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Objective: Adopting features of the Chronic Care Model may reduce coronary heart disease risk and blood pressure in vulnerable populations. We evaluated a peer and practice team intervention on reduction in 4-year coronary heart disease risk and systolic blood pressure.Design and Subjects: A single blind, randomized, controlled trial in two adjacent urban university-affiliated primary care practices. Two hundred eighty African-American subjects aged 40 to 75 with uncontrolled hypertension.Intervention: Three monthly calls from trained peer patients with well-controlled hypertension and, on alternate months, two practice staff visits to review a personalized 4-year heart disease risk calculator and slide shows about heart disease risks. All subjects received usual physician care and brochures about healthy cooking and heart disease.Main Measures: Change in 4-year coronary heart disease risk (primary) and change in systolic blood pressure, both assessed at 6 months.Key Results: At baseline, the 136 intervention and 144 control subjects' mean 4-year coronary heart disease risk did not differ (intervention=5.8 % and control=6.4 %, P=0.39), and their mean systolic blood pressure was the same (140.5 mmHg, p=0.83). Endpoint data for coronary heart disease were obtained for 69 % of intervention and 82 % of control subjects. After multiple imputation for missing endpoint data, the reduction in risk among all 280 subjects favored the intervention, but was not statistically significant (difference -0.73 %, 95 % confidence interval: -1.54 % to 0.09 %, p=0.08). Among the 247 subjects with a systolic blood pressure endpoint (85 % of intervention and 91 % of control subjects), more intervention than control subjects achieved a >5 mmHg reduction (61 % versus 45 %, respectively, p=0.01). After multiple imputation, the absolute reduction in systolic blood pressure was also greater for the intervention group (difference -6.47 mmHg, 95 % confidence interval: -10.69 to -2.25, P=0.003). One patient died in each study arm.Conclusions: Peer patient and office-based behavioral support for African-American patients with uncontrolled hypertension did not result in a significantly greater reduction in coronary heart disease risk but did significantly reduce systolic blood pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has been shown that women are at greater risk than men of not receiving screening and treatment services for coronary heart disease. The purpose of this research was to determine whether there were gender disparities in the use of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Pennsylvania in 2000 and, if so, whether outcomes were affected.Methods: Data included 10,170 patients treated with PCI and 21,181 patients medically managed in Pennsylvania hospitals. Multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression to estimate the impact of gender on PCI. In addition, we performed retrospective matching on propensity scores to compare outcomes for women who were treated with PCI to comparable groups of women and men.Results: After controlling for age, race/ethnicity, severity at admission, location of infarct, and source of admission, women had 24% lower odds than men of receiving PCI (P<0.0001). In a propensity score-matched sample of 3023 women who received PCI and 3023 women who did not, women who received PCI were significantly less likely to die (2.3% vs. 10.4%, P<0.0001). In a second propensity score-matched sample of 3329 women and 3329 similar men who received PCI, the difference in mortality was not statistically significant (1.59% vs. 1.92%, P=0.39).Conclusions: These results suggest that the morbidity and mortality associated with AMI in women could be reduced by increased use of PCI and that more women admitted for AMI should receive consideration for PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To determine the attributable cost of nosocomial primary bloodstream infections (BSIs) in PICU patients. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted of the PICU of the St Louis Children's Hospital, a 235-bed academic tertiary care center. All patients who were admitted to the PICU were included unless they met the following exclusion criteria: age >18 years, death within 24 hours of PICU admission, admission to the NICU service. Total and direct medical costs of PICU and hospital stay for patients with and without nosocomial primary BSI were measured. RESULTS: Fifty-seven children developed 65 episodes of primary BSIs during their PICU stay. The rate of BSI in this population was 13.8 per 1000 central venous catheter days. In multiple linear regression analysis, severity of illness as measured by the admission Pediatric Risk of Mortality Score III, congenital heart disease, underlying lung disease, ventilator days, transplant (solid organ and bone marrow), and nosocomial primary BSI were independent predictors of PICU direct costs. The direct cost of PICU admission for patients with nosocomial primary BSI was 45,615 dollars and for the patients without primary BSI was 6396 dollars. CONCLUSIONS: After controlling for age, severity of illness, underlying disease, and ventilator days, we found that the direct cost of PICU admission attributable to nosocomial primary BSI was 39,219 dollars. The prevention of these infections through specific interventions is likely to be cost-effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examined the trajectory of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for patients with clinical stage N0 HNSCC enrolled in ACRIN 6685 who underwent elective neck dissection(s)., Methods: HRQoL of 230 patients in the ACRIN 6685 trial was measured prospectively up to 2 years following surgery using the University of Washington Quality of Life instrument., Results: General Health Within the Last 7 Days did not differ significantly from baseline at any follow-up. General Health Relative to Before Cancer fell significantly by 5.8 points following surgery (p = 0.048), and then returned to 3.0 points above baseline at 1 year (p = 0.65). For Overall Quality of Life, HRQoL fell significantly by 4.3 points following surgery (p = 0.031) and then returned to levels not significantly different from baseline., Conclusions: Patients with stage N0 HNSCC experience significant declines in HRQoL immediately following surgery, including neck dissection, which recovers to near or better than baseline within 1-2 years., (© 2024 The Authors. Head & Neck published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Cerebellar strokes have high morbidity and mortality due to bleeding or edema, leading to increased pressure in the posterior fossa. This retrospective cohort study analyzed three outcomes following a cerebellar stroke: in-hospital mortality, length of hospital stay, and total hospitalization costs. It uses data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) and aims to identify the predictors of outcomes in cerebellar stroke patients, including 464,324 patients, 18 years of age and older, hospitalized between 2010 and 2015 in US hospitals with cerebellar strokes. In our study, for every decade age increased beyond 59 years, there was a significant increase in mortality; those aged 80+ years had 5.65 odds of mortality (95% CI: 5.32-6.00; P < 0.0001). Significant differences in patient characteristics were observed between patients who survived to discharge and those who did not, including older age (77.4 vs. 70.3 years; P < 0.0001), female sex (58% vs. 52%; P < 0.0001), and being transferred from another healthcare facility (17% vs. 10%; P < 0.0001). Patients admitted directly rather than through the emergency department were more likely to die (29% vs. 16%; P < 0.0001). The mortality rate was lower for blacks (OR: 0.75; P < 0.0001), Hispanics (OR: 0.91; P = 0.005), and Asians (OR: 0.89; P = 0.03), as compared to the white population, for females in comparison to males, and geographically, in all other areas (Midwest, South, and West) in contrast to the Northeast. Cerebellar stroke incidence and high mortality were seen in the traditional stroke belt. Mortality is also affected by the severity of the disease and increases with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (APR-DRG) scores, and indirectly by place of receiving care, length of stay (LOS), cost of stay, type of insurance, and emergency department admissions. LOS increased with age, in males in the Northeast, and was less in whites compared to other races. Trend analysis showed a decrease in LOS and costs from 2010 to 2015. Increased costs were seen in non-whites, males, higher household income based on zip code, being covered under Medicaid, transfers, CCI ≥ 5, and discharges in the western US. Median household income based on the patient's zip code was well-balanced between those who lived and those who died (P = 0.091). However, payers were not evenly distributed between the two groups (P < 0.0001 for the overall comparison). A higher proportion of discharges associated with in-hospital mortality were covered under Medicare (70% vs. 65% in the died vs. lived groups, respectively). Fewer discharges were associated with death if they were covered by commercial insurance or paid for out-of-pocket (15% vs. 19% for commercial insurance and 3% vs. 5% for out-of-pocket). In-hospital mortality was associated with a longer length of hospital stay (5.6 days vs. 4.5 days; P < 0.0001) and higher costs ($16,815 vs. $11,859; P < 0.0001). Variables that were significantly associated with lower total costs were older age, having commercial insurance, paying out-of-pocket or other payers, not being admitted through the emergency department, having a lower comorbidity index (CCI = 1-2), and being discharged from a hospital that was small- or medium-sized, located in the Midwest or South, and/or was non-teaching (rural or urban)., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Prasad et al.)

