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Background: Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects about 475,000 children in the United States annually. Studies from the 1990s showed worse mortality in pediatric TBI patients not transferred to a pediatric trauma center (PTC), but did not examine mild pediatric TBI. Evidence-based guidelines used to identify children with clinically insignificant TBI who do not require head CT were developed by the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN). However, which patients can be safely observed at a non-PTC is not directly addressed., Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted, focusing on management of pediatric TBI and transfer decisions from 1990 to 2020., Results: Pediatric TBI patients make up a great majority of preventable transfers and admissions, and comprise a significant portion of avoidable costs to the health care system. Majority of mild TBI patients admitted to a PTC following transfer do not require ICU care, surgical intervention, or additional imaging. Studies have shown that as high as 83% of mild pediatric TBI patients are discharged within 24 hrs., Conclusions: An evidence-based clinical practice algorithm was derived through synthesis of the data reviewed to guide transfer decision. The papers discussed in our systematic review largely concluded that transfer and admission was unnecessary and costly in pediatric patients with mild TBI who met the following criteria: blunt, no concern for NAT, low risk on PECARN assessment, or intermediate risk on PECARN with negative imaging or imaging with either isolated, nondisplaced skull fractures without ICH and/or EDH, or SDH <0.3 cm with no midline shift.

Background: Out of Pocket (OOP) payment continues to persist as the major mode of payment for healthcare in Nigeria despite the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Although the burden of health expenditure has been examined in some populations, the impact of OOP among slum dwellers in Nigeria when undergoing emergencies, is under-researched. This study sought to examine the prevalence, factors and predictors of catastrophic health expenditure amongst selected slum and non-slum communities undergoing emergency surgery in Southwestern Nigeria., Methods: The study utilised a descriptive cross-sectional survey design to recruit 450 households through a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires in 2017. Factors considered for analysis relating to the payer were age, sex, relationship of payer to patient, educational status, marital status, ethnicity, occupation, income and health insurance coverage. Variables factored into analysis for the patient were indication for surgery, grade of hospital, and type of hospital. Households were classified as incurring catastrophic health expenditure (CHE), if their OOP expenditure exceeded 5% of payers' household budget. Analysis of the data took into account the multistage sampling design., Results: Overall, 65.6% (95% CI: 55.6-74.5) of the total population that were admitted for emergency surgery, experienced catastrophic expenditure. The prevalence of catastrophic expenditure at 5% threshold, among the population scheduled for emergency surgeries, was significantly higher for slum dwellers (74.1%) than for non-slum dwellers (47.7%) (F = 8.59; p = 0.019). Multiple logistic regression models revealed the significant independent factors of catastrophic expenditure at the 5% CHE threshold to include setting of the payer (whether slum or non-slum dweller) (p = 0.019), and health insurance coverage of the payer (p = 0.012). Other variables were nonetheless significant in the bivariate analysis were age of the payer (p = 0.017), income (p<0.001) and marital status of the payer (p = 0.022)., Conclusion: Although catastrophic health expenditure was higher among the slum dwellers, substantial proportions of respondents incurred catastrophic health expenditure irrespective of whether they were slum or non-slum dwellers. Concerted efforts are required to implement protective measures against catastrophic health expenditure in Nigeria that also cater to slum dwellers., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

INTRODUCTION: In-flight medical emergencies (IFMEs) average 1 of every 604 flights and are expected to increase as the population ages and air travel increases. Flight diversions, or the rerouting of a flight to an alternate destination, occur in 2 to 13% of IFME cases, but may or may not be necessary as determined after the fact. Estimating the effect of IFME diversions compared to nonmedical diversions can be expected to improve our understanding of their impact and allow for more appropriate decision making during IFMEs. METHODS: The current study matched multiple disparate datasets, including medical data, flight plan and track data, passenger statistics, and financial data. Chi-squared analysis and independent samples t -tests compared diversion delays and costs metrics between flights diverted for medical vs. nonmedical reasons. Data were restricted to domestic flights between 1/1/2018 and 6/30/2019. RESULTS: Over 70% of diverted flights recover (continue on to their intended destination after diverting); however, flights diverted due to IFMEs recover more often and more quickly than do flights diverted for nonmedical reasons. IFME diversions introduce less delay overall and cost less in terms of direct operating costs and passenger value of time (averaging around 38,000) than do flights diverted for nonmedical reasons. DISCUSSION: Flights diverted due to IFMEs appear to have less impact overall than do flights diverted for nonmedical reasons. However, the lack of information related to costs for nonrecovered flights and the decision factors involved during nonmedical diversions hinders our ability to offer further insights. Lewis BA, Gawron VJ, Esmaeilzadeh E, Mayer RH, Moreno-Hines F, Nerwich N, Alves PM. Data-driven estimation of the impact of diversions due to in-flight medical emergencies on flight delay and aircraft operating costs . Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2021; 92(2):99105.

Background: Several composite measures of neighborhood social vulnerability exist and are used in the health disparity literature. This study assesses the performance of the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) compared with three similar measures used in the surgical literature: Area Deprivation Index (ADI), Community Needs Index (CNI), and Distressed Communities Index (DCI). There are advantages of the SVI over these other scales, and we hypothesize that it performs equivalently., Methods: We identified all cholecystectomies at a single, urban, academic hospital over a 9-month period. Cases were considered emergency if the patient presented and underwent surgery during that admission. We geocoded patient's addresses and assigned estimated SVI, ADI, CNI, and DCI. Cutoffs for high versus low social vulnerability were generated using Youden's index, and the scales were compared using multivariable modeling., Results: Overall, 366 patients met inclusion criteria, and the majority (n = 266, 73%) had surgery in the emergency setting. On multivariable modeling, patients with high social vulnerability were more likely to undergo emergency surgery compared with those with low social vulnerability in accordance with all four scales: SVI (OR 3.24, P < 0.001), ADI (OR 3.2, P < 0.001), CNI (OR 1.90, P = 0.04), and DCI (OR 2.01, P = 0.03). The scales all had comparable predictive value., Conclusions: The SVI performs similarly to other indices of neighborhood vulnerability in demonstrating disparities between emergency and elective surgery and is readily available and updated. Because the SVI has multiple subcategories in addition to the overall measure, it can be used to stratify by modifiable factors such as housing or transportation to inform interventions., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Study Objective: Single-payer health care is supported by most Americans, but the effect of single payer on any particular sector of the health care market has not been well explored. We examine the effect of 2 potential single-payer designs, Medicare for All and an alternative including Medicare and Medicaid, on total payments and out-of-pocket spending for treat-and-release emergency care (patients discharged after an emergency department [ED] visit)., Methods: We used the 2013 to 2016 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to determine estimates of payments made for ED visits by insurance type, and the 2015 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to estimate the proportion of ED visits covered by each insurance type., Results: We found that total payments were predicted to increase from $85.5 billion to $89.0 billion (range $81.3 to $99.8 billion) in the Medicare-only scenario and decrease to $79.4 billion (range $71.6 to $87.2 billion) under Medicare/Medicaid, whereas out-of-pocket costs were predicted to decrease from $116 per visit to $45 with Medicare and to $36 with Medicare/Medicaid., Conclusion: In this study of ED treat-and-release patients, a transition to a Medicare for All system may increase ED reimbursement and reduce consumer out-of-pocket costs, whereas a system that maintains Medicaid in addition to Medicare could reduce total payments for emergency care., (Copyright © 2020 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Emergency Care Networks (ECNs) were created as a response to the increased demand for emergency services and the ever-increasing waiting times experienced by patients in emergency rooms. In this sense, ECNs are called to provide a rapid diagnosis and early intervention so that poor patient outcomes, patient dissatisfaction, and cost overruns can be avoided. Nevertheless, ECNs, as nodal systems, are often inefficient due to the lack of coordination between emergency departments (EDs) and the presence of non-value added activities within each ED. This situation is even more complex in the public healthcare sector of low-income countries where emergency care is provided under constraint resources and limited innovation. Notwithstanding the tremendous efforts made by healthcare clusters and government agencies to tackle this problem, most of ECNs do not yet provide nimble and efficient care to patients. Additionally, little progress has been evidenced regarding the creation of methodological approaches that assist policymakers in solving this problem. In an attempt to address these shortcomings, this paper presents a three-phase methodology based on Discrete-event simulation, payment collateral models, and lean six sigma to support the design of in-time and economically sustainable ECNs. The proposed approach is validated in a public ECN consisting of 2 hospitals and 8 POCs (Point of Care). The results of this study evidenced that the average waiting time in an ECN can be substantially diminished by optimizing the cooperation flows between EDs., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Mortality and complications are not well defined nationally for emergency general surgery (EGS) patients presenting with underlying all-cause liver disease (LD)., Study Design: We analyzed the 2012-2014 National Inpatient Sample for adults (aged ≥ 18 years) with a primary EGS diagnosis. Underlying LD included International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes for alcoholic and viral hepatitis, malignancy, congenital etiologies, and cirrhosis. The primary outcome was mortality; secondary outcomes included complications, operative intervention, and costs., Results: Of the 6.8 million EGS patients, 358 766 (5.3%) had underlying LD. 59.1% had cirrhosis, 6.7% had portal hypertension, and 13.7% had ascites. Compared with other EGS patients, EGS-LD patients had higher mean costs ($12 847 vs $10 234, P < .001). EGS-LD patients were less likely to have surgery (26.1% vs 37.0%, P < .001) but for those who did, mortality was higher (4.8% vs 1.8%, P < .001). Risk factors for mortality included ascites (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.68, P < .001), dialysis (aOR = 3.44, P < .001), sepsis (aOR = 8.97, P < .001), and respiratory failure requiring intubation (aOR = 10.40, P < .001). Odds of death increased in both surgical (aOR = 4.93, P < .001) and non-surgical EGS-LD patients (aOR = 2.56, P < .001)., Conclusions: Underlying all-cause LD among EGS patients is associated with increased in-hospital mortality, even in the absence of surgical intervention.

