Stephanie L. Nitzschke

Racial disparities in emergency general surgery: Do differences in outcomes persist among universally insured military patients?

BACKGROUND Racial disparities in surgical care are well described. As many minority patients are also uninsured, increasing access to care is thought to be a viable solution to mitigate inequities. The objectives of this study were to determine whether racial disparities in 30-/90-/180- day outcomes exist within a universally insured population of military-/civilian-dependent emergency general surgery (EGS) patients and ascertain whether differences in outcomes differentially persist in care received at military versus civilian hospitals and among sponsors who are enlisted service members versus officers. It also considered longer-term outcomes of EGS care. METHODS Five years (2006–2010) of TRICARE data, which provides insurance to active/reserve/retired members of the US Armed Services and dependents, were queried for adults (≥18 years) with primary EGS conditions, defined by the AAST. Risk-adjusted survival analyses assessed race-associated differences in mortality, major acute care surgery-related morbidity, and readmission at 30/90/180 days. Models accounted for clustering within hospitals and possible biases associated with missing race using reweighted estimating equations. Subanalyses considered restricted effects among operative interventions, EGS diagnostic categories, and effect modification related to rank and military- versus civilian-hospital care. RESULTS A total of 101,011 patients were included: 73.5% white, 14.5% black, 4.4% Asian, and 7.7% other. Risk-adjusted survival analyses reported a lack of worse mortality and readmission outcomes among minority patients at 30, 90, and 180 days. Major morbidity was higher among black versus white patients (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval): 30 days, 1.23 [1.13–1.35]; 90 days, 1.18 [1.09–1.28]; and 180 days, 1.15 [1.07–1.24], a finding seemingly driven by appendiceal disorders (hazard ratio, 1.69–1.70). No other diagnostic categories were significant. Variations in military- versus civilian-managed care and in outcomes for families of enlisted service members versus officers altered associations, to some extent, between outcomes and race. CONCLUSIONS While an imperfect proxy of interventions is directly applicable to the broader United States, the contrast between military observations and reported racial disparities among civilian EGS patients merits consideration. Apparent mitigation of disparities among military-/civilian-dependent patients provides an example for which we as a nation and collective of providers all need to strive. The data will help to inform policy within the Department of Defense and development of disparities interventions nationwide, attesting to important differences potentially related to insurance, access to care, and military culture and values. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic and epidemiologic study, level III

Left atrioesophageal fistula following catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: Off-bypass, primary repair using an extrapericardial approach

DISCUSSION Inappropriate sinus tachycardia is challenging for the electrophysiology community because the ablation targets are often located proximal to the phrenic nerve, occasionally resulting in phrenic nerve injury. Video-assisted ablation is a safe alternative that preserves the phrenic nerve. Persistence of inappropriate sinus tachycardia secondary to migration of the earliest site of activation is known to electrophysiologists; however, it may not be known to cardiothoracic surgeons. Younger surgeons also may not be familiar with activation mapping, which uses a roving sens-

Wound healing trajectories in burn patients and their impact on mortality

The rate of wound healing and its effect on mortality has not been well described. The objective of this article is to report wound healing trajectories in burn patients and analyze their effects on in-hospital mortality. The authors used software (WoundFlow) to depict burn wounds, surgical results, and healing progression at multiple time points throughout admission. Data for all patients admitted to the intensive care unit with ≥ 20% TBSA burned were collected retrospectively. The open wound size (OWS), which includes both unhealed burns and unhealed donor sites, was measured. We calculated the rate of wound closure (healing rate), which we defined as the change in OWS/time. We also determined the time delay (DAYS) from day of burn until day on which there was a reduction in OWS < 10%. Data are medians [interquartile range]. There were 38 patients with complete data; 25 had documentation of successful healing (H), and 13 did not (NH). H differed from NH on age (38 years [32–57] vs 63 [51–74]), body mass index (27 [21–28] vs 32 [19–52]), 24-hour fluid resuscitation (12 L [10–16] vs 18 [15–20]), pressors during first 48 hours (72% vs 100%), use of renal replacement therapy (32% vs 92%), and mortality (4% vs 100%). Repeated measures analysis of covariance showed a significant difference between survivors and nonsurvivors on OWS as a function of time (P<.001). Patients with a positive healing rate (+2%/day) after postburn day 20 had 100% survival whereas those with a negative healing rate (−2%/day) had 100% mortality. For H patients, median DAYS was 41 (28–54); median DAYS/TBSA was 1.3 (1.0–1.9). Survivors had a 0.62% drop in OWS/day, or 4.3%/week. In this cohort of patients with ≥ 20% TBSA, there was a difference in mortality after postburn day 20, between patients with a positive healing rate (+2%/day, 100% survival) and those with a negative healing rate (−2%/day, 100% mortality, P < .05).

