weekend and admission time were associated with an increased LOS. Results In the multivariate analysis, sex, age group, type of admission, source of admission, admission on the eve of public holiday and weekends and time of day admitted were independently and significantly associated with LOS. Patients admitted on Friday, Saturday or Sunday stayed on average 0.3 days longer than those admitted on weekdays, after adjusting for potential confounders; those admitted on the eve of public holidays, and those admitted in the afternoons and after office hours also had a longer LOS (differences of 0.71, 1.14 and 0.65 days respectively. Conclusion Cases admitted over a weekend, eve of holiday, in the afternoons, and after office hours, do have an increased LOS. Further research is needed to identify processes contributing to the above phenomenon.

  20. Constipation in children: avoiding hospital admissions by the use of a specialist community nurse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartle, David; Finlay, Fiona; Atherton, Fiona

    2003-01-01

    To review paediatric admissions with a primary diagnosis of constipation to see whether some could have been managed in the community instead. A review of the medical notes of all patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of constipation to the children's ward of a district general hospital over a 12-month period. Of 41 admissions (19 girls and 22 boys, age range 6 weeks to 12 years), the average length of stay was less than two nights. The short duration of hospital stay implies rapid improvement. It is likely that many of these children could have been managed in the community if suitable resources, such as a community nurse specialising in constipation, were available.

  1. Body pushing, prescription drugs and hospital admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byard, Roger W; Kenneally, Michaela

    2017-09-01

    A 39-year-old man died of multi-organ failure complicating mixed drug toxicity that included methadone, oxazepam, oxycodone and nitrazepam. His past medical history involved alcohol and poly-substance abuse with chronic self-harm and suicidal ideation. There had been multiple hospital admissions for drug overdoses. At autopsy the most unusual finding was of two packages of 10 tablets each, wrapped in thin plastic film within the rectum. The insertion of drugs into body orifices and cavities has been termed body pushing to distinguish it from body packing where illicit drugs are wrapped and swallowed for transport and smuggling, and body stuffing where small amounts of loosely wrapped or unwrapped drugs are swallowed to conceal evidence from police. This case demonstrates that body pushing may not always involve illicit drugs or attempted concealment from police or customs officials. It appears that the drugs had been hidden to ensure an additional supply during the time of residence in hospital. The extent to which body pushing is currently being used by patients to smuggle drugs into secure medical facilities is yet to be determined.

  2. From Bad to Worse: Anemia on Admission and Hospital-Acquired Anemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koch, Colleen G; Li, Liang; Sun, Zhiyuan; Hixson, Eric D; Tang, Anne S; Phillips, Shannon C; Blackstone, Eugene H; Henderson, J Michael

    2017-12-01

    Anemia at hospitalization is often treated as an accompaniment to an underlying illness, without active investigation, despite its association with morbidity. Development of hospital-acquired anemia (HAA) has also been associated with increased risk for poor outcomes. Together, they may further heighten morbidity risk from bad to worse. The aims of this study were to (1) examine mortality, length of stay, and total charges in patients with present-on-admission (POA) anemia and (2) determine whether these are exacerbated by development of HAA. In this cohort investigation, from January 1, 2009, to August 31, 2011, a total of 44,483 patients with POA anemia were admitted to a single health system compared with a reference group of 48,640 without POA anemia or HAA. Data sources included the University HealthSystem Consortium database and electronic medical records. Risk-adjustment methods included logistic and linear regression models for mortality, length of stay, and total charges. Present-on-admission anemia was defined by administrative coding. Hospital-acquired anemia was determined by changes in hemoglobin values from the electronic medical record. Approximately one-half of the patients experienced worsening of anemia with development of HAA. Risk for death and resource use increased with increasing severity of HAA. Those who developed severe HAA had 2-fold greater odds for death; that is, mild POA anemia with development of severe HAA resulted in greater mortality (odds ratio, 2.57; 95% confidence interval, 2.08-3.18; P < 0.001), increased length of stay (2.23; 2.16-2.31; P < 0.001), and higher charges (2.09; 2.03-2.15; P < 0.001). Present-on-admission anemia is associated with increased mortality and resource use. This risk is further increased from bad to worse when patients develop HAA. Efforts to address POA anemia and HAA deserve attention.

  3. Mortality and Incidence of Hospital Admissions for Stroke among Brazilians Aged 15 to 49 Years between 2008 and 2012.

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    Fernando Adami

    Full Text Available The objective was to analyze rates of stroke-related mortality and incidence of hospital admissions in Brazilians aged 15 to 49 years according to region and age group between 2008 and 2012.Secondary analysis was performed in 2014 using data from the Hospital and Mortality Information Systems and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Stroke was defined by ICD, 10th revision (I60-I64. Crude and standardized mortality (WHO reference and incidence of hospital admissions per 100,000 inhabitants, stratified by region and age group, were estimated. Absolute and relative frequencies; and linear regression were also used. The software used was Stata 11.0.There were 35,005 deaths and 131,344 hospital admissions for stroke in Brazilians aged 15-49 years old between 2008 and 2012. Mortality decreased from 7.54 (95% CI 7.53; 7.54 in 2008 to 6.32 (95% CI 6.31; 6.32 in 2012 (β = -0.27, p = 0.013, r2 = 0.90. During the same time, incidence of hospital admissions stabilized: 24.67 (95% CI 24.66; 24.67 in 2008 and 25.11 (95% CI 25.10; 25.11 in 2012 (β = 0.09, p = 0.692, r2 = 0.05. There was a reduction in mortality in all Brazilian regions and in the age group between 30 and 49 years. Incidence of hospitalizations decreased in the South, but no significant decrease was observed in any age group.We observed a decrease in stroke-related mortality, particularly in individuals over 30 years old, and stability of the incidence of hospitalizations; and also regional variation in stroke-related hospital admission incidence and mortality among Brazilian young adults.

  4. Prevalence of Methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus Aureus and associated risk factors on admission to a specialist care eye hospital

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Islam, Sara I.; Moore, C.

    2002-01-01

    Staphyloccocus aureus is known to be a frequent pathogen in hospital settings, with its well-known and resistant forms to the anti-staphylococcal penicillins. Reports on community carriage outside hospital settings have been feared to be on the increase due to the due to the frequency of reported cases on admission to hospitals. We undertook this study to determine the prevalence of and to establish predictors for, nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant S.aureus (MRSA) at the time of admission to a specialist care eye hospital. A prospective survey was conducted at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (KKESH), Riyadh during the three differing weeks randomly selected from the year 1999. The first 100 patients admitted during those three weeks were selected according to inclusion criteria. The hospital is a 220-bed tertiary ophthalmic care facility, with an average 7,500admission per year. Nasal bacterial swabs were taken within 48 hours of admission and tested for all strains of S.aureus and sensitivity to methicillin. Detailed interviews were conducted about medical history and habitual environment. Of 306 nasal cultures tested, none was isolated for MRSA and 102 (33%) were sensitive to methicillin (MSSA).We found 0% nasal carriage rate for MRSA. Respondents have difficulty with questions related to antibiotic administration. No identifiable medical or environmental risk factors could be found. Nasal swabs of patients admitted to KKESH did not reveal MRSA colonization, indicating that MRSA may not be prevalent in the community at present. (author)

  5. Winter excess in hospital admissions, in-patient mortality and length of acute hospital stay in stroke: a hospital database study over six seasonal years in Norfolk, UK.

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    Myint, Phyo K; Vowler, Sarah L; Woodhouse, Peter R; Redmayne, Oliver; Fulcher, Robert A

    2007-01-01

    Several studies have examined the incidence and mortality of stroke in relation to season. However, the evidence is conflicting partly due to variation in the populations (community vs. hospital-based), and in climatic conditions between studies. Moreover, they may not have been able to take into account the age, sex and stroke type of the study population. We hypothesized that the age, sex and type of stroke are major determinants of the presence or absence of winter excess in morbidity and mortality associated with stroke. We analyzed a hospital-based stroke register from Norfolk, UK to examine our prior hypothesis. Using Curwen's method, we performed stratified sex-specific analyses by (1) seasonal year and (2) quartiles of patients' age and stroke subtype and calculated the winter excess for the number of admissions, in-patient deaths and length of acute hospital stay. There were 5,481 patients (men=45%). Their ages ranged from 17 to 105 years (median=78 years). There appeared to be winter excess in hospital admissions, deaths and length of acute hospital stay overall accounting for 3/100,000 extra admissions (winter excess index of 3.4% in men and 7.6% in women) and 1/100,000 deaths (winter excess index of 4.7 and 8.6% in women) due to stroke in winter compared to non-winter periods. Older patients with non-haemorrhagic stroke mainly contribute to this excess. If our findings are replicated throughout England and Wales, it is estimated that there are 1,700 excess admissions, 600 excess in-patient deaths and 24,500 extra acute hospital bed days each winter, related to stroke within the current population of approximately 60 million. Further research should be focused on the determinants of winter excess in morbidity and mortality associated with stroke. This may subsequently reduce the morbidity and mortality by providing effective preventive strategies in future. (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  6. Heart rate at admission is a predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients with acute coronary syndromes: Results from 58 European hospitals: The European Hospital Benchmarking by Outcomes in acute coronary syndrome Processes study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, Magnus T; Pereira, Marta; Araujo, Carla; Malmivaara, Anti; Ferrieres, Jean; Degano, Irene R; Kirchberger, Inge; Farmakis, Dimitrios; Garel, Pascal; Torre, Marina; Marrugat, Jaume; Azevedo, Ana

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between heart rate at admission and in-hospital mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). Consecutive ACS patients admitted in 2008-2010 across 58 hospitals in six participant countries of the European Hospital Benchmarking by Outcomes in ACS Processes (EURHOBOP) project (Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Portugal and Spain). Cardiogenic shock patients were excluded. Associations between heart rate at admission in categories of 10 beats per min (bpm) and in-hospital mortality were estimated by logistic regression in crude models and adjusting for age, sex, obesity, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, known heart failure, renal failure, previous stroke and ischaemic heart disease. In total 10,374 patients were included. In both STEMI and NSTE-ACS patients, a U-shaped relationship between admission heart rate and in-hospital mortality was found. The lowest risk was observed for heart rates between 70-79 bpm in STEMI and 60-69 bpm in NSTE-ACS; risk of mortality progressively increased with lower or higher heart rates. In multivariable models, the relationship persisted but was significant only for heart rates >80 bpm. A similar relationship was present in both patients with or without diabetes, above or below age 75 years, and irrespective of the presence of atrial fibrillation or use of beta-blockers. Heart rate at admission is significantly associated with in-hospital mortality in patients with both STEMI and NSTE-ACS. ACS patients with admission heart rate above 80 bpm are at highest risk of in-hospital mortality.

  7. No evidence of purported lunar effect on hospital admission rates or birth rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Margot, Jean-Luc

    2015-01-01

    Studies indicate that a fraction of nursing professionals believe in a "lunar effect"-a purported correlation between the phases of the Earth's moon and human affairs, such as birth rates, blood loss, or fertility. This article addresses some of the methodological errors and cognitive biases that can explain the human tendency of perceiving a lunar effect where there is none. This article reviews basic standards of evidence and, using an example from the published literature, illustrates how disregarding these standards can lead to erroneous conclusions. Román, Soriano, Fuentes, Gálvez, and Fernández (2004) suggested that the number of hospital admissions related to gastrointestinal bleeding was somehow influenced by the phases of the Earth's moon. Specifically, the authors claimed that the rate of hospital admissions to their bleeding unit is higher during the full moon than at other times. Their report contains a number of methodological and statistical flaws that invalidate their conclusions. Reanalysis of their data with proper procedures shows no evidence that the full moon influences the rate of hospital admissions, a result that is consistent with numerous peer-reviewed studies and meta-analyses. A review of the literature shows that birth rates are also uncorrelated to lunar phases. Data collection and analysis shortcomings, as well as powerful cognitive biases, can lead to erroneous conclusions about the purported lunar effect on human affairs. Adherence to basic standards of evidence can help assess the validity of questionable beliefs.

  8. Common causes of morbidity and mortality amongst diabetic admissions at the university of Benin teaching hospital, Benin city, Nigeria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eregie, A.; Unadike, B.C.

    2010-01-01

    Diabetes mellitus is associated with significant morbidity and mortality worldwide and Nigeria is no exception. To determine the morbidity and mortality in patients admitted with Diabetes Mellitus in a tertiary teaching hospital of Nigeria, through retrospective analysis of admission and death records. Admission and death certificate records from the medical wards of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria, were retrospectively analysed from 1, August 2003 to 31, July 2004. Data included age, gender, total numbers of admissions and those due to Diabetes Mellitus, the indications for admissions, presenting symptoms and method of diagnoses in diabetic patients, mortality rates and causes of death. Data obtained were analysed using chi square. Out of 1567 medical admissions, 852(54.4%) were males and 715(45.6%) females. Diabetes was detected in 145(9.3%) patients [81(55.9%) males, 64(44.1%) females]. The mean age of diabetic patients was 53.6+16.1 years (range 18 - 94 years). Poor glycaemic control (29%) and diabetic foot syndrome (23.4%) were the most common reasons for admission in diabetic cases. The overall mortality rate among medical admissions was 21.8%, with diabetes accounting for 6.7% deaths. Within the cohort of diabetic cases, mortality was 15.9%, with significantly higher mortality in those aged > 65 years (p < 0.05). The most common causes of death in diabetic cases were Cerebrovascular disease and complications associated with the foot syndrome, accounting for 26.1% and 21.7% of deaths respectively; the least common causes of death in diabetic patients were Malaria, Hepatic Encephalopathy, and Carcinoma of the Cervix, accounting for 4.4% of deaths. Cerebrovascular disease was the most frequent cause of mortality among admitted diabetic patients with diabetic foot syndrome (a preventable complication) as the second most frequent cause of mortality. Increased screening for diabetes mellitus morbidities in the clinic and community

  9. Examining the relationship between anxiety and depression and exacerbations of COPD which result in hospital admission: a systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pooler A

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Alison Pooler,1,2 Roger Beech21School of Nursing and Midwifery, Clinical Education Centre, University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust, Stoke-on-Trent, UK; 2Health Services Research, Research Institute of Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK Objectives: Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD are the third largest cause of emergency hospital admissions in the UK. This systematic literature review explored the relationship between the hospitalization rates and the COPD comorbidities, anxiety, and depression.Methods: The Centre for Research Dissemination's framework for systematic reviews was followed using search terms relating to COPD, anxiety, depression, and hospital admission. Papers identified were assessed for relevance and quality, using a suitable Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool and Mixed Methods Assessment Tool.Results: Twenty quantitative studies indicated that anxiety and depression led to a statistically significant increase in the likelihood of COPD patients being hospitalized. These comorbidities also led to an increased length of stay and a greater risk of mortality postdischarge. Other significant factors included lower Body-Mass Index, Airflow Obstruction, Dyspnea, and Exercise scores, female gender, lower socioeconomic status, poorer patient perceived quality of life, increased severity of lung function, and less improvement in dyspnea from admission to discharge. It was also highlighted that only 27%–33% of those with depression were being treated for it. Four qualitative studies revealed that patients saw anxiety and depression as a major factor that affected their ability to cope with and self-manage their condition.Implications: Findings from the systematic review have highlighted a need for better recognition and treatment of anxiety and depression amongst individuals with COPD. Ongoing research will develop and test strategies for promoting better management

  10. Weekend specialist intensity and admission mortality in acute hospital trusts in England: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aldridge, Cassie; Bion, Julian; Boyal, Amunpreet; Chen, Yen-Fu; Clancy, Mike; Evans, Tim; Girling, Alan; Lord, Joanne; Mannion, Russell; Rees, Peter; Roseveare, Chris; Rudge, Gavin; Sun, Jianxia; Tarrant, Carolyn; Temple, Mark; Watson, Sam; Lilford, Richard

    2016-07-09

    Increased mortality rates associated with weekend hospital admission (the so-called weekend effect) have been attributed to suboptimum staffing levels of specialist consultants. However, evidence for a causal association is elusive, and the magnitude of the weekend specialist deficit remains unquantified. This uncertainty could hamper efforts by national health systems to introduce 7 day health services. We aimed to examine preliminary associations between specialist intensity and weekend admission mortality across the English National Health Service. Eligible hospital trusts were those in England receiving unselected emergency admissions. On Sunday June 15 and Wednesday June 18, 2014, we undertook a point prevalence survey of hospital specialists (consultants) to obtain data relating to the care of patients admitted as emergencies. We defined specialist intensity at each trust as the self-reported estimated number of specialist hours per ten emergency admissions between 0800 h and 2000 h on Sunday and Wednesday. With use of data for all adult emergency admissions for financial year 2013-14, we compared weekend to weekday admission risk of mortality with the Sunday to Wednesday specialist intensity ratio within each trust. We stratified trusts by size quintile. 127 of 141 eligible acute hospital trusts agreed to participate; 115 (91%) trusts contributed data to the point prevalence survey. Of 34,350 clinicians surveyed, 15,537 (45%) responded. Substantially fewer specialists were present providing care to emergency admissions on Sunday (1667 [11%]) than on Wednesday (6105 [42%]). Specialists present on Sunday spent 40% more time caring for emergency patients than did those present on Wednesday (mean 5·74 h [SD 3·39] vs 3·97 h [3·31]); however, the median specialist intensity on Sunday was only 48% (IQR 40-58) of that on Wednesday. The Sunday to Wednesday intensity ratio was less than 0·7 in 104 (90%) of the contributing trusts. Mortality risk among patients

  11. Regional variation in hospital admission rates in the Netherlands, Belgium, Northern France and Nordrhein-Westfalen.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Noordt, M. van; Zee, J. van der; Groenewegen, P.P.

    1992-01-01

    For the analysis of regional variations in hospital admission rates a model was set up, including both supply and demand indicators. Data were gathered for regions in four health care systems (the Dutch, Belgian, French and German), for 1982, 1979, 1974 (France 1982 only). Hospital bed supply proved

  12. Admission Serum Uric Acid Levels and In-Hospital Outcomes in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

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    Abu Sadique Abdullah

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Uric acid is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Hospital admission for ischemic heart disease (IHD is increasing rapidly in our country. Although studies were conducted abroad regarding association of serum uric acid with in-hospital outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS, no data is yet available to show the association in our country. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the association of serum uric acid level on admission with in-hospital outcomes of the patients with ACS. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional comparative study was done in the Department of Cardiology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH from January to December 2012. After proper ethical consideration total 93 ACS patients were enrolled in the study by nonrandom sampling. Serum uric acid of all subjects was measured within 24 hours of admission. Then in-hospital outcomes were observed in all subjects. Results: The frequency of hyperuricemia among ACS patients was 24.7% (22.54% in male and 31.82% in female. Hyperuricemic patients significantly developed heart failure (30.4% vs 11.4%, p=0.032 and conduction defect (13.0% vs 1.4%, p=0.017 than normouricemic subjects. The mean ejection fraction was significantly lower in hyperuricemic patients than patients with normal uric acid level (50.87 ± 10.27% vs 55.94 ± 6.66%. The mean ± SD duration of hospital stay of hyperuricemic group was significantly longer in patients with ACS (8.26 ± 1.18 vs 7.51±1.18 days, p=0.010. Conclusion: The measurement of serum uric acid level, an easily available and inexpensive biochemical tool, might turn out as a valuable risk marker for prediction of in-hospital outcomes in patients with ACS.

  13. Effect of reclassification of cannabis on hospital admissions for cannabis psychosis: a time series analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, Ian; Lloyd, Charlie; Hewitt, Catherine; Godfrey, Christine

    2014-01-01

    The UK Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) divided controlled drugs into three groups A, B and C, with descending criminal sanctions attached to each class. Cannabis was originally assigned by the Act to Group B but in 2004, it was transferred to the lowest risk group, Group C. Then in 2009, on the basis of increasing concerns about a link between high strength cannabis and schizophrenia, it was moved back to Group B. The aim of this study is to test the assumption that changes in classification lead to changes in levels of psychosis. In particular, it explores whether the two changes in 2004 and 2009 were associated with changes in the numbers of people admitted for cannabis psychosis. An interrupted time series was used to investigate the relationship between the two changes in cannabis classification and their impact on hospital admissions for cannabis psychosis. Reflecting the two policy changes, two interruptions to the time series were made. Hospital Episode Statistics admissions data was analysed covering the period 1999 through to 2010. There was a significantly increasing trend in cannabis psychosis admissions from 1999 to 2004. However, following the reclassification of cannabis from B to C in 2004, there was a significant change in the trend such that cannabis psychosis admissions declined to 2009. Following the second reclassification of cannabis back to class B in 2009, there was a significant change to increasing admissions. This study shows a statistical association between the reclassification of cannabis and hospital admissions for cannabis psychosis in the opposite direction to that predicted by the presumed relationship between the two. However, the reasons for this statistical association are unclear. It is unlikely to be due to changes in cannabis use over this period. Other possible explanations include changes in policing and systemic changes in mental health services unrelated to classification decisions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights

  14. The association of daily sulfur dioxide air pollution levels with hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases in Europe (The Aphea-II study)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sunyer, J; Ballester, F; Le Tertre, A; Atkinson, R; Ayres, JG; Forastiere, F; Forsberg, B; Vonk, JM; Bisanti, L; Tenias, JM; Medina, S; Schwartz, J; Katsouyvanni, K

    The objective of this study is to assess the short-term effect of sulfur dioxide (SO2) air pollution levels on hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases. Daily mean hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases, ischemic heart diseases (IHDs), and stroke in seven European areas (the cities

  15. Short-term effects of air pollution on hospital admissions of respiratory diseases in Europe : A quantitative summary of APHEA study results

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spix, C; Anderson, HR; Schwartz, J; Vigotti, MA; LeTertre, A; Vonk, JM; Touloumi, G; Balducci, F; Piekarski, T; Bacharova, L; Tobias, A; Ponka, A; Katsouyanni, K

    1998-01-01

    The Air Pollution and Health: a European Approach (APHEA) project is a coordinated study of the short-term effects of air pollution on mortality and hospital admissions. Five West European cities (i.e., London, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Paris, Milano) contributed several years of hospital admissions

  16. Outcomes of hospitalized patients undergoing emergency general surgery remote from admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharoky, Catherine E; Bailey, Elizabeth A; Sellers, Morgan M; Kaufman, Elinore J; Sinnamon, Andrew J; Wirtalla, Christopher J; Holena, Daniel N; Kelz, Rachel R

    2017-09-01

    Emergency general surgery during hospitalization has not been well characterized. We examined emergency operations remote from admission to identify predictors of postoperative 30-day mortality, postoperative duration of stay >30 days, and complications. Patients >18 years in The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (2011-2014) who had 1 of 7 emergency operations between hospital day 3-18 were included. Patients with operations >95th percentile after admission (>18 days; n = 581) were excluded. Exploratory laparotomy only (with no secondary procedure) represented either nontherapeutic or decompressive laparotomy. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of study outcomes. Of 10,093 patients with emergency operations, most were elderly (median 66 years old [interquartile ratio: 53-77 years]), white, and female. Postoperative 30-day mortality was 12.6% (n = 1,275). Almost half the cohort (40.1%) had a complication. A small subset (6.8%) had postoperative duration of stay >30 days. Postoperative mortality after exploratory laparotomy only was particularly high (>40%). In multivariable analysis, an operation on hospital day 11-18 compared with day 3-6 was associated with death (odds ratio 1.6 [1.3-2.0]), postoperative duration of stay >30 days (odds ratio 2.0 [1.6-2.6]), and complications (odds ratio 1.5 [1.3-1.8]). Exploratory laparotomy only also was associated with death (odds ratio 5.4 [2.8-10.4]). Emergency general surgery performed during a hospitalization is associated with high morbidity and mortality. A longer hospital course before an emergency operation is a predictor of poor outcomes, as is undergoing exploratory laparotomy only. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Incidence and risk factors for neonatal tetanus in admissions to Kilifi County Hospital, Kenya.

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    Fredrick Ibinda

    Full Text Available Neonatal Tetanus (NT is a preventable cause of mortality and neurological sequelae that occurs at higher incidence in resource-poor countries, presumably because of low maternal immunisation rates and unhygienic cord care practices. We aimed to determine changes in the incidence of NT, characterize and investigate the associated risk factors and mortality in a prospective cohort study including all admissions over a 15-year period at a County hospital on the Kenyan coast, a region with relatively high historical NT rates within Kenya.We assessed all neonatal admissions to Kilifi County Hospital in Kenya (1999-2013 and identified cases of NT (standard clinical case definition admitted during this time. Poisson regression was used to examine change in incidence of NT using accurate denominator data from an area of active demographic surveillance. Logistic regression was used to investigate the risk factors for NT and factors associated with mortality in NT amongst neonatal admissions. A subset of sera from mothers (n = 61 and neonates (n = 47 were tested for anti-tetanus antibodies.There were 191 NT admissions, of whom 187 (98% were home deliveries. Incidence of NT declined significantly (Incidence Rate Ratio: 0.85 (95% Confidence interval 0.81-0.89, P<0.001 but the case fatality (62% did not change over the study period (P = 0.536. Younger infant age at admission (P = 0.001 was the only independent predictor of mortality. Compared to neonatal hospital admittee controls, the proportion of home births was higher among the cases. Sera tested for antitetanus antibodies showed most mothers (50/61, 82% had undetectable levels of antitetanus antibodies, and most (8/9, 89% mothers with detectable antibodies had a neonate without protective levels.Incidence of NT in Kilifi County has significantly reduced, with reductions following immunisation campaigns. Our results suggest immunisation efforts are effective if sustained and efforts should continue to

  18. A time series analysis of meteorological factors and hospital outpatient admissions for cardiovascular disease in the Northern district of Guizhou Province, China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jie, Y.; Houjin, H. [School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou (China); Mengxue, Y. [Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou (China); Wei, Q. [Department of Physiology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou (China); Jie, X. [School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou (China)

    2014-07-08

    Findings on the effects of weather on health, especially the effects of ambient temperature on overall morbidity, remain inconsistent. We conducted a time series study to examine the acute effects of meteorological factors (mainly air temperature) on daily hospital outpatient admissions for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Zunyi City, China, from January 1, 2007 to November 30, 2009. We used the generalized additive model with penalized splines to analyze hospital outpatient admissions, climatic parameters, and covariate data. Results show that, in Zunyi, air temperature was associated with hospital outpatient admission for CVD. When air temperature was less than 10°C, hospital outpatient admissions for CVD increased 1.07-fold with each increase of 1°C, and when air temperature was more than 10°C, an increase in air temperature by 1°C was associated with a 0.99-fold decrease in hospital outpatient admissions for CVD over the previous year. Our analyses provided statistically significant evidence that in China meteorological factors have adverse effects on the health of the general population. Further research with consistent methodology is needed to clarify the magnitude of these effects and to show which populations and individuals are vulnerable.

  19. A time series analysis of meteorological factors and hospital outpatient admissions for cardiovascular disease in the Northern district of Guizhou Province, China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jie, Y.; Houjin, H.; Mengxue, Y.; Wei, Q.; Jie, X.

    2014-01-01

    Findings on the effects of weather on health, especially the effects of ambient temperature on overall morbidity, remain inconsistent. We conducted a time series study to examine the acute effects of meteorological factors (mainly air temperature) on daily hospital outpatient admissions for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Zunyi City, China, from January 1, 2007 to November 30, 2009. We used the generalized additive model with penalized splines to analyze hospital outpatient admissions, climatic parameters, and covariate data. Results show that, in Zunyi, air temperature was associated with hospital outpatient admission for CVD. When air temperature was less than 10°C, hospital outpatient admissions for CVD increased 1.07-fold with each increase of 1°C, and when air temperature was more than 10°C, an increase in air temperature by 1°C was associated with a 0.99-fold decrease in hospital outpatient admissions for CVD over the previous year. Our analyses provided statistically significant evidence that in China meteorological factors have adverse effects on the health of the general population. Further research with consistent methodology is needed to clarify the magnitude of these effects and to show which populations and individuals are vulnerable

  20. Seizure-related hospital admissions, readmissions and costs: Comparisons with asthma and diabetes in South Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellon, Michelle L; Barton, Christopher; McCaffrey, Nikki; Parker, Denise; Hutchinson, Claire

    2017-08-01

    Seizures are listed as an Ambulatory Care Sensitive Condition (ACSC), where, in some cases, hospitalisation may be avoided with appropriate preventative and early management in primary care. We examined the frequencies, trends and financial costs of first and subsequent seizure-related hospital admissions in the adult and paediatric populations, with comparisons to bronchitis/asthma and diabetes admissions in South Australia between 2012 and 2014. De-identified hospital separation data from five major public hospitals in metropolitan South Australia were analysed to determine the number of children and adults admitted for the following Australian Refined Diagnosis Related Groups: seizure related conditions; bronchitis/asthma; and diabetes. Additional data included length of hospital stay and type of admission. Demographic data were analysed to identify whether social determinants influence admission, and a macro costing approach was then applied to calculate the financial costs to the Health Care System. The rate of total seizure hospitalizations was 649 per 100,000; lower than bronchitis/asthma (751/100,000), yet higher than diabetes (500/100,000). The highest proportions of subsequent separations were recorded by children with seizures regardless of complexity (47% +CSCC; 17% -CSCC) compared with asthma (11% +CSCC; 14% -CSCC) or diabetes (14% +CSCC; 13% -CSCC), and by adults with seizures with catastrophic or severe complications/comorbidity (25%), compared with diabetes (22%) or asthma (14%). The mean cost per separation in both children and adults was highest for diabetes (AU$4438/$7656), followed by seizures (AU$2408/$5691) and asthma (AU$2084/$3295). Following the lead of well-developed and resourced health promotion initiatives in asthma and diabetes, appropriate primary care, community education and seizure management services (including seizure clinics) should be targeted in an effort to reduce seizure related hospitalisations which may be avoidable

  1. Hospital admission planning to optimize major resources utilization under uncertainty

    OpenAIRE

    Dellaert, N.P.; Jeunet, J.

    2010-01-01

    Admission policies for elective inpatient services mainly result in the management of a single resource: the operating theatre as it is commonly considered as the most critical and expensive resource in a hospital. However, other bottleneck resources may lead to surgery cancellations, such as bed capacity and nursing staff in Intensive Care (IC) units and bed occupancy in wards or medium care (MC) services. Our incentive is therefore to determine a master schedule of a given number of patient...

  2. Patient-controlled hospital admission for patients with severe mental disorders: study protocol for a nationwide prospective multicentre study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomsen, Christoffer Torgaard; Benros, Michael Eriksen; Hastrup, Lene Halling; Andersen, Per Kragh; Giacco, Domenico; Nordentoft, Merete

    2016-09-28

    Patient-controlled hospital admission for individuals with severe mental disorders is a novel approach in mental healthcare. Patients can admit themselves to a hospital unit for a short stay without being assessed by a psychiatrist or contacting the emergency department. Previous studies assessing the outcomes of patient-controlled hospital admission found trends towards reduction in the use of coercive measures and length of hospital stay; however, these studies have methodological shortcomings and small sample sizes. Larger studies are needed to estimate the effect of patient-controlled hospital admission on the use of coercion and of healthcare services. We aim to recruit at least 315 patients who are offered a contract for patient-controlled hospital admissions in eight different hospitals in Denmark. Patients will be followed-up for at least 1 year to compare the use of coercive measures and of healthcare services, the use of medications and suicidal behaviour. Descriptive statistics will be used to investigate hospitalisations, global assessment of functioning (GAF) and patient satisfaction with treatment. To minimise selection bias, we will match individuals using patient-controlled hospital admission and controls with a 1:5 ratio via a propensity score based on the following factors: sex, age group, primary diagnosis, substance abuse as secondary diagnosis, coercion, number of psychiatric bed days, psychiatric history, urbanity and suicidal behaviour. Additionally, a historical control study will be undertaken in which patients serve as their own control group prior to index date. The study has been approved by The Danish Health and Medicines Authority (j.nr.: 3-3013-934/1/) and by The Danish Data Protection Agency (j.nr.: 2012-58-0004). The study was categorised as a register study by The Danish Health Research Ethics Committee and therefore no further approval was needed (j.nr.: H-2-2014-FSP70). Findings will be disseminated through scientific

  3. Air pollution and hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease in Tucson; Pollution de l'air et admissions hospitalieres pour maladies cardiovasculaires a Tucson

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schwartz, J.

    2001-01-01

    This study aims to show the impact of air pollutants on the hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease, in particular, the difference between the effects of the suspended particles and the effects of the sulfur dioxide. (A.L.B.)

  4. Clinical presentation at first heart failure hospitalization does not predict recurrent heart failure admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosztin, Annamaria; Costa, Jason; Moss, Arthur J; Biton, Yitschak; Nagy, Vivien Klaudia; Solomon, Scott D; Geller, Laszlo; McNitt, Scott; Polonsky, Bronislava; Merkely, Bela; Kutyifa, Valentina

    2017-11-01

    There are limited data on whether clinical presentation at first heart failure (HF) hospitalization predicts recurrent HF events. We aimed to assess predictors of recurrent HF hospitalizations in mild HF patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator or cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator. Data on HF hospitalizations were prospectively collected for patients enrolled in MADIT-CRT. Predictors of recurrent HF hospitalization (HF2) after the first HF hospitalization were assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression models including baseline covariates and clinical presentation or management at first HF hospitalization. There were 193 patients with first HF hospitalization, and 156 patients with recurrent HF events. Recurrent HF rate after the first HF hospitalization was 43% at 1 year, 52% at 2 years, and 55% at 2.5 years. Clinical signs and symptoms, medical treatment, or clinical management of HF at first HF admission was not predictive for HF2. Baseline covariates predicting recurrent HF hospitalization included prior HF hospitalization (HR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.15-2.20, P = 0.005), digitalis therapy (HR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.13-2.20, P = 0.008), and left ventricular end-diastolic volume >240 mL (HR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.17-2.25, P = 0.004). Recurrent HF events are frequent following the first HF hospitalization in patients with implanted implantable cardioverter defibrillator or cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator. Neither clinical presentation nor clinical management during first HF admission was predictive of recurrent HF. Prior HF hospitalization, digitalis therapy, and left ventricular end-diastolic volume at enrolment predicted recurrent HF hospitalization, and these covariates could be used as surrogate markers for identifying a high-risk cohort. © 2017 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.

  5. Re-admissions, re-operations and length of stay in hospital after aseptic revision knee replacement in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lindberg-Larsen, M.; Jørgensen, C. C.; Hansen, Torben Bæk

    2014-01-01

    of hospital stay was four days (interquartile range: 3 to 5), with a 90 days re-admission rate of 9.9%, re-operation rate of 3.5% and mortality rate of 0.2%. The age ranges of 51 to 55 years (p = 0.018), 76 to 80 years (p re-admission...

  6. Assessing the need for hospital admission by the Cape Triage discriminator presentations and the simple clinical score.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Emmanuel, Andrew

    2010-11-01

    There is uncertainty about how to assess unselected acutely ill medical patients at the time of their admission to hospital. This study examined the use of the Simple Clinical Score (SCS) and the medically relevant Cape Triage discriminator clinical presentations to determine the need for admission to an acute medical unit.

  7. Time Trends in Hospital Admissions for Bronchiectasis: Analysis of the Spanish National Hospital Discharge Data (2004 to 2013.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gema Sánchez-Muñoz

    Full Text Available To analyze changes in the incidence, diagnostic procedures, comorbidity, length of hospital stay (LOHS, costs and in-hospital mortality (IHM for patients with bronchiectasis who were hospitalized in Spain over a 10-year period.We included all admissions for patients diagnosed with bronchiectasis as primary or secondary diagnosis during 2004-2013.282,207 patients were admitted to the study. After controlling for possible confounders, we observed a significant increase in the incidence of hospitalizations over the study period when bronchiectasis was a secondary diagnosis. When bronchiectasis was the primary diagnosis we observed a significant decline in the incidence. In all cases, this pathology was more frequent in males, and the average age and comorbidity increased significantly during the study period (p<0.001. When bronchiectasis was the primary diagnosis, the most frequent secondary diagnosis was Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. When bronchiectasis was the secondary diagnosis, the most frequent primary diagnosis was COPD. IHM was low, tending to decrease from 2004 to 2013 (p<0.05. The average LOHS decreased significantly during the study period in both cases (p<0.001. The mean cost per patient decreased in patients with bronchiectasis as primary diagnosis, but it increased for cases of bronchiectasis as secondary diagnosis (p<0.001.Our results reveal an increase in the incidence of hospital admissions for patients with bronchiectasis as a secondary diagnosis from 2004 to 2013, as opposed to cases of bronchiectasis as the primary diagnosis. Although the average age and comorbidity significantly increased over time, both IHM and average LOHS significantly decreased.

  8. Functional Performances on Admission Predict In-Hospital Falls, Injurious Falls, and Fractures in Older Patients: A Prospective Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hars, Mélany; Audet, Marie-Claude; Herrmann, François; De Chassey, Jean; Rizzoli, René; Reny, Jean-Luc; Gold, Gabriel; Ferrari, Serge; Trombetti, Andrea

    2018-05-01

    Falls are common among older inpatients and remain a great challenge for hospitals. Despite the relevance of physical impairments to falls, the prognostic value of performance-based functional measures for in-hospital falls and injurious falls remains unknown. This study aimed to determine the predictive ability and accuracy of various functional tests administered at or close to admission in a geriatric hospital to identify in-hospital fallers and injurious fallers. In this prospective study, conducted in a geriatric hospital in Geneva, Switzerland, 807 inpatients (mean age 85.0 years) were subjected to a battery of functional tests administered by physiotherapists within 3 days (interquartile range 1 to 6) of admission, including Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), simplified Tinetti, and Timed Up and Go tests. Patients were prospectively followed up for falls and injurious falls until discharge using mandatory standardized incident report forms and electronic patients' records. During a median length of hospital stay of 23 days (interquartile range 14 to 36), 329 falls occurred in 189 (23.4%) patients, including 161 injurious falls of which 24 were serious. In-hospital fallers displayed significantly poorer functional performances at admission on all tests compared with non-fallers (p performances on all functional tests predicted in-hospital falls and injurious falls (p poor functional performances, as assessed by SPPB, are independent predictors of in-hospital falls, injurious falls, and fractures in patients admitted to a geriatric hospital. These findings should help to design preventive strategies for in-hospital falls and support the adoption of objective performance-based functional measures into routine hospital practice. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

  9. Cool and dry weather enhances the effects of air pollution on emergency IHD hospital admissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Hong; Yu, Ignatius Tak-Sun; Wang, Xiaorong; Tian, Linwei; Tse, Lap Ah; Wong, Tze Wai

    2013-09-20

    Associations between ambient pollution and cardiovascular morbidity including ischemic heart disease (IHD) have been confirmed. Weather factors such as temperature, season and relative humidity (RH) may modify the effects of pollution. We conducted this study to examine the effects of air pollution on emergency IHD hospital admissions varied across seasons and RH levels, and to explore the possible joint modification of weather factors on pollution effects. Daily time series of air pollution concentrations, mean temperature and RH were collected from IHD hospital admissions from 1998 to 2007 in Hong Kong. We used generalized additive Poisson models with interaction term to estimate the pollution effects varied across seasons and RH levels, after adjusting for time trends, weather conditions, and influenza outbreaks. An increase in the detrimental effects of air pollution in cool season and on low humidity days was observed. In the cool and dry season, a 10 μg/m(3) increment of lag03 exposure was associated with an increase of emergency IHD admissions by 1.82% (95% CI: 1.24-2.40%), 3.89% (95% CI: 3.08-4.70%), and 2.19% (95% CI: 1.33-3.06%) for particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3), respectively. The effects of pollutants decreased greatly and lost statistical significance in the warm and humid season. We found season and RH jointly modified the associations between ambient pollution and IHD admissions, resulting in increased IHD admissions in the cool and dry season and reduced admissions in the warm and humid season. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Effect of gender on hospital admissions for asthma and prevalence of self-reported asthma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prescott, E; Lange, P; Vestbo, J

    1997-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Women are more often admitted to hospital for asthma than men. A study was undertaken to determine whether this is caused by gender differences in the prevalence or severity of the disease. METHODS: Admissions to hospital for asthma in 13,540 subjects were followed from 1977 to 1993....... RESULTS: At baseline 315 subjects (2.3%) reported asthma, 2.2% of women and 2.5% of men. During follow up 160 subjects were admitted to hospital for asthma. After controlling for self-reported asthma and smoking, women had a higher risk of being admitted to hospital than men (relative risk 1.7, 95...

  11. Admission factors associated with hospital mortality in patients with haematological malignancy admitted to UK adult, general critical care units: a secondary analysis of the ICNARC Case Mix Programme Database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hampshire, Peter A; Welch, Catherine A; McCrossan, Lawrence A; Francis, Katharine; Harrison, David A

    2009-01-01

    of the three scores analysed, as assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.78, but all scores were poorly calibrated. APACHE II had the highest accuracy at predicting hospital mortality, with a standardised mortality ratio of 1.01. SAPS II and the ICNARC score both underestimated hospital mortality. Increased hospital mortality is associated with the length of hospital stay prior to ICU admission and with severe sepsis, suggesting that, if appropriate, such patients should be treated aggressively with early ICU admission. A low haematocrit was associated with higher mortality and this relationship requires further investigation. The severity-of-illness scores assessed in this study had reasonable discriminative power, but none showed good calibration.

  12. Admission factors associated with hospital mortality in patients with haematological malignancy admitted to UK adult, general critical care units: a secondary analysis of the ICNARC Case Mix Programme Database

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    model had the best discrimination of the three scores analysed, as assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.78, but all scores were poorly calibrated. APACHE II had the highest accuracy at predicting hospital mortality, with a standardised mortality ratio of 1.01. SAPS II and the ICNARC score both underestimated hospital mortality. Conclusions Increased hospital mortality is associated with the length of hospital stay prior to ICU admission and with severe sepsis, suggesting that, if appropriate, such patients should be treated aggressively with early ICU admission. A low haematocrit was associated with higher mortality and this relationship requires further investigation. The severity-of-illness scores assessed in this study had reasonable discriminative power, but none showed good calibration. PMID:19706163

  13. Population-based characteristics of fatal and hospital admissions for poisoning in Fiji: TRIP Project-11

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peiris-John, Roshini; Kafoa, Berlin; Wainiqolo, Iris; Reddy, Ravi Krishnan; McCaig, Eddie; Ameratunga, Shanthi N

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated the incidence and characteristics of poisoning fatalities and hospital admissions among indigenous Fijians and Indians in Viti Levu, Fiji. Individuals with a mechanism of injury classified as poisoning were identified using the Fiji injury surveillance in hospitals system, a population-based registry established for 12 months in Viti Levu, and analysed using population-based denominators. The mean annual rates of fatalities and hospitalisations were 2.3 and 26.0 per 100 000, respectively. Over two-thirds of poisonings occurred among people of Indian ethnicity. Most intentional poisoning admissions occurred among women (58.3%) and in 15–29-year-old individuals (73.8%). Unintentional poisoning admission rates were highest among Indian boys aged 0–14 years. While over 75% of events occurred at home, the substances involved were not systematically identified. The findings indicate the need for a strategy that addresses the differing contexts across age group, gender and ethnicity, and a lead agency responsible for implementing and monitoring its effectiveness. PMID:23353079

  14. Coarse and fine particles but nout ultrafine particles in urban air trigger hospital admission for asthma in children

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Iskander, A.; Andersen, Z.J.; Bønnelykke, K.

    2012-01-01

    .AimTo study whether short-term exposure to air pollution is associated with hospital admissions for asthma in children. It is hypothesised that (1) the association between asthma admissions and air pollution is stronger with UFPs than with coarse (PM(10)) and fine (PM(2.5)) particles, nitrogen oxides (NO...... association was found between hospital admissions for asthma in children aged 0-18 years and NO(x) (OR 1.11; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.17), NO(2) (1.10; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.16), PM(10) (1.07; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.12) and PM(2.5) (1.09; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.13); there was no association with UFPs. The association was stronger...

  15. A new approach to scoring systems to improve identification of acute medical admissions that will require critical care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carmichael, H A; Robertson, E; Austin, J; McCruden, D; Messow, C M; Belcher, P R

    2011-11-01

    Removal of the intensive care unit (ICU) at the Vale of Leven Hospital mandated the identification and transfer out of those acute medical admissions with a high risk of requiring ICU. The aim of the study was to develop triaging tools that identified such patients and compare them with other scoring systems. The methodology included a retrospective analysis of physiological and arterial gas measurements from 1976 acute medical admissions produced PREEMPT-1 (PRE-critical Emergency Medical Patient Triage). A simpler one for ambulance use (PREAMBLE-1 [PRE-Admission Medical Blue-Light Emergency]) was produced by the addition of peripheral oxygen saturation to a modification of MEWS (Modified Early Warning Score). Prospective application of these tools produced a larger database of 4447 acute admissions from which logistic regression models produced PREEMPT-2 and PREAMBLE-2, which were then compared with the original systems and seven other early warning scoring systems. Results showed that in patients with arterial gases, the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve was significantly higher in PREEMPT-2 (89·1%) and PREAMBLE-2 (84.4%) than all other scoring systems. Similarly, in all patients, it was higher in PREAMBLE-2 (92·4%) than PREAMBLE-1 (88·1%) and the other scoring systems. In conclusion, risk of requiring ICU can be more accurately predicted using PREEMPT-2 and PREAMBLE-2, as described here, than by other early warning scoring systems developed over recent years.

  16. Fatores associados às internações hospitalares no Brasil Analysis of hospital admissions associated factors in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mônica Silva Monteiro de Castro

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo foi identificar fatores associados às admissões hospitalares no Brasil, analisando se essa utilização é eqüitativa e identificando características associadas aos grandes usuários. A PNAD/1998 foi analisada, utilizando regressão logística e regressão logística multinomial, com pesos normalizados e técnicas estatísticas para correção do efeito de desenho. O modelo teórico utilizado foi o Comportamental de Andersen. No modelo ajustado por necessidade de saúde e fatores capacitantes, pessoas com menor renda apresentaram maior chance de se internar; o contrário ocorreu no modelo ajustado somente por necessidade de saúde. Todas as variáveis de necessidade mostraram-se menos relacionadas ao uso nas pessoas com duas internações, em comparação com aquelas com mais do que duas internações. Não houve associação entre variáveis sociais e ocorrência de duas internações, mas essa associação ocorreu para três ou mais internações. A redução das desigualdades sociais nos aspectos que "capacitam" ao uso de admissões hospitalares reduziria as desigualdades neste uso. Um sistema de saúde que ofereça um "serviço de uso regular", além de baixo ou nenhum pagamento no ato do consumo, seriam medidas de impacto positivo na eqüidade do consumo de serviços hospitalares no Brasil.The objective was to identify hospital admission associated factors in Brazil, analyzing if that utilization is equitable and identifying which characteristics are associated with heavy users. We analyzed data from the 1998 National Household Survey, using logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression, with normalized weights and statistical techniques to correct for design effect. We used Andersen's Behavioral Model as the theoretical model for this analysis. In model adjusted for health needs and enabling factors, people with smaller income had more chance of being admitted to hospital; and in model adjusted only for health

  17. Apparent temperature and cause-specific emergency hospital admissions in Greater Copenhagen, Denmark.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wichmann, Janine; Andersen, Zorana; Ketzel, Matthias; Ellermann, Thomas; Loft, Steffen

    2011-01-01

    One of the key climate change factors, temperature, has potentially grave implications for human health. We report the first attempt to investigate the association between the daily 3-hour maximum apparent temperature (Tapp(max)) and respiratory (RD), cardiovascular (CVD), and cerebrovascular (CBD) emergency hospital admissions in Copenhagen, controlling for air pollution. The study period covered 1 January 2002-31 December 2006, stratified in warm and cold periods. A case-crossover design was applied. Susceptibility (effect modification) by age, sex, and socio-economic status was investigated. For an IQR (8°C) increase in the 5-day cumulative average of Tapp(max), a 7% (95% CI: 1%, 13%) increase in the RD admission rate was observed in the warm period whereas an inverse association was found with CVD (-8%, 95% CI: -13%, -4%), and none with CBD. There was no association between the 5-day cumulative average of Tapp(max) during the cold period and any of the cause-specific admissions, except in some susceptible groups: a negative association for RD in the oldest age group and a positive association for CVD in men and the second highest SES group. In conclusion, an increase in Tapp(max) is associated with a slight increase in RD and decrease in CVD admissions during the warmer months.

  18. Air pollution and hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in Lanzhou, China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tao, Yan; Mi, Shengquan; Zhou, Shuhong; Wang, Shigong; Xie, Xiaoyun

    2014-01-01

    Lanzhou is among the most seriously air-polluted cities in China as a whole, due to its unique topography, climate, industrial structure and so on. We studied the relationship between different air pollution and respiratory hospitalizations from 2001 to 2005, the total of respiratory hospital admissions were 28,057. The data were analyzed using Poisson regression models after controlling for the long time trend for air pollutants, the “day of week” effect and confounding meteorological factors. Three air pollutants (PM 10 , SO 2 , NO 2 ) had a lag effect, the lag was 3–5 days for PM 10 , 1–3 days for SO 2 and 1–4 days for NO 2 . The relative risks were calculated for increases in the inter-quartile range of the pollutants (139 μg/m 3 in PM 10 , 61 μg/m 3 in SO 2 and 31 μg/m 3 in NO 2 ). Results showed that there were significant associations between air pollutants and respiratory hospital admissions, and stronger effects were observed for females and aged ≥65 yrs in Lanzhou. -- There were significant associations between air pollutants and respiratory diseases with lag effect, and the aged and female people are more vulnerable to air pollutants. -- Highlights: • We assess the association between different air pollutants and respiratory diseases in 2001–2005. • The associations are significant and show a lag effect. • The lag was 3–5 days for PM 10 , 1–3 days for SO 2 and 1–4 days for NO 2

  19. The family physician's perceived role in preventing and guiding hospital admissions at the end of life: a focus group study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyniers, Thijs; Houttekier, Dirk; Pasman, H Roeline; Stichele, Robert Vander; Cohen, Joachim; Deliens, Luc

    2014-01-01

    Family physicians play a pivotal role in providing end-of-life care and in enabling terminally ill patients to die in familiar surroundings. The purpose of this study was to explore the family physicians' perceptions of their role and the difficulties they have in preventing and guiding hospital admissions at the end of life. Five focus groups were held with family physicians (N= 39) in Belgium. Discussions were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Five key roles in preventing and guiding hospital admissions at the end of life were identified: as a care planner, anticipating future scenarios; as an initiator of decisions in acute situations, mostly in an advisory manner; as a provider of end-of-life care, in which competency and attitude is considered important; as a provider of support, particularly by being available during acute situations; and as a decision maker, taking overall responsibility. Family physicians face many different and complex roles and difficulties in preventing and guiding hospital admissions at the end of life. Enhancing the family physician's role as a gatekeeper to hospital services, offering the physicians more end-of-life care training, and developing or expanding initiatives to support them could contribute to a lower proportion of hospital admissions at the end of life. © 2014 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

  20. Impact of 2 Successive Smoking Bans on Hospital Admissions for Cardiovascular Diseases in Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galán, Iñaki; Simón, Lorena; Boldo, Elena; Ortiz, Cristina; Medrano, María José; Fernández-Cuenca, Rafael; Linares, Cristina; Pastor-Barriuso, Roberto

    2018-04-16

    To evaluate the impact of 2 smoking bans enacted in 2006 (partial ban) and 2011 (comprehensive ban) on hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease in the Spanish adult population. The study was performed in 14 provinces in Spain. Hospital admission records were collected for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), ischemic heart disease (IHD), and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) in patients aged ≥ 18 years from 2003 through 2012. We estimated immediate and 1-year effects with segmented-linear models. The coefficients for each province were combined using random-effects multivariate meta-analysis models. Overall, changes in admission rates immediately following the implementation of the partial ban and 1 year later were -1.8% and +1.2% for AMI, +0.1 and +0.4% for IHD, and +1.0% and +2.8% for CVD (P>.05). After the comprehensive ban, immediate changes were -2.3% for AMI, -2.6% for IHD, and -0.8% for CVD (P>.05), only to return to precomprehensive ban values 1 year later. For patients aged ≥ 65 years of age, immediate changes associated with the comprehensive ban were -5.0%, -3.9%, and -2.3% for AMI, IHD, and CVD, respectively (P<.05). Again, the 1-year changes were not statistically significant. In Spain, smoking bans failed to significantly reduce hospitalizations for AMI, IHD, or CVD among patients ≥ 18 years of age. In the population aged ≥ 65 years, hospital admissions due to these diseases showed significant decreases immediately after the implementation of the comprehensive ban, but these reductions disappeared at the 1-year evaluation. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  1. A retrospective study of the impact of a telephone alert service (Healthy Outlook) on hospital admissions for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarran, Christophe; Halpin, David; Levy, Mark L; Prigmore, Samantha; Sachon, Patrick

    2014-10-23

    Healthy Outlook is a service delivered by the UK Met Office directly to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that has been in place since 2006. Its objective is to reduce the severity and length of COPD exacerbations, hence improving the quality of life and life expectancy. To assess the effect of the Healthy Outlook service on hospital admission rates of all general practitioners that have used the service. Control practices were selected for each of the 661 participating practices. The number of hospital admissions for each practice was extracted from the Hospital Episode Statistics database. The differences in admission rates per practice between the first year of use of the Healthy Outlook service and the previous year were compared by paired t-test analyses. For admissions with a primary diagnosis of COPD, the difference between participating and control practices was -0.8% (95% confidence interval (CI)=-1.8 to 0.2%; P=0.13). For admissions with a primary or co-morbid diagnosis of COPD, the difference was -2.3% (95% CI=-4.2 to -0.4%; P=0.02). Participation in the Healthy Outlook service reduces hospital admission rates for patients coded on discharge with COPD (including co-morbid).