Background: Pre-payment and risk pooling schemes, central to the idea of universal health coverage, should protect households from catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment; particularly when emergency care is required. Inadequate financial protection consequent on surgical emergencies occurs despite the existence of risk-pooling schemes. This study documented the experiences and coping strategies of slum and non-slum dwellers in a southwestern metropolis of Nigeria who had undergone emergency surgery., Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 31 participants (13 slums dwellers, 18 non-slum dwellers) who had recently paid for emergency surgical care in Ibadan. Patients who had experienced catastrophic health expenditure from the use of emergency surgical care were identified and people who paid for the care were purposively selected for the interviews. Using an in-depth interview guide, information on the experiences and overall coping strategies during and after the hospitalization was collected. Data were analyzed inductively using the thematic approach., Results: The mean age of the 31 participants (consisting of 7 men and 24 women) was 31 ± 5.6years. Apathy to savings limited the preparation for unplanned healthcare needs. Choice of hospital was determined by word of mouth, perceptions of good quality or prompt care and availability of staff. Social networks were relied on widely as a coping mechanism before and during the admission. Patients that were unable to pay experienced poor and humiliating treatment (in severe cases, incarceration). Inability to afford care was exacerbated by double billing and extraneous charges. It was opined that health care should be more affordable for all and that the current National Health Insurance Scheme, that was operating sub-optimally, should be strengthened appropriately for all to benefit., Conclusion: The study highlights households' poor attitude to health-related savings and pre-payment into a social solidarity fund to cover the costs of emergency surgical care. It also highlights the factors influencing costs of emergency surgical care and the role of social networks in mitigating the high costs of care. Improving financial protection from emergency surgical care would entail promoting a positive attitude to health-related savings, social solidarity and extending the benefits of social health insurance., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objective: To systematically review and appraise the quality of cost-effectiveness analyses of emergency care interventions in low- and middle-income countries., Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed®, Scopus, EMBASE®, Cochrane Library and Web of Science for studies published before May 2019. Inclusion criteria were: (i) an original cost-effectiveness analysis of emergency care intervention or intervention package, and (ii) the analysis occurred in a low- and middle-income setting. To identify additional primary studies, we hand searched the reference lists of included studies. We used the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards guideline to appraise the quality of included studies., Results: Of the 1674 articles we identified, 35 articles met the inclusion criteria. We identified an additional four studies from the reference lists. We excluded many studies for being deemed costing assessments without an effectiveness analysis. Most included studies were single-intervention analyses. Emergency care interventions evaluated by included studies covered prehospital services, provider training, treatment interventions, emergency diagnostic tools and facilities and packages of care. The reporting quality of the studies varied., Conclusion: We found large gaps in the evidence surrounding the cost-effectiveness of emergency care interventions in low- and middle-income settings. Given the breadth of interventions currently in practice, many interventions remain unassessed, suggesting the need for future research to aid resource allocation decisions. In particular, packages of multiple interventions and system-level changes represent a priority area for future research., ((c) 2020 The authors; licensee World Health Organization.)

In the United States (US), the lifetime incidence of incarceration is 6.6%, exceeding that of any other nation. Compared to the general US population, incarcerated individuals are disproportionally affected by chronic health conditions, mental illness, and substance use disorders. Barriers to accessing medical care are common in correctional facilities. We sought to characterize the local incarcerated patient population and explore barriers to medical care in these patients. We conducted a retrospective, observational cohort study by reviewing the medical records of incarcerated patients presenting to the adult emergency department (ED) of a single academic, tertiary care facility with medical or psychiatric (med/psych) and trauma-related emergencies between January 2012 and December 2014. Data on demographics, medical complexity, trauma intentionality, and barriers to medical care were analyzed using descriptive statistics, unpaired student's t-test or one-way analysis of variance for continuous variables, and chi-square analysis or Fisher's exact test as appropriate. Trauma patients were younger with fewer medical comorbidities and were less likely to be admitted to the hospital than med/psych patients. 47.8% of injuries resulted from violence or were self-inflicted. Most trauma-related complaints were managed by the emergency medicine physician in the ED. While barriers to medical care were not correlated with hospital admission, 5.4% of med/psych and 2.9% of trauma patients reported barriers as a contributing factor to the ED encounter. Med/psych patients commonly reported a lack of access to medications, while trauma patients reported a delay in medical care. Trauma-related presentations were less medically complex than med/psych-related complaints. Medical management of most injuries required no hospital resources outside of the ED, indicating a potential role for outpatient management of trauma-related complaints. Additional opportunities for health care improvement and cost savings include the implementation of programs that target violence, prevent injuries, and promote the continuity of medical care while incarcerated., Competing Interests: While author NT is currently employed with Medical Associates LLC, she had no affiliation with this commercial entity at the time of her contribution to this manuscript. University of Tennessee College of Medicine at Chattanooga provided support in the form of salaries for NT, JW, and RM, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. ApolloMD provided salaries for JW and RM, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. RM owns a small number of shares in Merck (42.618 shares) and Proctor and Gamble (51.27 shares), which were purchased for her when she was a minor and are not relevant to this research study. Our commercial entity affiliations do not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. We feel authors’ contributions are accurately reflected as documented in our manuscript submission.

