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Maiga AW, Snyder RA, Kao LS, Raval MV, Patel MB, Blakely ML. Advancing Randomized Clinical Trials in Surgery: Role of Exception From Informed Consent, Central Institutional Review Board, and Bayesian Approaches. J Surg Res 2024:S0022-4804(24)00167-7. [PMID: 38670847 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2024.03.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Amelia W Maiga
- Division of Acute Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; Critical Illness, Brain dysfunction, and Survivorship Center, Vanderbilt Center for Health Services Research, Vanderbilt Institute for Medicine and Public Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
| | - Rebecca A Snyder
- Division of Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; Department of Health Services Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lillian S Kao
- Division of Acute Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Mayur B Patel
- Division of Acute Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; Critical Illness, Brain dysfunction, and Survivorship Center, Vanderbilt Center for Health Services Research, Vanderbilt Institute for Medicine and Public Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Surgical Services, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Martin L Blakely
- Department of Surgery, Institute for Clinical Research and Learning Health Care, Institute for Implementation Science, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
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Perez MN, Raval MV. Evolution of enhanced recovery for children undergoing elective intestinal surgery. Semin Pediatr Surg 2024; 33:151400. [PMID: 38608432 DOI: 10.1016/j.sempedsurg.2024.151400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Enhanced recovery protocols (ERP) have been widely adopted in adult populations, with over 30 years of experience demonstrating the effectiveness of these protocols in patients undergoing gastrointestinal (GI) surgery. In the last decade, ERPs have been applied to pediatric populations across multiple subspecialties. The objective of this manuscript is to explore the evolution of how ERPs have been implemented and adapted specifically for pediatric populations undergoing GI surgery, predominantly for inflammatory bowel disease. The reported findings reflect a thorough exploration of the literature, including initial surveys of practice/readiness assessments, consensus recommendations of expert panels, and data from a rapidly growing number of single center studies. These efforts have culminated in a national prospective, multicenter trial evaluating clinical and implementation outcomes for enhanced recovery in children undergoing GI surgery. In short, this historical and clinical review reflects on the evolution of ERPs in pediatric surgery and expounds upon the next steps needed to apply ERPs to future pediatric populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mallory N Perez
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Sullivan GA, Krishnan V, Silver C, Smith C, Raval MV, Gulack BC, Shah AN. Association of social determinants of health-related diagnosis codes with postoperative outcomes. World J Surg 2024. [PMID: 38502094 DOI: 10.1002/wjs.12135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The association of an individual's social determinants of health-related problems with surgical outcomes has not been well-characterized. The objective of this study was to determine whether documentation of social determinants of a health-related diagnosis code (Z code) is associated with postoperative outcomes. METHODS This retrospective cohort study included surgical cases from a single institution's national surgical quality improvement program (NSQIP) clinical registry from October 2015 to December 2021. The primary predictor of interest was documentation of a Z code for social determinants of health-related problems. The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative morbidity. Secondary outcomes included postoperative length of stay, disposition, and 30-day postoperative mortality, reoperation, and readmission. Multivariable regression models were fit to evaluate the association between the documentation of a Z code and outcomes. RESULTS Of 10,739 surgical cases, 348 patients (3.2%) had a documented social determinants of health-related Z code. In multivariable analysis, documentation of a Z code was associated with increased odds of morbidity (20.7% vs. 9.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39-2.53), length of stay (median, 3 vs. 1 day; incidence rate ratio, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.33-1.67), odds of disposition to a location other than home (11.3% vs. 3.9%; aOR, 2.86; 95% CI, 1.89-4.33), and odds of readmission (15.3% vs. 6.1%; aOR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.45-2.73). CONCLUSIONS Social determinants of health-related problems evaluated using Z codes were associated with worse postoperative outcomes. Improved documentation of social determinants of health-related problems among surgical patients may facilitate improved risk stratification, perioperative planning, and clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwyneth A Sullivan
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Vaishnavi Krishnan
- Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Casey Silver
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Charesa Smith
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Brian C Gulack
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ami N Shah
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Hu A, Tian Y, Huang L, Chaudhury A, Mathur R, Sullivan GA, Reiter A, Raval MV. Association Between Common Empiric Antibiotic Regimens and Clostridioides Difficile Infection in Pediatric Appendicitis. J Pediatr Surg 2024; 59:515-521. [PMID: 38092651 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2023.10.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clostridioides Difficile Infection (CDI) is a serious antibiotic related complication that has been reported among children undergoing treatment of appendicitis. CDI likelihood amongst different empiric antibiotic regimens for appendicitis remains unclear but likely has important implications for antibiotic stewardship. METHODS A retrospective cohort study of the Pediatric Health Information System was used to examine patients ages 1 through 18 who received operative management of acute appendicitis. Common empiric antibiotic regimens 1) Ceftriaxone & Metronidazole (CM) 2) Piperacillin & Tazobactam (PT) and 3) Cefoxitin were compared. Study outcomes were CDI within 28 days post-appendectomy and 30-day post-appendectomy percutaneous drainage procedures. Subset analyses were repeated to only include hospitals that standardized empiric antibiotic choice. RESULTS Of 105,911 patients, 220 (0.21 %) developed CDI. CDI was more common in patients that received CM (CM 0.29 % vs PT 0.15 % vs Cefoxitin 0.18 %; P < 0.01). On adjusted analysis, PT was associated with a lower likelihood of CDI (OR, 0.48; 95%CI, 0.31-0.74) compared to CM which was consistent in hospitals with standardized antibiotic choice. Exposure to more unique antibiotic regimens (OR, 1.70; 95 % CI, 1.50-1.93) and higher total antibiotic days (OR, 1.17; 95 % CI 1.13-1.21) were associated with an increased likelihood of CDI. There was no significant difference in the likelihood of post-appendectomy percutaneous drainage between antibiotic regimens. CONCLUSIONS CDI is rare following appendectomy for pediatric appendicitis. While PT was associated with statistically lower rates of CDI compared to CM, antibiotic stewardship efforts to avoid mixed regimens and decrease overall antibiotic exposure warrant exploration. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Hu
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Yao Tian
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Lynn Huang
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Azraa Chaudhury
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Radhika Mathur
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Gwynth A Sullivan
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Audra Reiter
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Mehl SC, Portuondo JI, Tian Y, Raval MV, Shah SR, Vogel AM, Wesson D, Massarweh NN. Utility of Hospital Failure to Rescue for Analyzing Variation in Pediatric Postoperative Mortality. Pediatr Crit Care Med 2024; 25:e64-e72. [PMID: 37695135 DOI: 10.1097/pcc.0000000000003363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the association between pediatric hospital performances in terms of failure to rescue (FTR), defined as postoperative mortality after a surgical complication, and mortality among patients without a surgical complication. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Forty-eight academic, pediatric hospitals; data obtained from Pediatric Health Information System database (Child Health Corporation of America, Shawnee Mission, KS) (2012-2020). PATIENTS Children who underwent at least one of 57 high-risk operations associated with significant postoperative mortality. EXPOSURES Hospitals were stratified into quintiles of reliability adjusted FTR (lower than average FTR in quintile 1 [Q1], higher than average FTR in quintile 5 [Q5]). Multivariable hierarchical regression was used to evaluate the association between hospital FTR performance and mortality among patients who did not have a surgical complication. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Among 203,242 children treated across 48 academic hospitals, the complication and overall postoperative mortality rates were 8.8% and 2.3%, respectively. Among patients who had a complication, the FTR rate was 8.8%. Among patients who did not have a complication, the mortality rate was 1.7%. There was a 6.5-fold increase in reliability adjusted FTR between the lowest and highest performing hospitals (lowest FTR hospital-2.7%; 95% CI [1.6-3.9]; highest FTR hospital-17.8% [16.8-18.8]). Complex chronic conditions were highly prevalent across hospitals (Q1, 72.7%; Q2, 73.8%; Q3, 72.2%; Q4, 74.0%; Q5, 74.8%; trend test p < 0.01). Relative to Q1 hospitals, the odds of mortality in the absence of a postoperative complication significantly increased by 33% at Q5 hospitals (odds ratio 1.33; 95% CI [1.07-1.66]). This association was consistent when limited to patients with a complex chronic condition and neonates. CONCLUSION FTR may be a useful and valid surgical quality measure for pediatric surgery, even when considering patients without a postoperative complication. These findings suggest practices and processes for preventing FTR at high performing pediatric hospitals might help mitigate the risk of postoperative mortality even in the absence of a postoperative complication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven C Mehl
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Jorge I Portuondo
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Yao Tian
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Sohail R Shah
- Pediatrix Surgery of Houston, Department of Surgery, Houston, TX
| | - Adam M Vogel
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - David Wesson
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Nader N Massarweh
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Pediatrix Surgery of Houston, Department of Surgery, Houston, TX
- Surgical and Perioperative Care, Atlanta VA Health Care System, Decatur, GA
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Department of Surgery, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
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Reiter AJ, Huang L, Tian Y, Sullivan GA, Hu A, Raval MV. National Trends in Interventions for Pediatric Gallstone Pancreatitis. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A 2024; 34:82-87. [PMID: 37682559 PMCID: PMC10794827 DOI: 10.1089/lap.2023.0238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) during index hospitalization for gallstone pancreatitis is standard in adult populations. The objective of this study was to evaluate trends in use of LC and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for children with gallstone pancreatitis. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study used the Kids' Inpatient Database, spanning 2000-2019, to identify patients aged 18 years or younger with a principal diagnosis of gallstone pancreatitis. The Mann-Kendall trend test was used to assess trends over time. Results: Gallstone pancreatitis occurred in 5028 patients. The rate of LC during index hospitalization ranged from 55.4% to 63.8% (P = .76). Trends demonstrate that LC occurred on average hospital day 4.6 in 2000 and decreased to 3.4 in 2019 (P < .01). Among those undergoing LC, average length of stay (LOS) decreased from 6.8 days in 2000 to 5.1 days in 2019 (P < .01). The rate of ERCP alone decreased from 24.8% in 2000 to 14.0% in 2019 (P = .23). For those undergoing ERCP, average hospital day of ERCP decreased from 3.3 in 2000 to 2.3 in 2019 (P = .07). The rate of undergoing both an ERCP and LC decreased from 19.0% in 2000 to 8.5% in 2019 (P = .13). For patients who underwent either LC or ERCP, average LOS decreased from 7.0 days in 2000 to 5.1 days in 2019 (P < .01). For patients who did not undergo a procedure, average LOS decreased from 5.7 days in 2000 to 4.0 days in 2019 (P = .13). Conclusion: The proportion of LC performed during index hospitalizations for children with gallstone pancreatitis has been stable for two decades. However, trends indicate that interventions are occurring earlier, and LOS is becoming shorter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audra J. Reiter
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, and Education in Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lynn Huang
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, and Education in Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Yao Tian
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, and Education in Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Gwyneth A. Sullivan
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, and Education in Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Andrew Hu
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, and Education in Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mehul V. Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, and Education in Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Berry JG, Ferrari L, Ward VL, Hall M, Desmarais A, Raval MV, Tian Y, Mathieu D, Incorvia J, Meara JG. Child Opportunity Index Disparities in Pediatric Surgical Encounters During the Coronavirus 2019 Pandemic. Acad Pediatr 2024; 24:43-50. [PMID: 37625667 DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2023.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Surgical encounters decreased during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and may have been deferred more in children with impeded health care access related to social/community risk factors. We compared surgery trends before and during the pandemic by Child Opportunity Index (COI). METHODS Retrospective analysis of 321,998 elective surgical encounters of children ages 0-to-18 years in 44 US children's hospitals from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021. We used auto-regression to compare observed versus predicted encounters by month in 2020-21, modeled from 2017 to 2019 trends. Encounters were compared by COI score (very low, low, moderate, high, very high) based on education, health/environment, and social/economic attributes of the zip code from the children's home residence. RESULTS Most surgeries were on the musculoskeletal (28.1%), ear/nose/pharynx (17.1%), cardiovascular (15.1%), and digestive (9.1%) systems; 20.6% of encounters were for children with very low COI, 20.8% low COI, 19.8% moderate COI, 18.6% high COI, and 20.1% very high COI. Reductions in observed volume of 2020-21 surgeries compared with predicted varied significantly by COI, ranging from -11.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] -14.1%, -8.7%) for very low COI to -2.6% (95%CI -3.9%, 0.7%) for high COI. Variation by COI emerged in June 2020, as the volume of elective surgery encounters neared baseline. For 12 of the next 18 months, the reduction in volume of elective surgery encounters was the greatest in children with very low COI. CONCLUSIONS Children from very low COI zip codes experienced the greatest reduction in elective surgery encounters during early COVID-19 without a subsequent increase in encounters over time to counterbalance the reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay G Berry
- Complex Care (JG Berry and A Desmarais), Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Mass; Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery (JG Berry, J Incorvia, and JG Meara), Boston Children's Hospital, Mass; Department of Pediatrics (JG Berry), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
| | - Lynne Ferrari
- Perioperative Anesthesia (L Ferrari), Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Valerie L Ward
- Department of Radiology (VL Ward), Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Mass; Office of Health Equity and Inclusion (VL Ward), Boston Children's Hospital, Mass; Sandra L. Fenwick Institute for Pediatric Health Equity and Inclusion (VL Ward), Boston Children's Hospital, Mass
| | - Matt Hall
- Children's Hospital Association (M Hall), Lenexa, Kans
| | - Anna Desmarais
- Complex Care (JG Berry and A Desmarais), Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Mass
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Surgical Outcomes Quality Improvement Center (MV Raval and Y Tian), Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Ill; Division of Pediatric Surgery (MV Raval), Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Ill
| | - Yao Tian
- Surgical Outcomes Quality Improvement Center (MV Raval and Y Tian), Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Ill
| | - Derek Mathieu