Evaluation of the Perceived Association Between Resident Turnover and the Outcomes of Patients Who Undergo Emergency General Surgery: Questioning the July Phenomenon

IMPORTANCE The influx of new surgical residents and interns at the beginning of the academic year is assumed to be associated with poor outcomes. Referred to as the July phenomenon, this occurrence has been anecdotally associated with increases in the frequency of medical errors due to intern inexperience. Studies in various surgical specialties provide conflicting results. OBJECTIVE To determine whether an association between the July phenomenon and outcomes exists among a nationally representative sample of patients who underwent emergency general surgery (EGS). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Retrospective analysis of data from the 2007-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Data on adult patients (≥16 years of age) presenting to teaching hospitals with a principal diagnosis of an EGS condition, as defined by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, were retrospectively analyzed. The patients who were included in our study were dichotomized into early (July-August) vs late (September-June) management. The original analyses were conducted in March 2015. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Risk-adjusted multivariable regression based on calculated propensity scores was assessed for associations with differences in in-hospital mortality, complications, length of stay, and total hospital cost. RESULTS A total of 1,433,528 patients who underwent EGS were included, weighted to represent 7,095,045 patients from 581 teaching hospitals nationwide; 17.6% were managed early. Relative to patients managed later, early patients had marginally lower risk-adjusted odds of mortality (odds ratio [OR], 0.96 [95% CI, 0.92-0.99]), complications (OR, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.96-0.99]), and developing a secondary EGS condition (OR, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.97-0.98]). Length of stay and total hospital cost were comparable between the 2 groups (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Contrary to expectations, the EGS patients who were managed early fared equally well, if not better, than the EGS patients who were managed later. Potentially attributable to increased manpower and/or hypervigilance on the part of supervising senior residents or attending physicians, the results suggest that concerns among EGS patients related to the July phenomenon are unfounded.

Prevalence and Impact of Late Defecation in the Critically Ill, Thermally Injured Adult Patient

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of late defecation (absence of laxation for more than 6 days after admission) as an indicator of lower-gastrointestinal (GI) tract dysfunction in burn patients. In addition, the authors wanted to determine whether the addition of polyethylene glycol 3350 to the standard bowel regimen led to improvement in markers of lower-GI function and outcomes. The authors conducted a retrospective chart review of patients admitted to the burn intensive care unit during a 26-month period. Inclusion criteria were 20% or more TBSA burn, requirement for mechanical ventilation, and age over 18 years. Of 83 patients included, the prevalence of late defecation was 36.1% (n = 30). There was no association between late defecation and mortality. Patients with late defecation had more frequent episodes of constipation after first defecation (P =.03), of feeding intolerance (P =.007), and received total parenteral nutrition more frequently (P =.005). The addition of polyethylene glycol to the standard bowel regimen did not affect markers of lower-GI function. Late defecation occurs in more than one third of critically ill burn patients. Late defecation was associated with ongoing lower-GI dysfunction, feeding intolerance, and the use of total parenteral nutrition. The causal relationship between these problems has not been determined. A prospective study at the authors’ institution is currently planned to attempt to validate late defecation as a marker of lower-GI tract dysfunction, determine its relationship to various outcomes, and determine risk factors for its development.

Incidence and Predictors of Opioid Prescription at Discharge After Traumatic Injury