Single ventricle congenital heart disease (SV CHD) patients are at risk of morbidity and mortality between the first and second palliative surgical procedures (interstage). When these patients present acutely they often require invasive intervention. This study sought to compare the outcomes and costs of elective and emergent invasive cardiac procedures for interstage patients. Retrospective review of discharge data from The Vizient Clinical Data Base/Resource Manager™, a national health care analytics platform. The database was queried for admissions from 10/2014 to 12/2017 for children 1-6 months old with ICD-9 or ICD-10 codes for SV CHD who underwent invasive cardiac procedures. Demographics, length of stay (LOS), complication rate, in-hospital mortality and direct costs were compared between elective and emergent admissions using t test or χ 2 , as appropriate. The three most frequently performed procedures were also compared. 871 admissions identified, with 141 (16%) emergent. Age of emergent admission was younger than elective (2.9 vs. 4 months p < 0.001). Emergent admissions including cardiac catheterization or superior cavo-pulmonary anastomosis had longer LOS (58.7 vs. 25.8 day, p < 0.001 and 54.8 vs .22.6 days, p < 0.001) and higher costs ($134,774 vs. $84,253, p = 0.013 and $158,679 vs. $81,899, p = 0.017). Emergent admissions for interstage SV CHD patients undergoing cardiac catheterization or superior cavo-pulmonary anastomosis are associated with longer LOS and higher direct costs, but with no differences in complications or mortality. These findings support aggressive interstage monitoring to minimize the need for emergent interventions for this fragile patient population.

Background: There are a number of limitations to the present primary eye care system in the UK. Patients with minor eye conditions typically either have to present to their local hospital or GP, or face a charge when visiting eye care professionals (optometrists). Some areas of the UK have commissioned enhanced community services to alleviate this problem; however, many areas have not. The present study is a needs assessment of three areas (Leeds, Airedale and Bradford) without a Minor Eye Conditions Service (MECS), with the aim of determining whether such a service is clinically or economically viable., Method: A pro forma was developed for optometrists and practice staff to complete when a patient presented whose reason for attending was due to symptoms indicative of a problem that could not be optically corrected. This form captured the reason for visit, whether the patient was seen, the consultation funding, the outcome and where the patient would have presented to if the optometrists could not have seen them. Optometrists were invited to participate via Local Optical Committees. Results were submitted via a Google form or a Microsoft Excel document and were analysed in Microsoft Excel., Results: Seventy-five percent of patients were managed in optometric practice. Nine and 16% of patients required subsequent referral to their General Practitioner or hospital ophthalmology department, respectively. Should they not have been seen, 34% of patients would have presented to accident and emergency departments and 59% to their general practitioner. 53% of patients paid privately for the optometrist appointment, 28% of patients received a free examination either through use of General Ophthalmic Service sight tests (9%) or optometrist good will (19%) and 19% of patients did not receive a consultation and were redirected to other providers (e.g. pharmacy, accident and emergency or General Practitioner). 88% of patients were satisfied with the level of service. Cost-analyses revealed a theoretical cost saving of £3198 to the NHS across our sample for the study period, indicating cost effectiveness., Conclusions: This assessment demonstrates that a minor eye condition service in the local areas would be economically and clinically viable and well received by patients.

Background: Acute care surgery (ACS) comprises trauma, surgical critical care, and emergency general surgery (EGS), encompassing both operative and nonoperative conditions. While the burden of EGS and trauma has been separately considered, the global footprint of ACS has not been fully characterized. We sought to characterize the costs and scope of influence of ACS-related conditions. We hypothesized that ACS patients comprise a substantial portion of the US inpatient population. We further hypothesized that ACS patients differ from other surgical and non-surgical patients across patient characteristics., Methods: We queried the National Inpatient Sample 2014, a nationally representative database for inpatient hospitalizations. To capture all adult ACS patients, we included adult admissions with any International Classification of Diseases-9th Rev.-Clinical Modification diagnosis of trauma or an International Classification of Diseases-9th Rev.-Clinical Modification diagnosis for one of the 16 AAST-defined EGS conditions. Weighted patient data were presented to provide national estimates., Results: Of the 29.2 million adult patients admitted to US hospitals, approximately 5.9 million (20%) patients had an ACS diagnosis. ACS patients accounted for US $85.8 billion, or 25% of total US inpatient costs (US $341 billion). When comparing ACS to non-ACS inpatient populations, ACS patients had higher rates of health care utilization with longer lengths of stay (5.9 days vs. 4.5 days, p < 0.001), and higher mean costs (US $14,466 vs. US $10,951, p < 0.001. Of all inpatients undergoing an operative procedure, 27% were patients with an ACS diagnosis. Overall, 3,186 (70%) of US hospitals cared for both trauma and EGS patients., Conclusion: Acute care surgery patients comprise 20% of the inpatient population, but 25% of total inpatient costs in the United States. In addition to being costly, they overall have higher health care utilization and worse outcomes. This suggests that there is an opportunity to improve clinical trajectory for ACS patients that in turn, can affect the overall US health care costs., Level of Evidence: Epidemiologic, level III.