Objectives: Nearly half of patients with chronic heart failure (HF) report insomnia symptoms. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of CBT-I versus HF self-management on healthcare costs and resource utilization among patients with stable chronic HF who participated in a clinical trial of the effects of CBT-I compared to HF self-management education (attention control) over 1 year., Methods: We measured resource utilization as self-reported (medical record review) physician office visits, emergency department visits, and inpatient admissions at 3-month intervals for 1 year after enrollment. Costs were estimated by applying price weights to visits and adding self-reported out-of-pocket and indirect costs. Univariate comparisons were made of resource utilization and costs between CBT-I and the HF self-management group. A generalized linear model (GLM) was used to model costs, controlling for covariates., Results: The sample included 150 patients [79 CBT-I; 71 self-management (M age = 62 + 13 years)]. The CBT-I group had 4.2 inpatient hospitalizations vs 4.6 for the self-management group ( p  = .40). There were 13.1 outpatient visits, in the CBT-I compared with 15.4 outpatient visits (p-value range 0.39-0.81) for the self-management group. Total costs were not significantly different in univariate or ($7,813 CBT-I vs. $7,538 self-management), p  = .96) or multivariable analyses., Conclusions: Among patients with both HF and insomnia, CBT-I and HF self-management were associated with similar resource utilization and total costs. Additional research is needed to estimate the value of CBT-I relative to usual care and other treatments for insomnia in patients with HF.

Background: Heart failure affects over 6 million people in the United States (US) with limited evidence to support the use of cardiac catheterization. The benefit of its use remains mostly as expert opinion. This study intends to assess the benefits and risks of cardiac catheterization in elderly patients admitted for heart failure., Methods: This was a retrospective study using data from the National Inpatient Sample, including admissions 65 years and older hospitalized for heart failure, between 2008 and 2016. The outcomes analyzed were in-hospital mortality, total hospital costs, and length of stay., Results: After controlling for covariates, cardiac catheterization was found to have a protective association with mortality (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.833-0.912, P  < .0001), an increased hospital length of stay by 2.88 days (95% CI: 2.84-2.92 days, P  < .0001) and approximately $16 255 increase in cost., Conclusions: Cardiac catheterization was associated with decreased in-hospital mortality, longer length of stay and higher total costs in admissions with heart failure aged 65 years or older., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Background: Several studies have demonstrated varying rates of efficacy, reliability, and sensitivity of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in identifying occult nodal disease for early stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) depending on the radionuclide agent utilized. No head-to-head comparison of cost or clinical outcomes of SLNB when utilizing [ 99m Tc]tilmanocept versus [ 99m Tc]sulfur colloid has been performed. The goal of this study was to develop a decision model to compare the cost-effectiveness of [ 99m Tc]tilmanocept versus [ 99m Tc]sulfur colloid in early stage OCSCC., Patients and Methods: A decision model of disease and treatment as a function of SLNB was created. Patients with a negative SLNB entered a Markov model of the natural history of OCSCC parameterized with published data to simulate five states of health and iterated over a 30-year time horizon. Treatment costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) for each health state were included. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was then estimated using $100,000 per additional QALY as the threshold for determining cost-effectiveness., Results: The base case cost-effectiveness analysis suggested [ 99m Tc]tilmanocept was more effective than [ 99m Tc]sulfur colloid by 0.12 QALYs (7.06 versus 6.94 QALYs). [ 99m Tc]Tilmanocept was more costly, with a lifetime cost of $84,961 in comparison with $84,264 for sulfur colloid, however, the overall base case ICER was $5859 per additional QALY, well under the threshold for cost-effectiveness. Multiple one-way sensitivity analyses were performed, and demonstrated the model was robust to alternative parameter values., Conclusion: Our analysis showed that while [ 99m Tc]tilmanocept is more costly upfront, these costs are worth the additional QALYs gained by the use of [ 99m Tc]tilmanocept., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: This study aimed to describe cognitive characteristics and their associations with demographic and clinical factors among adults with chronic heart failure (HF) and insomnia., Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the HeartSleep Study (NCT#02,660,385), a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia. Demographic characteristics and health history were obtained. We measured sleep characteristics with the Insomnia Severity Index, the PROMIS Sleep Disturbance Questionnaire, and wrist actigraphy. Sleepiness, stress, and quality of life were measured with validated questionnaires. Measures of cognition included frequency of lapses on the psychomotor vigilance test and the PROMIS cognitive abilities scale where ≥ 3 lapses and a score of ≤ 50, respectively, suggested impairment. These variables were combined into a composite score for multivariable analyses., Results: Of a sample that included 187 participants (58% male; mean age 63.1 [SD = 12.7]), 77% had New York Heart Association class I or II HF and 66% had HF with preserved ejection fraction. Common comorbidities were diabetes (35%), hypertension (64%), and sleep apnea (54%). Impaired vigilant attention was associated with non-White race, higher body mass index, less education, and more medical comorbidities. Self-reported cognitive impairment was associated with younger age, higher body mass index, and pulmonary disease. On adjusted analysis, significant risk factors for cognitive impairment included hypertension (OR 1.94), daytime sleepiness (OR 1.09), stress (OR 1.08), and quality of life (OR 0.12)., Conclusions: Impaired cognition is common among people with chronic HF and insomnia and associated with hypertension, daytime sleepiness, stress, and poor quality of life., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: Insomnia Self-management in Heart Failure; NCT#02,660,385., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Sepsis causes 270,000 deaths and costs $38 billion annually in the United States. Most cases of sepsis present in the emergency department (ED), where rapid diagnosis remains challenging. The IntelliSep Index (ISI) is a novel diagnostic test that analyzes characteristics of WBC structure and provides a reliable early signal for sepsis. This study performs a cost-consequence analysis of the ISI relative to procalcitonin for early sepsis diagnosis in the ED., Perspective: U.S. healthcare system., Setting: Community hospital ED., Methods: A decision tree analysis was performed comparing ISI with procalcitonin. Model parameters included prevalence of sepsis, sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests (both ISI and procalcitonin), costs of hospitalization, and mortality rate stratified by diagnostic test result. Mortality and prevalence of sepsis were estimated from best available literature. Costs were estimated based on an analysis of a large, national discharge dataset, and adjusted to 2018 U.S. dollars. Outcomes included expected costs and survival., Results: Assuming a confirmed sepsis prevalence of 16.9% (adjudicated to Sepsis-3), the ISI strategy had an expected cost per patient of $3,849 and expected survival rate of 95.08%, whereas the procalcitonin strategy had an expected cost of $4,656 per patient and an expected survival of 94.98%. ISI was both less costly and more effective than procalcitonin, primarily because of fewer false-negative results. These results were robust in sensitivity analyses., Conclusions: ISI was both less costly and more effective in preventing mortality than procalcitonin, primarily because of fewer false-negative results. The ISI may provide health systems with a higher-value diagnostic test in ED sepsis evaluation. Additional work is needed to validate these results in clinical practice., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the Society of Critical Care Medicine.)

