Kazuaki Kuwabara

Post-procedure hemodynamic management for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is controversial because of the paucity of studied patients. Using a Japanese administrative database, we tested whether increased albumin, catecholamine, and volumes of fluid administered between the procedure and the 4th post-procedure day would be associated with outcomes of mortality, consciousness deterioration at discharge and re-intubation between the 5th and 14th post-procedure days. Across 550 hospitals, 5,400 patients were identified who received clipping, wrapping and endovascular coiling within 48 h after admission in 2010. Patient characteristics and the administration of albumin, catecholamine, and volume of fluid normalized by body weight were analyzed among the groups and categorized according to the presence of albumin and catecholamine administered between the procedure and the 4th post-procedure day. The association of early hemodynamic management with outcomes was measured using logistic regression models, through controlling for the preference of early administration of albumin and catecholamine. For the patients, 9.3 % received albumin only, 14.4 % catecholamine only, and 4.9 % both between the procedure and the 4th post-procedure day, while 16.5 % received albumin or catecholamine on other days. Variation in albumin and catecholamine administration was observed. Higher normalized fluid volume, commenced before the 4th post-procedure day, was associated with increased mortality and re-intubation (although with decreased complications), and vice versa between the 4th and 14th post-procedure days. Catecholamine administration was associated with worsened outcomes. Hypervolemic and hypertensive therapies commenced before the 4th post-procedure day require further research to determine whether their associations with outcomes in this administrative data base are causal or not.

Quality improvement initiatives in intensive care units (ICUs) have increased survival rates. Changes in functional status following ICU care have been studied, but results are inconclusive because of insufficient consideration of the combinations of critical care procedures used. Using the Japanese administrative database including the Barthel Index (BI) at admission and discharge, we measured the changes in functional status among the adult patients and determined whether longer ICU stay or use of various critical care procedures was associated with functional deterioration. Of the 12 502 528 patients admitted to 1206 hospitals over 5 consecutive years from 2006, we analyzed data from patients aged 15 years or older who survived ICU admission in 320 hospitals. Critical care procedures evaluated were ventilation, blood purification (hemodialysis, hemodiafiltration, or hemadsorption), and cardiac support devices (intra-aortic balloon pump or percutaneous cardiopulmonary support system). Functional outcomes were determined by the difference between BI at admission and at discharge and were divided into improvement, no change, or deterioration. We compared patient characteristics, principal diagnosis, comorbidities, timing of surgical procedure, complications, days in ICU, and use of critical care procedures among the 3 categories. Associations between critical care procedures and functional deterioration were identified using multivariate analysis. Of 234 209 patients with complete BI information, 7137 (3.1%) received blood purification, 27 100 (11.7%) received ventilation, 2888 (1.2%) received blood purification and ventilation, 5613 (2.4%) received a cardiac support device, 247 (0.1%) received a cardiac support device and blood purification, 10 444 (4.5%) received a cardiac support device and ventilation, and 1110 (0.5%) received a cardiac support device, ventilation, and blood purification. Longer use of blood purification or ventilation and a longer ICU stay were associated with functional deterioration. Intensivists should be aware of the effects of critical care procedures on functional deterioration and advance the appropriate use of functional support according to each patient’s condition.

Several studies have regarded proximal gastrectomy (PG) as optimal compared to total gastrectomy (TG) for upper stomach cancer. In addition to the traditional outcomes of complication and mortality, change in functional status should be considered as another relevant outcome in aging generations. However, there has been no community-based appraisal of functional outcomes between PG and TG. Using an administrative database, we compared functional outcomes between PG and TG. Among 12,508 patients who survived for ≥15 years and underwent open gastrectomy between 2008 and 2010, we examined patient characteristics, comorbidities, functional status estimated by the Barthel index (BI) at admission and discharge, complications, ICU care, ventilation administration, blood transfusion, operating room time, resumption of oral intake, length of stay and total charges. With reference to distal gastrectomy (DG), we performed multivariate analyses to assess the impacts of PG and TG on complications and BI deterioration. A total of 434 PGs and 4,941 TGs were observed in 148 and 295 hospitals, respectively. Patient characteristics, care process, resumption of oral intake, operating room time, length of stay and total charges were also significantly different among the three gastrectomy types. PG, TG and DG were not associated with complications or functional deterioration. Patient characteristics, preoperative blood transfusion and longer operating room time were significantly associated with more complications and BI deterioration. Since patient case mix and longer operating room time were associated with poor outcomes, physicians should recognize the role of PG and might optimally challenge and complete gastrectomies within the appropriate indications.