Background: Recent articles have suggested regionalization of some emergency general surgery (EGS) problems to tertiary referral centers. We sought to characterize the clinical and cost burden of such transfers to our tertiary referral center., Materials and Methods: Data were collected retrospectively for nine EGS diagnoses for patients admitted to the EGS service during calendar years 2015 and 2016. Patients were grouped as inpatient transfers (IPTs), Emergency Department transfers (EDTs), or local admissions (LAs). Demographic data, length of stay at originating site, insurance status, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and all relevant financial data were obtained., Results: Six hundred sixty-three patients were reviewed: 93 IPTs, 343 EDTs, and 227 LAs. IPTs required longer lengths of stay (7.0 d compared to 4.0 d for EDTs and 3.0 d for LAs), higher median direct costs, and higher case mix index, which produced a higher median revenue but averaged a median net loss (-$264 compared to +$2436 for EDTs and +$3125 for LAs). The IPTs had higher median comorbidities (Charlson Comorbidity Index 3.5 versus 2.9 for EDTs and 2.0 for LAs), age (62 y versus 58 for EDTs and 52 for LAs), and mortality rate (7.5% versus 2.3% for EDTs and 0.4% for LAs)., Conclusions: Patients who present to a tertiary care EGS service as an IPT from another hospital have more comorbidities, higher mortality rate, and result in a financial loss. These data suggest the need for adequate risk adjustment in quality assessment of tertiary referral center outcomes and the need for increased financial reimbursement for the care of these patients., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare the outcomes of two emergency treatment procedures to alleviate pain from localised symptomatic apical periodontitis: complete chemo-mechanical disinfection (CMD) of the root canal system, or removal of necrotic tissue from the pulp chamber (RNT), that is without instrumentation of the root canals., Methods: Fifty-seven consecutive patients from the emergency clinic at Malmö University met the inclusion criteria: spontaneous pain and/or pain on percussion and palpation, non-bleeding pulp in the canal orifice, pain ≥4 on a Numeric Rating Scale and ≥18 years of age. The diagnosis was symptomatic apical periodontitis, in the absence of swelling and/or fever. Pre-operative pain levels and intake of analgesics were registered. The patients were randomised to one of the two treatment groups. Three to five days post-operatively, the patients were contacted by telephone and asked to grade their current pain level and report any post-operative intake of analgesics and antibiotics., Results: Of the patients treated with CMD of the root canal system, 26/30 (87%) reported satisfactory pain relief, compared with 22/27 (81%) of those treated by RNT. There was no mean difference in pain relief between the two groups (P = 0.879). Post-operatively, 37% in each group reported using analgesics and one in each group reported using antibiotics., Conclusion: Three to five days after treatment, a majority (>80%) in both groups reported adequate pain relief, in some cases in combination with analgesics. Removal of necrotic and infected tissue from the pulp chamber might therefore be a cost-effective emergency treatment alternative to complete chemo-mechanical disinfection., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Pediatric neurosurgeons are occasionally tasked with performing surgery expeditiously to preserve a child's neurologic faculties and life., Objective: This study examines the etiologies, outcomes, and costs for urgent or emergent craniotomies at a Level I Pediatric Trauma center over a 7-year time period., Methods: A retrospective review was conducted for each patient who underwent an emergent or urgent craniotomy within 24 hours of presentation between January 2010 and April 2017. Demographic, clinical, and surgical details were recorded for a total of 48 variables. Any readmission within 90 days was analyzed. Hospital charges for each admission and readmission were collected and adjusted for inflation to October 2018 values., Results: Among the 223 children who underwent urgent or emergent craniotomies, the majority were admitted for traumatic injuries (n = 163, 73.1%). The most common traumatic mechanism was fall (n = 51, 22.9%), and the most common non-traumatic cause was tumor (n = 21, 9.4%). Overall, craniotomies were typically performed for hematoma evacuation of one type or combination (n = 115, 51.6%) during off-peak times (n = 178, 79.8%). Seventy-seven (34.5%) subjects experienced 1 or more postoperative events, 22 of whom returned to the operating room. There were 13 (5.8%) and 33 (14.8%) readmissions within 30 days and 90 days of discharge, respectively. Non-trauma patients (compared with trauma patients) and polytrauma (compared with isolated head injury) had greater healthcare needs, resulting in higher charges., Conclusion: Most urgent or emergent pediatric craniotomies were performed for the treatment of traumatic injuries involving hematoma evacuation, but non-traumatic patients were more complex requiring greater resources., (© 2019 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Introduction: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (APIS) lies at the northern tip of Wisconsin and is home to a network of 21 islands along Lake Superior. The goal of this report is to investigate search and rescue (SAR) and emergency medical services (EMS) trends at APIS in an effort to improve visitor safety and resource allocation., Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis reviewing APIS SAR reports and annual EMS summary reports from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2015. Information related to incident type, incident date, individual demographic characteristics and activities, injury/illness type, cost, and contributing factors were recorded and analyzed in frequency tables., Results: From 2006 to 2015, APIS SAR conducted 133 total missions assisting 261 individuals-200 not injured/ill, 57 injured/ill, and 4 fatalities. Median cost per SAR incident involving aircraft totaled $21,695 (range: $2,993-141,849), whereas incidents not involving aircraft had a median cost of $363 (range: $35-8,830). Nonmotorized boating was the most common activity resulting in SAR incidents. All 4 fatalities were attributed to drowning while kayaking or swimming. Cold-related injury/illness accounted for nearly half of all injuries/illnesses (45%) with the most commonly reported contributing factor being high winds. EMS responded to a total of 134 incidents. Trauma and first aid accounted for 43% and 34% of EMS workload, respectively., Conclusions: Overall, this study highlights the hazards associated with the frigid and rough conditions of Lake Superior. The reported results aim to help APIS personnel more saliently convey risks to visitors and plan appropriately in an effort to decrease the need for future rescues., (Copyright © 2018 Wilderness Medical Society. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Hospitalization brings considerable economic pressure on COPD patients in China. A clear understanding of hospitalization costs for patients with COPD is warranted to improve treatment strategies and to control costs. Currently, investigation on factors contributing to hospitalization costs for patients with COPD in China is limited. This study aimed to measure the hospitalization costs of COPD and to determine the contributing factors., Patients and Methods: Medical record data from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from January 2016 to December 2016 were used for a retrospective analysis. Patients who were hospitalized with a diagnosis of COPD were included. Patient characteristics, medical treatment, and hospitalization costs were analyzed by descriptive statistics and multivariable regression., Results: Among the 1,943 patients included in this study, 87.85% patients were male; the mean (SD) age was 71.15 (9.79) years; 94.49% patients had comorbidities; and 82.30% patients had health insurance. Regarding medical treatment, the mean (SD) length of stay was 9.38 (7.65) days; 11.12% patients underwent surgery; 87.91% used antibiotics; and 4.53% underwent emergency treatment. For hospitalization costs, the mean (SD) of the total costs per COPD patient per admission was 24,372.75 (44,173.87) CNY (3,669.33 [6,650.38] USD), in which Western medicine fee was the biggest contributor (45.53%) followed by diagnosis fee (27.00%) and comprehensive medical fee (12.04%). Regression found that reimbursement (-0.032; 95% CI -0.046 to 0.007), length of stay (0.738; 95% CI 0.832-0.892), comorbidity (0.044; 95% CI 0.029-0.093), surgery (0.145; 95% CI 0.120-0.170), antibiotic use (0.086; 95% CI 0.060-0.107), and emergency treatment (0.121; 95% CI 0.147-0.219) were significantly ( P <0.01) associated with total hospitalization costs., Conclusion: To control hospitalization costs for COPD patients in China, the significance of comorbidity, length of stay, antibiotic use, surgery, and emergency treatment suggests the importance of controlling the COPD progression and following clinical guidelines for inpatients. Interventions such as examination of pulmonary function for early detection, quality control of medical treatment, and patient education warrant further investigation., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

We describe below the pressures of running a small private hospital in an underserved rural area, while providing emergency healthcare for victims of poisonous stings, accidents, and other acute health conditions. Both ethics and law demand that payment is not asked for upfront in emergency cases. Yet patients and their families often fail to pay normal dues for months or even years. It is disturbing to encounter such behaviour even in villages; and doctors in small communities are easy prey. In these conditions can one be true to ethical principles and ensure one's own survival?

Background: Patients and hospitals face significant financial burdens from emergency general surgeries (EGSs), which have been termed a public health crisis in the United States. We evaluated hospitalization charges, operating charges, and variations in operating time by surgeon volume for three common EGS procedures., Methods: Using Maryland's Health Services Cost Review Commission database, we performed a retrospective study of laparoscopic appendectomies, laparoscopic cholecystectomies, and open bowel resections performed by general surgeons among adult patients from July 2012 to September 2014. We compared operating charges to total hospitalization charges and quantified variations in operating time for each procedure. We then divided patients into quartiles based on their surgeon's procedure-specific case volume and used hierarchical linear regressions to calculate differences in both operating time and charges between quartiles., Results: We identified 3194 appendectomies, 4143 cholecystectomies, and 1478 bowel resections. Operating charges accounted for one-quarter (26.9%) of total hospitalization charges and widespread variation existed in operating time (appendectomies: median 79 min [interquartile range 66-100 min], cholecystectomies: 96 min [76-125 min], bowel resections: 155 min [117-209 min]). After adjustment, low-volume surgeons relative to high-volume surgeons did not operate statistically longer for appendectomies (+1%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -2% to 5%) but operated +16% (95% CI: 12%-20%) longer for cholecystectomies (+14 min) and +40% (95% CI: 30%-50%) longer for bowel resections (+59 min). Adjusted median operating charges from low-volume surgeons relative to high-volume surgeons were $554 (26.7%), $621 (22.0%), and $1801 (47.0%) greater for appendectomies, cholecystectomies, and bowel resections, respectively., Conclusions: Operating charges contributed substantially to total EGS hospitalization charges, where low-volume surgeons operated longer and had higher operative charges relative to high-volume surgeons. Reducing variations in operating times and charges represents an opportunity to alleviate the financial burden from EGS procedures., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Rapid response calls (RRCs) are designed to appropriately manage clinical deterioration. However, not all RRCs are appropriate due to medical futility or the patient's wishes. Incidence and costs associated with avoidable-RRC (ARRC) remain underexplored., Aims: The aim of this study was to describe the incidence and costs of ARRC activations in older patients., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed RRCs in patients aged ≥80 years over six months. We defined ARRC as RRC activations despite clear documentation confirming not for further RRCs. Data on investigations, equipment and management of each ARRC were analysed. We then micro-costed each ARRC using standard references., Results: Ten percent (25/255) of RRCs were ARRC (mean age 85.6 years) with most patients (88%) admitted under medical teams. Median duration of ARRC was 22 minutes (IQR 7-38 minutes). Palliative care services were underutilised (40%). Most patients (94.4%) died soon after ARRC. The costs for investigations, equipment and management was AUD $2,267.01, opportunity costs were AUD $3,861.55, with a grand total cost of AUD $6,128.56., Conclusion: ARRC, noted in 10% of RRCs, are associated with increased time and financial costs. Further research is required to better understand ARRC triggers to reduce the burden of ARRC on patients, carers and hospital staff., Competing Interests: Nil.

