BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE A stroke "weekend effect" on mortality has been demonstrated in other countries with a possible slight effect in the United States. We studied patients with stroke in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database for a weekend effect on thrombolytic use, in-hospital mortality, discharge disposition, hospital charges, and length of stay. METHODS The Nationwide Inpatient Sampl...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES User charges have been advocated on efficiency grounds despite the widespread criticism about their adverse effect on equity. We assessed the effect of user charges on inpatient hospitalizations rate and equity in Haryana State. METHODS The inpatient department (IPD) statistics of the public sector facilities in Yamuna Nagar district where user charges had been introdu...

BACKGROUND Protracted hospitalizations due to air leaks following lung resections are a significant source of morbidity and prolonged hospital length of stay (LOS), with potentially significant impact on hospital margins. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between air leaks, LOS, and financial outcomes among discharges following lung resections. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Medicare P...

~-To evaluate the differential charges for treatmg end-stage renal disease (ESRD) associated with diabetes mellitus. Medicare billmg data are analyzed. The charges of 244 patients in the Michigan Kidney Registry Identified as havmg (ESRD) from diabetes are compared with charges of 902 nondiabetic patients. Average annual charges for ESRD treatment for diabetics are S29,671 (k 27.662) which are ...

The purpose of this study was to compare implant charges and convalescence for transvenous and epicardial defibrillation systems. Hospital stay, intensive care utilization, professional fees, and hospital bills were compared in 44 patients who underwent implantation of a cardiac defibrillator between September 1991 and May 1993. Twenty-five consecutive patients received an epicardial lead syste...

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of a comprehensive discharge planning protocol, designed specifically for the elderly and implemented by nurse specialists, on patient and caregiver outcomes and cost of care. DESIGN Randomized clinical trial. SETTING Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. PATIENTS 276 patients and 125 caregivers. Patients were 70 years and older and were placed in sele...

OBJECTIVE We compared differences in the hospital charges, length of hospital stay, and mortality between patients with healthcare- and community-associated bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, and pneumonia due to antimicrobial-resistant versus -susceptible bacterial strains. METHODS A retrospective analysis of an electronic database compiled from laboratory, pharmacy, surgery, ...

OBJECTIVE To compare efficacy, safety, and hospital charges for common pediatric otolaryngology procedures with the use of intravenous sedation (IVS) vs general anesthesia (GA). DESIGN Retrospective chart study. SETTING Hospital-based pediatric otolaryngology practice. PATIENTS Patients younger than 18 years who underwent tympanostomy tube removal and/or patch myringoplasty with absorbabl...

BACKGROUND Growing evidence in the orthopaedic arthroplasty literature supports the use of running bidirectional barbed suture (barbed suture) for closure of knee arthrotomies. More rapid wound closure and suture line integrity are described as its major advantages. No studies of barbed suture for the closure of posterior spinal wounds exist. The purpose of this project is to compare wound clos...

CONTEXT Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a postnatal drug withdrawal syndrome primarily caused by maternal opiate use. No national estimates are available for the incidence of maternal opiate use at the time of delivery or NAS. OBJECTIVES To determine the national incidence of NAS and antepartum maternal opiate use and to characterize trends in national health care expenditures associate...