Mary E. Charlton

Inappropriate use of urinary catheters: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND Despite the well-recognized role of urinary catheters in nosocomial urinary tract infections, data on risk factors associated with inappropriate urinary catheter use are scarce. METHODS A prospective review of electronic medical records of 436 patients admitted to an adult medical-surgical unit between October and December 2007 was performed to examine the appropriateness of urinary catheter use. RESULTS The use of 157 urinary catheters in 144 patients was observed. A total of 557 urinary catheter-days were recorded in these patients, of which 175 (31.4%) were found to be inappropriate based on the study criteria. The total number of catheters used and the total duration of catheterization were risk factors for inappropriate urinary catheter use (P < .05). Inappropriate catheter use was not associated with such adverse events as mortality, readmission, intensive care unit admission, catheter complications, or urine culture rates, but was associated with a trend toward longer duration of hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS Significant rates of inappropriate urinary catheter use and a trend toward longer duration of hospitalization with inappropriate catheter use were observed. These findings underscore the importance of establishing guidelines and effective policy implementation for the appropriate use of urinary catheters in hospitalized patients.

Assessing observational studies of medical treatments

BackgroundPrevious studies have assessed the validity of the observational study design by comparing results of studies using this design to results from randomized controlled trials. The present study examined design features of observational studies that could have influenced these comparisons.MethodsTo find at least 4 observational studies that evaluated the same treatment, we reviewed meta-analyses comparing observational studies and randomized controlled trials for the assessment of medical treatments. Details critical for interpretation of these studies were abstracted and analyzed qualitatively.ResultsIndividual articles reviewed included 61 observational studies that assessed 10 treatment comparisons evaluated in two studies comparing randomized controlled trials and observational studies. The majority of studies did not report the following information: details of primary and ancillary treatments, outcome definitions, length of follow-up, inclusion/exclusion criteria, patient characteristics relevant to prognosis or treatment response, or assessment of possible confounding. When information was reported, variations in treatment specifics, outcome definition or confounding were identified as possible causes of differences between observational studies and randomized controlled trials, and of heterogeneity in observational studies.ConclusionReporting of observational studies of medical treatments was often inadequate to compare study designs or allow other meaningful interpretation of results. All observational studies should report details of treatment, outcome assessment, patient characteristics, and confounding assessment.

Regional Differences in Prescribing Quality Among Elder Veterans and the Impact of Rural Residence

PURPOSE Medication safety is a critical concern for older adults. Regional variation in potentially inappropriate prescribing practices may reflect important differences in health care quality. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to characterize prescribing quality variation among older adults across geographic region, and to compare prescribing quality across rural versus urban residence. METHODS Cross-sectional study of 1,549,824 older adult veterans with regular Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care and medication use during fiscal year 2007. Prescribing quality was measured by 4 indicators of potentially inappropriate prescribing: Zhan criteria drugs to avoid, Fick criteria drugs to avoid, therapeutic duplication, and drug-drug interactions. Frequency differences across region and rural-urban residence were compared using adjusted odds-ratios. FINDINGS Significant regional variation was observed for all indicators. Zhan criteria frequencies ranged from 13.2% in the Northeast to 21.2% in the South. Nationally, rural veterans had a significantly increased risk for inappropriate prescribing according to all quality indicators. However, regional analyses revealed this effect was limited to the South and Northeast, whereas rural residence was neutral in the Midwest and protective in the West. CONCLUSIONS Significant regional variation in prescribing quality was observed among older adult veterans, mirroring recent findings among Medicare beneficiaries. The association between rurality and prescribing quality is heterogeneous, and relying solely on national estimates may yield misleading conclusions. Although we documented important variations in prescribing quality, the underlying factors driving these trends remain unknown, and they are a vital area for future research affecting older adults in both VA and non-VA health systems.

