Search

Objectives The diagnostic process is a vital component of safe and effective emergency department (ED) care. There are no standardized methods for identifying or reliably monitoring diagnostic errors in the ED, impeding efforts to enhance diagnostic safety. We sought to identify trigger concepts to screen ED records for diagnostic errors and describe how they can be used as a measurement strategy to identify and reduce preventable diagnostic harm. Methods We conducted a literature review and surveyed ED directors to compile a list of potential electronic health record (EHR) trigger (e-triggers) and non-EHR based concepts. We convened a multidisciplinary expert panel to build consensus on trigger concepts to identify and reduce preventable diagnostic harm in the ED. Results Six e-trigger and five non-EHR based concepts were selected by the expert panel. E-trigger concepts included: unscheduled ED return to ED resulting in hospital admission, death following ED visit, care escalation, high-risk conditions based on symptom-disease dyads, return visits with new diagnostic/therapeutic interventions, and change of treating service after admission. Non-EHR based signals included: cases from mortality/morbidity conferences, risk management/safety office referrals, ED medical director case referrals, patient complaints, and radiology/laboratory misreads and callbacks. The panel suggested further refinements to aid future research in defining diagnostic error epidemiology in ED settings. Conclusions We identified a set of e-trigger concepts and non-EHR based signals that could be developed further to screen ED visits for diagnostic safety events. With additional evaluation, trigger-based methods can be used as tools to monitor and improve ED diagnostic performance.

Objective Among injured patients transferred from one emergency department (ED) to another, we determined factors associated with being discharged from the second ED without procedures, or admission or observation. Methods We analyzed all patients with injury diagnosis codes transferred between two EDs in the 2011 Healthcare Utilization Project State Emergency Department and State Inpatient Databases for 6 states. Multivariable hierarchical logistic regression evaluated the association between patient (demographics and clinical characteristics) and hospital factors, and discharge from the second ED without coded procedures. Results In 2011, there were a total of 48,160 ED-to-ED injury transfers, half of which (49%) were transferred to non-trauma centers, including 23% with major trauma. A total of 22,011 transfers went to a higher level of care, of which 36% were discharged from the ED without procedures. Relative to torso injuries, discharge without procedures was more likely for patients with soft tissue (OR 6.8, 95%CI 5.6–8.2), head (OR 3.7, 95%CI 3.1–4.6), facial (OR 3.8, 95%CI 3.1–4.7), or hand (OR 3.1, 95%CI 2.6–3.8) injuries. Other factors included Medicaid (OR 1.3, 95%CI 1.2–1.5) or uninsured (OR 1.3, 95%CI 1.2–1.5) status. Treatment at the receiving ED added an additional $2859 on average (95% CI $2750–$2968) per discharged patient to the total charges for injury care, not including the costs of ambulance transport between facilities. Conclusion Over a third of patients transferred to another ED for traumatic injury are discharged from the second ED without admission, observation, or procedures. Telemedicine consultation with sub-specialists might reduce some of these transfers.

Introduction: Medical clearance is required to label patients with mental illness as free of acute medical concerns. However, tests may extend emergency department lengths of stay and increase costs to patients and hospitals. The objective of this study was to determine how knowledgeable emergency and psychiatric providers are about the costs of tests used for medical clearance. Materials and Methods: We surveyed the department of psychiatry (Psych) and department of emergency medicine (EM) faculty and residents to obtain their estimates of the costs of 18 laboratory/imaging studies commonly used for medical clearance. Survey responses were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare the median cost estimates between residents and faculty in EM and Psych. Results: A total of 99 physicians (response rate, 47.8%) completed the survey, including 47 faculty (EM = 28; Psych = 20) and 52 residents (EM = 29; Psych = 23). Across all the groups, cost estimates for tests were inaccurate, off by several hundred dollars for three tests, and by $13–$80 for 15. Significant differences between EM and Psych providers for estimated median costs of specific tests included between residents for urine drug screens (EM: $800; Psych: $50; P < 0.0001) and ECG (EM: $25; Psych: $75; P = 0.004); between faculty for urinalysis (EM: $40; Psych: $18; P = 0.020) and urine drug screen (EM: $100; Psych: $10; P < 0.0001); and between all physicians for urine drug screen (EM: $500; Psych: $50; P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Further education on the financial costs of medical clearance is needed to inform workup decisions and consensus between emergency and psychiatric providers.

Deinstitutionalization has left an inadequate supply of inpatient psychiatric beds. Simultaneous cuts to public funding and insurance coverage for outpatient mental health treatment have increased the frequency of acute psychiatric crises. The resulting lack of available options has shifted the burden of treatment to emergency departments and the criminal justice system. Recent legislation has improved insurance access, but rules are not always enforced and there are still few options for care. Discussion of mental health care delivery must acknowledge that many emergent behavioral health crises arise in the context of acute substance intoxication, withdrawal, or dependence.

