Characterizing Emergency Department Use in Assisted Living

ObjectivesLittle is known about emergency department (ED) utilization among the nearly 1 million older adults residing in assisted living (AL) settings. Unlike federally regulated nursing homes, states create and enforce AL regulations with great variability, which may affect the quality of care provided. The objective of this study was to examine state variability in all-cause and injury-related ED use among residents in AL.DesignObservational retrospective cohort study.Setting and ParticipantsWe identified a cohort of 293,336 traditional Medicare beneficiaries residing in larger AL communities (25+ beds).MethodsWith Medicare enrollment and claims data, we identified ED visits and classified those because of injury. We present rates of all-cause and injury-related ED use per 100 person-years in AL, by state, adjusting for age, sex, race, dual-eligibility, and chronic conditions.ResultsRisk-adjusted state rates of all-cause ED visits ranged from 100.9 visits/100 AL person-years [95% confidence interval (CI) 92.8, 109.9] in New Mexico to 162.3 visits/100 AL person-years (95% CI 154.0, 174.7) in Rhode Island. The risk-adjusted rate of injury-related ED visits ranged from 18.7 visits/100 AL person-years (95% CI 17.2, 20.3) in New Mexico to 35.7 visits/100 AL person-years (95% CI 34.7, 36.8) in North Carolina.Conclusions and ImplicationsWe observed significant variability among states in all-cause and injury-related ED use among AL residents. There is an urgent need to better understand why this variability is occurring to prevent avoidable visits to the ED.     

Nursing Home Residents’ Functional Trajectories and Mortality After a Transfer to the Emergency Department

ObjectiveTo describe nursing home residents’ (NHRs) functional trajectories and mortality after a transfer to the emergency department (ED).DesignCase-control observational multicenter study.Setting and ParticipantsIn total, 1037 NHRs presenting to 17 EDs in France over 4 nonconsecutive weeks in 2016.MethodsFinite mixture models were fitted to longitudinal data on activities of daily living (ADL) scores before transfer (time 1), during hospitalization (time 2), and within 1 week after discharge (time 3) to identify groups of NHRs following similar functional evolution. Factors associated with mortality were investigated by Cox regressions.ResultsTrajectory modeling identified 4 distinct trajectories of ADL. The first showed a high and stable (across time 1, time 2, and time 3) functional capacity around 5.2/6 ADL points, with breathlessness as the main condition leading to transfer. The second displayed an initial 37.8% decrease in baseline ADL performance (between time 1 and time 2), followed by a 12.5% recovery of baseline ADL performance (time 2?time 3), with fractures as the main condition. The third displayed a similar initial decrease, followed by a 6.7% recovery. The fourth displayed an initial 70.1% decrease, followed by an 8.5% recover, with more complex geriatric polypathology situations. Functional decline was more likely after being transferred for a cerebrovascular condition or for a fracture, after being discharged from ED to a surgery department, and with a heavier burden of distressing symptoms during transfer. Mortality after ED transfer was more likely in older NHRs, those in a more severe condition, those who were hospitalized more frequently in the past month, and those transferred for cerebrovascular conditions or breathlessness.Conclusions and ImplicationsIdentified trajectories and factors associated with functional decline and mortality should help clinicians decide whether to transfer NHRs to ED. NHRs with high functional ability seem to benefit from ED transfers whereas on-site alternatives should be sought for those with poor functional ability.     

Comparing Post-Acute Populations and Care in Veterans Affairs and Community Nursing Homes

ObjectiveThe quality of care provided by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is increasingly being compared to community providers. The objective of this study was to compare the VA Community Living Centers (CLCs) to nursing homes in the community (NHs) in terms of characteristics of their post-acute populations and performance on 3 claims-based (“short-stay”) quality measures.DesignObservational, cross-sectional.Setting and ParticipantsCLC and NH residents admitted from hospitals during July 2015–June 2016.MethodsCLC residents were compared with 3 NH populations: males, Veterans, and all NH residents. CLC and NH performance was compared on risk-adjusted claims-based measures: unplanned rehospitalizations and emergency department visits within 30 days of CLC or NH admission and successful discharge to the community within 100 days of NH admission.ResultsVeterans admitted from hospitals to CLCs (n = 23,839 Veterans/135 CLCs) were less physically impaired, less likely to have anxiety, congestive heart failure, hypertension, and dementia than Veterans (n = 241,177/14,818 NHs), males (n = 661,872/15,280 NHs), and all residents (n = 1,674,578/15,395 NHs) admitted to NHs from hospitals. Emergency department and successful discharge risk-adjusted rates of CLCs were statistically significantly better than those of NHs [mean (standard deviation): 8.3% (4.6%) and 67.7% (11.5%) in CLCs vs 11.9% (5.3%) and 57.0% (10.5%) in NHs, respectively]. CLCs had slightly worse rehospitalization rates [22.5% (6.2%) in CLCs vs 21.1% (5.9%) in NHs], but lower combined emergency department and rehospitalization rates [30.8% (0.8%) in CLCs vs 33.0% (0.7%) in NHs].Conclusions and ImplicationsCLCs and NHs serve different post-acute care populations. Using the same risk-adjusted NH quality metrics, CLCs provided better post-acute care than community NHs.     