  2. Simplicity within complexity: Seasonality and predictability of hospital admissions in the province of Ontario 1988–2001, a population-based analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moineddin Rahim

    2005-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Seasonality is a common feature of communicable diseases. Less well understood is whether seasonal patterns occur for non-communicable diseases. The overall effect of seasonal fluctuations on hospital admissions has not been systematically evaluated. Methods This study employed time series methods on a population based retrospective cohort of for the fifty two most common causes of hospital admissions in the province of Ontario from 1988–2001. Seasonal patterns were assessed by spectral analysis and autoregressive methods. Predictive models were fit with regression techniques. Results The results show that 33 of the 52 most common admission diagnoses are moderately or strongly seasonal in occurrence; 96.5% of the predicted values were within the 95% confidence interval, with 37 series having all values within the 95% confidence interval. Conclusion The study shows that hospital admissions have systematic patterns that can be understood and predicted with reasonable accuracy. These findings have implications for understanding disease etiology and health care policy and planning.

  3. Patient participation in medication safety during an acute care admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McTier, Lauren; Botti, Mari; Duke, Maxine

    2015-10-01

    Patient participation in medication management during hospitalization is thought to reduce medication errors and, following discharge, improve adherence and therapeutic use of medications. There is, however, limited understanding of how patients participate in their medication management while hospitalized. To explore patient participation in the context of medication management during a hospital admission for a cardiac surgical intervention of patients with cardiovascular disease. Single institution, case study design. The unit of analysis was a cardiothoracic ward of a major metropolitan, tertiary referral hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Multiple methods of data collection were used including pre-admission and pre-discharge patient interviews (n = 98), naturalistic observations (n = 48) and focus group interviews (n = 2). All patients had changes made to their pre-operative cardiovascular medications as a consequence of surgery. More patients were able to list and state the purpose and side-effects of their cardiovascular medications at pre-admission than prior to discharge from hospital. There was very little evidence that nurses used opportunities such as medication administration times to engage patients in medication management during hospital admission. Failure to engage patients in medication management and provide opportunities for patients to learn about changes to their medications has implications for the quality and safety of care patients receive in hospital and when managing their medications once discharged. To increase the opportunity for patients to participate in medication management, a fundamental shift in the way nurses currently provide care is required. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Variability of intensive care admission decisions for the very elderly.

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    Ariane Boumendil

    Full Text Available Although increasing numbers of very elderly patients are requiring intensive care, few large sample studies have investigated ICU admission of very elderly patients. Data on pre triage by physicians from other specialities is limited. This observational cohort study aims at examining inter-hospital variability of ICU admission rates and its association with patients' outcomes. All patients over 80 years possibly qualifying for ICU admission who presented to the emergency departments (ED of 15 hospitals in the Paris (France area during a one-year period were prospectively included in the study. Main outcome measures were ICU eligibility, as assessed by the ED and ICU physicians; in-hospital mortality; and vital and functional status 6 months after the ED visit. 2646 patients (median age 86; interquartile range 83-91 were included in the study. 94% of participants completed follow-up (n = 2495. 12.4% (n = 329 of participants were deemed eligible for ICU admission by ED physicians and intensivists. The overall in-hospital and 6-month mortality rates were respectively 27.2% (n = 717 and 50.7% (n = 1264. At six months, 57.5% (n = 1433 of patients had died or had a functional deterioration. Rates of patients deemed eligible for ICU admission ranged from 5.6% to 38.8% across the participating centers, and this variability persisted after adjustment for patients' characteristics. Despite this variability, we found no association between level of ICU eligibility and either in-hospital death or six-month death or functional deterioration. In France, the likelihood that a very elderly person will be admitted to an ICU varies widely from one hospital to another. Influence of intensive care admission on patients' outcome remains unclear.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00912600.

  5. Comparison of dementia recorded in routinely collected hospital admission data in England with dementia recorded in primary care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Anna; Kirichek, Oksana; Balkwill, Angela; Reeves, Gillian; Beral, Valerie; Sudlow, Cathie; Gallacher, John; Green, Jane

    2016-01-01

    Electronic linkage of UK cohorts to routinely collected National Health Service (NHS) records provides virtually complete follow-up for cause-specific hospital admissions and deaths. The reliability of dementia diagnoses recorded in NHS hospital data is not well documented. For a sample of Million Women Study participants in England we compared dementia recorded in routinely collected NHS hospital data (Hospital Episode Statistics: HES) with dementia recorded in two separate sources of primary care information: a primary care database [Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), n = 340] and a survey of study participants' General Practitioners (GPs, n = 244). Dementia recorded in HES fully agreed both with CPRD and with GP survey data for 85% of women; it did not agree for 1 and 4%, respectively. Agreement was uncertain for the remaining 14 and 11%, respectively; and among those classified as having uncertain agreement in CPRD, non-specific terms compatible with dementia, such as 'memory loss', were recorded in the CPRD database for 79% of the women. Agreement was significantly better (p primary care (CPRD) than in hospital (HES) data. Age-specific rates for dementia based on the hospital admission data were lower than the rates based on the primary care data, but were similar if the delay in recording in HES was taken into account. Dementia recorded in routinely collected NHS hospital admission data for women in England agrees well with primary care records of dementia assessed separately from two different sources, and is sufficiently reliable for epidemiological research.

  6. Trends in Hospital Admission and Surgical Procedures Following ED visits for Diverticulitis

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    Margaret B. Greenwood-Ericksen

    2016-06-01

    , while ED admission rates and surgical rates declined, with comorbidity, sociodemographic factors predicting hospitalization. Future work should focus on determining if these differences reflect increased disease prevalence, increased diagnosis, or changes in management. [West J Emerg Med. 2016;17(4:409-417.

  7. Respiratory hospital admissions and weather changes: a retrospective study in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Robert E.; Enfield, Kyle B.

    2018-06-01

    In most midlatitude locations, human morbidity and mortality are highly seasonal, with winter peaks driven by respiratory disease and associated comorbidities. But the transition between high and low mortality/morbidity months varies spatially. We use a measure of the thermal biophysical strain imposed on the respiratory system—the Acclimatization Thermal Strain Index (ATSI)—to examine respiratory hospital admissions in Charlottesville, VA. Daily respiratory admissions to the University of Virginia over a 19-year period are compared to ATSI values derived from hourly surface weather data acquired from the Charlottesville airport. Negative ATSI values (associated with transitions from warm (and humid) to cold (and dry) conditions) are related to admission peaks at seasonal and weekly timescales, whereas positive ATSI values (cold to warm) exhibit weaker relationships. This research marks the first application of the ATSI to human morbidity, and results suggest that respiratory strain may account for how people who are acclimated to different climates respond to short-term weather changes.

  8. Respiratory hospital admissions and weather changes: a retrospective study in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Robert E.; Enfield, Kyle B.

    2018-02-01

    In most midlatitude locations, human morbidity and mortality are highly seasonal, with winter peaks driven by respiratory disease and associated comorbidities. But the transition between high and low mortality/morbidity months varies spatially. We use a measure of the thermal biophysical strain imposed on the respiratory system—the Acclimatization Thermal Strain Index (ATSI)—to examine respiratory hospital admissions in Charlottesville, VA. Daily respiratory admissions to the University of Virginia over a 19-year period are compared to ATSI values derived from hourly surface weather data acquired from the Charlottesville airport. Negative ATSI values (associated with transitions from warm (and humid) to cold (and dry) conditions) are related to admission peaks at seasonal and weekly timescales, whereas positive ATSI values (cold to warm) exhibit weaker relationships. This research marks the first application of the ATSI to human morbidity, and results suggest that respiratory strain may account for how people who are acclimated to different climates respond to short-term weather changes.

  9. Association between Ambient Air Pollution and Hospital Emergency Admissions for Respiratory and Cardiovascular Diseases in Beijing: a Time Series Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ying; Wang, Shi Gong; Ma, Yu Xia; Shang, Ke Zheng; Cheng, Yi Fan; Li, Xu; Ning, Gui Cai; Zhao, Wen Jing; Li, Nai Rong

    2015-05-01

    To investigate the association between ambient air pollution and hospital emergency admissions in Beijing. In this study, a semi-parametric generalized additive model (GAM) was used to evaluate the specific influences of air pollutants (PM10, SO2, and NO2) on hospital emergency admissions with different lag structures from 2009 to 2011, the sex and age specific influences of air pollution and the modifying effect of seasons on air pollution to analyze the possible interaction. It was found that a 10 μg/m3 increase in concentration of PM10 at lag 03 day, SO2 and NO2 at lag 0 day were associated with an increase of 0.88%, 0.76%, and 1.82% respectively in overall emergency admissions. A 10 μg/m3 increase in concentration of PM10, SO2 and NO2 at lag 5 day were associated with an increase of 1.39%, 1.56%, and 1.18% respectively in cardiovascular disease emergency admissions. For lag 02, a 10 μg/m3 increase in concentration of PM10, SO2 and NO2 were associated with 1.72%, 1.34%, and 2.57% increases respectively in respiratory disease emergency admissions. This study further confirmed that short-term exposure to ambient air pollution was associated with increased risk of hospital emergency admissions in Beijing. Copyright © 2015 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.

  10. Triumph of hope over experience: learning from interventions to reduce avoidable hospital admissions identified through an Academic Health and Social Care Network

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    Woodhams Victoria

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Internationally health services are facing increasing demands due to new and more expensive health technologies and treatments, coupled with the needs of an ageing population. Reducing avoidable use of expensive secondary care services, especially high cost admissions where no procedure is carried out, has become a focus for the commissioners of healthcare. Method We set out to identify, evaluate and share learning about interventions to reduce avoidable hospital admission across a regional Academic Health and Social Care Network (AHSN. We conducted a service evaluation identifying initiatives that had taken place across the AHSN. This comprised a literature review, case studies, and two workshops. Results We identified three types of intervention: pre-hospital; within the emergency department (ED; and post-admission evaluation of appropriateness. Pre-hospital interventions included the use of predictive modelling tools (PARR – Patients at risk of readmission and ACG – Adjusted Clinical Groups sometimes supported by community matrons or virtual wards. GP-advisers and outreach nurses were employed within the ED. The principal post-hoc interventions were the audit of records in primary care or the application of the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP within the admission ward. Overall there was a shortage of independent evaluation and limited evidence that each intervention had an impact on rates of admission. Conclusions Despite the frequency and cost of emergency admission there has been little independent evaluation of interventions to reduce avoidable admission. Commissioners of healthcare should consider interventions at all stages of the admission pathway, including regular audit, to ensure admission thresholds don’t change.

  11. Triumph of hope over experience: learning from interventions to reduce avoidable hospital admissions identified through an Academic Health and Social Care Network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woodhams, Victoria; de Lusignan, Simon; Mughal, Shakeel; Head, Graham; Debar, Safia; Desombre, Terry; Hilton, Sean; Al Sharifi, Houda

    2012-06-10

    Internationally health services are facing increasing demands due to new and more expensive health technologies and treatments, coupled with the needs of an ageing population. Reducing avoidable use of expensive secondary care services, especially high cost admissions where no procedure is carried out, has become a focus for the commissioners of healthcare. We set out to identify, evaluate and share learning about interventions to reduce avoidable hospital admission across a regional Academic Health and Social Care Network (AHSN). We conducted a service evaluation identifying initiatives that had taken place across the AHSN. This comprised a literature review, case studies, and two workshops. We identified three types of intervention: pre-hospital; within the emergency department (ED); and post-admission evaluation of appropriateness. Pre-hospital interventions included the use of predictive modelling tools (PARR - Patients at risk of readmission and ACG - Adjusted Clinical Groups) sometimes supported by community matrons or virtual wards. GP-advisers and outreach nurses were employed within the ED. The principal post-hoc interventions were the audit of records in primary care or the application of the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP) within the admission ward. Overall there was a shortage of independent evaluation and limited evidence that each intervention had an impact on rates of admission. Despite the frequency and cost of emergency admission there has been little independent evaluation of interventions to reduce avoidable admission. Commissioners of healthcare should consider interventions at all stages of the admission pathway, including regular audit, to ensure admission thresholds don't change.

  12. Effect of pentavalent rotavirus vaccine introduction on hospital admissions for diarrhoea and rotavirus in children in Rwanda: a time-series analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ngabo, Fidele; Tate, Jacqueline E; Gatera, Maurice; Rugambwa, Celse; Donnen, Philippe; Lepage, Philippe; Mwenda, Jason M; Binagwaho, Agnes; Parashar, Umesh D

    2016-02-01

    In May, 2012, Rwanda became the first low-income African country to introduce pentavalent rotavirus vaccine into its routine national immunisation programme. Although the potential health benefits of rotavirus vaccination are huge in low-income African countries that account for more than half the global deaths from rotavirus, concerns remain about the performance of oral rotavirus vaccines in these challenging settings. We conducted a time-series analysis to examine trends in admissions to hospital for non-bloody diarrhoea in children younger than 5 years in Rwanda between Jan 1, 2009, and Dec 31, 2014, using monthly discharge data from the Health Management Information System. Additionally, we reviewed the registries in the paediatric wards at six hospitals from 2009 to 2014 and abstracted the number of total admissions and admissions for diarrhoea in children younger than 5 years by admission month and age group. We studied trends in admissions specific to rotavirus at one hospital that had undertaken active rotavirus surveillance from 2011 to 2014. We assessed changes in rotavirus epidemiology by use of data from eight active surveillance hospitals. Compared with the 2009-11 prevaccine baseline, hospital admissions for non-bloody diarrhoea captured by the Health Management Information System fell by 17-29% from a pre-vaccine median of 4051 to 2881 in 2013 and 3371 in 2014, admissions for acute gastroenteritis captured in paediatric ward registries decreased by 48-49%, and admissions specific to rotavirus captured by active surveillance fell by 61-70%. The greatest effect was recorded in children age-eligible to be vaccinated, but we noted a decrease in the proportion of children with diarrhoea testing positive for rotavirus in almost every age group. The number of admissions to hospital for diarrhoea and rotavirus in Rwanda fell substantially after rotavirus vaccine implementation, including among older children age-ineligible for vaccination, suggesting

  13. Patterns of hospital admission with epistaxis for 26,725 patients over an 18-year period in Wales, UK

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fishpool, SJC; Tomkinson, A

    2012-01-01

    INTRODUCTION Epistaxis is the one of the most common otorhinolaryngology emergencies. This study examined the age and sex distribution of all patients admitted with epistaxis to National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in Wales, UK, over a period of 18 years and 9 months. METHODS The Patient Episode Database for Wales was examined for all patient admissions with a diagnosis of epistaxis between April 1991 and December 2009. The age and sex of these patients was recorded and the proportion of the underlying population affected was calculated by comparing admission rates to the population data derived from the 1991 and 2001 national population censuses for Wales. RESULTS A total of 26,725 patients were admitted to NHS hospitals in Wales with epistaxis over the period studied. The proportion of the population admitted with epistaxis increased from the age of 40 onwards. For all ages except patients in the 10–14 years group, a higher proportion of the male population was admitted with epistaxis than the comparable female population. This discrepancy was most pronounced between the ages of 15 and 49 years, with the female-to-male ratio of hospital admissions with epistaxis being 0.55. These ages (15 and 49 years) approximate the average age of menarche and menopause respectively in the UK. CONCLUSIONS Women of menstrual age have fewer hospital admissions with epistaxis. This may be due to oestrogens providing protection to the nasal vasculature (as they do to other areas of the vascular tree). PMID:23131225

  14. Geography of hospital admissions for multiple sclerosis in England and comparison with the geography of hospital admissions for infectious mononucleosis: a descriptive study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramagopalan, Sreeram V; Hoang, Uy; Seagroatt, Valerie; Handel, Adam; Ebers, George C; Giovannoni, Gavin

    2011-01-01

    Objective It is well recognised that variation in the geographical distribution of multiple sclerosis (MS) exists. Early studies in England have shown the disease to have been more common in the North than the South. However, this could be an artefact of inaccurate diagnosis and ascertainment, and recent data on MS prevalence are lacking. In the present study, data were analysed to provide a more contemporary map of the distribution of MS in England and, as infectious mononucleosis (IM) has been shown to be associated with the risk of MS, the geographical distribution of IM with that of MS was compared. Methods Analysis of linked statistical abstracts of hospital data for England between 1999 and 2005. Results There were 56 681 MS patients. The admission rate for MS was higher in females (22/105; 95% CI 21.8 to 22.3) than males (10.4/105; 95% CI 10.2 to 10.5). The highest admission rate for MS was seen for residents of Cumbria and Lancashire (North of England) (20.1/105; 95% CI 19.3 to 20.8) and the lowest admission rate was for North West London residents (South of England) (12.4/105; 95% CI 11.8 to 13.1). The geographical distributions of IM and MS were significantly correlated (weighted regression coefficient (r (w))=0.70, p<0.0001). Admission rates for MS were lowest in the area quintile with the highest level of deprivation and they were also lowest in the area quintile with the highest percentage of population born outside the UK. A significant association between northernliness and MS remained after adjustment for deprivation and UK birthplace. Conclusions The results show the continued existence of a latitude gradient for MS in England and show a correlation with the distribution of IM. The data have implications for healthcare provision, because lifetime costs of MS exceed £1 million per case in the UK, as well as for studies of disease causality and prevention. PMID:21212107

  15. Apparent temperature and cause-specific emergency hospital admissions in Greater Copenhagen, Denmark.

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    Janine Wichmann

    Full Text Available One of the key climate change factors, temperature, has potentially grave implications for human health. We report the first attempt to investigate the association between the daily 3-hour maximum apparent temperature (Tapp(max and respiratory (RD, cardiovascular (CVD, and cerebrovascular (CBD emergency hospital admissions in Copenhagen, controlling for air pollution. The study period covered 1 January 2002-31 December 2006, stratified in warm and cold periods. A case-crossover design was applied. Susceptibility (effect modification by age, sex, and socio-economic status was investigated. For an IQR (8°C increase in the 5-day cumulative average of Tapp(max, a 7% (95% CI: 1%, 13% increase in the RD admission rate was observed in the warm period whereas an inverse association was found with CVD (-8%, 95% CI: -13%, -4%, and none with CBD. There was no association between the 5-day cumulative average of Tapp(max during the cold period and any of the cause-specific admissions, except in some susceptible groups: a negative association for RD in the oldest age group and a positive association for CVD in men and the second highest SES group. In conclusion, an increase in Tapp(max is associated with a slight increase in RD and decrease in CVD admissions during the warmer months.

  16. [GeSIDA quality care indicators associated with mortality and hospital admission for the care of persons infected by HIV/AIDS].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delgado-Mejía, Elena; Frontera-Juan, Guillem; Murillas-Angoiti, Javier; Campins-Roselló, Antoni Abdon; Gil-Alonso, Leire; Peñaranda-Vera, María; Ribas Del Blanco, María Angels; Martín-Pena, María Luisa; Riera-Jaume, Melchor

    2017-02-01

    In 2010, the AIDS Study Group (Grupo de Estudio del SIDA [GESIDA]) developed 66 quality care indicators. The aim of this study is to determine which of these indicators are associated with mortality and hospital admission, and to perform a preliminary assessment of a prediction rule for mortality and hospital admission in patients on treatment and follow-up. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in the Hospital Universitario Son Espases (Palma de Mallorca, Spain). Eligible participants were patients with human immunodeficiency syndrome≥18 years old who began follow-up in the Infectious Disease Section between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2012. A descriptive analysis was performed to evaluate anthropometric variables, and a logistic regression analysis to assess the association between GESIDA indicators and mortality/admission. The mortality probability model was built using logistic regression. A total of 1,944 adults were eligible (median age: 37 years old, 78.8% male). In the multivariate analysis, the quality of care indicators associated with mortality in the follow-up patient group were the items 7, 16 and 20, and in the group of patients on treatment were 7, 16, 20, 35, and 38. The quality of care indicators associated with hospital admissions in the follow-up patients group were the same as those in the mortality analysis, plus number 31. In the treatment group the associated quality of care indicators were items 7, 16, 20, 35, 38, and 40. Some GeSIDA quality of care indicators were associated with mortality and/or hospital admissions. These indicators are associated with delayed diagnosis, regular monitoring, prevention of infections, and control of comorbidities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

  17. The effect of testosterone and a nutritional supplement on hospital admissions in under-nourished, older people

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    Cameron Ian D

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Weight loss and under-nutrition are relatively common in older people, and are associated with poor outcomes including increased rates of hospital admissions and death. In a pilot study of 49 undernourished older, community dwelling people we found that daily treatment for one year with a combination of testosterone tablets and a nutritional supplement produced a significant reduction in hospitalizations. We propose a larger, multicentre study to explore and hopefully confirm this exciting, potentially important finding (NHMRC project grant number 627178. Methods/Design One year randomized control trial where subjects are allocated to either oral testosterone undecanoate and high calorie oral nutritional supplement or placebo medication and low calorie oral nutritional supplementation. 200 older community-dwelling, undernourished people [Mini Nutritional Assessment score 2: 7.5% over 3 months]. Hospital admissions, quality-adjusted life years, functional status, nutritional health, muscle strength, body composition and other variables will be assessed. Discussion The pilot study showed that combined treatment with an oral testosterone and a supplement drink was well tolerated and safe, and reduced the number of people hospitalised and duration of hospital admissions in undernourished, community dwelling older people. This is an exciting finding, as it identifies a treatment which may be of substantial benefit to many older people in our community. We now propose to conduct a multi-centre study to test these findings in a substantially larger subject group, and to determine the cost effectiveness of this treatment. Trial registration Australian Clinical Trial Registry: ACTRN 12610000356066

  18. Reductions in 28-Day Mortality Following Hospital Admission for Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crooks, Colin; Card, Tim; West, Joe

    2011-01-01

    Background & Aims It is unclear whether mortality from upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage is changing: any differences observed might result from changes in age or comorbidity of patient populations. We estimated trends in 28-day mortality in England following hospital admission for gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Methods We used a case-control study design to analyze data from all adults administered to a National Health Service hospital, for upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage, from 1999 to 2007 (n = 516,153). Cases were deaths within 28 days of admission (n = 74,992), and controls were survivors to 28 days. The 28-day mortality was derived from the linked national death register. A logistic regression model was used to adjust trends in nonvariceal and variceal hemorrhage mortality for age, sex, and comorbidities and to investigate potential interactions. Results During the study period, the unadjusted, overall, 28-day mortality following nonvariceal hemorrhage was reduced from 14.7% to 13.1% (unadjusted odds ratio, 0.87; 95% confidence interval: 0.84–0.90). The mortality following variceal hemorrhage was reduced from 24.6% to 20.9% (unadjusted odds ratio, 0.8; 95% confidence interval: 0.69–0.95). Adjustments for age and comorbidity partly accounted for the observed trends in mortality. Different mortality trends were identified for different age groups following nonvariceal hemorrhage. Conclusions The 28-day mortality in England following both nonvariceal and variceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage decreased from 1999 to 2007, and the reduction had been partly obscured by changes in patient age and comorbidities. Our findings indicate that the overall management of bleeding has improved within the first 4 weeks of admission. PMID:21447331

  19. A comparative study of hospital admissions for respiratory diseases during normal and dusty days in Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geravandi, Sahar; Sicard, Pierre; Khaniabadi, Yusef Omidi; De Marco, Alessandra; Ghomeishi, Ali; Goudarzi, Gholamreza; Mahboubi, Mohammad; Yari, Ahmad Reza; Dobaradaran, Sina; Hassani, Ghasem; Mohammadi, Mohammad Javad; Sadeghi, Shahram

    2017-08-01

    During the last century, most of people around the world moved from communicable to non-communicable diseases, mainly due to air pollution. Air pollutants and dust storm increase risk of morbidity, for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and increase the number of deaths. The city of Ahvaz is considered as the focal point of air pollution and dust storm in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the number of Hospital Admission Respiratory Disease (HARD) including asthma attacks, acute bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease attributed to PM 10 by a descriptive study during normal and dust event days in Ahvaz during the time period 2010-2012. The hourly PM 10 data was collected from the Iranian Environmental Protection Agency and Razi hospital. The annual PM 10 mean concentrations reached 282, 288 and 278 μg/m 3 in 2010, 2011 and 2012, respectively. The number of HARD attributed to PM 10 was 1438, 1945 and 1393 people, respectively, and the highest number of daily admissions was attributed to the highest daily PM 10 concentration in Ahvaz. The average number of daily HARD during dusty days was higher than normal days, and a significant positive correlation, between the number of hospital admissions and dusty days, was found. Dust had significant impact on HARD in Ahvaz.

  20. Ultrafine and Fine Particles and Hospital Admissions in Central Europe Results from the UFIREG Study

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Lanzinger, S.; Schneider, A.; Breitner, S.; Stafoggia, M.; Erzen, I.; Dostál, Miroslav; Pastorková, Anna; Bastian, S.; Cyrys, J.; Zscheppang, A.; Kolodnitská, T.; Peters, A.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 194, č. 10 (2016), s. 1233-1241 ISSN 1073-449X Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : ultrafine particles * particulate matter * hospital admissions * respiratory Subject RIV: DN - Health Impact of the Environment Quality Impact factor: 13.204, year: 2016

  1. The ICU trial: a new admission policy for cancer patients requiring mechanical ventilation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lecuyer, Lucien; Chevret, Sylvie; Thiery, Guillaume; Darmon, Michael; Schlemmer, Benoît; Azoulay, Elie

    2007-03-01

    Cancer patients requiring mechanical ventilation are widely viewed as poor candidates for intensive care unit (ICU) admission. We designed a prospective study evaluating a new admission policy titled The ICU Trial. Prospective study. Intensive care unit. One hundred eighty-eight patients requiring mechanical ventilation and having at least one other organ failure. Over a 3-yr period, all patients with hematologic malignancies or solid tumors proposed for ICU admission underwent a triage procedure. Bedridden patients and patients in whom palliative care was the only cancer treatment option were not admitted to the ICU. Patients at earliest phase of the malignancy (diagnosis ventilation, vasopressors, or dialysis after 3 days in the ICU died. Survival was 40% in mechanically ventilated cancer patients who survived to day 5 and 21.8% overall. If these results are confirmed in future interventional studies, we recommend ICU admission with full-code management followed by reappraisal on day 6 in all nonbedridden cancer patients for whom lifespan-extending cancer treatment is available.

  2. The influence of the day of the week of hospital admission on the prognosis of stroke patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barros, Juliana B; Goulart, Alessandra Carvalho; Alencar, Airlane P; Lotufo, Paulo A; Bensenor, Isabela M

    2013-04-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the weekday and weekend distribution of stroke case hospital admissions and their respective prognosis based on a sample from the Estudo de Mortalidade e Morbidade do Acidente Vascular Cerebral (EMMA), a cohort of stroke patients admitted to a community hospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. We ascertained all consecutive cases of first-time strokes between April 2006 and December 2008 and performed a subsequent one-year follow-up. No association was found between frequency of hospital admissions due to ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes and the specific day of the week on which the admission occurred. However, ten-day and twelve-month case-fatality was higher in hemorrhagic stroke patients admitted at the weekend. We also found that intracerebral hemorrhage patients admitted on weekends had a worse survival rate (50%) compared with those admitted during weekdays (25.6%, P log-rank = 0.03). We found a multivariate hazard ratio of 2.49 (95%CI: 1.10-5.81, P trend = 0.03) for risk of death at the weekend compared to weekdays for intracerebral hemorrhage cases. No difference in survival was observed with respect to the overall sample of stroke or ischemic stroke patients.

  3. Diagnostic accuracy, incremental yield and prognostic value of Determine TB-LAM for routine diagnostic testing for tuberculosis in HIV-infected patients requiring acute hospital admission in South Africa: a prospective cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawn, Stephen D; Kerkhoff, Andrew D; Burton, Rosie; Schutz, Charlotte; Boulle, Andrew; Vogt, Monica; Gupta-Wright, Ankur; Nicol, Mark P; Meintjes, Graeme

    2017-03-21

    We previously reported that one-third of HIV-positive adults requiring medical admission to a South African district hospital had laboratory-confirmed tuberculosis (TB) and that almost two-thirds of cases could be rapidly diagnosed using Xpert MTB/RIF-testing of concentrated urine samples obtained on the first day of admission. Implementation of urine-based, routine, point-of-care TB screening is an attractive intervention that might be facilitated by use of a simple, low-cost diagnostic tool, such as the Determine TB-LAM lateral-flow rapid test for HIV-associated TB. Sputum, urine and blood samples were systematically obtained from unselected HIV-positive adults within 24 hours of admission to a South African township hospital. Additional clinical samples were obtained during hospitalization as clinically indicated. TB was defined by the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in any sample using Xpert MTB/RIF or liquid culture. The diagnostic yield, accuracy and prognostic value of urine-lipoarabinomannan (LAM) testing were determined, but urine-LAM results did not inform treatment decisions. Consecutive HIV-positive adult acute medical admissions not already receiving TB treatment (n = 427) were enrolled regardless of clinical presentation or symptoms. TB was diagnosed in 139 patients (TB prevalence 32.6%; median CD4 count 80 cells/μL). In the first 24 hours of admission, sputum (spot and/or induced) samples were obtained from 37.0% of patients and urine samples from 99.5% of patients (P < 0.001). The diagnostic yields from these specimens were 19.4% (n = 27/139) for sputum-microscopy, 26.6% (n = 37/139) for sputum-Xpert, 38.1% (n = 53/139) for urine-LAM and 52.5% (n = 73/139) for sputum-Xpert/urine-LAM combined (P < 0.01). Corresponding yields among patients with CD4 counts <100 cells/μL were 18.9%, 24.3%, 55.4% and 63.5%, respectively (P < 0.01). The diagnostic yield of urine-LAM was unrelated to respiratory symptoms, and

  4. Trends in hospital admissions and surgical procedures for degenerative lumbar spine disease in England: a 15-year time-series study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sivasubramaniam, Vinothan; Patel, Hitesh C; Ozdemir, Baris A; Papadopoulos, Marios C

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Low back pain (LBP), from degenerative lumbar spine disease, represents a significant burden on healthcare resources. Studies worldwide report trends attributable to their country's specific demographics and healthcare system. Considering England's specific medico-socioeconomic conditions, we investigate recent trends in hospital admissions and procedures for LBP, and discuss the implications for the allocation of healthcare resources. Design Retrospective cohort study using Hospital Episode Statistics data relating to degenerative lumbar spine disease in England, between 1999 and 2013. Regression models were used to analyse trends. Outcome measures Trends in the number of admissions and procedures for LBP, mean patient age, gender and length of stay. Results Hospital admissions and procedures have increased significantly over the study period, from 127.09 to 216.16 and from 24.5 to 48.83 per 100 000, respectively, (pdisease, and highlight the need for services capable of dealing with the increased comorbidity burden associated with an ageing patient group. PMID:26671956

  5. Trends in alcohol-related admissions to hospital by age, sex and socioeconomic deprivation in England, 2002/03 to 2013/14

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark A Green

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Prevalence of alcohol-related harms in England are among the highest in Europe and represents an important policy issue. Understanding how alcohol-related trends vary by demographic factors is important for informing policy debates. The aim of our study was to examine trends in alcohol-related admissions to hospital in England, with a focus on variations by sex, age and socioeconomic deprivation. Methods We used data on hospital admissions for England for the financial years 2002/03 to 2013/14. Our four main outcome variables were acute and chronic conditions wholly and partially attributable to alcohol consumption. We also looked at four specific conditions wholly attributable to alcohol. Socioeconomic deprivation was measured using the English Indices of Deprivation of a patient’s residence (categorised by quintile. We calculated crude rates, age-specific rates (visualised by Lexis plots and directly standardised rates by deprivation category, separately for males and females. Results Total admissions for all alcohol-attributable admissions increased from 201,398 in 2002/03 to 303,716 in 2013/14. The relative increase of these admissions was larger than compared to non-alcohol attributable admissions. Acute admissions wholly attributable to alcohol had the largest relative increase of our outcome measures, and displayed a bimodal distribution with higher rates in adolescence/young adults and middle age. Chronic conditions wholly attributable to alcohol were concentrated in middle age (particularly males. While admission rates were generally higher for males, females had higher rates of hospitalisations due to ‘Intentional self-poisoning due to alcohol’. We also found evidence of wide social inequalities by level of deprivation, which were wider for men than compared to women across all of our outcome measures other than ‘Intentional self-poisoning due to alcohol’. Conclusions Our study expands the evidence base to

  6. Seasonal variations in hospital admissions for mania

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Medici, Clara Reece; Vestergaard, Claus Høstrup; Hadzi-Pavlovic, Dusan

    2016-01-01

    in summer. Higher admission rates were associated with more sunshine, more ultraviolet radiation, higher temperature and less snow but were unassociated with rainfall. We did not find a secular trend in the seasonal pattern. Finally, neither gender nor admission status impacted on the overall seasonal...

  7. The emergency to home project: impact of an emergency department care coordinator on hospital admission and emergency department utilization among seniors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bond, Christopher Matthew; Freiheit, Elizabeth A; Podruzny, Lesley; Kingsly, Alianu Akawakun; Wang, Dongmei; Davenport, Jamie; Gutscher, Abram; Askin, Cathy; Taylor, Allison; Lee, Vivian; Choo, Queenie; Lang, Eddy Samuel

    2014-01-01

    Seniors comprise 14% to 21% of all emergency department (ED) visits, yet are disproportionately larger users of ED and inpatient resources. ED care coordinators (EDCCs) target seniors at risk for functional decline and connect them to home care and other community services in hopes of avoiding hospitalization. The goal of this study was to measure the association between the presence of EDCCs and admission rates for seniors aged ≥ 65. Secondary outcomes included length of stay, recidivism at 30 days, and revisit resulting in admission at 30 days. This was a matched pairs study using administrative data from eight EDs in six Alberta cities. Four of these hospitals were intervention sites, in which patients were seen by an EDCC, while the other four sites had no EDCC presence. All seniors aged ≥ 65 with a discharge diagnosis of fall or musculoskeletal pathology were included. Cases were matched by CTAS category, age, gender, mode of arrival, and home living environment. McNemar's test for matched pairs was used to compare admission and recidivism rates at EDCC and non-EDCC hospitals. A paired t-test was used to compare length of stay between groups. There were no statistically significant differences for baseline admission rate, revisit rate at 30 days, and readmission rate at 30 days between EDCC and non-EDCC patients. This study showed no reduction in senior patients' admission rates, recidivism at 30 days, or hospital length of stay when comparing seniors seen by an EDCC with those not seen by an EDCC.

  8. Patients with worsening chronic heart failure who present to a hospital emergency department require hospital care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shafazand Masoud

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic heart failure (CHF is a major public health problem characterised by progressive deterioration with disabling symptoms and frequent hospital admissions. To influence hospitalisation rates it is crucial to identify precipitating factors. To characterise patients with CHF who seek an emergency department (ED because of worsening symptoms and signs and to explore the reasons why they are admitted to hospital. Method Patients (n = 2,648 seeking care for dyspnoea were identified at the ED, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra. Out of 2,648 patients, 1,127 had a previous diagnosis of CHF, and of these, 786 were included in the present study with at least one sign and one symptom of worsening CHF. Results Although several of the patients wanted to go home after acute treatment in the ED, only 2% could be sent home. These patients were enrolled in an interventional study, which evaluated the acute care at home compared to the conventional, in hospital care. The remaining patients were admitted to hospital because of serious condition, including pneumonia/respiratory disease, myocardial infarction, pulmonary oedema, anaemia, the need to monitor cardiac rhythm, pathological blood chemistry and difficulties to communicate. Conclusion The vast majority of patients with worsening CHF seeking the ED required hospital care, predominantly because of co-morbidities. Patients with CHF with symptomatic deterioration may be admitted to hospital without additional emergency room investigations.

  9. Substantial shifts in ranking of California hospitals by hospital-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection following adjustment for hospital characteristics and case mix.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tehrani, David M; Phelan, Michael J; Cao, Chenghua; Billimek, John; Datta, Rupak; Nguyen, Hoanglong; Kwark, Homin; Huang, Susan S

    2014-10-01

    States have established public reporting of hospital-associated (HA) infections-including those of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-but do not account for hospital case mix or postdischarge events. Identify facility-level characteristics associated with HA-MRSA infection admissions and create adjusted hospital rankings. A retrospective cohort study of 2009-2010 California acute care hospitals. We defined HA-MRSA admissions as involving MRSA pneumonia or septicemia events arising during hospitalization or within 30 days after discharge. We used mandatory hospitalization and US Census data sets to generate hospital population characteristics by summarizing across admissions. Facility-level factors associated with hospitals' proportions of HA-MRSA infection admissions were identified using generalized linear models. Using state methodology, hospitals were categorized into 3 tiers of HA-MRSA infection prevention performance, using raw and adjusted values. Among 323 hospitals, a median of 16 HA-MRSA infections (range, 0-102) per 10,000 admissions was found. Hospitals serving a greater proportion of patients who had serious comorbidities, were from low-education zip codes, and were discharged to locations other than home were associated with higher HA-MRSA infection risk. Total concordance between all raw and adjusted hospital rankings was 0.45 (95% confidence interval, 0.40-0.51). Among 53 community hospitals in the poor-performance category, more than 20% moved into the average-performance category after adjustment. Similarly, among 71 hospitals in the superior-performance category, half moved into the average-performance category after adjustment. When adjusting for nonmodifiable facility characteristics and case mix, hospital rankings based on HA-MRSA infections substantially changed. Quality indicators for hospitals require adequate adjustment for patient population characteristics for valid interhospital performance comparisons.

  10. A modified Elixhauser score for predicting in-hospital mortality in internal medicine admissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fabbian, Fabio; De Giorgi, Alfredo; Maietti, Elisa; Gallerani, Massimo; Pala, Marco; Cappadona, Rosaria; Manfredini, Roberto; Fedeli, Ugo

    2017-05-01

    In-hospital mortality (IHM) is an indicator of the quality of care provided. The two most widely used scores for predicting IHM by International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes are the Elixhauser (EI) and the Charlson Comorbidity indexes. Our aim was to obtain new measures based on internal medicine ICD codes for the original EI, to detect risk for IHM. This single-center retrospective study included hospital admissions for any cause in the department of internal medicine between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2013, recorded in the hospital database. The EI was calculated for evaluation of comorbidity, then we added age, gender and diagnosis of ischemic heart disease. IHM was our outcome. Only predictors positively associated with IHM were taken into consideration and the Sullivan's method was applied in order to modify the parameter estimates of the regression model into an index. We analyzed 75,586 admissions (53.4% females) and mean age was 72.7±16.3years. IHM was 7.9% and mean score was 12.1±7.6. The points assigned to each condition ranged from 0 to 16, and the possible range of the score varied between 0 and 89. In our population the score ranged from 0 to 54, and it was higher in the deceased group. Receiver operating characteristic curve of the new score was 0.721 (95% CI 0.714-0.727, pInternal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Paid family leave's effect on hospital admissions for pediatric abusive head trauma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klevens, Joanne; Luo, Feijun; Xu, Likang; Peterson, Cora; Latzman, Natasha E

    2016-12-01

    Paediatric abusive head trauma (AHT) is a leading cause of fatal child maltreatment among young children. Current prevention efforts have not been consistently effective. Policies such as paid parental leave could potentially prevent AHT, given its impacts on risk factors for child maltreatment. To explore associations between California's 2004 paid family leave (PFL) policy and hospital admissions for AHT, we used difference-in-difference analyses of 1995-2011 US state-level data before and after the policy in California and seven comparison states. Compared with seven states with no PFL policies, California's 2004 PFL showed a significant decrease in AHT admissions in both <1 and <2-year-olds. Analyses using additional data years and comparators could yield different results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  12. Pre-admission statin use and in-hospital severity of 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1 disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephen J Brett

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Statins are drugs that are used to lower plasma cholesterol levels. Recently, contradictory claims have been made about possible additional effects of statins on progression of a variety of inflammatory disorders, including infections. We therefore examined the clinical course of patients admitted to hospital with 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1, who were or weren't taking statins at time of admission.A retrospective case-control study was performed using the United Kingdom Influenza Clinical Information Network (FLU-CIN database, containing detailed information on 1,520 patients admitted to participating hospitals with confirmed 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1 infection between April 2009 and January 2010. We confined our analysis to those aged over 34 years. Univariate analysis was used to calculate unadjusted odds ratios (OR and 95 percent confidence intervals (95%CI for factors affecting progression to severe outcome (high dependency or intensive care unit level support or death (cases; two multivariable logistic regression models were then established for age and sex, and for age, sex, obesity and "indication for statin" (e.g., heart disease or hypercholesterolaemia.We found no statistically significant association between pre-admission statin use and severity of outcome after adjustment for age and sex [adjusted OR: 0.81 (95% CI: 0.46-1.38; n = 571]. After adjustment for age, sex, obesity and indication for statin, the association between pre-admission statin use and severe outcome was not statistically significant; point estimates are compatible with a small but clinically significant protective effect of statin use [adjusted OR: 0.72 (95% CI: 0.38-1.33].In this group of patients hospitalized with pandemic influenza, a significant beneficial effect of pre-admission statin use on the in-hospital course of illness was not identified. Although the database from which these observations are derived represents the largest available suitable

  13. Hospital Admission for Respiratory and Cardiovascular Diseases Due to Particulate Matter in Ilam, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daryanoosh

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Background Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter lower than 10 µm (PM10 has the most undesired adverse effects on human health. Several studies reported a strong correlation between PM levels and hospital admissions owing to chronic and acute respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Objectives The current study aimed to estimate the effect of PM10 as a primary pollutant on respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations in Ilam, Iran, in 2013. Methods PM10 data was taken from the Ilam environmental protection agency. The annual morbidity including hospital admission for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases due to PM10 exposure were estimated using relative risk (RR and baseline incidence (BI based on world health organization (WHO databases for AirQ2.2.3 model. Results The results showed that the maximum level of PM10 was obtained in summer with a concentration of 491 μg/m3. The cumulative number of excess cases admitted to the hospital for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases were 216 and 84, respectively. Approximately 3.95% of the cases hospitalized due to PM10 occurred during days with concentration levels lower than 20 μg/m3. The highest rate of person-days related to PM10 that led to heath effect among Ahvaz inhabitants was in concentration levels of 40 - 49 µg/m3. Conclusions To reduce the impacts of particulate matter on health status of people in Ilam, necessary training by health systems should be conducted for people, especially those with chronic lung and heart diseases, the elderly and children to reduce their activities on the dusty days.

  14. Malnutrition at Hospital Admission-Contributors and Effect on Length of Stay: A Prospective Cohort Study From the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allard, Johane P; Keller, Heather; Jeejeebhoy, Khursheed N; Laporte, Manon; Duerksen, Don R; Gramlich, Leah; Payette, Helene; Bernier, Paule; Vesnaver, Elisabeth; Davidson, Bridget; Teterina, Anastasia; Lou, Wendy

    2016-05-01

    In hospitals, length of stay (LOS) is a priority but it may be prolonged by malnutrition. This study seeks to determine the contributors to malnutrition at admission and evaluate its effect on LOS. This is a prospective cohort study conducted in 18 Canadian hospitals from July 2010 to February 2013 in patients ≥ 18 years admitted for ≥ 2 days. Excluded were those admitted directly to the intensive care unit; obstetric, psychiatry, or palliative wards; or medical day units. At admission, the main nutrition evaluation was subjective global assessment (SGA). Body mass index (BMI) and handgrip strength (HGS) were also performed to assess other aspects of nutrition. Additional information was collected from patients and charts review during hospitalization. One thousand fifteen patients were enrolled: based on SGA, 45% (95% confidence interval [CI], 42%-48%) were malnourished, and based on BMI, 32% (95% CI, 29%-35%) were obese. Independent contributors to malnutrition at admission were Charlson comorbidity index > 2, having 3 diagnostic categories, relying on adult children for grocery shopping, and living alone. The median (range) LOS was 6 (1-117) days. After controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and disease-related factors and treatment, malnutrition at admission was independently associated with prolonged LOS (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.62-0.86). Other nutrition-related factors associated with prolonged LOS were lower HGS at admission, receiving nutrition support, and food intake Malnutrition at admission is prevalent and associated with prolonged LOS. Complex disease and age-related social factors are contributors. © 2015 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

  15. Patient admission planning using Approximate Dynamic Programming

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hulshof, P.J.H.; Mes, Martijn R.K.; Boucherie, Richardus J.; Hans, Elias W.

    2016-01-01

    Tactical planning in hospitals involves elective patient admission planning and the allocation of hospital resource capacities. We propose a method to develop a tactical resource allocation and patient admission plan that takes stochastic elements into consideration, thereby providing robust plans.

  16. The impact of migration on deaths and hospital admissions from work-related injuries in Australia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Reid, Alison; Peters, Susan; Felipe, Nieves; Lenguerrand, Erik; Harding, Seeromanie

    Objective: The shift from an industrial to a service-based economy has seen a decline in work-related injuries (WRIs) and mortality. How this relates to migrant workers, who traditionally held high-risk jobs is unknown. This study examined deaths and hospital admissions from WRI, among foreign and

  17. Sustained low prevalence of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus upon admission to hospital in The Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bode, L. G. M.; Wertheim, H. F. L.; Kluytmans, J. A. J. W.; Bogaers-Hofman, D.; Vandenbroucke-Grauls, C. M. J. E.; Roosendaal, R.; Troelstra, A.; Box, A. T. A.; Voss, A.; van Belkum, A.; Verbrugh, H. A.; Vos, M. C.

    2011-01-01

    The prevalence of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage at hospital admission in The Netherlands was 0.03% in 1999-2000. The aim of the present study was to assess whether the prevalence of MRSA carriage in The Netherlands has changed over the last few years. In five Dutch

  18. Spirometry for patients in hospital and one month after admission with an acute exacerbation of COPD

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rea, Harry; Kenealy, Timothy; Adair, Jacqui; Robinson, Elizabeth; Sheridan, Nicolette

    2011-01-01

    Aim To assess whether spirometry done in hospital during an admission for an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is clinically useful for long-term management. Methods Patients admitted to hospital with a clinical diagnosis of AECOPD had spirometry post-bronchodilator at discharge and approximately 4 weeks later. Results Spirometry was achieved in less than half of those considered to have AECOPD. Of 49 patients who had spirometry on both occasions, 41 met the GOLD criteria for COPD at discharge and 39 of these met the criteria at 1 month. For the 41, spirometry was not statistically different between discharge and 1 month but often crossed arbitrary boundaries for classification of severity based on FEV1. The eight who did not meet GOLD criteria at discharge were either misclassified due to comorbidities that reduce FVC, or they did not have COPD as a cause of their hospital admission. Conclusion Spirometry done in hospital at the time of AECOP is useful in patients with a high pre-test probability of moderate-to-severe COPD. Small changes in spirometry at 1 month could place them up or down one grade of severity. Spirometry at discharge may be useful to detect those who warrant further investigation. PMID:22069364

  19. Cost-effectiveness of national mandatory screening of all admissions to English National Health Service hospitals for meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a mathematical modelling study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robotham, Julie V; Deeny, Sarah R; Fuller, Chris; Hopkins, Susan; Cookson, Barry; Stone, Sheldon

    2016-03-01

    In December, 2010, National Health Service (NHS) England introduced national mandatory screening of all admissions for meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). We aimed to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of this policy, from a regional or national health-care decision makers' perspective, compared with alternative screening strategies. We used an individual-based dynamic transmission model parameterised with national MRSA audit data to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of admission screening of patients in English NHS hospitals compared with five alternative strategies (including no screening, checklist-activated screening, and high-risk specialty-based screening), accompanied by patient isolation and decolonisation, over a 5 year time horizon. We evaluated strategies for different NHS hospital types (acute, teaching, and specialist), MRSA prevalence, and transmission potentials using probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Compared with no screening, mean cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) of screening all admissions was £89,000-148,000 (range £68,000-222,000), and this strategy was consistently more costly and less effective than alternatives for all hospital types. At a £30,000/QALY willingness-to-pay threshold and current prevalence, only the no-screening strategy was cost effective. The next best strategies were, in acute and teaching hospitals, targeting of high-risk specialty admissions (30-40% chance of cost-effectiveness; mean incremental cost-effectiveness ratios [ICERs] £45,200 [range £35,300-61,400] and £48,000/QALY [£34,600-74,800], respectively) and, in specialist hospitals, screening these patients plus risk-factor-based screening of low-risk specialties (a roughly 20% chance of cost-effectiveness; mean ICER £62,600/QALY [£48,000-89,400]). As prevalence and transmission increased, targeting of high-risk specialties became the optimum strategy at the NHS willingness-to-pay threshold (£30,000/QALY

  20. Analysis of National Trends in Admissions for Pulmonary Embolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Sean B; Geske, Jeffrey B; Kathuria, Parul; Cuttica, Michael; Schimmel, Daniel R; Courtney, D Mark; Waterer, Grant W; Wunderink, Richard G

    2016-07-01

    Pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a significant cause of hospital admission and health-care costs. Estimates of PE incidence came from the 1990s, and data are limited to describe trends in hospital admissions for PE over the past decade. We analyzed Nationwide Inpatient Sample data from 1993 to 2012 to identify patients admitted with PE. We included admissions with International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, codes listing PE as the principal diagnosis as well as admissions with PE listed secondary to principal diagnoses of respiratory failure or DVT. Massive PE was defined by mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, or nonseptic shock. Outcomes included hospital lengths of stay, adjusted charges, and all-cause hospital mortality. Linear regression was used to analyze changes over time. Admissions for PE increased from 23 per 100,000 in 1993 to 65 per 100,000 in 2012 (P < .001). The percent of admissions meeting criteria for massive PE decreased (5.3% to 4.4%, P = .002), but the absolute number of admissions for massive PE increased (from 1.5 to 2.8 per 100,000, P < .001). Median length of stay decreased from 8 (interquartile range [IQR], 6-11) to 4 (IQR, 3-6) days (P < .001). Adjusted hospital charges increased from $16,475 (IQR, $10,748-$26,211) in 1993 to $25,728 (IQR, $15,505-$44,493) in 2012 (P < .001). All-cause hospital mortality decreased from 7.1% to 3.2% (P < .001), but population-adjusted deaths during admission for PE increased from 1.6 to 2.1 per 100,000 (P < .001). Total admissions and hospital charges for PE have increased over the past two decades. However, the population-adjusted admission rate has increased disproportionately to the incidence of patients with severe PE. We hypothesize that these findings reflect a concerning national movement toward more admissions of less severe PE. Copyright © 2016 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Additional measures do not improve the diagnostic accuracy of the Hospital Admission Risk Profile for detecting downstream quality of life in community-dwelling older people presenting to a hospital emergency department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grimmer, K; Milanese, S; Beaton, K; Atlas, A

    2014-01-01

    The Hospital Admission Risk Profile (HARP) instrument is commonly used to assess risk of functional decline when older people are admitted to hospital. HARP has moderate diagnostic accuracy (65%) for downstream decreased scores in activities of daily living. This paper reports the diagnostic accuracy of HARP for downstream quality of life. It also tests whether adding other measures to HARP improves its diagnostic accuracy. One hundred and forty-eight independent community dwelling individuals aged 65 years or older were recruited in the emergency department of one large Australian hospital with a medical problem for which they were discharged without a hospital ward admission. Data, including age, sex, primary language, highest level of education, postcode, living status, requiring care for daily activities, using a gait aid, receiving formal community supports, instrumental activities of daily living in the last week, hospitalization and falls in the last 12 months, and mental state were collected at recruitment. HARP scores were derived from a formula that summed scores assigned to age, activities of daily living, and mental state categories. Physical and mental component scores of a quality of life measure were captured by telephone interview at 1 and 3 months after recruitment. HARP scores are moderately accurate at predicting downstream decline in physical quality of life, but did not predict downstream decline in mental quality of life. The addition of other variables to HARP did not improve its diagnostic accuracy for either measure of quality of life. HARP is a poor predictor of quality of life.