- Department of Finance (D Mathieu), Boston Children's Hospital, Mass; Department of Surgery (D Mathieu), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Joseph Incorvia
- Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery (JG Berry, J Incorvia, and JG Meara), Boston Children's Hospital, Mass
| | - John G Meara
- Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery (JG Berry, J Incorvia, and JG Meara), Boston Children's Hospital, Mass
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Sullivan GA, Reiter AJ, Smith C, Glick RD, Skarda DE, Le HD, Gow KW, Rich BS, Raval MV. Pediatric Surgeon Perceptions on Operating Room Environmental Stewardship and Current Institutional Climate-Smart Actions. J Pediatr Surg 2023; 58:2278-2285. [PMID: 37468347 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2023.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Operating rooms generate significant greenhouse gas emissions. Our objective was to assess current institutional climate-smart actions and pediatric surgeon perceptions regarding environmental stewardship efforts in the operating room. METHODS A survey was distributed to members of the American Pediatric Surgical Association in June 2022. The survey was piloted among ten general surgery residents and two professional society cohorts of pediatric surgeons. Comparisons were made by demographic and practice characteristics. RESULTS Survey response rate was 15.9% (n = 160/1009) and included surgeons predominantly from urban (n = 93/122, 76.2%) and academic (n = 84/122, 68.9%) institutions. Only 9.8% (n = 12/122) of pediatric surgeons were currently involved in operating room environmental initiatives. The most common climate-smart actions were reusable materials and equipment (n = 120/159, 75.5%) and reprocessing of medical devices (n = 111/160, 69.4%). Most surgeons either strongly agreed (n = 48/121, 39.7%) or agreed (n = 62/121, 51.2%) that incorporation of environmental stewardship practices at work was important. Surgeons identified reusable materials/equipment (extremely important: n = 61/129, 47.3%, important: n = 38/129, 29.5%) and recycling (extremely important: n = 68/129, 52.7%, important: n = 29/129, 22.5%) as the most important climate-smart actions. Commonly perceived barriers were financial (extremely likely: n = 47/123, 38.2%, likely: n = 50/123, 40.7%) and staff resistance to change (extremely likely: n = 29/123, 23.6%, likely: n = 60/123, 48.8%). Regional differences included low adoption of energy efficiency strategies among respondents from southern states (n = 0/26, p = 0.01) despite high perceived importance relative to other regions (median: 5, IQR: 4-5 vs median: 4, IQR 4-5, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS While most pediatric surgeons agreed that environmental stewardship was important, less than 10% are currently involved in initiatives at their institutions. Opportunities exist for surgical leadership surrounding implementation of climate-smart actions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwyneth A Sullivan
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Audra J Reiter
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Charesa Smith
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Richard D Glick
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY, USA
| | - David E Skarda
- University of Utah, Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Primary Children's Hospital, Intermountain Health Care, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Hau D Le
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, American Family Children's Hospital, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Kenneth W Gow
- Seattle Children's Hospital and the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Barrie S Rich
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Raval MV. Invited Commentary: Making Operating Rooms Safer: Communication, Teamwork, and Investment in Technologies Are Needed. J Am Coll Surg 2023; 237:872-873. [PMID: 37646440 DOI: 10.1097/xcs.0000000000000848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
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Sullivan GA, Reddy S, Reiter AJ, Zeineddin S, Visenio M, Hu A, Mackersie R, Kabre R, Raval MV, Stey AM. Does Trauma Center Volume Account for the Association Between Trauma Center Verification Level and In-Hospital Mortality among Children Injured by Firearms in California? J Am Coll Surg 2023; 237:738-749. [PMID: 37581372 DOI: 10.1097/xcs.0000000000000818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heterogeneity in trauma center designation and injury volume offer possible explanations for inconsistencies in pediatric trauma center designation's association with lower mortality among children. We hypothesized that rigorous trauma center verification, regardless of volume, would be associated with lower firearm injury-associated mortality in children. STUDY DESIGN This retrospective cohort study leveraged the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development patient discharge data. Data from children aged 0 to 14 years in California from 2005 to 2018 directly transported with firearm injuries were analyzed. American College of Surgeons (ACS) trauma center verification level was the primary predictor of in-hospital mortality. Centers' annual firearm injury volume data were analyzed as a mediator of the association between center verification level and in-hospital mortality. Two mixed-effects multivariable logistic regressions modeled in-hospital mortality and the estimated association with center verification while adjusting for patient demographic and clinical characteristics. One model included the center's firearm injury volume and one did not. RESULTS The cohort included 2,409 children with a mortality rate of 8.6% (n = 206). Adjusted odds of mortality were lower for children at adult level I (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.38, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.80), pediatric (aOR 0.17, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.61), and dual (aOR 0.48, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.93) trauma centers compared to nontrauma/level III/IV centers. Firearm injury volume did not mediate the association between ACS trauma center verification and mortality (aOR/10 patient increase in volume 1.01, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.03). CONCLUSIONS Trauma center verification level, regardless of firearm injury volume, was associated with lower firearm injury-associated mortality, suggesting that the ACS verification process is contributing to achieving optimal outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwyneth A Sullivan
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL (Sullivan, Reiter, Zeineddin, Hu, Kabre, Raval)
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL (Sullivan)
| | - Susheel Reddy
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL (Reddy, Visenio, Stey)
| | - Audra J Reiter
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL (Sullivan, Reiter, Zeineddin, Hu, Kabre, Raval)
| | - Suhail Zeineddin
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL (Sullivan, Reiter, Zeineddin, Hu, Kabre, Raval)
| | - Michael Visenio
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL (Reddy, Visenio, Stey)
| | - Andrew Hu
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL (Sullivan, Reiter, Zeineddin, Hu, Kabre, Raval)
| | - Robert Mackersie
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (Mackersie)
| | - Rashmi Kabre
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL (Sullivan, Reiter, Zeineddin, Hu, Kabre, Raval)
| | - Mehul V Raval
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL (Sullivan, Reiter, Zeineddin, Hu, Kabre, Raval)
| | - Anne M Stey
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL (Reddy, Visenio, Stey)
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Sullivan GA, Reiter AJ, Hu A, Smith C, Storton K, Gulack BC, Shah AN, Dsida R, Raval MV. Operating Room Recycling: Opportunities to Reduce Carbon Emissions Without Increases in Cost. J Pediatr Surg 2023; 58:2187-2191. [PMID: 37188613 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2023.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The healthcare industry is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Within the hospital, operating rooms are responsible for the largest proportion of emissions due to high resource utilization and waste generation. Our aim was to generate estimates of greenhouse gas emissions avoided and cost implications following implementation of a recycling program across operating rooms at our freestanding children's hospital. METHODS Data were collected from three commonly performed pediatric surgical procedures: circumcision, laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, and laparoscopic gastrostomy tube placement. Five cases of each procedure were observed. Recyclable paper and plastic waste was weighed. Emission equivalencies were determined using the Environmental Protection Agency Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator. Institutional cost of waste disposal was $66.25 United States Dollars (USD)/ton for recyclable waste and $67.00 USD/ton for solid waste. RESULTS The proportion of recyclable waste ranged from 23.3% for circumcision to 29.5% for laparoscopic gastrostomy tube placement. The amount of waste redirected from landfill to a recycling stream could result in annual avoidance of 58,500 to 91,500 kg carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, or 6583 to 10,296 gallons of gasoline. Establishing a recycling program would not require additional cost and could lead to modest cost savings (range $15 to 24 USD/year). CONCLUSIONS Incorporation of recycling into operating rooms has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without increased cost. Clinicians and hospital administrators should consider operating room recycling programs as they work towards improved environmental stewardship. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level VI - evidence form a single descriptive or qualitative study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwyneth A Sullivan
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Audra J Reiter
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Andrew Hu
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Charesa Smith
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Katelyn Storton
- Supply Chain and Strategic Sourcing Operations, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Brian C Gulack
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ami N Shah
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Richard Dsida
- Department of Anesthesiology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Papastefan ST, Zeineddin S, Blakely ML, Lovvorn HN, Huang LW, Raval MV, Lautz TB. Association of Prophylactic Antibiotics With Early Infectious Complications in Children With Cancer Undergoing Central Venous Access Device Placement. Ann Surg 2023:00000658-990000000-00686. [PMID: 37870252 DOI: 10.1097/sla.0000000000006140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of prophylactic antibiotics on early infectious complications after central venous access device (VAD) placement in children with cancer. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Despite the frequency of VAD procedures in children, the effectiveness of prophylactic antibiotics for reducing infectious complications is unknown. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study of children with cancer undergoing central VAD placement identified in the Pediatric Health Information System database between 2017-2021. The primary outcome was the rate of early infectious complications (composite surgical site infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, and bacteremia). Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate factors associated with early infection, and heterogeneity of treatment effect of prophylactic antibiotics was compared across subgroups. RESULTS 9,216 patients were included (6,058 ports and 3,158 tunneled lines). Prophylactic antibiotics were associated with lower early infectious complications overall (1.3% vs. 2.4%; OR 0.55 [95% C.I. 0.39-0.79], P<0.001), an effect demonstrated for tunneled lines (OR 0.59, 95% C.I.: 0.41-0.84) but not ports (OR 3.01, 95% C.I.: 0.66-13.78). On multivariate analysis, prophylactic antibiotics (OR 0.67, 95% C.I.: 0.45-0.97) and solid tumors (OR 0.38, 95% C.I.: 0.22-0.64) were associated with reduced odds of early infections, while tunneled lines (OR 20.78, 95% C.I.: 9.83-43.93) and acute myelogenous leukemia (OR 2.37, 95% C.I.: 1.58-3.57) had increased odds. CONCLUSIONS Prophylactic antibiotics are associated with reduced early infectious complications after central VAD placement overall. Despite recommendations from multiple national organizations against prophylactic antibiotics, these findings suggest a benefit in children with malignancy undergoing tunneled line placement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven T Papastefan
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Suhail Zeineddin
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Martin L Blakely
- Department of Surgery, Center for Clinical Research and Evidence Based Medicine, Institute for Implementation Science, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Harold N Lovvorn
- Department of Surgery, Center for Clinical Research and Evidence Based Medicine, Institute for Implementation Science, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Lynn Wei Huang
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, & Education in Surgery (NQUIRES), Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, & Education in Surgery (NQUIRES), Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Timothy B Lautz
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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13
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Mehl SC, Portuondo JI, Tian Y, Raval MV, King A, Rialon KL, Vogel AM, Wesson DE, Shah SR, Massarweh NN. Hospital Variation in Mortality and Failure to Rescue after Surgery for High-Risk Neonatal Diagnoses. Neonatology 2023; 121:34-45. [PMID: 37844560 DOI: 10.1159/000533825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A large proportion of postoperative mortality after pediatric surgery occurs among neonates with specific high-risk diagnoses. The extent to which there is hospital-level mortality variation among patients with these diagnoses and whether this variation is associated with differences in failure to rescue (FTR) is unclear. METHODS The Pediatric Health Information System® database (2012-2020) was used to identify patients who underwent surgery for eight high-risk neonatal diagnoses: gastroschisis; volvulus; necrotizing enterocolitis; intestinal atresia; meconium peritonitis; tracheoesophageal fistula; congenital diaphragmatic hernia; and perinatal intestinal perforation. Hospitals were stratified into tertiles of reliability-adjusted inpatient mortality rates (lower than average mortality - tertile 1 [T1]; higher than average mortality - tertile 3 [T3]). Multivariable hierarchical regression was used to evaluate the association between hospital-level, reliability-adjusted mortality and FTR. RESULTS Overall, 20,838 infants were identified across 48 academic, pediatric hospitals. Adjusted hospital mortality rates ranged from 4.0% (95% CI, 0.0-8.2) to 16.3% (12.2-20.4). Median case volume (range, 80-1,238) and number of NICU beds (range, 24-126) were not significantly different across hospital tertiles. Compared to the hospitals with the lowest postoperative mortality (T1), the odds of FTR were significantly higher in hospitals with the highest (T3) postoperative mortality (odds ratio 1.97 [1.50-2.59]). CONCLUSIONS Significant variation in neonatal hospital mortality for high-risk diagnoses does not appear to be explained by hospital structural characteristics. Rather, difference in FTR suggests quality improvement interventions targeting early recognition and management of postoperative complications could improve surgical quality and safety for high-risk neonatal care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven C Mehl
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jorge I Portuondo
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Yao Tian
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Alice King
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kristy L Rialon
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Adam M Vogel
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - David E Wesson
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Nader N Massarweh
- Surgical and Perioperative Care, Atlanta VA Health Care System, Decatur, Georgia, USA
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Surgery, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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14
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McCarthy IM, Raval MV. Price spillovers and specialization in health care: The case of children's hospitals. Health Econ 2023; 32:2408-2423. [PMID: 37421641 DOI: 10.1002/hec.4734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Specialty hospitals tend to negotiate higher commercial insurance payments, even for relatively routine procedures with comparable clinical quality across hospital types. How specialty hospitals can maintain such a price premium remains an open question. In this paper, we examine a potential (horizontal) differentiation effect in which patients perceive specialty hospitals as sufficiently distinct from other hospitals, so that specialty hospitals effectively compete in a separate market from general acute care hospitals. We estimate this effect in the context of routine pediatric procedures offered by both specialty children's hospitals as well as general acute care hospitals, and we find strong empirical evidence of a differentiation effect in which specialty children's hospitals appear largely immune to competitive forces from non-children's hospitals.