Background: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created new payment rules that provided reimbursement for physicians to engage in advance care planning (ACP) conversations with patients. This reimbursement policy has the potential to increase ACP participation, including among racial and ethnic minority groups that have had lower ACP participation., Objectives: To examine whether the ACP payment rules were associated with an increase in use of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders, particularly among racial and ethnic minority groups, among patients diagnosed with heart failure (HF) in California., Methods: The California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) Patient Discharge Data Set was used to identify a cohort of elderly patients with a principal diagnosis of HF. This study included 432,520 hospital admissions of patients over the age of 65 with a primary diagnosis of HF between 2012 and 2018. DNR status was identified using International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification Ninth and Tenth Revision, codes., Results: There was a small increase in the utilization of DNR orders overall after the ACA reimbursement policy, but the change was not significantly different for all racial and ethnic groups when compared to white non-Hispanic patients., Conclusions: ACP payment rules provided in the ACA were associated with increased utilization of DNR, but the effect was not significantly different for racial and ethnic minorities hospitalized with HF in CA. Additional efforts are needed to increase ACP participation among racial and ethnic minorities., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders should preclude the use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and may be associated with patient outcomes for patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF). This study examined the association between DNR and costs, mortality, and length of stay. The study cohort was a national sample of 700 922 hospital admissions of patients aged >65 with a primary diagnosis of HF. Elderly HF patients who died with a DNR had cost-savings of $5640 ( P < 0.001). Patients with a DNR order were 8.9% points more likely to die before discharge than patients without ( P < 0.001), and patients who died with a DNR had a significantly shorter hospital stay by 1.51 days ( P < 0.001). DNR orders among elderly patients with HF are associated with cost-savings, as well as a higher mortality and shorter length of stay. In addition to primary benefits, advance care planning may aid in containing costs of care at end of life for HF., (Copyright © 2023 the American College of Medical Quality.)

Background: Observational research on the advance care planning (ACP) process is limited by a lack of easily accessible ACP variables in many large datasets. The objective of this study was to determine whether International Classification of Disease (ICD) codes for do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders are valid proxies for the presence of a DNR recorded in the electronic medical record (EMR)., Methods: We studied 5,016 patients over the age of 65 who were admitted to a large, mid-Atlantic medical center with a primary diagnosis of heart failure. DNR orders were identified in billing records from ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes. DNR orders were also identified in the EMR by a manual search of physician notes. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated as well as measures of agreement and disagreement. In addition, estimates of associations with mortality and costs were calculated using the DNR documented in EMR and the DNR proxy identified in ICD codes., Results: Relative to the gold standard of the EMR, DNR orders identified in ICD codes had an estimated sensitivity of 84.6%, specificity of 96.6%, positive predictive value of 90.5%, and negative predictive value of 94.3%. The estimated kappa statistic was 0.83, although McNemar's test suggested there was some systematic disagreement between the DNR from ICD codes and the EMR., Conclusions: ICD codes appear to provide a reasonable proxy for DNR orders among hospitalized older adults with heart failure. Further research is necessary to determine if billing codes can identify DNR orders in other populations., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Callahan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Objective/background: Both heart failure (HF) and insomnia are associated with high symptom burden that may be manifested in clustered symptoms. To date, studies of insomnia have focused only on its association with single symptoms. The purposes of this study were to: (1) describe daytime symptom cluster profiles in adults with insomnia and chronic HF; and (2) determine the associations between demographic and clinical characteristics, insomnia and sleep characteristics and membership in symptom cluster profiles., Participants: One hundred and ninety-five participants [ M age 63.0 (SD12.8); 84 (43.1%) male; 148 (75.9%) New York Heart Association Class I/II] from the HeartSleep study (NCT0266038), a randomized controlled trial of the sustained effects of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I)., Methods: We analyzed baseline data, including daytime symptoms (fatigue, pain, anxiety, depression, dyspnea, sleepiness) and insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index), and sleep characteristics (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, wrist actigraphy). We conducted latent class analysis to identify symptom cluster profiles, bivariate associations, and multinomial regression., Results: We identified three daytime symptom cluster profiles, physical (N = 73 participants; 37.4%), emotional (N = 12; 5.6%), and all-high symptoms (N = 111; 56.4%). Body mass index, beta blockers, and insomnia severity were independently associated with membership in the all-high symptom profile, compared with the other symptom profile groups., Conclusions: Higher symptom burden is associated with more severe insomnia in people with stable HF. There is a need to understand whether treatment of insomnia improves symptom burden as reflected in transition from symptom cluster profiles reflecting higher to lower symptom burden.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death for women in the United States, and early detection could offer patients the opportunity to receive early intervention. The current methods of diagnosis rely on mammograms and have relatively high rates of false positivity, causing anxiety in patients. We sought to identify protein markers in saliva and serum for early detection of breast cancer. A rigorous analysis was performed for individual saliva and serum samples from women without breast disease, and women diagnosed with benign or malignant breast disease, using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technique, and employing a random effects model. A total of 591 and 371 proteins were identified in saliva and serum samples from the same individuals, respectively. The differentially expressed proteins were mainly involved in exocytosis, secretion, immune response, neutrophil-mediated immunity and cytokine-mediated signaling pathway. Using a network biology approach, significantly expressed proteins in both biological fluids were evaluated for protein-protein interaction networks and further analyzed for these being potential biomarkers in breast cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Our systems approach illustrates a feasible platform for investigating the responsive proteomic profile in benign and malignant breast disease using saliva and serum from the same women.