Inappropriate intravascular device use: a prospective study

Despite the clinical significance of complications due to intravascular catheters, the inappropriate use of intravascular catheters in hospitalised patients has not been adequately characterised. The objective of this prospective observational study was to develop definitions for appropriate intravascular device use, to estimate the frequency of inappropriate use of intravascular devices, and to examine risk factors and outcomes associated with inappropriate use in hospitalised patients. Among 436 patients admitted between October and December 2007, a total of 2909 hospitalisation days and use of 876 intravascular devices was observed. Of the 3806 total catheter-days recorded, 1179 (31%) were found to be inappropriate based on the study criteria. Logistic regression analysis indicated that age, total number of catheters used and total duration of catheterisation were risk factors for inappropriate device use (P<0.05). Inappropriate usage was strongly associated with increased intensive care unit admission (P<0.05) and length of hospital stay (4.9±4.3 days for appropriate vs 8.5±12.6 days for inappropriate; P<0.05). Use of central venous catheters was not a predictor for inappropriate device use. Inappropriate intravascular device use is a very common phenomenon in hospitalised patients and is strongly linked to adverse device-related outcomes. These results may be used to develop strategies to systematically reduce excessive intravascular device use which would be expected to reduce adverse events associated with morbidity, mortality, and excess healthcare costs.

YouTube is the Most Frequently Used Educational Video Source for Surgical Preparation.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate surgical preparation methods of medical students, residents, and faculty with special attention to video usage. DESIGN Following Institutional Review Board approval, anonymous surveys were distributed to participants. Information collected included demographics and surgical preparation methods, focusing on video usage. Participants were questioned regarding frequency and helpfulness of videos, video sources used, and preferred methods between videos, reading, and peer consultation. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS. SETTING Surveys were distributed to participants in the Department of Surgery at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, a tertiary care center in Iowa City, Iowa. PARTICIPANTS Survey participants included fourth-year medical students pursuing general surgery, general surgery residents, and faculty surgeons in the Department of Surgery. A total of 86 surveys were distributed, and 78 surveys were completed. This included 42 learners (33 residents, 9 fourth-year medical students) and 36 faculty. RESULTS The overall response rate was 91%; 90% of respondents reported using videos for surgical preparation (learners = 95%, faculty = 83%, p = NS). Regarding surgical preparation methods overall, most learners and faculty selected reading (90% versus 78%, p = NS), and fewer respondents reported preferring videos (64% versus 44%, p = NS). Faculty more often use peer consultation (31% versus 50%, p < 0.02). Among respondents who use videos (N = 70), the most used source was YouTube (86%). Learners and faculty use different video sources. Learners use YouTube and Surgical Council on Resident Education (SCORE) Portal more than faculty (YouTube: 95% versus 73%, p < 0.02; SCORE: 25% versus 7%, p < 0.05). Faculty more often use society web pages and commercial videos (society: 67% versus 38%, p < 0.03; commercial: 27% versus 5%, p < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Most respondents reported using videos to prepare for surgery. YouTube was the preferred source. Posting surgical videos to YouTube may allow for maximal access to learners who are preparing for surgical cases.

Factors associated with conversion from laparoscopic to open colectomy using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database.

Conversion rates from laparoscopic to open colectomy and associated factors are traditionally reported in clinical trials or reviews of outcomes from experienced institutions. Indications and selection criteria for laparoscopic colectomy may be more narrowly defined in these circumstances. With the increased adoption of laparoscopy, conversion rates using national data need to be closely examined. The purpose of this study was to use data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS‐NSQIP) to identify factors associated with conversion of laparoscopic to open colectomy at a national scale in the United States.

Analysis of stage and clinical/prognostic factors for colon and rectal cancer from SEER registries: AJCC and collaborative stage data collection system.

The Collaborative Stage (CS) Data Collection System enables multiple cancer registration programs to document anatomic and molecular pathology features that contribute to the Tumor (T), Node (N), Metastasis (M) — TNM — system of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). This article highlights changes in CS for colon and rectal carcinomas as TNM moved from the AJCC 6th to the 7th editions.