Importance In the current health care environment with increased scrutiny and growing concern regarding opioid use and abuse, there has been a push toward greater regulation over prescriptions of opioids. Trauma patients represent a population that may be affected by this regulation, as the incidence of pain at hospital discharge is greater than 95%, and opioids are considered the first line of treatment for pain management. However, the use of opioid prescriptions in trauma patients at hospital discharge has not been explored. Objective To study the incidence and predictors of opioid prescription in trauma patients at discharge in a large national cohort. Design, Setting, and Participants Analysis of adult (18-64 years), opioid-naive trauma patients who were beneficiaries of Military Health Insurance (military personnel and their dependents) treated at both military health care facilities and civilian trauma centers and hospitals between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2013, was conducted. Patients with burns, foreign body injury, toxic effects, or late complications of trauma were excluded. Prior diagnosis of trauma within 1 year and in-hospital death were also grounds for exclusion. Injury mechanism and severity, comorbid conditions, mental health disorders, and demographic factors were considered covariates. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s list of scheduled narcotics was used to query opioid use. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were used to determine the predictors of opioid prescription. Data analysis was performed from June 7 to August 21, 2016. Exposures Injury mechanism and severity, comorbid conditions, mental health disorders, and demographic factors. Main Outcomes and Measures Prescription of opioid analgesics at discharge. Results Among the 33 762 patients included in the study (26 997 [80.0%] men; mean [SD] age, 32.9 [13.3] years), 18 338 (54.3%) received an opioid prescription at discharge. In risk-adjusted models, older age (45-64 vs 18-24 years: odds ratio [OR], 1.28; 95% CI, 1.13-1.44), marriage (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.20-1.34), and higher Injury Severity Score (≥9 vs <9: OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.32-1.48) were associated with a higher likelihood of opioid prescription at discharge. Male sex (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.69-0.83) and anxiety (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.73-0.93) were associated with a decreased likelihood of opioid prescription at discharge. Conclusions and Relevance The incidence of opioid prescription at discharge (54.3%) closely matches the incidence of moderate to severe pain in trauma patients, indicating appropriate prescribing practices. We advocate that injury severity and level of pain—not arbitrary regulations—should inform the decision to prescribe opioids.

Long term mortality in critically ill burn survivors

INTRODUCTION Little is known about long term survival risk factors in critically ill burn patients who survive hospitalization. We hypothesized that patients with major burns who survive hospitalization would have favorable long term outcomes. METHODS We performed a two center observational cohort study in 365 critically ill adult burn patients who survived to hospital discharge. The exposure of interest was major burn defined a priori as >20% total body surface area burned [TBSA]. The modified Baux score was determined by age + %TBSA+ 17(inhalational injury). The primary outcome was all-cause 5year mortality based on the US Social Security Administration Death Master File. Adjusted associations were estimated through fitting of multivariable logistic regression models. Our final model included adjustment for inhalational injury, presence of 3rd degree burn, gender and the acute organ failure score, a validated ICU risk-prediction score derived from age, ethnicity, surgery vs. medical patient type, comorbidity, sepsis and acute organ failure covariates. Time-to-event analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazard regression. RESULTS Of the cohort patients studied, 76% were male, 29% were non white, 14% were over 65, 32% had TBSA >20%, and 45% had inhalational injury. The mean age was 45, 92% had 2nd degree burns, 60% had 3rd degree burns, 21% received vasopressors, and 26% had sepsis. The mean TBSA was 20.1%. The mean modified Baux score was 72.8. Post hospital discharge 5year mortality rate was 9.0%. The 30day hospital readmission rate was 4%. Patients with major burns were significantly younger (41 vs. 47 years) had a significantly higher modified Baux score (89 vs. 62), and had significantly higher comorbidity, acute organ failure, inhalational injury and sepsis (all P<0.05). There were no differences in gender and the acute organ failure score between major and non-major burns. In the multivariable logistic regression model, major burn was associated with a 3 fold decreased odds of 5year post-discharge mortality compared to patients with TBSA<20% [OR=0.29 (95%CI 0.11-0.78; P=0.014)]. The adjusted model showed good discrimination [AUC 0.81 (95%CI 0.74-0.89)] and calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow χ2 P=0.67). Cox proportional hazard multivariable regression modeling, adjusting for inhalational injury, presence of 3rd degree burn, gender and the acute organ failure score, showed that major burn was predictive of lower mortality following hospital admission [HR=0.34 (95% CI 0.15-0.76; P=0.009)]. The modified Baux score was not predictive for mortality following hospital discharge [OR 5year post-discharge mortality=1.00 (95%CI 0.99-1.02; P=0.74); HR for post-discharge mortality=1.00 (95% CI 0.99-1.02; P=0.55)]. CONCLUSIONS Critically ill patients with major burns who survive to hospital discharge have decreased 5year mortality compared to those with less severe burns. ICU Burn unit patients who survive to hospital discharge are younger with less comorbidities. The observed relationship is likely due to the relatively higher physiological reserve present in those who survive a Burn ICU course which may provide for a survival advantage during recovery after major burn.