Background: The impact of the do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order on patients with pancreatic cancer remains uncertain. In this study, we evaluated whether DNR status was associated with in-hospital mortality and costs for inpatient stay among patients hospitalized with pancreatic cancer., Methods: Data were obtained from the National Inpatient Sample, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, which represents ∼20% of all discharges from US community hospitals; 40,246 pancreatic cancer admissions between 2011 and 2016 were included. Mortality was modeled using a logistic regression model; costs for inpatient stay were modeled using a multivariable generalized linear regression model., Results: The sample included 6041 (15%) patients with a documented DNR order. After controlling for covariates, patients with a DNR order had approximately six times greater odds of mortality compared with patients without a DNR order (odds ratio 5.90, p  < 0.0001). Compared with patients who survived without a DNR order during the hospital stay, patients who had a DNR order and died during the hospital stay had significantly lower costs (-US$983; p  = 0.0270), and patients who died without a DNR order during the hospital stay had significantly higher costs (US$5638; p  < 0.0001). Patients who survived with a DNR order had costs that were not significantly different from patients who survived without a DNR order., Conclusions: The presence of a DNR order among patients with pancreatic cancer was significantly associated with higher mortality risk as well as lower costs for patients who died during the hospital stay. However, DNR status was not significantly associated with costs for pancreatic cancer patients who were discharged alive., Competing Interests: No competing financial interests exist., (© Qiang Hao et al., 2022; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.)

Objective: Factor VIII (FVIII) replacement and emicizumab have demonstrated efficacy for prevention of bleeds among patients with hemophilia A (PwHA) compared to on-demand (OD) use. Evidence investigating clinical outcomes and healthcare costs of non-inhibitor PwHA switching from prophylaxis with FVIII concentrates to emicizumab has not been well-established within large real-world datasets. This study aimed to investigate billed annualized bleed rates (ABR b ) and total cost of care (TCC) among non-inhibitor PwHA switching from FVIII-prophylaxis to emicizumab-prophylaxis., Methods: This retrospective, observational study was conducted using IQVIA PharMetrics Plus, a US administrative claims database. The date of first claim for emicizumab was defined as the index date. OD patients and inhibitor patients were excluded. Bleeds were identified using a list of 535 diagnosis codes. Bayesian models were developed to estimate the probability ABR b worsens and TCC increases after switching to emicizumab. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to test statistical significance of changes in ABR b and TCC after switch., Results: Among the 121 identified patients, the difference in mean ABR b between FVIII-prophylaxis (0.68 [SD = 1.28]) and emicizumab (0.55 [SD = 1.48]) was insignificant ( p  = .142). The mean annual TCC significantly increased for patients switching from FVIII-prophylaxis ($518,151 [SD = $289,934]) to emicizumab ($652,679 [SD = $340,126]; p  < .0001). The Bayesian models estimated a 21.0% probability of the ABR b worsening and a 99.9% probability of increasing TCC after switch., Conclusions: This study found that in male non-inhibitor PwHA, switching from FVIII prophylaxis to emicizumab incurs substantial cost increase with no significant benefit in ABR b . This evidence may help guide providers, payers, and patients in shared decision-making conversations around best treatment options.

Introduction: Early video-assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS) is the recommended intervention for retained hemothorax in trauma patients. Alternative options, such as lytic therapy, to avoid surgery remain controversial. The purpose of this decision analysis was to assess expected costs associated with treatment strategies., Methods: A decision tree analysis estimated the expected costs of three initial treatment strategies: 1) VATS, 2) intrapleural tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) lytic therapy, and 3) intrapleural non-TPA lytic therapy. Probability parameters were estimated from published literature. Costs were based on National Inpatient Sample data and published estimates. Our model compared overall expected costs of admission for each strategy. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore the impact of parameter uncertainty on the optimal strategy., Results: In the base case analysis, using TPA as the initial approach had the lowest total cost (U.S. $37,007) compared to VATS ($38,588). TPA remained the optimal initial approach regardless of the probability of complications after VATS. TPA was an optimal initial approach if TPA success rate was >83% regardless of the failure rate with VATS. VATS was the optimal initial strategy if its total cost of admission was <$33,900., Conclusion: Lower treatment costs with lytic therapy does not imply significantly lower total cost of trauma admission. However, an initial approach with TPA lytic therapy may be preferred for retained traumatic hemothorax to lower the total cost of admission given its high probability of avoiding the operating room with its resultant increased costs. Future studies should identify differences in quality of life after recovery from competing interventions., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objective: Lowering hospital readmission rates is a national goal, and presents an opportunity to lower health care costs, improve quality, and increase patient satisfaction. We aim to assess whether discharge disposition is associated with readmission., Methods: A retrospective cohort study using logistic regression to quantify risk factors of hospital readmission in patients with confirmed head and neck cancer (HNC) who underwent surgery from 2010 to 2018 contained in the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council database, which includes patients treated in Pennsylvania hospitals., Results: The readmission rate in this study was 18.1%. Cancers of the hypopharynx had the highest rates of readmission (29.2%). Male sex (odds ratio [OR]: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.75-1.00), emergent admission (vs. elective admission: OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.02-1.74), discharge to home health (vs. home: OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.59-2.16), discharge to skilled nursing facility (SNF) (vs. home: OR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.80-2.72), and having 4+ comorbidities (vs. 0-1: OR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.09-1.76) were significant risk factors for hospital readmission., Conclusion: It is necessary to consider the readmission risk associated with HNC patients. Reasons for readmission are multifactorial and can be related to demographics, hospital course, comorbidities, or discharge disposition-this requires further assessment. There is importance in increasing HNC awareness and staff education about the unique needs of this population., Level of Evidence: 4., Competing Interests: The authors have no relevant conflicts of interest or financial disclosures, (© 2022 The Authors. Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Triological Society.)