  2. National Survey of Emergency Physicians Concerning Home-Based Care Options as Alternatives to Emergency Department-Based Hospital Admissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stuck, Amy R; Crowley, Christopher; Killeen, James; Castillo, Edward M

    2017-11-01

    Emergency departments (EDs) in the United States play a prominent role in hospital admissions, especially for the growing population of older adults. Home-based care, rather than hospital admission from the ED, provides an important alternative, especially for older adults who have a greater risk of adverse events, such as hospital-acquired infections, falls, and delirium. The objective of the survey was to understand emergency physicians' (EPs) perspectives on home-based care alternatives to hospitalization from the ED. Specific goals included determining how often EPs ordered home-based care, what they perceive as the barriers and motivators for more extensive ordering of home-based care, and the specific conditions and response times most appropriate for such care. A group of 1200 EPs nationwide were e-mailed a six-question survey. Participant response was 57%. Of these, 55% reported ordering home-based care from the ED within the past year as an alternative to hospital admission or observation, with most doing so less than once per month. The most common barrier was an "unsafe or unstable home environment" (73%). Home-based care as a "better setting to care for low-acuity chronic or acute disease exacerbation" was the top motivator (79%). Medical conditions EPs most commonly considered for home-based care were cellulitis, urinary tract infection, diabetes, and community-acquired pneumonia. Results suggest that EPs recognize there is a benefit to providing home-based care as an alternative to hospitalization, provided they felt the home was safe and a process was in place for dispositioning the patient to this setting. Better understanding of when and why EPs use home-based care pathways from the ED may provide suggestions for ways to promote wider adoption. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. The potential economic value of screening hospital admissions for Clostridium difficile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartsch, S M; Curry, S R; Harrison, L H; Lee, B Y

    2012-11-01

    Asymptomatic Clostridium difficile carriage has a prevalence reported as high as 51-85 %; with up to 84 % of incident hospital-acquired infections linked to carriers. Accurately identifying carriers may limit the spread of Clostridium difficile. Since new technology adoption depends heavily on its economic value, we developed an analytic simulation model to determine the cost-effectiveness screening hospital admissions for Clostridium difficile from the hospital and third party payer perspectives. Isolation precautions were applied to patients testing positive, preventing transmission. Sensitivity analyses varied Clostridium difficile colonization rate, infection probability among secondary cases, contact isolation compliance, and screening cost. Screening was cost-effective (i.e., incremental cost-effectiveness ratio [ICER] ≤ $50,000/QALY) for every scenario tested; all ICER values were ≤ $256/QALY. Screening was economically dominant (i.e., saved costs and provided health benefits) with a ≥10.3 % colonization rate and ≥5.88 % infection probability when contact isolation compliance was ≥25 % (hospital perspective). Under some conditions screening led to cost savings per case averted (range, $53-272). Clostridium difficile screening, coupled with isolation precautions, may be a cost-effective intervention to hospitals and third party payers, based on prevalence. Limiting Clostridium difficile transmission can reduce the number of infections, thereby reducing its economic burden to the healthcare system.

  4. The epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Scotland: inferences from hospital admissions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam E Handel

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Multiple sclerosis (MS is a neurological disorder with a highly characteristic disease distribution. Prevalence and incidence in general increase with increasing distance from the equator. Similarly the female to male sex ratio increases with increasing latitude. Multiple possible risk factors have been hypothesised for this epidemiological trend, including human leukocyte antigen allele frequencies, ultraviolet exposure and subsequent vitamin D levels, smoking and Epstein-Barr virus. In this study we undertook a study of medical records across Scotland on an NHS health board level of resolution to examine the epidemiology of MS in this region.We calculated the number and rate of patient-linked hospital admissions throughout Scotland between 1997 and 2009 from the Scottish Morbidity Records. We used weighted-regression to examine correlations between these measures of MS, and latitude and smoking prevalence. We found a highly significant relationship between MS patient-linked admissions and latitude (r weighted by standard error (r(sw = 0.75, p = 0.002. There was no significant relationship between smoking prevalence and MS patient-linked admissions.There is a definite latitudinal effect on MS risk across Scotland, arising primarily from an excess of female MS patients at more Northerly latitudes. Whether this is a true gradient or whether a threshold effect may apply at particular latitude will be revealed only by further research. A number of genetic and environmental factors may underlie this effect.

  5. Hospital Preparations for Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Patients and Experience Gained from Admission of an Ebola Patient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haverkort, J J Mark; Minderhoud, A L C Ben; Wind, Jelte D D; Leenen, Luke P H; Hoepelman, Andy I M; Ellerbroek, Pauline M

    2016-02-01

    The Major Incident Hospital of the University Medical Centre of Utrecht has a longstanding history of preparing for the management of highly pathogenic and infectious organisms. An assessment of the hospital's preparations for an outbreak of viral hemorrhagic fever and its experience during admission of a patient with Ebola virus disease showed that the use of the buddy system, frequent training, and information sessions for staff and their relatives greatly increased the sense of safety and motivation among staff. Differing procedures among ambulance services limited the number of services used for transporting patients. Waste management was the greatest concern, and destruction of waste had to be outsourced. The admission of an Ebola patient proceeded without incident but led to considerable demands on staff. The maximum time allowed for wearing personal protective equipment was 45 minutes to ensure safety, and an additional 20 minutes was needed for recovery.

  6. [Inadequate ICU-admissions : A 12-month prospective cohort study at a German University Hospital].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bangert, K; Borch, J; Ferahli, S; Braune, S A; de Heer, G; Kluge, S

    2016-05-01

    Intensive care medicine (ICM) is increasingly utilized by a growing number of critically ill patients worldwide. The reasons for this are an increasingly ageing and multimorbid population and technological improvements in ICM. Inappropriate patient admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) can be a threat to rational resource allocation and to patient autonomy. In this study, the incidence, characteristics, and resource utilization of patients inappropriately admitted to ICUs are studied. This prospective study included all consecutive patients admitted from 01 September 2012 to 31 August 2013 to the Department of Intensive Care Medicine of a German university hospital comprised of 10 ICUs and 120 beds. Inappropriate admission was defined according to category 4B of the recommendations of the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM; "futility of ICU treatment" or "ICU declined by patient") and was determined in each suspected case by structured group discussions between the study team and all involved care givers including the referring team. In all, 66 of 6452 ICU admissions (1 %) were suspected to have been inappropriate on retrospective evaluation the day after admission. In 50 patients (0.8 %), an interdisciplinary consensus was reached on the inappropriateness of the ICU admission. Of these 50 patients, 41 (82 %) had previously declined ICU treatment in principle. This information was based on the patient's presumed wish as expressed by next of kin (56 %) or in a written advanced directive (26 %). In 9 patients (18 %), ICU treatment was considered futile. In all cases, a lack of information regarding a patient's wishes or clinical prognosis was the reason for inappropriate ICU admission. In this study, patients were regularly admitted to the ICU despite their contrary wish/directive or an unfavorable clinical condition. Although this was registered in only 1 % of all admissions, optimizing preICU admission information flow with regard to

  7. Psychosocial work environment and hospital admissions due to mental disorders: a 15-year prospective study of industrial employees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joensuu, Matti; Väänänen, Ari; Koskinen, Aki; Kivimäki, Mika; Virtanen, Marianna; Vahtera, Jussi

    2010-07-01

    Low levels of job control and social support may increase the risk of mental disorders, particularly depression, but the evidence is mostly based on self-reports. We examined whether components of job control and work-related social support predict medically-certified mental disorders. 13868 forest company employees with no previous hospital admissions for mental disorders responded to questionnaires on decision authority, skill discretion, co-worker and supervisor support. They were followed-up for hospital admissions due to mental disorders (ICD-9 codes 290 to 319), using national hospital discharge records (577 hospitalized, mean follow-up 15.1 years). In analyses adjusted for confounders, high skill discretion was associated with a reduced risk of hospital admission for mental disorders (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.58-0.95). High decision authority was associated with an elevated risk (HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.17-1.87). Diagnosis-specific analyses showed high skill discretion to associate with a reduced risk of both depressive and non-depressive non-alcohol-related mental disorders. High decision authority was a risk factor for alcohol-related and depressive disorders. Good co-worker support was associated with a reduced risk of non-depressive non-alcohol-related mental disorders. Supervisor support was not associated with any mental disorders. We used a single time point estimate in an industrial sample comprising largely of men. Contrary to previous research on job control, high decision authority increased the risk of depressive and alcohol-related disorders, which suggest a need to reconsider the strategies for prevention and clinical practise in regard to psychosocial work environment and mental health.

  8. Influenza in hospitalized children in Ireland in the pandemic period and the 2010/2011 season: risk factors for paediatric intensive-care-unit admission.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Rebolledo, J

    2013-11-11

    SUMMARY Influenza causes significant morbidity and mortality in children. This study\\'s objectives were to describe influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 during the pandemic, to compare it with circulating influenza in 2010\\/2011, and to identify risk factors for severe influenza defined as requiring admission to a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Children hospitalized with influenza during the pandemic were older, and more likely to have received antiviral therapy than children hospitalized during the 2010\\/2011 season. In 2010\\/2011, only one child admitted to a PICU with underlying medical conditions had been vaccinated. The risk of severe illness in the pandemic was higher in females and those with underlying conditions. In 2010\\/2011, infection with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 compared to other influenza viruses was a significant risk factor for severe disease. An incremental relationship was found between the number of underlying conditions and PICU admission. These findings highlight the importance of improving low vaccination uptake and increasing the use of antivirals in vulnerable children.

  9. Pentraxin-3 level at admission is a strong predictor of short-term mortality in a community-based hospital setting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bastrup-Birk, S; Munthe-Fog, L; Skjødt, Mikkel-Ole

    2015-01-01

    hospital setting is unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study cohort consisted of 1326 unselected, consecutive patients (age >40 years) admitted to a community hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark. Patients were followed until death or for a median of 11.5 years after admission. The main outcome measure was all...

  10. Live vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella and the risk of hospital admissions for nontargeted infections

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørup, Signe; Benn, Christine Stabell; Poulsen, Anja

    2014-01-01

    ). Nationwide Danish registers provided data on vaccinations and hospital admissions. The recommended vaccination schedule was inactivated vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (DTaP-IPV-Hib) administered at ages 3, 5, and 12 months and MMR at age 15 months...

  11. An intervention to improve care and reduce costs for high-risk patients with frequent hospital admissions: a pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kostrowski Shannon

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A small percentage of high-risk patients accounts for a large proportion of Medicaid spending in the United States, which has become an urgent policy issue. Our objective was to pilot a novel patient-centered intervention for high-risk patients with frequent hospital admissions to determine its potential to improve care and reduce costs. Methods Community and hospital-based care management and coordination intervention with pre-post analysis of health care utilization. We enrolled Medicaid fee-for-service patients aged 18-64 who were admitted to an urban public hospital and identified as being at high risk for hospital readmission by a validated predictive algorithm. Enrolled patients were evaluated using qualitative and quantitative interview techniques to identify needs such as transportation to/advocacy during medical appointments, mental health/substance use treatment, and home visits. A community housing partner initiated housing applications in-hospital for homeless patients. Care managers facilitated appropriate discharge plans then worked closely with patients in the community using a harm reduction approach. Results Nineteen patients were enrolled; all were male, 18/19 were substance users, and 17/19 were homeless. Patients had a total of 64 inpatient admissions in the 12 months before the intervention, versus 40 in the following 12 months, a 37.5% reduction. Most patients (73.3% had fewer inpatient admissions in the year after the intervention compared to the prior year. Overall ED visits also decreased after study enrollment, while outpatient clinic visits increased. Yearly study hospital Medicaid reimbursements fell an average of $16,383 per patient. Conclusions A pilot intervention for high-cost patients shows promising results for health services usage. We are currently expanding our model to serve more patients at additional hospitals to see if the pilot's success can be replicated. Trial registration

  12. Implementation of an IT-guided checklist to improve the quality of medication history records at hospital admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, Tanja; Brinkmann, Franziska; Lim, Silke; Schröder, Christoph; Stekhoven, Daniel Johannes; Marti, Walter Richard; Egger, Richard Robert

    2017-12-01

    Background Medication discrepancies often occur at transition of care such as hospital admission and discharge. Obtaining a complete and accurate medication history on admission is essential as further treatment is based on it. Objective The goal of this study was to reduce the proportion of patients with at least one medication discrepancy in the medication history at admission by implementing an IT-guided checklist. Setting Surgery ward focused on vascular and visceral surgery at a Swiss Cantonal Hospital. Method The study was divided into two phases, before and after implementation of an IT-guided checklist. For both phases a pharmacist collected and compared the medication history (defined as gold standard) with that of the admitting physician. Medication discrepancies were subdivided in omissions and commissions, incorrect medications or dose changes, and incorrect dosage forms or strength. Main outcome measure The proportion of patients with at least one medication discrepancy in the medication history before and after intervention was assessed. Results Out of 415 admissions, 228 patients that met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study, 113 before and 115 patients after intervention. After intervention, medication discrepancies declined from 69.9 to 29.6% (p < 0.0001) of patients, the mean medication discrepancy per patient was reduced from 2.3 to 0.6 (p < 0.0001), and the most common error, omission of a regularly used medication, was reduced from 76.4 to 44.1% (p < 0.001). Conclusion The implementation of the IT-guided checklist is associated with a significant reduction of medication discrepancies at admission and potentially improves the medication safety for the patient.

  13. Adverse Drug Reactions Causing Admission to Medical Wards: A Cross-Sectional Survey at 4 Hospitals in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mouton, Johannes P; Njuguna, Christine; Kramer, Nicole; Stewart, Annemie; Mehta, Ushma; Blockman, Marc; Fortuin-De Smidt, Melony; De Waal, Reneé; Parrish, Andy G; Wilson, Douglas P K; Igumbor, Ehimario U; Aynalem, Getahun; Dheda, Mukesh; Maartens, Gary; Cohen, Karen

    2016-05-01

    Limited data exist on the burden of serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in sub-Saharan Africa, which has high HIV and tuberculosis prevalence. We determined the proportion of adult admissions attributable to ADRs at 4 hospitals in South Africa. We characterized drugs implicated in, risk factors for, and the preventability of ADR-related admissions.We prospectively followed patients admitted to 4 hospitals' medical wards over sequential 30-day periods in 2013 and identified suspected ADRs with the aid of a trigger tool. A multidisciplinary team performed causality, preventability, and severity assessment using published criteria. We categorized an admission as ADR-related if the ADR was the primary reason for admission.There were 1951 admissions involving 1904 patients: median age was 50 years (interquartile range 34-65), 1057 of 1904 (56%) were female, 559 of 1904 (29%) were HIV-infected, and 183 of 1904 (10%) were on antituberculosis therapy (ATT). There were 164 of 1951 (8.4%) ADR-related admissions. After adjustment for age and ATT, ADR-related admission was independently associated (P ≤ 0.02) with female sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.51, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.06-2.14), increasing drug count (aOR 1.14 per additional drug, 95% CI 1.09-1.20), increasing comorbidity score (aOR 1.23 per additional point, 95% CI 1.07-1.41), and use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) if HIV-infected (aOR 1.92 compared with HIV-negative/unknown, 95% CI 1.17-3.14). The most common ADRs were renal impairment, hypoglycemia, liver injury, and hemorrhage. Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, insulin, rifampicin, and warfarin were most commonly implicated, respectively, in these 4 ADRs. ART, ATT, and/or co-trimoxazole were implicated in 56 of 164 (34%) ADR-related admissions. Seventy-three of 164 (45%) ADRs were assessed as preventable.In our survey, approximately 1 in 12 admissions was because of an ADR. The range of ADRs and implicated drugs reflect South Africa's high HIV

  14. Surgical management of colonic volvulus during same hospital admission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alam, Mohammed K.; Fahim, F.; Qazi, Shabir A.; Al-Akeely, Mohammad H.A.; Al-Dossary, Nasser F.

    2009-01-01

    Objective was to study the local patient profile, diagnostic methods and treatment outcome in patients with large bowel volvulus to recommend a management plan. A retrospective study of patient's record with a final diagnosis of large bowel volvulus treated at King Saud Medical Complex, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between January 2000 and December 2007 were performed for patient demography, clinical presentations, co-morbidity, diagnostic methods, anatomical types, management and outcome. Forty-two patients with large bowel volvulus were reviewed. They presented 8.5% of all intestinal obstructions treated. Most had sigmoid volvulus (83%), were less than 60 years of age and were male. Recognized risk factors were present in 12 (29%) patients. Diagnosis was suspected on plain abdominal x-ray in 28 patients (69%), although the characteristic signs of omega and coffee bean were seen only in 16 patients. Eight patients required emergency surgery. Endoscopic decompression was successful in 34 patients, followed by a definitive surgery in 24 patients. Seven patients refused surgery; 3 of them were readmitted with recurrence and were operated. Three patients were unfit for surgery. There were 3 deaths. Large bowel volvulus is uncommon in this area. Abdominal distension with pain, constipation and characteristic gas pattern in plain x-ray can help diagnose most cases. Decompression can be achieved in most patients with sigmoid volvulus, followed by surgery during the same hospital admission. Transverse colon and cecal volvulus usually need emergency surgery. (author)

  15. Epidemiologia de internações por doença falciforme no Brasil Epidemiology of sickle cell disease hospital admissions in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monique Morgado Loureiro

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: A doença falciforme é uma enfermidade hereditária que afeta principalmente a população negra. O estudo teve por objetivo analisar as internações devido às complicações da doença, com enfoque nos aspectos epidemiológicos e clínicos. MÉTODOS: A população estudada foi constituída de 9.349 pacientes com diagnóstico de doença falciforme internados em hospitais da Bahia, Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo, no período de 2000 a 2002. Utilizaram-se os dados do Sistema de Internações Hospitalares do Sistema Único de Saúde. As variáveis respostas foram o óbito e o tempo médio de permanência hospitalar. As covariáveis foram o sexo, a idade, o tipo de admissão e a natureza jurídica do hospital. As proporções foram comparadas utilizando-se o teste qui-quadrado ou de Fischer; e para as variáveis contínuas, foi utilizado o teste Mann-Whitney ou Kruskall-Wallis. RESULTADOS: A mediana de idade variou de 11,0 a 12,0 anos e cerca de 70% das internações foram abaixo dos 20 anos. A mediana de dias de permanência hospitalar variou com a idade e o tipo de admissão. O tipo de admissão mais freqüente foi pela emergência (65,6 a 90,8%. Foi observada maior letalidade hospitalar entre adultos. A mediana da idade do óbito foi baixa (26,5 a 31,5 anos. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados confirmaram a alta morbidade na população jovem e evidenciaram predominância de óbitos entre adultos jovens.OBJECTIVE: Sickle cell disease is a hereditary disease, which affects mainly the black population. The aim of the present study was to analyze hospital admissions due to acute events resulting from sickle cell disease, at the epidemiological and clinical levels. METHODS: The study population included 9,349 patients with sickle cell disease admitted to hospitals in Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo, between 2000 and 2002. The national hospital database of the Brazilian Healthcare System was used. Response variables were death and mean duration

  16. Effects of Italian smoking regulation on rates of hospital admission for acute coronary events: a country-wide study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Barone-Adesi

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported a reduction in acute coronary events (ACEs in the general population after the enforcement of smoking regulations, although there is uncertainty concerning the magnitude of the effect of such interventions. We conducted a country-wide evaluation of the health effects of the introduction of a smoking ban in public places, using data on hospital admissions for ACEs from the Italian population after the implementation of a national smoking regulation in January 2005. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Rates of admission for ACEs in the 20 Italian regions from January 2002 to November 2006 were analysed using mixed-effect regression models that allowed for long-term trends and seasonality. Standard methods for interrupted time-series were adopted to assess the immediate and gradual effects of the smoking ban. Effect modification by age was investigated, with the assumption that exposure to passive smoking in public places would be greater among young people. In total, 936,519 hospital admissions for ACEs occurred in the Italian population during the study period. A 4% reduction in hospital admissions for ACEs among persons aged less than 70 years was evident after the introduction of the ban (Rate Ratio [RR], 0.96; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 0.95-0.98. No effect was found among persons aged at least 70 years (RR 1.00; 95% CI 0.99-1.02. Effect modification by age was further suggested by analyses using narrower age categories. CONCLUSIONS: Smoke-free policies can constitute a simple and inexpensive intervention for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and thus should be included in prevention programmes.

  17. Risk of malnutrition of hospitalized children in a university public hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muñoz-Esparza, Nelly Carolina; Vásquez-Garibay, Edgar Manuel; Romero-Velarde, Enrique; Troyo-Sanromán, Rogelio

    2017-02-01

    The study aimed to demonstrate that the duration of hospitalization has a significant effect on the nutritional status of children treated in a university hospital. A longitudinal study was conducted during 2014, with a non-random sampling site concentration in children from birth to 19 years who were admitted to the hospital in the past 24 hours and who met the inclusion criteria and had signed informed consent. Upon entering, at 7 days, and at discharge, anthropometric indices, including weight/age, height/age, weight/height, BMI/age, head circumference/age, triceps and subscapular skin folds, and fat percentage, were obtained. Student's t-test, U Mann-Whitney, ANOVA, chi square, Wilcoxon, and odds ratios were used to analyze the data. In total, 206 patients were included: 40% infants, 25% preschoolers, 15% schoolchildren, and 20% teenagers. Infants had a significant improvement from admission to discharge in the indices weight/length (p = 0.042) and BMI (p = 0.002); adolescents showed decreased BMI from admission to discharge from the hospital (p = 0.05). Patients with longer hospitalization (more than 10 days) had an increased deficit in anthropometric indices at admission (p malnutrition and require greater monitoring of nutritional status during hospitalization.

  18. Clinical pharmacist’s contribution to medication reconciliation on admission to hospital in Ireland

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Galvin, Mairead

    2012-10-08

    Background Medication reconciliation has been mandated by the Irish government at transfer of care. Research is needed to determine the contribution of clinical pharmacists to the process. Objective To describe the contribution of emergency department based clinical pharmacists to admission medication reconciliation in Ireland. Main Outcome Measure Frequency of clinical pharmacist\\'s activities. Setting Two public university teaching hospitals. Methodology Adults admitted via the accident and emergency department, from a non-acute setting, reporting the use of at least three regular prescription medications, were eligible for inclusion. Medication reconciliation was provided by clinical pharmacists to randomly-selected patients within 24-hours of admission. This process includes collecting a gold-standard pre-admission medication list, checking this against the admission prescription and communicating any changes. A discrepancy was defined as any difference between the gold-standard pre-admission medication list and the admission prescription. Discrepancies were communicated to the clinician in the patient\\'s healthcare record. Potentially harmful discrepancies were also communicated verbally. Pharmacist activities and unintentional discrepancies, both resolved and unresolved at 48-hours were measured. Unresolved discrepancies were confirmed verbally by the team as intentional or unintentional. A reliable and validated tool was used to assess clinical significance by medical consultants, clinical pharmacists, community pharmacists and general practitioners. Results In total, 134 patients, involving 1,556 medications, were included in the survey. Over 97 % of patients (involving 59 % of medications) experienced a medication change on admission. Over 90 % of patients (involving 29 % of medications) warranted clinical pharmacy input to determine whether such changes were intentional or unintentional. There were 447 interventions by the clinical pharmacist regarding

  19. Admission of foreign citizens to the general teaching hospital of Bologna, northeastern Italy: an epidemiological and clinical survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabbatani, Sergio; Baldi, Elena; Manfredi, Roberto; Chiodo, Francesco

    2006-04-01

    The emergency regarding recent immigration waves into Italy makes continued healthcare monitoring of these populations necessary. Through a survey of hospital admissions carried out during the last five years at the S. Orsola-Malpighi General Hospital of Bologna (Italy), all causes of admission of these subjects were evaluated, together with their correlates. Subsequently, we focused on admissions due to infectious diseases. All available data regarding foreign citizens admitted as inpatients or in Day-Hospital settings of our teaching hospital from January 1, 1999, to March 31, 2004, were assessed. Diagnosis-related group (DRG) features, and single discharge diagnoses, were also evaluated, and a further assessment of infectious diseases was subsequently made. Within a comprehensive pool of 339,051 hospitalized patients, foreign citizen discharges numbered 7,312 (2.15%), including 2,542 males (34.8%) and 4,769 females (65.2%). Males had a mean age of 36.8+/-14.7 years, while females were aged 30.8+/-12.2 years. In the assessment of the areas of origin, 34.6% of hospitalizations were attributed to patients coming from Eastern Europe, 15.3% from Northern Africa, 7.3% (comprehensively) from Western Europe and United States, 6.9% from the Indian subcontinent, 5.9% from sub-Saharan Africa, 5.7% from Latin America, 4.1% from China, 2.5% from the Philippines, and 1.1% from the Middle East. Among women, most hospitalizations (58.8%) were due to obstetrical-gynecological procedures or diseases, including assistance with delivery (27.1%), and pregnancy complications (18.7%), followed by psycho-social disturbances (5.9%), malignancies (5.1%), gastrointestinal diseases (4.7%), and voluntary pregnancy interruption (4.4%). Among men, the most frequent causes of admissions were related to trauma (15.9%), followed by gastroenteric disorders (12%), heart-vascular diseases (8.9%), psycho-social disorders (8.4%), respiratory (7.1%), kidney (6.1%), liver (5.2%), and metabolic (4

  20. Admission of foreign citizens to the general teaching hospital of bologna, northeastern Italy: An epidemiological and clinical survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Sabbatani

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The emergency regarding recent immigration waves into Italy makes continued healthcare monitoring of these populations necessary. METHODS: Through a survey of hospital admissions carried out during the last five years at the S. Orsola-Malpighi General Hospital of Bologna (Italy, all causes of admission of these subjects were evaluated, together with their correlates. Subsequently, we focused on admissions due to infectious diseases. All available data regarding foreign citizens admitted as inpatients or in Day-Hospital settings of our teaching hospital from January 1, 1999, to March 31, 2004, were assessed. Diagnosis-related group (DRG features, and single discharge diagnoses, were also evaluated, and a further assessment of infectious diseases was subsequently made. RESULTS: Within a comprehensive pool of 339,051 hospitalized patients, foreign citizen discharges numbered 7,312 (2.15%, including 2,542 males (34.8% and 4,769 females (65.2%. Males had a mean age of 36.8±14.7 years, while females were aged 30.8±12.2 years. In the assessment of the areas of origin, 34.6% of hospitalizations were attributed to patients coming from Eastern Europe, 15.3% from Northern Africa, 7.3% (comprehensively from Western Europe and United States, 6.9% from the Indian subcontinent, 5.9% from sub-Saharan Africa, 5.7% from Latin America, 4.1% from China, 2.5% from the Philippines, and 1.1% from the Middle East. Among women, most hospitalizations (58.8% were due to obstetrical-gynecological procedures or diseases, including assistance with delivery (27.1%, and pregnancy complications (18.7%, followed by psycho-social disturbances (5.9%, malignancies (5.1%, gastrointestinal diseases (4.7%, and voluntary pregnancy interruption (4.4%. Among men, the most frequent causes of admissions were related to trauma (15.9%, followed by gastroenteric disorders (12%, heart-vascular diseases (8.9%, psycho-social disorders (8.4%, respiratory (7.1%, kidney (6.1%, liver

  1. The experience of admission to psychiatric hospital among Chinese adult patients in Hong Kong

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lam Linda

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The paper reports on a study to evaluate the psychometric properties and cultural appropriateness of the Chinese translation of the Admission Experience Survey (AES. Methods The AES was translated into Chinese and back-translated. Content validity was established by focus groups and expert panel review. The Chinese version of the Admission Experience Survey (C-AES was administered to 135 consecutively recruited adult psychiatric patients in the Castle Peak Hospital (Hong Kong SAR, China within 48 hours of admission. Construct validity was assessed by comparing the scores from patients admitted voluntarily versus patients committed involuntarily, and those received physical or chemical restraint versus those who did not. The relationship between admission experience and psychopathology was examined by correlating C-AES scores with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS scores. Results Spearman's item-to-total correlations of the C-AES ranged from 0.50 to 0.74. Three factors from the C-AES were extracted using factor analysis. Item 12 was omitted because of poor internal consistency and factor loading. The factor structure of the Process Exclusion Scale (C-PES corresponded to the English version, while some discrepancies were noted in the Perceived Coercion Scale (C-PCS and the Negative Pressure Scale (C-NPS. All subscales had good internal consistencies. Scores were significantly higher for patients either committed involuntarily or subjected to chemical or physical restrain, independent on severity of psychotic symptoms. Conclusion The Chinese AES is a psychometrically sound instrument assessing the three different aspects of the experience of admission, namely "negative pressure, "process exclusion" and "perceived coercion". The potential of C-AES in exploring subjective experience of psychiatric admission and effects on treatment adherence should be further explored.

  2. Hospital care following emergency admission: a critical incident case study of the experiences of patients with advanced lung cancer and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, Cara; Hewison, Alistair; Karasouli, Eleni; Staniszewska, Sophie; Munday, Daniel

    2016-08-01

    To explore the experiences of patients with advanced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung cancer, their carers and healthcare professionals following emergency admission to acute care hospital. Emergency admissions of people with lung cancer and COPD have increased and there is global concern about the number of patients who die in hospital. The experience of patients with advanced lung cancer and COPD admitted to hospital as an emergency when nearing the end of life has not previously been investigated. Qualitative critical incident case study. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 39 patients (15 with COPD and 24 with lung cancer), 20 informal carers and 50 healthcare professionals, exploring patients' experiences of emergency hospital admission. Interviews took place after admission and following discharge. Participants nominated relatives and healthcare professionals for interview. Data were analysed thematically. Patients were satisfied with their 'emergency' care but not the care they received once their initial symptoms had been stabilised. The poorer quality care they experienced was characterised by a lack of attention to their fundamental needs, lack of involvement of the family, poor communication about care plans and a lack of continuity between primary and secondary care. A conceptual model of 'spectacular' and 'subtacular' trajectories of care was used to relate the findings to the wider context of health care provision. The complex nature of illness for patients with advanced respiratory disease makes emergency hospital admissions likely. Whilst patients (with COPD and lung cancer) were satisfied with care in the acute 'spectacular' phase of their admission, more attention needs to be given to the continuing care needs of patients in the 'subtacular' phase. This is the first study to explore the patient experience of acute care following an emergency admission and identifies where there is potential for care to be improved.

  3. The Family Physician's Perceived Role in Preventing and Guiding Hospital Admissions at the End of Life: A Focus Group Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Reyniers, T.; Houttekier, D.; Pasman, H.R.; Stichele, R.V.; Cohen, J.; Deliens, L.

    2014-01-01

    CONCLUSIONS Family physicians face many different and complex roles and difficulties in preventing and guiding hospital admissions at the end of life. Enhancing the family physician’s role as a gatekeeper to hospital services, offering the physicians more end-of-life care training, and developing or

  4. Cost of management in epistaxis admission: Impact of patient and hospital characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goljo, Erden; Dang, Rajan; Iloreta, Alfred M; Govindaraj, Satish

    2015-12-01

    To investigate patient and hospital characteristics associated with increased cost and length of stay in the inpatient management of epistaxis. Retrospective cross-sectional study of the 2008 to 2012 National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample. Patient and hospital characteristics of epistaxis admissions were analyzed. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to ascertain variables associated with increased cost and length of hospital stay. Variables significantly associated with high cost were further analyzed to determine the contribution of operative intervention and total procedures to cost. A total of 16,828 patients with an admitting diagnosis of epistaxis were identified. The average age was 67.5; 52.3% of the patients were male; 73.3% of the patients were Caucasian; and 70.7% of the hospital stays were government funded. The average length of stay was 3.24 days, and average hospitalization cost was $6,925. Longer length of stay was associated with black race, alcohol abuse, sinonasal disease, renal disease, Medicaid, and care at a northeastern U.S. hospital. Increased hospitalization costs of > $1,000 were associated with Asian/Pacific Islander race; sinonasal disease; renal disease; top income quartile; and care at urban teaching, northeastern, and western hospitals in the United States. High costs were predicted by procedural intervention in patients with comorbid alcohol abuse, sinonasal disease, renal disease, patients with private insurance, and patients managed at large hospitals. Although hospitalization costs are complex and multifactorial, we were able to identify patient and hospital characteristics associated with high costs in the management of epistaxis. Early identification and intervention, combined with implementation of targeted hospital management protocols, may improve outcomes and reduce financial burden. 2C. © 2015 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  5. Impact of a chronic disease management program on hospital admissions and readmissions in an Australian population with heart disease or diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamar, G Brent; Rula, Elizabeth Y; Wells, Aaron; Coberley, Carter; Pope, James E; Larkin, Shaun

    2013-04-01

    Chronic disease management programs (CDMPs) were introduced in Australia to reduce unnecessary health care utilization by the growing population with chronic conditions; however, evidence of effectiveness is needed. This study evaluated the impact of a comprehensive CDMP, My Health Guardian (MHG), on rate of hospital admissions, readmissions, and average length of hospital stay (ALOS) for insured individuals with heart disease or diabetes. Primary outcomes were assessed through retrospective comparison of members in MHG (treatment; n=5053) to similar nonparticipating members (comparison; n=23,077) using a difference-in-differences approach with the year before program commencement serving as baseline and the subsequent 12 or 18 months serving as the program periods. All outcomes were evaluated for the total study population and for disease-matched subgroups (heart disease and diabetes). Statistical tests were performed using multivariate regression controlling for age, sex, number of chronic diseases, and past hospitalization status. After both 12 and 18 months, treatment members displayed decreases in admissions (both, P≤0.001) and readmissions (both, P≤0.01), and ALOS after 18 months (P≤0.01) versus the comparison group; magnitude of impact increased over time for these 3 measures. All outcomes for both disease-matched subgroups directionally mirrored the total study group, but the diabetes subgroup did not achieve significance for readmissions or ALOS. Within the treatment group, admissions decreased with increasing care calls to members (12 and 18 months, Phospital admissions and presents a promising approach to reduce the burden associated with hospitalizations in populations with chronic disease.

  6. Discharged from a mental health admission ward: is it safe to go home? A review on the negative outcomes of psychiatric hospitalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Loch AA

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Alexandre Andrade LochLaboratory of Neurosciences, Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, BrazilAbstract: Before psychiatry emerged as a medical discipline, hospitalizing individuals with mental disorders was more of a social stigmatizing act than a therapeutic act. After the birth of the mental health disciplines, psychiatric hospitalization was legitimized and has proven to be indispensable, preventing suicides and helping individuals in need. However, despite more than a century passing since this legitimization occurred, psychiatric hospitalization remains a controversial issue. There is the question of possible negative outcomes after a psychiatric admission ceases to take its protective effect, and even of whether the psychiatric admission itself is related to a negative setback after discharge. This review aims to summarize some of the most important negative outcomes after discharge from a psychiatric institution. These experiences were organized into two groups: those after a brief psychiatric hospitalization, and those after a long-stay admission. The author further suggests possible ways to minimize these adversities, emphasizing the need of awareness related to this important issue.Keywords: suicide, stigma, rehabilitation, relapse, rehospitalisation

  7. Is there a clinically significant seasonal component to hospital admissions for atrial fibrillation?

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    Moineddin Rahim

    2004-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Atrial fibrillation is a common cardiac dysrhythmia, particularly in the elderly. Recent studies have indicated a statistically significant seasonal component to atrial fibrillation hospitalizations. Methods We conducted a retrospective population cohort study using time series analysis to evaluate seasonal patterns of atrial fibrillation hospitalizations for the province of Ontario for the years 1988 to 2001. Five different series methods were used to analyze the data, including spectral analysis, X11, R-Squared, autocorrelation function and monthly aggregation. Results This study found evidence of weak seasonality, most apparent at aggregate levels including both ages and sexes. There was dramatic increase in hospitalizations for atrial fibrillation over the years studied and an age dependent increase in rates per 100,000. Overall, the magnitude of seasonal difference between peak and trough months is in the order of 1.4 admissions per 100,000 population. The peaks for hospitalizations were predominantly in April, and the troughs in August. Conclusions Our study confirms statistical evidence of seasonality for atrial fibrillation hospitalizations. This effect is small in absolute terms and likely not significant for policy or etiological research purposes.

  8. Professional perspectives on systemic barriers to admission avoidance: learning from a system dynamics study of older people's admission pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Bronagh; Lattimer, Valerie; Wintrup, Julie; Brailsford, Sally

    2015-06-01

    There is debate worldwide about the best way to manage increased healthcare demand within ageing populations, particularly rising rates of unplanned and avoidable hospital admissions. To understand health and social care professionals' perspectives on barriers to admission avoidance throughout the admissions journey, in particular: the causes of avoidable admissions in older people; drivers of admission and barriers to use of admission avoidance strategies; and improvements to reduce unnecessary admissions. A qualitative framework analysis of interview data from a System dynamics (SD) modelling study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty health and social care professionals with experience of older people's admissions. The interviews were used to build understanding of factors facilitating or hindering admission avoidance across the admissions system. Data were analysed using framework analysis. Three overarching themes emerged: understanding the needs of the patient group; understanding the whole system; and systemwide access to expertise in care of older people. There were diverse views on the underlying reasons for avoidable admissions and recognition of the need for whole-system approaches to service redesign. Participants recommended system redesign that recognises the specific needs of older people, but there was no consensus on underlying patient needs or specific service developments. Access to expertise in management of older and frailer patients was seen as a barrier to admission avoidance throughout the system. Providing access to expertise and leadership in care of frail older people across the admissions system presents a challenge for service managers and nurse educators but is seen as a prerequisite for effective admission avoidance. System redesign to meet the needs of frail older people requires agreement on causes of avoidable admission and underlying patient needs. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. The effect of solar-geomagnetic activity during hospital admission on coronary events within 1 year in patients with acute coronary syndromes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vencloviene, J.; Babarskiene, R.; Milvidaite, I.; Kubilius, R.; Stasionyte, J.

    2013-12-01

    Some evidence indicates the deterioration of the cardiovascular system during space storms. It is plausible that the space weather conditions during and after hospital admission may affect the risk of coronary events in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). We analyzed the data of 1400 ACS patients who were admitted to the Hospital Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, and who survived for more than 4 days. We evaluated the associations between geomagnetic storms (GS), solar proton events (SPE), and solar flares (SF) that occurred 0-3 days before and after hospital admission and the risk of cardiovascular death (CAD), non-fatal ACS, and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) during a period of 1 year; the evaluation was based on the multivariate logistic model, controlling for clinical data. After adjustment for clinical variables, GS occurring in conjunction with SF 1 day before admission increased the risk of CAD by over 2.5 times. GS 2 days after SPE occurred 1 day after admission increased the risk of CAD and CABG by over 2.8 times. The risk of CABG increased by over 2 times in patients admitted during the day of GS and 1 day after SPE. The risk of ACS was by over 1.63 times higher for patients admitted 1 day before or after solar flares.

  10. A hospital-based palliative care service for patients with advanced organ failure in sub-Saharan Africa reduces admissions and increases home death rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desrosiers, Taylor; Cupido, Clint; Pitout, Elizabeth; van Niekerk, Lindi; Badri, Motasim; Gwyther, Liz; Harding, Richard

    2014-04-01

    Despite emerging data of cost savings under palliative care in various regions, no such data have been generated in response to the high burden of terminal illness in Africa. This evaluation of a novel hospital-based palliative care service for patients with advanced organ failure in urban South Africa aimed to determine whether the service reduces admissions and increases home death rates compared with the same fixed time period of standard hospital care. Data on admissions and place of death were extracted from routine hospital activity records for a fixed period before death, using standard patient daily expense rates. Data from the first 56 consecutive deaths under the new service (intervention group) were compared with 48 consecutive deaths among patients immediately before the new service (historical controls). Among the intervention and control patients, 40 of 56 (71.4%) and 47 of 48 (97.9%), respectively, had at least one admission (P home death was achieved by 33 of 56 (58.9%) and nine of 48 (18.8%), respectively (P ≤ 0.001). These data demonstrate that an outpatient hospital-based service reduced admissions and improved the rate of home deaths and offers a feasible and cost-effective model for such settings. Copyright © 2014 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. High temperature effects on out-patient visits and hospital admissions in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pudpong, Nareerut; Hajat, Shakoor

    2011-11-15

    This study investigated the short-term effects of temperature on out-patient visits and hospital admissions in Chiang Mai, Thailand. While mortality outcomes in the literature have been reported, there is less evidence of morbidity effects with very few studies conducted in developing countries with subtropical or tropical climate. Time-series regression analysis was employed using generalized negative binomial regression to model the short-term relationships between temperature and morbidity after controlling for seasonal patterns and other potential confounders. Lag effects up to 13 days and effect modification by age (0-14 years, 15-64 years, ≥65 years) were examined. Temperature effects with wide confidence intervals were found, with an increase in diabetic visits of 26.3% (95% CI: 7.1%-49.0%), and circulatory visits of 19.2% (95% CI: 7.0%-32.8%) per 1 °C increase in temperature above an identified threshold of 29 °C. Additionally, there was a rise of both visits (3.7% increase, 95% CI: 1.5%-5.9%) and admissions (5.8% increase, 95% CI: 2.3%-9.3%) due to intestinal infectious disease in association with each 1 °C increase across the whole temperature range. The effects of temperature were stronger in the elderly though not statistically significant. Daily morbidity in Chiang Mai was positively associated with temperature with a lag effect of up to 2 weeks, which was longer than lag effects previously reported. Public health preparedness and interventions should be considered to minimise possible increased hospital visits and admissions during hot weather. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Seasonality in hospital admissions of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and its dependence on ambient temperature—empirical evidence from Pakistan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbas, Tariq; Xu, Zhiwei; Younus, Muhammad; Qayyum, Abdul; Riaz, Muhammad T.

    2017-11-01

    Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) has been reported from all provinces of Pakistan. Little is known about the seasonal variations in the disease and its association with weather conditions. In this study, we explored time-series data about monthly number of CCHF admissions (2007-2010) in three public sector hospitals of Quetta—the capital city of Baluchistan province of Pakistan. Cosinor analysis was carried out to investigate seasonality in the data. To assess the effect of average monthly ambient temperature (°C) on disease, a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) was applied. Cosinor model revealed statistically significant seasonality in monthly number of CCHF patients admitted to the study hospitals. The estimated amplitude was 3.24 cases per month with phase in mid-June and low point in mid-December. DLNM confirmed nonlinear and delayed effect of temperature on hospital admissions. At a lag of 2 months, the cumulative relative risk was more than 1 at temperature at 18.37 °C and above. In addition, relative risk was significantly high at 60th (21.98 °C), 70th (24.50 °C), 80th (27.33 °C), and 90th (29.25 °C) percentiles of temperature (relative to median value, 18.37 °C). Inclusion of Eid-al-Adha as a predictor did not improve the fitness of DLNM. Based on our analysis, we concluded significant seasonality in CCHF hospital admissions. Our findings also suggested average monthly ambient temperature (°C) as a significant predictor of CCHF hospitalizations. DLNM presented in this study may be improved with inclusion of other possible time-varying predictors particularly meteorological conditions of this region.

  13. Oiling the gate: a mobile application to improve the admissions process from the emergency department to an academic community hospital inpatient medicine service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fung, Russell; Hyde, Jensen Hart; Davis, Mike

    2018-01-01

    The process of admitting patients from the emergency department (ED) to an academic internal medicine (AIM) service in a community teaching hospital is one fraught with variability and disorder. This results in an inconsistent volume of patients admitted to academic versus private hospitalist services and results in frustration of both ED and AIM clinicians. We postulated that implementation of a mobile application (app) would improve provider satisfaction and increase admissions to the academic service. The app was designed and implemented to be easily accessible to ED physicians, regularly updated by academic residents on call, and a real-time source of the number of open AIM admission spots. We found a significant improvement in ED and AIM provider satisfaction with the admission process. There was also a significant increase in admissions to the AIM service after implementation of the app. We submit that the implementation of a mobile app is a viable, cost-efficient, and effective method to streamline the admission process from the ED to AIM services at community-based hospitals.

  14. Effects of ambient temperature, humidity, and other meteorological variables on hospital admissions for angina pectoris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abrignani, Maurizio G; Corrao, Salvatore; Biondo, Giovan B; Lombardo, Renzo M; Di Girolamo, Paola; Braschi, Annabella; Di Girolamo, Alberto; Novo, Salvatore

    2012-06-01

    Seasonal peaks in cardiovascular disease incidence have been widely reported, suggesting weather has a role. The aim of our study was to determine the influence of climatic variables on angina pectoris hospital admissions. We correlated the daily number of angina cases admitted to a western Sicilian hospital over a period of 12 years and local weather conditions (temperature, humidity, wind force and direction, precipitation, sunny hours and atmospheric pressure) on a day-to-day basis. A total of 2459 consecutive patients were admitted over the period 1987-1998 (1562 men, 867 women; M/F - 1:8). A seasonal variation was found with a noticeable winter peak. The results of Multivariate Poisson analysis showed a significant association between the daily number of angina hospital admission, temperature, and humidity. Significant incidence relative ratios (95% confidence intervals/measure unit) were, in males, 0.988 (0.980-0.996) (p = 0.004) for minimal temperature, 0.990 (0.984-0.996) (p = 0.001) for maximal humidity, and 1.002 (1.000-1.004) (p = 0.045) for minimal humidity. The corresponding values in females were 0.973 (0.951-0.995) (p < 0.017) for maximal temperature and 1.024 (1.001-1.048) (p = 0.037) for minimal temperature. Environmental temperature and humidity may play an important role in the pathogenesis of angina, although it seems different according to the gender. These data may help to understand the mechanisms that trigger ischemic events and to better organize hospital assistance throughout the year.

  15. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Saarland, Germany: a statewide admission prevalence screening study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mathias Herrmann

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The screening of hospital admission patients for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA is of undisputed value in controlling and reducing the overall MRSA burden; yet, a concerted parallel universal screening intervention throughout all hospitals of an entire German Federal State has not yet been performed. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: During a four-week period, all 24 acute care hospitals of the State of Saarland participated in admission prevalence screening. Overall, 436/20,027 screened patients revealed MRSA carrier status (prevalence, 2.2/100 patients with geriatrics and intensive care departments associated with highest prevalence (7.6/100 and 6.3/100, respectively. Risk factor analysis among 17,975 admission patients yielded MRSA history (OR, 4.3; CI₉₅ 2.7-6.8, a skin condition (OR, 3.2; CI₉₅ 2.1-5.0, and/or an indwelling catheter (OR, 2.2; CI₉₅ 1.4-3.5 among the leading risks. Hierarchical risk factor ascertainment of the six risk factors associated with highest odd's ratios would require 31% of patients to be laboratory screened to allow for detection of 67% of all MRSA positive admission patients in the State. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: State-wide admission prevalence screening in conjunction with risk factor ascertainment yields important information on the distribution of the MRSA burden for hospitals, and allows for data-based decisions on local or institutional MRSA screening policies considering risk factor prevalence and expected MRSA identification rates.

  16. Appropriateness of pediatric hospitalization in a general hospital in Kuwait.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shafik, Magdy H; Seoudi, Tarek M M; Raway, Tarek S; Al Harbash, Nowair Z; Ahmad, Meshal M A; Al Mutairi, Hanan F

    2012-01-01

    To determine the rate of inappropriate pediatric admissions using the Pediatric Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (PAEP) and to examine variables associated with inappropriateness of admissions. A prospective study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics, Farwania General Hospital, Kuwait, to examine successive admissions for appropriateness of admission as well as several sociodemographic characteristics over a 5-month period (August 2010 to December 2010). A total of 1,022 admissions were included. Of the 1,022 admissions, 416 (40.7%) were considered inappropriate. Factors associated with a higher rate of inappropriate admission included older age of patients and self-referral. The rate of inappropriate hospitalization of children was high in Farwania Hospital, Kuwait, probably due to the relatively free health care services, parental preference for hospital care, easy access to hospital services, and insufficient education about the child's condition. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  17. Effect of tele health care on exacerbations and hospital admissions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ringbæk, Thomas; Green, Allan; Laursen, Lars Christian

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Tele monitoring (TM) of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has gained much interest, but studies have produced conflicting results. Our aim was to investigate the effect of TM with the option of video consultations on exacerbations and hospital...... not reduce hospital admissions for exacerbated COPD, but TM may be an alternative to visits at respiratory outpatient clinics. Further studies are needed to establish the optimal role of TM in the management of severe COPD....