Hospital Factors Associated With Care Discontinuity Following Emergency General Surgery

Importance Although there is evidence that changes in clinicians during the continuum of care (care discontinuity) are associated with higher mortality and complications among surgical patients, little is known regarding the drivers of care discontinuity among emergency general surgery (EGS) patients. Objective To identify hospital factors associated with care discontinuity among EGS patients. Design, Setting, and Participants We performed a retrospective analysis of the 100% Medicare inpatient claims file, from January 1, 2008, to November 30, 2011, and matched patient details to hospital information in the 2011 American Hospital Association Annual Survey database. We selected patients aged 65 years and older who had the most common procedures associated with the previously defined American Association for the Surgery of Trauma EGS diagnosis categories and survived to hospital discharge across the United States. The current analysis was conducted from February 1, 2016, to March 24, 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures Care discontinuity defined as readmission within 30 days to nonindex hospitals. Results There were 109 443 EGS patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge and 20 396 (18.6%) were readmitted to nonindex hospitals. Of the readmitted patients, 61 340 (56%) were female. Care discontinuity was higher among patients who were male (19.5% vs 18.0%), those younger than 85 years old (19.0% vs 16.6%), and those who lived 12.8 km (8 miles) or more away from the index hospitals (23.7% vs 14.8%) (all P < .001). Care discontinuity was independently associated with mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08-1.25). Hospital factors associated with care discontinuity included bed size of 200 or more (aOR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.36-1.54), safety-net status (aOR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.27-1.43), and teaching status (aOR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.09-1.28). Care discontinuity was significantly lower among designated trauma centers (aOR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83-0.94) and highest among hospitals in the Midwest (aOR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.05-1.26). Conclusions and Relevance Nearly 1 in 5 older EGS patients is readmitted to a hospital other than where their original procedure was performed. This care discontinuity is independently associated with mortality and is highest among EGS patients who are treated at large, teaching, safety-net hospitals. These data underscore the need for sustained efforts in increasing continuity of care among these hospitals and highlight the importance of accounting for these factors in risk-adjusted hospital comparisons.

High Risk But Not Always Lethal: The Effect of Cirrhosis on Thermally Injured Adults

The aim of this article was to determine the effect of cirrhosis on mortality in thermally injured adult patients. We conducted a retrospective review of patients admitted to our burn center during 2003 to 2010. Eight hundred eight patients were included in this study, of whom 24 had the diagnosis of cirrhosis established from electronic medical records and/or autopsy reports. The mortality rate for the cirrhotic patients was 50%, and for the noncirrhotic patients it was 14.8%. On logistic regression, age (odds ratio [OR], 1.08; confidence interval [CI], 1.06–1.10), TBSA (OR, 1.08; CI, 1.06–1.10), inhalation injury (OR, 3.17, CI, 1.61–6.25), and cirrhosis (OR, 8.78; CI, 2.97–25.98) had independent effects on mortality. Of the 24 cirrhotic patients in this study, the admission Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score for the patients who survived hospitalization was 12.1 ± 4.0, and for the patients who died it was 13.8 ± 6.0 (P = .4). When comparing patients with 10 to 50% TBSA burn, the mortality rate for cirrhotic patients was 83.3% (10/12), and for the noncirrhotic patients it was only 12.7% (50/394), P < .0001. Adults with cirrhosis are rarely able to survive burn injuries > 10% TBSA. Although we did not detect a significant association between admission Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score and death, the presence of cirrhosis is a high premorbid contributor and, therefore, new strategies are needed to improve outcomes.

Risk factors for hypotension in urgently intubated burn patients

BACKGROUND When urgently intubating patient in the burn intensive care unit (BICU), various induction agents, including propofol, are utilized that may induce hemodynamic instability. METHODS A retrospective review was performed of consecutive critically ill burn patients who underwent urgent endotracheal intubation in BICU. Basic burn-related demographic data, indication for intubation, and induction agents utilized were recorded. The primary outcomes of interest were clinically significant hypotension requiring immediate fluid resuscitation, initiation or escalation of vasopressors immediately after intubation. Secondary outcomes included ventilator days, stay length, and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS Between January 2003 and August 2010, we identified 279 urgent intubations in 204 patients. Of these, the criteria for presumed sepsis were met in 60% (n=168) of the intubations. After intubation, 117 patients (42%) experienced clinically significant hypotension. Propofol (51%) was the most commonly utilized induction agent followed by etomidate (23%), ketamine (15%), and midazolam (11%). On multiple logistic regression, %TBSA (OR 1.016, 95% CI 1.004-1.027, p<0.001) and presumed sepsis (OR 1.852, 95% CI 1.100-3.117, p=0.02) were the only significant predictors of hypotension. None of the induction agents, including propofol, were significantly associated with hypotension in patients with or without presumed sepsis. CONCLUSIONS In critically ill burn patients undergoing urgent endotracheal intubation, specific induction agents, including propofol, were not associated with clinically significant hypotension. Presumed sepsis and %TBSA were the most important risk factors.