To determine whether emergency department patients want to share their medical records across health systems through Health Information Exchange and if so, whether they prefer to sign consent or share their records automatically, 982 adult patients presenting to an emergency department participated in a questionnaire-based interview. The majority (N = 906; 92.3%) were willing to share their data in a Health Information Exchange. Half (N = 490; 49.9%) reported routinely getting healthcare outside the system and 78.6 percent reported having records in other systems. Of those who were willing to share their data in a Health Information Exchange, 54.3 percent wanted to sign consent but 90 percent of those would waive consent in the case of an emergency. Privacy and security were primary concerns of patients not willing to participate in Health Information Exchange and preferring to sign consent. Improved privacy and security protections could increase participation, and findings support consideration of “break-the-glass” provider access to Health Information Exchange records in an emergent situation.

Early HIV detection and treatment decreases morbidity and mortality and reduces high-risk behaviors. Many Emergency Departments (EDs) have HIV screening programs as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recent federal legislation includes incentives for electronic health record (EHR) adoption. Our objective was to analyze the impact of conversion to EHR on a mature ED-based HIV screening program. A retrospective pre- and post-EHR implementation cohort study was conducted in a large urban, academic ED. Medical records were reviewed for HIV screening rates from August 2008 through October 2013. On 1 November 2010, a comprehensive EHR system was implemented throughout the hospital. Before EHR implementation, labs were requested by providers by paper orders with HIV-1/2 automatically pre-selected on every form. This universal ordering protocol was not duplicated in the new EHR; rather it required a provider to manually enter the order. Using a chi-squared test, we compared HIV testing in the 6 months before and after EHR implementation; 55,054 patients presented before, and 50,576 after EHR implementation. Age, sex, race, acuity of presenting condition, and HIV seropositivity rates were similar pre- and post-EHR, and there were no major patient or provider changes during this period. Average HIV testing rate was 37.7% of all ED patients pre-, and 22.3% post-EHR, a 41% decline (p

Current National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) for patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with N2 involvement. We investigated the relationship between nodal stage and local-regional recurrence (LR), distant recurrence (DR) and overall survival (OS) for patients having an R0 resection.A multi-institutional database of consecutive patients undergoing R0 resection for stage I-IIIA NSCLC from 1995 to 2008 was used. Patients receiving any radiation therapy before relapse were excluded. A total of 1241, 202, and 125 patients were identified with N0, N1, and N2 involvement, respectively; 161 patients received chemotherapy. Cumulative incidence rates were calculated for LR and DR as first sites of failure, and Kaplan-Meier estimates were made for OS. Competing risk analysis and proportional hazards models were used to examine LR, DR, and OS. Independent variables included age, sex, surgical procedure, extent of lymph node sampling, histology, lymphatic or vascular invasion, tumor size, tumor grade, chemotherapy, nodal stage, and visceral pleural invasion.The median follow-up time was 28.7 months. Patients with N1 or N2 nodal stage had rates of LR similar to those of patients with N0 disease, but were at significantly increased risk for both DR (N1, hazard ratio [HR] = 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.30-2.59; P=.001; N2, HR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.55-3.48; P.001) and death (N1, HR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.18-1.81; P.001; N2, HR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.78-3.04; P.001). LR was associated with squamous histology, visceral pleural involvement, tumor size, age, wedge resection, and segmentectomy. The most frequent site of LR was the mediastinum.Our investigation demonstrated that nodal stage is directly associated with DR and OS but not with LR. Thus, even some patients with, N0-N1 disease are at relatively high risk of local recurrence. Prospective identification of risk factors for local recurrence may aid in selecting an appropriate population for further study of postoperative radiation therapy.

Preventable hospitalizations are markers of potentially low-value care. Addressing the problem requires understanding their contributing factors.The objective of this study is to determine the correlation between specific mental health diseases and each potentially preventable hospitalization as defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.The Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File, an administrative database of all Texas hospital admissions, identified 7,351,476 adult acute care hospitalizations between 2005 and 2008.A hierarchical multivariable logistic regression model clustered by admitting hospital adjusted for patient and hospital factors and admission date.A total of 945,280 (12.9%) hospitalizations were potentially preventable, generating $6.3 billion in charges and 1.2 million hospital days per year. Mental health diseases [odds ratio (OR), 1.25; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.22-1.27] and substance use disorders (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.12-1.13) both increased odds that a hospitalization was potentially preventable. However, each mental health disease varied from increasing or decreasing the odds of potentially preventable hospitalization depending on which of the 12 preventable hospitalization diagnoses were examined. Older age (OR, 3.69; 95% CI, 3.66-3.72 for age above 75 years compared with 18-44 y), black race (OR 1.44; 95% CI, 1.43-1.45 compared to white), being uninsured (OR 1.52; 95% CI, 1.51-1.54) or dual-eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.22-1.24) compared with privately insured, and living in a low-income area (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.17-1.23 for lowest income quartile compared with highest) were other patient factors associated with potentially preventable hospitalizations.Better coordination of preventative care for mental health disease may decrease potentially preventable hospitalizations.