  18. Decrease in mortality rate and hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction after the enactment of the smoking ban law in São Paulo city, Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abe, Tania M O; Scholz, Jaqueline; de Masi, Eduardo; Nobre, Moacyr R C; Filho, Roberto Kalil

    2017-11-01

    Smoking restriction laws have spread worldwide during the last decade. Previous studies have shown a decline in the community rates of myocardial infarction after enactment of these laws. However, data are scarce about the Latin American population. In the first phase of this study, we reported the successful implementation of the law in São Paulo city, with a decrease in carbon monoxide rates in hospitality venues. To evaluate whether the 2009 implementation of a comprehensive smoking ban law in São Paulo city was associated with a reduction in rates of mortality and hospital admissions for myocardial infarction. We performed a time-series study of monthly rates of mortality and hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction from January 2005 to December 2010. The data were derived from DATASUS, the primary public health information system available in Brazil and from Mortality Information System (SIM). Adjustments and analyses were performed using the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average with exogenous variables (ARIMAX) method modelled by environmental variables and atmospheric pollutants to evaluate the effect of smoking ban law in mortality and hospital admission rate. We also used Interrupted Time Series Analysis (ITSA) to make a comparison between the period pre and post smoking ban law. We observed a reduction in mortality rate (-11.9% in the first 17 months after the law) and in hospital admission rate (-5.4% in the first 3 months after the law) for myocardial infarction after the implementation of the smoking ban law. Hospital admissions and mortality rate for myocardial infarction were reduced in the first months after the comprehensive smoking ban law was implemented. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  19. Concordance among remission and admission diagnoses at intensive care unit, Hospital Universitario San José, Popayán, 2011

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victor Daniel Montenegro

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available There are few published studies about diagnostic concordance in hospital services. The objective of this study was to calculate the concordance among remission and admission diagnoses from Hospital Universitario San José adult intensive care unit (I.C.U. of Popayán, 2011. Methods: Descriptive and retrospective study about concordance between the main remission and admission diagnoses from patients admitted in the Hospital adult intensive care unit; 914 patients were studied from the intensive care unit database, months January to December 2011. Statistical analysis about sociodemographic variables was performed, and Kappa index according to Landis and Koch scale among remission and admission diagnoses defined as priority was calculated. Results: It was found al almost perfect level of concordance in the diagnoses pancreatitis and intoxication, a substantial level of concordance in the diagnoses acute coronary syndrome, convulsive status, gastric cancer and eclampsia, a moderate level of concordance in the diagnoses stroke, head trauma, politraumatism and cardiac failure, and a fair level of concordance in the diagnoses sepsis, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, gastrointestinal bleeding, acute respiratory infection and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Conclusion: Six of the seventeen studied diagnoses presented an outstanding concordance level; this can be related to factors such as: physicians’, diagnostic ability, provenance of the patients remitted to the I.C.U. and diagnostic coding made by health staff.

  20. Reason for hospital admission: a pilot study comparing patient statements with chart reports.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berger, Zackary; Dembitzer, Anne; Beach, Mary Catherine

    2013-01-01

    Providers and patients bring different understandings of health and disease to their encounters in the hospital setting. The literature to date only infrequently addresses patient and provider concordance on the reported reason for hospitalization, that is, whether they express this reason in similar ways. An agreement or common ground between such understandings can serve as a basis for future communication regarding an illness and its treatment. We interviewed a convenience sample of patients on the medical wards of an urban academic medical center. We asked subjects to state the reason why their doctors admitted them to the hospital, and then compared their statement with the reason in the medical record. We defined concordance on reported reason for hospitalization as agreement between the patient's report and the reason abstracted from the chart. We interviewed and abstracted chart data from a total of 46 subjects. Concordance on reported reason for hospitalization was present in 24 (52%) and discordance in 17 (37%); 5 patients (11%) could not give any reason for their hospitalization. Among the 17 patients whose report was discordant with their chart, 12 (71%) reported a different organ system than was recorded in the chart. A significant proportion of medical inpatients could not state their physicians' reason for admission. In addition, patients who identify a different reason for hospitalization than the chart often give a different organ system altogether. Providers should explore patient understanding of the reason for their hospitalization to facilitate communication and shared decision making.

  1. Air pollution and respiratory hospital admissions in greater Paris: exploring sex differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Granados-Canal, D J; Chardon, B; Lefranc, A; Gremy, I

    2005-01-01

    The subject of sex and gender differences is relevant to the study of health effects of environmental exposures. In this study the authors aim at assessing the differences that may exist between males and females regarding short-term air pollution health effects. They studied the short-term relationships between air pollution levels and respiratory hospital admissions in greater Paris area for patients older than 15 years between 2000 and 2003. They also conducted time series analyses by using generalized additive models. For an increase of 10 microg/m3 in the air pollutant levels, the increase in relative risk of hospitalization was higher for males than for females and was significant only for males. These differences may not result solely from differences in biological susceptibility to air pollution because other factors related to gender (differences in individual exposures, in health care management, and so on) may play a role.

  2. What impact did a Paediatric Early Warning system have on emergency admissions to the paediatric intensive care unit? An observational cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sefton, G; McGrath, C; Tume, L; Lane, S; Lisboa, P J G; Carrol, E D

    2015-04-01

    The ideology underpinning Paediatric Early Warning systems (PEWs) is that earlier recognition of deteriorating in-patients would improve clinical outcomes. To explore how the introduction of PEWs at a tertiary children's hospital affects emergency admissions to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and the impact on service delivery. To compare 'in-house' emergency admissions to PICU with 'external' admissions transferred from District General Hospitals (without PEWs). A before-and-after observational study August 2005-July 2006 (pre), August 2006-July 2007 (post) implementation of PEWs at the tertiary children's hospital. The median Paediatric Index of Mortality (PIM2) reduced; 0.44 vs 0.60 (pemergency admissions to PICU. A 39% reduction in emergency admission total beds days reduced cancellation of major elective surgical cases and refusal of external PICU referrals. Following introduction of PEWs at a tertiary children's hospital PIM2 was reduced, patients required less PICU interventions and had a shorter length of stay. PICU service delivery improved. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Additional measures do not improve the diagnostic accuracy of the Hospital Admission Risk Profile for detecting downstream quality of life in community-dwelling older people presenting to a hospital emergency department

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grimmer K

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available K Grimmer, S Milanese, K Beaton, A AtlasInternational Centre for Allied Health Evidence, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, AustraliaIntroduction: The Hospital Admission Risk Profile (HARP instrument is commonly used to assess risk of functional decline when older people are admitted to hospital. HARP has moderate diagnostic accuracy (65% for downstream decreased scores in activities of daily living. This paper reports the diagnostic accuracy of HARP for downstream quality of life. It also tests whether adding other measures to HARP improves its diagnostic accuracy.Methods: One hundred and forty-eight independent community dwelling individuals aged 65 years or older were recruited in the emergency department of one large Australian hospital with a medical problem for which they were discharged without a hospital ward admission. Data, including age, sex, primary language, highest level of education, postcode, living status, requiring care for daily activities, using a gait aid, receiving formal community supports, instrumental activities of daily living in the last week, hospitalization and falls in the last 12 months, and mental state were collected at recruitment. HARP scores were derived from a formula that summed scores assigned to age, activities of daily living, and mental state categories. Physical and mental component scores of a quality of life measure were captured by telephone interview at 1 and 3 months after recruitment.Results: HARP scores are moderately accurate at predicting downstream decline in physical quality of life, but did not predict downstream decline in mental quality of life. The addition of other variables to HARP did not improve its diagnostic accuracy for either measure of quality of life.Conclusion: HARP is a poor predictor of quality of life.Keywords: functional decline, HARP, quality of life, older people

  4. A Multicity Analysis of the Short-Term Effects of Air Pollution on the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Hospital Admissions in Shandong, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yi; Sun, Jingjie; Gou, Yannong; Sun, Xiubin; Li, Xiujun; Yuan, Zhongshang; Kong, Lizhi; Xue, Fuzhong

    2018-04-17

    Although there is growing evidence linking chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospital admissions to the exposure to ambient air pollution, the effect can vary depending on the local geography, pollution type, and pollution level. The number of large-scale multicity studies remains limited in China. This study aims to assess the short-term effects of ambient air pollution (PM 2.5 , PM 10 , SO₂, NO₂) on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospital admissions from 2015 to 2016, with a total of 216,159 records collected from 207 hospitals in 17 cities all over the Shandong province, east China. Generalized additive models and penalized splines were applied to study the data whilst controlling for confounding meteorological factors and long-term trends. The air pollution was analyzed with 0–6 day lag effects and the percentage change of hospital admissions was assessed for a 10-μg/m³ increase in the air pollution levels. We also examined the percentage changes for different age groups and gender, respectively. The results showed that air pollution was significantly associated with adverse health outcomes and stronger effects were observed for females. The air pollution health effects were also impacted by geographical factors such that the air pollution had weaker health effects in coastal cities.

  5. Population Based Trends in the Incidence of Hospital Admission for the Diagnosis of Hepatorenal Syndrome: 1998–2011

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manish Suneja

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objectives. Hepatorenal syndrome carries a high risk of mortality. Understanding the incidence and mortality trends in hepatorenal syndrome will help inform future studies regarding the safety and efficacy of potential therapeutic interventions. Design and Methods. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. We identified hospitalizations from January 1998–June 2011 with a primary diagnosis of hepatorenal syndrome. To characterize the incidence trends in monthly hepatorenal syndrome hospitalizations, we fit a piecewise linear model with a change point at January 2008. We examined hospital and patient characteristics before and after the change point. Results. Hospital admissions with a diagnosis of hepatorenal syndrome increased markedly between September of 2007 and March of 2008. Comparing patients who were admitted with a diagnosis of hepatorenal syndrome prior to 2008 with those after 2008, we found that length of stay increased while the mortality of patients admitted for hepatorenal syndrome decreased. Conclusion. The revision of the diagnostic criteria for hepatorenal syndrome may have contributed to the increase in the incidence of admissions for hepatorenal syndrome. However, the changes in the principles of hepatorenal syndrome management may have also contributed to the increase in incidence and lower mortality.

  6. Pattern of cardiovascular admissions at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, South East Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osuji, Charles Ukachukwu; Onwubuya, Emmanuel Ikechukwu; Ahaneku, Gladys Ifesinachi; Omejua, Emeka Godwin

    2014-01-01

    Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the top killer diseases in the world sparing neither developed or developing countries. The study was carried out to determine the pattern of cardiovascular admissions at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi South East Nigeria. The study was a retrospective study covering the period January 2007 to December 2009. SPSS version 13 software was used to analyze data. 537 (15%) patients were admitted into the study out of 3546 patients {females 1756 and 1790} admitted into medical wards. 322 (60%) of study population were males and 215 (40%) females. 359(67.5%) were discharged, 170 (32%) died and 8 (0.5%) were discharged against medical advice. The majority of the deaths 105(61.8%), were in patients with CVA. Most of the deaths (111 or 65.3%) occurred within the first seven days of admission. The mean age of the population was 60.7 years ±15.9 with a range of 18 to 110 years. The length of stay in hospital ranged between 1 and 140 days with a mean of 13.5 ± 13.9 days and a median of 10 days. 33 of the subjects were single, 406 were married, 94 were widowed (11 males and 83 females) and 4 were divorced. 46.7% (251) were admitted for CVA and 30.9% (166) for heart failure. Cardiomyopathy/valvular heart diseases (clinical diagnosis due to absence of echocardiography) constituted 3.9%, hypertension 20.5% and pre-existing hypertension with uremia 1.9%. The study has shown that cardiovascular disease contributed significantly to medical admissions the elderly accounting for a significant proportion. There is thus the need for intensification of primary preventive strategies for cardiovascular diseases.

  7. Relationships of physiologically equivalent temperature and hospital admissions due to I30-I51 other forms of heart disease in Germany in 2009-2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiue, Ivy; Perkins, David R; Bearman, Nick

    2016-04-01

    We aimed to understand relationships of the weather as biometeorological and hospital admissions due to other forms of heart disease by subtypes, which have been paid less attention, in a national setting in recent years. This is an ecological study. Ten percent of daily hospital admissions of the included hospitals (n = 1618) across Germany that were available between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2011 (n = 5,235,600) were extracted from Statistisches Bundesamt, Germany. We identified I30-I51 other forms of heart disease by the International Classification of Diseases version 10 as the study outcomes. Daily weather data from 64 weather stations that have covered 13 German states, including air temperature, humidity, wind speed, cloud cover, radiation flux and vapour pressure, were obtained and generated into physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). Admissions due to other diseases of pericardium, nonrheumatic mitral valve disorders, nonrheumatic aortic valve disorders, cardiomyopathy, atrioventricular and left bundle-branch block, other conduction disorders, atrial fibrillation and flutter, and other cardiac arrhythmias peaked when PET was between 0 and 10 °C. Complications and ill-defined descriptions of heart disease admissions peaked at PET 0 °C. Cardiac arrest and heart failure admissions peaked when PET was between 0 and -10 °C while the rest did not vary significantly. A common drop of admissions was found when PET was above 10 °C. More medical resources could have been needed for heart health on days when PETs were public would seem to be imperative.

  8. [Surgery is unlikely to be enough for a patient to stop smoking 24h prior to hospital admission].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marinho, Igor Maia; Carmona, Maria José C; Benseñor, Fábio Ely Martins; Hertel, Julia Mintz; Moraes, Marcos Fernando Breda de; Santos, Paulo Caleb Junior Lima; Vane, Matheus Fachini; Issa, Jaqueline Scholz

    2018-06-07

    The need for surgery can be a decisive factor for long-term smoking cessation. On the other hand, situations that precipitate stress could precipitate smoking relapse. The authors decided to study the impact of a surgery on the patient's effort to cease smoking for, at least, 24h before hospital admission and possible relapse on the last 24h before hospital admission for ex-smokers. Smoker, ex-smokers and non-smokers adults, either from pre-anesthetic clinic or recently hospital admitted for scheduled elective surgeries that were, at most, 6h inside the hospital buildings were included in the study. The patients answered a questionnaire at the ward or at the entrance of the operating room (Admitted group) or at the beginning of the first pre-anesthetic consultation (Clinic group) and performed CO measurements. 241 patients were included, being 52 ex-smokers and 109 never smokers and 80 non-smokers. Smokers had higher levels of expired carbon monoxide than non-smokers and ex-smokers (9.97±6.50 vs. 2.26±1.65 vs. 2.98±2.69; p=0.02). Among the smokers, the Clinic group had CO levels not statistically different of those on the Admitted group (10.93±7.5 vs. 8.65±4.56; p=0.21). The ex-smokers presented with no significant differences for the carbon monoxide levels between the Clinic and Admitted groups (2.9±2.3 vs. 2.82±2.15; p=0.45). A medical condition, such as a surgery, without proper assistance is unlikely to be enough for a patient to stop smoking for, at least, 24h prior to admission. The proximity of a surgery was not associated with smoking relapse 24h before the procedure. Copyright © 2018. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda.

  9. [Appropriateness admissions to the Department of Internal Medicine of the Hospital de Santa Luzia (Elvas) evaluated by the AEP (Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordero, A; Aguila, J; Massalana, A; Escoto, V; Lopes, L; Susano, R

    2004-01-01

    The authors analyse the appropriateness admissions to the Internal Medicine ward of the Hospital de Santa Luzia (Elvas). A retrospective study was performed during 6 months of 2001, using the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP). Non-appropriateness admissions were found in 19% (CI95%: 16-22), and this group of patients had less mean age (63 + 16 vs 69 + 16; p <0.01), and less mean days of admission (7.1 + 6 vs 9.3 + 7; p <0.01) than group with appropriateness admissions. Appropriateness admissions were mainly found in patients admitted from the emergency room (86% vs 49%; p <0.001). Most of patients with non-appropriate admissions were admitted to undergo diagnostic tests (44%; CI95%: 35-53), or to be referred to other medical centres for specialized study and/or treatment (12%; CI95%: 6-18).

  10. Assessing Timely Presentation to Care Among People Diagnosed with HIV During Hospital Admission: A Population-Based Study in Ontario, Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kendall, Claire E; Shoemaker, Esther S; Raboud, Janet; Mark, Amy E; Bayoumi, Ahmed M; Burchell, Ann N; Loutfy, Mona; Rourke, Sean B; Liddy, Clare E; Rosenes, Ron; Rogers, Timothy; Antoniou, Tony

    2018-03-13

    Timely presentation to care for people newly diagnosed with HIV is critical to optimize health outcomes and reduce onward HIV transmission. Studies describing presentation to care following diagnosis during a hospital admission are lacking. We sought to assess the timeliness of presentation to care and to identify factors associated with delayed presentation. We conducted a population-level study using health administrative databases. Participants were all individuals older than 16 and newly diagnosed with HIV during hospital admission in Ontario, Canada, between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2015. We used modified Poisson regression models to derive relative risk ratios for the association between sociodemographic and clinical variables and the presentation to out-patient HIV care by 90 days following hospital discharge. Among 372 patients who received a primary HIV diagnosis in hospital, 83.6% presented to care by 90 days. Following multivariable analysis, we did not find associations between patient sociodemographic or clinical characteristics and presentation to care by 90 days. In a secondary analysis of 483 patients diagnosed during hospitalization but for whom HIV was not recorded as the principal reason for admission, 73.1% presented to care by 90 days. Following multivariable adjustment, we found immigrants from countries with generalized HIV epidemics (RR 1.265, 95% CI 1.133-1.413) were more likely to present to care, whereas timely presentation was less likely for people with a mental health diagnosis (RR 0.817, 95% CI 0.742-0.898) and women (RR 0.748, 95% CI 0.559-1.001). Future work should evaluate mechanisms to facilitate presentation to care among these populations.

  11. Differential Effects of Temperature Extremes on Hospital Admission Rates for Respiratory Disease between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Donna; Bambrick, Hilary; Tait, Peter; Goldie, James; Schultz, Rosalie; Webb, Leanne; Alexander, Lisa; Pitman, Andrew

    2015-01-01

    The health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians may be exacerbated by climate change if temperature extremes have disproportionate adverse effects on Indigenous people. To explore this issue, we analysed the effect of temperature extremes on hospital admissions for respiratory diseases, stratified by age, Indigenous status and sex, for people living in two different climates zones in the Northern Territory during the period 1993–2011. We examined admissions for both acute and chronic respiratory diagnoses, controlling for day of the week and seasonality variables. Our analysis showed that: (1) overall, Indigenous hospital admission rates far exceeded non-Indigenous admission rates for acute and chronic diagnoses, and Top End climate zone admission rates exceeded Central Australia climate zone admission rates; (2) extreme cold and hot temperatures were associated with inconsistent changes in admission rates for acute respiratory disease in Indigenous and non-Indigenous children and older adults; and (3) no response to cold or hot temperature extremes was found for chronic respiratory diagnoses. These findings support our two hypotheses, that extreme hot and cold temperatures have a different effect on hospitalisations for respiratory disease between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, and that these health risks vary between the different climate zones. We did not, however, find that there were differing responses to temperature extremes in the two populations, suggesting that any increased vulnerability to climate change in the Indigenous population of the Northern Territory arises from an increased underlying risk to respiratory disease and an already greater existing health burden. PMID:26633456

  12. Differential Effects of Temperature Extremes on Hospital Admission Rates for Respiratory Disease between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donna Green

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians may be exacerbated by climate change if temperature extremes have disproportionate adverse effects on Indigenous people. To explore this issue, we analysed the effect of temperature extremes on hospital admissions for respiratory diseases, stratified by age, Indigenous status and sex, for people living in two different climates zones in the Northern Territory during the period 1993–2011. We examined admissions for both acute and chronic respiratory diagnoses, controlling for day of the week and seasonality variables. Our analysis showed that: (1 overall, Indigenous hospital admission rates far exceeded non-Indigenous admission rates for acute and chronic diagnoses, and Top End climate zone admission rates exceeded Central Australia climate zone admission rates; (2 extreme cold and hot temperatures were associated with inconsistent changes in admission rates for acute respiratory disease in Indigenous and non-Indigenous children and older adults; and (3 no response to cold or hot temperature extremes was found for chronic respiratory diagnoses. These findings support our two hypotheses, that extreme hot and cold temperatures have a different effect on hospitalisations for respiratory disease between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, and that these health risks vary between the different climate zones. We did not, however, find that there were differing responses to temperature extremes in the two populations, suggesting that any increased vulnerability to climate change in the Indigenous population of the Northern Territory arises from an increased underlying risk to respiratory disease and an already greater existing health burden.

  13. Pattern of cardiovascular admissions at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, South East Nigeria

    OpenAIRE

    Osuji, Charles Ukachukwu; Onwubuya, Emmanuel Ikechukwu; Ahaneku, Gladys Ifesinachi; Omejua, Emeka Godwin

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the top killer diseases in the world sparing neither developed or developing countries. The study was carried out to determine the pattern of cardiovascular admissions at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi South East Nigeria. Methods The study was a retrospective study covering the period January 2007 to December 2009. SPSS version 13 software was used to analyze data. Results 537 (15%) patients were admitted into the study ou...

  14. A study of the short-term associations between hospital admissions and mortality from heart failure and meteorological variables in Hong Kong: Weather and heart failure in Hong Kong.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goggins, William B; Chan, Emily Yy

    2017-02-01

    Previous research has shown winter peaks for both hospitalizations and mortality from HF, but few studies have examined the association between meteorological parameters and HF. Daily HF admissions to Hong Kong public hospitals, which cover about 83% of total admissions, and daily HF deaths, were obtained for 2002-2011. Generalized additive (Poisson) regression models were used with daily HF admissions/mortality as outcomes and daily mean temperature, humidity, and wind speed as predictors, while controlling for pollutant levels, time trend, season, day of the week, and holiday. Non-linear distributed lag functions were used for predictors to allow for non-linear and delayed associations. Lower mean daily temperatures were strongly associated with increased HF admissions and mortality with a cumulative (to 23days) relative risk (RR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) for HF admissions of 2.63 (2.43, 2.84) for an 11°C. vs. a 25°Cday, and cumulative (42days) RR (95% CI)=3.13 (1.90, 5.16) for HF mortality. The association with cold weather was stronger among older age groups and for new hospitalizations compared to recurrent ones, while presence of co-morbidities did not modify the association. Both high and low relative humidity were modestly associated with more admissions. Both HF admissions and mortality in Hong Kong were very strongly associated with cold temperatures. Reducing exposure to cold temperatures among those at risk for HF has the potential to reduce hospitalizations and mortality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Simultaneous vaccination with MMR and DTaP-IPV-Hib and rate of hospital admissions with any infections

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørup, Signe; Benn, Christine S; Poulsen, Anja

    2016-01-01

    , retrospective, register based cohort study of 520,859 children born in Denmark 1997-2006, who were followed from 15months to 4years of age. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of hospital admissions were estimated by Cox regression and adjusted for background factors including exact age. RESULTS: By 2years of age...

  16. A Predictive Model for Acute Admission in Aged Population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mansourvar, Marjan; Andersen-Ranberg, Karen; Nøhr, Christian

    2018-01-01

    Acute hospital admission among the elderly population is very common and have a high impact on the health services and the community, as well as on the individuals. Several studies have focused on the possible risk factors, however, predicting who is at risk for acute hospitalization associated...... with disease and symptoms is still an open research question. In this study, we investigate the use of machine learning algorithms for predicting acute admission in older people based on admission data from individual citizens 70 years and older who were hospitalized in the acute medical unit of Svendborg...

  17. Unreliable patient identification warrants ABO typing at admission to check existing records before transfusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrera-Tourenc, V; Lassale, B; Chiaroni, J; Dettori, I

    2015-06-01

    This study describes patient identification errors leading to transfusional near-misses in blood issued by the Alps Mediterranean French Blood Establishment (EFSAM) to Marseille Public Hospitals (APHM) over an 18-month period. The EFSAM consolidates 14 blood banks in southeast France. It supplies 149 hospitals and maintains a centralized database on ABO types used at all area hospitals. As an added precaution against incompatible transfusion, the APHM requires ABO testing at each admission regardless of whether the patient has an ABO record. The study goal was to determine if admission testing was warranted. Discrepancies between ABO type determined by admission testing and records in the centralized database were investigated. The root cause for each discrepancy was classified as specimen collection or patient admission error. Causes of patient admission events were further subclassified as namesake (name similarity) or impersonation (identity fraud). The incidence of ABO discrepancies was 1:2334 including a 1:3329 incidence of patient admission events. Impersonation was the main cause of identity events accounting for 90.3% of cases. The APHM's ABO control policy prevented 19 incompatible transfusions. In relation to the 48,593 packed red cell units transfused, this would have corresponded to a risk of 1:2526. Collecting and storing ABO typing results in a centralized database is an essential public health tool. It allows crosschecking of current test results with past records and avoids redundant testing. However, as patient identification remains unreliable, ABO typing at each admission is still warranted to prevent transfusion errors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  18. A randomized trial of a standard dose of Edmonston-Zagreb measles vaccine given at 4.5 months of age: effect on total hospital admissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martins, Cesario L; Benn, Christine S; Andersen, Andreas; Balé, Carlito; Schaltz-Buchholzer, Frederik; Do, Vu An; Rodrigues, Amabelia; Aaby, Peter; Ravn, Henrik; Whittle, Hilton; Garly, May-Lill

    2014-06-01

    Observational studies and trials from low-income countries indicate that measles vaccine has beneficial nonspecific effects, protecting against non-measles-related mortality. It is not known whether measles vaccine protects against hospital admissions. Between 2003 and 2007, 6417 children who had received the third dose of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine were randomly assigned to receive measles vaccine at 4.5 months or no measles vaccine; all children were offered measles vaccine at 9 months of age. Using hospital admission data from the national pediatric ward in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, we compared admission rates between enrollment and the 9-month vaccination in Cox models, providing admission hazard rate ratios (HRRs) for measles vaccine versus no measles vaccine. All analyses were conducted stratified by sex and reception of neonatal vitamin A supplementation (NVAS). Before enrollment the 2 groups had similar admission rates. Following enrollment, the measles vaccine group had an admission HRR of 0.70 (95% confidence interval [CI], .52-.95), with a ratio of 0.53 (95% CI, .32-.86) for girls and 0.86 (95% CI, .58-1.26) for boys. For children who had not received NVAS, the admission HRR was 0.53 (95% CI, .34-.84), with an effect of 0.30 (95% CI, .13-.70) for girls and 0.73 (95% CI, .42-1.28) for boys (P = .08, interaction test). The reduction in admissions was separately significant for measles infection (admission HRR, 0 [95% CI, 0-.24]) and respiratory infections (admission HRR, 0.37 [95% CI, .16-.89]). Early measles vaccine may have major benefits for infant morbidity patterns and healthcare costs. Clinical trials registration NCT00168558.

  19. Patients Commonly Believe Their Heart Failure Hospitalizations Are Preventable and Identify Worsening Heart Failure, Nonadherence, and a Knowledge Gap as Reasons for Admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilotra, Nisha A; Shpigel, Adam; Okwuosa, Ike S; Tamrat, Ruth; Flowers, Deirdre; Russell, Stuart D

    2017-03-01

    There are few data describing patient-identified precipitants of heart failure (HF) hospitalization. We hypothesized a patient's perception of reason for or preventability of an admission may be related to 30-day readmission rates. Ninety-four patients admitted with decompensated HF from July 2014 to March 2015 completed a brief questionnaire regarding circumstances leading to admission. Thirty-day outcomes were assessed via telephone call and chart review. Mean age was 58 ± 14 years, with 60% blacks (n = 56) and 41% females (n = 39). Median left ventricular ejection fraction was 30%; 27 had preserved ejection fraction. Seventy-two patients identified their hospitalization to be due to HF (± another condition). Most common patient-identified precipitants of admission were worsening HF (n = 37) and dietary nonadherence (n = 11). Readmitted patients tended to have longer time until first follow-up appointment (21 vs 8 days). Seven of the 42 patients who identified their hospitalization as preventable were readmitted compared with 21/49 who believed their hospitalization was unpreventable (P = .012). On multivariate regression analysis, patients who thought their hospitalization was preventable were less likely to be readmitted (odds ratio 0.31; 95% confidence interval 0.10-0.91; P = .04). Almost 50% of patients believe their HF hospitalization is preventable, and these patients appear to be less likely to be readmitted within 30 days. Notably, patients cite nonadherence and lack of knowledge as reasons hospitalizations are preventable. These results lend insight into possible interventions to reduce HF readmissions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Prognostic burden of heart failure recorded in primary care, acute hospital admissions, or both: a population-based linked electronic health record cohort study in 2.1 million people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koudstaal, Stefan; Pujades-Rodriguez, Mar; Denaxas, Spiros; Gho, Johannes M I H; Shah, Anoop D; Yu, Ning; Patel, Riyaz S; Gale, Chris P; Hoes, Arno W; Cleland, John G; Asselbergs, Folkert W; Hemingway, Harry

    2017-09-01

    The prognosis of patients hospitalized for worsening heart failure (HF) is well described, but not that of patients managed solely in non-acute settings such as primary care or secondary outpatient care. We assessed the distribution of HF across levels of healthcare, and assessed the prognostic differences for patients with HF either recorded in primary care (including secondary outpatient care) (PC), hospital admissions alone, or known in both contexts. This study was part of the CALIBER programme, which comprises linked data from primary care, hospital admissions, and death certificates for 2.1 million inhabitants of England. We identified 89 554 patients with newly recorded HF, of whom 23 547 (26%) were recorded in PC but never hospitalized, 30 629 (34%) in hospital admissions but not known in PC, 23 681 (27%) in both, and 11 697 (13%) in death certificates only. The highest prescription rates of ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists was found in patients known in both contexts. The respective 5-year survival in the first three groups was 43.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 43.2-44.6%], 21.7% (95% CI 21.1-22.2%), and 39.8% (95% CI 39.2-40.5%), compared with 88.1% (95% CI 87.9-88.3%) in the age- and sex-matched general population. In the general population, one in four patients with HF will not be hospitalized for worsening HF within a median follow-up of 1.7 years, yet they still have a poor 5-year prognosis. Patients admitted to hospital with worsening HF but not known with HF in primary care have the worst prognosis and management. Mitigating the prognostic burden of HF requires greater consistency across primary and secondary care in the identification, profiling, and treatment of patients. NCT02551016. © 2016 The Authors. European Journal of Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.

  1. Intense pre-admission carriage and further acquisition of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae among patients and their caregivers in a tertiary hospital in Rwanda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurz, Mathis S E; Bayingana, Claude; Ndoli, Jules M; Sendegeya, Augustin; Durst, Anita; Pfüller, Roland; Gahutu, Jean Bosco; Mockenhaupt, Frank P

    2017-02-01

    To assess the presence and risk factors of intestinal carriage of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-PE) among patients admitted to the University Teaching Hospital of Butare and among their attending caregivers, and to analyse the acquisition of ESBL-PE carriage during hospital stay and associated factors. We screened 392 patients and their attending caregivers at admission and discharge for ESBL-PE carriage. Bacterial species were determined using the API-20E system, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by agar disc diffusion. Data on socio-economic status, diet, behaviour, household assets, livestock and hospital procedures were collected. At admission, 50% of the patients showed intestinal ESBL-PE carriage (Escherichia coli, 51%; Klebsiella pneumoniae, 39%; Enterobacter cloacae, 19%) as did 37% of their caregivers. Co-resistance was common but no carbapenem resistance was detected. At discharge, the proportion of ESBL-PE-colonised patients increased to 65% (caregivers, 47%) with almost complete carriage in paediatric patients (93%). The acquisition rate among initially non-colonised patients was 55% (or, 71/1000 patient days). Independent predictors of admission carriage included a colonised caregiver, prior antibiotic intake, egg consumption and neglecting to boil drinking water, whereas being a paediatric patient, undergoing surgery and male gender predicted acquisition during hospitalisation. Abundant admission carriage of ESBL-PE and a high acquisition rate in a Rwandan university hospital point to potential intrahospital transmission and community dissemination. Caregivers are an additional source of possible spread. Risk factors of colonisation such as diet and water source need to be tackled to prevent the further emergence and spread of ESBL-PE. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Text mining electronic hospital records to automatically classify admissions against disease: Measuring the impact of linking data sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kocbek, Simon; Cavedon, Lawrence; Martinez, David; Bain, Christopher; Manus, Chris Mac; Haffari, Gholamreza; Zukerman, Ingrid; Verspoor, Karin

    2016-12-01

    Text and data mining play an important role in obtaining insights from Health and Hospital Information Systems. This paper presents a text mining system for detecting admissions marked as positive for several diseases: Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Colon Cancer, Secondary Malignant Neoplasm of Respiratory and Digestive Organs, Multiple Myeloma and Malignant Plasma Cell Neoplasms, Pneumonia, and Pulmonary Embolism. We specifically examine the effect of linking multiple data sources on text classification performance. Support Vector Machine classifiers are built for eight data source combinations, and evaluated using the metrics of Precision, Recall and F-Score. Sub-sampling techniques are used to address unbalanced datasets of medical records. We use radiology reports as an initial data source and add other sources, such as pathology reports and patient and hospital admission data, in order to assess the research question regarding the impact of the value of multiple data sources. Statistical significance is measured using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. A second set of experiments explores aspects of the system in greater depth, focusing on Lung Cancer. We explore the impact of feature selection; analyse the learning curve; examine the effect of restricting admissions to only those containing reports from all data sources; and examine the impact of reducing the sub-sampling. These experiments provide better understanding of how to best apply text classification in the context of imbalanced data of variable completeness. Radiology questions plus patient and hospital admission data contribute valuable information for detecting most of the diseases, significantly improving performance when added to radiology reports alone or to the combination of radiology and pathology reports. Overall, linking data sources significantly improved classification performance for all the diseases examined. However, there is no single approach that suits all scenarios; the choice of the

  3. Winter circulation weather types and hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in Galicia, Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Royé, D; Taboada, J J; Martí, A; Lorenzo, M N

    2016-04-01

    The link between various pathologies and atmospheric conditions has been a constant topic of study over recent decades in many places across the world; knowing more about it enables us to pre-empt the worsening of certain diseases, thereby optimizing medical resources. This study looked specifically at the connections in winter between respiratory diseases and types of atmospheric weather conditions (Circulation Weather Types, CWT) in Galicia, a region in the north-western corner of the Iberian Peninsula. To do this, the study used hospital admission data associated with these pathologies as well as an automatic classification of weather types. The main result obtained was that weather types giving rise to an increase in admissions due to these diseases are those associated with cold, dry weather, such as those in the east and south-east, or anticyclonic types. A second peak was associated with humid, hotter weather, generally linked to south-west weather types. In the future, this result may help to forecast the increase in respiratory pathologies in the region some days in advance.

  4. Winter circulation weather types and hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in Galicia, Spain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Royé, D.; Taboada, J. J.; Martí, A.; Lorenzo, M. N.

    2016-04-01

    The link between various pathologies and atmospheric conditions has been a constant topic of study over recent decades in many places across the world; knowing more about it enables us to pre-empt the worsening of certain diseases, thereby optimizing medical resources. This study looked specifically at the connections in winter between respiratory diseases and types of atmospheric weather conditions (Circulation Weather Types, CWT) in Galicia, a region in the north-western corner of the Iberian Peninsula. To do this, the study used hospital admission data associated with these pathologies as well as an automatic classification of weather types. The main result obtained was that weather types giving rise to an increase in admissions due to these diseases are those associated with cold, dry weather, such as those in the east and south-east, or anticyclonic types. A second peak was associated with humid, hotter weather, generally linked to south-west weather types. In the future, this result may help to forecast the increase in respiratory pathologies in the region some days in advance.

  5. Vegetation fire smoke, indigenous status and cardio-respiratory hospital admissions in Darwin, Australia, 1996–2005: a time-series study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanigan Ivan C

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Air pollution in Darwin, Northern Australia, is dominated by smoke from seasonal fires in the surrounding savanna that burn during the dry season from April to November. Our aim was to study the association between particulate matter less than or equal to 10 microns diameter (PM10 and daily emergency hospital admissions for cardio-respiratory diseases for each fire season from 1996 to 2005. We also investigated whether the relationship differed in indigenous Australians; a disadvantaged population sub-group. Methods Daily PM10 exposure levels were estimated for the population of the city from visibility data using a previously validated model. We used over-dispersed Poisson generalized linear models with parametric smoothing functions for time and meteorology to examine the association between admissions and PM10 up to three days prior. An interaction between indigenous status and PM10 was included to examine differences in the impact on indigenous people. Results We found both positive and negative associations and our estimates had wide confidence intervals. There were generally positive associations between respiratory disease and PM10 but not with cardiovascular disease. An increase of 10 μg/m3 in same-day estimated ambient PM10 was associated with a 4.81% (95%CI: -1.04%, 11.01% increase in total respiratory admissions. When the interaction between indigenous status and PM10 was assessed a statistically different association was found between PM10 and admissions three days later for respiratory infections of indigenous people (15.02%; 95%CI: 3.73%, 27.54% than for non-indigenous people (0.67%; 95%CI: -7.55%, 9.61%. There were generally negative estimates for cardiovascular conditions. For non-indigenous admissions the estimated association with total cardiovascular admissions for same day ambient PM10 and admissions was -3.43% (95%CI: -9.00%, 2.49% and the estimate for indigenous admissions was -3.78% (95%CI: -13.4%, 6

  6. Predictive value of the present-on-admission indicator for hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khanna, Raman R; Kim, Sharon B; Jenkins, Ian; El-Kareh, Robert; Afsarmanesh, Nasim; Amin, Alpesh; Sand, Heather; Auerbach, Andrew; Chia, Catherine Y; Maynard, Gregory; Romano, Patrick S; White, Richard H

    2015-04-01

    Hospital-acquired venous thromboembolic (HA-VTE) events are an important, preventable cause of morbidity and death, but accurately identifying HA-VTE events requires labor-intensive chart review. Administrative diagnosis codes and their associated "present-on-admission" (POA) indicator might allow automated identification of HA-VTE events, but only if VTE codes are accurately flagged "not present-on-admission" (POA=N). New codes were introduced in 2009 to improve accuracy. We identified all medical patients with at least 1 VTE "other" discharge diagnosis code from 5 academic medical centers over a 24-month period. We then sampled, within each center, patients with VTE codes flagged POA=N or POA=U (insufficient documentation) and POA=Y or POA=W (timing clinically uncertain) and abstracted each chart to clarify VTE timing. All events that were not clearly POA were classified as HA-VTE. We then calculated predictive values of the POA=N/U flags for HA-VTE and the POA=Y/W flags for non-HA-VTE. Among 2070 cases with at least 1 "other" VTE code, we found 339 codes flagged POA=N/U and 1941 flagged POA=Y/W. Among 275 POA=N/U abstracted codes, 75.6% (95% CI, 70.1%-80.6%) were HA-VTE; among 291 POA=Y/W abstracted events, 73.5% (95% CI, 68.0%-78.5%) were non-HA-VTE. Extrapolating from this sample, we estimated that 59% of actual HA-VTE codes were incorrectly flagged POA=Y/W. POA indicator predictive values did not improve after new codes were introduced in 2009. The predictive value of VTE events flagged POA=N/U for HA-VTE was 75%. However, sole reliance on this flag may substantially underestimate the incidence of HA-VTE.

  7. Drinking water quality and hospital admissions of elderly people for gastrointestinal illness in Eastern Massachusetts, 1998-2008.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beaudeau, Pascal; Schwartz, Joel; Levin, Ronnie

    2014-04-01

    We used a Poisson regression to compare daily hospital admissions of elderly people for acute gastrointestinal illness in Boston against daily variations in drinking water quality over an 11-year period, controlling for weather, seasonality and time trends. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), which provides non-filtered water to 1.5 million people in the greater Boston area, changed its disinfection method from chlorination to ozonation during the study period so we were also able to evaluate changes in risk associated with the change in disinfection method. Other available water quality data from the MWRA included turbidity, fecal coliforms, UV-absorbance, and planktonic algae and cyanobacteriae concentrations. Daily weather, rainfall data and water temperature were also available. Low water temperature, increases in turbidity and, to a lesser extent, in fecal coliform and cyanobacteriae were associated with a higher risk of hospital admissions, while the shift from chlorination to ozonation has possibly reduced the health risk. The MWRA complied with US drinking water regulations throughout the study period. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. [Estimation of the population attributable fraction due to obesity in hospital admissions for flu valued according to Body Mass Index (BMI) and CUN-BAE].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dávila-Batista, V; Carriedo, D; Díez, F; Pueyo Bastida, A; Martínez Durán, B; Martin, V

    2018-03-01

    The obesity pandemic together with the influenza pandemic could lead to a significant burden of disease. The body mass index (BMI) does not discriminate obesity appropriately. The CUN-BAE has recently been used as an estimate of body fatness for Caucasians, including BMI, gender, and age. The aim of this study is to assess the population attributable fraction of hospital admissions due to influenza, due to the body fatness measured with the BMI, and the CUN-BAE. A multicentre study was conducted using matched case-controls. Cases were hospital admissions with the influenza confirmed by the RT-PCR method between 2009 and 2011. The risk of hospital admission and the population attribuible fraction were calculated using the BMI or the CUN-BAE for each adiposity category in a conditional logical regression analysis adjusted for confounding variables. The analyzes were estimated in the total sample, in unvaccinated people, and those less than 65 years-old. A total of 472 hospitalised cases and 493 controls were included in the study. Compared to normal weight, the aOR of influenza hospital admissions increases with each level of BMI (aOR=1.26; 2.06 and 11.64) and CUN-BAE (aOR=2.78; 4.29; 5.43 and 15.18). The population attributable fraction of influenza admissions using CUN-BAE is 3 times higher than that estimated with BMI (0,72 vs. 0,27), with the differences found being similar the non-vaccinated and under 65 year-olds. The BMI could be underestimating the burden of disease attributable to obesity in individuals hospitalised with influenza. There needs to be an appropriate assessment of the impact of obesity and vaccine recommendation criteria. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  9. Characteristics of fatal and hospital admissions for burns in Fiji: a population-based study (TRIP Project-2).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taoi, Mable; Wainiqolo, Iris; Kafoa, Berlin; Kool, Bridget; Naisaki, Asilika; McCaig, Eddie; Ameratunga, Shanthi

    2012-08-01

    Over 95% of burn deaths are estimated to occur in low-and-middle-income countries. However, the epidemiology of burn-related injuries in Pacific Island Countries is unclear. This study investigated the incidence and demographic characteristics associated with fatal and hospitalised burns in Fiji. This cross-sectional study utilised the Fiji Injury Surveillance in Hospital database to estimate the population-based incidence and contextual characteristics associated with burns resulting in death or hospital admission (≥12h) during a 12-month period commencing 1st October 2005. 116 people were admitted to hospital or died as a result of burns during the study period accounting for an overall annual incidence of 17.8/100,000 population, and mortality rate of 3.4/100,000. Most (92.2%) burns occurred at home, and 85.3% were recorded as unintentional. Burns were disproportionately higher among Fijian children compared with Fijian-Indian children with the converse occurring in adulthood. In adults, Indian women were at particularly high risk of death from self-inflicted burns as a consequence of 'conflict situations'. Burns are a significant public health burden in Fiji requiring prevention and management strategies informed by important differences in the context of these injuries among the major ethic groups of the country. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

  10. [Children's medically complex diseases unit. A model required in all our hospitals].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Climent Alcalá, Francisco José; García Fernández de Villalta, Marta; Escosa García, Luis; Rodríguez Alonso, Aroa; Albajara Velasco, Luis Adolfo

    2018-01-01

    The increase in survival of children with severe diseases has led to the rise of children with chronic diseases, sometimes with lifelong disabilities. In 2008, a unit for the specific care of medically complex children (MCC) was created in Hospital La Paz. To describe the work and care activities of this Unit. Patients and methods An analysis was performed on all discharge reports of the Unit between January 2014 and July 2016. The MCC Unit has 6 beds and daily outpatient clinic. A total of 1,027 patients have been treated since the creation of the unit, with 243 from 2014. The median age was 24.2 months (IQ: 10.21-84.25). The large majority (92.59%) have multiple diseases, the most frequent chronic conditions observed were neurological (76.95%), gastrointestinal (63.78%), and respiratory diseases (61.72%). More than two-thirds (69.54%) of MCC are dependent on technology, 53.49% on respiratory support, and 35.80% on nutritional support. Hospital admission rates have increased annually. There have been 403 admissions since 2014, of which 8.93% were re-admissions within 30 days of hospital discharge. The median stay during 2014-2016 was 6 days (IQ: 3-14). The occupancy rate has been above 100% for this period. Currently, 210 patients remain on follow-up (86.42%), and 11 children (4.53%) were discharged to their referral hospitals. The mortality rate is 9.05% (22 deaths). The main condition of these 22 patients was neurological (9 patients). Infectious diseases were the leading cause of death. MCC should be treated in specialized units in tertiary or high-level hospitals. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  11. Effects of long-range transported air pollution from vegetation fires on daily mortality and hospital admissions in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kollanus, Virpi; Tiittanen, Pekka; Niemi, Jarkko V; Lanki, Timo

    2016-11-01

    Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) emissions from vegetation fires can be transported over long distances and may cause significant air pollution episodes far from the fires. However, epidemiological evidence on health effects of vegetation-fire originated air pollution is limited, particularly for mortality and cardiovascular outcomes. We examined association between short-term exposure to long-range transported PM 2.5 from vegetation fires and daily mortality due to non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory causes and daily hospital admissions due to cardiovascular and respiratory causes in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland. Days significantly affected by smoke from vegetation fires between 2001 and 2010 were identified using air quality measurements at an urban background and a regional background monitoring station, and modelled data on surface concentrations of vegetation-fire smoke. Associations between daily PM 2.5 concentration and health outcomes on i) smoke-affected days and ii) all other days (i.e. non-smoke days) were analysed using Poisson time series regression. All statistical models were adjusted for daily temperature and relative humidity, influenza, pollen, and public holidays. On smoke-affected days, 10µg/m 3 increase in PM 2.5 was associated with a borderline statistically significant increase in cardiovascular mortality among total population at a lag of three days (12.4%, 95% CI -0.2% to 26.5%), and among the elderly (≥65 years) following same-day exposure (13.8%, 95% CI -0.6% to 30.4%) and at a lag of three days (11.8%, 95% CI -2.2% to 27.7%). Smoke day PM 2.5 was not associated with non-accidental mortality or hospital admissions due to cardiovascular causes. However, there was an indication of a positive association with hospital admissions due to respiratory causes among the elderly, and admissions due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma among the total population. In contrast, on non-smoke days PM 2.5 was

  12. Primary care referral management: a marketing strategy for hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bender, A D; Geoghegan, S S; Lundquist, S H; Cantone, J M; Krasnick, C J

    1990-06-01

    With increasing competition among hospitals, primary care referral development and management programs offer an opportunity for hospitals to increase their admissions. Such programs require careful development, the commitment of the hospital staff to the strategy, an integration of hospital activities, and an understanding of medical practice management.

  13. Fall risk as a function of time after admission to sub-acute geriatric hospital units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rapp, Kilian; Ravindren, Johannes; Becker, Clemens; Lindemann, Ulrich; Jaensch, Andrea; Klenk, Jochen

    2016-10-07

    There is evidence about time-dependent fracture rates in different settings and situations. Lacking are data about underlying time-dependent fall risk patterns. The objective of the study was to analyse fall rates as a function of time after admission to sub-acute hospital units and to evaluate the time-dependent impact of clinical factors at baseline on fall risk. This retrospective cohort study used data of 5,255 patients admitted to sub-acute units in a geriatric rehabilitation clinic in Germany between 2010 and 2014. Falls, personal characteristics and functional status at admission were extracted from the hospital information system. The rehabilitation stay was divided in 3-day time-intervals. The fall rate was calculated for each time-interval in all patients combined and in subgroups of patients. To analyse the influence of covariates on fall risk over time multivariate negative binomial regression models were applied for each of 5 time-intervals. The overall fall rate was 10.2 falls/1,000 person-days with highest fall risks during the first week and decreasing risks within the following weeks. A particularly pronounced risk pattern with high fall risks during the first days and decreasing risks thereafter was observed in men, disoriented people, and people with a low functional status or impaired cognition. In disoriented patients, for example, the fall rate decreased from 24.6 falls/1,000 person-days in day 2-4 to about 13 falls/1,000 person-days 2 weeks later. The incidence rate ratio of baseline characteristics changed also over time. Fall risk differs considerably over time during sub-acute hospitalisation. The strongest association between time and fall risk was observed in functionally limited patients with high risks during the first days after admission and declining risks thereafter. This should be considered in the planning and application of fall prevention measures.

  14. Admissions through the emergency department due to drug-related problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yosef H Al-Olah; Khalifa M Al Thiab

    2010-01-01

    Hospital admissions due to drug-related problems (DRPs) have been studied internationally, but local data are limited. Therefore, we undertook a prospective, observational study of all admissions through the emergency department (ED) at a tertiary referral hospital in Saudi Arabia to determine the incidence of admissions through the ED due to DRPs, types of DRPs, length of stay (LOS) in the hospital after ED admissions due to DRPs, and assessment of preventability of admissions due to DRPs.All admissions through the ED over a period of 28 consecutive days were evaluated to determine if they were due to definite or possible DRPs. Data was collected on a daily basis for each admission over the previous 24 hours. Each incident was assessed by three investigators Of 557 patients admitted through the ED, 82 (14.7%) admissions were due to DRP (53 definite, 29 possible). The most common types of DRP were failure to receive medication in 25 cases (47.2%), an adverse drug reaction in 13 cases (24.5%), and drug overdose in 6 cases (11.3%). In the definite DRP group, 83.0% were definitely preventable, 3.8% were possibly preventable and 13.2% were definitely non-preventable.DRPs are a serious and costly issue facing health care professionals and health care systems. Most admissions due to DRPs are avoidable (Author).

  15. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in acute gallstone pancreatitis in index hospital admission: feasibility and safety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sangrasi, Ahmed Khan; Syed, Bm; Memon, Amir Iqbal; Laghari, Abdul Aziz; Talpur, K Altaf Hussain; Qureshi, Jawaid Naeem

    2014-05-01

    Acute gallstone pancreatitis is quite common throughout the globe. Conventionally definitive cholecystectomy has been delayed in index hospital admission. Since the last decade timing of cholecystectomy is gradually shifting towards the earlier phase of disease and currently gallstone pancreatitis is being evaluated as a further indication for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. There is also great concern regarding compliance of patients for definitive surgery due to poverty, ignorance and illiteracy in developing countries. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy as a definitive treatment in patients with mild and resolving gall stone pancreatitis. This was a prospective study from July 2009 to June 2012. Patients were diagnosed by clinical examination, biochemical tests, ultrasonography and contrast enhanced CT. Patients with mild form of the disease (Ranson Score ≤3) and who showed clinical improvement were offered laparoscopic cholecystectomy in index hospital admission. Those who were unfit for surgery were referred for endoscopic sphincterotomy. Common bile duct stones were excluded preoperatively. A total of 38 patients were admitted with acute gallstone pancreatitis in the study period. The mean age of patients was 46.3 years with male to female ratio of 11/27. 22 (57.8%) patients were selected for laparoscopic cholecystectomy and procedure was completed successfully. Ten (26.3%) patients were referred for ERCP and endoscopic sphincterotomy and 11 (28.9%) were managed by conservative treatment and went without any definitive treatment. Mean duration of time from onset of symptoms and laparoscopic cholecystectomy was 7 days (range 4-10). Mean duration of operative time was 45 minutes and hospital stay was 7 days. There was no operative mortality. No major intra-operative or post-operative complication was recorded. two patients (9%) had minor complications. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be safely

  16. The Bromhead Care Home Service: the impact of a service for care home residents with dementia on hospital admission and dying in preferred place of care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garden, Gill; Green, Suzanne; Pieniak, Susan; Gladman, John

    2016-04-01

    People with dementia have worse outcomes associated with hospital admission, are more likely to have interventions and are less likely to be offered palliative care than people without dementia. Advance care planning for care home residents has been shown to reduce hospital admissions without increasing mortality. Studies have shown that staff confidence in managing delirium, a common reason for admission, improves with training. A service combining education for care home staff and advance care planning for care home residents with dementia was introduced to care homes in Boston, UK. There were improvements in staff confidence in recognition, prevention, management and knowledge of factors associated with delirium and dysphagia. 92% of carers rated the service >9/10. Admissions fell by 37% from baseline in the first year and 55% in the second and third years. All but one resident died in the preferred place of care. © 2016 Royal College of Physicians.

