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Objective: Transition from the hospital to an outpatient setting is a multifaceted process requiring coordination among a variety of services and providers to ensure a high-quality discharge. Vascular surgery patients comprise a complex population that experiences high unplanned readmission rates. We performed a qualitative study to identify themes for process improvement for vascular surgery patients. A validated discharge process, RED (Re-Engineered Discharge), was used to identify additional actionable themes to create a more efficient discharge process tailored specifically to the vascular surgery population. Methods: A prospective, qualitative analysis at a tertiary center using a semi-structured focus group interview guide was performed to evaluate the current discharge process and identify opportunities for improvement. Focus groups were Zoom recorded, transcribed into electronic text files, and were loaded into Dedoose qualitative software for analysis using a directed content analysis approach. Two researchers independently thematically coded each transcript, starting with accepted discharge components to identify new thematic categories. Prior to analysis, all redundancy of codes was resolved, and all team members agreed on text categorization and coding. Results: Eight focus groups with a total of 38 participants were conducted. Participants included physicians (n = 13), nursing/ancillary staff (n = 14), advanced nurse practitioners (n = 2), social worker/dietitian/pharmacist (n = 3), and patients (n = 6). Transcript analyses revealed facilitators and barriers to the discharge process. In addition to traditional RED components, unique concepts pertinent to vascular surgery patients included patient complexity, social determinants of health, technology literacy, complexity of ancillary services, discharge appropriateness, and use of advanced nurse practitioners for continuity. Conclusions: Specific themes were identified to target and enhance the future vRED (vascular Re-Engineered Discharge) bundle. Thematic targets for improvement include increased planning, organization, and communication prior to discharge to address vascular surgery patients' multiple comorbidities, extensive medication lists, and need for complex ancillary services at the time of discharge. Other thematic barriers discovered to improve include provider awareness of patient health literacy, patient understanding of complex discharge instructions, patient technology barriers, and intrinsic social determinants of health in this population. To address these discovered barriers, organizational targets to improve include enhanced social support, the use of advanced nurse practitioners for education reinforcement, and increased coordination. These results provide a framework for future quality improvement targeting the vascular surgery discharge process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Opioids are commonly used for pain control after lower extremity amputations (LEA)—below the knee amputations (BKA) and above the knee amputations (AKA). Well-defined benchmarks for prescription requirements after amputation are deficient. This analysis evaluated opioid utilization after amputation to identify high-risk patients and provide recommendations for post-hospitalization opioid prescriptions at discharge. Methods: Patients undergoing LEA (2008–2016) with identified peripheral vascular disease were selected from Cerner's Health Facts® database using ICD-9 and 10 diagnosis and procedure codes. Patient demographics, disease severity, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics were evaluated. Post-operative opioid medications administered intravenously and orally during the hospital stay were identified from the data and converted to Morphine Milligram Equivalent per day (MME/d) for an evaluation and comparison during the index hospitalization. Descriptive statistics were used to report continuous and dichotomous variables. Dichotomous variables are reported as n (%) and continuous variables are reported as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Chi-square and T-tests were used as appropriate. Results: 2399 patients who underwent AKA or BKA with peripheral vascular disease were evaluated. Sixty-three percent of the cohort was male, 67% Caucasian, and 42% married, and 58% had a Charlson index >3. The majority of patients had an average length of hospital stay of 5.7 days (M = 5.72, SD = 4.56). Patient groups that used significantly higher MME/d in the early postop period included: BKA (29.2 vs 20.7, p = 0.006), males (62.6 vs 54.0, p < 0.0001), Caucasians (64.3 vs 44.7, p < 0.0001), younger patients (69.6 vs 54.0, p < 0.0001), and those at non-training institutions (66.7 vs 56.7, p < 0.0001). Patients whose hospital stay was greater than 6 days were found to have increased opioid utilization likely secondary to index complications. For those discharged by post-operative day 7, the mean MME utilized on postop day 1 was 59.5 and decreased to a mean MME/d utilization prior to discharge of 17.6. Conclusions: This analysis demonstrates that younger patients, males, patients with BKAs, and those who receive amputations for vascular disease at non-training institutions have higher post-operative opioid utilization during the hospital stay. At the time of discharge, patients utilized an average of 17.6 MME/d which equates to approximately three hydrocodone/acetaminophen 5/325 mg tablets per day. Based on these findings, vascular surgeons are likely over prescribing opioids at discharge and must be cognizant of appropriate dosing quantities. Prescriptions at discharge should reflect the daily utilization described from this analysis and tapered to avoid chronic utilization, overdose, and possible death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular surgery patients have a high incidence of unplanned hospital readmissions and complications. Previous research has not fully examined