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15
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Mehl SC, Portuondo JI, Tian Y, Raval MV, Shah SR, Vogel AM, Wesson D, Massarweh NN. Hospital Variation in Mortality After Inpatient Pediatric Surgery. Ann Surg 2023; 278:e598-e604. [PMID: 36259769 DOI: 10.1097/sla.0000000000005729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim was to determine the association between risk adjusted hospital perioperative mortality rates, postoperative complications, and failure to rescue (FTR) after inpatient pediatric surgery. BACKGROUND FTR has been identified as a possible explanatory factor for hospital variation in perioperative mortality in adults. However, the extent to which this may be the case for hospitals that perform pediatric surgery is unclear. METHODS The Pediatric Health Information System database (2012-2020) was used to identify patients who underwent one of 57 high-risk operations associated with significant perioperative mortality (n=203,242). Academic, pediatric hospitals (n=48) were stratified into quintiles based on risk adjusted inpatient mortality [lower than average, quintile 1 (Q1); higher than average, quintile 5 (Q5)]. Multivariable hierarchical regression was used to evaluate the association between hospital mortality rates, complications, and FTR. RESULTS Inpatient mortality, complication, and FTR rates were 2.3%, 8.8%, and 8.8%, respectively. Among all patients who died after surgery, only 34.1% had a preceding complication (Q1, 36.1%; Q2, 31.5%; Q3, 34.7%; Q4, 35.7%; Q5, 32.2%; trend test, P =0.49). The rates of observed mortality significantly increased across hospital quintiles, but the difference was <1% (Q1, 1.9%; Q5; 2.6%; trend test, P <0.01). Relative to Q1 hospitals, the odds of complications were not significantly increased at Q5 hospitals [odds ratio (OR): 1.02 (0.87-1.20)]. By comparison, the odds of FTR was significantly increased at Q5 hospitals [OR: 1.60 (1.30-1.96)] with a dose-response relationship across hospital quintiles [Q2-OR: 0.99 (0.80-1.22); Q3-OR: 1.26 (1.03-1.55); Q4-OR: 1.33 (1.09-1.63)]. CONCLUSIONS The minority of pediatric surgical deaths are preceded by a postoperative complication, but variation in risk adjusted mortality across academic, pediatric hospitals may be partially explained by differences in the recognition and management of postoperative complications. Additional work is needed to identify children at greatest risk of postoperative death from perioperative complications as opposed to those at risk from pre-existing chronic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven C Mehl
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Jorge I Portuondo
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Yao Tian
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Chicago, IL
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Chicago, IL
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Sohail R Shah
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Adam M Vogel
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - David Wesson
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Nader N Massarweh
- Surgical and Perioperative Care, Atlanta VA Health Care System, Decatur, GA
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Department of Surgery, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
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16
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Balbale SN, Schäfer WLA, Davis TL, Blake SC, Close S, Sullivan GA, Reiter AJ, Hu AJ, Smith CJ, Wilberding MJ, Johnson JK, Holl JL, Raval MV. A mixed-method approach to generate and deliver rapid-cycle evaluation feedback: lessons learned from a multicenter implementation trial in pediatric surgery. Implement Sci Commun 2023; 4:82. [PMID: 37464448 DOI: 10.1186/s43058-023-00463-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rapid-cycle feedback loops provide timely information and actionable feedback to healthcare organizations to accelerate implementation of interventions. We aimed to (1) describe a mixed-method approach for generating and delivering rapid-cycle feedback and (2) explore key lessons learned while implementing an enhanced recovery protocol (ERP) across 18 pediatric surgery centers. METHODS All centers are members of the Pediatric Surgery Research Collaborative (PedSRC, www.pedsrc.org ), participating in the ENhanced Recovery In CHildren Undergoing Surgery (ENRICH-US) trial. To assess implementation efforts, we conducted a mixed-method sequential explanatory study, administering surveys and follow-up interviews with each center's implementation team 6 and 12 months following implementation. Along with detailed notetaking and iterative discussion within our team, we used these data to generate and deliver a center-specific implementation report card to each center. Report cards used a traffic light approach to quickly visualize implementation status (green = excellent; yellow = needs improvement; red = needs significant improvement) and summarized strengths and opportunities at each timepoint. RESULTS We identified several benefits, challenges, and practical considerations for assessing implementation and using rapid-cycle feedback among pediatric surgery centers. Regarding potential benefits, this approach enabled us to quickly understand variation in implementation and corresponding needs across centers. It allowed us to efficiently provide actionable feedback to centers about implementation. Engaging consistently with center-specific implementation teams also helped facilitate partnerships between centers and the research team. Regarding potential challenges, research teams must still allocate substantial resources to provide feedback rapidly. Additionally, discussions and consensus are needed across team members about the content of center-specific feedback. Practical considerations include carefully balancing timeliness and comprehensiveness when delivering rapid-cycle feedback. In pediatric surgery, moreover, it is essential to actively engage all key stakeholders (including physicians, nurses, patients, caregivers, etc.) and adopt an iterative, reflexive approach in providing feedback. CONCLUSION From a methodological perspective, we identified three key lessons: (1) using a rapid, mixed method evaluation approach is feasible in pediatric surgery and (2) can be beneficial, particularly in quickly understanding variation in implementation across centers; however, (3) there is a need to address several methodological challenges and considerations, particularly in balancing the timeliness and comprehensiveness of feedback. TRIAL REGISTRATION NIH National Library of Medicine Clinical Trials. CLINICALTRIALS gov Identifier: NCT04060303. Registered August 7, 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04060303.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salva N Balbale
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
- Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute of Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, & Education in Surgery (NQUIRES), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare, Health Services Research & Development, Jr. VA Hospital, Edward Hines, Hines, IL, 60141, USA.