Seven years after the Affordable Care Act legislated Alternative Payment Models, it is time for Emergency Medicine to find its place within this value-based trend by developing its own Alternative Payment Model.

Objective Up to 20% of patients seen in public emergency departments (EDs) have already been seen for the same complaint at another ED, but little is known about the origin or impact of these duplicate ED visits. The goals of this investigation were to explore 1) whether patients making a repeat ED visit are self-referred or indirectly referred from the other ED and 2) gather the perspective of affected patients on the health, social, and financial consequences of these duplicate ED visits. Methods This mixed-methods study conducted over a 10-week period during 2016 in a large public hospital ED in Texas prospectively surveyed patients seen in another ED for the same chief complaint. Selected patients presenting with fractures were then enrolled for semistructured qualitative interviews, which were audiotaped, transcribed, and independently coded by two team members until thematic saturation was reached. Results A total of 143 patients were identified as being recently seen at another local ED for the same chief complaint prior to presenting to the public hospital; 94% were uninsured and 61% presented with fractures. A total of 27% required admission at the public ED and 95% of those discharged required further outpatient follow-up. Fifty-one percent of patients completed a survey and qualitative interviews were conducted with 23 fracture patients. Fifty-three percent of patients reported that staff at the first hospital told them to go the public hospital ED, and 23% reported referral from a follow-up physician associated with the first hospital. Seventy-three percent reported receiving the same tests at both EDs. Interview themes identified multiple health care visits for the same injury, concern about complications, disrespectful treatment at the first ED, delayed care, problems accessing needed follow-up care without insurance, loss of work, and financial strain. Conclusions The majority of patients presenting to a public hospital ED after treatment for the same complaint in another local ED were indirectly referred to the public ED without transferring paperwork or records, incurring duplicate testing and patient anxiety.

Changes in potassium elimination, primarily due to the renal and GI systems, and shifting potassium between the intracellular and extracellular spaces cause potassium derangement. Symptoms are vague, but can be cardiac, musculoskeletal, or gastrointestinal. There are no absolute guidelines for when to treat, but it is generally recommended when the patient is symptomatic or has ECG changes. Treatment of hyperkalemia includes cardiac membrane stabilization with IV calcium, insulin and beta-antagonists to push potassium intracellularly, and dialysis. Neither sodium bicarbonate nor kayexelate are recommended. Treatment of symptomatic hypokalemia consists of PO or IV repletion with potassium chloride and magnesium sulfate.

BACKGROUND: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is an alternative to surgery for clinical stage I non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but comparing its effectiveness is difficult because of differences in patient selection and staging. METHODS: Two databases were combined which contained patients treated from 1999 to 2008 by lobectomy (LR, n 5132), sublobar resection (SLR, n 548), and SBRT (n 5137) after negative staging. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed for survival (OS), total recurrence control (TRC comprises local-regional and distant control), and locoregional control (LRC) in our entire population. A matchedpair analysis was also performed that compared surgery and SBRT results. Median follow-up for the entire study population was 25.8 months. RESULTS: On univariate analysis, OS was significantly worse with SBRT and also correlated with histology, the Charlson comorbidity index, tumor size, and aspirin use; TRC correlated only with histology; and no variable significantly correlated with LRC. OS was significantly poorer for SBRT in the matched-pair analysis than for patients treated with surgery, but TRC and LRC were not significantly different between these groups. Multivariate analyses including propensity score as a covariate (controlling for all factors affecting treatment selection) found that OS correlated only with Charlson comorbidity index, and TRC correlated only with tumor grade. LRC correlated only with tumor size with or without propensity score correction. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study has demonstrated similar OS, LRC, and TRC with SBRT or surgery after controlling for prognostic and patient selection factors. Randomized clinical trials are needed to better compare the effectiveness of these treatments. Cancer 2013;119:2683–91. V C 2013 American Cancer Society.

Background Insurance status affects access to care, which may affect health outcomes. The objective was to determine whether patients without insurance or with government‐sponsored insurance had worse quality of care or in‐hospital outcomes in acute ischemic stroke. Methods and Results Multivariable logistic regressions with generalized estimating equations stratified by age under or at least 65 years were adjusted for patient demographics and comorbidities, presenting factors, and hospital characteristics to determine differences in in‐hospital mortality and postdischarge destination. We included 589 320 ischemic stroke patients treated at 1604 US hospitals participating in the Get With The Guidelines‐Stroke program between 2012 and 2015. Uninsured patients with hypertension, high cholesterol, or diabetes mellitus were less likely to be taking appropriate control medications prior to stroke, to use an ambulance to arrive to the ED , or to arrive early after symptom onset. Even after adjustment, the uninsured were more likely than the privately insured to die in the hospital (OR 1.33 [95% CI 1.22‐1.45]; ≥65 years OR 1.54 [95% CI 1.34‐1.75]), and among survivors, were less likely to go to inpatient rehab (OR 0.63 [95% CI 0.6‐0.67]; ≥65 OR 0.56 [95% CI 0.5‐0.63]). In contrast, patients with Medicare and Medicaid were more likely to be discharged to a Skilled Nursing Facility (OR 2.08 [ CI 1.96‐2.2]; OR 2.01 [95% CI 1.91‐2.13]; ≥65 years OR 1.1 [95% CI 1.07‐1.13]; OR 1.41 [95% CI 1.35‐1.46]). Conclusions Preventative care prior to ischemic stroke, time to presentation for acute treatment, access to rehabilitation, and in‐hospital mortality differ by patient insurance status.