  17. Review of road traffic accident admissions in a Nigerian tertiary ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Road traffic accident remains a leading cause of trauma and admissions to the accidents and emergency units of most hospitals. The aim of this study was to determine the pattern and epidemiological characteristics of trauma admissions to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital. Methods: This ...

  18. Inverted U-shape relationships of the weather as biometeorological and hospital admissions due to carcinoma in situ and benign neoplasm in Germany in 2009-2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiue, Ivy; Perkins, David R; Bearman, Nick

    2015-06-01

    We aimed to understand the relationships of the weather as biometeorological and hospital admissions due to carcinoma in situ and benign neoplasms, which have been less paid attention to, in a national setting in recent years. This is an ecological study. Ten percent of daily hospital admissions from the included hospitals (n = 1618) across Germany that were available between 1 January, 2009 and 31 December, 2011 (n = 5,235,600) were extracted from Statistisches Bundesamt, Germany. We identified D00-D48 in situ neoplasms, benign neoplasms and neoplasms of uncertain or unknown behaviour by International Classification of Diseases version 10 as the study outcomes. Daily weather data from 64 weather stations that covered 13 German states including air temperature, humidity, wind speed, cloud cover, radiation flux and vapour pressure were obtained and generated into physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). For most subtypes, peaks of admissions were observed in spring and late autumn. There could be four groups of phenomenon among these admissions. To be specific, D06, D16, D21, D24-25, D35 and D39 peaked when PET was at 0 °C. D46 peaked when PET was at 5-10 °C. D03, D04 and D33 had linear relationships. Other admissions peaked when PET was between 0 and 5 °C. All admissions were in common with a drop when PET reached 10 °C or higher. More medical resources could have been needed on days when PETs were at 0-10 °C than on other days. Adaptation to such weather change for medical professionals and the general public would seem to be imperative.

  19. Payment Reform Pilot In Beijing Hospitals Reduced Expenditures And Out-Of-Pocket Payments Per Admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jian, Weiyan; Lu, Ming; Chan, Kit Yee; Poon, Adrienne N; Han, Wei; Hu, Mu; Yip, Winnie

    2015-10-01

    In 2009 China announced plans to reform provider payment methods at public hospitals by moving from fee-for-service (FFS) to prospective and aggregated payment methods that included the use of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) to control health expenditures. In October 2011 health policy makers selected six Beijing hospitals to pioneer the first DRG payment system in China. We used hospital discharge data from the six pilot hospitals and eight other hospitals, which continued to use FFS and served as controls, from the period 2010-12 to evaluate the pilot's impact on cost containment through a difference-in-differences methods design. Our study found that DRG payment led to reductions of 6.2 percent and 10.5 percent, respectively, in health expenditures and out-of-pocket payments by patients per hospital admission. We did not find evidence of any increase in hospital readmission rates or cost shifting from cases eligible for DRG payment to ineligible cases. However, hospitals continued to use FFS payments for patients who were older and had more complications than other patients, which reduced the effectiveness of payment reform. Continuous evidence-based monitoring and evaluation linked with adequate management systems are necessary to enable China and other low- and middle-income countries to broadly implement DRGs and refine payment systems. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  20. Hospital admission interviews are time-consuming with several interruptions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ghazanfar, Misbah N; Honoré, Per Gustaf Hartvig; Nielsen, Trine R H

    2012-01-01

    The admission interview is an important procedure to reduce medication errors. Studies indicate that physicians do not spend much time on the interview and that the major obstacles are lack of time and heavy workload. The aim of this study was to measure the time physicians spend on admission...... interviews and to describe factors that affect time consumption....

  1. Scalable approximate policies for Markov decision process models of hospital elective admissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, George; Lizotte, Dan; Hoey, Jesse

    2014-05-01

    To demonstrate the feasibility of using stochastic simulation methods for the solution of a large-scale Markov decision process model of on-line patient admissions scheduling. The problem of admissions scheduling is modeled as a Markov decision process in which the states represent numbers of patients using each of a number of resources. We investigate current state-of-the-art real time planning methods to compute solutions to this Markov decision process. Due to the complexity of the model, traditional model-based planners are limited in scalability since they require an explicit enumeration of the model dynamics. To overcome this challenge, we apply sample-based planners along with efficient simulation techniques that given an initial start state, generate an action on-demand while avoiding portions of the model that are irrelevant to the start state. We also propose a novel variant of a popular sample-based planner that is particularly well suited to the elective admissions problem. Results show that the stochastic simulation methods allow for the problem size to be scaled by a factor of almost 10 in the action space, and exponentially in the state space. We have demonstrated our approach on a problem with 81 actions, four specialities and four treatment patterns, and shown that we can generate solutions that are near-optimal in about 100s. Sample-based planners are a viable alternative to state-based planners for large Markov decision process models of elective admissions scheduling. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Does the duration of smoking cessation have an impact on hospital admission and health-related quality of life amongst COPD patients?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassan HA

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Hazlinda Abu Hassan,1,3 Noorizan Abd Aziz,2,* Yahaya Hassan,2,* Fahmi Hassan2,* 1Malacca Pharmaceutical Services Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Ayer Keroh, Malaysia; 2Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam, Malaysia; 3Department of Respiratory Medicine, Malacca Hospital, Jalan Mufti Haji Khalil, Malaysia *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Lack of awareness among ex-smokers on the benefits of sustaining smoking cessation may be the main cause of their smoking relapse. This study explored health-related quality of life (HRQoL and hospital admission amongst chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD patients according to the duration of smoking cessation. Materials and methods: This study recruited COPD patients from a chest clinic who agreed to participate in a medication therapy-adherence program from January to June 2013. They were interviewed during their visits to obtain information regarding their smoking history and HRQoL. They were divided into three groups according to smoking status (sustained quitters, quit ≥5 years; quitters, quit <5 years; and smokers, smoking at least one cigarette/day. The effects of the duration of cessation on HRQoL and hospital admission were analyzed using a multinomial logistic model. Results: A total of 117 participants with moderate COPD met the inclusion criteria, who were comprised of 41 sustained quitters, 40 quitters, and 36 smokers. Several features were similar across the groups. Most of them were married elderly men (aged >64 years with low-to-middle level of education, who smoked more than 33 cigarettes per day and had high levels of adherence to the medication regimen. The results showed that sustained quitters were less likely to have respiratory symptoms (cough, phlegm and dyspnea than smokers (odds ratio 0.02, confidence interval 0–0.12; P<0.001. The hospital admission rate per year was increased in quitters compared to smokers (odds ratio

  3. Usefulness of admission gamma-glutamyltransferase level for predicting new-onset heart failure in patients with acute coronary syndrome with left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarıkaya, Savaş; Aydın, Gülay; Yücel, Hasan; Kaya, Hakkı; Yıldırımlı, Kutay; Başaran, Ahmet; Zorlu, Ali; Sahin, Safak; Akyol, Lütfü; Bulut, Musa

    2014-04-01

    Our aim was to determine whether there is a relationship between admission gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and subsequent heart failure hospitalizations in patients with acute coronary syndrome. We selected 123 patients with newly diagnosed acute coronary syndrome of ejection fraction (EF) 49 IU/L on admission, presence of hypertension and hyperlipidemia, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), right ventricular dysfunction, moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation, alanine aminotransferase level, and antiplatelet agent usage were found to have prognostic significance in univariate Cox proportional hazards analysis. In multivariate Cox proportional-hazards model, increased GGT >49 IU/L on admission (hazard ratio [HR] 2.663, p=0.047), presence of hypertension (HR 4.107, p=0.007), and LVEF (HR 0.911, p=0.002) were found to be independent factors to predict new-onset heart failure requiring hospitalization. Hospitalization in heart failure was associated with increased admission GGT levels. Increased admission GGT level in acute coronary syndrome with heart failure should be monitored closely and treated aggressively.

  4. Association of admission serum calcium levels and in-hospital mortality in patients with acute ST-elevated myocardial infarction: an eight-year, single-center study in China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin Lu

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The relationship between admission serum calcium levels and in-hospital mortality in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI has not been well definitively explored. The objective was to assess the predictive value of serum calcium levels on in-hospital mortality in STEMI patients. METHODS: From 2003 to 2010, 1431 consecutive STEMI patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were enrolled in the present study. Patients were stratified according to quartiles of serum calcium from the blood samples collected in the emergency room after admission. Between the aforementioned groups,the baseline characteristics, in-hospital management, and in-hospital mortality were analyzed. The association of serum calcium level with in-hospital mortality was calculated by a multivariable Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Among 1431 included patients, 79% were male and the median age was 65 years (range, 55-74. Patients in the lower quartiles of serum calcium, as compared to the upper quartiles of serum calcium, were older, had more cardiovascular risk factors, lower rate of emergency revascularization,and higher in-hospital mortality. According to univariate Cox proportional analysis, patients with lower serum calcium level (hazard ratio 0.267, 95% confidence interval 0.164-0.433, p<0.001 was associated with higher in-hospital mortality. The result of multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analyses showed that the Killip's class≥3 (HR = 2.192, p = 0.026, aspartate aminotransferase (HR = 1.001, p<0.001, neutrophil count (HR = 1.123, p<0.001, serum calcium level (HR = 0.255, p = 0.001, and emergency revascularization (HR = 0.122, p<0.001 were significantly and independently associated with in-hospital mortality in STEMI patients. CONCLUSIONS: Serum calcium was an independent predictor for in-hospital mortality in patients with STEMI. This widely

  5. A Study on Hospital Admissions For Eye Trauma in Kashan, Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Movahedinejad, Tayebeh; Adib-Hajbaghery, Mohsen; Zahedi, Mohammad Reza

    2016-05-01

    Eye trauma is among the most common reasons for referral to hospital emergency departments and ophthalmologists' offices. It also is a common cause of vision loss worldwide. However, few studies are available on the changes in the epidemiology of eye trauma in Iran in recent years. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of hospital admissions for eye trauma in Kashan from August 2011 to February 2014. A cross-sectional study was carried out on the hospital records of all patients with eye trauma who were admitted to Kashan's Matini hospital between August 2011 and February 2014. Having an eye trauma and being hospitalized for at least one day was selected as the criteria for inclusion in the study. The data were then recorded on a checklist devised by the researcher. After entering the data into the SPSS software, descriptive statistics (i.e., percentage, frequency, mean, and standard deviation) were calculated for all variables. Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyze the data. In total, 200 patients with eye trauma had been hospitalized in Matini Hospital between August 2011 and February 2014. Of these patients, 86% were males, 40% were in the age range of 20-39 years, 68% lived in urban areas, and 21% of those in employment were manual and industrial workers. Approximately 38.5% of eye traumas had occurred in the work place; 72.5% of patients had penetrating injuries and 98% of cases were injured in one eye. More injuries occurred in the cornea (25.5%) than elsewhere in the eye, and 75.5% of patients were treated surgically. Among all variables, only the type of trauma (P = 0.009) and cause of trauma (P = 0.004) were significantly related to the patients' gender. Eye trauma was prevalent among males, young people, urban residents, and manual and industrial workers. As the eyes play a vital role in daily life, communication, and work activities, and eye health is so important for individuals to attain high

  6. Utilization and Expenditure of Hospital Admission in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder: National Health Insurance Claims Database Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Jin-Ding; Hung, Wen-Jiu; Lin, Lan-Ping; Lai, Chia-Im

    2011-01-01

    There were not many studies to provide information on health access and health utilization of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The present study describes a general profile of hospital admission and the medical cost among people with ASD, and to analyze the determinants of medical cost. A retrospective study was employed to analyze…

  7. [Evaluation of the appropriateness of hospital admissions using the iso-gravity classification systems APR-DRG and Disease Staging and the Italian version of Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Andrea, G; Capalbo, G; Volpe, M; Marchetti, M; Vicentini, F; Capelli, G; Cambieri, A; Cicchetti, A; Ricciardi, G; Catananti, C

    2006-01-01

    Our main purpose was to evaluate the organizational appropriateness of admissions made in a university hospital, by comparing two iso-gravity classification systems, APR-DRG and Disease Staging, with the Italian version of AEP (PRUO). Our analysis focused on admissions made in 2001, related to specific Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs), which, according an Italian Law, would be considered at high risk of inappropriateness, if treated as ordinary admissions. The results obtained by using the 2 classification systems did not show statistically significant differences with respect to the total number of admissions. On the other hand, some DRGs showed statistically significant differences due to different algorithms of attribution of the severity levels used by the two systems. For almost all of the DRGs studied, the AEP-based analysis of a sample of medical records showed an higher number of inappropriate admissions in comparison with the number expected by iso-gravity classification methods. The difference is possibly due to the percentage limits of tolerability fixed by the Law for each DRG. Therefore, the authors suggest an integrated use of the two methods to evaluate organizational appropriateness of hospital admissions.

  8. [Problems in the admission to in-hospital oral surgical care from the patient's viewpoint--results of patient interviews in the hospital for dental and maxillo-facial surgery of the Karl Marx University, Leipzig].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erpenbeck, F; Birnbaum, K; Langanke, B; Niemand, B; Thomzyk, I

    1979-06-01

    The author deals with the results from the interviewing of oral surgery patients on their problems concerning the sending and the admission to the hospital, with special attention to the problems of waiting for admission, the familiarization with the clinical environment and the improvement suggestions of the patients. The conclusions concern tasks arising from the medical and dental care for inpatients as well as for outpatients.

  9. Reduction in Fatalities, Ambulance Calls, and Hospital Admissions for Road Trauma After Implementation of New Traffic Laws

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Herbert; Brasher, Penelope; Erdelyi, Shannon; Desapriya, Edi; Asbridge, Mark; Purssell, Roy; Macdonald, Scott; Schuurman, Nadine; Pike, Ian

    2014-01-01

    Objectives. We evaluated the public health benefits of traffic laws targeting speeding and drunk drivers (British Columbia, Canada, September 2010). Methods. We studied fatal crashes and ambulance dispatches and hospital admissions for road trauma, using interrupted time series with multiple nonequivalent comparison series. We determined estimates of effect using linear regression models incorporating an autoregressive integrated moving average error term. We used neighboring jurisdictions (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Washington State) as external controls. Results. In the 2 years after implementation of the new laws, significant decreases occurred in fatal crashes (21.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 15.3, 26.4) and in hospital admissions (8.0%; 95% CI = 0.6, 14.9) and ambulance calls (7.2%; 95% CI = 1.1, 13.0) for road trauma. We found a very large reduction in alcohol-related fatal crashes (52.0%; 95% CI = 34.5, 69.5), and the benefits of the new laws are likely primarily the result of a reduction in drinking and driving. Conclusions. These findings suggest that laws calling for immediate sanctions for dangerous drivers can reduce road trauma and should be supported. PMID:25121822

  10. Using In-Hospital Mortality as an Indicator of Quality Care and Hospital Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Badia BISBIS

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The in-hospital mortality (MIH is used as a performance indicator and quality healthcare in hospital. However, the majority of deaths resulted from an inevitable disease process (severity of cases and / or co-morbidity, and not medical errors or changes in the quality of care. This work aims to make a distribution of deaths in the Regional Hospital of Eastern, Al Farabi hospital and to highlight that more studies on the MIH are required consistently with detailed clinical data at the admission. The MIH showed its limitation as a health care  indicator. The overall rate of in-hospital deaths within the Al Farabi hospital has averaged 2.4%, with 8.4% in the emergency unit, 28% in intensive care unit, 22% Neonatology unit, 1.6% in pediatric unit. The MIH may depend, firstly, on the condition of patients before hospitalization and secondly, on the conditions of their transfer from one institution to another that supports them as a last resort. Al Farabi hospital supports patients transferred from the provinces of the eastern region. Thus, 6% of patients who died in 2014 come from Berkane, 2% from  Nador, 2% from Bouarfa, 4% from  Taourirt and 2% from Jerrada. One might question about  the procedures and the conditions of such transfers. In conclusion, the overall MIH measured from routine data do not allow proper comparison between hospitals or the assessment of the quality of care and patient safety in the hospital. To do so, we should ideally have detailed clinical data on admission (e.g. type of admission, age of patient, sex, comorbidity, .... The MIH is however an important indicator to consider as a tool to detect potential  problems related to admission procedures and to suspect an area of "non-quality" in healthcare . The MIH is interesting for the patient and for the hospital because it serves the improvement of quality healthcare.

  11. Age and admission times as predictive factors for failure of admissions to discharge-stream short-stay units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shetty, Amith L; Shankar Raju, Savitha Banagar; Hermiz, Arsalan; Vaghasiya, Milan; Vukasovic, Matthew

    2015-02-01

    Discharge-stream emergency short-stay units (ESSU) improve ED and hospital efficiency. Age of patients and time of hospital presentations have been shown to correlate with increasing complexity of care. We aim to determine whether an age and time cut-off could be derived to subsequently improve short-stay unit success rates. We conducted a retrospective audit on 6703 (5522 inclusions) patients admitted to our discharge-stream short-stay unit. Patients were classified as appropriate or inappropriate admissions, and deemed successful if discharged out of the unit within 24 h; and failures if they needed inpatient admission into the hospital. We calculated short-stay unit length of stay for patients in each of these groups. A 15% failure rate was deemed as acceptable key performance indicator (KPI) for our unit. There were 197 out of 4621 (4.3%, 95% CI 3.7-4.9%) patients up to the age of 70 who failed admission to ESSU compared with 67 out of 901 (7.4%, 95% CI 5.9-9.3%, P 70 years of age have higher rates of failure after admission to discharge-stream ESSU. Although in appropriately selected discharge-stream patients, no age group or time-band of presentation was associated with increased failure rate beyond the stipulated KPI. © 2014 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

  12. Five-year follow-up of an acute psychiatric admission cohort in Auckland, New Zealand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wheeler, Amanda; Moyle, Stuart; Jansen, Carol; Robinson, Elizabeth; Vanderpyl, Jane

    2011-06-10

    This paper describes a follow-up of acute psychiatric hospital contact in Auckland, New Zealand for an admission cohort in the 5-years past an index admission (published in the NZMJ in 2005). A 5-year follow-up study of hospital psychiatric service utilisation by 924 patients admitted (index admission) in Auckland during 2000. Hospital admissions within New Zealand for this population were extracted from electronic records. Relevant demographic information (gender, age and ethnicity) and clinical data (primary diagnosis at index admission and admission history) were included for each person. Descriptive analysis of inpatient data and negative binomial regression models were conducted. Of 924 patients, 38.5% had no readmissions anywhere in New Zealand in the 5-years following index discharge. 41.0% were readmitted within 12 months and 61.4% were readmitted within 5 years of index discharge. Only 5.6% experienced an admission every year for the 5-years post index admission. Readmission was least likely for those with index discharge diagnosis of depression. A history of admissions prior to index admission and Maori ethnicity were characteristics associated with higher numbers of readmission. Those who were younger, or a diagnosis of schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder or previous admissions tended to have longer total length of stay over the 5-years. More than a third of patients had no further hospital contact and the two factors associated with readmission were a history of previous admissions and Maori ethnicity. Reliable community-based data needs to be a priority to enable exploration of community service utilisation and impact of service alternatives to hospital for acute care.

  13. Reduction in the burden of hospital admissions due to cervical disease from 2003–2014 in Spain

    Science.gov (United States)

    López, Noelia; Gil-de-Miguel, Ángel; Pascual-García, Raquel; Gil-Prieto, Ruth

    2018-01-01

    ABSTRACT Background: Cervix uteri cancer is the 4th most common cancer among women worldwide and the second most frequent cancer in women under 45 years old in Spain. We aimed to describe the burden of hospital admissions by malignant neoplasia (MN) and in situ carcinoma (ISC) of the cervix in Spain from 2003 to 2014, a 12-year period that included the first years after introduction of an HPV vaccination program. Methods: This epidemiological study reviewed data from the Ministry of Health National Surveillance System, which includes more than 98% of Spanish hospitals. Hospitalization rate, mortality rate, and case fatality rates were calculated per year and age group. Results: We found 74,933 hospitalizations due to MN and ISC of the cervix. The average age at hospitalization increased significantly during the study period. The average length of hospital stay decreased significantly (pcancer prevention measures, and changes in disease management. Further research is needed to confirm the cause. This information could contribute to further evaluations of the impact and cost effectiveness analysis of HPV vaccination in Spain. PMID:29206085

  14. Effectiveness of palliative home-care services in reducing hospital admissions and determinants of hospitalization for terminally ill patients followed up by a palliative home-care team: a retrospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riolfi, Mirko; Buja, Alessandra; Zanardo, Chiara; Marangon, Chiara Francesca; Manno, Pietro; Baldo, Vincenzo

    2014-05-01

    It has been demonstrated that most patients in the terminal stages of cancer would benefit from palliative home-care services. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of appropriate palliative home-care services in reducing hospital admissions, and to identify factors predicting the likelihood of patients treated at home being hospitalized. Retrospective cohort study. We enrolled all 402 patients listed by the Local Health Authority No. 5, Veneto Region (North-East Italy), as dying of cancer in 2011. Of the cohort considered, 39.9% patients had been taken into care by a palliative home-care team. Irrespective of age, gender, and type of tumor, patients taken into care by the palliative home-care team were more likely to die at home, less likely to be hospitalized, and spent fewer days in hospital in the last 2 months of their life. Among the patients taken into care by the palliative home-care team, those with hematological cancers and hepatocellular carcinoma were more likely to be hospitalized, and certain symptoms (such as dyspnea and delirium) were predictive of hospitalization. Our study confirms the effectiveness of palliative home care in enabling patients to spend the final period of their lives at home. The services of a palliative home-care team reduced the consumption of hospital resources. This study also provided evidence of some types of cancer (e.g. hematological cancers and hepatocellular carcinoma) being more likely to require hospitalization, suggesting the need to reconsider the pathways of care for these diseases.

  15. Appropriateness of hospitalization for CAP-affected pediatric patients: report from a Southern Italy General Hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonelli Fabio

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP is a common disease, responsible for significant healthcare expenditures, mostly because of hospitalization. Many practice guidelines on CAP have been developed, including admission criteria, but a few on appropriate hospitalization in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate appropriate hospital admission for CAP in a pediatric population. Methods We evaluated appropriate admission to a Pediatric Unit performing a retrospective analysis on CAP admitted pediatric patients from a Southern Italy area. Diagnosis was made based on clinical and radiological signs. Appropriate hospital admission was evaluated following clinical and non-clinical international criteria. Family ability to care children was assessed by evaluating social deprivation status. Results In 2 winter seasons 120 pediatric patients aged 1-129 months were admitted because of CAP. Median age was 28.7 months. Raised body temperature was scored in 68.3% of patients, cough was present in 100% of cases, and abdominal pain was rarely evidenced. Inflammatory indices (ESR and CRP were found elevated in 33.3% of cases. Anti-Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibodies were found positive in 20.4%. Trans-cutaneous (TC SaO2 was found lower than 92% in 14.6%. Dyspnoea was present in 43.3%. Dehydration requiring i.v. fluid supplementation was scored in 13.3%. Evaluation of familial ability to care their children revealed that 76% of families (derived from socially depressed areas were "at social risk", thus not able to appropriately care their children. Furthermore, analysis of CAP patients revealed that "at social risk" people accessed E.D. and were hospitalized more frequently than "not at risk" patients (odds ratio = 3.59, 95% CI: 1,15 to 11,12; p = 0.01, and that admitted "at social risk" people presented without clinical signs of severity (namely dyspnoea, and/or SaO2 ≤ 92%, and/or dehydration more frequently than "not at risk" population

  16. Medication reconciliation errors in a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia: admission discrepancies and risk factors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mazhar F

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Medication reconciliation is a major component of safe patient care. One of the main problems in the implementation of a medication reconciliation process is the lack of human resources. With limited resources, it is better to target medication reconciliation resources to patients who will derive the most benefit from it. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to determine the frequency and types of medication reconciliation errors identified by pharmacists performing medication reconciliation at admission. Each medication error was rated for its potential to cause patient harm during hospitalization. A secondary objective was to determine risk factors associated with medication reconciliation errors. Methods: This was a prospective, single-center pilot study conducted in the internal medicine and surgical wards of a tertiary care teaching hospital in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. A clinical pharmacist took the best possible medication history of patients admitted to medical and surgical services and compared with the medication orders at hospital admission; any identified discrepancies were noted and analyzed for reconciliation errors. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine the risk factors related to reconciliation errors. Results: A total of 328 patients (138 in surgical and 198 in medical were included in the study. For the 1419 medications recorded, 1091 discrepancies were discovered out of which 491 (41.6% were reconciliation errors. The errors affected 177 patients (54%. The incidence of reconciliation errors in the medical patient group was 25.1% and 32.0% in the surgical group (p<0.001. In both groups, the most frequent reconciliation error was the omission (43.5% and 51.2%. Lipid-lowering (12.4% and antihypertensive agents were most commonly involved. If undetected, 43.6% of order errors were rated as potentially requiring increased monitoring or intervention to preclude harm; 17

  17. Level of consciousness on admission to a Heart Attack Centre is a predictor of survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deakin, Charles D; Fothergill, Rachael; Moore, Fionna; Watson, Lynne; Whitbread, Mark

    2014-07-01

    The relationship between the neurological status at the time of handover from the ambulance crew to a Heart Attack Centre (HAC) in patients who have achieved return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and subsequent outcome, in the context of current treatment standards, is unknown. A retrospective review of all patients treated by London Ambulance Service (LAS) from 1(st) April 2011 to 31(st) March 2013 admitted to a HAC in Greater London was undertaken. Neurological status (A - alert; V - responding to voice; P - responding to pain; U - unresponsive) recorded by the ambulance crew on handover was compared with length of hospital stay and survival to hospital discharge. A total of 475 sequential adult cardiac arrests of presumed cardiac origin, achieving ROSC on admission to a HAC were identified. Outcome data was available for 452 patients, of whom 253 (56.0%) survived to discharge. Level of consciousness on admission to the HAC was a predictor of duration of hospital stay (Pa shockable rhythm, 32.3% (120/371) were 'A' or 'V', compared with 9.1% (9/99) of those with non-shockable rhythms (PA or V) compared with those with non-shockable rhythms. Most patients who are conscious on admission to the HAC will survive, compared with approximately half of those who are unconscious (P or U), suggesting that critical care is generally appropriate at all levels of consciousness if ROSC has been achieved. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Decline in admissions for childhood asthma, a 26-year period population-based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikalsen, Ingvild Bruun; Skeiseid, Liliane; Tveit, Line Merete; Engelsvold, David Hugo; Øymar, Knut

    2015-12-01

    The prevalence of childhood asthma has increased, although the rate of hospitalization for asthma seems to decrease. In Norway, the rate of hospital admission for childhood asthma from 1984 to 2000 increased. The aim of this study was to assess further trends in hospital admissions for childhood asthma up to 2010. A population-based study including children 1-13 yrs of age hospitalized for asthma during six periods from 1984/1985 to 2009/2010 in Rogaland, Norway, was performed. Medical records from 1536 admissions (1050 children) were studied; and gender, age, number of admissions, length of hospital stay, medications and symptoms were recorded. For all age groups, the rate of admissions per 10.000 increased from 20.1 in 1984/85 to 33.7 in 1989/90, but declined to 14.4 in 2009/2010. Rates were highest in boys (OR 1.87; 95% CI: 1.69, 2.09), younger age groups (OR 2.51; 2.38, 2.64) and decreased from 1984 to 2010 (OR 0.92; 0.88, 0.94). The rates of readmissions were higher than for primary admissions (OR 1.33; 1.19, 1.47). From 1984 to 2010, there was an increased use of inhaled corticosteroids prior to admission (6 to 51%) and started at discharge (7 to 37%), and systemic steroids given during admission (19 to 83%). There has been a substantial decline in the rate of hospital admissions for childhood asthma after 1989/1990, with major differences between age groups and genders. The decline could be due to improved care of children with asthma or a real reduction in asthma exacerbations. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. 32 CFR 575.2 - Admission; general.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... MILITARY ACADEMY § 575.2 Admission; general. (a) In one major respect, the requirements for admission to the United States Military Academy differ from the normal requirements for admission to a civilian college or university; each candidate must obtain an official nomination to the Academy. The young person...

  20. Evaluating acute medical admissions through emergency departments in Hong Kong: can one adjust for case-mix variation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rainer, T H; Sollich, P; Piotrowski, T; Coolen, A C C; Cheng, B; Graham, C A

    2012-12-01

    Healthcare systems are under pressure to efficiently and safely reduce acute care admissions to hospital. There is a need to develop a standardised system for assessing emergency department performance which takes into account case-mix variation. The objective of this study was to derive and validate a standardised tool for assessing variations in medical admissions through emergency departments in Hong Kong. Retrospective study of patients attending emergency departments of 14 acute hospitals in Hong Kong. Data were retrieved from a centralised administrative database. Of 2,531,225 patients who attended emergency departments between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2003, 780,444 (30.8%) were admitted to medical wards. A model derived from 2001 data shows well-calibrated admission probabilities, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for probability of admission of 90.3 (95% CI ±0.11). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for 2002 and 2003 validation sets were 89.9 (95% CI ±0.11) and 89.0 (95% CI ±0.12), respectively. With an averaged benchmark, reductions in medical admissions of up to 19% could be achieved, while under the most optimistic assumption, reductions of up 36% could be achieved. A tool for benchmarking hospital medical admissions and minimising case-mix variation has been derived and validated in Hong Kong, but it requires further validation in other healthcare systems given the wide variations in admission thresholds internationally. This may be used as one potential method to evaluate the performance of emergency departments against a common standard.

  1. [Hospital admisions and consultations in a dialysis population].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reichert, J

    2007-01-01

    The hemodialysis (HD) population continues growing and aging, reason why they are required to adapt the human, economic and materials resources to be taken care of. To analyze the distribution of the consultations and the times of admissions in the different Hospital services of which an peripheral arranged HD Center depends. We analyzed all the consultations to the Hospital Urgencies Departments and Hospitable admissions of all the patients who received HD in the arranged Center Ponfedial, (sanitary area Ponferrada of 150,000 inhabitants) in period 01/12/02 to the 31/05/05. We prospectively examined a population of 87 HD patients (71.0+/-12.5 years, 77.9 % male, 31.4% diabetics) time in HD 21.0+/-22.7 months. They were a total of 286 (9.5/month) consultations in the Service of Urgencies (2.31 consult/patient/year), 37.4% of them did not motivate admissions. The most frequent consultation (28,9%) was the complications of vascular access (70,9% of them required positioning a transitory catheter; 1.1 complication of catheter/months, 1 permanent catheter is placed/1.2 months and 1 fistulography/1.2 months), cardiac causes 10.3%, acute pulmonar edema: 9.3%, infectious: 8.4% and traumatologic: 8.4%. There were 179 admissions (5.9/month; 1.44 hospitalizations/patient/year; 4.0+/-14.2 days of admissions): cardiovascular cause: 37.4%, by vascular access: 18.4%, infectious disease: 17.0%, digestive: 6.7%, traumatologic: 3.9% and by other causes: 11.0%. The cardiovascular group takes 46.5% (60.8% of them by vascular peripheral disease) of the total of days of hospitalizations, infectious 16.7%, neoplasic 8.4% and vascular access 7.6%. The neoplasic causes were the greater average with 36.0+/-21.6 days of hospitalization, by amputations 23.0+/-38.1 days, by stroke 14.5+/-10.6 days, infected ulcers of lower extremities members 10.0+/-19.0, other vascular treatments 10.0+/-4.7, ischemic heart disease 8.5+/-20.3 and heart failure 7.5+/-5.2 days. Our prevalent population of 49

  2. The financial consequences of lost demand and reducing boarding in hospital emergency departments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pines, Jesse M; Batt, Robert J; Hilton, Joshua A; Terwiesch, Christian

    2011-10-01

    Some have suggested that emergency department (ED) boarding is prevalent because it maximizes revenue as hospitals prioritize non-ED admissions, which reimburse higher than ED admissions. We explore the revenue implications to the overall hospital of reducing boarding in the ED. We quantified the revenue effect of reducing boarding-the balance of higher ED demand and the reduction of non-ED admissions-using financial modeling informed by regression analysis and discrete-event simulation with data from 1 inner-city teaching hospital during 2 years (118,000 ED visits, 22% ED admission rate, 7% left without being seen rate, 36,000 non-ED admissions). Various inpatient bed management policies for reducing non-ED admissions were tested. Non-ED admissions generated more revenue than ED admissions ($4,118 versus $2,268 per inpatient day). A 1-hour reduction in ED boarding time would result in $9,693 to $13,298 of additional daily revenue from capturing left without being seen and diverted ambulance patients. To accommodate this demand, we found that simulated management policies in which non-ED admissions are reduced without consideration to hospital capacity (ie, static policies) mostly did not result in higher revenue. Many dynamic policies requiring cancellation of various proportions of non-ED admissions when the hospital reaches specific trigger points increased revenue. The optimal strategies tested resulted in an estimated $2.7 million and $3.6 in net revenue per year, depending on whether left without being seen patients were assumed to be outpatients or mirrored ambulatory admission rates, respectively. Dynamic inpatient bed management in inner-city teaching hospitals in which non-ED admissions are occasionally reduced to ensure that EDs have reduced boarding times is a financially attractive strategy. Copyright © 2010 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Effects of Particulate Matter and Its Chemical Constituents on Elderly Hospital Admissions Due to Circulatory and Respiratory Diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiane Morais Ferreira

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Various fractions of particulate matter have been associated with increased mortality and morbidity. The purpose of our study is to analyze the associations between concentrations of PM2.5, PM2.5–10, PM10 and their chemical constituents (soluble ions with hospital admissions due to circulatory and respiratory diseases among the elderly in a medium-sized city in Brazil. A time series study was conducted using Poisson regression with generalized additive models adjusted for confounders. Statistically significant associations were identified between PM10 and PM2.5–10 and respiratory diseases. Risks of hospitalization increased by 23.5% (95% CI: 13.5; 34.3 and 12.8% (95% CI: 6.0; 20.0 per 10 μg/m3 of PM2.5-10 and PM10, respectively. PM2.5 exhibited a significant association with circulatory system diseases, with the risk of hospitalization increasing by 19.6% (95% CI: 6.4; 34.6 per 10 μg/m3. Regarding the chemical species; SO42−, NO3−, NH4+ and K+ exhibited specific patterns of risk, relative to the investigated outcomes. Overall, SO42− in PM2.5–10 and K+ in PM2.5 were associated with increased risk of hospital admissions due to both types of diseases. The results agree with evidence indicating that the risks for different health outcomes vary in relation to the fractions and chemical composition of PM10. Thus, PM10 speciation studies may contribute to the establishment of more selective pollution control policies.

  4. Management of thallium poisoning in patients with delayed hospital admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Tong-Wen; Xu, Qing-Yan; Zhang, Xiao-Juan; Wu, Qiong; Liu, Zhang-Suo; Kan, Quan-Cheng; Sun, Cheng-Ye; Wang, Lexin

    2012-01-01

    To describe the clinical features and management of thallium poisoning in patients with delayed hospital admission. Fourteen patients (median age 36 years) were admitted 9-19 days after ingesting food poisoned with thallium. Clinical and laboratory data, including blood and urine thallium concentrations, were collected. Patients were treated with oral Prussian blue, a chelating agent sodium dimercaptosulfonate, and hemodialysis. All patients experienced a triad of symptoms of acute gastrointestinal upset, painful combined polyneuropathy, and hair loss after consuming poisoned food. Fatigue and skin pigmentation were observed in all patients. Abnormal liver function tests were found in 6 (42.9%) and delirium and coma were identified in 4 (28.6%). Two weeks after the poisoning, the blood and urine thallium concentration ranged from 219.0 to 1414.4 μg/L (median: 535.3) and 956.5 to 11285.0 μg/L (median: 7460.0), respectively. One patient (7.1%) with a previous history of pulmonary fibrosis died of respiratory failure in hospital. Symptoms were improved and blood or urine thallium levels were normalized in the remaining 13 patients before discharge. After a 6.5 ± 1-month follow-up, 1 patient (7.1%) developed deep venous thrombosis in the left lower limb. In another patient (7.1%), numbness in the lower limbs remained. Acute thallium poisoning is commonly manifested by gastrointestinal upset, painful polyneuropathy, and significant hair loss. Treatment strategies included Prussian blue and hemodialysis, which were associated with a good outcome in this case series.

  5. Analysis of factors influencing admission to intensive care following convulsive status epilepticus in children.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Tirupathi, Sandya

    2012-02-01

    OBJECTIVES: To identify clinical features and therapeutic decisions that influence admission to the Intensive Care unit (ICU) in children presenting with convulsive status epilepticus (CSE). METHODS: We evaluated 47 admissions with status epilepticus to a tertiary paediatric hospital A&E over a three year period (2003-2006). Following initial management 23 episodes required admission to ICU and 24 were managed on a paediatric ward. We compared clinical, demographic data and compliance with our CSE protocol between the ICU and ward groups. RESULTS: Median age at presentation in the ICU group was 17 months (range 3 months-11 years) compared to 46 months in the ward group (range 3 months-10 years). Fifty per cent of patients in both groups had a previous history of seizures. Median duration of pre-hospital seizure activity was 30 min in both groups. More than two doses of benzodiazepines were given as first line medication in 62% of the ICU group and 33% of the ward group. Among children admitted to ICU with CSE, 26% had been managed according to the CSE protocol, compared to 66% of children who were admitted to a hospital ward. Febrile seizures were the most common aetiology in both groups. CONCLUSION: Younger age at presentation, administration of more than two doses of benzodiazepines and deviation from the CSE protocol appear to be factors which influence admission of children to ICU. Recognition of pre-hospital administration of benzodiazepines and adherence to therapeutic guidelines may reduce the need for ventilatory support in this group.

  6. Radiology imaging delays as independent predictors of length of hospital stay for emergency medical admissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cournane, S; Conway, R; Creagh, D; Byrne, D G; Sheehy, N; Silke, B

    2016-09-01

    To investigate the extent to which the time to completion for computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound could be shown to influence the length of stay and costs incurred while in hospital, while accounting for patient acuity. All emergency admissions, totalling 25,326 imaging investigations between 2010-2014 were evaluated. The 50(th), 75(th), and 90(th) centiles of completion times for each imaging type was entered into a multivariable truncated Poisson regression model predicting the length of hospital stay. Estimates of risk (odds or incidence rate ratios [IRRs]) of the regressors were adjusted for acute illness severity, Charlson comorbidity index, chronic disabling disease score, and sepsis status. Quantile regression analysis was used to examine the impact of imaging on total hospital costs. For all imaging examinations, longer hospital lengths of stay were shown to be related to delays in imaging time. Increased delays in CT and MRI were shown to be associated with increased hospital episode costs, while ultrasound did not independently predict increased hospital costs. The magnitude of the effect of imaging delays on episode costs were equivalent to some measures of illness severity. CT, MRI, and ultrasound are undertaken in patients with differing clinical complexity; however, even with adjustment for complexity, the time delay in a more expeditious radiological service could potentially shorten the hospital episode and reduce costs. Copyright © 2016 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Wide Variability in Emergency Physician Admission Rates: A Target to Reduce Costs Without Compromising Quality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeffrey J. Guterman

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Attending physician judgment is the traditional standard of care for emergency department (ED admission decisions. The extent to which variability in admission decisions affect cost and quality is not well understood. We sought to determine the impact of variability in admission decisions on cost and quality. Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study of patients presenting to a university-affiliated, urban ED from October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2008. The main outcome measures were admission rate, fiscal indicators (Medicaid-denied payment days, and quality indicators (15- and 30-day ED returns; delayed hospital admissions. We asked each Attending to estimate their inpatient admission rate and correlated their personal assessment with actual admission rates. Results: Admission rates, even after adjusting for known confounders, were highly variable (15.2%-32.0% and correlated with Medicaid denied-payment day rates (p=0.038. There was no correlation with quality outcome measures (30-day ED return or delayed hospital admission. There was no significant correlation between actual and self-described admission rate; the range of mis-estimation was 0% to 117%. Conclusion: Emergency medicine attending admission rates at this institution are highly variable, unexplained by known confounding variables, and unrelated to quality of care, as measured by 30-day ED return or delayed hospital admission. Admission optimization represents an important untapped potential for cost reduction through avoidable hospitalizations, with no apparent adverse effects on quality.

  8. Epidemiological factors in admissions for diarrhoea in 6 - 60-month ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objectives. To describe the diarrhoea admissions and the influencing factors in 6 - 60-month-old children at Morogoro Regional Hospital. Design. A retrospective descriptive study of the type of diarrhoea, patient age, home address, nutritional status, diagnosed infection, month of admission, admission duration and outcome ...

  9. The formation and design of the 'Acute Admission Database'- a database including a prospective, observational cohort of 6279 patients triaged in the emergency department in a larger Danish hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barfod Charlotte

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Management and care of the acutely ill patient has improved over the last years due to introduction of systematic assessment and accelerated treatment protocols. We have, however, sparse knowledge of the association between patient status at admission to hospital and patient outcome. A likely explanation is the difficulty in retrieving all relevant information from one database. The objective of this article was 1 to describe the formation and design of the 'Acute Admission Database', and 2 to characterize the cohort included. Methods All adult patients triaged at the Emergency Department at Hillerød Hospital and admitted either to the observationary unit or to a general ward in-hospital were prospectively included during a period of 22 weeks. The triage system used was a Danish adaptation of the Swedish triage system, ADAPT. Data from 3 different data sources was merged using a unique identifier, the Central Personal Registry number; 1 Data from patient admission; time and date, vital signs, presenting complaint and triage category, 2 Blood sample results taken at admission, including a venous acid-base status, and 3 Outcome measures, e.g. length of stay, admission to Intensive Care Unit, and mortality within 7 and 28 days after admission. Results In primary triage, patients were categorized as red (4.4%, orange (25.2%, yellow (38.7% and green (31.7%. Abnormal vital signs were present at admission in 25% of the patients, most often temperature (10.5%, saturation of peripheral oxygen (9.2%, Glasgow Coma Score (6.6% and respiratory rate (4.8%. A venous acid-base status was obtained in 43% of all patients. The majority (78% had a pH within the normal range (7.35-7.45, 15% had acidosis (pH 7.45. Median length of stay was 2 days (range 1-123. The proportion of patients admitted to Intensive Care Unit was 1.6% (95% CI 1.2-2.0, 1.8% (95% CI 1.5-2.2 died within 7 days, and 4.2% (95% CI 3.7-4.7 died within 28 days after admission

  10. INFECTION PREVENTION IN PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL ADMISSION: A LITERATURE REVIEW

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrícia de Menezes Castilhos Azevedo

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to characterize and evaluate the measures of prevention and control of HI in pediatric hospitalization units. It was adopted as the method literature review. The following databases were consulted: Scielo, LILACS, PubMed and Google Scholar, as well as text books and legislation on the subject. The research was carried out from May to December 2015. Inclusion criteria were publications in the period between 1996 and 2015 that were available in the Portuguese or Spanish language. Nineteen publications were eligible, among them: 14 articles, 3 book chapters, 1 final graduation paper and 1 doctoral thesis. Data was consulted in existing legislation with regard to infection control. The results showed as key measures for proper prevention and Hospital Infection control in pediatric inpatient units: the proper use of insulation and precautions, the guidance and education of relatives and companions of hospitalized children and continuing education of staff nursing, highlighting the importance of hand washing in hospital infection control. It is important that the nursing professional has adequate knowledge of the country's legislation on the infection control in the hospital environment, so you can require that guidelines and regulations described in this are met by health care facilities, thereby helping to quality care to hospitalized children.

  11. Implementation of a Diabetes Educator Care Model to Reduce Paediatric Admission for Diabetic Ketoacidosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deeb, Asma; Yousef, Hana; Abdelrahman, Layla; Tomy, Mary; Suliman, Shaker; Attia, Salima; Al Suwaidi, Hana

    2016-01-01

    Introduction. Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious complication that can be life-threatening. Management of DKA needs admission in a specialized center and imposes major constraints on hospital resources. Aim. We plan to study the impact of adapting a diabetes-educator care model on reducing the frequency of hospital admission of children and adolescents presenting with DKA. Method. We have proposed a model of care led by diabetes educators for children and adolescents with diabetes. The team consisted of highly trained nurses. The model effectiveness is measured by comparing the rate of hospital admission for DKA over 4-year period to the baseline year prior to implementing the model. Results. There were 158 admissions for DKA over a 5-year period. Number of patients followed up in the outpatient diabetes clinics increased from 37 to 331 patients at the start and the end of the study years. Admission rate showed a downward trend over the five-year period. Percentage of admission for DKA is reduced from 210% to 1.8% (P 0.001). Conclusion. Diabetes educator care model is an effective and a sustainable measure to reduce hospital admission for DKA in children and adolescents.

  12. [Influence of postcode on paediatric admissions in Seville].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tornero Patricio, Sebastián; Charris-Castro, Liliana; Granero Asencio, Mercedes; Daponte Codina, Antonio

    2017-12-01

    The postcode (where the home is situated) is an indicator of socioeconomic status and is associated with morbidity, mortality, and the use of health services. The aim of this study was to analyse its effects on paediatric admissions and to determine the rates of the most common causes of paediatric admissions in Seville. An observational cross-sectional study with two analysis units: under 15 year-old "admissions" in public hospitals in Seville (n=2,660) and "city districts" of Seville (n=11). The independent variable analysed was whether the postcode of the admitted patients was within a Regional Government designated "area with social transformation needs". The analysis of the admissions was performed using X 2 -test, Fisher test and Student-t test, with the description of rates using the calculation of crude and specific rates, and by rate ratio. Children living in districts with a lower socioeconomic status were on average 7 months younger (P<.001), and they were significantly more likely to be admitted via the emergency department (P<.001). There was no statistical difference detected in either the length of hospital stay or mortality. The crude admission rate ratio was higher in districts with a lower socioeconomic status (1.8), with a higher specific rate ratio detected in admissions due to asthma, respiratory infections, inguinal hernia, and epilepsy/convulsions. Paediatric hospital admission rates of the main diagnoses were higher in districts with a lower socioeconomic status. Children living in these districts were more likely to be admitted younger and via the emergency department. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  13. Depression as an independent prognostic factor for all-cause mortality after a hospital admission for worsening heart failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sokoreli, I; de Vries, J J G; Riistama, J M; Pauws, S C; Steyerberg, E W; Tesanovic, A; Geleijnse, G; Goode, K M; Crundall-Goode, A; Kazmi, S; Cleland, J G; Clark, A L

    2016-10-01

    Depression is associated with increased mortality amongst patients with chronic heart failure (HF). Whether depression is an independent predictor of outcome in patients admitted for worsening of HF is unclear. OPERA-HF is an observational study enrolling patients hospitalized with worsening HF. Depression was assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D) questionnaire. Comorbidity was assessed by the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to estimate the association between depression and all-cause mortality. Of 242 patients who completed the HADS-D questionnaire, 153, 54 and 35 patients had no (score 0-7), mild (score 8-10) or moderate-to-severe (score 11-21) depression, respectively. During follow-up, 35 patients died, with a median time follow-up of 360days amongst survivors (interquartile range, IQR 217-574days). In univariable analysis, moderate-to-severe depression was associated with an increased risk of death (HR: 4.9; 95% CI: 2.3 to 10.2; Pbeta-blocker and diuretics (HR: 3.0; 95% CI: 1.3 to 7.0; P<0.05). Depression is strongly associated with an adverse outcome in the year following discharge after an admission to hospital for worsening HF. The association is only partly explained by the severity of HF or comorbidity. Further research is required to demonstrate whether recognition and treatment of depression improves patient outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. What are key determinants of hospital admissions, readmission rate and day case rate within the South African medical schemes population?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nondumiso Gugu Khumalo

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available  BACKGROUND: In South Africa, private hospitals absorb a high proportion of the total health expenditure on private health care. Between 2008-2010 private hospital expenditure which includes ward fees, theatre fees, consumables, medicines and per diem arrangements consumed between 40.5% and 40.9% of the total benefits paid by medical schemes from the risk pool, whilst in-hospital managed care fees ranged between 1.8% and 2.8% for the equivalent years.OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to highlight key factors contributing to utilisation of hospital services within the medical schemes population and to recommend “appropriate” and cost effective strategies on hospital utilisation management.METHODS: A cross sectional survey informed by retrospective analysis of quantitative data was used. Researchers also triangulated quantitative data with systematic review of literature.RESULTS: The results show that demographic indicators such as age profile, dependency ratio, pensioner ratio and prevalence of chronic conditions are not the only key factors influencing hospital admissions, but rather the effectiveness of each medical scheme in containing hospital admissions is also influenced by available technical capacity on utilisation review and audit as well as the managed care methodology including the philosophy underpinning benefit option design.CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of “value based” managed care programs linked to benefit option design in health care utilisation management. The choice of one managed care program over the other often leads to tradeoffs whereby unintended consequences emanate. Medical schemes are therefore encouraged to continuously review their managed care programs to ensure value for money as well as better access and health outcomes.http://dx.doi.org/10.7175/fe.v13i2.207

  15. Hospital admission and mortality rates in anorexia nervosa: experience from an integrated medical-psychiatric outpatient treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Filippo, E; Signorini, A; Bracale, R; Pasanisi, F; Contaldo, F

    2000-12-01

    To evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated medical-psychiatric treatment of major eating disorders. Historical cohort study. Outpatient Unit for Protein Energy Malnutrition of the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, "Federico II" University of Naples, time of study: January 1994 to December 1997 PARTICIPANTS: 147 female patients with restrictive or bulimic anorexia nervosa (mean age 19.8 +/- 13.7, BMI 14.7 +/- 2.1 Kg/m2) consecutively attending the outpatient unit between January 1994 and December 1997. Hospitalization and mortality rates were evaluated up to Jan 1999 with a minimum follow-up of 18 months. There were 23 admissions to the Clinical Nutrition ward for 19 patients (i.e. 12.9%) mostly due to severe protein energy malnutrition, and 2 deaths, only 1 strictly related to anorexia (mortality rate 0.7%). Integrated outpatient medical-psychiatric treatment for major eating disorders is an effective and inexpensive procedure that reduces mortality and admissions due to medical complications in the medium term.