| | - Willemijn L A Schäfer
- Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute of Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, & Education in Surgery (NQUIRES), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Teaniese L Davis
- Center for Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Georgia, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sarah C Blake
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sharron Close
- Department of Pediatric Advanced Practice Nursing, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Gwyneth A Sullivan
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Audra J Reiter
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, & Education in Surgery (NQUIRES), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Andrew J Hu
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Charesa J Smith
- Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute of Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, & Education in Surgery (NQUIRES), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Maxwell J Wilberding
- Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute of Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Julie K Johnson
- Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute of Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, & Education in Surgery (NQUIRES), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jane L Holl
- Department of Neurology, Biological Sciences Division and Center for Healthcare Delivery Science and Innovation, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute of Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, & Education in Surgery (NQUIRES), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Tian Y, Allen LD, Ingram MCE, Raval MV. Disparities in Delivery of Ambulatory Surgical Care for Children. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2317018. [PMID: 37273209 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.17018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yao Tian
- Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Lindsay D Allen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Martha-Conley E Ingram
- Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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Reiter AJ, Warner SG, Chen H, Ingraham AM, Hunter CJ, Freischlag J, Raval MV. Translating the Value of the Academic Surgeon Into Salary, Time, and Resources. J Surg Res 2023; 285:A1-A6. [PMID: 36682973 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.12.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Academic surgeons provide tremendous value to institutions including notoriety, publicity, cutting-edge clinical advances, extramural funding, and academic growth and development. In turn, these attributes may result in improved reputation scores and hospital or medical center rankings. While many hospital systems, schools of medicine, and departments of surgery claim to have a major commitment to academic surgery and research, academic surgeons are often undercompensated compared to clinically focused counterparts. Existing salary benchmarks (e.g., the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) or the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)) are often used but are imperfect. Thus, the value proposition for academic surgeons goes beyond compensation and often includes protected time for academic pursuit, nonsalary financial support, and other intangible benefits to being associated with a major academic center (e.g., abundance of scientific collaborators, infrastructure for grant management). As a result, institution-specific practices have developed and academic surgeons are left to negotiate salary support including bonus structures, protected time, and recruitment packages on a case-by-case basis without a clear roadmap. A diverse panel representing a range of academic surgical experiences was convened at the 2022 Academic Surgical Congress to illuminate this complex, often stress-inducing, aspect of an academic surgeon's professional career.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audra J Reiter
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, and Education in Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Susanne G Warner
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Herbert Chen
- Chair of the Department of Surgery, Surgeon in Chief, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Angela M Ingraham
- Division of Acute Care and Regional General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Catherine J Hunter
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Oklahoma University, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Julie Freischlag
- Dean Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Chief Executive Officer Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Chief Academic Officer Atrium Health Enterprise, Winston Salem, North Carolina
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, and Education in Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
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Smith CJ, Raval MV, Simon MA, Henry MCW. Addressing pediatric surgical health inequities through quality improvement efforts. Semin Pediatr Surg 2023; 32:151280. [PMID: 37147217 DOI: 10.1016/j.sempedsurg.2023.151280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Concepts of healthcare quality and health equity should be inextricably linked but are often pursued separately. Quality improvement (QI) can serve as a powerful means to eliminate health inequities by adopting an equity-focused lens to diagnose and address baseline disparities among pediatric populations using targeted interventions. QI and pediatric surgery practitioners should integrate concepts of equity at every stage of formulating a QI project including conceptualization, planning, and execution. Early adaptation of an equity conscious perspective using QI methodology can prevent exacerbation of preexisting disparities while improving overall outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charesa J Smith
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, & Education in Surgery, Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, & Education in Surgery, Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Melissa A Simon
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Health Equity Transformation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Marion C W Henry
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Roberts B, Cooke-Barber J, Ingram MC, Danko M, Trudeau M, Glick RD, Short SS, Robertson DJ, Raval MV, Dasgupta R, Rich BS. Disparities in care of pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients with solid tumors: A systematic review. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2023; 70:e30355. [PMID: 37066595 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.30355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous studies have demonstrated a variety of social inequalities within pediatric and young adult patients with solid tumors. This systematic review examines and consolidates the existing literature regarding disparities in pediatric and young adult solid tumor oncology. PROCEDURE A MeSH search was performed on the following databases: MEDLINE, PubMed, OvidSP Cochrane, Central, Embase, Cinhal, and Scopus. The systematic review was performed using Rayyan QCRI. RESULTS Total 387 articles were found on the initial search, and 34 articles were included in final review. Twenty-seven studies addressed racial and ethnic disparities; 23 addressed socioeconomic disparities. Patients with Hispanic ethnicity, Black race, and lower socioeconomic status were more likely to present at later stages, have differences in treatments and higher mortality rates. CONCLUSION This qualitative systematic review identified both racial and socioeconomic disparities in pediatric cancer patients across a variety of solid tumor types. Patients with Hispanic ethnicity, Black race, and lower socioeconomic status are associated with disparities in stage at presentation, treatment, and outcome. Characterization of existing disparities provides the evidence necessary to support changes at a systemic level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey Roberts
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, New York, USA
| | - Jo Cooke-Barber
- Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Melissa Danko
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Maeve Trudeau
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Richard D Glick
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, New York, USA
| | - Scott S Short
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Daniel J Robertson
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Illinois, Peoria, Illinois, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Roshni Dasgupta
- Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Barrie S Rich
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, New York, USA
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21
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Saito JM, Barnhart DC, Grant C, Brighton BK, Raval MV, Campbell BT, Kenney B, Jatana KR, Ellison JS, Cina RA, Allori AC, Uejima T, Roke D, Lam S, Johnson EK, Goretsky MJ, Byrd C, Iwaniuk M, Nayak R, Thompson VM, Cohen ME, Hall BL, Ko CY, Rangel SJ. The past, present and future of ACS NSQIP-Pediatric: Evolution from a quality registry to a comparative quality performance platform. Semin Pediatr Surg 2023; 32:151275. [PMID: 37075656 DOI: 10.1016/j.sempedsurg.2023.151275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Quality and process improvement (QI/PI) in children's surgical care require reliable data across the care continuum. Since 2012, the American College of Surgeons' (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric (NSQIP-Pediatric) has supported QI/PI by providing participating hospitals with risk-adjusted, comparative data regarding postoperative outcomes for multiple surgical specialties. To advance this goal over the past decade, iterative changes have been introduced to case inclusion and data collection, analysis and reporting. New datasets for specific procedures, such as appendectomy, spinal fusion for scoliosis, vesicoureteral reflux procedures, and tracheostomy in children less than 2 years old, have incorporated additional risk factors and outcomes to enhance the clinical relevance of data, and resource utilization to consider healthcare value. Recently, process measures for urgent surgical diagnoses and surgical antibiotic prophylaxis variables have been developed to promote timely and appropriate care. While a mature program, NSQIP-Pediatric remains dynamic and responsive to meet the needs of the surgical community. Future directions include introduction of variables and analyses to address patient-centered care and healthcare equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline M Saito
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Douglas C Barnhart
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Catherine Grant
- Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Brian K Brighton
- Division of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Brian Kenney
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital and Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kris R Jatana
- Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Nationwide Children's Hospital and Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jonathan S Ellison
- Division of Pediatric Urology, Department of Urology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Robert A Cina
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital, The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Alexander C Allori
- Division of Plastic, Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, Department of Surgery and Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Tetsu Uejima
- Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Nemours Children's Hospital Delaware, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Daniel Roke
- Department of Anesthesia & Critical Care Medicine, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sandi Lam
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Department of Neurosurgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Emilie K Johnson
- Division of Urology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Department of Urology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Michael J Goretsky
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Claudia Byrd
- Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Marie Iwaniuk
- Independent Statistical Consultant, Phoenixville, PA, USA
| | - Raageswari Nayak
- Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Vanessa M Thompson
- Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mark E Cohen
- Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Bruce L Hall
- Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Surgery, Washington University St. Louis School of Medicine and BJC Healthcare, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Clifford Y Ko
- Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Shawn J Rangel
- Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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Raval MV, Rangel SJ. Preface - Contemporary topics in pediatric surgical quality. Semin Pediatr Surg 2023; 32:151284. [PMID: 37094530 DOI: 10.1016/j.sempedsurg.2023.151284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Shawn J Rangel
- Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Abstract
Despite the widespread integration of quality improvement principles into pediatric surgical practice, the actual adoption of evidence-based practices continues to be a challenge. The field of pediatric surgery, in particular, has been slow to adopt clinical pathways and protocols that lead to decreased practice variation and improved clinical outcomes. This manuscript provides an introduction to how implementation science principles into quality improvement efforts may optimize uptake of evidence-based practices, ensure success of these endeavors, and help assess the effectiveness of the interventions. Examples of implementation science application to pediatric surgical quality improvement endeavors are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwyneth A Sullivan
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, & Education in Surgery (NQUIRES), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 633 N. Saint Clair St, 20(th) floor, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Willemijn L A Schäfer
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, & Education in Surgery (NQUIRES), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 633 N. Saint Clair St, 20(th) floor, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, & Education in Surgery (NQUIRES), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 633 N. Saint Clair St, 20(th) floor, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Julie K Johnson
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, & Education in Surgery (NQUIRES), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 633 N. Saint Clair St, 20(th) floor, Chicago, IL 60611.
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Balbale SN, Cho M, Raval MV, Close SM. Role of patient and family engagement in quality improvement for pediatric surgery. Semin Pediatr Surg 2023; 32:151281. [PMID: 37094531 DOI: 10.1016/j.sempedsurg.2023.151281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, the role of quality improvement (QI) in pediatric surgery has grown substantially. Patient and family engagement can help to maximize the impact of QI by enhancing safety and patient outcomes. Yet, broader, systematic efforts to actively involve patients and families in QI initiatives remain a persistent gap in pediatric surgery. To address this gap, we propose an agenda centered on three key goals for future quality improvement efforts: (1) building partnerships with patients and their families; (2) expanding the use of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and novel, cross-disciplinary research methods; and (3) engaging patients and families consistently across all stages of pediatric surgical care. Fulfilling this agenda will be essential in shifting our mindset to view QI as a collective that involves patients, families, clinicians, and payers in continuous, system-wide opportunities to evaluate and improve care. Actively listening to and collaborating with patients and families may also help renew our focus on narrowing the gap between current practice and the best possible practice for children undergoing surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salva N Balbale
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine; Department of Medical Social Sciences; Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, & Education in Surgery (NQUIRES), Department of Surgery; & Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute of Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL; Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare, Health Services Research & Development, Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL.
| | | | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Sharron M Close
- Department of Pediatric Advanced Practice Nursing, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
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Close S, Blake SC, Davis TT, Balbale SN, Perry JE, Weingard R, Ingram MC, Schäfer W, Strople J, Raval MV. Implementation of Enhanced Recovery Protocols for Gastrointestinal Surgery in Children: Practical Tools From Key Stakeholders. J Surg Res 2023; 284:204-212. [PMID: 36586313 PMCID: PMC9911379 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.11.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We explored patient, caregiver, and provider recommendations for development of a tool kit to implement enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) for pediatric patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery. ERPs are widely used for adults to decrease hospital length of stay, hospital costs, and complications while hastening patient recovery after surgery. With limited data available for ERPs among pediatric populations informed modification of adult ERPs is needed to facilitate successful implementation for pediatric surgery. METHODS Using a qualitative research design, semistructured interviews were conducted with hospital-based teams including surgeons, anesthesiologists, gastroenterologists, nursing, and physician assistants. Four in-person focus groups were held at two pediatric hospitals with patients and caregivers. Codes were developed and applied to interview and focus groups transcripts for structural content analysis. Thematic analysis guided by the Active Implementation Framework, included recommendations that informed ERP implementation tool kit development. RESULTS Key components of the ERP tool kit included the need for a structured and systematic approach, leadership support from key champions, and buy-in from surgical partners and hospital management. Providers identified the need for multimodal educational materials on ERP elements for staff and patients; use of uniform checklists, care sets and an electronic repository to collect outcome data for quality assurance assessment. Patients and caregivers endorsed expansion of the team to include child-life specialists, nutritionists, and patient-parent supporters to help navigate the surgical experience. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to leverage key input from patients, caregivers, and providers to identify practical components for an ERP implementation tool kit for children undergoing gastrointestinal surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharron Close
- Department of Pediatric Advanced Practice Nursing, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
| | - Sarah C Blake
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Teaniese Tina Davis