OBJECTIVES:The objective of this study was to determine characteristics associated with potentially preventable pediatric admissions as defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.METHODS:The Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File, an administrative database of hospital admissions, identified 747 040 pediatric admissions ages 0 to 17 years to acute care facilities between 2005 and 2008. Potentially preventable admissions included 5 diagnoses: asthma, perforated appendicitis, diabetes, gastroenteritis, and urinary tract infection. A hierarchical multivariable logistic regression model clustered by admitting hospital and adjusted for admission date estimated the patient and hospital factors associated with potentially preventable admission.RESULTS:An average of 71 444 hospital days per year and 14.1% (N = 105 055) of all admissions were potentially preventable, generating $304 million in hospital charges per year in 1 state. Younger age (odds ratio [OR]: 2.88 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.80–2.96]), black race (OR: 1.48 [95% CI: 1.45–1.52]) or Hispanic ethnicity (OR: 1.06 [95% CI: 1.04–1.08]), lower income (OR: 1.11 [95% CI: 1.02–1.20]), comorbid substance abuse disorder (OR: 2.03 [95% CI: 1.75–2.34]), and admission on a weekend (OR: 1.05 [95% CI: 1.03–1.06]) or to a critical access hospital (OR: 1.61 [95% CI: 1.20–2.14]) were high-risk factors for potentially preventable admission, whereas Native American race (OR: 0.91 [95% CI: 0.85–0.98]), government insurance (OR: 0.83 [95% CI: 0.89–0.96]) or no insurance (OR: 0.93 [95% CI: 0.89–0.96]), and living in a rural county (OR: 0.70 [95% CI: 0.68–0.73]) were associated factors. However, most factors varied from high to low odds depending on which of the 5 potentially preventable diagnoses was examined.CONCLUSIONS:Potentially preventable admissions represent a high burden of time and costs for the pediatric population, but strategies to reduce them should be tailored to each diagnosis because the associated factors are not uniform across all potentially preventable admissions.

Objective. Patients seen in emergency departments (EDs) not requiring admission are typically discharged with appropriate follow-up. Sometimes hospitals indirectly refer, or redirect, patients to a different hospital’s ED. Anecdotally, indirect referrals are commonly received in safety-net hospitals. This study characterizes the types of patients and hospitals affected and the cost of indirect referral in the orthopaedic trauma population. Methods. A retrospective cross-sectional chart review was conducted of 1,162 consecutive adult patients receiving orthopaedic care in an urban public hospital ED over a six-month period in 2011. Multivariable logistic regression analysis compared patients who were indirectly referred with those presenting primarily. Results. One in five (N=236) patients treated for orthopaedic injury was indirectly referred from neighboring hospitals with orthopaedists available; 209 (88.6%) of these patients were uninsured (OR 3.69; CI 1.85-7.34). Nonprofit hospitals initially treated 107 (64.1%) of these patients. Costs for largely uncompensated care at the public hospital were $1.77 million.

Objectives While the Affordable Care Act seeks to reduce emergency department (ED) visits for outpatient-treatable conditions, it remains unclear whether Medicaid patients or the uninsured have adequate access to follow-up care. The goal of this study was to determine the availability of follow-up orthopedic care by insurance status. Methods Using simulated patient methodology, all 102 eligible general orthopedic practices in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, were contacted twice by a caller requesting follow-up for an ankle fracture diagnosed in a local ED using a standardized script that differed by insurance status. Practices were randomly assigned to paired private and uninsured or Medicaid and uninsured scenarios. Results We completed 204 calls: 59 private, 43 Medicaid, and 102 uninsured. Appointment success rate was 83.1% for privately insured (95% confidence interval [CI] = 73.2% to 92.9%), 81.4% for uninsured (95% CI = 73.7% to 89.1%), and 14.0% for Medicaid callers (95% CI = 3.2% to 24.7%). Controlling for paired calls to the same practice, an uninsured caller had 5.7 times higher odds (95% CI = 2.74 to 11.71) of receiving an appointment than a Medicaid caller (p

Purpose To examine the local and distant recurrence rates and patterns of failure in patients undergoing potentially curative resection of N1 non–small-cell lung cancer. Methods and Materials The study included 60 consecutive unirradiated patients treated from 2000 to 2006. Median follow-up was 30 months. Failure rates were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. A univariate Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess factors associated with recurrence. Results Local and distant failure rates (as the first site of failure) at 2, 3, and 5 years were 33%, 33%, and 46%; and 26%, 26%, and 32%, respectively. The most common site of local failure was in the mediastinum; 12 of 18 local recurrences would have been included within proposed postoperative radiotherapy fields. Patients who received chemotherapy were found to be at increased risk of local failure, whereas those who underwent pneumonectomy or who had more positive nodes had significantly increased risks of distant failure. Conclusions Patients with resected non–small-cell lung cancer who have N1 disease are at substantial risk of local recurrence as the first site of relapse, which is greater than the risk of distant failure. The role of postoperative radiotherapy in such patients should be revisited in the era of adjuvant chemotherapy.