Background: Lower gastrointestinal bleeds (LGIB) is a very common inpatient condition in the United States. Gastrointestinal bleeds have a variety of presentations, from minor bleeding to severe hemorrhage and shock. Although previous studies investigated the efficacy of colonoscopy in hospitalized patients with LGIB, there is limited research that discusses disparities in colonoscopy utilization in patients with LGIB in urban and rural settings., Aim: To investigate the difference in utilization of colonoscopy in lower gastrointestinal bleeding between patients hospitalized in urban and rural hospitals., Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of 157748 patients using National Inpatient Sample data and the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. It includes patients 18 years and older hospitalized with LGIB admitted between 2010 and 2016. This study does not differentiate between acute and chronic LGIB and both are included in this study. The primary outcome measure of this study was the utilization of colonoscopy among patients in rural and urban hospitals admitted for lower gastrointestinal bleeds; the secondary outcome measures were in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and costs involved in those receiving colonoscopy for LGIB. Statistical analyses were all performed using STATA software. Logistic regression was used to analyze the utilization of colonoscopy and mortality, and a generalized linear model was used to analyze the length of stay and cost., Results: Our study found that 37.9% of LGIB patients at rural hospitals compared to approximately 45.1% at urban hospitals received colonoscopy, (OR = 0.730, 95%CI: 0.705-0.7, P > 0.0001). After controlling for covariates, colonoscopies were found to have a protective association with lower in-hospital mortality (OR = 0.498, 95%CI: 0.446-0.557, P < 0.0001), but a longer length of stay by 0.72 d (95%CI: 0.677-0.759 d, P < 0.0001) and approximately $2199 in increased costs., Conclusion: Although there was a lower percentage of LGIB patients that received colonoscopies in rural hospitals compared to urban hospitals, patients in both urban and rural hospitals with LGIB undergoing colonoscopy had decreased in-hospital mortality. In both settings, benefit came at a cost of extended stay, and higher total costs., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients with long-standing carpal tunnel symptoms may develop transient and, paradoxically, worsened neuropathic pain immediately following release. The authors have termed this "reawakening phenomenon." The purpose of this study was to compare the characteristics of patients with this phenomenon to those with a standard postoperative course., Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on all patients who underwent carpal tunnel release at a single institution between January of 2012 to December of 2017. Patients demonstrating increased neuropathic pain in the median nerve distribution postoperatively without evidence of complex regional pain syndrome were included. A comparison cohort was composed of the remaining patients identified. Demographic data, medical history, carpal tunnel history, and electromyogram and nerve conduction study findings were recorded., Results: A total of 640 patients were identified; 440 met criteria. Seventeen patients were found to have symptoms consistent with median nerve reawakening phenomenon. The reawakening cohort was older (71.1 versus 56.8 years), more likely to have evidence of thenar muscle atrophy (58.8 percent versus 13.48 percent), and more likely to have fibrillations and sharp waves on electrodiagnostic studies. Although not statistically significant, they also had a longer duration of symptoms (4.9 versus 2.9 years). Of those patients with reawakening phenomenon, 14 had resolution of their symptoms at an average period of 4.4 months. Three remaining patients who were subjectively symptomatic had normal or improved postoperative electromyogram and nerve conduction studies., Conclusions: Reawakening of the median nerve has not been previously described but occurs in 3.9 percent of hands following routine carpal tunnel release. Preoperative counseling of patients at high risk for reawakening phenomenon is recommended., Clinical Question/level of Evidence: Risk, III., (Copyright © 2022 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.)

Background: Choledocholithiasis is commonly encountered. It is frequently managed with laparoscopic common bile duct exploration or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (either preoperative, intraoperative, or postoperative relative to laparoscopic cholecystectomy). The purpose of this study is to determine the most cost-effective method to manage inpatient choledocholithiasis., Methods: A decision tree model was created to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of laparoscopic common bile duct exploration and preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. The primary outcome was incremental cost-effectiveness ratio with a ceiling willingness to pay threshold assumed of $100,000 per quality-adjusted life year. Model parameters were determined through review of published literature and institutional data. Costs were from the perspective of the healthcare system with a time horizon of 1 year. Sensitivity analyses were performed on model parameters., Results: In the base case analysis, laparoscopic common bile duct exploration was cost-effective, resulting in 0.9909 quality-adjusted life years at an expected cost of $18,357. Intraoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography yielded more quality-adjusted life years (0.9912) at a higher cost ($19,717) with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $4,789,025, exceeding the willingness to pay threshold. Both preoperative and postoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographies were eliminated for being both more costly and less effective. Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration remained cost-effective if the probability of successful biliary clearance was above 0.79, holding all other variables constant. If its base cost remained below $18,400 and intraoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography base cost rose above $18,200, then laparoscopic common bile duct exploration remained cost-effective., Conclusion: Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration is the most cost-effective method to manage choledocholithiasis. Efforts to ensure availability of local expertise and resources for this procedure are warranted., (© 2022. The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract.)