- Center for Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Salva N Balbale
- Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute of Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Joseph E Perry
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Reed Weingard
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Martha-Conley Ingram
- Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute of Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Willemijn Schäfer
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jennifer Strople
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute of Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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Zeineddin S, Hu A, Linton S, Zhang V, De Boer C, Raval MV, Abdullah F, Goldstein SD. Association between appendiceal stump closure method and post-operative bowel obstruction after laparoscopic appendectomy. J Pediatr Surg 2023; 58:643-647. [PMID: 36670005 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2022.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Laparoscopic appendectomy is one of the most common urgent pediatric surgical operations. Endoscopic surgical staplers and pre-tied endoloop ligatures are both routinely used for closure of the appendiceal stump in children. Practice patterns vary for a number of reasons, including cost, size, and ease of use. While stapling is standard for some pediatric surgeons, others believe that staples can act as a nidus for small bowel obstruction (SBO). However, studies comparing closure methods have been conflicting in their results and limited in size. Therefore, we aim to determine if there is an association between appendiceal stump closure method and SBO using a national comparative pediatric database. METHODS We queried the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) for patients ages 3-18 years who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy for appendicitis between 1/1/2016 - 12/31/2020. We included hospitals that had greater than 50 patients with billing data and excluded patients with inflammatory bowel disease and simultaneous abdominal operations. We used billing data for the patient's appendectomy to determine if a stapler or a suture ligature was used during the case. Our primary outcome of interest was post-operative SBO or reoperation for lysis of adhesion or intestinal surgery within the first 30 post-operative days. Multivariable regression analyses were used to estimate the association between stump closure method and post-operative SBO or reoperation in addition to cost while adjusting for patient demographics and appendiceal perforation. RESULTS In total, 49,191 patients from 37 hospitals were included, of which, 29,733 (60.44%) were male, 21,403 (43.51%) were non-Hispanic white, and 18,291 (37.18%) had a diagnosis of complicated appendicitis. The median [IQR] age of the cohort was 11 [8-14] years. A surgical stapler was used during laparoscopic appendectomy in 35,788 (72.75%) patients, and early SBO or reoperation occurred in 653 (1.33%) patients. In adjusted analysis controlling for demographics and complicated appendicitis there was no statistically significant difference in the odds of SBO or reoperation between the two groups. (OR 1.17; 99% CI 0.86 - 1.6). Complicated appendicitis was the factor most associated with post-operative SBO or reoperation (OR 4.4; 99% CI 3.01 - 6.44). Median cumulative cost was slightly higher on unadjusted analysis in the stapler group ($10,329.3 vs $9,569.2). However, there was no significant difference on adjusted analysis. CONCLUSION SBO or reoperation following laparoscopic appendectomy for appendicitis is uncommon. Complicated appendicitis is the most predictive factor of this outcome. Adjusting for available patient, disease, and hospital characteristics, use of a surgical stapler does not appear to be meaningfully associated with the development of acute SBO or reoperation. Surgeon preference remains the mainstay for safe appendiceal stump closure method. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III. STUDY TYPE Retrospective Comparative Study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhail Zeineddin
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Andrew Hu
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Samuel Linton
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Veronica Zhang
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Christopher De Boer
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Fizan Abdullah
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Seth D Goldstein
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Sullivan GA, Sincavage J, Reiter AJ, Hu AJ, Rangel M, Smith CJ, Ritz EM, Shah AN, Gulack BC, Raval MV. Disparities in Utilization of Same-Day Discharge Following Appendectomy in Children. J Surg Res 2023; 288:1-9. [PMID: 36934656 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2023.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Disparities in the delivery of pediatric surgical care exist for racial and ethnic minority groups. Utilization of same-day discharge (SDD) following appendectomy for acute, uncomplicated appendicitis is increasing; however, rates among diverse populations have not been explored to evaluate equitable care delivery and healthcare utilization. Our objective was to determine whether race and ethnicity are associated with rates of SDD and postdischarge healthcare utilization. We hypothesized that racial and ethnic minority groups would have lower rates of SDD. METHODS This retrospective cohort study used data from the 2015-2019 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric clinical registry and included children who underwent appendectomy. Patients with complicated appendicitis were excluded. Primary exposure was racial or ethnic group. The primary outcome was SDD, and secondary outcomes included postdischarge emergency department visits and hospital readmissions. RESULTS Of 37,579 simple appendicitis patients, SDD after appendectomy occurred in 10,012 (26.6%). On multivariable analysis, Black or African American race was associated with lower likelihood of SDD (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.85; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]:0.79-0.92; P < 0.0001). Hispanic ethnicity was associated with higher likelihood of SDD (aOR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.12-1.25; P < 0.0001). Likelihood of postoperative emergency department visits was higher in Black or African American patients (aOR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.14-1.62; P < 0.001) and Hispanic patients (aOR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.12-1.58; P < 0.0001). Hospital readmission rates were similar across groups. CONCLUSIONS Rates of SDD following appendectomy vary among racial and ethnic groups. Interventions to achieve equitable healthcare delivery including SDD after appendectomy are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwyneth A Sullivan
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - John Sincavage
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Audra J Reiter
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Andrew J Hu
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Melissa Rangel
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Charesa J Smith
- Department of Surgery, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ethan M Ritz
- Rush Research Informatics Core, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ami N Shah
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Brian C Gulack
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
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Raval MV, Brockel MA, Kolaček S, Simpson KE, Spoede E, Starr KNP, Wulf KL. Key Strategies for Optimizing Pediatric Perioperative Nutrition-Insight from a Multidisciplinary Expert Panel. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15051270. [PMID: 36904269 PMCID: PMC10005187 DOI: 10.3390/nu15051270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Adequate nutrition is an essential factor in healing and immune support in pediatric patients undergoing surgery, but its importance in this setting is not consistently recognized. Standardized institutional nutrition protocols are rarely available, and some clinicians may be unaware of the importance of assessing and optimizing nutritional status. Moreover, some clinicians may be unaware of updated recommendations that call for limited perioperative fasting. Enhanced recovery protocols have been used in adult patients undergoing surgery to ensure consistent attention to nutrition and other support strategies in adult patients before and after surgery, and these are now under evaluation for use in pediatric patients as well. To support better adoption of ideal nutrition delivery, a multidisciplinary panel of experts in the fields of pediatric anesthesiology, surgery, gastroenterology, cardiology, nutrition, and research have gathered and reviewed current evidence and best practices to support nutrition goals in this setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehul V. Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 225 E. Chicago Avenue, Box 63, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Megan A. Brockel
- Department of Anesthesiology, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Sanja Kolaček
- Referral Centre for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, University Children’s Hospital Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Elizabeth Spoede
- Pediatric Clinical Dietitian, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kathryn N. Porter Starr
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, NC 27705, USA
| | - Karyn L. Wulf
- Abbott Nutrition, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, OH 43219, USA
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Ingram MC, Becker S, Olson SL, Tsai S, Sarkar A, Rothstein DH, Skarsgard ED, Raval MV. Disparities in surgical health service delivery and outcomes for indigenous children. J Pediatr Surg 2023; 58:375-383. [PMID: 36241445 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2022.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence of health disparities for Indigenous children requiring surgical care is lacking. We present a systematic review of the literature examining possible disparities in surgical care and outcomes for pediatric patients of Indigenous ethnicity. DATA SOURCES PubMed, Cochrane, MEDLINE, gray literature. METHODS Literature review, using PubMed, Cochrane, MEDLINE, and gray literature was conducted to identify articles published more than 2010-2020 examining children's surgical health service delivery (epidemiology, access, operations provided) and outcomes for pediatric patients of Indigenous ethnicity compared with others. Extracted data included study design, setting, participant race/ethnicity, operations examined, and surgical outcomes. Article quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scales. RESULTS From 411 abstracts, 125 articles were reviewed and 33 included for data abstraction. These were cohort and cross-sectional studies investigating a wide range of patient populations and procedures across the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Articles were organized naturally by theme into birth malformations (15 articles), trauma (6 articles), pediatric general surgery/appendicitis (5 articles), pediatric otolaryngology (6 articles), and renal transplant (1 article) surgery. Four articles also described access and resource utilization related to inpatient care. Notable disparities observed included apparent increased prevalence of gastroschisis, rates of traumatic fatality, non accidental injury, and self harm among North American Indigenous children. CONCLUSIONS Indigenous children appear to be vulnerable to a number of health and treatment outcome disparities related to conditions treated by surgeons. Surgeons are thus uniquely poised to act in identifying and eliminating Indigenous ethnicity-based pediatric health disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha-Conley Ingram
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
| | - Sasha Becker
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Sydney L Olson
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Stacy Tsai
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Arjun Sarkar
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - David H Rothstein
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Erik D Skarsgard
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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Reiter AJ, Hu A, Sullivan GA, Stein E, Samis JH, Josefson JL, Rastatter JC, Raval MV. Short-Term Complications After Total Thyroidectomy in Children. J Surg Res 2023; 283:758-763. [PMID: 36470200 PMCID: PMC9877187 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.11.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Total thyroidectomy for benign disease is becoming more common among children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate 30-day outcomes in children undergoing total thyroidectomy and determine if the short-term outcomes are different in those with a malignant versus benign indication for surgery. METHODS This retrospective cohort study used the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric (NSQIP-Pediatric) to identify all children who underwent total thyroidectomy from 2015 to 2019. Fisher's exact test was used to compare postoperative outcomes between benign and malignant indications for thyroidectomy. RESULTS Among 1595 total thyroidectomy patients, 1091 (68.4%) had a benign indication and 504 (31.6%) had a malignant indication. There were 1234 (77.4%) females, and the median age was 14.9 y (interquartile range [IQR] 12.5, 16.6). Average length of stay (LOS) was similar between cohorts (1.7 d for benign and 1.9 d for malignant, P = 0.30). Parathyroid auto-transplantation was performed in 71 (6.5%) patients in the benign cohort and 43 (8.6%) in the malignant cohort (P = 0.15). The most common complications were readmissions (23 [2.1%] benign and 15 [3.0%] malignant, P = 0.29) and reoperations (7 [0.6%] benign and 5 [1.0%] malignant, P = 0.54). Complication profiles were similar between benign and malignant cohorts (2.8% and 4.6%, respectively [P = 0.10]). CONCLUSIONS Children undergoing total thyroidectomy for benign and malignant indications have low rates of 30-d postoperative complications, suggesting that total thyroidectomy is a safe option for children with benign disease. Evaluation of long-term outcomes is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audra J Reiter
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, and Education in Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Andrew Hu
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, and Education in Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Gwyneth A Sullivan
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, and Education in Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Eli Stein
- Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jill H Samis
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jami L Josefson
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jeffrey C Rastatter
- Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Northwestern Quality Improvement, Research, and Education in Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois.
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Sullivan GA, Huang LW, Schäfer WLA, Tian Y, Reiter AJ, Essner B, Hu A, Ingram MC, Balbale S, Johnson JK, Holl JL, Raval MV. Association of Multimodal Pain Control with Patient-Reported Outcomes in Children Undergoing Surgery. J Pediatr Surg 2023; 58:1206-1212. [PMID: 36948934 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2023.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Our aim was to describe practices in multimodal pain management at US children's hospitals and evaluate the association between non-opioid pain management strategies and pediatric patient-reported outcomes (PROs). METHODS Data were collected as part of the 18-hospital ENhanced Recovery In CHildren Undergoing Surgery (ENRICH-US) clinical trial. Non-opioid pain management strategies included use of preoperative and postoperative non-opioid analgesics, regional anesthetic blocks, and a biobehavioral intervention. PROs included perioperative nervousness, pain-related functional disability, health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Associations were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression models. RESULTS Among 186 patients, 62 (33%) received preoperative analgesics, 186 (100%) postoperative analgesics, 81 (44%) regional anesthetic block, and 135 (73%) used a biobehavioral intervention. Patients were less likely to report worsened as compared to stable nervousness following regional anesthetic block (relative risk ratio [RRR]:0.31, 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.11-0.85), use of a biobehavioral technique (RRR:0.26, 95% CI:0.10-0.70), and both in combination (RRR:0.08, 95% CI:0.02-0.34). There were no associations of non-opioid pain control modalities with pain-related functional disability or HRQoL. CONCLUSION Use of postoperative non-opioid analgesics have been largely adopted, while preoperative non-opioid analgesics and regional anesthetic blocks are used less frequently. Regional anesthetic blocks and biobehavioral interventions may mitigate postoperative nervousness in children. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwyneth A Sullivan
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Lynn Wei Huang
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Willemijn L A Schäfer
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yao Tian
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Audra J Reiter
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Bonnie Essner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Andrew Hu
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Martha C Ingram
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Salva Balbale
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Julie K Johnson
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jane L Holl
- Biological Sciences Division, Department of Neurology, Center for Healthcare Delivery Science and Innovation, University of Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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Reynolds E, Muffly M, Apple K, Umbdenstock R, Soelberg J, Durkin E, Raval MV, Rich BS, Moriarty KP, Kim SS, Danko M, Lee JD, Metzger J, Fisher JC, Gow KW. Pediatric Surgery from the Roads Less Traveled: Challenges, Communication, and Collaboration from a Community Nonteaching Hospital. J Pediatr Surg 2023; 58:1053-1058. [PMID: 36925400 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2023.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Unique challenges face pediatric surgeons at community-based nonteaching hospitals. Communication and collaboration among and between healthcare providers, hospital administrators, and quaternary referral programs is crucial for the success of these smaller hospitals as they care for children.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Julie Soelberg
- Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR 97215, USA
| | - Emily Durkin
- Helen Devos Children's Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Barrie S Rich
- Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Cohen Children's Medical Center, Queens, NY 11040, USA
| | - Kevin P Moriarty
- UMass Chan Medical School, Baystate Health, Springfield, MA 01107, USA
| | | | - Melissa Danko
- Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jamie D Lee
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Julia Metzger
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jason C Fisher
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Kenneth W Gow
- Seattle Children's Hospital and the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA.