  16. Risk factors of leptospirosis among febrile hospital admissions in northeastern Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rafizah, A A Noor; Aziah, B D; Azwany, Y N; Imran, M Kamarul; Rusli, A Mohamed; Nazri, S Mohd; Nikman, A Mohd; Nabilah, I; Asma', H Siti; Zahiruddin, W M; Zaliha, I

    2013-01-01

    Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease. Risk factors for the disease may vary among countries. This study was conducted to determine the risk factors of leptospirosis among febrile cases. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 999 febrile patients admitted to 10 hospitals in northeastern Malaysia, from August 2010 to February 2011. An interviewer-guided proforma sheet on sociodemography, type of occupation and social history data was distributed to all adult patients with fever on admission. Serum sample for leptospirosis was screened by IgM Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (IgM ELISA) test and confirmed by Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT). The cut-off point for positive MAT was ≥ 1:400 titer in single acute specimens. Seroprevalence of leptospirosis was 8.4% (95% CI: 6.8, 10.3) (n=84/999) by MAT. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the high risk occupation group (OR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.22, 3.13) (p=0.005) and history of recent recreational activity (OR: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.46, 3.85) (pMalaysia. Identification of high risk occupational group and history of recent recreational activity will help to increase the index of suspicion to diagnose leptospirosis among febrile inpatients due to its mimicking other common febrile illnesses in Malaysia. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Hospital Prices Increase in California, Especially Among Hospitals in the Largest Multi-hospital Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Glenn A. Melnick PhD

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available A surge in hospital consolidation is fueling formation of ever larger multi-hospital systems throughout the United States. This article examines hospital prices in California over time with a focus on hospitals in the largest multi-hospital systems. Our data show that hospital prices in California grew substantially (+76% per hospital admission across all hospitals and all services between 2004 and 2013 and that prices at hospitals that are members of the largest, multi-hospital systems grew substantially more (113% than prices paid to all other California hospitals (70%. Prices were similar in both groups at the start of the period (approximately $9200 per admission. By the end of the period, prices at hospitals in the largest systems exceeded prices at other California hospitals by almost $4000 per patient admission. Our study findings are potentially useful to policy makers across the country for several reasons. Our data measure actual prices for a large sample of hospitals over a long period of time in California. California experienced its wave of consolidation much earlier than the rest of the country and as such our findings may provide some insights into what may happen across the United States from hospital consolidation including growth of large, multi-hospital systems now forming in the rest of the rest of the country.

  18. The role of iatrogenic disease of cattle in admission to veterinary hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giulia Sala

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Iatrogenic diseases are due to negligence or malpractice (Pezza et al.,2008. In human medicine, these conditions are widely described (Weingart et al., 2000, mostly for insurance issues related to hospitalization, while in veterinary medicine are reported only occasional case reports. 4155 clinical records related to cattle admitted to the Clinic for Ruminants and Swine of the University of Milan between 2005 and 2017 were analyzed. Clinical cases that required admission because of an iatrogenic related disease were selected for this study. For case selection, 3 experienced veterinarians examined the clinical records, cross-compared the selection and pick 114 cases (2,7%. The iatrogenic diseases were primarily caused by farmers (93% than veterinary practitioner (7%. Iatrogenic diseases were caused mostly by erroneous administration of drugs (47,4%, excessive traction at birth (17,5%, improper milk or colostrum administration, frequently performed by oroesophageal tubing (16,7% or by forced administration using a nipple bottle (12,3%. As verified by our study, farmers often performs medical, nursing and zootechnical procedures without adequate competences and sometimes choose medical treatment for sick animals without professional consultation of veterinarians.The veterinarian rule is fundamental in farmer education. Clinicians, especially in some professional branches as neonatology, should be more responsible of their assignments, avoiding delegation of specific procedures to unskilled staff. The importance of communication in improving management and health in dairy farms has been recently demonstrated (Jansen and Lam, 2012; Jansen et al., 2010. Effective communication has a key role in dairy herd health and communication strategies are required to support diseases control programs (Lievaart et al., 2008. More attention to iatrogenic issue may have a positive impact on animal and public health. Moreover, a decrease of unnecessary and injurious

  19. Are some areas more equal than others? Socioeconomic inequality in potentially avoidable emergency hospital admissions within English local authority areas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheringham, Jessica; Asaria, Miqdad; Barratt, Helen; Raine, Rosalind; Cookson, Richard

    2017-04-01

    Objectives Reducing health inequalities is an explicit goal of England's health system. Our aim was to compare the performance of English local administrative areas in reducing socioeconomic inequality in emergency hospital admissions for ambulatory care sensitive chronic conditions. Methods We used local authority area as a stable proxy for health and long-term care administrative geography between 2004/5 and 2011/12. We linked inpatient hospital activity, deprivation, primary care, and population data to small area neighbourhoods (typical population 1500) within administrative areas (typical population 250,000). We measured absolute inequality gradients nationally and within each administrative area using neighbourhood-level linear models of the relationship between national deprivation and age-sex-adjusted emergency admission rates. We assessed local equity performance by comparing local inequality against national inequality to identify areas significantly more or less equal than expected; evaluated stability over time; and identified where equity performance was steadily improving or worsening. We then examined associations between change in socioeconomic inequalities and change in within-area deprivation (gentrification). Finally, we used administrative area-level random and fixed effects models to examine the contribution of primary care to inequalities in admissions. Results Data on 316 administrative areas were included in the analysis. Local inequalities were fairly stable between consecutive years, but 32 areas (10%) showed steadily improving or worsening equity. In the 21 improving areas, the gap between most and least deprived fell by 3.9 admissions per 1000 (six times the fall nationally) between 2004/5 and 2011/12, while in the 11 areas worsening, the gap widened by 2.4. There was no indication that measured improvements in local equity were an artefact of gentrification or that changes in primary care supply or quality contributed to changes in

  20. Size distribution and total number concentration of ultrafine and accumulation mode particles and hospital admissions in children and the elderly in Copenhagen, Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Zorana Jovanovic; Wåhlin, Peter; Raaschou-Nielsen, O

    2008-01-01

    (15 May 2001 to 31 December 2004) and hospital admissions due to cardiovascular (CVD) and respiratory disease (RD) in the elderly (age >or=65 years), and due to asthma in children (age 5-18 years). We examined these associations in the presence of PM(10), PM(2.5) (particulate matter ... that particle volume/mass from long-range transported air pollution is relevant for CVD and RD admissions in the elderly, and possibly particle numbers from traffic sources for paediatric asthma....

  1. Long-term outcome of elderly patients requiring intensive care admission for abdominal pathologies: survival and quality of life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merlani, P; Chenaud, C; Mariotti, N; Ricou, B

    2007-05-01

    Medical developments have allowed the management of patients aged over 70 years with severe abdominal pathologies requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. These patients require enhanced life support and present a high ICU mortality. We investigated the outcome and quality of life (QOL) of elderly patients 2 years after their ICU stay for abdominal pathologies. Patients aged 70 years or over with abdominal pathologies, admitted to our ICU over a period of 2 years, were included. Two years following their ICU stay, a letter informed the patients about the present study. Consent to participate was obtained by telephone. QOL was assessed by the Euro-QOL and Short Form-36 questionnaires. Other patient-centered outcomes were evaluated. Overall, 2780 patients were admitted to the ICU during the study period; 141 (5%) patients were eligible; 112 of the 141 (79%) survived their ICU stay, 95 (67%) survived their hospital stay and 52 (37%) were alive 2 years after their ICU stay; 36 of the 52 survivors (69%) answered the questionnaire. Their QOL 2 years after their ICU stay was decreased in comparison with an age-matched population. Eighty-one per cent of patients lived at home and 57% were totally independent. They perceived their ICU stay as positive and 75% stated that they would agree to go through intensive care again. Factors associated with 2-year survival were the absence of co-morbidity, absence of malignancy and a lower Simplified Acute Physiology II score on ICU admission. A high mortality rate and a decrease in QOL were observed in elderly patients with severe abdominal pathologies. Nonetheless, these patients were able to adapt well to their physical disabilities.

  2. Abnormal vital signs are strong predictors for intensive care unit admission and in-hospital mortality in adults triaged in the emergency department - a prospective cohort study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barfod Charlotte

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Assessment and treatment of the acutely ill patient have improved by introducing systematic assessment and accelerated protocols for specific patient groups. Triage systems are widely used, but few studies have investigated the ability of the triage systems in predicting outcome in the unselected acute population. The aim of this study was to quantify the association between the main component of the Hillerød Acute Process Triage (HAPT system and the outcome measures; Admission to Intensive Care Unit (ICU and in-hospital mortality, and to identify the vital signs, scored and categorized at admission, that are most strongly associated with the outcome measures. Methods The HAPT system is a minor modification of the Swedish Adaptive Process Triage (ADAPT and ranks patients into five level colour-coded triage categories. Each patient is assigned a triage category for the two main descriptors; vital signs, Tvitals, and presenting complaint, Tcomplaint. The more urgent of the two determines the final triage category, Tfinal. We retrieved 6279 unique adult patients admitted through the Emergency Department (ED from the Acute Admission Database. We performed regression analysis to evaluate the association between the covariates and the outcome measures. Results The covariates, Tvitals, Tcomplaint and Tfinal were all significantly associated with ICU admission and in-hospital mortality, the odds increasing with the urgency of the triage category. The vital signs best predicting in-hospital mortality were saturation of peripheral oxygen (SpO2, respiratory rate (RR, systolic blood pressure (BP and Glasgow Coma Score (GCS. Not only the type, but also the number of abnormal vital signs, were predictive for adverse outcome. The presenting complaints associated with the highest in-hospital mortality were 'dyspnoea' (11.5% and 'altered level of consciousness' (10.6%. More than half of the patients had a Tcomplaint more urgent than Tvitals

  3. A Stunning Admission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Helen

    2012-01-01

    Few people set out to become admissions counselors, say people in the profession. But the field is requiring skills that are more demanding and varied than ever. And at a time when universities are looking especially hard at the bottom line, people in admissions need to constantly learn new things and make themselves indispensable. Counselors…

  4. Patterns of admission and factors associated with neonatal mortality among neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Demisse AG

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Abayneh Girma Demisse, Fentahun Alemu, Mahlet Abayneh Gizaw, Zemene Tigabu School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia Introduction: The neonatal period is a highly vulnerable time for an infant completing many of the physiologic adjustments required for life outside the uterus. As a result, there are high rates of morbidity and mortality. The three major causes of mortality in developing countries include prematurity, infection, and perinatal asphyxia. The aim of this study was to identify the patterns of neonatal admission and factors associated with mortality among neonates admitted at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU of University of Gondar Hospital.Materials and methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among all admitted neonates in the NICU of University of Gondar referral hospital from December 1, 2015 to August 31, 2016. Information was extracted retrospectively during admission from patient records and death certificates, using a pretested questionnaire. The data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20, and p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results: A total of 769 neonates was included in the study. There were 448 (58.3% male neonates, and 398 (51.8% neonates were rural residents. More than two-thirds of the 587 deliveries (76.3% were performed in tertiary hospitals. Neonatal morbidity included hypothermia 546 (71%, sepsis 522 (67.9%, prematurity 250 (34.9%, polycythemia 242 (31.5%, hypoglycemia 142 (18.5, meconium aspiration syndrome 113 (14.7%, and perinatal asphyxia 96 (12.5%. The overall mortality was 110 (14.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.9–16.9 of which 69 (62.7% deaths occurred in the first 24 hours of age. In the multivariate analysis, mortality was associated with perinatal asphyxia (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 5.97; 95% CI: 3.06–11.64, instrumental delivery (AOR: 2.99; 95% CI: 1.08–8.31, and early onset

  5. Acute admissions to medical departments. A comparison between an urban and a rural district

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hilsted, J C; Evald, T; Elbrønd, R

    1995-01-01

    of admissions for social reasons was 13 percent to the city hospital versus 3 percent to the district hospital. Relevant alternatives to hospitalization seemed to exist in 50 percent of the admissions to the city hospital versus only 3 percent to the district hospital. Since patients admitted for social reasons...... block hospital beds for a longer time period than those admitted for other reasons, these differences may to some extent explain why length of hospital stay is longer in city hospitals than in rural ones....

  6. Short-Term Effects of Gaseous Pollutants and Particulate Matter on Daily Hospital Admissions for Cardio-Cerebrovascular Disease in Lanzhou: Evidence from a Heavily Polluted City in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shan Zheng

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Panel studies show a consistent association between increase in the cardiovascular hospitalizations with air pollutants in economically developed regions, but little evidence in less developed inland areas. In this study, a time-series analysis was used to examine the specific effects of major air pollutants [particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10, sulfur dioxide (SO2, and nitrogen dioxides (NO2] on daily hospital admissions for cardio-cerebrovascular diseases in Lanzhou, a heavily polluted city in China. We examined the effects of air pollutants for stratified groups by age and gender, and conducted the modifying effect of seasons on air pollutants to test the possible interaction. The significant associations were found between PM10, SO2 and NO2 and cardiac disease admissions, SO2 and NO2 were found to be associated with the cerebrovascular disease admissions. The elderly was associated more strongly with gaseous pollutants than younger. The modifying effect of seasons on air pollutants also existed. The significant effect of gaseous pollutants (SO2 and NO2 was found on daily hospital admissions even after adjustment for other pollutants except for SO2 on cardiac diseases. In a word, this study provides the evidence for the detrimental short-term health effects of urban gaseous pollutants on cardio-cerebrovascular diseases in Lanzhou.

  7. Barriers to and enablers of physical activity in patients with COPD following a hospital admission: a qualitative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thorpe O

    2014-01-01

    clear that health professionals dealing with people suffering from COPD need to actively recognize and address barriers to physical activity and pulmonary rehabilitation. Hospital admission may create an opportunity for implementation of interventions promoting physical activity (such as referral to pulmonary rehabilitation, which may assist in reducing hospital readmission, as well as decreasing morbidity and mortality.Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, physical activity, exercise, hospital admission, patient perspectives

  8. The impact of HMO and hospital competition on hospital costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Younis, Mustafa Z; Rivers, Patrick A; Fottler, Myron D

    2005-01-01

    This study examines the impact of HMO penetration and competition on health system performance, as measured by hospital cost per adjusted admissions. The study population consisted of acute-care hospitals in the United States. The findings of this study suggest that there is no relationship between HMO competition and hospital cost per adjusted admission. Governmental efforts to stimulate competition in the hospital market, if focused on promoting HMOs, are not likely to produce cost-containing results quickly.

  9. Validation of de-identified record linkage to ascertain hospital admissions in a cohort study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    English Dallas R

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cohort studies can provide valuable evidence of cause and effect relationships but are subject to loss of participants over time, limiting the validity of findings. Computerised record linkage offers a passive and ongoing method of obtaining health outcomes from existing routinely collected data sources. However, the quality of record linkage is reliant upon the availability and accuracy of common identifying variables. We sought to develop and validate a method for linking a cohort study to a state-wide hospital admissions dataset with limited availability of unique identifying variables. Methods A sample of 2000 participants from a cohort study (n = 41 514 was linked to a state-wide hospitalisations dataset in Victoria, Australia using the national health insurance (Medicare number and demographic data as identifying variables. Availability of the health insurance number was limited in both datasets; therefore linkage was undertaken both with and without use of this number and agreement tested between both algorithms. Sensitivity was calculated for a sub-sample of 101 participants with a hospital admission confirmed by medical record review. Results Of the 2000 study participants, 85% were found to have a record in the hospitalisations dataset when the national health insurance number and sex were used as linkage variables and 92% when demographic details only were used. When agreement between the two methods was tested the disagreement fraction was 9%, mainly due to "false positive" links when demographic details only were used. A final algorithm that used multiple combinations of identifying variables resulted in a match proportion of 87%. Sensitivity of this final linkage was 95%. Conclusions High quality record linkage of cohort data with a hospitalisations dataset that has limited identifiers can be achieved using combinations of a national health insurance number and demographic data as identifying variables.

  10. The effects of daily weather variables on psychosis admissions to psychiatric hospitals.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    McWilliams, Stephen

    2012-08-02

    Several studies have noted seasonal variations in admission rates of patients with psychotic illnesses. However, the changeable daily meteorological patterns within seasons have never been examined in any great depth in the context of admission rates. A handful of small studies have posed interesting questions regarding a potential link between psychiatric admission rates and meteorological variables such as environmental temperature (especially heat waves) and sunshine. In this study, we used simple non-parametric testing and more complex ARIMA and time-series regression analysis to examine whether daily meteorological patterns (wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, rainfall, sunshine, sunlight and temperature) exert an influence on admission rates for psychotic disorders across 12 regions in Ireland. Although there were some weak but interesting trends for temperature, barometric pressure and sunshine, the meteorological patterns ultimately did not exert a clinically significant influence over admissions for psychosis. Further analysis is needed.

  11. The effects of daily weather variables on psychosis admissions to psychiatric hospitals

    Science.gov (United States)

    McWilliams, Stephen; Kinsella, Anthony; O'Callaghan, Eadbhard

    2013-07-01

    Several studies have noted seasonal variations in admission rates of patients with psychotic illnesses. However, the changeable daily meteorological patterns within seasons have never been examined in any great depth in the context of admission rates. A handful of small studies have posed interesting questions regarding a potential link between psychiatric admission rates and meteorological variables such as environmental temperature (especially heat waves) and sunshine. In this study, we used simple non-parametric testing and more complex ARIMA and time-series regression analysis to examine whether daily meteorological patterns (wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, rainfall, sunshine, sunlight and temperature) exert an influence on admission rates for psychotic disorders across 12 regions in Ireland. Although there were some weak but interesting trends for temperature, barometric pressure and sunshine, the meteorological patterns ultimately did not exert a clinically significant influence over admissions for psychosis. Further analysis is needed.

  12. Increasing arterial oxygen partial pressure during cardiopulmonary resuscitation is associated with improved rates of hospital admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spindelboeck, Walter; Schindler, Otmar; Moser, Adrian; Hausler, Florian; Wallner, Simon; Strasser, Christa; Haas, Josef; Gemes, Geza; Prause, Gerhard

    2013-06-01

    As recent clinical data suggest a harmful effect of arterial hyperoxia on patients after resuscitation from cardiac arrest (CA), we aimed to investigate this association during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the earliest and one of the most crucial phases of recirculation. We analysed 1015 patients who from 2003 to 2010 underwent out-of-hospital CPR administered by emergency medical services serving 300,000 inhabitants. Inclusion criteria for further analysis were nontraumatic background of CA and patients >18 years of age. One hundred and forty-five arterial blood gas analyses including oxygen partial pressure (paO2) measurement were obtained during CPR. We observed a highly significant increase in hospital admission rates associated with increases in paO2 in steps of 100 mmHg (13.3 kPa). Subsequently, data were clustered according to previously described cutoffs (≤ 60 mmHg [8 kPa

  13. Predicting Appropriate Admission of Bronchiolitis Patients in the Emergency Department: Rationale and Methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Gang; Stone, Bryan L; Johnson, Michael D; Nkoy, Flory L

    2016-03-07

    In young children, bronchiolitis is the most common illness resulting in hospitalization. For children less than age 2, bronchiolitis incurs an annual total inpatient cost of $1.73 billion. Each year in the United States, 287,000 emergency department (ED) visits occur because of bronchiolitis, with a hospital admission rate of 32%-40%. Due to a lack of evidence and objective criteria for managing bronchiolitis, ED disposition decisions (hospital admission or discharge to home) are often made subjectively, resulting in significant practice variation. Studies reviewing admission need suggest that up to 29% of admissions from the ED are unnecessary. About 6% of ED discharges for bronchiolitis result in ED returns with admission. These inappropriate dispositions waste limited health care resources, increase patient and parental distress, expose patients to iatrogenic risks, and worsen outcomes. Existing clinical guidelines for bronchiolitis offer limited improvement in patient outcomes. Methodological shortcomings include that the guidelines provide no specific thresholds for ED decisions to admit or to discharge, have an insufficient level of detail, and do not account for differences in patient and illness characteristics including co-morbidities. Predictive models are frequently used to complement clinical guidelines, reduce practice variation, and improve clinicians' decision making. Used in real time, predictive models can present objective criteria supported by historical data for an individualized disease management plan and guide admission decisions. However, existing predictive models for ED patients with bronchiolitis have limitations, including low accuracy and the assumption that the actual ED disposition decision was appropriate. To date, no operational definition of appropriate admission exists. No model has been built based on appropriate admissions, which include both actual admissions that were necessary and actual ED discharges that were unsafe. The

  14. Radiology imaging delays as independent predictors of length of hospital stay for emergency medical admissions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cournane, S.; Conway, R.; Creagh, D.; Byrne, D.G.; Sheehy, N.; Silke, B.

    2016-01-01

    Aim: To investigate the extent to which the time to completion for computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound could be shown to influence the length of stay and costs incurred while in hospital, while accounting for patient acuity. Materials and methods: All emergency admissions, totalling 25,326 imaging investigations between 2010–2014 were evaluated. The 50"t"h, 75"t"h, and 90"t"h centiles of completion times for each imaging type was entered into a multivariable truncated Poisson regression model predicting the length of hospital stay. Estimates of risk (odds or incidence rate ratios [IRRs]) of the regressors were adjusted for acute illness severity, Charlson comorbidity index, chronic disabling disease score, and sepsis status. Quantile regression analysis was used to examine the impact of imaging on total hospital costs. Results: For all imaging examinations, longer hospital lengths of stay were shown to be related to delays in imaging time. Increased delays in CT and MRI were shown to be associated with increased hospital episode costs, while ultrasound did not independently predict increased hospital costs. The magnitude of the effect of imaging delays on episode costs were equivalent to some measures of illness severity. Conclusion: CT, MRI, and ultrasound are undertaken in patients with differing clinical complexity; however, even with adjustment for complexity, the time delay in a more expeditious radiological service could potentially shorten the hospital episode and reduce costs. - Highlights: • There are differing clinical complexities for patients depending on the modality. • A predictive risk model, incorporating advanced imaging, was devised. • Inpatients delays in radiology imaging associated with longer LOS. • Inpatients who underwent radiology imaging associated with increased hospital costs.

  15. Effects of short-term exposure to air pollution on hospital admissions of young children for acute lower respiratory infections in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le, Truong Giang; Ngo, Long; Mehta, Sumi; Do, Van Dzung; Thach, T Q; Vu, Xuan Dan; Nguyen, Dinh Tuan; Cohen, Aaron

    2012-06-01

    There is emerging evidence, largely from studies in Europe and North America, that economic deprivation increases the magnitude of morbidity and mortality related to air pollution. Two major reasons why this may be true are that the poor experience higher levels of exposure to air pollution, and they are more vulnerable to its effects--in other words, due to poorer nutrition, less access to medical care, and other factors, they experience more health impact per unit of exposure. The relations among health, air pollution, and poverty are likely to have important implications for public health and social policy, especially in areas such as the developing countries of Asia where air pollution levels are high and many live in poverty. The aims of this study were to estimate the effect of exposure to air pollution on hospital admissions of young children for acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI*) and to explore whether such effects differed between poor children and other children. ALRI, which comprises pneumonia and bronchiolitis, is the largest single cause of mortality among young children worldwide and is responsible for a substantial burden of disease among young children in developing countries. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of the health effects of air pollution in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. For these reasons, the results of this study have the potential to make an important contribution to the growing literature on the health effects of air pollution in Asia. The study focused on the short-term effects of daily average exposure to air pollutants on hospital admissions of children less than 5 years of age for ALRI, defined as pneumonia or bronchiolitis, in HCMC during 2003, 2004, and 2005. Admissions data were obtained from computerized records of Children's Hospital 1 and Children's Hospital 2 (CH1 and CH2) in HCMC. Nearly all children hospitalized for respiratory illnesses in the city are admitted to one of these two pediatric

  16. Hospital admission following induced abortion in Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea--a descriptive study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallely, Lisa M; Homiehombo, Primrose; Kelly-Hanku, Angela; Kumbia, Antonia; Mola, Glen D L; Whittaker, Andrea

    2014-01-01

    In Papua New Guinea abortion is restricted under the Criminal Code Act. While safe abortions should available in certain situations, frequently they are not available to the majority of women. Sepsis from unsafe abortion is a leading cause of maternal mortality. Our findings form part of a wider, mixed methods study designed to identify complications requiring hospital treatment for post abortion care and to explore the circumstances surrounding unsafe abortion. Through a six month prospective study we identified all women presenting to the Eastern Highlands Provincial Hospital following spontaneous and induced abortions. We undertook semi-structured interviews with women and reviewed individual case notes, extracting demographic and clinical information. Case notes were reviewed for 56% (67/119) of women presenting for post abortion care. At least 24% (28/119) of these admissions were due to induced abortion. Women presenting following induced abortions were significantly more likely to be younger, single, in education at the time of the abortion and report that the baby was unplanned and unwanted, compared to those reporting spontaneous abortion. Obtained illegally, misoprostol was the method most frequently used to end the pregnancy. Physical and mechanical means and traditional herbs were also widely reported. In a country with a low contraceptive prevalence rate and high unmet need for family planning, all reproductive age women need access to contraceptive information and services to avoid, postpone or space pregnancies. In the absence of this, women are resorting to unsafe means to end an unwanted pregnancy, putting their lives at risk and putting an increased strain on an already struggling health system. Women in this setting need access to safe, effective means of abortion.

  17. Hotel-based ambulatory care for complex cancer patients: a review of the University College London Hospital experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sive, Jonathan; Ardeshna, Kirit M; Cheesman, Simon; le Grange, Franel; Morris, Stephen; Nicholas, Claire; Peggs, Karl; Statham, Paula; Goldstone, Anthony H

    2012-12-01

    Since 2005, University College London Hospital (UCLH) has operated a hotel-based Ambulatory Care Unit (ACU) for hematology and oncology patients requiring intensive chemotherapy regimens and hematopoietic stem cell transplants. Between January 2005 and 2011 there were 1443 patient episodes, totaling 9126 patient days, with increasing use over the 6-year period. These were predominantly for hematological malignancy (82%) and sarcoma (17%). Median length of stay was 5 days (range 1-42), varying according to treatment. Clinical review and treatment was provided in the ACU, with patients staying in a local hotel at the hospital's expense. Admission to the inpatient ward was arranged as required, and there was close liaison with the inpatient team to preempt emergency admissions. Of the 523 unscheduled admissions, 87% occurred during working hours. An ACU/hotel-based treatment model can be safely used for a wide variety of cancers and treatments, expanding hospital treatment capacity, and freeing up inpatient beds for those patients requiring them.

  18. [Effect of maximum blood pressure fluctuation on prognosis of patients with acute ischemic stroke within 24 hours after hospital admission].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, H; Tang, Y; Zhang, Y; Xu, K; Zhao, J B

    2018-05-10

    Objective: To investigate the relationship between the maximum blood pressure fluctuation within 24 hours after admission and the prognosis at discharge. Methods: The patients with ischemic stroke admitted in Department of Neurology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University within 24 hours after onset were consecutively selected from April 2016 to March 2017. The patients were grouped according to the diagnostic criteria of hypertension. Ambulatory blood pressure of the patients within 24 hours after admission were measured with bedside monitors and baseline data were collected. The patients were scored by NIHSS at discharge. The relationships between the maximum values of systolic blood pressure (SBP) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and the prognosis at discharge were analyzed. Results: A total of 521 patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled. They were divided into normal blood pressure group (82 cases) and hypertension group(439 cases). In normal blood pressure group, the maximum values of SBP and DBP were all in normal distribution ( P >0.05). The maximum value of SBP fluctuation was set at 146.6 mmHg. After adjustment for potential confounders, the OR for poor prognosis at discharge in patients with SBP fluctuation ≥146.6 mmHg was 2.669 (95 %CI : 0.594-11.992) compared with those with SBP fluctuation blood pressure at admission, the maximum values of SBP and DBP within 24 hours after admission had no relationship with prognosis at discharge. In acute ischemic stroke patients with hypertension at admission, the maximum values of SBP and DBP within 24 hours after admission were associated with poor prognosis at discharge.

  19. Hospital admission for hyperemesis gravidarum: a nationwide study of occurrence, reoccurrence and risk factors among 8.2 million pregnancies

    OpenAIRE

    Fiaschi, Linda; Nelson-Piercy, Catherine; Tata, Laila J.

    2016-01-01

    STUDY QUESTION: What are the maternal risk factors for hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) hospital admission, readmission and reoccurrence in a following pregnancy?\\ud SUMMARY ANSWER: Young age, less socioeconomic deprivation, nulliparity, Asian or Black ethnicity, female fetus, multiple pregnancy, history of HG in a previous pregnancy, thyroid and parathyroid dysfunction, hypercholesterolemia and Type 1 diabetes are all risk factors for HG.\\ud WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Women with Black or Asian ethnic...

  20. Increase in childhood asthma admissions in an urbanising population

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective. In South Africa, rapid urbanisation has increased the risk of childhood asthma. This report reviews the pattern of asthma admissions to the Paediatric Department of Ga-Rankuwa Hospital, South Africa, from 1986 to 1996. Design. Inpatient admission data were reviewed for 1986- 1996. A detailed analysis of the ...

  1. A Review of Neonatal Admissions in Osogbo, Southwestern Nigeria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A retrospective analysis of the records of all neonatal admissions into the Special Baby care unit (SCBU) of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo between January 2006 and December 2007 was undertaken. There were 605 admissions (371 males and 234 females) with 308 (50.9%) being admitted in 2006 and 297 ...

  2. Using the MDRD value as an outcome predictor in emergency medical admissions.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Chin, Jun Liong

    2011-10-01

    Both physiological- and laboratory-derived variables, alone or in combination, have been used to predict mortality among acute medical admissions. Using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) not as an estimate of glomerular filtration rate but as an outcome predictor for hospital mortality, we examined the relationship between the MDRD value and in-hospital death during an emergency medical admission.

  3. Injury-related hospital admissions of military dependents compared with similarly aged nonmilitary insured infants, children, and adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pressley, Joyce C; Dawson, Patrick; Carpenter, Dustin J

    2012-10-01

    Military deployment of one or both parents is associated with declines in school performance, behavioral difficulties, and increases in reported mental health conditions, but less is known regarding injury risks in pediatric military dependents. Kid Health Care Cost and Utilization Project 2006 (KID) was used to identify military dependents aged 0.1 year to 17 years through expected insurance payer being CHAMPUS, Tricare, or CHAMPVA (n = 12,310) and similarly aged privately insured nonmilitary in CHAMPUS, Tricare, or CHAMPVA states (n = 730,065). Mental health diagnoses per 1,000 hospitalizations and mechanisms of injury per 1,000 injury-related hospitalizations are reported. Unweighted univariate analyses used Fisher's exact, χ(2), and analysis of variance tests for significance. Odds ratios are age and sex adjusted with 95% confidence intervals. Injury-related admissions were higher in military than in nonmilitary dependents (15.5% vs. 13.2%, p sex-adjusted motor vehicle occupant and pedestrian injuries were significantly lower in all-age military dependents but not in age-stratified categories. Very young military dependents had higher all-cause injury admissions (p < 0.0001), drowning/near drowning (p < 0.0001), and intracranial injury (p < 0.0001) and showed a tendency toward higher suffocation (p = 0.055) and crushing injury (p = 0.065). Military adolescents and teenagers had higher suicide/suicide attempts (p = 0.0001) and poisonings from medicinal substances (p = 0.0001). Mental health diagnoses were significantly higher in every age category of military dependents. All-cause in-hospital mortality tended to be greater in military than in nonmilitary dependents (p = 0.052). This study suggests that military dependents are a vulnerable population with special needs and provides clues to areas where injury prevention professionals might begin to address their needs. Prognostic/epidemiologic study, level II.

  4. Out-of-office hours' elective surgical intensive care admissions and their associated complications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, David J R; Ho, Kwok Ming; Ong, Yang Jian; Kolybaba, Marlene L

    2017-11-01

    The 'weekend' effect is a controversial theory that links reduced staffing levels, staffing seniority and supportive services at hospitals during 'out-of-office hours' time periods with worsening patient outcomes. It is uncertain whether admitting elective surgery patients to intensive care units (ICU) during 'out-of-office hours' time periods mitigates this affect through higher staffing ratios and seniority. Over a 3-year period in Western Australia's largest private hospital, this retrospective nested-cohort study compared all elective surgical patients admitted to the ICU based on whether their admission occurred 'in-office hours' (Monday-Friday 08.00-18.00 hours) or 'out-of-office hours' (all other times). The main outcomes were surgical complications using the Dindo-Clavien classification and length-of-stay data. Of the total 4363 ICU admissions, 3584 ICU admissions were planned following elective surgery resulting in 2515 (70.2%) in-office hours and 1069 (29.8%) out-of-office hours elective ICU surgical admissions. Out-of-office hours ICU admissions following elective surgery were associated with an increased risk of infection (P = 0.029), blood transfusion (P = 0.020), total parental nutrition (P office hours ICU admissions were also associated with an increased hospital length-of-stay, with (1.74 days longer, P office hours ICU admissions following elective surgery is common and associated with serious post-operative complications culminating in significantly longer hospital length-of-stays and greater transfers with important patient and health economic implications. © 2017 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

  5. Impact of nursing home admission on health care use and disease status elderly dependent people one year before and one year after skilled nursing home admission based on 2012-2013 SNIIRAM data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atramont, A; Bourdel-Marchasson, I; Bonnet-Zamponi, D; Tangre, I; Fagot-Campagna, A; Tuppin, P

    2017-09-18

    The aim of this study was to compare disease status and health care use 1 year before and 1 year after skilled nursing home (SNH) admission. People over the age of 65 years admitted to SNH during the first quarter of 2013, covered by the national health insurance general scheme (69% of the population of this age), and still alive 1 year after admission were identified (n = 14,487, mean age: 86 years, women: 76%). Their reimbursed health care was extracted from the Système National d'Information Interrégimes de l'Assurance Maladie (SNIIRAM) [National Health Insurance Information System]. One year after nursing home admission, the most prevalent diseases were cardiovascular/neurovascular diseases and neurodegenerative diseases (affecting 45% and 40% of people before admission vs 51% and 53% after admission, respectively). Physical therapy use increased (43% vs 64% of people had at least one physical therapy session during the year, with an average of 47 vs 84 sessions/person during the year), while specialist consultations decreased (29% of people consulted an ophthalmologist at least once during the year before admission vs 25% after admission; 27% vs 21% consulted a cardiologist). Hospitalization rates were lower during the year following institutionalization (75% vs 40% of people were hospitalized at least once during the year), together with a lower emergency admission rate and a higher day admission rate. Analysis of the new French reimbursement database specific to SNH shows that nursing home admission is associated with a reduction of some forms of outpatient care and hospitalizations.

  6. UTILITY OF THE DECAF SCORE IN PREDICTING IN HOSPITAL OUTCOME IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE EXACERBATION OF CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL OF SOUTHERN INDIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravi Chethan Kumar A. N

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease being an all too common cause for hospital admissions Worldwide poses a logistical stress for the treating physicians and hospital administration with regards to morbidity and mortality rates. Identifying upon admission those at higher risk of dying in-hospital could be useful for triaging patients to the appropriate level of care, determining the aggressiveness of therapies and timing safe discharges. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utilisation of the DECAF score in predicting in hospital outcome in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Southern India. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients admitted with COPD exacerbations in K.R. Hospital, Mysore Medical College And Research Institute, Mysuru in between the May 2017 and July 2017 were taken has study subjects. A total of 80 patients were taken into the study. The duration of hospital stay, ICU admission and deaths were noted. DECAF score is applied to all study subjects and the severity of AECOPD is graded at the time of admission. The data collected and complied were then analysed for the correlation between score and subsequent management and overall outcome. RESULTS Total of 80 patients were recruited in the study. Mean age for male was 66.47, female was 70.86. Length of hospital stay was more in patients with decaf score more than 3 (average hospital stay 10 days. Patients with DECAF score of 2, 70.4% required inhalations oxygen, remaining 29.6% were managed with only bronchodilators whereas patients with DECAF score of 5 (max score in our study group there was a 100% initiation of assisted ventilation 33.3% received NIV ventilation while 66.6% required endotracheal intubation with ventilator support. In present study, 85 percent patients were survived. Total 6 patients (7.5% had died, belonging to high risk DECAF group (score 3 to 6

  7. Secular Trends in Utilization of Critical Care Services Among Candidemia-Associated Hospitalizations: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oud, Lavi

    2016-01-01

    The incidence of candidemia continues to rise in recent years. Candidemic patients often require care in an intensive care unit (ICU) and can consume substantial resources. However, there are no contemporary longitudinal population-level data on the incidence patterns of ICU utilization among patients with candidemia in the United States. The Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File was used to identify hospitalized patients aged ≥ 18 years for the years 2001 - 2010. Hospitalizations with candidemia were identified by presence of an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification Code 112.5. The annual rates of ICU admission among candidemia hospitalizations were examined. The annual incidence of candidemia hospitalizations with admission to ICU (C-ICU) was evaluated using the United States Census data, and was also benchmarked against the number of all hospitalizations and hospitalizations with ICU admission, overall and for age-specific strata. There were 11,544 hospitalizations with candidemia, including 7,552 (65.4%) with C-ICU. Between 2001 and 2010, the rate of C-ICU among hospitalizations with candidemia increased from 60.2% to 68.0%, and the incidence of C-ICU increased by 91%, rising from 2.73 to 5.21 per 100,000 population. When benchmarked against hospital admissions and ICU admissions, the following changes were noted between 2001 and 2010 in the incidence of C-ICU: 1.61 vs. 3.34 per 10,000 hospitalizations, and 8.33 vs. 13.77 per 10,000 hospitalizations with ICU admission. The incidence of C-ICU rose rapidly during the first half of the last decade, while plateauing during the remainder of study period. There has been marked difference in the rate of rise in the incidence of C-ICU among examined age strata, being highest among the 18 - 44 year group. ICU care occurred in the majority of candidemia hospitalizations. The incidence of C-ICU rose nearly two-fold during study period, but the rise plateaued during the second

  8. Hospital costs for patients with lower extremity cellulitis: a retrospective population-based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Challener, Douglas; Marcelin, Jasmine; Visscher, Sue; Baddour, Larry

    2017-12-01

    Hospital admissions for non-purulent lower extremity cellulitis (NLEC) are common and can be prolonged and costly. Newer treatment options and preventive strategies are expected to result in cost savings before implementation, but few studies have quantified the cost of conventional treatment. Using the Rochester Epidemiology Project, the incidence of NLEC in Olmsted County, MN in 2013 was 176.6 per 100,000 persons. The subset of patients who required hospitalization for NLEC in 2013 was determined. Hospital admissions were analyzed retrospectively using standardized cost analysis within several relevant categories. Thirty-four patients had an average hospital length of stay of 4.7 days. The median total inpatient cost was $7,341. The median cost per day was $2,087, with 49% due to room and board. Antibiotics administered for treatment of NLEC contributed a median cost of $75 per day of hospitalization, and laboratory and imaging test costs were $73 and $44, respectively, per day of hospitalization. Hospitalizations for NLEC can be costly and prolonged with room and board accounting for much of the cost. Therefore, newer management strategies should seek to reduce hospital length of stay and/or avoid inpatient admission to reduce cost.

  9. Comparing Hospital Processes and Outcomes in California Medicare Beneficiaries: Simulation Prompts Reconsideration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escobar, Gabriel J; Baker, Jennifer M; Turk, Benjamin J; Draper, David; Liu, Vincent; Kipnis, Patricia

    2017-01-01

    This article is not a traditional research report. It describes how conducting a specific set of benchmarking analyses led us to broader reflections on hospital benchmarking. We reexamined an issue that has received far less attention from researchers than in the past: How variations in the hospital admission threshold might affect hospital rankings. Considering this threshold made us reconsider what benchmarking is and what future benchmarking studies might be like. Although we recognize that some of our assertions are speculative, they are based on our reading of the literature and previous and ongoing data analyses being conducted in our research unit. We describe the benchmarking analyses that led to these reflections. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Hospital Compare Web site includes data on fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries but does not control for severity of illness, which requires physiologic data now available in most electronic medical records.To address this limitation, we compared hospital processes and outcomes among Kaiser Permanente Northern California's (KPNC) Medicare Advantage beneficiaries and non-KPNC California Medicare beneficiaries between 2009 and 2010. We assigned a simulated severity of illness measure to each record and explored the effect of having the additional information on outcomes. We found that if the admission severity of illness in non-KPNC hospitals increased, KPNC hospitals' mortality performance would appear worse; conversely, if admission severity at non-KPNC hospitals' decreased, KPNC hospitals' performance would appear better. Future hospital benchmarking should consider the impact of variation in admission thresholds.

  10. International trends in admissions and drug sales for asthma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, R; Anderson, H R; Strachan, D P; Maier, W; Watson, L

    2006-02-01

    To test whether national patterns of asthma drug use, particularly inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), are related to the rate of acute severe asthma exacerbations. The relation of international trends in hospital admissions for asthma with asthma drug sales was examined using country-specific regressions over the period 1990-1999. Pooled estimates of the regression coefficients were calculated using random effects models. Data on asthma admissions and asthma drug sales (including the sub-category ICS) were obtained from 11 countries. There was a negative relationship between falling admissions and rising sales of respiratory drugs and ICS in 9 of these 11 countries. A pooled estimate of the change in asthma admission rate per 10,000 associated with a unit increase in sales rate was -6.3 (95% CI -10.4 - -2.3) for all asthma drugs and -11.2 (95% CI -19.7 - -2.8) for ICS. At the national level, there is good evidence that over the last decade, increased sales of asthma drugs, and ICS in particular, were associated with a decline in rates of hospital admission for asthma. This is consistent with a beneficial effect of increasing use of asthma drugs, but other explanations such as decreasing prevalence could also be responsible.

  11. Effect of the Earned Income Tax Credit on Hospital Admissions for Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma, 1995-2013.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klevens, Joanne; Schmidt, Brian; Luo, Feijun; Xu, Likang; Ports, Katie A; Lee, Rosalyn D

    Policies that increase household income, such as the earned income tax credit (EITC), have shown reductions on risk factors for child maltreatment (ie, poverty, maternal stress, depression), but evidence is lacking on whether the EITC actually reduces child maltreatment. We examined whether states' EITCs are associated with state rates of hospital admissions for abusive head trauma among children aged tax filer gets money even if taxes are not owed) from nonrefundable EITCs (ie, tax filer gets credit only for any tax owed), controlling for state rates of child poverty, unemployment, high school graduation, and percentage of non-Latino white people. A refundable EITC was associated with a decrease of 3.1 abusive head trauma admissions per 100 000 population in children aged Tax refunds ranged from $108 to $1014 and $165 to $1648 for a single parent working full-time at minimum wage with 1 child or 2 children, respectively. Our findings with others suggest that policies such as the EITC that increase household income may prevent serious abusive head trauma.

  12. Desert Dust Outbreaks in Southern Europe: Contribution to Daily PM10 Concentrations and Short-Term Associations with Mortality and Hospital Admissions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stafoggia, Massimo; Zauli-Sajani, Stefano; Pey, Jorge; Samoli, Evangelia; Alessandrini, Ester; Basagaña, Xavier; Cernigliaro, Achille; Chiusolo, Monica; Demaria, Moreno; Díaz, Julio; Faustini, Annunziata; Katsouyanni, Klea; Kelessis, Apostolos G.; Linares, Cristina; Marchesi, Stefano; Medina, Sylvia; Pandolfi, Paolo; Pérez, Noemí; Querol, Xavier; Randi, Giorgia; Ranzi, Andrea; Tobias, Aurelio; Forastiere, Francesco

    2015-01-01

    Background: Evidence on the association between short-term exposure to desert dust and health outcomes is controversial. Objectives: We aimed to estimate the short-term effects of particulate matter ≤ 10 μm (PM10) on mortality and hospital admissions in 13 Southern European cities, distinguishing between PM10 originating from the desert and from other sources. Methods: We identified desert dust advection days in multiple Mediterranean areas for 2001–2010 by combining modeling tools, back-trajectories, and satellite data. For each advection day, we estimated PM10 concentrations originating from desert, and computed PM10 from other sources by difference. We fitted city-specific Poisson regression models to estimate the association between PM from different sources (desert and non-desert) and daily mortality and emergency hospitalizations. Finally, we pooled city-specific results in a random-effects meta-analysis. Results: On average, 15% of days were affected by desert dust at ground level (desert PM10 > 0 μg/m3). Most episodes occurred in spring–summer, with increasing gradient of both frequency and intensity north–south and west–east of the Mediterranean basin. We found significant associations of both PM10 concentrations with mortality. Increases of 10 μg/m3 in non-desert and desert PM10 (lag 0–1 days) were associated with increases in natural mortality of 0.55% (95% CI: 0.24, 0.87%) and 0.65% (95% CI: 0.24, 1.06%), respectively. Similar associations were estimated for cardio-respiratory mortality and hospital admissions. Conclusions: PM10 originating from the desert was positively associated with mortality and hospitalizations in Southern Europe. Policy measures should aim at reducing population exposure to anthropogenic airborne particles even in areas with large contribution from desert dust advections. Citation: Stafoggia M, Zauli-Sajani S, Pey J, Samoli E, Alessandrini E, Basagaña X, Cernigliaro A, Chiusolo M, Demaria M, Díaz J, Faustini A

  13. Desert Dust Outbreaks in Southern Europe: Contribution to Daily PM₁₀ Concentrations and Short-Term Associations with Mortality and Hospital Admissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stafoggia, Massimo; Zauli-Sajani, Stefano; Pey, Jorge; Samoli, Evangelia; Alessandrini, Ester; Basagaña, Xavier; Cernigliaro, Achille; Chiusolo, Monica; Demaria, Moreno; Díaz, Julio; Faustini, Annunziata; Katsouyanni, Klea; Kelessis, Apostolos G; Linares, Cristina; Marchesi, Stefano; Medina, Sylvia; Pandolfi, Paolo; Pérez, Noemí; Querol, Xavier; Randi, Giorgia; Ranzi, Andrea; Tobias, Aurelio; Forastiere, Francesco

    2016-04-01

    Evidence on the association between short-term exposure to desert dust and health outcomes is controversial. We aimed to estimate the short-term effects of particulate matter ≤ 10 μm (PM10) on mortality and hospital admissions in 13 Southern European cities, distinguishing between PM10 originating from the desert and from other sources. We identified desert dust advection days in multiple Mediterranean areas for 2001-2010 by combining modeling tools, back-trajectories, and satellite data. For each advection day, we estimated PM10 concentrations originating from desert, and computed PM10 from other sources by difference. We fitted city-specific Poisson regression models to estimate the association between PM from different sources (desert and non-desert) and daily mortality and emergency hospitalizations. Finally, we pooled city-specific results in a random-effects meta-analysis. On average, 15% of days were affected by desert dust at ground level (desert PM10 > 0 μg/m3). Most episodes occurred in spring-summer, with increasing gradient of both frequency and intensity north-south and west-east of the Mediterranean basin. We found significant associations of both PM10 concentrations with mortality. Increases of 10 μg/m3 in non-desert and desert PM10 (lag 0-1 days) were associated with increases in natural mortality of 0.55% (95% CI: 0.24, 0.87%) and 0.65% (95% CI: 0.24, 1.06%), respectively. Similar associations were estimated for cardio-respiratory mortality and hospital admissions. PM10 originating from the desert was positively associated with mortality and hospitalizations in Southern Europe. Policy measures should aim at reducing population exposure to anthropogenic airborne particles even in areas with large contribution from desert dust advections. Stafoggia M, Zauli-Sajani S, Pey J, Samoli E, Alessandrini E, Basagaña X, Cernigliaro A, Chiusolo M, Demaria M, Díaz J, Faustini A, Katsouyanni K, Kelessis AG, Linares C, Marchesi S, Medina S, Pandolfi P, P

  14. Risk factors of falls in inpatients and their practical use in identifying high-risk persons at admission: Fukushima Medical University Hospital cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayakawa, Takehito; Hashimoto, Shigeatsu; Kanda, Hideyuki; Hirano, Noriko; Kurihara, Yumi; Kawashima, Takako; Fukushima, Tetsuhito

    2014-01-01

    To clarify the risk factors for falls in hospital settings and to propose the use of such factors to identify high-risk persons at admission. Prospective cohort study. Fukushima Medical University Hospital, Japan, from August 2008 and September 2009. 9957 adult consecutive inpatients admitted to our hospital. Information was collected at admission from clinical records obtained from a structured questionnaire conducted in face-to-face interviews with subjects by nurses and doctors and fall events were collected from clinical records. The proportion of patients who fell during follow-up was 2.5% and the incidence of falls was 3.28 per 100 person-days. There were significant differences in age, history of falling, cognitive dysfunction, planned surgery, wheelchair use, need for help to move, use of a remote caring system, rehabilitation, use of laxative, hypnotic or psychotropic medications and need for help with activities of daily living (ADL) between patients who did and did not fall. Multivariable adjusted ORs for falls showed that age, history of falls and need for help with ADL were common risk factors in both men and women. Using psychotropic medication also increased the risk of falling in men while cognitive dysfunction and use of hypnotic medication increased the risk of falling in women. Planned surgery was associated with a low risk of falls in women. To prevent falls in inpatients it is important to identify high-risk persons. Age, history of falling and the need for help with ADL are the most important pieces of information to be obtained at admission. Care plans for patients including fall prevention should be clear and considered.

  15. DUNDRUM-2: Prospective validation of a structured professional judgment instrument assessing priority for admission from the waiting list for a Forensic Mental Health Hospital.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Flynn, Grainne

    2011-07-03

    Abstract Background The criteria for deciding who should be admitted first from a waiting list to a forensic secure hospital are not necessarily the same as those for assessing need. Criteria were drafted qualitatively and tested in a prospective \\'real life\\' observational study over a 6-month period. Methods A researcher rated all those presented at the weekly referrals meeting using the DUNDRUM-1 triage security scale and the DUNDRUM-2 triage urgency scale. The key outcome measure was whether or not the individual was admitted. Results Inter-rater reliability and internal consistency for the DUNDRUM-2 were acceptable. The DUNDRUM-1 triage security score and the DUNDRUM-2 triage urgency score correlated r = 0.663. At the time of admission, after a mean of 23.9 (SD35.9) days on the waiting list, those admitted had higher scores on the DUNDRUM-2 triage urgency scale than those not admitted, with no significant difference between locations (remand or sentenced prisoners, less secure hospitals) at the time of admission. Those admitted also had higher DUNDRUM-1 triage security scores. At baseline the receiver operating characteristic area under the curve for a combined score was the best predictor of admission while at the time of admission the DUNDRUM-2 triage urgency score had the largest AUC (0.912, 95% CI 0.838 to 0.986). Conclusions The triage urgency items and scale add predictive power to the decision to admit. This is particularly true in maintaining equitability between those referred from different locations.

  16. Opioid management strategy decreases admissions in high-utilizing adults with sickle cell disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mager, Amy; Pelot, Kristin; Koch, Kathryn; Miller, Lawrence; Hubler, Collin; Ndifor, Anisah; Coan, Canice; Leonard, Cynthia; Field, Joshua J

    A subset of adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) heavily utilizes the emergency department (ED) and hospital. The objective of our study was to determine the efficacy of a multidisciplinary strategy to address unmet needs in highly utilizing adults with SCD. In a prospective study, adults with SCD with ≥10 admissions per year were assessed by a multidisciplinary team for gaps in medical, social, and psychological care. Thereafter, the team decided upon the subject's predominant domain that drove admissions and instituted an interventional plan. All plans included an opioid management strategy. Preintervention and postintervention admission rate, as well as opioid use, was compared. Twelve subjects were enrolled. Median rate of ED and hospital admissions preintervention was 25 per year. The predominant domains identified were social needs (n = 6), psychological disorder (n = 1), and substance use disorder (n = 5). Multifaceted interventional plans were developed to address a wide range of gaps in care, but an opioid management strategy was the only intervention successfully completed. Even so, when the preintervention versus postintervention admission rate was compared, regardless of the domain, there was a 40 percent decline in hospital admissions (p = 0.03). Consistent with the successful implementation of an opioid management plan, the decrease in admissions was accompanied by a 37 percent decrease in intravenous opioid use (p = 0.02) and 10 percent decrease in oral opioid use (p = 0.04). An opioid management strategy, as part of a larger effort to improve care for high-utilizing adults with SCD, decreased rate of admissions and opioid use.