Objectives: To evaluate sex differences in demographic and clinical characteristics, treatments and outcomes for patients with diagnosed obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM) in the USA., Setting: Retrospective observational study of administrative claims data from MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database from IBM Watson Health., Participants: Of the 28 million covered employees and family members in MarketScan, 9306 patients with oHCM were included in this analysis., Main Outcome Measures: oHCM-related outcomes included heart failure, atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia/ fibrillation, sudden cardiac death, septal myectomy, alcohol septal ablation (ASA) and heart transplant., Results: Among 9306 patients with oHCM, the majority were male (60.5%, p<0.001) and women were of comparable age to men (50±15 vs 49±15 years, p<0.001). Women were less likely to be prescribed beta blockers (42.7% vs 45.2%, p=0.017) and undergo an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (1.7% vs 2.6%, p=0.005). Septal reduction therapy was performed slightly more frequently in women (ASA: 0.08% vs 0.05%, p=0.600; SM: 0.35% vs 0.18%, p=0.096), although not statistically significant. Women were less likely to have atrial fibrillation (6.7% vs 9.9%, p<0.001)., Conclusion: Women were less likely to be prescribed beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, anticoagulants, undergo implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and have ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation. Men were more likely to have atrial fibrillation. Future research using large, clinical real-world data are warranted to understand the root cause of these potential treatment disparities in women with oHCM., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Study Objectives: Insomnia is common among adults with chronic heart failure (HF) and associated with daytime symptoms and decrements in function. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to evaluate the sustained effects over one year of CBT-I (Healthy Sleep: HS) compared with HF self-management education (Healthy Hearts; attention control: HH) on insomnia severity, sleep characteristics, symptoms, and function among people with stable HF. The primary outcomes were insomnia severity, actigraph-recorded sleep efficiency, and fatigue., Methods: We randomized adults with stable HF with preserved or reduced ejection fraction who had at least mild insomnia (Insomnia severity index >7) in groups to HS or HH (4 sessions/8 weeks). We obtained wrist actigraphy and measured insomnia severity, self-reported sleep characteristics, symptoms (fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, anxiety, depression), and six-minute walk distance at baseline, within one month of treatment, and at 6 and 12 months. We used general linear mixed models (GLMM) and generalized estimating equations (GEE) to evaluate the effects., Results: The sample included 175 participants (M age = 63 ± 12.9 years; 43% women; 18% Black; 68% New York Heart Association Class II or II; 33%; LVEF < 45%) randomized to HS (n = 91) or HH (n = 84). HS had sustained effects on insomnia severity, sleep quality, self-reported sleep latency and efficiency, fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, and six-minute walk distance at 12 months., Conclusions: CBT-I produced sustained improvements in insomnia, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and objectively measured physical function among adults with chronic HF, compared with a robust HF self-management program that included sleep hygiene education., Clinical Trial Information: Insomnia Self-Management in Heart Failure; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02660385; NCT02660385., (© Sleep Research Society 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common genetic heart disease in the US, with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 500. However, the extent to which obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is clinically recognized is not well-established. Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate the annual prevalence of clinically diagnosed oHCM in the US from 2016 to 2018. Data from the MarketScan® database were queried from years 2016 to 2018 to identify patients with ≥1 claim of oHCM (International Statistical Classification of Disease and Related Health Problems diagnosis code: I42.1). Prevalence rates for oHCM were calculated and stratified by sex and age. In 2016, 4,612 unique patients had clinical diagnosis of oHCM, resulting in an estimated oHCM prevalence of 1.65 per 10,000. The prevalence of oHCM in males and females was 2.07 and 1.26, respectively. Prevalence of oHCM was highest in patients 55-64 years of age (4.82). Prevalence of oHCM generally increased with age, from 0.36 per 10,000 in those under 18 to 4.82 per 10,000 in those 55-65. Trends in prevalence of oHCM over time, including by sex and age group, remained similar and consistent in 2017 and 2018. The prevalence of oHCM was stable over the 3-year time period, including higher rates of oHCM in males and patients aged 55-64 years. These results suggest that the majority of privately insured patients with oHCM are undiagnosed in the US and reinforce the need for policies and research to improve the clinical identification of oHCM patients in the US., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Butzner, Leslie, Cuffee, Hollenbeak, Sciamanna and Abraham.)

Background: The risk of instability, dislocation, and revision following total hip arthroplasty (THA) is increased in patients with abnormal spinopelvic mobility. Seated and standing lateral lumbar spine imaging can identify patients with stiff/hypermobile spine (SHS) to guide interventions such as changes in acetabular cup placement or use of a dual-mobility hip construct aimed at reducing dislocation risk., Methods: A Markov decision model was created to compare routine preoperative spinal imaging (PSI) to no screening in patients with and without SHS. Screened patients with SHS were assumed to receive dual-mobility hardware while those without SHS and nonscreened patients were assumed to receive conventional THA. Cost-effectiveness was determined by estimating the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. Effectiveness measured as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), with $100,000 per additional QALY as the threshold for cost-effectiveness. Sensitivity analyses were performed to determine the robustness of the base-case result., Results: The screening strategy with PSI had a lifetime cost of $12,515 and QALY gains of 16.91 compared with no-screening ($13,331 and 16.77). The PSI strategy reached cost-effectiveness at 5 years and was dominant (ie, less costly and more effective) at 11 years following THA. In sensitivity analyses, PSI remained the dominant strategy if prevalence of SHS was >1.9%, the cost of PSI was <$925, and the cost of dual-mobility hardware exceeded the cost of conventional hardware by <$2850., Conclusion: Screening patients for SHS prior to THA with PSI is both less costly and more effective and should be considered as part of standard presurgical workup., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Our objective was to investigate whether racial/ethnic-based or payer-based disparities existed in the transfer practices of pediatric trauma patients from adult trauma center (ATC) to pediatric trauma center (PTC) in Pennsylvania., Methods: Data on trauma patients aged 14 years or less initially evaluated at level I and II ATC were obtained from the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study (2008-2012) (n = 3446). Generalized estimating equations regression analyses were used to evaluate predictors of subsequent transfer controlling for confounders and clustering. Recent literature has described racial and socioeconomic disparities in outcomes such as mortality after trauma; it is unknown whether these factors also influence the likelihood of subsequent interfacility transfer between ATC and PTC., Results: Patients identified as nonwhite comprised 36.1% of the study population. Those without insurance comprised 9.9% of the population. There were 2790 patients (77.4%) who were subsequently transferred. Nonwhite race (odds ratio [OR], 4.3), female sex (OR, 1.3), and lack of insurance (OR, 2.3) were associated with interfacility transfer. Additional factors were identified influencing likelihood of transfer (increased odds: younger age, intubated status, cranial, orthopedic, and solid organ injury; decreased odds: operative intervention at the initial trauma center) (P < 0.05 for all)., Conclusions: Although we assume that a desire for specialized care is the primary reason for transfer of injured children to PTCs, our analysis demonstrates that race, female sex, and lack of insurance are also associated with transfers from ATCs to PTCs for children younger than 15 years in Pennsylvania. Further research is needed to understand the basis of these health care disparities and their impact., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Recovery protocols aim to limit narcotic administration following ventral hernia repair (VHR). However, little is known about the contribution of a protocol's individual components on patient outcomes. We previously reported that surgeon-performed transversus abdominis plane block (TAP-block) is more effective than ultrasound-guided TAP-block following VHR. This study evaluates the effectiveness of two postoperative analgesia modalities: epidural catheter and surgeon-performed TAP-block following VHR performed with transversus abdominis release (TAR)., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on data prospectively collected between 2012 and 2019. All patients undergoing open VHR with TAR performed by a single surgeon were identified. Parastomal hernia repairs and any patients receiving ultrasound-guided TAP blocks or paraspinal blocks were excluded. Primary outcome was length of stay (LOS) with secondary outcomes including pain scores, opioid requirements, and 30-day morbidity. Linear regression was used to model LOS., Results: One hundred thirty-five patients met inclusion criteria (63 epidural, 72 TAP-block). The majority (67.4%) of patients were modified ventral hernia working group grade 2. The only statistically significant difference in postoperative pain scores between the groups was on postoperative day 2 (TAP block 3.19 versus epidural 4.11, p = 0.0126). LOS was significantly shorter in the TAP block group (4.7 versus 6.2 days, p = 0.0023) as was time to regular diet (3.2 versus 4.7 days, p < 0.0001). After controlling for confounders, epidural was associated with increased LOS by 1.3 days (p = 0.0004)., Conclusion: Epidural use following VHR with TAR is associated with increased LOS and increased time to regular diet without reducing pain or opioid use when compared to surgeon-performed TAP block., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: Examine the bidirectional relationships between within-person day-to-day fluctuations in physical activity (PA) and sleep characteristics among people with heart failure (HF) and insomnia., Participants: Ninety-seven community-dwelling adults [median age 61.9 (interquartile range 55.3,70.9) years, female 41%] with stable HF and insomnia (insomnia severity index >7)., Methods: This sub-study longitudinally analyzed 15 consecutive days and nights of wrist actigraphy recordings, that were collected for baseline data prior to participation in a randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. We used two-level mixed models of within- (daily) and between-participants variation to predict daytime PA counts/minutes from sleep variables (total sleep time, sleep efficiency) and predict sleep variables from PA., Results: PA counts/minutes were low compared to prior cohorts that did not have HF (209 (166,259)) and negatively associated with NYHA class (standardized coefficient β s  = -0.14, p < .01), age (β s  = -0.13, p = .01), comorbidities (β s  = -0.19, p < .01), and body mass index (β s  = -0.12, p = .04). After adjustment for all significant covariates, the within-participant association of total sleep time with next-day PA was estimated to be positive among participants with NYHA class II-IV HF (β s  = 0.09, p = .01), while the within-participant association of PA with same-night total sleep time was estimated to be positive among participants aged ≥60 years (β s  = 0.10, p = .03)., Conclusions: Depending upon age and HF class, daytime PA was associated with longer same-night sleep and/or longer sleep was associated with greater next-day PA. Among those with more advanced HF, realistic sleep improvements were associated with clinically meaningful PA gains the next day.