Background/aim: Head injuries are commonly seen in the pediatric population. Noncontrast enhanced cranial CT is the method of choice to detect possible traumatic brain injury (TBI). Concerns about ionizing radiation exposure make the evaluation more challenging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) rules in predicting clinically important TBI and to determine the amount of medical resource waste and unnecessary radiation exposure.Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 1041 pediatric patients presented to the emergency department. The patients were divided into subgroups of "appropriate for cranial CT", "not appropriate for cranial CT" and "cranial CT/observation of patient; both are appropriate". To determine the effectiveness of the PECARN rules, data were analyzed according to the presence of pathological findings Results: "Appropriate for cranial CT" results can predict pathology presence 118,056-fold compared to the "not appropriate for cranial CT" results. With "cranial CT/observation of patient; both are appropriate" results, pathology presence was predicted 11,457-fold compared to "not appropriate for cranial CT" results.Conclusion: PECARN rules can predict pathology presence successfully in pediatric TBI. Using PECARN can decrease resource waste and exposure to ionizing radiation.

Background: Care provided in the emergency department (ED) can cost up to five times as much as care received for comparable diagnoses in alternative settings. Small groups of patients, many of whom suffer from an opioid use disorder, often account for a large proportion of total ED visits. We recently conducted, and demonstrated the effectiveness of, the first randomized controlled trial of a citywide ED care-coordination program intending to reduce prescription-opioid-related ED visits. All EDs in the metropolitan study area were connected to a Web-based information exchange system., Objective: The objective of this article was to perform an economic evaluation of the 12-month trial from a third-party-payer perspective., Methods: We modeled the person-period monthly for the 12-month observation period, and estimated total treatment costs and return on investment (ROI) with regard to cost offsets, over time, for all visits where the patient was admitted to and discharged from the ED., Results: By the end of month 4, the mean cumulative cost differential was significantly lower for intervention relative to treatment-as-usual participants (-$1370; p = 0.03); this figure climbed to -$3200 (p = 0.02) by the end of month 12. The ROI trended upward throughout the observation period, but failed to reach statistical significance by the end of month 12 (ROI = 3.39, p = 0.07)., Conclusion: The intervention produced significant cost offsets by the end of month 4, which continued to accumulate throughout the trial; however, ROI was not significant. Because the per-patient administrative costs of the program are incurred at the time of enrollment, our results highlight the importance of future studies that are able to follow participants for a period beyond 12 months to more accurately estimate the program's ROI., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Outcomes after nonelective surgery for gastric cancer (GC) are poorly defined. Our objective was to compare outcomes of patients undergoing nonelective GC surgery after admission through the emergency department (EDSx) with patients receiving elective surgery or surgery after planned admission (non-EDSx) nationally., Methods: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was used to examine patients undergoing GC surgery between 2008 and 2012. Demographics and outcomes were compared between EDSx and non-EDSx. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine predictors of discharge to home., Results: Of 9279 patients, 1143 (12%) underwent EDSx. They were more likely to be female (42 vs. 35%), nonwhite (56 vs. 33%), aged ≥75 years (40 vs. 26%), in the lowest quartile for household income (31 vs. 25%), have one or more comorbidities (87 vs. 70%), treated at a nonteaching hospital (46 vs. 25%), and have a concomitant diagnosis of obstruction, perforation, or bleeding (30 vs. 6%). They had longer total length of stay (LOS; 16 vs. 9 days), longer median postoperative stays (10 vs. 9 days), higher in-hospital mortality (8 vs. 3%), and were less likely to be discharged home (63 vs. 82%). EDSx was more expensive ($125,300 vs. $83,604). EDSx was associated with a lower likelihood of discharge to home (odds ratio 0.52, 95% CI 0.43-0.62)., Conclusions: Nationally, 12% of GC surgeries are performed after emergency department admission, which occurs more frequently in vulnerable populations and results in worse outcomes. Understanding factors leading to increased EDSx and developing strategies to decrease EDSx may improve GC surgery outcomes.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) imposes a substantial cost burden on the healthcare system. Weight and risk factor management (RFM) reduces AF burden and improves the outcomes of AF ablation., Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the cost and clinical effectiveness of integrating RFM into the overall management of AF., Methods: Of 1,415 consecutive patients with symptomatic AF, 825 patients had body mass index ≥27 kg/m 2 . After screening for exclusion criteria, the final cohort comprised 355 patients: 208 patients who opted for RFM and 147 control subjects and were followed by 3 to 6 monthly clinic review, 7-day Holter monitoring, and AF Symptom Score. A decision analytical model calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of cost per unit of global well-being gained and unit of AF burden reduced., Results: There were no differences in baseline characteristics or follow-up duration (p = NS). Arrhythmia-free survival was better in the RFM compared with control subjects (Kaplan-Meier: 79% vs. 44%; p < 0.001). At follow-up, RFM group had less unplanned specialist visits (0.19 ± 0.40 vs. 1.94 ± 2.00; p < 0.001), hospitalizations (0.74 ± 1.3 vs. 1.05 ± 1.60; p = 0.03), cardioversions (0.89 ± 1.50 vs. 1.51 ± 2.30; p = 0.002), emergency presentations (0.18 ± 0.50 vs. 0.76 ± 1.20; p < 0.001), and ablation procedures (0.60 ± 0.69 vs. 0.72 ± 0.86; p = 0.03). Antihypertensive (0.53 ± 0.70 vs. 0.78 ± 0.60; p = 0.04) and antiarrhythmic (0.26 ± 0.50 vs. 0.91 ± 0.60; p = 0.003) use declined in RFM. The RFM group had an increase of 0.1930 quality-adjusted life years and a cost saving of $12,094 (incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of $62,653 saved per quality-adjusted life years gained)., Conclusions: A structured physician-directed RFM program is clinically effective and cost saving., (Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives/hypothesis: Angioedema (AE) is a condition that may prompt a visit to an emergency department (ED), and can quickly progress to airway obstruction. To optimize treatment of AE, it is necessary to understand epidemiology and practice patterns. This study measured the magnitude of AE ED visits and characterized demographics, management, frequency of airway interventions, and mortality., Study Design: Analysis of two national data sets., Methods: From the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, we identified all patients presenting from 2006 to 2010 with a primary diagnosis of AE, characterized by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification code 995.1. The discharges were weighted and stratified by comorbidities, age, treatments, and region. χ 2 , t test, and linear regression were employed for comparisons., Results: Total discharges increased from 87,481 (29.3 of 100,000 people) to 111,116 (35.8 of 100,000 people). More females were afflicted (57%), and 41.1% were African American. The majority (83%) of patients were discharged from the ED. Twelve percent of cases were attributed to antihypertensive adverse reaction, and these patients were older (P < .0001, odds ratio [OR] = 1.02), and had more comorbidities (P < .0001, OR = 5.66), hospital admissions (P < .0001, OR = 4.83), and intubations (P < .03, OR = 2.07). Overall, patients required intubation infrequently (<1%) and mortality was low (0.08%)., Conclusions: The AE burden on EDs has increased over time. Patients with adverse reactions to antihypertensives are older, have more comorbidities, and require admission and intubation more frequently. Further investigation is needed to better delineate causation and outcome predictors, and to understand regional practice variance., Level of Evidence: 2c. Laryngoscope, 127:828-834, 2017., (© 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Virtual clinics have been shown to be safe and cost-effective in many specialties, yet barriers exist to their implementation in orthopaedics. The aims of this study were to look at whether the management of 5th metatarsal fractures using a virtual fracture clinic model is safe, cost effective and avoids adverse outcomes whilst being acceptable to patients using the service. All patients with a fifth metatarsal fracture between September 2013 and September 2015 had a standardised management plan initiated (blackboot, full weightbearing) in the emergency department (ED). 663 patients met inclusion criteria, 251 (37.5%) Type 1, 111 (17%) Type 2 (Jones'), 281 (42%) Type 3 or distal, 20 (3%) were misdiagnosed, and 4 (0.5%) patient's images were unavailable. 499 (75%) patients were discharged immediately, 47 (7%) had further imaging, 114 (17%) had either ESP or consultant clinic review, and 3 (<1%) transferred their care privately. The average number of clinic visits per patient was 0.17. At a conservative estimate of 1.3 visits per patient in a traditional pathway this saved 779 clinic visits with a cost saving of £60,000 on clinic visits alone. There were 8 (7%) asymptomatic non-unions in Type 2 (Jones') fractures. One patient required surgical intervention. Fifth metatarsal fractures have excellent outcomes with conservative management yet traditionally have required clinic visits to confirm the diagnosis and explain the management and prognosis. Our study supports the use of a virtual fracture clinic model that is standardised, initiated in ED, that is both safe and cost-effective., (Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Affordable Care Act has the potential to significantly affect access to care for previously uninsured patients in need of emergency general surgical care. Our objective was to determine the relationship between insurance status and disease complexity at presentation among a national sample of emergency general surgical patients., Methods: Data from the National Emergency Department Sample from 2006-2009 were queried to identify all patients aged 18-64 years old admitted through the emergency department with a primary diagnosis of appendicitis, diverticulitis, inguinal hernia, or bowel obstruction. Primary outcome of complex presentation was defined as also presenting with generalized peritonitis, intra-abdominal abscess, perforated bowel, intestinal gangrene, or other disease-specific measures of complexity. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine the independent association between insurance status and complex presentation. Models accounted for patient- and hospital-level covariates. Counterfactual models were used to estimate the risk of complex presentation attributable to lack of insurance., Results: A total of 1,373,659 patients were included, with an overall uninsured rate of 12.3%. Uninsured patients had significantly higher, unadjusted rates of complex presentation, and uninsured payer status was independently associated with complex presentation (odds ratio 1.38, 95% confidence interval: 1.34-1.42). Counterfactual models suggest that having insurance would result in a 22.37% (95% confidence interval: 22.35-22.39%) relative decline in risk of complex emergency general surgical presentation among the uninsured population., Conclusion: Insurance status is independently associated with severity of disease at presentation among emergency general surgical conditions nationally. In light of recently reaffirmed Affordable Care Act insurance expansion provisions, these results anticipate increased timely access to operative care for newly insured patients and a corresponding decline in complex, emergency general surgical presentations., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: The author of this paper declares no conflicts of interest exist with this submission.