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Ott KC, Vacek JC, McMahon MA, Moeckel CM, Hu YY, Raval MV, Goldstein SD. Expedited Surgical Care of Appendicitis is Associated With Improved Resource Utilization. J Surg Res 2023; 282:93-100. [PMID: 36265430 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Appendectomy for acute appendicitis is the most common pediatric intra-abdominal operation. Current literature supports the notion that modest in-hospital, preoperative delays are not associated with greater patient morbidity. However, there is less certainty regarding the role that hour-of-presentation plays in determining the timing of surgery. Thus, we aimed to evaluate how after-hours presentation may relate to the timing of surgery and to assess the outcomes and resource utilization associated with expedited appendectomy compared to nonexpedited. METHODS Patient records for children who underwent an appendectomy at a freestanding pediatric hospital from 2015 to 2019 were reviewed. Business hour presentations were defined as arrival at the emergency department from 7 AM to 6 PM. Primary outcomes were hospital length of stay (LOS), cost derived from the Pediatric Health Information System database, perforation, surgical complications, and 30-day readmissions. RESULTS Nine hundred forty-two patients underwent appendectomy over the study period. The median time to OR was 2.0 h in the expedited cohort and 9.8 h in the nonexpedited group. Presentation during business hours was associated with 4.4 higher odds (P < 0.001) of expedited workflow. Expedited appendectomies were associated with shorter hospital LOS (11.5 h, P < 0.001), less costly admissions ($1,155, P < 0.001); LOS measured in midnights, perforation and readmission rates were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS We found reduced resource utilization associated with expedited appendectomy. Additionally, the demonstrated association between the time of presentation to the emergency department (ED) and the timing of surgery may be utilized to inform staffing and resource deployment decisions. Further research regarding the generalizability and sustainability of an expedited presurgical workflow in pediatric appendectomy is certainly indicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine C Ott
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
| | - Jonathan C Vacek
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Maxwell A McMahon
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Camille M Moeckel
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Yue-Yung Hu
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Seth D Goldstein
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
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Reiter AJ, Sullivan GA, Hu A, Tian Y, Ingram MCE, Balbale SN, Johnson JK, Schäfer W, Holl JL, Raval MV. Pediatric Patient and Caregiver Agreement on Perioperative Expectations and Self-Reported Outcomes. J Surg Res 2023; 282:47-52. [PMID: 36252362 PMCID: PMC10232682 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alignment between pediatric patients and caregiver perspectives on patient-reported outcome (PRO) data is contingent upon context. We aimed to assess agreement between patient and caregiver responses to a series of perioperative domains. METHODS Agreement between pediatric patients and caregiver responses to preoperative and postoperative surveys about surgery preparedness, perioperative expectations, PRO Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures for overall health and pain, and reaching milestones gathered as part of an ongoing clinical trial for children undergoing gastrointestinal surgery, was evaluated. Gwet's AC and Spearman's correlation coefficients were calculated, as appropriate, to assess agreement. RESULTS Of 209 enrolled patients, 65 (31.1%) dyads completed all three surveys and were included. For the domains of education, expectations, and comprehension, patients and caregivers had good agreement with Gwet AC1 with values of 0.80, 0.61, and 0.64, respectively. For milestones, patients and caregivers had very good agreement (Gwet AC1 of 0.95). Milestones measured whether patients achieved certain goals within a prespecified time, including enteral intake (Gwet AC1 0.91 and 0.92 respectively), transition to oral pain medication (Gwet AC1 0.94), ambulation (Gwet AC1 1.00), and return of bowel function (Gwet AC1 0.97). There was moderate to strong agreement between patients and caregivers on PROMIS pain questions (Spearman's correlation: 0.71 preoperatively and 0.51 postoperatively). On PROMIS global health questions, there was strong agreement (0.69 preoperatively and 0.65 postoperatively). CONCLUSIONS Pediatric patient and caregiver agreement on perioperative survey items ranged from moderate to strong. Caregivers' responses may be acceptable when some patient-level responses are not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audra J Reiter
- Surgical Outcomes Quality Improvement Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Gwyneth A Sullivan
- Surgical Outcomes Quality Improvement Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Andrew Hu
- Surgical Outcomes Quality Improvement Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Yao Tian
- Surgical Outcomes Quality Improvement Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Martha-Conley E Ingram
- Surgical Outcomes Quality Improvement Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Salva N Balbale
- Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Institute of Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Julie K Johnson
- Surgical Outcomes Quality Improvement Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Willemijn Schäfer
- Surgical Outcomes Quality Improvement Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jane L Holl
- Biological Sciences Division, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Surgical Outcomes Quality Improvement Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois.
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Sullivan GA, Petit HJ, Reiter AJ, Westrick JC, Hu A, Dunn JB, Gulack BC, Shah AN, Dsida R, Raval MV. Environmental Impact and Cost Savings of Operating Room Quality Improvement Initiatives: A Scoping Review. J Am Coll Surg 2023; 236:411-423. [PMID: 36648269 DOI: 10.1097/xcs.0000000000000478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Operating rooms are major contributors to a hospital's carbon footprint due to the large volumes of resources consumed and waste produced. The objective of this study was to identify quality improvement initiatives that aimed to reduce the environmental impact of the operating room while decreasing costs. STUDY DESIGN A literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and Google Scholar and included broad terms for "operating room," "costs," and "environment" or "sustainability." The "triple bottom line" framework, which considers the environmental, financial, and social impacts of interventions to guide decision making, was used to inform data extraction. The studies were then categorized using the 5 "Rs" of sustainability-refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle-and the impacts were discussed using the triple bottom line framework. RESULTS A total of 23 unique quality improvement initiatives describing 28 interventions were included. Interventions were categorized as "refuse" (n = 11; 39.3%), "reduce" (n = 8; 28.6%), "reuse" (n = 3; 10.7%), and "recycle" (n = 6; 21.4%). While methods of measuring environmental impact and cost savings varied greatly among studies, potential annual cost savings ranged from $873 (intervention: education on diverting recyclable materials from sharps containers; environmental impact: 11.4 kg sharps waste diverted per month) to $694,141 (intervention: education to reduce regulated medical waste; environmental impact: 30% reduction in regulated medical waste). CONCLUSIONS Quality improvement initiatives that reduce both cost and environmental impact have been successfully implemented across a variety of centers both nationally and globally. Surgeons, healthcare practitioners, and administrators interested in environmental stewardship and working toward a culture of sustainability may consider similar interventions in their institutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwyneth A Sullivan
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Sullivan, Reiter, Hu, Raval)
- the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery (Sullivan, Petit)
| | - Hayley J Petit
- the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery (Sullivan, Petit)
| | - Audra J Reiter
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Sullivan, Reiter, Hu, Raval)
| | - Jennifer C Westrick
- the Library of Rush Medical Center (Westrick), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Andrew Hu
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Sullivan, Reiter, Hu, Raval)
| | - Jennifer B Dunn
- the Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (Dunn)
| | - Brian C Gulack
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Sullivan, Reiter, Hu, Raval)
- the Department of Anesthesiology (Dsida), Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery (Sullivan, Petit)
- the Library of Rush Medical Center (Westrick), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
- the Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (Dunn)
| | - Ami N Shah
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Sullivan, Reiter, Hu, Raval)
- the Department of Anesthesiology (Dsida), Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery (Sullivan, Petit)
- the Library of Rush Medical Center (Westrick), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
- the Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (Dunn)
| | - Richard Dsida
- the Department of Anesthesiology (Dsida), Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Mehul V Raval
- From the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Sullivan, Reiter, Hu, Raval)
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Heneghan JA, Raval MV, Ramgopal S. Neighborhood opportunity and pediatric trauma. J Pediatr Surg 2023; 58:182-184. [PMID: 35934525 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2022.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Julia A Heneghan
- Division of Pediatric Critical Care, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital; University of Minnesota, 2450 Riverside Ave S AO-301, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA.
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sriram Ramgopal
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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Cheon EC, Ballard HA, Burjek NE, Phillips M, Robles A, Raval MV. Identifying a pediatric cohort to prospectively evaluate ventilation strategies to mitigate postoperative pulmonary complications. Paediatr Anaesth 2022; 32:1368-1369. [PMID: 36017580 PMCID: PMC9826036 DOI: 10.1111/pan.14549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric C. Cheon
- Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of ChicagoNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Heather A. Ballard
- Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of ChicagoNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Nicholas E. Burjek
- Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of ChicagoNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Mitchell Phillips
- Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of ChicagoNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Alison Robles
- Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of ChicagoNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Mehul V. Raval
- Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of ChicagoNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIllinoisUSA
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Ott KC, McMahon MA, Vacek JC, Zeineddin S, Hu YY, Raval MV, Goldstein SD. The costs and benefits of emergent surgical workflow for acute appendicitis in children. J Pediatr Surg 2022; 57:896-901. [PMID: 35934527 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2022.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Controversy exists regarding how operative timing affects patient safety and resource utilization for acute appendicitis. Over 3 years, our institution trialed efforts to optimize appendectomy workflow. Our aim is to describe the ramifications of expediting appendectomy and implementing standardized protocols relative to historic controls. METHODS Patient records at a freestanding children's hospital were reviewed from synchronized 6-month periods from 2019 to 2021. During Year 1 (historic), no standardized workflows existed. In Year 2 (expedited), appendicitis management was protocoled using a clinical quality improvement bundle, which included performing appendectomies within two hours of diagnosis. In Year 3 (QI), operative timing was relaxed to the same calendar day while all prior QI initiatives continued. Descriptive statistics were performed, using hospital length of stay (LOS) as the primary outcome. RESULTS 298 patients underwent appendectomy for acute appendicitis. The median expedited workflow LOS was 15.3 hours shorter (p = 0.003) than historic controls; however, this was sustained despite relaxation of surgical urgency in the QI workflow. No differences in perforation rates were observed. During the expedited workflow, OR overtime staffing expense increased by $90,000 with no significant change in hospital costs. In multivariate regression, perforation was the only variable associated with LOS. CONCLUSION Hospital LOS can be shortened by expediting appendectomy. However, in our institution this did not decrease hospital costs and was furthermore balanced by higher personnel expenses. A sustained decrease in LOS after relaxing operative urgency standards implies that concurrent QI initiatives represent a more effective and cost-efficient strategy to decrease hospital resource utilization. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine C Ott
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 225 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60654, United States.