Purpose: With the introduction of the Oncology Care Model and plans for the transition to Oncology Care First, alternative payment models (APMs) are an increasingly important piece of the oncology care landscape. Evidence is mixed on the Oncology Care Model's impact on utilization and costs, but as policymakers consider expansion of similar models, it is critical to understand the characteristics of hospitals that may be differentially affected., Methods: We used 2007-2016 SEER-Medicare data to identify patients with breast and prostate cancer receiving chemotherapy, endocrine therapy (breast), or androgen deprivation therapy (prostate). For each hospital, we calculated 6-month expected mortality, emergency department (ED) visits, inpatient admissions, and costs, all commonly collected APM outcomes. After calculating observed-to-expected rates for each outcome by hospital, we estimated the association between observed-to-expected rates and characteristics of each hospital to understand hospital characteristics that might be associated with higher- or lower-than-expected rates of each outcome., Results: Hospitals with > 15% rural patients had significantly higher-than-expected mortality (0.31 points higher, P < .001) and ED visit rates (0.10 points higher, P = .029) as well as significantly lower costs (0.06 points lower, P = .004). Hospitals unaffiliated with a medical school also experienced significantly higher-than-expected mortality and ED visits. Hospitals eligible for disproportionate share hospital payment experienced significantly higher ED visits but lower costs. For-profit hospitals experienced higher-than-expected mortality., Conclusion: Rural hospitals and those unaffiliated with a medical school may require special consideration as APMs expand in oncology care. Designated cancer centers and larger hospitals may be advantaged., Competing Interests: Christopher S. HollenbeakConsulting or Advisory Role: Cytovale Inc, Yorker Health Jay D. RamanStock and Other Ownership Interests: United Medical, American Kidney Stone ManagementConsulting or Advisory Role: Urogen pharmaSpeakers' Bureau: Urogen PharmaResearch Funding: Urogen Pharma, Pacific Edge BiotechnologyNo other potential conflicts of interest were reported.