Introduction: We aim to outline the annual cost of setting up and running a standard, local, multi-professional obstetric emergencies training course, PROMPT (PRactical Obstetric Multi-Professional Training), at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK - a unit caring for approximately 6500 births per year., Material and Methods: A retrospective, micro-costing analysis was performed. Start-up costs included purchasing training mannequins and teaching props, printing of training materials and assembly of emergency boxes (real and training). The variable costs included administration time, room hire, additional printing and the cost of releasing all maternity staff in the unit, either as attendees or trainers. Potential, extra start-up costs for maternity units without established training were also included., Results: The start-up costs were €5574 and the variable costs for 1 year were €143 232. The total cost of establishing and running training at Southmead for 1 year was €148 806. Releasing staff as attendees or trainers accounted for 89% of the total first year costs, and 92% of the variable costs. The cost of running training in a maternity unit with around 6500 births per year was approximately €23 000 per 1000 births for the first year and around €22 000 per 1000 births in subsequent years., Conclusions: The cost of local, multi-professional obstetric emergencies training is not cheap, with staff costs potentially representing over 90% of the total expenditure. It is therefore vital that organizations consider the clinical effectiveness of local training packages before implementing them, to ensure the optimal allocation of finite healthcare budgets., (© 2016 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.)

Aim: Population-based screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is being considered in New Zealand. However, there is a lack of data to support its cost effectiveness in this country. The aim of this study was to compare the hospital costs of AAA repair in emergency and elective cases over a 3-year period in a single centre in New Zealand., Methods: A retrospective observational analysis of consecutive patients undergoing elective and emergency AAA repair during the study period (January 2009 to December 2011) was performed., Results: A total of 169 AAA repairs were performed during the study period, of which 114 (67%) were open repairs. Sixty-four of these were open elective AAA repairs, 40 were open ruptured repairs, and 10 were open symptomatic repairs. The mean inpatient cost was $38,804 for open ruptured AAA repair and $28,019 for open elective repair, a difference of $10,785 (95%CI: $249 to $21,321; p=.045). The costs of blood products and laboratory investigations were significantly greater in the ruptured group than the elective. There was no significant difference in length of hospital admission between the groups., Conclusions: This study demonstrates that ruptured AAA repairs are more expensive than elective AAA repairs, despite no difference in length of hospital stay. The estimated inpatient costs documented in this study for each type of repair can be used for cost-effectiveness analysis in New Zealand. A screening program that reduces the incidence of surgery for ruptured AAA could decrease the average inpatient cost of AAA repairs.

Introduction: Frequent emergency department (ED) use has been identified as a cause of ED overcrowding and increasing health care costs. Studies have examined the expense of frequent patients (FPs) to hospitals but have not added the cost Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to estimate the total cost of this pattern of care., Methods: Data on 2012 ED visits to a rural Level I Trauma Center and public safety net hospital were collected through a deidentified patient database. Transport data and 2012 Medicare Reimbursement Schedules were used to estimate the cost of EMS transport. Health information, outcomes, and costs were compared to find differences between the FP and non-FP group., Results: This study identified 1242 FPs who visited the ED 5 or more times in 2012. Frequent patients comprised 3.25% of ED patients but accounted for 17% of ED visits and 13.7% of hospital costs. Frequent patients had higher rates of chronic disease, severity scores, and mortality. Frequent patients arrived more often via ambulance and accounted for 32% of total transports at an estimated cost of $2.5-$3.2 million. Hospital costs attributable to FPs were $29.1 million, bringing the total cost of emergency care to $31.6-$32.3 million, approximately $25,000 per patient., Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the inclusion of a prehospital cost estimate adds approximately 10% to the cost of care for the FP population. In addition to improving care for a sick population of patients, programs that reduce frequent EMS and ED use have the potential to produce a favorable cost benefit to communities and health systems., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Acute care of seriously ill children is a global public health issue, and there is much scope for improving quality of care in hospitals at all levels in many developing countries. We describe the current state of paediatric emergency and acute care in the least developed regions of low and middle income countries and identify gaps and requirements for improving quality. Approaches are needed which span the continuum of care: from triage and emergency treatment, the diagnostic process, identification of co-morbidities, treatment, monitoring and supportive care, discharge planning and follow-up. Improvements require support and training for health workers and quality processes. Effective training is that which is ongoing, combining good technical training in under-graduate courses and continuing professional development. Quality processes combine evidence-based guidelines, essential medicines, appropriate technology, appropriate financing of services, standards and assessment tools and training resources. While initial emergency treatment is based on common clinical syndromes, early differentiation is required for specific treatment, and this can usually be carried out clinically without expensive tests. While global strategies are important, it is what happens locally that makes a difference and is too often neglected. In rural areas in the poorest countries in the world, public doctors and nurses who provide emergency and acute care for children are revered by their communities and demonstrate daily that much can be carried out with little., (© 2016 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2016 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).)