| | - Maxwell A McMahon
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 225 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
| | - Jonathan C Vacek
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 225 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
| | - Suhail Zeineddin
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 225 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
| | - Yue-Yung Hu
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 225 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 225 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
| | - Seth D Goldstein
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 225 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
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Reiter AJ, Ingram MCE, Raval MV, Garcia E, Hill M, Aranda A, Chandler NM, Gonzalez R, Born K, Mack S, Lamoshi A, Lipskar AM, Han XY, Fialkowski E, Spencer B, Kulaylat AN, Barde A, Shah AN, Adoumie M, Gross E, Mehl SC, Lopez ME, Polcz V, Mustafa MM, Gander JW, Sullivan TM, Sulkowski JP, Ghani O, Huang EY, Rothstein D, Muenks EP, St. Peter SD, Fisher JC, Levy-Lambert D, Reichl A, Ignacio RC, Slater BJ, Tsao K, Berman L. Postoperative respiratory complications in SARS-CoV-2 positive pediatric patients across 20 United States hospitals: A Cohort Study. J Pediatr Surg 2022:S0022-3468(22)00716-3. [PMID: 36428183 PMCID: PMC9632239 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2022.10.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Data examining rates of postoperative complications among SARS-CoV-2 positive children are limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 positive status on postoperative respiratory outcomes for children. METHODS This retrospective cohort study included SARS-CoV-2 positive pediatric patients across 20 hospitals who underwent general anesthesia from March to October 2020. The primary outcome was frequency of postoperative respiratory complications, including: high-flow nasal cannula/non invasive ventilation, reintubation, pneumonia, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), and 30-day respiratory-related readmissions or emergency department (ED) visits. Univariate analyses were used to evaluate associations between patient and procedure characteristics and stratified analyses by symptoms were performed examining incidence of complications. RESULTS Of 266 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, 163 (61.7%) were male, and the median age was 10 years (interquartile range 4-14). The majority of procedures were emergent or urgent (n = 214, 80.5%). The most common procedures were appendectomies (n = 78, 29.3%) and fracture repairs (n = 40,15.0%). 13 patients (4.9%) had preoperative symptoms including cough or dyspnea. 26 patients (9.8%) had postoperative respiratory complications, including 15 requiring high-flow oxygen, 8 with pneumonia, 4 requiring non invasive ventilation, 3 respiratory ED visits, and 2 respiratory readmissions. Respiratory complications were more common among symptomatic patients than asymptomatic patients (30.8% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.01). Higher ASA class and comorbidities were also associated with postoperative respiratory complications. CONCLUSIONS Postoperative respiratory complications are less common in asymptomatic versus symptomatic SARS-COV-2 positive children. Relaxation of COVID-19-related restrictions for time-sensitive, non urgent procedures in selected asymptomatic patients may be reasonably considered. Additionally, further research is needed to evaluate the costs and benefits of routine testing for asymptomatic patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Iii, Respiratory complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audra J. Reiter
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 633N. St. Clair St., 20th floor, Chicago, IL 60611, United States,Corresponding author
| | - Martha-Conley E. Ingram
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 633N. St. Clair St., 20th floor, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - Mehul V. Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 633N. St. Clair St., 20th floor, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - Elisa Garcia
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, McGovern Medical School at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston TX, United States
| | - Madelyn Hill
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Dayton Children's Hospital, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Arturo Aranda
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Dayton Children's Hospital, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Nicole M Chandler
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, John's Hopkins All Children's Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
| | - Raquel Gonzalez
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, John's Hopkins All Children's Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
| | - Kristen Born
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Nemours Children's Hospital - Delaware, Wilmington DE, United States
| | - Shale Mack
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Nemours Children's Hospital - Delaware, Wilmington DE, United States
| | - Abdulraouf Lamoshi
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Cohen Children's Medical Center, Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY, United States
| | - Aaron M. Lipskar
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Cohen Children's Medical Center, Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY, United States
| | - Xiao-Yue Han
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, OHSU School of Medicine, Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Elizabeth Fialkowski
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, OHSU School of Medicine, Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Brianna Spencer
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Penn State Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Afif N. Kulaylat
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Penn State Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Amrene Barde
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Ami N. Shah
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rush University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Maeva Adoumie
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Stony Brook Children's Hospital, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Erica Gross
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Stony Brook Children's Hospital, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Steven C. Mehl
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston TX, United States
| | - Monica E. Lopez
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital, Nashville TN, United States
| | - Valerie Polcz
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, UF Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Moiz M. Mustafa
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, UF Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Jeffrey W. Gander
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, UVA Children's Hospital, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Travis M. Sullivan
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU, Richmond VA, United States
| | - Jason P. Sulkowski
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU, Richmond VA, United States
| | - Owais Ghani
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital, Nashville TN, United States
| | - Eunice Y. Huang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital, Nashville TN, United States
| | - David Rothstein
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle WA, United States
| | - E. Peter Muenks
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City MO, United States
| | - Shawn D. St. Peter
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City MO, United States
| | - Jason C. Fisher
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Dina Levy-Lambert
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Allison Reichl
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rady Children's Hospital, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Romeo C. Ignacio
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rady Children's Hospital, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Bethany J. Slater
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Comer Children's Hospital, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - KuoJen Tsao
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, McGovern Medical School at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston TX, United States
| | - Loren Berman
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Nemours Children's Hospital - Delaware, Wilmington DE, United States
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McMullin JL, Hu QL, Merkow RP, Bilimoria KY, Hu YY, Ko CY, Abdullah F, Raval MV. Are Kids More Than Just Little Adults? A Comparison of Surgical Outcomes. J Surg Res 2022; 279:586-591. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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Hu A, Chaudhury AS, Fisher T, Garcia E, Berman L, Tsao K, Mackow A, Shew SB, Johnson J, Rangel S, Lally KP, Raval MV. Barriers and facilitators of CT scan reduction in the workup of pediatric appendicitis: A pediatric surgical quality collaborative qualitative study. J Pediatr Surg 2022; 57:582-588. [PMID: 34972565 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2021.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite ongoing efforts to decrease ionizing radiation exposure from computed tomography (CT) use in pediatric appendicitis, high CT utilization rates are still observed across many hospitals. This study aims to identify factors influencing CT use and facilitators and barriers to quality improvement efforts. METHODS The Pediatric Surgery Quality Collaborative is a voluntary consortium of 42 children's hospitals participating in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project - Pediatric. Hospitals were compared based on CT utilization from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2019. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with surgeons, radiologists, emergency medicine physicians, and clinical data abstractors from 7 hospitals with low CT use rates (high performers) and 6 hospitals with high CT use rates (low performers). A mixed deductive and inductive coding approach for analysis of the interview transcripts was used to develop a codebook based on the Theoretical Domains Framework and subsequently identify prominent barriers and facilitators to CT reduction. RESULTS Thematic saturation was achieved after 13 interviews. We identified four factors that distinguish high-performing from low-performing hospitals: (1) consistent availability of resources such as ultrasound technicians, pediatric radiologists, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); (2) presence of and adherence to protocols guiding imaging modality decision making and imaging execution; (3) culture of inter-departmental collaboration; and (4) presence of a radiation reduction champion. CONCLUSIONS Significant barriers to reducing the use of CT in pediatric appendicitis exist. Our findings highlight that future quality improvement efforts should target resource availability, protocol adherence, collaborative culture, and radiation reduction champions. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE Level III.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Hu
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Azraa S Chaudhury
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Terry Fisher
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Elisa Garcia
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Loren Berman
- Division of Pediatric General Surgery, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Nemours - Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Kuojen Tsao
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Anne Mackow
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital School of Medicine, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Stephen B Shew
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Julie Johnson
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Shawn Rangel
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kevin P Lally
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Hu A, Iwaniuk M, Thompson V, Grant C, Matthews A, Byrd C, Saito J, Hall B, Raval MV. The influence of decreasing variable collection burden on hospital-level risk-adjustment. J Pediatr Surg 2022; 57:9-16. [PMID: 34801250 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2021.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Risk-adjustment is a key feature of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric (NSQIP-Ped). Risk-adjusted model variables require meticulous collection and periodic assessment. This study presents a method for eliminating superfluous variables using the congenital malformation (CM) predictor variable as an example. METHODS This retrospective cohort study used NSQIP-Ped data from January 1st to December 31st, 2019 from 141 hospitals to compare six risk-adjusted mortality and morbidity outcome models with and without CM as a predictor. Model performance was compared using C-index and Hosmer-Lemeshow (HL) statistics. Hospital-level performance was assessed by comparing changes in outlier statuses, adjusted quartile ranks, and overall hospital performance statuses between models with and without CM inclusion. Lastly, Pearson correlation analysis was performed on log-transformed ORs between models. RESULTS Model performance was similar with removal of CM as a predictor. The difference between C-index statistics was minimal (≤ 0.002). Graphical representations of model HL-statistics with and without CM showed considerable overlap and only one model attained significance, indicating minimally decreased performance (P = 0.058 with CM; P = 0.044 without CM). Regarding hospital-level performance, minimal changes in the number and list of hospitals assigned to each outlier status, adjusted quartile rank, and overall hospital performance status were observed when CM was removed. Strong correlation between log-transformed ORs was observed (r ≥ 0.993). CONCLUSIONS Removal of CM from NSQIP-Ped has minimal effect on risk-adjusted outcome modelling. Similar efforts may help balance optimal data collection burdens without sacrificing highly valued risk-adjustment in the future. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level II prognosis study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Hu
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, 633 N. Saint Clair St, 20th Floor, Chicago, IL 60011, USA.
| | - Marie Iwaniuk
- Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Vanessa Thompson
- Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Catherine Grant
- Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alaina Matthews
- Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Claudia Byrd
- Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jacqueline Saito
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Bruce Hall
- Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, and BJC Healthcare, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, 633 N. Saint Clair St, 20th Floor, Chicago, IL 60011, USA
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Ingram MCE, Tian Y, Kennedy S, Schäfer WLA, Johnson JK, Apley DW, Mehrotra S, Holl JL, Raval MV. Pilot implementation of opioid stewardship measures using the national surgical quality improvement program-pediatric platform. J Pediatr Surg 2022; 57:130-136. [PMID: 34996606 PMCID: PMC9203599 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2021.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Data surrounding optimal pediatric postoperative opioid prescribing are incomplete. The objective of this study was to leverage the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric (NSQIP-P) and assess feasibility of added data collection surrounding pediatric perioperative pain management practices including opioid prescribing at discharge. METHODS Nineteen (19) novel data elements were added to NSQIP-P data collection of selected patients, ages 5-18 years, who had undergone surgery at a single, free-standing children's hospital. Metrics around data abstraction and completion of variables were collected. Univariate analyses (using Chi-square or Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests) and multiple logistic regressions were performed to describe predictors of opioid prescribing at discharge and to monitor adherence to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prescribing recommendations. RESULTS Median abstraction time of the novel variables decreased from 12 to 5 min per patient over 13 months with 94% variable completion rate. Of 878 patients, 302 (36.4%) were prescribed opioids at discharge. Factors associated with an opioid prescription included older age (p < 0.001), white race (p < 0.05), undergoing an orthopedic surgery (p < 0.001), and receiving a regional block perioperatively (p < 0.001). All opioid prescriptions met FDA guidelines with no patients receiving codeine, and 98% of patients receiving opioid prescriptions < 50 morphine milli-equivalents per day. CONCLUSION Collecting data on current pain management practices, opioid prescribing, and adherence to safety recommendations is feasible using the NSQIP-P with little added burden. Further expansion of data collection is needed to develop generalizable optimal prescribing practices for post-discharge pain management for children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha-Conley E Ingram
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Department Of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Yao Tian
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Department Of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sarah Kennedy
- American College of Surgeons, National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric (NSQIP-Peds), Ann And Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital Of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Willemijn L A Schäfer
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Department Of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Julie K Johnson
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Department Of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Daniel W Apley
- Department Of Engineering, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sanjay Mehrotra
- Department Of Engineering, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jane L Holl
- Center for Healthcare Delivery, Science, and Innovation, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Department Of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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Olson SL, Ingram MCE, Graffy PM, Murphy PM, Tian Y, Samis JH, Josefson JL, Rastatter JC, Raval MV. Effect of surgeon volume on pediatric thyroid surgery outcomes: A systematic review. J Pediatr Surg 2022; 57:208-215. [PMID: 34980469 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2021.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pediatric thyroidectomy has been identified as a surgical procedure that may benefit from concentrating cases to high-volume surgeons. This systematic review aimed to address the definition of "high-volume surgeon" for pediatric thyroidectomy and to examine the relationship between surgeon volume and outcomes. METHODS PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, and OpenGrey databases were searched for through February 2020 for studies which reported on pediatric thyroidectomy and specified surgeon volume and surgical outcomes. RESULTS Ten studies, encompassing 6430 patients, were included in the review. Five single-center retrospective studies reported only on high-volume surgeons, one single center retrospective study reported on only low-volume surgeons, and four national database studies (2 cross sectional, 2 retrospective reviews) reported outcomes for both high-volume and low-volume surgeons. Majority of patients underwent total thyroidectomy (54.9%); common indications for surgery were malignancy (41.7%) and hyperthyroidism/thyroiditis (40.5%). Rates of transient hypocalcemia (11.4% - 74.2%), transient recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (0% - 9.7%), and bleeding (0.5% - 4.3%) varied across studies. Definitions for high-volume pediatric thyroid surgeons ranged from ≥9 annual pediatric thyroid operations to >200 annual thyroid operations (with >30 pediatric cases). Four studies reported significantly better outcomes, including lower post-operative complications and shorter length of hospital stay, for patients treated by high-volume surgeons. CONCLUSIONS Despite significant variation in caseloads to define volume, pediatric thyroid patients have generally better outcomes when operated on by higher volume surgeons. Concentration thyroidectomy cases to a smaller cohort of surgeons within pediatric practices may confer improved outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses; Level IV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney L Olson
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Martha-Conley E Ingram
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Peter M Graffy
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Peggy M Murphy
- Pritzker Research Library, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Yao Tian
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jill H Samis
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jami L Josefson
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jeffery C Rastatter
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
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Hu A, Li J, Vacek J, Bouchard M, Ingram MC, McMahon M, Mithal LB, Raval MV, Reynolds M, Goldstein S. Antibiotic resistance is common in the cultures of intraabdominal abscess drainage after appendectomy. J Pediatr Surg 2022; 57:102-106. [PMID: 34991867 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2021.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Intraabdominal abscesses (IAA) are a common complication following appendectomy. Empiric antibiotic regimens may fail to prevent IAA due to changes in bacterial resistance. We aim to describe the bacteriology of pediatric patients requiring drainage of an IAA after an appendectomy for appendicitis. METHODS We performed a retrospective study of patients ≤18 years who underwent percutaneous drainage of an IAA following appendectomy a single U.S. children's hospital between 2015 and 2018. Patient demographics, appendicitis characteristics, antibiotic regimens, and culture data were collected. RESULTS In total, 71 patients required drainage of an IAA of which 48 (67%) were male, the average age was 9.81 (SD 3.31) years and 68 (95.7%) having complicated appendicitis. Ceftriaxone/metronidazole was the most common empiric regimen prior to IAA drainage occurring in 64 (90.1%) patients. IAA cultures isolated organisms in 34 (47.9%) patients. Of those with positive cultures, 17 (50%) cases demonstrated an antimicrobial resistant organism. Most notably, 20% of Escherichia coli was resistant to the empiric regimen. Empiric antimicrobial regimens did not appropriately cover 92.3% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cultures or 100% of Enterococcus species cultures. Antimicrobial regimens were changed following IAA drainage in 30 (42.2%) instances with 23 (32.4%) instances due to resistance in culture results or lack of appropriate empiric antimicrobial coverage. CONCLUSIONS IAA culture data following appendectomy for appendicitis frequently demonstrates resistance to or lack of appropriate coverage by empiric antimicrobial regimens. These data support close review of IAA culture results to identify prevalent resistant pathogens along with local changes in resistance. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Hu
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Jennifer Li
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jonathan Vacek
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Megan Bouchard
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Martha-Conley Ingram
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Maxwell McMahon
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Leena B Mithal
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Marleta Reynolds
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Seth Goldstein
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Portuondo JI, Mehl SC, Shah SR, Raval MV, Zhu H, Fallon SC, Wesson DE, Massarweh NN. Association between index complication and outcomes after inpatient pediatric surgery. J Pediatr Surg 2022; 57:1-8. [PMID: 35422334 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2022.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE A cascade of complications is believed to be the primary mechanism underlying failure to rescue (FTR), or death of a patient after a postoperative complication. It is unknown whether specific types of index complications are associated with the incidence of secondary complications and FTR after pediatric surgery. METHODS National cohort study of patients within the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric database who underwent inpatient surgery (2012-2019). Index complications were grouped into nine categories (cardiovascular, venous thromboembolism, pulmonary, bleeding/transfusion, renal, central nervous system, wound, infectious, or minor [defined as having an associated mortality rate <1%]). The association between the type of index complication with FTR, secondary complications, reoperation, unplanned readmission, and postoperative length of stay was evaluated with multivariable logistic regression and generalized linear modeling. RESULTS Among 425,386 patients, 15.5% had at least one complication, 16.6% had one or more secondary complications, 13.9% reoperation, 14.5% readmission, and 2.4% FTR. Secondary complication (10.8-59.7%) and FTR (0.3-31.1%) rates varied by type of index complication. Relative to patients who had an index minor complication, those with an index infectious complication were most likely to have secondary complication (Odds Ratio [OR] 10.3, 95% CI [9.36-11.4]). Index CV complications were most strongly associated with FTR (OR 30.7 [24.0-39.4]). Index wound complications had the greatest association with reoperation (OR 21.9 [20.5-23.4]) and readmission (OR 18.7 [17.6-19.9]). Index pulmonary complications had the strongest association with length of stay (coefficient 9.39 [8.95-9.83]). CONCLUSIONS Different types of index complications are associated with different perioperative outcomes. These data can help identify patients potentially at risk for suboptimal outcomes and can inform pediatric quality improvement interventions. TYPE OF STUDY Cohort study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge I Portuondo
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, United States; Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Suite 404D, Houston, TX 77030, United States.
