Ethnoracial Disparity in Hospital Survival following Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Creation for Acute Variceal Bleeding in the United States

PurposeTo investigate the magnitude of racial/ethnic differences in hospital mortality after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation for acute variceal bleeding and whether hospital care processes contribute to them.MethodsPatients aged ≥18 years undergoing TIPS creation for acute variceal bleeding in the United States (n = 10,331) were identified from 10 years (2007–2016) available in the National Inpatient Sample. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between patient race and inpatient mortality, controlling for disease severity, treatment utilization, and hospital characteristics.ResultsA total of 6,350 (62%) patients were White, 1,780 (17%) were Hispanic, and 482 (5%) were Black. A greater proportion of Black patients were admitted to urban teaching hospitals (Black, n = 409 (85%); Hispanic, n = 1,310 (74%); and White, n = 4,802 (76%); P < .001) and liver transplant centers (Black, n = 215 (45%); Hispanic, n = 401 (23%); and White, n = 2,267 (36%); P < .001). Being Black was strongly associated with mortality (Black, 32% vs non-Black, 15%; odds ratio, 3.0 [95% confidence interval, 1.6–5.8]; P = .001), as assessed using the risk-adjusted regression model. This racial disparity disappeared in a sensitivity analysis including only patients with a maximum Child-Pugh score of 13 (odds ratio 1.2 [95% confidence interval, 0.4–3.6]; P = .68), performed to compensate for the absence of Model for End-stage Liver Disease scores. Ethnoracial differences in access to teaching hospitals, liver transplant centers, first-line endoscopy, and transfusion did not significantly contribute (P > .05) to risk-adjusted mortality.ConclusionsBlack patients have a 2-fold higher inpatient mortality than non-Black patients following TIPS creation for acute variceal bleeding, possibly related to greater disease severity before the procedure.     

雅安市精神障碍患者就诊情况及影响因素

目的 了解雅安市精神障碍患者就诊情况及影响因素，提高雅安市精神卫生服务利用质量。方法 采用分层整群随机抽样方法抽取雅安市6县2区9 000名居民作为调查对象，实际共8 876名完成调查。其中符合《精神障碍诊断与统计手册（第5版）》（DSM-5）诊断标准共1 106例，使用精神卫生服务利用调查表对精神障碍患者的就诊情况进行调查。采用χ²检验及Logistic二元回归对患者就诊情况的影响因素进行分析。结果 1 106例精神障碍患者中，曾到精神卫生专业机构就诊共173例，就诊率为15.64%（标化就诊率为15.62%）。就诊率排名后三位的病种为：物质相关及成瘾障碍（7.92%）、创伤及应激相关障碍（6.12%）、强迫及相关障碍（0.00%）。未就诊而采用自助方式者（求神拜佛、咨询亲友）共42例，其中汉族28例，少数民族14例。居住地为城市（OR=2.36，P<0.01）对精神障碍患者就诊有正向影响，家族史阴性（OR=0.49，P<0.01）、无就诊意愿（OR=0.07，P<0.01）对精神障碍患者就诊有负向影响。结论 雅安市精神障碍患者就诊率偏低，就诊方式以精神科住院及门诊就诊为主，居住地、家族史和就诊意愿影响精神障碍患者的就诊。     

省级辐射事故应急演习存在问题及对策研究

本文概述了2014年以来全国各省开展省级辐射事故应急演习的基本情况和特点，对演习中在预案修订、实战性、规范性、应急准备能力等方面存在问题进行了分析，并提出了针对性对策建议，为今后各省改进演习工作提供参考和借鉴。     

Disparities in physical access and healthcare utilization among adults with and without disabilities in South Africa

Background

In South Africa barriers to accessing health services by persons with a disability would appear to be exacerbated by the overburdened state of public healthcare.

Successful interventions to reduce first-case tardiness in Dutch university medical centers: Results of a nationwide operating room benchmark study

Background

First-case tardiness is still a common source of frustration. In this study, a nationwide operating room (OR) Benchmark database was used to assess the effectiveness of interventions implemented to reduce tardiness and calculate its economic impact.

Methods

Data from 8 University Medical Centers over 7 years were included: 190,295 elective inpatient first cases. Data were analyzed with SPSS statistics and multidisciplinary focus-group study meetings. Analysis of variance with contrast analysis measured the influence of interventions.

Results

Seven thousand ninety-four hours were lost annually to first-case tardiness, which has a considerable economic impact. Four University Medical Centers implemented interventions and effectuated a significant reduction in tardiness, eg providing feedbacks directly when ORs started too late, new agreements between OR and intensive care unit departments concerning “intensive care unit bed release” policy, and a shift in responsibilities regarding transport of patients to the OR.

Conclusions

Nationwide benchmarking can be applied to identify and measure the effectiveness of interventions to reduce first-case tardiness in a university hospital OR environment. The implemented interventions in 4 centers were successful in significantly reducing first-case tardiness.     

Lymphadenectomy in Gleason 7 prostate cancer: Adherence to guidelines and effect on clinical outcomes

Background

To examine usage trends, guideline adherence, and survival data for patients undergoing lymphadenectomy (LND) at the time of radical prostatectomy (RP) for Gleason 7 prostate cancer (PCa).

Neoplastic and non‐neoplastic complications of solid organ transplantation in patients with preexisting monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) occurs in 3–7% of the elderly population, with higher prevalence in renal failure patients, and is associated with a 25‐fold increased lifetime risk for plasma cell myeloma (PCM), also known as multiple myeloma. Using the California State Inpatient, Emergency Department, and Ambulatory Surgery Databases components of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), we sought to determine whether patients with MGUS who undergo solid organ allograft (n = 22 062) are at increased adjusted relative risk (aRR) for hematologic malignancy and other complications. Among solid organ transplant patients, patients with preexisting MGUS had higher aRR of PCM (aRR 19.46; 95% CI 7.05, 53.73; p < 0.001), venous thromboembolic events (aRR 1.66; 95% CI 1.15, 2.41; p = 0.007), and infection (aRR 1.24; 95% CI 1.06, 1.45; p = 0.007). However, when comparing MGUS patients with and without solid organ transplant, there was decreased aRR for PCM with transplant (aRR 0.34; 95% CI 0.13, 0.88; p = 0.027), and increased venous thromboembolic events (aRR 2.33; 95% CI 1.58, 3.44; p < 0.001) and infectious risks (aRR 1.44; 95% CI 1.23, 1.70; p < 0.001). While MGUS increased the risk of PCM overall following solid organ transplantation, there was lower risk of PCM development compared to MGUS patients who did not receive a transplant. MGUS should not preclude solid organ transplant.