Introduction: Previous studies have demonstrated an association of low socioeconomic status with frequent asthma exacerbations. However, there have been no recent multicenter efforts to examine the relationship of insurance status - a proxy for socioeconomic status - with asthma severity and management in adults. The objective is to investigate chronic and acute asthma management disparities by insurance status among adults requiring emergency department (ED) treatment in the United States., Methods: We conducted a multicenter chart review study (48 EDs in 23 U.S. states) on ED patients, aged 18-54 years, with acute asthma between 2011 and 2012. Each site underwent training (lecture, practice charts, certification) before reviewing randomly selected charts. We categorized patients into three groups based on their primary health insurance: private, public, and no insurance. Outcome measures were chronic asthma severity (as measured by ≥2 ED visits in one-year period) and management prior to the index ED visit, acute asthma management in the ED, and prescription at ED discharge., Results: The analytic cohort comprised 1,928 ED patients with acute asthma. Among these, 33% had private insurance, 40% had public insurance, and 27% had no insurance. Compared to patients with private insurance, those with public insurance or no insurance were more likely to have ≥2 ED visits during the preceding year (35%, 49%, and 45%, respectively; p<0.001). Despite the higher chronic severity, those with no insurance were less likely to have guideline-recommended chronic asthma care - i.e., lower use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS [41%, 41%, and 29%; p<0.001]) and asthma specialist care (9%, 10%, and 4%; p<0.001). By contrast, there were no significant differences in acute asthma management in the ED - e.g., use of systemic corticosteroids (75%, 79%, and 78%; p=0.08) or initiation of ICS at ED discharge (12%, 12%, and 14%; p=0.57) - by insurance status., Conclusion: In this multicenter observational study of ED patients with acute asthma, we found significant discrepancies in chronic asthma severity and management by insurance status. By contrast, there were no differences in acute asthma management among the insurance groups.

Acute care surgery services continue expanding to provide emergency general surgery (EGS) care. The aim of this study is to define the characteristics of the EGS population in Maryland. Retrospective review of the Health Services Cost Review Commission database from 2009 to 2013 was performed. American Association for the Surgery of Trauma-defined EGS ICD-9 codes were used to define the EGS population. Data collected included patient demographics, admission origin [emergency department (ED) versus non-ED], length of stay (LOS), mortality, and disposition. There were 3,157,646 encounters. In all, 817,942 (26%) were EGS encounters, with 76 per cent admitted via an ED. The median age of ED patients that died was 74 years versus 61 years for those that lived (P < 0.001). Twenty one per cent of ED admitted patients had a LOS > 7 days. Of 78,065 non-ED admitted patients, the median age of those that died was 68 years versus 59 years for those that lived (P < 0.001). Twenty eight per cent of non-ED admits had LOS > 7 days. In both ED and non-ED patients, there was a bimodal distribution of death, with most patients dying at LOS ≤ 2 or LOS > 7 days. In this study, EGS diagnoses are present in 26 per cent of inpatient encounters in Maryland. The EGS population is elderly with prolonged LOS and a bimodal distribution of death.

Background: Early invasive intervention is associated with shorter length of stay (LOS) and similar outcomes in a delayed strategy in lower-risk patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTEACS), but is superior in higher-risk patients. However, early invasive intervention might be constrained by the need to mobilize the on-call team on weekends. We evaluated costs associated with an early vs delayed invasive intervention strategy, including patients who present on weekends., Methods: Health care utilization was extracted from the Timing of Intervention in Acute Coronary Syndromes (TIMACS) trial for Canadian patients from case report forms. Only direct costs were considered and only hospitalization events were included. Canadian unit costs were applied to health care resources consumed for all patients. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were performed., Results: Early invasive intervention reduced LOS costs by $2808 (95% confidence interval [CI], $4,629-$987). Total costs per Canadian patient for early invasive intervention were $16,579 (95% CI, $14,949-$18,209) compared with $19,517 (95% CI, $17,897-$21,136) for the delayed invasive approach. This resulted in a savings of $2938 (95% CI, $5236-$640). Findings were confirmed using bootstrap simulation. Sensitivity analyses confirmed savings regardless of proportion of cases done on weekends. All subgroup costs favoured early intervention., Conclusions: Early invasive strategy was cost-saving, even on weekends, for Canadian NSTEACS patients because of significant LOS savings. Because many high-risk NSTEACS patients receive delayed intervention because of weekend catheterization laboratory status, these findings support opening catheterization laboratories on weekends to facilitate the use of early invasive intervention., (Copyright © 2015 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To compare health-related and cost-related outcomes of consultations for symptoms suggestive of minor ailments in emergency departments (EDs), general practices and community pharmacies., Design: Observational study; prospective cohort design., Setting: EDs (n=2), general practices (n=6) and community pharmacies (n=10) in a mix of rural/urban and deprived/affluent areas across North East Scotland and East Anglia. Participants Adults (≥18 years) presenting between 09:00 and 18:00 (Monday-Friday) in general practices and 09:00-18:00 (Monday-Saturday) in pharmacies and EDs with ≥1 of the following: musculoskeletal pain; eye discomfort; gastrointestinal disturbance; or upper respiratory tract-related symptoms., Interventions: Participants completed three questionnaires: baseline (prior to index consultation); satisfaction with index consultation and follow-up (2 weeks after index consultation)., Main Outcome Measures: Symptom resolution, quality of life, costs, satisfaction and influences on care-seeking behaviour., Results: 377 patients participated, recruited from EDs (81), general practices (162) and community pharmacies (134). The 2-week response rate was 70% (264/377). Symptom resolution was similar across all three settings: ED (37.3%), general practice (35.7%) and pharmacy (44.3%). Mean overall costs per consultation were significantly lower for pharmacy (£29.30 (95% CI £21.60 to £37.00)) compared with general practice (£82.34 (95% CI £63.10 to £101.58)) and ED (£147.09 (95% CI £125.32 to £168.85)). Satisfaction varied across settings and by measure used. Compared with pharmacy and general practice use, ED use was significantly (p<0.001) associated with first episode and short duration of symptom(s), as well as higher levels of perceived seriousness and urgency for seeking care. Convenience of location was the most common reason for choice of consultation setting., Conclusions: These results suggest similar health-related outcomes and substantially lower costs with pharmacy consultations for minor ailments. Effective strategies are now needed to shift demand for minor ailment management away from EDs and general practices to the community pharmacy setting., (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.)

Objectives: We examined whether safety net hospitals reduce the likelihood of emergency colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery in uninsured and Medicaid-insured patients. If these patients have better access to care through safety net providers, they should be less likely to undergo emergency resection relative to similar patients at non- safety net hospitals., Study Design: Using population-based data, we estimated the relationship between safety net hospitals, patient insurance status, and emergency CRC surgery. We extracted inpatient admission data from the Virginia Health Information discharge database and matched them to the Virginia Cancer Registry for patients aged 21 to 64 years who underwent a CRC resection between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2005 (n = 5488)., Methods: We differentiated between medically defined emergencies and those that originated in the emergency department (ED). For each definition of emergency surgery, we estimated the linear probability models of the effects of being treated at a safety net hospital on the probability of having an emergency resection., Results: Safety net hospitals reduce emergency surgeries among uninsured and Medicaid CRC patients. When defining an emergency resection as those that involved an ED visit, these patients were 15 to 20 percentage points less likely to have an emergency resection when treated in a safety net hospital., Conclusions: Our results suggest that these hospitals provide a benefit, most likely through the access they afford to timely and appropriate care, to uninsured and Medicaid-insured patients relative to hospitals without a safety net mission.