Labeling cells with iron oxide is a useful tool for MRI based cellular imaging. Here it is demonstrated that peripheral rat T cells can be labeled in whole blood, in vitro, with streptavidin-coated micron-sized iron oxide particles (MPIOs), achieving iron concentrations as high as 60 pg iron per cell. This is 30 times the amount of labeling reported with ultrasmall particles of iron oxide (USPIOs). Labeling was mediated by use of a biotinylated anti-CD5 antibody, which is specific for peripheral T cells. Such labeling allowed the in vitro detection of single lymphocytes by MRI, using conditions well suited for in vivo animal work. Electron microscopic analysis demonstrated that MPIOs remained largely extracellular after labeling, with some evidence of intracellular uptake. Cell viability and early and late cytokine release studies showed no significant differences between labeled and unlabeled cells. Therefore, the use of MPIOs for achieving high iron concentrations for cellular MRI is potentially an effective new modality for non-invasive imaging of lymphocytes.

Background: Orthopaedic clinic follow-up is required to ensure optimal management and outcome for many patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with an orthopaedic injury. While several studies have shown that demographic variables influence patient follow-up after discharge from the ED, the objective of this study was to examine orthopaedic-related and other factors associated with the failure to return for orthopaedic outpatient management, so-called “no-show,” after an ED visit. Methods: A chart review was conducted at a large academic public hospital. Four hundred and sixty-four consecutive adult patients who received an orthopaedic consult in the ED with subsequent referral to the orthopaedic clinic from January through June, 2011, were included. With use of chi-square and Mann-Whitney univariate tests, data regarding injury type and management were analyzed for association with no-show. Variables with p < 0.25 were included in a multivariate stepwise forward logistic regression analysis. Results: The overall no-show rate was 26.1%. Logistic regression modeling revealed significant differences in no-show rates based on cause of injury (odds ratio [OR] 7.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.27 to 25.1), with assault victims having the highest no-show rate. Anatomic region of injury significantly influenced no-show rates (OR 6.61; 95% CI, 1.45 to 30.5), with patients with a spine or back complaint having the highest no-show rate. Follow-up rates were influenced by the orthopaedic resident provider consulted (OR 10.8; 95% CI, 4.11 to 31.1), and this was not related to level of training (p = 0.25). The type of bracing applied influenced the no-show rate (OR 2.46; 95% CI, 1.58 to 3.96), and the easier it was to remove the brace (splint), the worse the follow-up (p = 0.0001). Several demographic variables were also predictive of clinic nonattendance, including morbid obesity (OR 15.0; 95% CI, 4.83 to 51.6) and current tobacco use (OR 5.56; 95% CI, 2.19 to 15.4). Conclusions: This study supports previous evidence of high no-show rates with scheduled orthopaedic follow-up among patients treated in the ED. The data highlight distinct orthopaedic-related factors associated with nonattendance. These findings are useful in identifying patients at high risk for no-show to scheduled orthopaedic follow-up appointments and may influence disposition and management decisions for these patients.

Objective An increasing proportion of patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is undergoing sublobar resection (L−). However, there is little information about the risks and correlates of local recurrence (LR) after such surgery, especially compared with patients undergoing lobectomy (L+). Methods Ninety-three and 318 consecutive patients with stage I NSCLC underwent L− and L+, respectively, from 2000 to 2006. Median follow-up was 34 months. Results In the L− group, the LR rates at 2, 3, and 5 years were 13%, 24%, and 40%, respectively. The risk of LR was significantly associated with tumor grade, tumor size, and T stage. The crude risk of LR was 33.8% (21 of 62) for patients whose tumors were grade ≥ 2. In the L+ group, the LR rates at 2, 3, and 5 years were 14%, 19%, and 24%, respectively. The risk of LR significantly increased with increasing tumor size, length of hospital stay, and the presence of diabetes. The L− group experienced a significant increase in failure in the bronchial stump/staple line compared with the L+ group (10% vs 3%; P = .04) and nonsignificant trends toward increased ipsilateral hilar and subcarinal failure rates. Conclusions Patients with stage I NSCLC who undergo L− have an increased risk of LR compared with patients undergoing L+, particularly when they have tumors grade ≥ 2 or tumor size > 2 cm. If L− is considered, additional local therapy should be considered to reduce this risk of LR, especially with tumors grade ≥ 2 or size > 2 cm.