specific elements of the hospital discharge process for vascular surgery patients to identify issues that may contribute to readmissions. The objective of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore challenges identified by healthcare providers and patients regarding the discharge process from an academic vascular surgery service. Data were collected from eight focus group interviews and analyzed for relevant themes. Patients and healthcare providers identified several challenges within the standard discharge process, including ineffective communication, insufficient time for discharge education, and limitations accessing providers with post‐discharge concerns. These obstacles may be ameliorated in part by specialized coordinators, caregiver support, and use of adaptive strategies outside of the current discharge process. The discharge challenges described by study participants likely contribute to adverse post‐hospitalization outcomes, including unplanned hospital readmissions. A multifaceted approach that incorporates standardized discharge processes, as well as informal problem‐solving strategies, is recommended to improve hospital discharge and outcomes for vascular surgery patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may have numerous risk factors for acquiring coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and developing severe outcomes, but current data are conflicting. Methods Health-care providers enrolled consecutively, by nonrandom sampling, people living with HIV (PWH) with lab-confirmed COVID-19, diagnosed at their facilities between 1 April and 1 July 2020. Deidentified data were entered into an electronic Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) system. The primary endpoint was a severe outcome, defined as a composite endpoint of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, or death. The secondary outcome was the need for hospitalization. Results There were 286 patients included; the mean age was 51.4 years (standard deviation, 14.4), 25.9% were female, and 75.4% were African American or Hispanic. Most patients (94.3%) were on antiretroviral therapy, 88.7% had HIV virologic suppression, and 80.8% had comorbidities. Within 30 days of testing positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), 164 (57.3%) patients were hospitalized, and 47 (16.5%) required ICU admission. Mortality rates were 9.4% (27/286) overall, 16.5% (27/164) among those hospitalized, and 51.5% (24/47) among those admitted to an ICU. The primary composite endpoint occurred in 17.5% (50/286) of all patients and 30.5% (50/164) of hospitalized patients. Older age, chronic lung disease, and hypertension were associated with severe outcomes. A lower CD4 count (<200 cells/mm3) was associated with the primary and secondary endpoints. There were no associations between the ART regimen or lack of viral suppression and the predefined outcomes. Conclusions Severe clinical outcomes occurred commonly in PWH with COVID-19. The risks for poor outcomes were higher in those with comorbidities and lower CD4 cell counts, despite HIV viral suppression. Clinical Trials Registration NCT04333953. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Data regarding retrograde open mesenteric stenting (ROMS) for urgent mesenteric ischemia is limited to small single center and case series, with variable utilization across patient populations and ill-defined outcomes. We aimed to evaluate characteristics and outcomes of patients with acute mesenteric ischemia requiring urgent surgical intervention., Methods: Retrospective cohort study of patients with mesenteric ischemia requiring urgent surgical intervention from 2018 to 2020 was queried from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. Study groups were defined as those requiring an open bypass (BYPASS), an open superior mesenteric artery embolectomy (OPEN), or ROMS. Descriptive statistics were used to report variables. Comparisons were mad using t test, chi-squares tests, and multivariate regression reported as odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI) where appropriate., Results: 898 patients with mesenteric ischemia requiring urgent surgical intervention were included: Bypass: 284, OPEN: 363, ROMS: 251. There was no difference in gender or race between groups. Patients requiring ROMS were more likely to be older 70.2 + 11.3versus Bypass 66.81 + 11.6 and OPEN 67.17 + 14.5, p = 0.0035. ROMS patients had the highest Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) 2.9 versus 2.5 Bypass and 2.6 OPEN, p = 0.0292 with the most frequent comorbidities: Diabetes 37% ( p = 0.01), renal disease 24.3% ( p = 0.5), and previous preoperative myocardial infarction 9.2%, p = 0.05; however, the lowest mortality rate was seen within this Group 15.9% versus bypass 19.7%, OPEN 34.5%, p < 0.0001. Patients requiring bypass were more likely to have chronic pulmonary disease 34.5% versus OPEN 24.2% and ROMS 31.5%, p = 0.013, peripheral vascular disease (PVD) 38% versus OPEN 16%, and ROMS 29.9%, p < 0.0001. On multivariate regression, ROMS was associated with 50% decreased incidence of mortality (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.27-0.75). Open SMA embolectomy was associated with nearly 2x mortality rate compared to bypass procedures OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.3-3.0, p < 0.001. Previous MI was also associated with nearly 2x incidence of mortality (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.01-3.6), while pre-existing PVD conferred a protective effect (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.36-0.89). Higher CCI and age were associated with slightly increased risk for mortality OR 1.2 and 1.03, p < 0.05 for both., Conclusions: In patients with acute mesenteric ischemia, ROMS demonstrated a significant mortality benefit compared to traditional open procedures. Advanced age, history of MI, and open SMA embolectomy were associated with increased mortality. Little data exists regarding ROMS in