  17. Admission rates and costs associated with emergency presentation of urolithiasis: analysis of the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample 2006-2009.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eaton, Samuel H; Cashy, John; Pearl, Jeffrey A; Stein, Daniel M; Perry, Kent; Nadler, Robert B

    2013-12-01

    We sought to examine a large nationwide (United States) sample of emergency department (ED) visits to determine data related to utilization and costs of care for urolithiasis in this setting. Nationwide Emergency Department Sample was analyzed from 2006 to 2009. All patients presenting to the ED with a diagnosis of upper tract urolithiasis were analyzed. Admission rates and total cost were compared by region, hospital type, and payer type. Numbers are weighted estimates that are designed to approximate the total national rate. An average of 1.2 million patients per year were identified with the diagnosis of urolithiasis out of 120 million visits to the ED annually. Overall average rate of admission was 19.21%. Admission rates were highest in the Northeast (24.88%), among teaching hospitals (22.27%), and among Medicare patients (42.04%). The lowest admission rates were noted for self-pay patients (9.76%) and nonmetropolitan hospitals (13.49%). The smallest increases in costs over time were noted in the Northeast. Total costs were least in nonmetropolitan hospitals; however, more patients were transferred to other hospitals. When assessing hospital ownership status, private for-profit hospitals had similar admission rates compared with private not-for-profit hospitals (16.6% vs 15.9%); however, costs were 64% and 48% higher for ED and inpatient admission costs, respectively. Presentation of urolithiasis to the ED is common, and is associated with significant costs to the medical system, which are increasing over time. Costs and rates of admission differ by region, payer type, and hospital type, which may allow us to identify the causes for cost discrepancies and areas to improve efficiency of care delivery.

  18. The relative contribution of provider and ED-level factors to variation among the top 15 reasons for ED admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khojah, Imad; Li, Suhui; Luo, Qian; Davis, Griffin; Galarraga, Jessica E; Granovsky, Michael; Litvak, Ori; Davis, Samuel; Shesser, Robert; Pines, Jesse M

    2017-09-01

    We examine adult emergency department (ED) admission rates for the top 15 most frequently admitted conditions, and assess the relative contribution in admission rate variation attributable to the provider and hospital. This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study of ED encounters (≥18years) from 19 EDs and 603 providers (January 2012-December 2013), linked to the Area Health Resources File for county-level information on healthcare resources. "Hospital admission" was the outcome, a composite of inpatient, observation, or intra-hospital transfer. We studied the 15 most commonly admitted conditions, and calculated condition-specific risk-standardized hospital admission rates (RSARs) using multi-level hierarchical generalized linear models. We then decomposed the relative contribution of provider-level and hospital-level variation for each condition. The top 15 conditions made up 34% of encounters and 49% of admissions. After adjustment, the eight conditions with the highest hospital-level variation were: 1) injuries, 2) extremity fracture (except hip fracture), 3) skin infection, 4) lower respiratory disease, 5) asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (A&C), 6) abdominal pain, 7) fluid/electrolyte disorders, and 8) chest pain. Hospital-level intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) ranged from 0.042 for A&C to 0.167 for extremity fractures. Provider-level ICCs ranged from 0.026 for abdominal pain to 0.104 for chest pain. Several patient, hospital, and community factors were associated with admission rates, but these varied across conditions. For different conditions, there were different contributions to variation at the hospital- and provider-level. These findings deserve consideration when designing interventions to optimize admission decisions and in value-based payment programs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. A Nationwide Census of ICU Capacity and Admissions in Mongolia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naranpurev Mendsaikhan

    Full Text Available In Mongolia, a Central Asian lower-middle income country, intensive care medicine is an under-resourced and-developed medical specialty. The burden of critical illness and capacity of intensive care unit (ICU services in the country is unknown. In this nationwide census, we collected data on adult and pediatric/neonatal ICU capacities and the number of ICU admissions in 2014. All hospitals registered to run an ICU service in Mongolia were surveyed. Data on the availability of an adult and/or pediatric/neonatal ICU service, the number of available ICU beds, the number of available functional mechanical ventilators, the number of patients admitted to the ICU, and the number of patients admitted to the study hospital were collected. In total, 70 ICUs with 349 ICU beds were counted in Mongolia (11.7 ICU beds/100,000 inhabitants; 1.7 ICU beds/100 hospital beds. Of these, 241 (69% were adult and 108 (31% pediatric/neonatal ICU beds. Functional mechanical ventilators were available for approximately half of the ICU beds (5.1 mechanical ventilators/100,000 inhabitants. While all provincial hospitals ran a pediatric/neonatal ICU, only dedicated pediatric hospitals in Ulaanbaatar did so. The number of adult and pediatric/neonatal ICU admissions varied between provinces. The number of adult ICU beds and adult ICU admissions per 100,000 inhabitants correlated (r = 0.5; p = 0.02, while the number of pediatric/neonatal ICU beds and pediatric/neonatal ICU admissions per 100,000 inhabitants did not (r = 0.25; p = 0.26. In conclusion, with 11.7 ICU beds per 100,000 inhabitants the ICU capacity in Mongolia is higher than in other low- and lower-middle-income countries. Substantial heterogeneities in the standardized ICU capacity and ICU admissions exist between Mongolian provinces. Functional mechanical ventilators are available for only half of the ICU beds. Pediatric/neonatal ICU beds make up one third of the national ICU capacity and appear to meet or even

  20. admission patterns and outcomes of paediatric patients admitted at ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    OBJECTIVE To determine patterns of admissions due to diarrhea and their outcomes of paediatric patients at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH). METHODOLOGY A hospital-based prospective study including all children admitted to the Diarrhea Unit during the study period. Data was collected using content analysis ...

  1. Dementia in older people admitted to hospital: a regional multi-hospital observational study of prevalence, associations and case recognition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Timmons, Suzanne; Manning, Edmund; Barrett, Aoife; Brady, Noeleen M.; Browne, Vanessa; O’Shea, Emma; Molloy, David William; O'Regan, Niamh A.; Trawley, Steven; Cahill, Suzanne; O'Sullivan, Kathleen; Woods, Noel; Meagher, David; Ni Chorcorain, Aoife M.; Linehan, John G.

    2015-01-01

    Background: previous studies have indicated a prevalence of dementia in older admissions of ∼42% in a single London teaching hospital, and 21% in four Queensland hospitals. However, there is a lack of published data from any European country on the prevalence of dementia across hospitals and between patient groups. Objective: to determine the prevalence and associations of dementia in older patients admitted to acute hospitals in Ireland. Methods: six hundred and six patients aged ≥70 years were recruited on admission to six hospitals in Cork County. Screening consisted of Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE); patients with scores dementia; with 29% in public hospitals. Prevalence varied between hospitals (P dementia had a previous diagnosis. Patients with dementia were older and frailer, with higher co-morbidity, malnutrition and lower functional status (P dementia (57%) on admission. Conclusion: dementia is common in older people admitted to acute hospitals, particularly in acute medical admissions, and rural hospitals, where services may be less available. Most dementia is not previously diagnosed, emphasising the necessity for cognitive assessment in older people on presentation to hospital. PMID:26420638

  2. Implementation of a structured paediatric admission record for district hospitals in Kenya – results of a pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ogutu Bernhards

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The structured admission form is an apparently simple measure to improve data quality. Poor motivation, lack of supervision, lack of resources and other factors are conceivably major barriers to their successful use in a Kenyan public hospital setting. Here we have examined the feasibility and acceptability of a structured paediatric admission record (PAR for district hospitals as a means of improving documentation of illness. Methods The PAR was primarily based on symptoms and signs included in the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI diagnostic algorithms. It was introduced with a three-hour training session, repeated subsequently for those absent, aiming for complete coverage of admitting clinical staff. Data from consecutive records before (n = 163 and from a 60% random sample of dates after intervention (n = 705 were then collected to evaluate record quality. The post-intervention period was further divided into four 2-month blocks by open, feedback meetings for hospital staff on the uptake and completeness of the PAR. Results The frequency of use of the PAR increased from 50% in the first 2 months to 84% in the final 2 months, although there was significant variation in use among clinicians. The quality of documentation also improved considerably over time. For example documentation of skin turgor in cases of diarrhoea improved from 2% pre-intervention to 83% in the final 2 months of observation. Even in the area of preventive care documentation of immunization status improved from 1% of children before intervention to 21% in the final 2 months. Conclusion The PAR was well accepted by most clinicians and greatly improved documentation of features recommended by IMCI for identifying and classifying severity of common diseases. The PAR could provide a useful platform for implementing standard referral care treatment guidelines.

  3. Solar radiation is inversely associated with inflammatory bowel disease admissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaime, Francisca; Riutort, Maria C; Alvarez-Lobos, Manuel; Hoyos-Bachiloglu, Rodrigo; Camargo, Carlos A; Borzutzky, Arturo

    To explore the associations between latitude and solar radiation with inflammatory bowel disease admission rates in Chile, the country with the largest variation in solar radiation in the world. This is an ecological study, which included data on all hospital-admitted population for inflammatory bowel disease between 2001 and 2012, according to different latitudes and solar radiation exposures in Chile. The data were acquired from the national hospital discharge database from the Department of Health Statistics and Information of the Chilean Ministry of Health. Between 2001 and 2012 there were 12,869 admissions due to inflammatory bowel disease (69% ulcerative colitis, 31% Crohn's disease). Median age was 36 years (IQR: 25-51); 57% were female. The national inflammatory bowel disease admission rate was 6.52 (95% CI: 6.40-6.63) per 100,000 inhabitants with increasing rates over the 12-year period. In terms of latitude, the highest admission rates for pediatric ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, as well as adult ulcerative colitis, were observed in the southernmost region with lowest annual solar radiation. Linear regression analysis showed that regional solar radiation was inversely associated with inflammatory bowel disease admissions in Chile (β: -.44, p = .03). Regional solar radiation was inversely associated with inflammatory bowel disease admission rates in Chile; inflammatory bowel disease admissions were highest in the southernmost region with lowest solar radiation. Our results support the potential role of vitamin D deficiency on inflammatory bowel disease flares.

  4. Experience of care home residents with Parkinson's disease: Reason for admission and service use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Richard W; Palmer, Jessica; Stancliffe, Jonathan; Wood, Brian H; Hand, Annette; Gray, William K

    2014-10-01

    The care needs of people with Parkinson's disease (PD) are poorly understood. We aimed to investigate the factors that precipitate entry to institutional care, and on-going care needs once in care, within a representative cohort of community-dwelling people with PD. All people with idiopathic PD, Parkinson's plus syndromes and vascular parkinsonism under the care of the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust PD service who were living in care homes on 1 January 2013 were included. Disease severity (Hoehn and Yahr stage) and demographic data were collected. Admissions to hospital over the previous 2 years and in the year before institutional care admission were documented. A total of 90 patients (51 females) with a mean age of 81.3 years were included. During care home stay, the median number of emergency department attendances, the median number of hospital admissions and the median length of stay for those admitted per year were significantly lower than before care home admission. Both before care home admission and during care home stay, falls were the most common diagnoses in people attending emergency departments, with 32 of 65 (49.2%) admissions before and 34 of 59 (57.6%) admissions during care home stay having falls recorded as a cause of attendance. Hospital attendances and admissions were relatively common, even after institutional care home placement. Events precipitating admission, such as falls, might be preventable. PD nurse specialists could be an effective way to help train staff in homes where someone is known to have PD. © 2013 Japan Geriatrics Society.

  5. Factors Associated with the Time of Admission among Notified Dengue Fever Cases in Region VIII Philippines from 2008 to 2014.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jason Echavez Abello

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available In cases of Dengue fever, late hospital admission can lead to treatment delay and even death. In order to improve early disease notification and management, it is essential to investigate the factors affecting the time of admission of Dengue cases. This study determined the factors associated with the time of admission among notified Dengue cases. The study covered the period between 2008 and 2014 in Region VIII, Philippines. The factors assessed were age, sex, hospital sector, hospital level, disease severity based on the 1997 WHO Dengue classification, and period of admission (distinguishing between the 2010 Dengue epidemic and non-epidemic time. We analysed secondary data from the surveillance of notified Dengue cases. We calculated the association through chi-square test, ordinal logistic regression and linear regression at p value < 0.05. The study included 16,357 admitted Dengue cases. The reported cases included a majority of children (70.09%, mild cases of the disease (64.00%, patients from the public sector (69.82%, and non-tertiary hospitals (62.76%. Only 1.40% of cases had a laboratory confirmation. The epidemic period in 2010 comprised 48.68% of all the admitted cases during this period. Late admission was more likely among adults than children (p<0.05. The severe type of the disease was more likely to be admitted late than the mild type (p<0.05. Late admission was also more likely in public hospitals than in private hospitals (p<0.05; and within tertiary level hospitals than non-tertiary hospitals (p<0.05. Late admission was more likely during the non-epidemic period than the 2010 epidemic period (p<0.05. A case fatality rate of 1 or greater was significantly associated with children, severe diseases, tertiary hospitals and public hospitals when admitted late (p<0.05. Data suggests that early admission among child cases was common in Region VIII. This behavior is encouraging, and should be continued. However, further study is needed

  6. Burden, causes, and outcomes of people with epilepsy admitted to a rural hospital in Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kariuki, Symon M; Chengo, Eddie; Ibinda, Fredrick; Odhiambo, Rachael; Etyang, Anthony; Ngugi, Anthony K; Newton, Charles R J C

    2015-04-01

    People with epilepsy (PWE) develop complications and comorbidities often requiring admission to hospital, which adds to the burden on the health system, particularly in low-income countries. We determined the incidence, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), risk factors, and causes of admissions in PWE. We also examined the predictors of prolonged hospital stay and death using data from linked clinical and demographic surveillance system. We studied children and adults admitted to a Kenyan rural hospital, between January 2003 and December 2011, with a diagnosis of epilepsy. Poisson regression was used to compute incidence and rate ratios, logistic regression to determine associated factors, and the DALY package of the R-statistical software to calculate years lived with disability (YLD) and years of life lost (YLL). The overall incidence of admissions was 45.6/100,000 person-years of observation (PYO) (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 43.0-48.7) and decreased with age (p causes of admission were epilepsy-related complications: convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) (38%), and postictal coma (12%). Age was independently associated with prolonged hospital stay (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.04) and mortality (OR, 1.07, 95% CI 1.04-1.10). Epilepsy is associated with significant number of admissions to hospital, considerable duration of admission, and mortality. Improved supply of AEDs in the community, early initiation of treatment, and adherence would reduce hospitalization of PWE and thus the burden of epilepsy on the health system. © 2015 The Authors. Epilepsia published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International League Against Epilepsy.

  7. Burden of hospitalizations for pandemic influenza in Slovenia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sočan, Maja

    2011-01-01

    Aim To analyze the 2009/2010 epidemiological data of patients hospitalized for confirmed pandemic influenza in Slovenia. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of health statistical data collected in an electronic data set Diagnosis-related Group system. Data on age, sex, primary and secondary diagnoses, duration of hospital stay, admission to the intensive care unit, disease outcome, and the week of the admission to the hospital were extracted for patients diagnosed with confirmed influenza virus infection. Results A total of 748 (hospitalization rate 37.4/100,000) patients diagnosed with confirmed influenza virus infection were admitted to 19 public hospitals and 7 private acute care providers during the period from September 28, 2009 to April 11, 2010. The highest admission rate was recorded for mid-November 2009. Out of 748 hospitalized patients, 411 (55%) were children younger than 15 years. Influenza was coded as the primary diagnosis in 536 patients. In 35% of the patients, influenza caused viral pneumonia. Fewer than one third of patients (28%) had a pre-existing chronic disease and/or condition predisposing them to complicated or adverse outcomes of influenza, most frequently chronic lung diseases, mainly asthma. A median hospital stay was 2 days for children and 5 days for adult patients. Longer hospitalization was required in patients who had a secondary diagnosis of influenza. Older male individuals suffering from pneumonia and chronic diseases were overrepresented among cases admitted to the intensive care units. Conclusions The epidemiological data extracted from the Diagnosis-related Group system in Slovenia were comparable with the data on pandemic patients published elsewhere. PMID:21495197

  8. Hospital admissions for peptic ulcer and indigestion in London and New York in the 19th and early 20th centuries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baron, J H; Sonnenberg, A

    2002-01-01

    The occurrence of peptic ulcer increased rapidly in all Western countries from the 19th to the 20th century, attributed to a possible epidemic of Helicobacter pylori, a new pathogenic strain, or a change in host susceptibility. The early trends in hospital admissions for peptic ulcer and dyspepsia in London and New York during the 19th century are reviewed to test these hypotheses. PMID:11889081

  9. [Characteristics of Hospitalizations of Homeless Persons in Seville, Spain].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tornero Patricio, Sebastián; Fernández Ajuria, Alberto; Charris Castro, Liliana

    2016-02-10

    The aim was to determine the characteristics of hospital admissions of homeless persons in Seville, Spain. Observational study of 103,802 hospital admissions of 71,756 patients admitted in the Hospitals "Virgen del Rocío" and "Virgen Macarena" (Seville), in 2013 and 2014. Bivariate analysis were performed using χ2 and t-Student tests and multivariate analysis using binomial logistic regression model. 0.16% (n=163) of admissions were homeless persons and 99.84% (n=103,639) were not. The mean age at admission in homeless patients was 48 years and 76.5% of them were men. Hospital deaths of homeless patients occurred being 23 years younger. 92% of hospital admissions came from emergency departments and 10.0% of their discharges were against medical advice. The average length of stay was 4.8 days longer in homeless persons and the most frequent diagnoses on admission were mental (27.0%), infectious (19.6%) and respiratory diseases (18.4%). Mental disorders were present on 83.7% of homeless patients as secondary diagnose and 77.6% referred drugs consumption. Hospital admissions characteristics of homeless persons were particularly different. Homeless patients were hospitalized and died at a younger age than non-homeless patients. The morbidity and mortality of homeless persons reflect their vulnerable health condition.

  10. Analysis of 8000 hospital admissions for acute poisoning in a rural area of Sri Lanka

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    van der Hoek, Wim; Konradsen, Flemming

    2006-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Acute poisoning, especially deliberate self-poisoning with agricultural pesticides, is an emerging global public health problem, but reliable incidence estimates are lacking. Only a few previous studies have assessed the impact of regulatory or other preventive measures. OBJECTIVE...... government hospitals in southern Sri Lanka from 1990 to 2002. RESULTS: Data of 8,110 admissions for acute poisoning were available for analysis. Most cases were young adults, who deliberately self-poisoned themselves with pesticides, males outnumbering females. Average incidence rate of acute poisoning over...... of the 1990s. The decline in mortality was attributed to regulatory controls for the group of highly hazardous organophosphorus compounds implemented in 1995 and for the organochlorine endosulfan in 1998. CONCLUSIONS: Regulatory control of highly toxic pesticides provides important health benefits, especially...

  11. Exploring the effects of transfers and readmissions on trends in population counts of hospital admissions for coronary heart disease: a Western Australian data linkage study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez, Derrick; Nedkoff, Lee; Knuiman, Matthew; Hobbs, Michael S T; Briffa, Thomas G; Preen, David B; Hung, Joseph; Beilby, John; Mathur, Sushma; Reynolds, Anna; Sanfilippo, Frank M

    2017-11-17

    To develop a method for categorising coronary heart disease (CHD) subtype in linked data accounting for different CHD diagnoses across records, and to compare hospital admission numbers and ratios of unlinked versus linked data for each CHD subtype over time, and across age groups and sex. Cohort study. Person-linked hospital administrative data covering all admissions for CHD in Western Australia from 1988 to 2013. Ratios of (1) unlinked admission counts to contiguous admission (CA) counts (accounting for transfers), and (2) 28-day episode counts (accounting for transfers and readmissions) to CA counts stratified by CHD subtype, sex and age group. In all CHD subtypes, the ratios changed in a linear or quadratic fashion over time and the coefficients of the trend term differed across CHD subtypes. Furthermore, for many CHD subtypes the ratios also differed by age group and sex. For example, in women aged 35-54 years, the ratio of unlinked to CA counts for non-ST elevation myocardial infarction admissions in 2000 was 1.10, and this increased in a linear fashion to 1.30 in 2013, representing an annual increase of 0.0148. The use of unlinked counts in epidemiological estimates of CHD hospitalisations overestimates CHD counts. The CA and 28-day episode counts are more aligned with epidemiological studies of CHD. The degree of overestimation of counts using only unlinked counts varies in a complex manner with CHD subtype, time, sex and age group, and it is not possible to apply a simple correction factor to counts obtained from unlinked data. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  12. Preterm Admissions in a Special Care Baby Unit: The Nnewi ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A review of all preterm admissions into the Special Care Bay Unit of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, over a period of 29 months (May 1998 October 2000) was carried out. Out of a total of 699 neonatal admissions, 133 (19 percent) were preterms with gestational ages ranging from 24 to ...

  13. Deprivation index and dependency ratio are key determinants of emergency medical admission rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conway, Richard; Byrne, Declan; O'Riordan, Deirdre; Cournane, Seán; Coveney, Seamus; Silke, Bernard

    2015-11-01

    Patients from deprived backgrounds have a higher in-patient mortality following an emergency medical admission; there has been debate as to the extent to which deprivation and population structure influences hospital admission rate. All emergency medical admissions to an Irish hospital over a 12-year period (2002-2013) categorized by quintile of Deprivation Index and Dependency Ratio (proportion of population Dependency Ratio was an independent predictor of the admission rate with adjusted predicted rates of Q1 20.8 (95%CI 20.5 to 21.1), Q2 19.2 (95%CI 19.0 to 19.4), Q3 27.6 (95%CI 27.3 to 27.9), Q4 43.9 (95%CI 43.5 to 44.4) and Q5 34.4 (95%CI 34.1 to 34.7). A high concurrent Deprivation Index and Dependency Ratio were associated with very high admission rates. Deprivation Index and population Dependency Ratio are key determinants of the rate of emergency medical admissions. Copyright © 2015 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Ambient particle source apportionment and daily hospital admissions among children and elderly in Copenhagen

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Zorana Jovanovic; Wahlin, P.; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole

    2007-01-01

    period (01 January 1999 to 31 December 2004), we examined associations between urban background PM(10) in the presence of gaseous pollutants (CO, NO(2)) and hospital admissions due to cardiovascular and respiratory disease in the elderly (age>/=65), and asthma in children (age 5-18) in Copenhagen......An association between particulate air pollution and morbidity and mortality is well established. However, little is known about which sources of particulate matter contribute most to the adverse health effects. Identification of responsible sources would merit more efficient control. For a 6-year......, influenza epidemics, grass pollen, school holidays, and meteorology, with up to 5 days lagged air pollution exposure. We found positive associations between PM(10) and the three health outcomes, with strongest associations for asthma. The PM(10) effect remained robust in the presence of CO and NO(2). We...

  15. Impact of admission blood glucose levels on prognosis of elderly patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekmekci, Ahmet; Uluganyan, Mahmut; Tufan, Fatif; Uyarel, Huseyin; Karaca, Gurkan; Kul, Seref; Gungor, Barış; Ertas, Gokhan; Erer, Betul; Sayar, Nurten; Gul, Mehmet; Eren, Mehmet

    2013-01-01

    Objective Admission hyperglycemia in acute myocardial infarction (MI) is related with increased in-hospital and long term mortality and major cardiac adverse events. We aimed to investigate how admission hyperglycemia affects the short and long term outcomes in elderly patients (> 65 years) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST elevation myocardial infarction. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 677 consecutive elderly patients (mean age 72.2 ± 5.4). Patients were divided into two groups according to admission blood glucose levels. Group 1: low glucose group (LLG), glucose 168 mg/dL. Results In-hospital, long term mortality and in-hospital major adverse cardiac events were higher in the high admission blood glucose group (P 1, post-thrombolysis in MI < 3 and admission blood glucose levels were independent predictors of in-hospital adverse cardiac events (P < 0.001). Conclusions Admission hyperglycemia in elderly patients presented with ST elevation myocardial infarction is an independent predictor of in-hospital major adverse cardiac events and is associated with in-hospital and long term mortality. PMID:24454322

  16. Late Intensive Care Unit Admission in Liver Transplant Recipients: 10-Year Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atar, Funda; Gedik, Ender; Kaplan, Şerife; Zeyneloğlu, Pınar; Pirat, Arash; Haberal, Mehmet

    2015-11-01

    We evaluated late intensive care unit admission in liver transplant recipients to identify incidences and causes of acute respiratory failure in the postoperative period and to compare these results with results in patients who did not have acute respiratory failure. We retrospectively screened the data of 173 consecutive adult liver transplant recipients from January 2005 through March 2015 to identify patients with late admission (> 30 d posttransplant) to an intensive care unit. Patients were divided into 2 groups: patients with and without acute respiratory failure. Acute respiratory failure was defined as severe dyspnea, respiratory distress, decreased oxygen saturation, hypoxemia or hypercapnia on room air, or need for noninvasive or invasive mechanical ventilation. Demographic, laboratory, clinical, and respiratory data were collected. Model for End-Stage Liver Disease, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores; lengths of intensive care unit and hospital stays; and hospital mortality were assessed. Among 173 patients, 37 (21.4%) were admitted to an intensive care unit, including 22 (59.5%) with acute respiratory failure. The leading cause of acute respiratory failure was pneumonia (n = 19, 86.4%). Patients with acute respiratory failure had significantly lower levels of albumin before intensive care unit admission (P = .003). In patients with acute respiratory failure, severe sepsis and septic shock were more frequently observed and tracheotomy was more frequently performed (P = .041). Acute respiratory failure developed in 59.5% of liver transplant recipients with late intensive care unit admission. The leading cause was pneumonia, with this group of patients having higher requirements for invasive mechanical ventilation and tracheotomy, longer stays in an intensive care unit, and higher mortality.

  17. 42 CFR 456.171 - Medicaid agency review of need for admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Medicaid agency review of need for admission. 456.171 Section 456.171 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... Hospitals Medical, Psychiatric, and Social Evaluations and Admission Review § 456.171 Medicaid agency review...

  18. Inappropriate Intensive Care Unit admissions: Nigerian doctors ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2015-12-04

    Dec 4, 2015 ... Background: Nonclinical factors are said to influence decisions to admit patients into the ... admissions per year did not affect possible steps in the setting of a full ICU. ... hospital management, patient's family, threat of legal.

  19. [Outcomes and predictors of mortality in elderly patients requiring artificial ventilation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murai, Y; Matsumiya, H; Takemura, H; Koinuma, M

    2000-07-01

    We retrospectively examined the outcomes and the predictors of mortality in 97 patients aged 70 years and over (mean: 79.3 years) who required artificial ventilation for more than 3 hours. The median duration of artificial ventilation was 16 days (range: 1-85). Of these patients, 61% survived ventilator weaning and 37% were discharged from hospital alive. We performed univariate and logistic regression analysis to determine the predictors of dying before weaning and hospital discharge using severity of illness data. The predictors of hospital mortality were examined in 86 patients, excluding those who had malignant disease, all of whom died in hospital. Activities of daily living (ADL) were ranked as "bedridden", "in wheelchair", or "independent". In the three age groups-up to 70 years, 75 to 84 years and 85 years and over-the respective survival rates were 63% (weaned) and 67% (discharged), 69% (weaned) and 39% (discharged), and 33% (weaned) and 12% (discharged); the overall p values being 0.026 (weaned) and 0.003 (discharged). The predictors of dying before weaning according to univariate analysis were as follows: age (p = 0.026), respiratory or cardiac arrest on admission (p = 0.003), acute physiology score (APS) of 25 or more on admission (p = 0.000), systolic blood pressure below 90 mmHg on admission (p = 0.001), hemoglobin less than 11 g/dl (p = 0.044), and total protein less than 6 g/dl (p = 0.007). The predictors of hospital mortality by univariate analysis were as follows: age (p = 0.003), limited ADL (p = 0.001), respiratory or cardiac arrest on admission (p = 0.011), APS 25 or more on admission (p = 0.049), systolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg on admission (p = 0.002), hemoglobin less than 11 g/dl (p = 0.028), and GOT or GPT more than 50 IU (p = 0.038). The relative risk of dying before weaning decreased in the order: respiratory or cardiac arrest on admission, systolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg on admission, total protein less than 6 g

  20. Spreading a medical home redesign: effects on emergency department use and hospital admissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reid, Robert J; Johnson, Eric A; Hsu, Clarissa; Ehrlich, Kelly; Coleman, Katie; Trescott, Claire; Erikson, Michael; Ross, Tyler R; Liss, David T; Cromp, DeAnn; Fishman, Paul A

    2013-01-01

    The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is being rapidly deployed in many settings to strengthen US primary care, improve quality, and control costs; however, evidence supporting this transformation is still lacking. We describe the Group Health experience in attempting to replicate the effects on health care use seen in a PCMH prototype clinic via a systemwide spread using Lean as the change strategy. We used an interrupted time series analysis with a patient-month unit of analysis over a 4-year period that included baseline, implementation, and stabilization periods for 412,943 patients. To account for secular trends across these periods, we compared changes in use of face-to-face primary care visits, emergency department visits, and inpatient admissions with those of a nonequivalent comparison group of patients served by community network practices. After accounting for secular trends among network patients, patients empaneled to the PCMH clinics had 5.1% and 6.7% declines in primary care office visits in early and later stabilization years, respectively, after the implementation year. This trend was accompanied by a 123% increase in the use of secure electronic message threads and a 20% increase in telephone encounters. Declines were also seen in emergency department visits at 1 and 2 years (13.7% and 18.5%) compared with what would be expected based on secular trends in network practices. No statistically significant changes were found for hospital admissions. The Group Health experience shows it is possible to reduce emergency department use with PCMH transformation across a diverse set of clinics using a clear change strategy (Lean) and sufficient resources and supports.

  1. Pattern of surgical admissions to Tikur Anbessa Hospital, Addis ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    developing countries is mainly performed on acute and curable conditions('). ... 550. 2. Gastric outlet obstruction (PUD). 265. 3. Appendicitis. 258. 4. Intestinal obstruction. 229. 5. Oesophageal carcinoma. 114. 6. Abdominal trauma. 102. 7. Other GI diseases ... managing special referred cases, the majority of admission were ...

  2. Association Between ICU Admission During Morning Rounds and Mortality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gajic, Ognjen; Morales, Ian J.; Keegan, Mark T.; Peters, Steve G.; Hubmayr, Rolf D.

    2009-01-01

    Background: No previous study has evaluated the association between admission to ICUs during round time and patient outcome. The objective of this study was to determine the association between round-time ICU admission and patient outcome. Methods: This retrospective study included 49,844 patients admitted from October 1994 to December 2007 to four ICUs (two surgical, one medical, and one multispecialty) of an academic medical center. Of these patients, 3,580 were admitted to the ICU during round time (8:00 am to 10:59 am) and 46,264 were admitted during nonround time (from 1:00 pm to 6:00 am). The medical ICU had 24-h/7-day per week intensivist coverage during the last 2 years of the study. We compared the baseline characteristics and outcome of patients admitted to the ICU between the two groups. Data were abstracted from the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) III database. Results: The round-time and non-round-groups were similar in gender, ethnicity, and age. The predicted hospital mortality rate of the round time group was higher (17.4% vs 12.3% predicted, respectively; p < 0.001). The hospital length of stay was similar between the two groups. The round-time group had a higher hospital mortality rate (16.2% vs 8.8%, respectively; p < 0.001). Most of the round-time ICU admissions and deaths occurred in the medical ICU. Round-time admission was an independent risk factor for hospital death (odds ratio, 1.321; 95% CI, 1.178 to 1.481). This independent association was present for the whole study period except for the last 2 years. Conclusions: Patients admitted to the ICU during morning rounds have higher severity of illness and mortality rates. PMID:19505985

  3. Hospital Admission following Induced Abortion in Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea – A Descriptive Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallely, Lisa M.; Homiehombo, Primrose; Kelly-Hanku, Angela; Kumbia, Antonia; Mola, Glen D. L.; Whittaker, Andrea

    2014-01-01

    Background In Papua New Guinea abortion is restricted under the Criminal Code Act. While safe abortions should available in certain situations, frequently they are not available to the majority of women. Sepsis from unsafe abortion is a leading cause of maternal mortality. Our findings form part of a wider, mixed methods study designed to identify complications requiring hospital treatment for post abortion care and to explore the circumstances surrounding unsafe abortion. Methods Through a six month prospective study we identified all women presenting to the Eastern Highlands Provincial Hospital following spontaneous and induced abortions. We undertook semi-structured interviews with women and reviewed individual case notes, extracting demographic and clinical information. Findings Case notes were reviewed for 56% (67/119) of women presenting for post abortion care. At least 24% (28/119) of these admissions were due to induced abortion. Women presenting following induced abortions were significantly more likely to be younger, single, in education at the time of the abortion and report that the baby was unplanned and unwanted, compared to those reporting spontaneous abortion. Obtained illegally, misoprostol was the method most frequently used to end the pregnancy. Physical and mechanical means and traditional herbs were also widely reported. Conclusion In a country with a low contraceptive prevalence rate and high unmet need for family planning, all reproductive age women need access to contraceptive information and services to avoid, postpone or space pregnancies. In the absence of this, women are resorting to unsafe means to end an unwanted pregnancy, putting their lives at risk and putting an increased strain on an already struggling health system. Women in this setting need access to safe, effective means of abortion. PMID:25329982

  4. A period prevalence study of being a parent in a secure psychiatric hospital and a description of the parents, the children and the impact of admission on parent-child contact.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Argent, Sarah Elizabeth; Riddleston, Laura; Warr, Jodie; Tippetts, Hannah; Meredith, Zoe; Taylor, Pamela Jane

    2018-02-01

    Most secure psychiatric hospital patients are of childbearing age, but their parental status is minimally researched. The aim of the study is to describe the parent patients in one regional secure hospital and explore post-admission child-parent contact. A 9-year records survey of a complete secure hospital admissions cohort was conducted. Nearly half of the cohort of 165 patients (46%) were parents. Parent patients were less likely than childless patients to have diagnostic co-morbidity or to have received childhood mental health care but were more likely to have committed a homicide/life-threatening index offence with family or friend victims. Men, whether fathers or not, and childless women were unlikely ever to have harmed a child, but it was more likely than not that mother patients had. Records indicated minimal discussion about childlessness. Ninety-four (60%) of the 157 children involved were under 18 years on parental admission. Adult children who had been living with the parent patient before the parent's admission invariably maintained contact with them afterwards, but nearly half (48%) of such under 18-year-olds lost all contact. The only characteristic related to such loss was the index offence victim having been a nuclear family member. As the discrepancy in whether or not parent patients and their children continued contact with each other after the parent's admission seemed to depend mainly on the child's age and his or her resultant freedom to choose, acquisition of accurate data about affected children's perspective on visiting seems essential. Given that parent patients had experienced relative stability in interpersonal relationships and had rarely had childhood disorders, parenting support in conjunction with treatment seems appropriate. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Pattern of Medical Admissions at Enugu State University of Science ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Technology Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, 2Department of Community Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching. Hospital, Ituku/Ozalla ... A review of medical admissions into the Enugu State University of Science and Technology. Teaching .... Cord lesions, rabies, Guilliane Barré syndrome, motor neuron disease and ...

  6. Alcohol dependence and physical comorbidity: Increased prevalence but reduced relevance of individual comorbidities for hospital-based mortality during a 12.5-year observation period in general hospital admissions in urban North-West England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoepf, D; Heun, R

    2015-06-01

    Alcohol dependence (AD) is associated with an increase in physical comorbidities. The effects of these diseases on general hospital-based mortality are unclear. Consequently, we conducted a mortality study in which we investigated if the burden of physical comorbidities and their relevance on general hospital-based mortality differs between individuals with and without AD during a 12.5-year observation period in general hospital admissions. During 1 January 2000 and 30 June 2012, 23,371 individuals with AD were admitted at least once to seven General Manchester Hospitals. Their physical comorbidities with a prevalence≥1% were compared to those of 233,710 randomly selected hospital controls, group-matched for age and gender (regardless of primary admission diagnosis or specialized treatments). Physical comorbidities that increased the risk of hospital-based mortality (but not outside of the hospital) during the observation period were identified using multiple logistic regression analyses. Hospital-based mortality rates were 20.4% in the AD sample and 8.3% in the control sample. Individuals with AD compared to controls had a higher burden of physical comorbidities, i.e. alcoholic liver and pancreatic diseases, diseases of the conducting airways, neurological and circulatory diseases, diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract, renal diseases, cellulitis, iron deficiency anemia, fracture neck of femur, and peripheral vascular disease. In contrast, coronary heart related diseases, risk factors of cardiovascular disease, diverticular disease and cataracts were less frequent in individuals with AD than in controls. Thirty-two individual physical comorbidities contributed to the prediction of hospital-based mortality in univariate analyses in the AD sample; alcoholic liver disease (33.7%), hypertension (16.9%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (14.1%), and pneumonia (13.3%) were the most frequent diagnoses in deceased individuals with AD. Multiple forward

  7. Medicare program; hospital inpatient prospective payment systems for acute care hospitals and the long-term care hospital prospective payment system and Fiscal Year 2014 rates; quality reporting requirements for specific providers; hospital conditions of participation; payment policies related to patient status. Final rules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-19

    We are revising the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems. Some of the changes implement certain statutory provisions contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively known as the Affordable Care Act) and other legislation. These changes will be applicable to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2013, unless otherwise specified in this final rule. We also are updating the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits. The updated rate-of-increase limits will be effective for cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2013. We also are updating the payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) and implementing certain statutory changes that were applied to the LTCH PPS by the Affordable Care Act. Generally, these updates and statutory changes will be applicable to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2013, unless otherwise specified in this final rule. In addition, we are making a number of changes relating to direct graduate medical education (GME) and indirect medical education (IME) payments. We are establishing new requirements or have revised requirements for quality reporting by specific providers (acute care hospitals, PPS-exempt cancer hospitals, LTCHs, and inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPFs)) that are participating in Medicare. We are updating policies relating to the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program and the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. In addition, we are revising the conditions of participation (CoPs) for hospitals relating to the

  8. Association between birth order and emergency room visits and acute hospital admissions following pediatric vaccination: a self-controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawken, Steven; Kwong, Jeffrey C; Deeks, Shelley L; Crowcroft, Natasha S; Ducharme, Robin; Manuel, Douglas G; Wilson, Kumanan

    2013-01-01

    We investigated the association between a child's birth order and emergency room (ER) visits and hospital admissions following 2-,4-,6- and 12-month pediatric vaccinations. We included all children born in Ontario between April 1(st), 2006 and March 31(st), 2009 who received a qualifying vaccination. We identified vaccinations, ER visits and admissions using health administrative data housed at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. We used the self-controlled case series design to compare the relative incidence (RI) of events among 1(st)-born and later-born children using relative incidence ratios (RIR). For the 2-month vaccination, the RIR for 1(st)-borns versus later-born children was 1.37 (95% CI: 1.19-1.57), which translates to 112 additional events/100,000 vaccinated. For the 4-month vaccination, the RIR for 1(st)-borns vs. later-borns was 1.70 (95% CI: 1.45-1.99), representing 157 additional events/100,000 vaccinated. At 6 months, the RIR for 1(st) vs. later-borns was 1.27 (95% CI: 1.09-1.48), or 77 excess events/100,000 vaccinated. At the 12-month vaccination, the RIR was 1.11 (95% CI: 1.02-1.21), or 249 excess events/100,000 vaccinated. Birth order is associated with increased incidence of ER visits and hospitalizations following vaccination in infancy. 1(st)-born children had significantly higher relative incidence of events compared to later-born children.

  9. Short term effects of air pollution on emergency hospital admissions for respiratory disease : Results of the APHEA project in two major cities in The Netherlands, 1977-89

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schouten, JP; Vonk, JM; deGraaf, A

    Study objective - To assess the short term relationship between air pollution and the daily number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory disease. Design - Data were analysed using autoregressive Poisson regression allowing for overdispersion and controlling for possible confounding

  10. [Impact of HIV infection in hospital environment].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez Avilés, P; López Benito, I; Berbegal Serra, J

    1998-12-01

    Retrospective study to review the admissions at the Hospital Marina Alta due to infection for HIV or its complications and look for risk factors. Clinical charts of patients admitted at the hospital from 1989 to 1996 were analyzed. From 11,932 admissions, 199 (1.7%) were due to patients with infection from HIV, resulting in the 2.4% of the total stay. The medium stays were higher (8.6 +/- 7.4 vs 6 +/- 4.5) more re-admissions (42.7% vs 25.5%) and higher mortality (11% vs 7.8%). The parasitic infestations of the nervous central system and cardiovascular were the most numerous number of admissions and also the longer stays. Throughout the years we saw a increase in the patients at the outpatient clinic with HIV infection and a paradogic decrease in the inpatient admissions, and also a decrease in the media stay and total stays. There is a decrease in the admissions at the inpatient level in contrast with a increment of the prevalence in the outpatients with HIV infection. The improved treatments, the experience of the physicians, the use of the Day Hospital and the use of the service of Home Care Hospitalization allows to keep more patients with less admissions and more outpatient visits.

  11. 'Heads you win, tails I lose': a critical incident study of GPs' decisions about emergency admission referrals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dempsey, Owen P; Bekker, Hilary L

    2002-12-01

    Acute hospital Trusts' inability to cope with the numbers of emergency admissions has led to the production of guidelines by the Department of Health aimed at reducing inappropriate admissions by GPs. There is a paucity of research describing GPs' decisions to (not) admit patients and it is unclear how effective these guidelines are in changing these practices. To describe GPs' decision-making about referrals for emergency hospital admissions. Observational design using the critical incident technique to elicit data. Eight GPs in West Yorkshire recorded details of memorable emergency admission decisions, both prospective and retrospective consultations. The transcript data were classified by theme using NUD*IST. Forty prospective and 8 retrospective consultations were analysed. Factors affecting GPs' decisions were:Identification of all consequences for all stakeholders in the decision. Emotional impact on the GP of managing these conflicting needs. 'Peer review' of the GP's professionalism about the decision. Contextual pressures limiting effectiveness of GPs' decision-making. Referral decisions require the evaluation of several conflicting consequences for many stakeholders in time-pressured and peer-reviewed situations. These factors encourage the use of heuristics, i.e. GPs' judgements will be influenced more by the social context of the choice than information about the patient's condition. Emergency referral guidelines provide more information to evaluate from another stakeholder; introducing guidelines is likely to increase GPs' use of heuristics and the making of less optimal decisions.

  12. A pilot study to explore the effectiveness of "early" rehabilitation after a hospital admission for chronic heart failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houchen, Linzy; Watt, Amye; Boyce, Sally; Singh, Sally

    2012-07-01

    People with chronic heart failure (CHF) experience acute exacerbations of their symptoms. These episodes are costly to patients and the health service. The study was a single group, pretest and posttest design. Seventeen patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) started rehabilitation within 4 weeks of hospital discharge. The 6 week rehabilitation programme included exercise and self-management education. The hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), the incremental and endurance shuttle walking tests (ISWT/ESWT) were assessed at baseline and after rehabilitation. The number and duration of any CHF admissions in the year before and the year after rehabilitation were also recorded. Improvements in the ISWT, ESWT, and depression were, mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) 60.6 (36.0-85.2) metres, 356.0 (173.0-539.0) seconds (both p≤0.001) and (-)1.0 ((-)1.8-(-)0.2) points (precovery are unknown.

  13. Hospitalization of childhood rotavirus infection from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, W S; Veerasingam, P D; Goh, A Y T; Chua, K B

    2003-01-01

    To determine the epidemiology of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children admitted to an urban hospital in a developing country from South-East Asia. Retrospective review of cases of acute gastroenteritis admitted to the children's ward of the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, between 1996 and 1999. During the study period, 333 cases (24%) of 1362 stool samples, obtained from children admitted with acute diarrhoea, were positive for rotavirus. Acute gastroenteritis constituted 8.2%, and rotavirus infection 1.6% of all the paediatric admissions each year. Of the 271 cases analysed, 72% of the affected population were less than 2 years of age. Peak incidence of admissions was between January to March, and September to October. Dehydration was common (92%) but electrolyte disturbances, lactose intolerance (5.2%), prolonged diarrhoea (2.6%) and cow's milk protein intolerance was uncommon. No deaths were recorded. Rotavirus infection was a common cause of childhood diarrhoea that required hospital admission in an urban setting in Malaysia.

  14. Scheduling admissions and reducing variation in bed demand

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bekker, R.; Out, P.

    2011-01-01

    Variability in admissions and lengths of stay inherently leads to variability in bed occupancy. The aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of these sources of variability on the required amount of capacity and to determine admission quota for scheduled admissions to regulate the occupancy

  15. Pregnancy exposures and risk of childhood asthma admission in a population birth cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Algert, Charles S; Bowen, Jennifer R; Lain, Samantha L; Allen, Hugh D; Vivian-Taylor, Josephine M; Roberts, Christine L

    2011-12-01

    There is increasing interest in the potential for in utero exposures to affect the risk of asthma. We used population data to explore the associations between perinatal conditions and the risk of hospital admission with asthma between the 2nd and 5th birthday. The study population was 240,511 singleton infants born during 2001-2003. Birth records and longitudinally linked hospital admissions were used to identify asthma admissions and to model potential risk factors. A total of 7245 children (3.0%) had one or more childhood admissions with asthma. In utero infectious exposures associated with childhood asthma were maternal antenatal admission with a urinary tract infection (UTI) [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.49, 95% confidence interval (1.23-1.79)] and pre-term pre-labor rupture of membranes (PROM) [aOR = 1.23 (1.04-1.45)]. There was no evidence that gestational age at time of first antenatal UTI admission (UTI and PROM carry an increased risk of childhood asthma admission, this suggests that the immune system response generally is the relevant factor rather than a specific organism. The season-associated risk is consistent with early pregnancy exposures such as the winter flu season or low vitamin D. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  16. Social Factors Determine the Emergency Medical Admission Workload

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seán Cournane

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available We related social factors with the annual rate of emergency medical admissions using census small area statistics. All emergency medical admissions (70,543 episodes in 33,343 patients within the catchment area of St. James’s Hospital, Dublin, were examined between 2002 and 2016. Deprivation Index, Single-Parent status, Educational level and Unemployment rates were regressed against admission rates. High deprivation areas had an approximately fourfold (Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR 4.0 (3.96, 4.12 increase in annual admission rate incidence/1000 population from Quintile 1(Q1, from 9.2/1000 (95% Confidence Interval (CI: 9.0, 9.4 to Q5 37.3 (37.0, 37.5. Single-Parent families comprised 40.6% of households (95% CI: 32.4, 49.7; small areas with more Single Parents had a higher admission rate-IRR (Q1 vs. for Q5 of 2.92 (95% CI: 2.83, 3.01. The admission incidence rate was higher for Single-Parent status (IRR 1.50 (95% CI: 1.46, 1.52 where the educational completion level was limited to primary level (Incidence Rate Ratio 1.45 (95% CI: 1.43, 1.47. Small areas with higher educational quintiles predicted lower Admission Rates (IRR 0.85 (95% CI: 0.84, 0.86. Social factors strongly predict the annual incidence rate of emergency medical admissions.

  17. Estimating the intensity of ward admission and its effect on emergency department access block.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Wei; Cao, Jiguo; Gallagher, Marcus; Wiles, Janet

    2013-07-10

    Emergency department access block is an urgent problem faced by many public hospitals today. When access block occurs, patients in need of acute care cannot access inpatient wards within an optimal time frame. A widely held belief is that access block is the end product of a long causal chain, which involves poor discharge planning, insufficient bed capacity, and inadequate admission intensity to the wards. This paper studies the last link of the causal chain-the effect of admission intensity on access block, using data from a metropolitan hospital in Australia. We applied several modern statistical methods to analyze the data. First, we modeled the admission events as a nonhomogeneous Poisson process and estimated time-varying admission intensity with penalized regression splines. Next, we established a functional linear model to investigate the effect of the time-varying admission intensity on emergency department access block. Finally, we used functional principal component analysis to explore the variation in the daily time-varying admission intensities. The analyses suggest that improving admission practice during off-peak hours may have most impact on reducing the number of ED access blocks. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Subsyndromal delirium compared with delirium, dementia, and subjects without delirium or dementia in elderly general hospital admissions and nursing home residents

    OpenAIRE

    Sepulveda, Esteban; Leonard, Maeve; Franco, Jose G.; Adamis, Dimitrios; McCarthy, Geraldine; Dunne, Colum; Trzepacz, Paula T.; Gaviria, Ana M.; de Pablo, Joan; Vilella, Elisabet; Meagher, David J.

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Subsyndromal delirium (SSD) complicates diagnosis of delirium and dementia, although there is little research comparing their symptom profiles. Methods Cross-sectional study of 400 elderly patients' admission to a general hospital or nursing home diagnosed with delirium, SSD, dementia, or no-delirium/no-dementia (NDND). Symptom profiles were assessed using the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS-R98). Results Twenty percent patients had delirium, 19.3% had SSD, 29.8% had dement...