Renal dysfunction is associated with poor long-term outcomes after liver transplantation. We examined the renal sparing effect of everolimus (EVR) compared to standard calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) immunosuppression with direct measurements of renal function over 24 months., Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, open-label trial comparing EVR and mycophenolic acid (MPA) with CNI and MPA immunosuppression. An Investigational New Drug Application (IND # 113882) was obtained with the Food and Drug Administration as EVR is only approved for use with low-dose tacrolimus. Serum creatinine, 24-hour urine creatinine clearance, iothalamate clearance, Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance (CrCl), and Modification of Diet in Renal Disease estimated glomerular filtration rate were prospectively measured at 4 study visits. Nonparametric statistical tests were used for analyses, including the Mann-Whitney U test for continuous outcomes and Pearson's chi-square test for binary outcomes. Effect size was measured using Cohen's d . Patients also completed quality of life surveys using the FACT-Hep instrument at each study visit. Comparison between the 2 groups was performed using the Student t test., Results: Each arm had 12 subjects; 4 patients dropped out in the EVR arm and 1 in the CNI arm by 24 months. Serum creatinine ( P  = 0.015), Modification of Diet in Renal Disease estimated glomerular filtration rate ( P  = 0.013), and 24-hour urine CrCL ( P  = 0.032) were significantly better at 24 months with EVR. Iothalamate clearance showed significant improvement at 12 months ( P  = 0.049) and a trend toward better renal function ( P  = 0.099) at 24 months. There was no statistical significance with Cockcroft-Gault CrCl. Adverse events were not significantly different between the 2 arms. The EVR group also showed significantly better physical, functional, and overall self-reported quality of life ( P  = 0.01) at 24 months., Conclusions: EVR with MPA resulted in significant long-term improvement in renal function and quality of life at 24 months after liver transplantation compared with standard CNI with MPA immunosuppression., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Transplantation Direct. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Nurse staffing impacts patient outcomes, but little is known about the relationship between nurse staffing and outcomes for lung cancer patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy., Objectives: To examine the association between nurse staffing and outcomes following lobectomy for lung cancer., Methods: Patients (N = 16,994) with lung cancer between who underwent lobectomy between 2008-2011 were identified in the National Inpatient Sample. Nurse staffing was quantified using registered nurse full-time equivalents per adjusted patient days. Multivariable models were used to estimate the effect of RN FTEs on mortality, length of stay, and costs, controlling for covariates., Results: Patients treated at hospitals using 5.6 or more RN FTEs had shorter hospitals stays by 0.37 days (p = 0.008), had 36% lower odds of mortality (OR = 0.64, p = 0.014), but incurred $4,388 (p < 0.0001) in additional costs., Conclusions: Hospital administrators face a troubling trade-off between costs and outcomes in decisions about nurse staffing mix for pulmonary lobectomy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Surveillance guidelines for kidney cancer following surgery are heterogeneous, making it unclear what factors influence surveillance intensity in practice. Thus, we assessed the patterns of surveillance intensity in kidney cancer after primary surgery among patients ≥ 66 years., Methods: Non-metastatic kidney cancer patients after primary surgery (n = 2433) from 2007 to 2011 were identified in SEER-Medicare. Surveillance intensity was measured as the number of unique inpatient and outpatient claims made for kidney cancer starting 60 days after primary surgery. Multivariable linear regressions assessed relationships between patient factors and surveillance intensity (log-transformed). Parameters were reported using risk ratios (RRs)., Results: Patients diagnosed in contemporary years experienced 10% more surveillance visits/12 months (RR 1.10 for every 1-year increase, 95% CI 1.07-1.13, p < 0.001). Compared to pT1 stage, patients with pT2-4 disease experienced 108% more surveillance visits/12 months (RR 2.08, 95% CI 1.90-2.27, p < 0.001). Both older age and living in a metro/urban area, as compared to a big metropolitan location, were associated with significantly fewer follow-up visits (10-year increase in age: RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.83-0.95, p < 0.001; metro/urban: RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.79-0.93, p < 0.001). Surgery type (radical, partial or ablation), gender, race and Charlson comorbidity score were not significantly associated with surveillance intensity., Conclusions: Similar to guidelines, surveillance intensity in practice was associated with stage, but not with surgery type. Other factors such as diagnosis year, care location and patient age were associated with the amount of surveillance administered by the clinician. These additional influences are augmenting the heterogeneous delivery of kidney cancer surveillance care.

Background: Controversy remains regarding the impact of anti-TNFα agents on postoperative outcomes in Crohn's disease., Methods: Patients (≥ 18 years) with Crohn's disease (ICD-9, 555.0-555.2, 555.9) undergoing ileocolectomy between 2005 and 2013 were identified using the Truven MarketScan® database and stratified by receipt of anti-TNFα therapy. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to evaluate anti-TNFα use on emergency department (ED) visits, postoperative complications, and readmissions at 30 days, adjusting for potential confounders. Relationships between timing of anti-TNFα administration and outcomes were examined., Results: The sample contained 2364 patients with Crohn's disease undergoing ileocolectomy, with 28.5% (n = 674) who received biologic therapy. Median duration between anti-TNFα therapy and surgery was 33 days. Postoperative ED visits and readmission rates did not significantly differ among those receiving biologics and those that did not. Overall 30-day complication rates were higher among those receiving biologic therapy, namely related to wound and infectious complications. In multivariable analysis, anti-TNFα inhibitors were associated with increased odds of postoperative complications at 30 days (aggregate complications [OR 1.6], infectious complications [OR 1.5]). There was no significant association between timing of anti-TNFα administration and occurrence of postoperative outcomes., Conclusion: Anti-TNFα therapy is independently associated with increased postoperative infectious complications following ileocolectomy in Crohn's disease. However, in patients receiving anti-TNFα therapy within 90 days of operative intervention, further delaying surgery may not attenuate risk of postoperative complications.

Objective: Cardiac sarcoma represents a rare and aggressive form of cancer with a paucity of data to produce outcome-driven evidence-based guidelines. Current surgical management consists of resection with postoperative therapy (chemotherapy, radiation, or both) offered on a selective, individualized basis. This study was designed to determine whether postoperative therapy was associated with improved overall survival after resection., Methods: The National Cancer Database was used to identify patients with cardiac sarcoma between 2004 and 2015. Patient characteristics were stratified by treatment (surgical, nonsurgical, and none), and treatment was analyzed by stage. Overall survival, assessed with Kaplan-Meier methodology, was compared between patients who received postoperative therapy and those who did not following resection. Multivariable survival modeling using a Weibull model identified risk factors associated with survival while controlling for confounders., Results: The study included 617 patients diagnosed with cardiac sarcoma. Only 24% (149/617) of patients were diagnosed with early-stage disease. Angiosarcoma represented 48% (298/617) of cases and was the most commonly identified histologic subtype. 60% (372/617) underwent surgical resection and 58% (216/372) of those patients were treated with postoperative therapy. Following surgery, median survival was more than doubled for patients treated with postoperative therapy (19 months vs 8 months, P = .026). However, 5-year overall survival was similar between the groups. Multivariable analysis confirmed an improvement in survival with postoperative therapy (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.91, P = .009)., Conclusions: Postoperative therapy is associated with better median survival following resection of cardiac sarcoma. However, at 5 years, the difference in overall survival is not statistically significant., (Copyright © 2019 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: An interdisciplinary pain team was established at our institution to explore options for improving pain control in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery by identifying traits that put a patient at increased risk for inadequate pain control postoperatively., Materials and Methods: The interdisciplinary pain team identified 7 potential risk factors that may lead to inadequate pain control postoperatively including (1) history of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; (2) history of anxiety; (3) history of drug or alcohol abuse; (4) preoperative nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or disease-modifying antirheumatic drug use; (5) current opioid use; (6) psychological conditions other than anxiety; and (7) current smoker. Statistical analysis determined which risk factors were associated with increased preoperative and postoperative pain scores., Results: A total of 1923 patients undergoing elective orthopedic surgery were retrospectively identified. Hip, knee, and shoulder replacements accounted for 76.0% of the procedures. 78.5% of patients had 3 or fewer risk factors and 17.1% had no risk factors. Anxiety, other psychological conditions, current opioid use, and current smoking were significantly associated with higher preoperative and postoperative pain scores., Discussion: We found a significant association between anxiety, current smoking, psychological conditions, and current opioid use with increased preoperative and postoperative reported pain score. We propose that identification of these risk factors should prompt more attention to postoperative pain control plans and will improve communication with patients and providers. We recommend a multimodal approach to postoperative pain control, and developed a pain orderset to help guide providers.