Background: In the era of an aging population, stakeholders should recognize the presence of age disparities for the delivery of acute care. Few studies have assessed the association between resource use as an input and functional recovery as a health outcome among older people. We examined the disparity in care quality for patients aged ≥ 60 years with stroke, hip arthropathy or bone injury. Methods: Using a Japanese administrative database with 5 years of data starting in 2004, we identified 35,566 patients with stroke, 2537 with hip arthropathy, and 7427 with hip bone injury across 151 acute care hospitals. Demographic characteristics, functional status at admission and discharge, length of stay (LOS), and total charges (TC) were analyzed for specific age categories (60–69, 70–79 and ≥ 80 years). Independent effects of age on these parameters were determined. Results: Overall, 10,239 (29%) patients with stroke, 321 (13%) with arthropathy, and 747 (36%) with bone injury were aged ≥ 80 years old. The proportions of surgical procedures for patients aged ≥ 70 years with stroke, arthropathy and bone injury were 20%, 91% and 90%, respectively. The 70–79-year-old group was associated with greater LOS or TC for each disease, except for LOS in arthropathy. The degree of functional recovery decreased with increasing age, except hip arthropathy. Conclusion: Disparities in resource use and functional recovery were observed by disease and age. To maintain social activity among older people, stakeholders should acknowledge the variations in care quality and establish priorities for quality improvement initiatives in hip arthropathy.

Background: Several studies have advocated laparoscopic simple closure (LSC) as the treatment of choice for perforated peptic ulcer disease (PUD). However, there has been no comprehensive community‐based evaluation of the advantages of using LSC over open simple closure (OSC). Using an administrative database, we evaluated LSC versus OSC for patients with perforated ulcers.Methods: From 6,334 patients with perforated ulcers, we identified 2,909 simple closure cases between 2006 and 2010. Study variables were demographics, mortality, co‐morbidities, complications, ulcer location, surgical timing, blood transfusion, postoperative ventilation, operating room (OR) time, time to resumption of oral food intake, length of stay (LOS), and total charges. After matching patient baseline variables between OSC and LSC, we performed multivariate analyses to assess the impacts of LSC on mortality, complications, and ventilation administration.Results: A total of 2,073 OSC cases and 836 LSC cases were identified in 670 hospitals. Younger age, duodenal ulcer, and pre‐existing PUD were indicators for selection of LSC. Matching analysis indicated a correlation between LSC and lower mortality, less frequent postoperative and overall blood transfusion, shorter LOS, earlier return to oral intake, and longer OR time. There was no difference between OSC and LSC in complication rate or mortality. Longer OR time was correlated with a higher complication rate and the need for ventilation, the latter of which was independently associated with an increase in mortality.Conclusions: Because longer OR time was associated with more frequent complications and ventilation, surgeons should obtain the skills and strategies necessary to accomplish LSC without extending OR time improperly.

SUMMARY: Case‐mix classification has made it possible to analyze acute care delivery case volumes and resources. Data arising from observed differences have a role in planning health policy. Aggregated length of hospital stay (LOS) and total charges (TC) as measures of resource use were calculated from 34 case‐mix groups at 469 hospitals (1 721 274 eligible patients). The difference between mean resource use of all hospitals and the mean resource use of each hospital was subdivided into three components: amount of variation attributable to hospital practice behavior (efficiency); amount attributable to hospital case‐mix (complexity); and amount attributable to the interaction. Hospital characteristics were teaching status (academic or community), ownership, disease coverage, patients, and hospital volume. Multivariate analysis was employed to determine the impact of hospital characteristics on efficiency. Mean LOS and TC were greater for academic than community hospitals. Academic hospitals were least associated with LOS and TC efficiency. Low disease coverage was a predictor of TC efficiency while low patient volume was a predictor of unnecessarily long hospital stays. There was an inverse correlation between complexity and efficiency for both LOS and TC. Policy makers should acknowledge that differentiation of hospital function needs careful consideration when measuring efficiency. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.