We review the evidence for optimal surgical management and adjuvant therapy for patients with stages I and II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) along with factors associated with increased risks of recurrence. Based on the current evidence, we recommend optimal use of mediastinal lymph node dissection, adjuvant chemotherapy, and post-operative radiation therapy, and make suggestions for areas to explore in future prospective randomized clinical trials.

Purpose We recently demonstrated that diabetes mellitus was an independent risk factor for local recurrence (LR) for patients undergoing resection of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This investigation was performed to confirm or refute this finding in a different patient cohort. Materials and methods Patients were eligible if they did not have a second primary cancer within 5 years of the original diagnosis, had at least 3-month follow-up, and did not receive radiotherapy. There were 373 and 168 patients in the original (P1) and confirmatory (P2) cohorts, respectively, with 66 and 30 patients with diabetes. Results The median follow-up was 33 months (range, 3–98 months). Diabetes was an independent risk factor for LR in a Cox model in both the P2 ( p =0.05, hazard ratio [HR] 2.15) and P1 ( p =0.008, HR 1.90) cohorts, separately from BMI, glucose control, and the presence of the metabolic syndrome. The rates of LR in the patients with diabetes after combining the cohorts at 2, 3, and 5 years were 23%, 33%, and 56%, respectively; these rates were 15%, 19%, and 26% in non-diabetics. In multivariate Cox regression and competing risk analysis of the combined cohorts, the HRs for LR in patients with diabetes exceeded those of more established risk factors for LR including a 1-cm increase in tumor size and lymphovascular invasion. Conclusions Diabetes was confirmed to be an independent predictor of the risk of LR following resection of NSCLC.

ObjectiveStage I or II small cell lung cancer is rare. We evaluated the contemporary incidence of early-stage small cell lung cancer and defined its optimal local therapy.MethodsWe analyzed the incidence, treatment patterns, and outcomes of 2214 patients with early-stage small cell lung cancer (1690 with stage I and 524 with stage II) identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 1988 to 2005.ResultsEarly-stage small cell lung cancer constituted a stable proportion of all small cell lung cancers (3%–5%), lung cancers (0.10%–0.17%), and stage I lung cancers (1%–1.5%) until 2003 but, by 2005, increased significantly to 7%, 0.29%, and 2.2%, respectively (P

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of different definitions of local recurrence on the reported patterns of failure and associated risk factors in patients who undergo potentially curative resection for stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: The study included 306 consecutive patients who were treated from 2000 to 2005 without radiotherapy. Local recurrence was defined either as “radiation” (r-LR) (according to previously defined postoperative radiotherapy fields), including the bronchial stump, staple line, ipsilateral hilum, and ipsilateral mediastinum; or as “comprehensive” (c-LR), including the same sites plus the ipsilateral lung and contralateral mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. All recurrences that were not classified as “local” were considered to be distal. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 33 months. The proportions of c-LR and r-LR at 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years were 14%, 21%, and 29%, respectively, and 7%, 12%, and 16%, respectively. Significant risk factors for c-LR on multivariate analysis were diabetes, lymphatic vascular invasion, and tumor size; and significant factors for r-LR were resection of less than a lobe and lymphatic vascular invasion. The proportions of distant (nonlocal) recurrence using these definitions at 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years were 10%, 12%, and 18%, respectively, and 14%, 19%, and 29%, respectively. Significant risk factors for distant failure were histology when using the c-LR definition and tumor size when using the r-LR definition. CONCLUSIONS: Local recurrence increased nearly 2-fold when a broad definition was used instead of a narrow definition. The definition also affected which factors were associated significantly with both local and distant failure on multivariate analysis. Comparable definitions must be used when analyzing different series. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the impact of surgical, histopathologic and patient-related factors on the risks of local and distant recurrence and overall survival for patients with stages I through IIIA nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) undergoing definitive resection with or without adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: This study included 373 consecutive patients treated between 2000 and 2005 who did not receive adjuvant or neoadjuvant radiotherapy, had at least 3 months of follow-up, and did not have a history of other cancers within 5 years of the diagnosis of their NSCLC. Of these, 52% had pathologic stage IA disease, 30% had stage IB, 5% had stage IIA, 8% had stage IIB and 5% had stage III disease. Forty-four patients received chemotherapy. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 33 months. Local failure rates at 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years were 16%, 22%, and 32%, respectively; distant recurrence rates were 13%, 15%, and 21%, respectively. Multivariable analysis revealed that local recurrence was significantly associated with the presence of lymphatic or vascular invasion (LVI), the use of chemotherapy, and having diabetes; distant recurrence was significantly higher in patients with nonsquamous cell histology, those undergoing pneumonectomy, and those with more advanced TNM stage. Survival was significantly associated with age, history of myocardial infarction, performance of a pneumonectomy, histology, LVI, and the number of positive N1 lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS: Local recurrence was the predominant type of failure in this series. Patient with diabetes or LVI may benefit from close surveillance and aggressive therapy of asymptomatic local recurrences, especially when chemotherapy is given in addition to surgery. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.