抗菌药物对骨科围术期预防感染的影响

目的探究抗菌药物对骨科围术期预防感染的影响。方法选择2016年1月-2019年1月瑞安市人民医院骨科收治的手术患者82例,随机数表法分为对照组和研究组,每组各41例,其中对照组围术期给予常规应用抗菌药物,研究组围术期给予干预性应用抗菌药物,观察两组抗菌药物使用情况、抗菌药物费用,并对抗菌药物使用的合理性进行评价。结果研究组住院时间、手术部位感染、治疗各项费用均低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);两组体温异常情况比较,无统计学差异;两组围术期抗菌药物使用均主要以单一用药为主,研究组单一用药多于对照组,二联用药低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);研究组在抗菌药物品种选择、预防用药时机、术后用药时间等围术期抗菌药物使用合理率均高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);两组治疗前肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、白细胞介素-6(IL-6)、IL-8、C-反应蛋白(CRP)各项血清炎性因子水平比较,无统计学差异;治疗后,两组血清炎性因子水平均下降,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论干预性应用抗菌药物对骨科围术期预防感染效果显著,在降低手术部位感染发生率的同时,提高抗菌药物使用合理性、缩短住院时间、降低住院费用。     

少数民族地区青少年对新冠疫情的认知调查

目的调查少数民族地区青少年对新冠疫情的认知及应对情况。方法采用分层抽样的方法,通过“问卷星”在线平台对香格里拉市1949名在校学生进行调查。结果结果显示,81.94%的学生在2020年1月初之前已知晓疫情;83.12%的学生通过电视和微信知晓疫情;9333%的学生认为病毒通过飞沫传播;94.80%的学生会通过戴口罩、不聚餐等方式进行防护;疫情相关知识的正确率为71.44%。不同年龄、性别、民族、专业、生源地、家庭年收入的学生对部分调查问题的差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论学生对疫情认知整体情况较好,部分问题仍有较大提升空间。学校应做好疫情常态化防控,完善心理疏导体系,多措并举,引导学生做好自我防护。     

Neighborhood risk: Socioeconomic status and hospital admission for pediatric burn patients

BackgroundBurn injury continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality in the US pediatric population. Many studies using inpatient samples have found a relationship between low socioeconomic status (SES) and burn injury. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the association between SES and the likelihood of admission for Emergency Department (ED) visits for pediatric burn injury.Study designA retrospective database review of pediatric ED visits for burn injury from a statewide hospital system, from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2014. SES was assigned using an eight factor Neighborhood Risk Index (NRI) created from census block group data, with a higher score indicative of lower SES. The outcome measure was ED visits admitted to inpatient care.ResultsWe analyzed a sample of 1845 pediatric ED visits for burn injuries. Most visits were discharged from the ED (88.4%) while 10.5% were admitted to inpatient care and 1.0% were transferred to another hospital. In a multivariable logistic regression model, patients from high risk areas (>75th percentile NRI) had 1.58 higher odds of inpatient admission compared to patients from low risk areas (<75th percentile NRI; 95% CI: 1.08–2.30), after adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, distance to the hospital, and previous ED visit for burn injury in the past 30 days. In addition, for every 1-mile increase in distance, a child’s likelihood of admission increased by 6% (95% CI: 4–9%).ConclusionsChildren with a burn injury from the highest risk socioeconomic areas in Rhode Island had a higher likelihood of inpatient admission. Further research is needed to determine what factors associated with socioeconomic status impact this finding.     

Emergency Department Observation Versus Readmission Following total Joint Arthroplasty: Can We Avoid the Bundle Buster?

BackgroundAs the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) moves toward bundled payment plans for total joint arthroplasty (TJA), it becomes necessary to reduce factors that increase cost for an episode of care such as readmissions. The goal of this study is to evaluate the payment for observation stay versus readmission for patients who present to the emergency department.MethodsA retrospective review from 2014-2019 was conducted identifying all Medicare patients who had a primary, elective TJA and visited the ED within 90 days postoperatively. If a readmission was one midnight or less or had an equivalent diagnosis to an observation stay patient, it was characterized as a readmission that could have qualified as an observation stay. Using our institution’s average payment for Medicare readmissions and observations, actual and potential savings were calculated.ResultsSixty-nine out of 523 (13.2%) patients were placed under observation, while 454 (86.8%) patients were readmitted. Eighty-six out of 523 (18.9%) patients qualified for observation status. There was an actual savings of 11.8% by placing patients on observation status and readmission rate was decreased by 13.2%. Savings could have increased by a total of 27.7% and readmissions decreased by a total of 29.6% if all patients who qualified had been placed on observation status.ConclusionAt our institution, the implementation of observation stay has led to a savings of 11.8% and a potential total savings of 27.7%. The rate of readmissions was decreased by 13.2% and had the potential to decrease by a total of 29.6%.