Association of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy With Survival for Head and Neck Melanoma: Survival Analysis Using the SEER Database

IMPORTANCE Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) provides prognostic information for melanoma; however, a survival benefit has not been demonstrated. OBJECTIVE To assess the association of SLNB with survival for melanoma arising in head and neck subsites (HNM). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database to compare US patients with HNM meeting current recommendations for SLNB, treated from 2004 to 2011 with either (1) SLNB with or without neck dissection, or (2) no SLNB or neck dissection. INTERVENTIONS SLNB with or without neck dissection. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Disease-specific survival (DSS) estimates based on the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox proportional hazards modeling to compare survival outcomes between matched pair cohorts. RESULTS A total of 7266 patients with HNM meeting study criteria were identified from the SEER database. Matching of treatment cohorts was performed using propensity scores modeled on 10 covariates known to be associated with SLNB treatment or melanoma survival. Cohorts were stratified by tumor thickness (thin, >0.75-1.00 mm Breslow thickness; intermediate, >1.00-4.00 mm; and thick, >4.00 mm) and exactly matched within 5 age categories. In the intermediate-thickness cohort, 2808 patients with HNM were matched and balanced by propensity score for SLNB treatment; the 5-year DSS estimate for those treated by SLNB was 89% vs 88% for nodal observation (log-rank P = .30). The hazard ratio for melanoma-specific death was 0.87 for those undergoing SLNB (95% CI, 0.66-1.14; P = .31). In each of the other cohorts analyzed, including those with thin and thick melanomas, and cohorts with melanoma overall, no significant difference in DSS was demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This SEER cohort analysis demonstrates no significant association between SLNB and improved disease-specific survival for patients with HNM.

Non-VA Primary Care Providers' Perspectives on Comanagement for Rural Veterans

BACKGROUND Many veterans utilize health care services within and outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). There are limited VA care coordination resources for non-VA primary care providers (PCPs), and the non-VA provider perspective on caring for veterans is underrepresented. The VA requires Patient Aligned Care Teams to coordinate care for veterans across health systems. OBJECTIVE To elicit perspectives of PCPs on caring for veterans who use both VA and non-VA health care. METHODS Qualitative data from semistructured telephone interviews were interpreted in the context of quantitative survey results. Participants were PCPs in a practice-based research network in 2011. 67 non-VA PCPs completed surveys, and descriptive statistics were performed. 21 semistructured telephone interviews were transcribed and underwent thematic analysis. RESULTS Current communication with VA was viewed as poor, and many believed this led to poor patient outcomes. The veteran was identified as the main vehicle for information transfer between providers, which was viewed as undesirable. Non-VA providers felt they were interacting with VA as a system rather than with individual providers. CONCLUSIONS VA system barriers hinder communication between providers, possibly resulting in fragmented care. Addressing these barriers will potentially improve patient safety and satisfaction.

Effect of BMI on outcomes in proctectomy.

BACKGROUND: The unique surgical challenges of proctectomy may be amplified in obese patients. We examined surgical outcomes of a large, diverse sample of obese patients undergoing proctectomy. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work was to determine whether increased BMI is associated with increased complications in proctectomy. DESIGN: This was a retrospective review. SETTINGS: The study uses the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (2010 and 2011). PATIENTS: Patients included were those undergoing nonemergent proctectomy, excluding rectal prolapse cases. Patients were grouped by BMI using the World Health Organization classifications of underweight (BMI <18.5); normal (18.5-24.9); overweight (25.0-29.9); and class I (30.0-34.9), class II (35.0-39.9), and class III (≥40.0) obesity. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We analyzed the effect of preoperative and intraoperative factors on 30-day outcomes. Continuous variables were compared with Wilcoxon rank-sum tests and proportions with the Fisher exact or &khgr;2 tests. Logistic regression controlled for the effects of multiple risk factors. RESULTS: Among 5570 patients, class I, II, and III obesity were significantly associated with higher rates of overall complications (44.0%, 50.8%, and 46.6% vs 38.1% for normal-weight patients; p < 0.05). Superficial wound infection was significantly higher in classes I, II, and III (11.6%, 17.8%, and 13.0% vs 8.0% for normal-weight patients; p < 0.05). Operative times for patients in all obesity classes were significantly longer than for normal-weight patients. On multivariate analysis, an obese BMI independently predicted complications; ORs (95% CIs) were 1.36 (1.14-1.62) for class I obesity, 1.99 (1.54-2.54) for class II, and 1.42 (1.02-1.96) for class III. LIMITATIONS: This study was a retrospective design with limited follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Class I, II, and III obese patients were at significantly increased risk for morbidity compared with normal BMI patients. Class II obese patients had the highest rate of complications, a finding that deserves further investigation.