| | - Steven C Mehl
- Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Suite 404D, Houston, TX 77030, United States; Texas Children's Hospital Department of Surgery, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sohail R Shah
- Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Suite 404D, Houston, TX 77030, United States; Texas Children's Hospital Department of Surgery, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Center for Healthcare Studies, Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States; Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Huirong Zhu
- Texas Children's Hospital Department of Surgery, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sara C Fallon
- Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Suite 404D, Houston, TX 77030, United States; Texas Children's Hospital Department of Surgery, Houston, TX, United States
| | - David E Wesson
- Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Suite 404D, Houston, TX 77030, United States; Texas Children's Hospital Department of Surgery, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Nader N Massarweh
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, United States; Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Suite 404D, Houston, TX 77030, United States; Section of Health Services Research, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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Davis TL, Schäfer WLA, Blake SC, Close S, Balbale SN, Perry JE, Zarate RP, Ingram M, Strople J, Johnson JK, Holl JL, Raval MV. A qualitative examination of barriers and facilitators of pediatric enhanced recovery protocol implementation among 18 pediatric surgery services. Implement Sci Commun 2022; 3:91. [PMID: 35982503 PMCID: PMC9389824 DOI: 10.1186/s43058-022-00329-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) are an evidence-based intervention to optimize post-surgical recovery. Several studies have demonstrated that the use of an ERP for gastrointestinal surgery results in decreased length of stay, shortened time to a regular diet, and fewer administered opioids, while also trending toward lower complication and 30-day readmission rates. Yet, implementation of ERPs in pediatric surgery is lagging compared to adult surgery. The study’s purpose was to conduct a theory-guided evaluation of barriers and facilitators to ERP implementation at US hospitals with a pediatric surgery service. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews at 18 hospitals with 48 participants, including pediatric surgeons, anesthesiologists, gastroenterologists, nurses, and physician assistants. Interviews were conducted online, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. To identify barriers and facilitators to ERP implementation, we conducted an analysis using deductive logics based on the five Active Implementation Frameworks (AIFs). Results Effective practices (usable innovations) were challenged by a lack of compliance to ERP elements, and facilitators were having standardized protocols in place and organization support for implementation. Effective implementation (stages of implementation and implementation drivers) had widespread barriers to implementation across the stages from exploration to full implementation. Barriers included needing dedicated teams for ERP implementation and buy-in from hospital leadership. These items, when present, were strong facilitators of effective implementation, in addition to on-site, checklists, protected time to oversee ERP implementation, and order sets for ERP elements built into the electronic medical record. The enabling context (teams) focused on teams’ engagement in ERP implementation and how they collaborated to implement ERPs. Barriers included having surgical team members resistant to change or who were not bought into ERPs in pediatric practice. Facilitators included engaging a multi-disciplinary team and engaging patients and families early in the implementation process. Conclusions Barriers to ERP implementation in pediatric surgery highlighted can be addressed through providing guidelines to ERP implementation, team-based support for change management, and protocols for developing an ERP implementation team. Future steps are to apply and evaluate these strategies in a stepped-wedge, cluster randomized trial to increase the implementation of ERPs at these 18 hospitals.
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Chaudhury AS, Hu A, Mathur R, McMahon M, Ingram MC, Studer A, Goldstein SD, Raval MV. Novel Quality Improvement Targets to Address Healthcare Encounters After Pediatric Appendectomy. J Surg Res 2022; 279:511-517. [PMID: 35863100 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.06.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pediatric appendicitis clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) do not typically address postdischarge healthcare encounters. This study aims to examine common indications for returns to the health system to identify novel quality improvement targets. METHODS This retrospective cohort study analyzed patients aged 3 to 18 y undergoing appendectomy at a single institution from July 1, 2019, to July 31, 2020. The primary outcome was physical postdischarge encounters comprising emergency department (ED) visits and hospital readmissions. Indications for each encounter were categorized and stratified by appendicitis type (i.e., simple, gangrenous, or perforated). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate association between appendicitis category and postdischarge encounters. RESULTS Of 434 patients, 240 (55.3%) had simple appendicitis, 77 (17.7%) gangrenous, and 117 (29.9%) perforated appendicitis. Overall, 48 patients had at least one instance of an unplanned postdischarge encounter with a total of 56 unplanned ED presentations and 24 readmissions. Perforated patients were significantly more likely to experience postdischarge ED (odds ratio 2.55; 95% confidence interval 1.29-5.02) and readmission encounters (odds ratio 6.63; 95% confidence interval 2.28-19.28). Common indications for ED encounters included abdominal pain (n = 20) with 25.0% readmitted, abdominal pain and gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g., diarrhea, vomiting, distention) (n = 16) with 87.5% readmitted, and incision concerns (n = 6) with 16.7% readmitted. Common indications for readmissions included intraabdominal abscesses (n = 8) and small bowel obstruction (n = 4). CONCLUSIONS Assessing indications for postdischarge healthcare encounters enables identification of novel quality improvement targets, including proactively addressing incision concerns and abdominal pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azraa S Chaudhury
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Andrew Hu
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
| | - Radhika Mathur
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Maxwell McMahon
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Martha-Conley Ingram
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Abbey Studer
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Seth D Goldstein
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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Abstract
IMPORTANCE Although children's hospitals (CH) provide a substantial proportion of highly specialized pediatric care in the United States, the value of CH compared with non-children's hospitals (NCH) for routine surgical procedures is unknown. OBJECTIVE To examine the value of CH for routine surgical procedures by assessing clinical outcomes and payment data. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective cohort study examined pediatric patients undergoing 1 of 13 commonly performed surgical procedures between 2010 and 2015 with 90-day follow-up using administrative data from the Health Care Cost Institute. Data analysis was conducted from July 2019 to December 2021. EXPOSURES The primary exposure was tier of CH status, defined using self-reported pediatric services, affiliation with pediatric focused programs, and validated based on proportion of pediatric admissions. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Payments for common surgical procedures from private insurers and overall complication and readmission rates at 30, 60, and 90 days. RESULTS There were 368 220 pediatric patients who underwent one of the surgical procedures of interest; 220 899 (60.0%) of the patients were male; 118 977 (32.3%) had their procedure at freestanding CH (CH-A), 75 256 (20.4%) at CH attached to an adult hospital (CH-B), and 173 987 (47.3%) at NCH. The mean (SD) payment for all procedures at CH-A was $6533.56 ($6399.97), $5847.50 ($4947.47) at CH-B, and $5034.25 ($4787.07) at NCH. The mean (SD) overall complication rate was 0.004 (0.06) at CH-A, 0.01 (0.07) at CH-B, and 0.003 (0.06) at NCH. Readmission rates at 30, 60, and 90 days were similar across all hospital types. After adjusting for zip code, year, surgery, surgery setting, and observable patient, hospital, and county characteristics, the estimated payments for inpatient common procedures were 39% higher at CH-A than at NCH. Payments for outpatient common procedures were 34% higher at CH-A than at NCH. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cohort study, children who underwent common surgical procedures had equivalent clinical outcomes at CH and NCH but the procedures were associated with higher payments and, thus, overall lower value care. To ensure delivery of optimal value to patients and payers, more research is needed to evaluate mechanisms to ensure access, decrease costs, and improve value at both CH and NCH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehul V. Raval
- Department of Surgery and Pediatrics, Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Center for Healthcare Studies, Institute of Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Audra J. Reiter
- Department of Surgery and Pediatrics, Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Center for Healthcare Studies, Institute of Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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Stein E, Raval MV, Hazkani I, Reiter A, Josefson JL, Samis JH, Rastatter JC. The 2015 American Thyroid Association guidelines and trends in hemithyroidectomy utilization for pediatric thyroid cancer. Head Neck 2022; 44:1833-1841. [PMID: 35596687 DOI: 10.1002/hed.27098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2015, the American Thyroid Association (ATA) released its inaugural recommendations for the management of thyroid cancer in children. We aim to evaluate whether there has been a change in hemithyroidectomy utilization for pediatric differentiated thyroid cancer, and the association between those changes and the release of the ATA guidelines. METHODS The National Cancer Database was queried and identified 4776 patients ≤18 years old with differentiated thyroid cancer. Causal impact time-series analysis and logistic analysis were utilized to assess factors associated with use of hemithyroidectomy. RESULTS Post-2015 hemithyroidectomy rate was greater than predicted based on preguideline trends (predicted: 8.4%, actual: 12.6%, p = 0.001). In logistic analysis of factors associated with hemithyroidectomy use, we find that Papillary histology, tumor size >1 cm, nodal examination, and positive nodes were associated with lower rate of hemithyroidectomy (OR: 0.23, 0.51, 0.62, and 0.18, respectively). CONCLUSION There has been a significant increase in hemithyroidectomy utilization for pediatric differentiated thyroid cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli Stein
- Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mehul V Raval
- Surgical Outcomes Quality Improvement Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Inbal Hazkani
- Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Audra Reiter
- Surgical Outcomes Quality Improvement Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jami L Josefson
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jill H Samis
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jeffrey C Rastatter
- Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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