a real-world population evaluating ROMS, which is a newer technique. These data suggest that ROMS may be a superior alternative to restore mesenteric flow in the acute setting and further prospective studies evaluating ROMS to other procedural types in urgent and elective settings are needed., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objectives: Patency for chronic total occlusions (CTO) of the superficial femoral artery (SFA) after endovascular interventions traditionally demonstrate a low 1-year patency ranging from 40%-60%. The optical coherence tomography (OCT) catheter (Avinger Inc., Redwood City, CA) uses light-based technology imaging to cross Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus D (TASC D) lesions intraluminally with direct intra-arterial visualization. Insufficient data exist evaluating intraluminal crossing with OCT imaging compared with traditional subintimal techniques. We evaluated outcomes for TASC D lesions crossed intraluminally., Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with SFA TASC D lesions crossed intra-arterially with the OCT catheter imaging. Descriptive statistics evaluated patient characteristics which included patient demographics, Rutherford scores, ABIs, CTA information, lesion categorization, as well as runoff score. Patency at baseline, 30-day, 6-month, and 1-year outcomes were compared using t-tests. Cumulative patency rates were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis., Results: 101 patients underwent elective intervention for SFA TASC D lesions with the OCT catheter. The crossing rate was 78.2%, mean lesion length was 16.2 cm, and runoff at the tibial level was 2.2 patent vessels. Mean age and BMI were 64 years and 29 kg/m 2 , respectively. Patient characteristics are male (57%); Caucasian (90%); ever smoking (85%); hypertension (82%), hyperlipidemia (70%), and diabetes (46%). Pre-operative computed tomography demonstrated SFA lesions were predominantly eccentric (91%) with mild to moderate calcification (90%). All underwent PTA, 87% were stented (mean stent length: 186.1 mm), mean crossing time was 13.4 min. Pre-operative, 30-day, 6-month, and 1-year post-operative mean Rutherford-Becker scores were 4, 1, 1, and 1, respectively ( p < 0.0001). Mean pre-operative ABI was 0.49, compared to 0.84 at 30 days, 0.64 at 6 months, and 0.67 at 1 year ( p < .0001). Duplex demonstrated 6- and 12-month primary patency of 89% and 75%; primary-assisted patency was 94% and 84%., Conclusions: The OCT imaging catheter successfully crossed long chronic total occlusions of the SFA using direct intra-arterial imaging. Compared to subintimal techniques, patients had high 1-year primary patency and prolonged symptom improvement with intraluminal crossing. These data suggest that intraluminal crossing of TASC D lesions may be superior to traditional subintimal crossing techniques., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The time interval between the peaks in the electroccardiogram (ECG) and ballistocardiogram (BCG) waveforms, TEB, has been associated with the pre-ejection period (PEP), which is an important marker of ventricular contractility. However, the applicability of BCG-related markers in clinical practice is limited by the difficulty to obtain a replicable and consistent signal on patients. In this study, we test the feasibility of BCG measurements within a complex clinical setting, by means of an accelerometer under the head pillow of patients admitted to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU). The proposed technique proved capable of capturing TEB based on the R peaks in the ECG and the BCG in its head-to-toe and dorso- ventral directions. TEB detection was found to be consistent and repeatable both in healthy individuals and SICU patients over multiple data acquisition sessions. This work provides a promising starting point to investigate how TEB changes may relate to the patients' complex health conditions and give additional clinical insight into their care needs.

Background: The Emergency Surgery Score (ESS) was recently validated as an accurate mortality risk calculator for emergency general surgery. We sought to prospectively evaluate whether ESS can predict the need for respiratory and/or renal support (RRS) at discharge after emergent laparotomies (EL)., Methods: This is a post hoc analysis of a 19-center prospective observational study. Between April 2018 and June 2019, all adult patients undergoing EL were enrolled. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables were systematically collected. In this analysis, patients were excluded if they died during the index hospitalization, were discharged to hospice, or transferred to other hospitals. A composite variable, the need for RRS, was defined as the need for one or more of the following at hospital discharge: tracheostomy, ventilator dependence, or dialysis. Emergency Surgery Score was calculated for all patients, and the correlation between ESS and RRS was examined using the c-statistics method., Results: From a total of 1,649 patients, 1,347 were included. Median age was 60 years, 49.4% were men, and 70.9% were White. The most common diagnoses were hollow viscus organ perforation (28.1%) and small bowel obstruction (24.5%); 87 patients (6.5%) had a need for RRS (4.7% tracheostomy, 2.7% dialysis, and 1.3% ventilator dependence). Emergency Surgery Score predicted the need for RRS in a stepwise fashion; for example, 0.7%, 26.2%, and 85.7% of patients required RRS at an ESS of 2, 12, and 16, respectively. The c-statistics for the need for RRS, the need for tracheostomy, ventilator dependence, or dialysis at discharge were 0.84, 0.82, 0.79, and 0.88, respectively., Conclusion: Emergency Surgery Score accurately predicts the need for RRS at discharge in EL patients and could be used for preoperative patient counseling and for quality of care benchmarking., Level of Evidence: Prognostic and epidemiological, level III., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)