7552 Background: Current NCCN guidelines recommend post-operative radiotherapy (PORT) for patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with N2-involvement. We investigated the relation...

7554 Background: Lymphatic-vascular invasion (LVI) is not currently considered in staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We assessed the impact of LVI on overall survival (OS), local/distant recurrence (LR/DR) and patterns of recurrence. Methods: 869 consecutive patients who underwent a definitive surgical resection ± adjuvant chemotherapy for NSCLC from 2000–2008 were qualified for analysis if they did not receive any adjuvant/neo-adjuvant radiotherapy, had at least three months of follow-up, and did not have a history of other cancers within 5 years. Tumors with LVI (N = 160) were compared to tumors without LVI (N = 705). LR/DR rates at 2,3, and 5 years were calculated by the methods of Kaplan-Meier. Association between LVI and OS and LR/DR were compared in the total population and in a propensity matched population (PS) by factors affecting OS and LR/DR (n=160 matched pairs). Results: OS, LR, and DR were significantly worse in patients with LVI in the total population and in the subset of patients matched by propensity score (Table). In the PS-matched pairs, LVI was associated with a greater number of N1 nodes involved, a longer length of stay, higher histologic grade, and higher T-stage. Patterns of local failure (P

7040 Background: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is an alternative to surgery alone for certain patients with clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but comparing their effectiveness is difficult because of differences in patient selection and staging. Methods: Two databases were combined which contained 132 patients treated by lobectomy (LR) and 48 by sublobar resection (SLR) and 137 patients managed with SBRT after negative staging between 1999-2009. We compared rates of overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and locoregional control (LRC) between patients treated with surgery and SBRT to each other and in relation to possible prognostic factors. We then performed a matched-pair analysis comparing surgery and SBRT results. Median follow-up for the entire study population was 25.8 months. Results: On univariate analysis, OS was significantly correlated with histology, the Charlson Comorbidity Index, tumor size, aspirin use, and use of SBRT; DFS was correlated only with histology; and no variable was significantly correlated with LRC. Multivariate analysis found improved OS in patients with adenocarcinoma and those undergoing surgical resection. The NSCLC “not otherwise specified” histology was associated with poorer DFS. Overall survival was significantly poorer for SBRT patients in the matched-pair analysis than for patients treated with surgery, but DFS and LRC were not significantly different between these groups. Conclusions: Our retrospective study has demonstrated similar LRC and DFS in patients treated with SBRT or surgery, but worse OS in the former group, when patients were matched for prognostic factors. Our investigation suggests that randomized trials are needed to eliminate selection bias in treatment assignment in order to accurately compare outcomes between these approaches.

7542 Background: To assess surgical, histopathologic, and patient-related factors associated with isolated brain metastases (IBM) in patients with stages I-IIIA non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC) who underwent a definitive surgical resection ± adjuvant chemotherapy as compared to patients developing other distal metastases (ODM). Methods: 593 consecutive patients who underwent a definitive surgical resection ± adjuvant chemotherapy for NSCLC from 2000–2007 were qualified for analysis if they did not receive any adjuvant/neo-adjuvant radiotherapy, had at least three months of follow-up, and did not have a history of other cancers within 5 years of the diagnosis of their NSCLC. Univariate and multi-variate analyses were performed to assess risk factors for IBM as the only site of metastatic relapse and compare these risk factors to those of patients with ODM. Results: After a median follow-up of 33 months, 92 patients (25 IBM and 67 ODM) presented with distal metastases. Median time to the development of IBM ...

7069 Background: We recently demonstrated that DM was an independent risk factor for LR for patients undergoing resection of NSCLC. This investigation was performed to confirm or refute this findin...

Purpose/Objective(s): The Lung Cancer Study Group’s Trial of lobectomy (L+) vs. limited resection (L-) for Stage I NSCLC revealed a higher rate of local recurrence (LR) (defined as ipsilateral lung and mediastinum) in the Lgroup. The purpose of this investigation is to identify a patient subgroup undergoing Lwho would be at an increased risk of local recurrence and to assess failure patterns between the two types of resection.

7585 Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) rarely presents as I/II Disease. In order to assess the incidence, treatment and prognosis of this early-stage SCLC, we used the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. Furthermore, since some investigators are irradiating growing and/or PET Scan positive nodules without biopsy, presenting characteristics of surgically-resected Stage I SCLC were compared to those of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: The SEER 17 Database from 1988–2003 was accessed for all patients with early-stage SCLC. Presenting characteristics of surgically-resected Stage I SCLC were compared to those of resected Stage I NSCLC using chi-square and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests. The logrank test was used to compare the differences in Survival(S) resulting from the various treatments options for early-stage SCLC. Results: 1,615 patients were identified with early-stage SCLC with greater than 3 months of follow-up. The median S was 20 months for the entire group. Over the time period of our study, the incidence of early stage SCLC as a percentage of all SCLCs and all lung cancers (SCLCs and NSCLCs) remained stable and ranged from 3.00–4.96% and 0.09–0.16% respectively. Surgically-resected Stage I SCLC did not differ from NSCLC in regards to patient characteristics (age, sex, race) or tumor location, but SCLC was found to have significantly smaller tumor size (p< 0.0001). Lobectomy or greater resections without radiotherapy were associated with a greater median S than those treated with segmental/wedge resections and those treated with radiotherapy alone (44 vs 29 months, p=0.03 and 20 months, p No significant financial relationships to disclose.