Background: At the core of surgical development in any economic environment lies innovation. Innovation in high-income countries (HICs) often derives from research, whereas innovation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) may be spontaneous owing to a desperate drive to meet a local need. The local needs are substantial because of the unequal access to healthcare in LMICs., Methods: The experience of the author in working in LMICs through Operation Hernia, a medical charity, provides a backdrop for this review. Other published innovative devices and models are discussed., Results: Innovation in income-poor countries has provided cost-effective but efficient solutions to local health needs. Some innovations have been enhanced and adopted worldwide., Conclusion: HICs can learn more from innovative strategies adopted in LMICs., (© 2015 BJS Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

With a recent decrease in community resources for the mental health population, acute care facilities must seek creative, cost-effective ways to protect and care for these vulnerable individuals. This article describes 1 facility's journey to maintaining patient and staff safety while reducing cost. Success factors of this program include staff engagement, environmental modifications, and a nurse-driven, sitter-reduction process.

Objectives: Policymakers have increasingly focused on emergency department (ED) utilization for primary care-treatable conditions as a potentially avoidable source of rising health care costs. The objective was to determine the association of health insurance type and arrival time, as indicators of limited availability of primary care, with primary care-treatable classification of ED visits., Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of a nationally representative sample of 241,167 ED visits from the 1997 to 2009 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (NHAMCS). Probabilities of ED visits being primary care-treatable were categorized based on the primary International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code. The association of health insurance type and arrival time was determined with the average probability of the primary diagnosis being primary care-treatable using multivariable linear regression., Results: Compared to privately insured visits, Medicaid visits had a 1.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2% to 2.2%) and uninsured visits a 2.4% (95% CI = 1.9% to 3.0%) higher probability of primary care-treatable classification, while Medicare visits had a 1.4% (95% CI = 0.7% to 2.0%) lower probability during the overall study period. Compared to business hours, weekend visits had a 1.5% (95% CI = 1.0% to 2.0%) higher probability of being primary care-treatable during the overall study period. From 1997 to 2009, the overall adjusted probability of ED visits being primary care-treatable increased by 0.19% (95% CI = 0.10 to 0.28) per year. This probability increased at a rate of 0.52% per year for Medicare visits (95% CI = 0.38% to 0.65%), more than double that of Medicaid visits (0.25% per year, 95% CI = 0.13% to 0.37%). By contrast, there was no significant change from 1997 to 2009 in the average probability of ED visits being primary care-treatable by privately insured (0.05% per year, 95% CI = -0.07 to 0.16) or uninsured (0.00% per year, 95% CI = -0.12 to 0.13) individuals., Conclusions: These findings add to prior work that implicates insurance type and arrival time in the variation of primary care-treatable ED visits. Although primary care-treatable classification of ED visits was most associated with uninsured or Medicaid visits, this classification increased most rapidly among Medicare visits during the study period., (© 2014 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.)

The recent series of ad interim orders issued by the Bombay High Court under ordinary original civil jurisdiction following public interest litigation (PIL) on the provision of free clotting factor concentrates for persons living with haemophilia, especially those below the poverty line and emergency cases, highlights the need to think about the ethicality of various aspects of access to medicine and the rights of patients suffering from rare diseases from the public health perspective. The PIL (number 82/2012) [Vinay Vijay Nair and Ors vs. Department of Health, State of Maharashtra and Ors), which calls for free treatment for all haemophiliacs who go to the designated hospitals, was followed by the issuance of five ad interim orders (July 19, 2012, October 22, 2012, November 6, 2012, January 24, 2013, and March 19, 2013).

Background: Thirty-day readmission rates have been tied to hospital reimbursement in the United States, but remain controversial as measures of healthcare quality. We profile the timing, main diagnoses, and survival outcomes of inpatient and emergency department readmissions after acute coronary syndrome (ACS), based on a large regional database., Methods and Results: Patients enrolled in the Alberta Provincial Project for Outcomes Assessment in Coronary Heart Disease (APPROACH) registry with an ACS hospitalization between April 2008 and March 2010 (n=3411) were included. Primary outcomes were inpatient and emergency department-only readmissions, at 30 days and 1 year. Predictors of 30-day readmission were identified, and the association between 30-day readmission status and mortality was evaluated. A total of 1170 (34.3%) patients had ≥1 hospital readmission within 30 days, reaching 2106 (61.7%) within 1 year of ACS discharge. Of first readmissions, 45% were emergency department only and 53% were for cardiovascular or possibly related diagnoses. Renal disease and diabetes predicted all-cause readmissions at 30 days and 1 year, but there were no robust predictors of cardiovascular readmissions. Thirty-day inpatient, but not emergency department, readmissions were associated with increased mortality., Conclusions: Hospital readmissions within 30 days after discharge for ACS are common, and associated with increased mortality. However, our findings underline that readmissions are quite heterogeneous in nature, and that many readmissions are unrelated to index stay and thus not easily predicted with common clinical variables. All-cause 30-day readmission rates may be too simplistic, and perhaps even misleading, as a hospital performance metric., (© 2014 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.)

The ageing British population is placing increased demands on the delivery of care in mainstream health-care institutions. While people are living longer, a significant percentage is also living with one or more long-term conditions. These issues, alongside continuing financial austerity measures, require a radical improvement in the care of patients away from hospitals. The Wyre Forest Clinical Commissioning Group introduced a virtual ward model for two main purposes: to save on spiralling costs of hospital admissions, and, secondly, to ensure the preferred wishes of most patients to be cared for and even die at home were achieved. This commentary describes how the virtual ward model was implemented and the impact of preventing unplanned emergency admissions to hospitals. The setting up of enhanced care services and virtual wards in one county is discussed, aiming to highlight success points and potential pitfalls to avoid. The results from the implementation of the virtual ward model show a significant reduction in emergency and avoidable patient admissions to hospital. The success of virtual wards is dependent on integrated working between different health-care disciplines.

Introduction: When a patient undergoing haemodialysis suffers from arteriovenous fistula (AVF) thrombosis, (s)he needs an urgent procedure before the next dialysis session. Two different treatment options are available: placing a central venous catheter (CVC) or repairing the AVF. The objective of this study is to assess the possibility of urgent repair of thrombosed AVFs within the emergency care activity of a general surgery department and to determine the possible economic repercussions of implementing this working protocol in an area of healthcare., Method: We completed the prospective collection of all the urgent surgical interventions made to repair thrombosed AVFs for the period 2000-2011 at our centre. The clinical results were analysed using two variables: rate of thrombosis (episodes/patient/year) and percentage of recovery. Recovery was deemed effective if after the surgery the patient was able to undergo dialysis of his/her AVF without the need to place a CVC. The "thrombosed AVF" clinical process was defined and implemented, and its economic cost was analysed via a detailed analysis conducted by our centre's Financial Department. This analysis was also conducted for the alternative clinical process (new AVF), using the data published by the Ministry of Health (weight of the Diagnosis-Related Group: vascular accesses for haemodialysis, hospital complexity unit, public cost of outpatient procedures and percentage of economic repercussions of the implementation of this process, comparing the costs of both procedures)., Results: During the study period 268 episodes of thrombosis occurred, a rate of 0.1 episodes/patient/year (0.05 on autologous AVFs and 0.43 on grafts). 203 (75%) were treated urgently by the surgery department, of which 168 AVFs (82%) were recovered. The cost of urgently repairing an AVF was estimated at €999. The average cost of a scheduled AVF intervention, plus the cost of placing and maintaining a CVC, was estimated at €6,397. The saving made by urgent repair of AVFs in our area of healthcare is €107,940/year. Extrapolating this to the entire country for a population of 23,000 patients on haemodialysis, the total would be €9,930,480/year., Conclusions: It is possible to perform urgent surgical recovery on the majority of AVFs for haemodialysis. Implementing multidisciplinary protocol avoids fitting these patients with catheters, reducing the cost this entails.