  19. Shorter Hospital Stays and Lower Costs for Rivaroxaban Compared With Warfarin for Venous Thrombosis Admissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Margolis, Jay M; Deitelzweig, Steven; Kline, Jeffrey; Tran, Oth; Smith, David M; Bookhart, Brahim; Crivera, Concetta; Schein, Jeff

    2016-10-06

    Venous thromboembolism, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, results in a substantial healthcare system burden. This retrospective observational study compared hospital length of stay (LOS) and hospitalization costs for patients with venous thromboembolism treated with rivaroxaban versus those treated with warfarin. Hospitalizations for adult patients with a primary diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism who were initiated on rivaroxaban or warfarin were selected from MarketScan's Hospital Drug Database between November 1, 2012, and December 31, 2013. Patients treated with warfarin were matched 1:1 to patients treated with rivaroxaban using exact and propensity score matching. Hospital LOS, time from first dose to discharge, and hospitalization costs were reported descriptively and with generalized linear models (GLMs). The final study cohorts each included 1223 patients (751 with pulmonary embolism and 472 with deep vein thrombosis). Cohorts were well matched for demographic and clinical characteristics. Mean (±SD) LOS was 3.7±3.1 days for patients taking rivaroxaban and 5.2±3.7 days for patients taking warfarin, confirmed by GLM-adjusted results (rivaroxaban 3.7 days, warfarin 5.3 days, P<0.001). Patients with provoked venous thromboembolism admissions showed longer LOSs (rivaroxaban 5.1±4.5 days, warfarin 6.5±5.6 days, P<0.001) than those with unprovoked venous thromboembolism (rivaroxaban 3.3±2.4 days, warfarin 4.8±2.8 days, P<0.001). Days from first dose to discharge were 2.4±1.7 for patients treated with rivaroxaban and 3.9±3.7 for patients treated with warfarin when initiated with parenteral anticoagulants (P<0.001), and 2.7±1.7 and 3.7±2.1, respectively, when initiated without parenteral anticoagulants (P<0.001). Patients initiated on rivaroxaban incurred significantly lower mean total hospitalization costs ($8688±$9927 versus $9823±$9319, P=0.004), confirmed by modeling (rivaroxaban $8387 [95

  20. Variation in critical care unit admission rates and outcomes for patients with acute coronary syndromes or heart failure among high- and low-volume cardiac hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Diepen, Sean; Bakal, Jeffrey A; Lin, Meng; Kaul, Padma; McAlister, Finlay A; Ezekowitz, Justin A

    2015-02-27

    Little is known about cross-hospital differences in critical care units admission rates and related resource utilization and outcomes among patients hospitalized with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) or heart failure (HF). Using a population-based sample of 16,078 patients admitted to a critical care unit with a primary diagnosis of ACS (n=14,610) or HF (n=1467) between April 1, 2003 and March 31, 2013 in Alberta, Canada, we stratified hospitals into high (>250), medium (200 to 250), or low (<200) volume based on their annual volume of all ACS and HF hospitalization. The percentage of hospitalized patients admitted to critical care units varied across low, medium, and high-volume hospitals for both ACS and HF as follows: 77.9%, 81.3%, and 76.3% (P<0.001), and 18.0%, 16.3%, and 13.0% (P<0.001), respectively. Compared to low-volume units, critical care patients with ACS and HF admitted to high-volume hospitals had shorter mean critical care stays (56.6 versus 95.6 hours, P<0.001), more critical care procedures (1.9 versus 1.2 per patient, <0.001), and higher resource-intensive weighting (2.8 versus 1.5, P<0.001). No differences in in-hospital mortality (5.5% versus 6.2%, adjusted odds ratio 0.93; 95% CI, 0.61 to 1.41) were observed between high- and low-volume hospitals; however, 30-day cardiovascular readmissions (4.6% versus 6.8%, odds ratio 0.77; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.99) and cardiovascular emergency-room visits (6.6% versus 9.5%, odds ratio 0.80; 95% CI, 0.69 to 0.94) were lower in high-volume compared to low-volume hospitals. Outcomes stratified by ACS or HF admission diagnosis were similar. Cardiac patients hospitalized in low-volume hospitals were more frequently admitted to critical care units and had longer hospitals stays despite lower resource-intensive weighting. These findings may provide opportunities to standardize critical care utilization for ACS and HF patients across high- and low-volume hospitals. © 2015 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American

  1. Hospital admissions for severe mental illness in England: changes in equity of utilisation at the small area level between 2006 and 2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Jonathan; Gutacker, Nils; Jacobs, Rowena; Mason, Anne

    2014-11-01

    Severe Mental Illness (SMI) encompasses a range of chronic conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and psychoses. Patients with SMI often require inpatient psychiatric care. Despite equity being a key objective in the English National Health Service (NHS) and in many other health care systems worldwide, little is known about the socio-economic equity of hospital care utilisation for patients with SMI and how it has changed over time. This analysis seeks to address that gap in the evidence base. We exploit a five-year (2006-2010) panel dataset of admission rates at small area level (n=162,410). The choice of control variables was informed by a systematic literature search. To assess changes in socio-economic equity of utilisation, OLS-based standardisation was first used to conduct analysis of discrete deprivation groups. Geographical inequity was then illustrated by plotting standardised and crude admission rates at local purchaser level. Lastly, formal statistical tests for changes in socio-economic equity of utilisation were applied to a continuous measure of deprivation using pooled negative binomial regression analysis, adjusting for a range of risk factors. Our results suggest that one additional percentage point of area income deprivation is associated with a 1.5% (pareas. Although there is some evidence that inequity has reduced over time, the changes are small and not always robust to sensitivity analyses. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  2. Seasonal variation in admission for heart failure, hypertension and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Seasonal variation in admission for heart failure, hypertension and stroke. ... Background: Seasonal variation in hospitalization for cardiovascular disease has been ... hypertension and hypertension – related stroke (Cerebrovascular accident) ...

  3. Tempo de permanência de enfermeiros em um hospital-escola e valores monetários despendidos nos processos de admissão, desligamento e provimento de novo profissional Tiempo de permanencia de enfermeras en un hospital-escuela y su relación con el monto gasto en la admisión, salida y provisión de nuevo profesional Time of permanence of nurses at a school-hospital and expenses related to admission, resignation and hiring of a new professional

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flávia Lilalva de Holanda

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available Este estudo descritivo teve como objetivo conhecer o tempo de permanência dos enfermeiros numa instituição hospitalar e sua relação com o valor monetário em horas/salário, referente à admissão, à saída e ao provimento de novo enfermeiro. Foram analisados os registros de saída de 109 enfermeiros de um hospital na zona leste da cidade de São Paulo, no período de 2000 a 2002, fornecidos pelo Departamento de Recursos Humanos em 2003, bem como os valores monetários em horas/salário do pessoal envolvido no processo de seleção, admissão, treinamento e demissão. O estudo mostrou que o tempo de permanência do enfermeiro na instituição foi curto (média de 20 meses e mediana 18; 30,53% dos enfermeiros deixaram o hospital com menos de 1 ano; o valor monetário médio para admissão e desligamento de enfermeiros foi de R$ 881,43 o tempo de permanência breve duplicou o custo para a contratação de novo profissional.Este estudio descriptivo tuvo como objetivo conocer el tiempo de permanencia de los enfermeros en un hospital y su relación con el monto gasto en hora/sueldo referente a la admisión, salida y provisión de nuevo enfermero. Se analizó los registros de salida de 109 enfermeros de un hospital en la zona leste de la ciudad de São Paulo, en el periodo de 2000 a 2002, fornecidos por el Departamento de Recursos Humanos en 2003, bien como los montos gastos en horas/sueldo del personal involucrado en el proceso de selección, admisión capacitación y demisión. El estudio demostró que el tiempo de permanencia del enfermero en la institución fue corto (promedio de 20 meces y mediana de 18; el 30,53% de los enfermeros dejó el hospital con menos de 1 año; el monto promedio gasto para admisión y salida de los enfermeros fue R$ 881,43; el tiempo de permanencia corto duplicó el costo para la contratación de nuevo profesional.This descriptive study aimed to find out how long nurses stay at a hospital institution and the

  4. Factors Associated with the Time of Admission among Notified Dengue Fever Cases in Region VIII Philippines from 2008 to 2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abello, Jason Echavez; Gil Cuesta, Julita; Cerro, Boyd Roderick; Guha-Sapir, Debarati

    2016-10-01

    In cases of Dengue fever, late hospital admission can lead to treatment delay and even death. In order to improve early disease notification and management, it is essential to investigate the factors affecting the time of admission of Dengue cases. This study determined the factors associated with the time of admission among notified Dengue cases. The study covered the period between 2008 and 2014 in Region VIII, Philippines. The factors assessed were age, sex, hospital sector, hospital level, disease severity based on the 1997 WHO Dengue classification, and period of admission (distinguishing between the 2010 Dengue epidemic and non-epidemic time). We analysed secondary data from the surveillance of notified Dengue cases. We calculated the association through chi-square test, ordinal logistic regression and linear regression at p value Dengue cases. The reported cases included a majority of children (70.09%), mild cases of the disease (64.00%), patients from the public sector (69.82%), and non-tertiary hospitals (62.76%). Only 1.40% of cases had a laboratory confirmation. The epidemic period in 2010 comprised 48.68% of all the admitted cases during this period. Late admission was more likely among adults than children (pDengue guidelines in order to standardize the admission criteria and time across hospitals.

  5. Incidence and cost of rotavirus hospitalizations in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fischer, Thea Kølsen; Nielsen, Nete Munk; Wohlfahrt, Jan

    2007-01-01

    In anticipation of licensure and introduction of rotavirus vaccine into the western market, we used modeling of national hospital registry data to determine the incidence and direct medical costs of annual rotavirus-associated admissions over >11 years in Denmark. Diarrhea-associated hospitalizat......In anticipation of licensure and introduction of rotavirus vaccine into the western market, we used modeling of national hospital registry data to determine the incidence and direct medical costs of annual rotavirus-associated admissions over >11 years in Denmark. Diarrhea......-associated hospitalizations coded as nonspecified viral or presumed infectious have demonstrated a marked winter peak similar to that of rotavirus-associated hospitalizations, which suggests that the registered rotavirus-coded admissions are grossly underestimated. We therefore obtained more realistic estimates by 2...... different models, which indicated 2.4 and 2.5 (for children rotavirus-associated admissions per 1,000 children per year, respectively. These admissions amount to associated direct medical costs of US $1.7-1.8 million per year. Using 2 simple...

  6. Services Use of Children and Adolescents before Admission to Psychiatric Inpatient Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zechmeister-Koss, Ingrid; Winkler, Roman; Fritz, Corinna; Thun-Hohenstein, Leonhard; Tuechler, Heinz

    2016-06-01

    Although 20% of children and adolescents in Europe suffer from overt mental health problems, their illness-related service utilisation is often unknown. If at all, existing research has only addressed the health care sector while services requirements in mental health care go far beyond the health care system, including the social, the educational and the criminal justice system. This paper aims at describing the service contact patterns of children and adolescents within and outside the health care sector before they are admitted to a child and adolescent mental health hospital. Additionally, we evaluate the private out-of-pocket payments that occur for primary carers. A cohort of consecutive admissions to a child and adolescent hospital in Austria was prospectively analysed. We collected data on service use and out-of-pocket expenses before hospital admission from primary carers through face-to-face interviews using an adapted version of the European Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Receipt Inventory (EU-CAMHSRI). Clinical data came from validated questionnaires (CBCL, YSR) and from the anamnestic documentation. Ninety percent from a cohort of 441 patients had some contact with services or took medication before they were admitted to hospital. Most often, services in the health care outpatient setting were used. Outside of the health care system, support in school, as well as counselling services, were used most frequently, whereas the persons hardly sought support in living or employment. Roughly 32,400 per 100 patients was spent privately, yet these out-of pocket expenses were very unevenly distributed. Service use and out-of-pocket spending increased with social status and were gender-specific. The more severe external behaviour symptoms were, the more non-health care services were used. Mentally ill children and adolescents use a broad range of services across sectors before admission to hospital. Service use is associated with specific symptoms of

  7. Weekend hospitalization and additional risk of death: an analysis of inpatient data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freemantle, N; Richardson, M; Wood, J; Ray, D; Khosla, S; Shahian, D; Roche, W R; Stephens, I; Keogh, B; Pagano, D

    2012-02-01

    To assess whether weekend admissions to hospital and/or already being an inpatient on weekend days were associated with any additional mortality risk. Retrospective observational survivorship study. We analysed all admissions to the English National Health Service (NHS) during the financial year 2009/10, following up all patients for 30 days after admission and accounting for risk of death associated with diagnosis, co-morbidities, admission history, age, sex, ethnicity, deprivation, seasonality, day of admission and hospital trust, including day of death as a time dependent covariate. The principal analysis was based on time to in-hospital death. National Health Service Hospitals in England. 30 day mortality (in or out of hospital). There were 14,217,640 admissions included in the principal analysis, with 187,337 in-hospital deaths reported within 30 days of admission. Admission on weekend days was associated with a considerable increase in risk of subsequent death compared with admission on weekdays, hazard ratio for Sunday versus Wednesday 1.16 (95% CI 1.14 to 1.18; P < .0001), and for Saturday versus Wednesday 1.11 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.13; P < .0001). Hospital stays on weekend days were associated with a lower risk of death than midweek days, hazard ratio for being in hospital on Sunday versus Wednesday 0.92 (95% CI 0.91 to 0.94; P < .0001), and for Saturday versus Wednesday 0.95 (95% CI 0.93 to 0.96; P < .0001). Similar findings were observed on a smaller US data set. Admission at the weekend is associated with increased risk of subsequent death within 30 days of admission. The likelihood of death actually occurring is less on a weekend day than on a mid-week day.

  8. Hospital management of community-acquired pneumonia in Malta

    OpenAIRE

    Callus, Roberta; Micallef, Josef; Mamo, Jonathan; Montefort, Stephen

    2012-01-01

    Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains a common diagnosis requiring hospital admission and a leading cause of death worldwide. No local guideline is currently available for the management of CAP. Our aim was to evaluate current practices in the management of CAP at Mater Dei Hospital, Malta. In this prospective study we looked at all adult patients admitted with CAP in winter and summer (105 consecutive days for both seasons). Data collected and analysed included: basic patient demographi...

  9. Effect of post-discharge follow-up care on re-admissions among US veterans with congestive heart failure: a rural-urban comparison.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muus, Kyle J; Knudson, Alana; Klug, Marilyn G; Gokun, Jane; Sarrazin, Mary; Kaboli, Peter

    2010-01-01

    Hospital re-admissions for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) are relatively common and costly occurrences within the US health infrastructure, including the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system. Little is known about CHF re-admissions among rural veteran patients, including the effects of socio-demographics and follow-up outpatient visits on these re-admissions. To examine socio-demographics of US veterans with CHF who had 30 day potentially preventable re-admissions and compare the effect of 30 day VA post-discharge service use on these re-admissions for rural- and urban-dwelling veterans. The 2005-2007 VA data were analyzed to examine patient characteristics and hospital admissions for 36 566 veterans with CHF. The CHF patients who were and were not re-admitted to a VA hospital within 30 days of discharge were identified. Logistic regression was used to examine and compare the effect of VA post-acute service use on re-admissions between rural- and urban-dwelling veterans. Re-admitted veterans tended to be older (p=.002), had disability status (p=.024) and had longer hospital stays (precovery and good health among hospitalized veterans with CHF, regardless of their rural or urban residence. Older, rural veterans with CHF are in need of special attention for VA discharge planning and follow up with primary care providers.

  10. Polypharmacy and Unplanned Hospitalizations in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filkova, Maria; Carvalho, João; Norton, Sam; Scott, David; Mant, Tim; Molokhia, Mariam; Cope, Andrew; Galloway, James

    2017-12-01

    Polypharmacy (PP), the prescribing of multiple drugs for an individual, is rising in prevalence. PP associates with an increased risk of adverse drug reactions (ADR) and hospital admissions. We investigated the relationship between PP, characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the risk of unplanned hospital admissions. Patients from a hospital RA cohort were retrospectively analyzed. Information was collected from electronic medical records. Cox proportional hazards were used to compare hospitalization risk according to levels of PP. Admissions were adjudicated to determine whether an ADR was implicated. The study included 1101 patients; the mean number of all medications was 5. PP correlated with increasing age, disease duration, disease activity, and disability. At least 1 unplanned admission occurred for 16% of patients. Patients taking ≥ 10 medications had an adjusted HR for hospitalization of 3.1 (95% CI 2.1-4.5), compared to those taking 0-5 medications. Corticosteroid use associated with a doubling in adjusted risk of admission of 1.7 (95% CI 1.2-2.4). The most common reason for hospitalization was infection (28%). While in half of all admissions an ADR was a possible contributing factor, only 2% of admissions were found to directly result from an ADR. PP is common in RA and is a prognostic marker associated with increased risk of acute hospitalizations. Our data suggest that PP may be an indicator of comorbidity burden rather than a contributing cause of a drug-related toxicity. PP should be monitored to minimize inappropriate combination of prescribed medications. PP may be a useful predictor of clinical outcomes in epidemiologic studies.

  11. Impact of admission screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus on the length of stay in an emergency department.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Gilligan, P

    2010-06-01

    Preventing and controlling methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) includes early detection and isolation. In the emergency department (ED), such measures have to be balanced with the requirement to treat patients urgently and transfer quickly to an acute hospital bed. We assessed, in a busy and overcrowded ED, the contribution made to a patient\\'s stay by previous MRSA risk group identification and by selective rescreening of those patients who were previously documented in the research hospital as being MRSA positive. Patients with a previous diagnosis of MRSA colonisation were flagged automatically as \\'risk group\\' (RG) on their arrival in the ED and were compared with \\'non-risk group\\' (NRG), i.e. not previously demonstrated in the research hospital to be infected or colonised with MRSA. Over an 18 month period, there were 16 456 admissions via the ED, of which 985 (6%) were RG patients. The expected median times to be admitted following a request for a ward bed for NRG and RG patients were 10.4 and 12.9h, respectively. Female sex, age >65 years, and RG status all independently predicted a statistically significantly longer stay in the ED following a request for a hospital bed. We consider that national and local policies for MRSA need to balance the welfare of patients in the ED with the need to comply with best practice, when there are inadequate ED and inpatient isolation facilities. Patients with MRSA requiring emergency admission must have a bed available for them.

  12. Reasons for refusal of admission to intensive care and impact on mortality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iapichino, Gaetano; Corbella, Davide; Minelli, Cosetta; Mills, Gary H; Artigas, Antonio; Edbooke, David L; Pezzi, Angelo; Kesecioglu, Jozef; Patroniti, Nicolò; Baras, Mario; Sprung, Charles L

    2010-10-01

    To identify factors influencing triage decisions and investigate whether admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) could reduce mortality compared with treatment on the ward. A multicentre cohort study in 11 university hospitals from seven countries, evaluating triage decisions and outcomes of patients referred for admission to ICU who were either accepted, or refused and treated on the ward. Confounding in the estimation of the effect of ICU admission on mortality was controlled by use of a propensity score approach, which adjusted for the probability of being admitted. Variability across centres was accounted for in both analyses of factors influencing ICU admission and effect of ICU admission on mortality. Eligible were 8,616 triages in 7,877 patients referred for ICU admission. Variables positively associated with probability of being admitted to ICU included: ventilators in ward; bed availability; Karnofsky score; absence of comorbidity; presence of haematological malignancy; emergency surgery and elective surgery (versus medical treatment); trauma, vascular involvement, liver involvement; acute physiologic score II; ICU treatment (versus ICU observation). Multiple triages during patient's hospital stay and age were negatively associated with ICU admission. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the model was 0.83 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.81-0.84], with Hosmer-Lemeshow test P = 0.300. ICU admission was associated with a statistically significant reduction of both 28-day mortality [odds ratio (OR): 0.73; 95% CI: 0.62-0.87] and 90-day mortality (0.79; 0.66-0.93). The benefit of ICU admission increased substantially in patients with greater severity of illness. We suggest that intensivists take great care to avoid ICU admission of patients judged not severe enough for ICU or with low performance status, and they tend to admit surgical patients more readily than medical patients. Interestingly, they do not judge age per se as

  13. Environmental pollutants and stroke-related hospital admissions Poluentes ambientais e internações devido a acidente vasculoencéfalico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz Fernando Costa Nascimento

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Some effects of environmental pollution on human health are known, especially those affecting the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. The current study aimed to estimate these effects on the production of hospital admissions for stroke. This was an ecological study using hospital admissions data in São José dos Campos, São Paulo State, Brazil, with diagnosis of stroke, from January 1, 2007, to April 30, 2008. The target pollutants were particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. Use of a Poisson linear regression model showed that same-day exposure to particulate matter was associated with hospitalization for stroke (RR = 1.013; 95%CI: 1.001-1.025. An increase of 10µg/m³ in this pollutant increased the risk of hospitalization by 12% (RR = 1.137; 95%CI: 1.014-1.276. In the multi-pollutant model, it was thus possible to identify particulate matter as associated with hospitalization for stroke in a medium-sized city like São José dos Campos.Alguns dos efeitos da poluição ambiental na saúde humana são conhecidos, destacando aqueles nos sistemas respiratório e cardiovascular. Este trabalho tem por objetivo estimar esses efeitos na gênese das internações por acidente vasculoencefálico. Foi um estudo ecológico realizado com dados de internações da cidade de São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brasil, relativos aos diagnósticos de acidente vascular cerebral, entre 1º de janeiro de 2007 e 30 de abril de 2008. Os poluentes estudados foram material particulado, dióxido de enxofre e ozônio. Utilizando-se de modelo linear generalizado da regressão de Poisson, foi possível identificar exposição ao material particulado, no mesmo dia, como associado à internação por acidente vasculoencefálico (RR = 1,013; IC95%: 1,001-1,025. O aumento de 10µg/m3 desse poluente aumenta o risco de internação em 12% (RR = 1,137; IC95%: 1,014-1,276. Assim, foi possível identificar o material particulado, no modelo multipoluente, como

  14. Lived experiences and challenges of older surgical patients during hospitalization for cancer: An ethnographic fieldwork

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisbeth Uhrenfeldt

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores the lived experiences of older surgical patients’ (aged 74 years and older experienced challenges during a brief admission to hospital. Age, gender, polypharmacy, and the severity of illness are also factors known to affect the hospitalization process. For an ethnographic study using participant observation and interviews, surgical cancer patients (n = 9, aged 74 years and older were recruited during admission to a Danish teaching hospital. Using ethnographic strategies of participant observation and interviews, each patient was followed through the course of 1 day during their stay at the hospital. Interviews were carried out with all patients during this time. Three areas of concern were identified as prominent in the patients’ experiences and challenges during their short hospital stay: teeth and oral cavity, eating in a hospital setting, and medication during hospitalization. Short-term hospitalization requires focused collaboration between staff and patient concerning individual challenges from their teeth and oral cavity as support of nutritional needs during surgical treatment for cancer.

  15. Vital prognosis after hospitalization for COPD

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vestbo, J; Prescott, E; Lange, P

    1998-01-01

    STUDY AIM: To examine survival after admission due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a population sample over a time span of 15 years. DESIGN: Linkage between a prospective population cohort and register information on hospitalization and mortality. SETTING: The Copenhagen City...... Heart Study (CCHS). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 267 men and 220 women who had participated in the CCHS and who were hospitalized with a discharge diagnosis of COPD (ICD-8 491-2). MAIN RESULTS: The crude 5-yr survival rate after a COPD admission was 45% (37% for men and 52% for women). Mortality risk...... associated with prognosis. Survival after admission due to COPD did not change significantly over time. CONCLUSION: Compared to previous studies of COPD patients, the present study indicates that prognosis after hospital admission remains virtually unchanged over the last decades. FEV1 is still the strongest...

  16. Association between birth order and emergency room visits and acute hospital admissions following pediatric vaccination: a self-controlled study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steven Hawken

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association between a child's birth order and emergency room (ER visits and hospital admissions following 2-,4-,6- and 12-month pediatric vaccinations. METHODS: We included all children born in Ontario between April 1(st, 2006 and March 31(st, 2009 who received a qualifying vaccination. We identified vaccinations, ER visits and admissions using health administrative data housed at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. We used the self-controlled case series design to compare the relative incidence (RI of events among 1(st-born and later-born children using relative incidence ratios (RIR. RESULTS: For the 2-month vaccination, the RIR for 1(st-borns versus later-born children was 1.37 (95% CI: 1.19-1.57, which translates to 112 additional events/100,000 vaccinated. For the 4-month vaccination, the RIR for 1(st-borns vs. later-borns was 1.70 (95% CI: 1.45-1.99, representing 157 additional events/100,000 vaccinated. At 6 months, the RIR for 1(st vs. later-borns was 1.27 (95% CI: 1.09-1.48, or 77 excess events/100,000 vaccinated. At the 12-month vaccination, the RIR was 1.11 (95% CI: 1.02-1.21, or 249 excess events/100,000 vaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: Birth order is associated with increased incidence of ER visits and hospitalizations following vaccination in infancy. 1(st-born children had significantly higher relative incidence of events compared to later-born children.

  17. On the use of Disease Staging for clinical management: analysis of untimely admissions in the Abruzzo Region, Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lamberto Manzoli

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available

    Background and aims. The process of decentralization which recently occurred within the Italian National Health Service has transferred substantial responsibility and authority for health care administration to the individual regions. The project is aimed at developing regional benchmarks that can be used as a part of an ongoing system for analysis of resource use and quality of care in the Abruzzo Region of Italy.

    Methods. All 286 924 hospital admissions for the year 2001 in the region were analysed. Three diseases were chosen for in-depth review: diabetes mellitus; cholecystitis/cholelithiasis; and bacterial pneumonia. There were a total of 9391 admissions for these diagnoses. Severity, length of hospital stay and hospital mortality were analysed using Disease Staging methodology. In addition, the timeliness of hospitalisation was assessed by grouping admissions in three categories: premature or medically unnecessary, timely and late.

    Results. The rate of medically unnecessary admissions for diabetes mellitus was 72% throughout the region, and the percentage of late hospitalisations for cholelithiasis/cholecystitis was 43%. For both diseases, there were significant variations across Local Health Units in the proportion of late and early admissions. The rate of timely hospitalisations for bacterial pneumonia was higher than 86%.

    Conclusion. The analysis of discharge abstract data using Disease Staging revealed that in the Abruzzo region there are problems of inappropriate hospital admission, both early and late, for all diseases examined excepted bacterial pneumonia.

    Data confirmed the validity of Disease Staging to compare the performance of diverse hospitals in terms of length of stay and in-hospital mortality.

  18. Prediction of Mobility Limitations after Hospitalization in Older Medical Patients by Simple Measures of Physical Performance Obtained at Admission to the Emergency Department

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bodilsen, Ann Christine; Hedegaard Klausen, Henrik; Petersen, Janne

    2016-01-01

    Objective: Mobility limitations relate to dependency in older adults. Identification of older patients with mobility limitations after hospital discharge may help stratify treatment and could potentially counteract dependency seen in older adults after hospitalization. We investigated the ability...... of four physical performance measures administered at hospital admission to identify older medical patients who manifest mobility limitations 30 days after discharge. Design: Prospective cohort study of patients (≥65 years) admitted to the emergency department for acute medical illness. During the first...... included. Of those, 128 (40%) patients had mobility limitations at follow-up. Univariate analyzes showed that each of the physical performance measures was strongly associated with mobility limitations at follow-up (handgrip strength(women), OR 0.86 (0.81–0.91), handgrip strength(men), OR 0.90 (0...

  19. How a hospital must face a massive emergency: the case of Martini Hospital, Turin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Morra

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available The terms “disaster” or “surge capability”, referred to hospitals, are often used to define a massive casualty admission. This may be a misleading concept, because emergency may as well arise from inside hospitals, and the last years high figures related to fires in the about 2,000 italian hospitals should suggest a different point of view. In this article the authors describe their experience in hospital preparedness at Ospedale Martini in Turin. Hospital operators regularly attend basic (GOM and advanced (HDM© courses about disaster response and organization, and a specific course is dedicated to operators involved in internal safety (fire emergency. In this courses, computer simulations are widely used, associated with conventional didactic. If education is one of the two cornerstones of disaster preparedness at Ospedale Martini, well designed emergency plans and an effective disaster management are the other one. The Internal Emergency Plan (Fire and Evacuation is aimed to give a proper response to fires and other events arising from inside the hospital and potentially requiring its partial or total evacuation. The Massive Casualties Admission Emergency Plan increases the surge capability of the hospital allowing to take care of a great number of injured people, and at the same time avoiding a dramatic fall in the treatment quality. The “Hospital Disaster Management©” system, created by the authors, is an organizational scheme based on team work. Its aim is to “put order in chaos” when hospitals are facing a disaster. Properly trained physicians and nurses, assigned to key positions, act in this system as Hospital Disaster Managers: their tasks are to coordinate the teams, to manage critical resources and to use the emergency plans as powerful instruments.

  20. How Well Are Pulses Measured? Practice-Based Evidence from an Observational Study of Acutely Ill Medical Patients During Hospital Admission

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Opio, Martin Otyek; Kellett, John

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Although taking a radial pulse is considered to be an essential clinical skill, there have been few reports on how well it is measured in clinical practice, and how its accuracy and precision are influenced by rate, rhythm, and blood pressure. METHODS: This study is a retrospective...... quality audit carried out as part of a larger ongoing prospective observational trial. The radial pulse rates recorded by 2 research nurses were compared with the electrocardiogram (ECG) heart rates measured on acutely ill medical patients during their admission to a resource-poor hospital in sub...

  1. Clinical significance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization on hospital admission: one-year infection risk.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessica P Ridgway

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA nasal colonization among inpatients is a well-established risk factor for MRSA infection during the same hospitalization, but the long-term risk of MRSA infection is uncertain. We performed a retrospective cohort study to determine the one-year risk of MRSA infection among inpatients with MRSA-positive nasal polymerase chain reaction (PCR tests confirmed by positive nasal culture (Group 1, patients with positive nasal PCR but negative nasal culture (Group 2, and patients with negative nasal PCR (Group 3. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Subjects were adults admitted to a four-hospital system between November 1, 2006 and March 31, 2011, comprising 195,255 admissions. Patients underwent nasal swab for MRSA PCR upon admission; if positive, nasal culture for MRSA was performed; if recovered, MRSA was tested for Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL. Outcomes included MRSA-positive clinical culture and skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI. Group 1 patients had a one-year risk of MRSA-positive clinical culture of 8.0% compared with 3.0% for Group 2 patients, and 0.6% for Group 3 patients (p<0.001. In a multivariable model, the hazard ratios for future MRSA-positive clinical culture were 6.52 (95% CI, 5.57 to 7.64 for Group 1 and 3.40 (95% CI, 2.70 to 4.27 for Group 2, compared with Group 3 (p<0.0001. History of MRSA and concurrent MRSA-positive clinical culture were significant risk factors for future MRSA-positive clinical culture. Group 1 patients colonized with PVL-positive MRSA had a one-year risk of MRSA-positive clinical culture of 10.1%, and a one-year risk of MRSA-positive clinical culture or SSTI diagnosis of 21.7%, compared with risks of 7.1% and 12.5%, respectively, for patients colonized with PVL-negative MRSA (p = 0.04, p = 0.005, respectively. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: MRSA nasal colonization is a significant risk factor for future MRSA infection; more so if detected by

  2. Reduced in-hospital survival rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims with obstructive pulmonary disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blom, M T; Warnier, M J; Bardai, A

    2013-01-01

    ) had comparable survival to ER (75% vs. 78%, OR 0.9 [95% CI: 0.6-1.3]) and to hospital admission (56% vs. 57%, OR 1.0 [0.7-1.4]). However, survival to hospital discharge was significantly lower among OPD patients (21% vs. 33%, OR 0.6 [0.4-0.9]). Multivariate regression analysis among patients who were...... with obstructive pulmonary disease (OPD) have a lower survival rate after OHCA than non-OPD patients. METHODS: We performed a community-based cohort study of 1172 patients with non-traumatic OHCA with ECG-documented VT/VF between 2005 and 2008. We compared survival to emergency room (ER), to hospital admission...... admitted to hospital (OPD: n=100, no OPD: n=561) revealed that OPD was an independent determinant of reduced 30-day survival rate (39% vs. 59%, adjusted OR 0.6 [0.4-1.0, p=0.035]). CONCLUSION: OPD-patients had lower survival rates after OHCA than non-OPD patients. Survival to ER and to hospital admission...

  3. Medication reconciliation at patient admission: a randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mendes AE

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To measure length of hospital stay (LHS in patients receiving medication reconciliation. Secondary characteristics included analysis of number of preadmission medications, medications prescribed at admission, number of discrepancies, and pharmacists interventions done and accepted by the attending physician. Methods: A 6 month, randomized, controlled trial conducted at a public teaching hospital in southern Brazil. Patients admitted to general wards were randomized to receive usual care or medication reconciliation, performed within the first 72 hours of hospital admission. Results: The randomization process assigned 68 patients to UC and 65 to MR. LHS was 10±15 days in usual care and 9±16 days in medication reconciliation (p=0.620. The total number of discrepancies was 327 in the medication reconciliation group, comprising 52.6% of unintentional discrepancies. Physicians accepted approximately 75.0% of the interventions. Conclusion: These results highlight weakness at patient transition care levels in a public teaching hospital. LHS, the primary outcome, should be further investigated in larger studies. Medication reconciliation was well accepted by physicians and it is a useful tool to find and correct discrepancies, minimizing the risk of adverse drug events and improving patient safety.

  4. HOSPITALIZATIONS DUE TO RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS DURING DIWALI FESTIVAL IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN SOUTH INDIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raghu

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND The burning of firecrackers during Diwali festival produces an adverse respiratory outcome. However, there are no published articles on the impact of fireworks on hospital admission due to acute respiratory issues, hospital stay, and respiratory mortality during Diwali in India. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a prospective, open label, observational study. It was conducted in patients admitted to the pulmonary emergency unit with respiratory symptoms 15 days before and after Diwali. It was conducted after the approval of ethics committee and written informed consent. RESULTS The number of admissions post-Diwali were significantly more compared to pre-Diwali from both rural and urban locations (p<0.001. The mean duration of hospital stay was significantly less pre-Diwali (7.59±0.74 days compared to post-Diwali (9.46±0.44 days. Also, significantly increased number of patients required ventilator support post Diwali. CONCLUSION The findings from the present study validate the deterioration of respiratory health during Diwali festival in India. There should be more awareness campaigns about the harmful effects of fire-crackers. Patients suffering from respiratory problems should be advised to avoid heavy exposure to fireworks

  5. Neighborhood walkability and hospital treatment costs: A first assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Yan; Davey, Rachel; Cochrane, Tom; Learnihan, Vincent; Hanigan, Ivan C; Bagheri, Nasser

    2017-06-01

    Health system expenditure is a global concern, with hospital cost a major component. Built environment has been found to affect physical activity and health outcomes. The purpose of the study was a first assessment of the relationship between neighborhood walkability and hospital treatment costs. For 88 neighborhoods in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), 2011-2013, a total of 30,690 public hospital admissions for the treatment of four diagnostic groups (cancers, endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases, circulatory diseases and respiratory diseases) were extracted from the ACT admitted patient care database and analyzed in relation to the Walk Score® index as a measure of walkability. Hospital cost was calculated according to the cost weight of the diagnosis related group assigned to each admission. Linear regressions were used to analyze the associations of walkability with hospital cost per person, admissions per person and cost per admission at the neighborhood level. An inverse association with neighborhood walkability was found for cost per person and admissions per person, but not cost per admission. After adjusting for age, sex and socioeconomic status, a 20-unit increase in walkability was associated with 12.1% (95% CI: 7.1-17.0%) lower cost and 12.5% (8.1-17.0%) fewer admissions. These associations did not vary by neighborhood socioeconomic status. This exploratory analysis suggests the potential for improved population health and reduced hospital cost with greater neighborhood walkability. Further research should replicate the analysis with data from other urban settings, and focus on the behavioral mechanisms underlying the inverse walkability-hospital cost association. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Prehospital antiplatelet use and functional status on admission of patients with non-haemorrhagic moyamoya disease: a nationwide retrospective cohort study (J-ASPECT study)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onozuka, Daisuke; Hagihara, Akihito; Nishimura, Kunihiro; Kada, Akiko; Nakagawara, Jyoji; Ogasawara, Kuniaki; Ono, Junichi; Shiokawa, Yoshiaki; Aruga, Toru; Miyachi, Shigeru; Nagata, Izumi; Toyoda, Kazunori; Matsuda, Shinya; Suzuki, Akifumi; Kataoka, Hiroharu; Nakamura, Fumiaki; Kamitani, Satoru; Nishimura, Ataru; Kurogi, Ryota; Sayama, Tetsuro; Iihara, Koji

    2016-01-01

    Objectives To elucidate the association between antiplatelet use in patients with non-haemorrhagic moyamoya disease before hospital admission and good functional status on admission in Japan. Design Retrospective, multicentre, non-randomised, observational study. Setting Nationwide registry data in Japan. Participants A total of 1925 patients with non-haemorrhagic moyamoya disease admitted between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2014 in Japan. Main outcome measure We performed propensity score-matched analysis to examine the association between prehospital antiplatelet use and no significant disability on hospital admission, as defined by a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 or 1. Results Propensity-matched patients who received prehospital antiplatelet drugs were associated with a good outcome on hospital admission (OR adjusted for all covariates, 3.82; 95% CI 1.22 to 11.99) compared with those who did not receive antiplatelet drugs prior to hospital admission. Conclusions Prehospital antiplatelet use was significantly associated with good functional status on hospital admission among patients with non-haemorrhagic moyamoya disease in Japan. Our results suggest that prehospital antiplatelet use should be considered when evaluating outcomes of patients with non-haemorrhagic moyamoya disease. PMID:27008684

  7. Acute sports injuries requiring hospital care.

    OpenAIRE

    Sandelin, J

    1986-01-01

    The present investigation reports 138 consecutive patients injured in sports, who needed treatment as in-patients in a one year period. More injuries were sustained in soccer than in other sports. The lower extremity was the site of most injuries, fractures and dislocations being the most common type of injury. At follow-up 50% of the patients complained of discomfort. The average stay in hospital after a sports injury requiring hospital care was 6 days. In 52% of the patients the duration of...

  8. Admissions to inpatient care facilities in the last year of life of community-dwelling older people in Europe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Overbeek, Anouk; Van den Block, Lieve; Korfage, Ida J; Penders, Yolanda W H; van der Heide, Agnes; Rietjens, Judith A C

    2017-10-01

    In the last year of life, many older people rather avoid admissions to inpatient care facilities. We describe and compare such admissions in the last year of life of 5092 community-dwelling older people in 15 European countries (+Israel). Proxy-respondents of the older people, who participated in the longitudinal SHARE study, reported on admissions to inpatient care facilities (hospital, nursing home or hospice) during the last year of their life. Multivariable regression analyses assessed associations between hospitalizations and personal/contextual characteristics. The proportion of people who had been admitted at least once to an inpatient care facility in the last year of life ranged from 54% (France) to 76% (Austria, Israel, Slovenia). Admissions mostly concerned hospitalizations. Multivariable analyses showed that especially Austrians, Israelis and Poles had higher chances of being hospitalized. Further, hospitalizations were more likely for those being ill for 6 months or more (OR:1.67, CI:1.39-2.01), and less likely for persons aged 80+ (OR:0.54, CI:0.39-0.74; compared with 48-65 years), females (OR:0.74, CI:0.63-0.89) and those dying of cardiovascular diseases (OR:0.66, CI:0.51-0.86; compared with those dying of cancer). Although healthcare policies increasingly stress the importance that people reside at home as long as possible, admissions to inpatient care facilities in the last year of life are relatively common across all countries. Furthermore, we found a striking variation concerning the proportion of admissions across countries which cannot only be explained by patient needs. It suggests that such admissions are at least partly driven by system-level or cultural factors. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

  9. Patterns of hospital resource utilization of children with leukemia and CNS tumors: a comparison of children who survive and those who die within 3 years of diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hendrickson, Karrie Cummings; Rimar, Joan

    2009-01-01

    Hospital admissions for children with cancer tend to be longer than admissions for adults with cancer and longer, more frequent, and more costly than other pediatric admissions. The two childhood cancers most commonly requiring hospitalization are leukemia and tumors of the central nervous system (CNS tumors). Determining the best use of limited financial resources and preparing children and their parents for what to expect requires a better understanding of the patterns and cost of hospital resource utilization by children with cancer. Both hospital administrators and third-party payers can use this understanding to better allocate resources and plan the care of children with cancer in the future. Because many parents of children with cancer struggle financially due to the high cost of treatments, time off of work, and other non-medical expenses, more education in this area may help parents to prepare, thus alleviating some of the uncertainty and unexpected financial costs associated with childhood cancer.

  10. Ambient temperature and emergency room admissions for acute coronary syndrome in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Wen-Miin; Liu, Wen-Pin; Chou, Sze-Yuan; Kuo, Hsien-Wen

    2008-01-01

    Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is an important public health problem around the world. Since there is a considerable seasonal fluctuation in the incidence of ACS, climatic temperature may have an impact on the onset of this disease. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between the average daily temperature, diurnal temperature range and emergency room (ER) admissions for ACS in an ER in Taichung City, Taiwan. A longitudinal study was conducted which assessed the correlation of the average daily temperature and the diurnal temperature range to ACS admissions to the ER of the city’s largest hospital. Daily ER admissions for ACS and ambient temperature were collected from 1 January 2000 to 31 March 2003. The Poisson regression model was used in the analysis after adjusting for the effects of holiday, season, and air pollutant concentrations. The results showed that there was a negative significant association between the average daily temperature and ER admissions for ACS. ACS admissions to the ER increased 30% to 70% when the average daily temperature was lower than 26.2°C. A positive association between the diurnal temperature range and ACS admissions was also noted. ACS admissions increased 15% when the diurnal temperature range was over 8.3°C. The data indicate that patients suffering from cardiovascular disease must be made aware of the increased risk posed by lower temperatures and larger changes in temperature. Hospitals and ERs should take into account the increased demand of specific facilities during colder weather and wider temperature variations.

  11. Same-admission versus interval cholecystectomy for mild gallstone pancreatitis (PONCHO): a multicentre randomised controlled trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Costa, D.W. da; Bouwense, S.A.; Schepers, N.J.; Besselink, M.G.; Santvoort, H.C. van; Brunschot, S. van; Bakker, O.J.; Bollen, T.L.; Dejong, C.H.; Goor, H. van; Boermeester, M.A.; Bruno, M.J.; Eijck, C.H. van; Timmer, R.; Weusten, B.L.; Consten, E.C.; Brink, M.A.; Spanier, B.W.; Bilgen, E.J.; Nieuwenhuijs, V.B.; Hofker, H.S.; Rosman, C.; Voorburg, A.M.; Bosscha, K.; Duijvendijk, P. van; Gerritsen, J.J.; Heisterkamp, J.; Hingh, I.H. de; Witteman, B.J.; Kruyt, P.M.; Scheepers, J.J.; Molenaar, I.Q.; Schaapherder, A.F.; Manusama, E.R.; Waaij, L.A. van der; Unen, J. van; Dijkgraaf, M.G.; Ramshorst, B. van; Gooszen, H.G.; Boerma, D.

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: In patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis, cholecystectomy during the same hospital admission might reduce the risk of recurrent gallstone-related complications, compared with the more commonly used strategy of interval cholecystectomy. However, evidence to support same-admission

  12. Same-admission versus interval cholecystectomy for mild gallstone pancreatitis (PONCHO): a multicentre randomised controlled trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    da Costa, David W.; Bouwense, Stefan A.; Schepers, Nicolien J.; Besselink, Marc G.; van Santvoort, Hjalmar C.; van Brunschot, Sandra; Bakker, Olaf J.; Bollen, Thomas L.; Dejong, Cornelis H.; van Goor, Harry; Boermeester, Marja A.; Bruno, Marco J.; van Eijck, Casper H.; Timmer, Robin; Weusten, Bas L.; Consten, Esther C.; Brink, Menno A.; Spanier, B. W. Marcel; Bilgen, Ernst Jan Spillenaar; Nieuwenhuijs, Vincent B.; Hofker, H. Sijbrand; Rosman, Camiel; Voorburg, Annet M.; Bosscha, Koop; van Duijvendijk, Peter; Gerritsen, Jos J.; Heisterkamp, Joos; de Hingh, Ignace H.; Witteman, Ben J.; Kruyt, Philip M.; Scheepers, Joris J.; Molenaar, I. Quintus; Schaapherder, Alexander F.; Manusama, Eric R.; van der Waaij, Laurens A.; van Unen, Jacco; Dijkgraaf, Marcel G.; van Ramshorst, Bert; Gooszen, Hein G.; Boerma, Djamila

    2015-01-01

    Background In patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis, cholecystectomy during the same hospital admission might reduce the risk of recurrent gallstone-related complications, compared with the more commonly used strategy of interval cholecystectomy. However, evidence to support same-admission

  13. Same-admission versus interval cholecystectomy for mild gallstone pancreatitis (PONCHO) : A multicentre randomised controlled trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Da Costa, David W.; Bouwense, Stefan A.; Schepers, Nicolien J.; Besselink, Marc G.; van Santvoort, Hjalmar C.; Van Brunschot, Sandra; Bakker, Olaf J.; Bollen, Thomas L.; Dejong, Cornelis H.; Van Goor, Harry; Boermeester, Marja A.; Bruno, Marco J.; Van Eijck, Casper H.; Timmer, Robin; Weusten, Bas L.; Consten, Esther C.; Brink, Menno A.; Spanier, B. W Marcel; Bilgen, Ernst Jan Spillenaar; Nieuwenhuijs, Vincent B.; Hofker, H. Sijbrand; Rosman, Camiel; Voorburg, Annet M.; Bosscha, Koop; Van Duijvendijk, Peter; Gerritsen, Jos J.; Heisterkamp, Joos; De Hingh, Ignace H.; Witteman, Ben J.; Kruyt, Philip M.; Scheepers, Joris J.; Molenaar, I. Quintus; Schaapherder, Alexander F.; Manusama, Eric R.; Van Der Waaij, Laurens A.; Van Unen, Jacco; Dijkgraaf, Marcel G.; Van Ramshorst, Bert; Gooszen, Hein G.; Boerma, Djamila

    2015-01-01

    Background In patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis, cholecystectomy during the same hospital admission might reduce the risk of recurrent gallstone-related complications, compared with the more commonly used strategy of interval cholecystectomy. However, evidence to support same-admission

  14. Dysphagia risk, low muscle strength and poor cognition predict malnutrition risk in older adults athospital admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatindiara, Idah; Allen, Jacqueline; Popman, Amy; Patel, Darshan; Richter, Marilize; Kruger, Marlena; Wham, Carol

    2018-03-21

    Malnutrition in patients admitted to hospital may have detrimental effects on recovery and healing. Malnutrition is preceded by a state of malnutrition risk, yet malnutrition risk is often not detected during admission. The aim of the current study was to investigate the magnitude and potential predictors of malnutrition risk in older adults, at hospital admission. A cross-sectional was study conducted in 234 older adults (age ≥ 65 or ≥ 55 for Māori or Pacific ethnicity) at admission to hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. Assessment of malnutrition risk status was performed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA®-SF), dysphagia risk by the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10), muscle strength by hand grip strength and cognitive status by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) tool. Among 234 participants, mean age 83.6 ± 7.6 years, 46.6% were identified as at malnutrition risk and 26.9% malnourished. After adjusting for age, gender and ethnicity, the study identified [prevalence ratio (95% confidence interval)] high dysphagia risk [EAT-10 score: 0.98 (0.97-0.99)], low body mass index [kg/m 2 : 1.02 (1.02-1.03)], low muscle strength [hand grip strength, kg: 1.01 (1.00-1.02)] and decline in cognition [MoCA score: 1.01 (1.00-1.02)] as significant predictors of malnutrition risk in older adults at hospital admission. Among older adults recently admitted to the hospital, almost three-quarters were malnourished or at malnutrition risk. As the majority (88%) of participants were admitted from the community, this illustrates the need for routine nutrition screening both at hospital admission and in community-dwelling older adults. Factors such as dysphagia, unintentional weight loss, decline in muscle strength, and poor cognition may indicate increased risk of malnutrition.

  15. Evaluation of Pharmacists' Participation in Post-Admission Ward ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective: The study evaluates pharmacist's perception of and participation in post-admission ward rounds, at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). Method: All the 60 pharmacists covering various units of pharmaceutical services were administered a forty-two element structured questionnaire. Fifty (83.3%) ...

  16. Are Nasal Carriers of Staphylococcus aureus More Likely To Become Colonized or Infected with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus on Admission to a Hospital?▿

    OpenAIRE

    Krebes, Juliane; Al-Ghusein, Hasan; Feasey, Nick; Breathnach, Aodhan; Lindsay, Jodi A.

    2010-01-01

    Of 840 patients at hospital admission, 2.7% were positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and 22.3% were positive for methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). During the next 8 months, 4.8% of the MSSA-positive patients acquired MRSA with no lineage association. A total of 5.2% of noncarriers acquired MRSA. We find no evidence that colonized hosts are more susceptible to acquiring MRSA.

  17. Exploring unplanned ICU admissions: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vlayen, Annemie; Verelst, Sandra; Bekkering, Geertruida E; Schrooten, Ward; Hellings, Johan; Claes, Nerée

    Adverse events are unintended patient injuries or complications that arise from healthcare management resulting in death, disability or prolonged hospital stay. Adverse events that require critical care are a considerable financial burden to the healthcare system. Medical record review seems to be a reliable method for detecting adverse events. To synthesize the best available evidence regarding the estimates of the incidence and preventability of adverse events that necessitate intensive care admission; to determine the type and consequences (patient harm, mortality, length of ICU stay and direct medical costs) of these adverse events. MEDLINE (from 1966 to present), EMBASE (from 1974 to present) and CENTRAL (version 1-2010) were searched for studies reporting on unplanned admissions to intensive care units (ICUs). Databases of reports, conference proceedings, grey literature, ongoing research, relevant patient safety organizations and two journals were searched for additional studies. Reference lists of retrieved papers were searched and authors were contacted in an attempt to find any further published or unpublished work. Only quantitative studies that used chart review for the detection of adverse events requiring intensive care admission were considered for eligibility. Studies that were published in the English, Dutch, German, French or Spanish language were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies. 28 studies in the English language and one study in French were included. Of these, two were considered duplicate publications and therefore 27 studies were reviewed. Meta-analysis of the data was not appropriate due to statistical heterogeneity between studies; therefore, results are presented in a descriptive way. Studies were categorized according to the population and the providers of care. 1) The majority of the included studies investigated unplanned intensive care admissions after

  18. Mortality among HIV/AIDS in-patients on admission in a tertiary ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Annals of Biomedical Sciences ... and mortality in Nigeria and the disease has led to a sharp increase in the admission rate in many hospitals especially those offering care to those infected. ... The major factors leading to these deaths were late presentation to hospital, poor adherence to therapy and financial insolvency.

  19. Effect of advanced age and vital signs on admission from an ED observation unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caterino, Jeffrey M; Hoover, Emily M; Moseley, Mark G

    2013-01-01

    The primary objective was to determine the relationship between advanced age and need for admission from an emergency department (ED) observation unit. The secondary objective was to determine the relationship between initial ED vital signs and admission. We conducted a prospective, observational cohort study of ED patients placed in an ED-based observation unit. Multivariable penalized maximum likelihood logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of need for hospital admission. Age was examined continuously and at a cutoff of 65 years or more. Vital signs were examined continuously and at commonly accepted cutoffs.We additionally controlled for demographics, comorbid conditions, laboratory values, and observation protocol. Three hundred patients were enrolled, 12% (n = 35) were 65 years or older, and 11% (n = 33) required admission. Admission rates were 2.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.07%-14.9%) in older adults and 12.1% (95% CI, 8.4%-16.6%) in younger adults. In multivariable analysis, age was not associated with admission (odds ratio [OR], 0.30; 95% CI, 0.05-1.67). Predictors of admission included systolic pressure 180 mm Hg or greater (OR, 4.19; 95% CI, 1.08-16.30), log Charlson comorbidity score (OR, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.57-5.46), and white blood cell count 14,000/mm(3) or greater (OR, 11.35; 95% CI, 3.42-37.72). Among patients placed in an ED observation unit, age 65 years or more is not associated with need for admission. Older adults can successfully be discharged from these units. Systolic pressure 180 mm Hg or greater was the only predictive vital sign. In determining appropriateness of patients selected for an ED observation unit, advanced age should not be an automatic disqualifying criterion. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Confronting the categories: Equitable admissions without apartheid ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    I offer a critical-race-standpoint as an alternative conceptual orientation and method for transformative admissions committed to racial redress that is socially just. I conclude that admissions criteria should encompass the lived realities of inequality and be informed by a conception of humanism as critique. This requires ...