7583 Background: To examine the effects of different definitions of local recurrence on the reported patterns of failure and associated risk factors in patients undergoing potentially curative resection of Stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: The study included 306 consecutive patients treated from 2000–2005 without radiotherapy. Local recurrence was defined as either: “radiation” (i.e., recurrences confined to the post-operative radiotherapy fields used in the Phase III trial of adjuvant radiotherapy by Trodella et al) (LRR), including the bronchial stump, staple line, the ipsilateral hilum, and ipsilateral mediastinum; or “comprehensive” (LRC), including these sites plus the ipsilateral lung and contralateral mediastinal and hilar nodes. Results: The median follow-up was 33 months. Proportions of LRC and LRR at 2, 3 and 5 years were 14%, 21% and 29%; and 7%, 12%, and 16%, respectively. Significant risk factors for LRC on multivariable analysis were diabetes, lymphatic vascular invasion and tumor size; significant factors for LRR were resection of less than a lobe and lymphatic vascular invasion. Distant (non-local) relapse proportions using these definitions at 2, 3 and 5 years were 10%, 12%, and 18%; and 14%, 19%, and 29%, respectively. Significant risk factors for distant failure were histology when using the LRC definitions and tumor size using the LRR definition. Conclusions: Local recurrence increased nearly two-fold when a broad definition was used, rather than a narrow one. The definition also affected which factors were significantly associated with both local and distant failure on multivariate analysis. Comparable definitions must be used when analyzing different series. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

7572 Background: To assess surgical, histopathologic and patient-related factors associated with local, distant and overall recurrence in patients with Stages I-IIIA Non-Small Cell Cancer (NSCLC) w...

Background: To compare the presenting and prognostic characteristics of patients with large cell neuroendocrine lung cancer (LCNELC) with those of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) or other large cell carcinomas (OLCs) and to compare overall survival (OS) and lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) rates for patients undergoing definitive resection without radiotherapy (S-NoRT). Methods: The Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Database-17 from 2001 to 2007 was used. Differences between population characteristics were compared using ϰ2 and Wilcoxon tests. The log-rank test and Cox models were used to compare differences in OS and LCSS. Results: There were 1211 patients with LCNELC (324 in the S-NoRT group), 8295 patients with OLC (1120 S-NoRT), and 35,304 patients with SCLC (355 S-NoRT). The proportion of all large cell carcinomas constituted by LCNELC increased from 8 to 21% during the study period; and the proportion of patients with large cell carcinoma undergoing S-NoRT increased from 16 to 26%. Presenting and histopathologic characteristics and treatment factors of patients undergoing S-NoRT for patients with LCNELC were more similar to those of patients with OLC than to those with SCLC. OS and LCSS rates for patients with LCNELC undergoing resection without radiation were similar to those of patients with OLC and better than those for patients with SCLC, but the differences were not statistically significant on multivariate analysis. Conclusions: The clinical, histopathologic, and biologic features of LCNELC are more similar to OLC than to SCLC. Therefore, LCNELC should continue to be classified and treated as a large cell carcinoma.

Background One hundred ninety-four member nations turn to the World Health Organization (WHO) for guidance and assistance during disasters. Purposes of disaster communication include preventing panic, promoting appropriate health behaviors, coordinating response among stakeholders, advocating for affected populations, and mobilizing resources. Methods A quality improvement project was undertaken to gather expert consensus on best practices that could be used to improve WHO protocols for disaster communication. Open-ended surveys of 26 WHO Communications Officers with disaster response experience were conducted. Responses were categorized to determine the common themes of disaster response communication and areas for practice improvement. Results Disasters where the participants had experience included 29 outbreaks of 13 different diseases in 16 countries, 18 natural disasters of 6 different types in 15 countries, 2 technical disasters in 2 countries, and ten conflicts in 10 countries. Conclusion Recommendations to build communications capacity prior to a disaster include pre-writing public service announcements in multiple languages on questions that frequently arise during disasters; maintaining a database of statistics for different regions and types of disaster; maintaining lists of the locally trusted sources of information for frequently affected countries and regions; maintaining email listservs of employees, international media outlet contacts, and government and non-governmental organization contacts that can be used to rapidly disseminate information; developing a global network with 24-h cross-coverage by participants from each time zone; and creating a central electronic sharepoint where all of these materials can be accessed by communications officers around the globe.