This study investigated the economic aspects of sevoflurane and isoflurane anesthesia in 47 healthy women undergoing elective ambulatory surgery, as part of a randomized, prospective clinical trial. Patient records were analyzed for anesthetic; duration of surgery, anesthesia, and recovery room stay; and associated charges. Sevoflurane is shorter acting than isoflurane, but it was not associate...

• 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 i...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of new treatments by examining the changes between 1990 to 1991 and 2000 to 2001 in in-hospital mortality rates and hospital charges in adult patients with stroke. METHODS From the Nationwide Inpatient Survey, the largest all-payer inpatient care database in the United States, patients with stroke admitted in 1990 to ...

Background and Purpose—We have previously reported the difference in length of stay and hospital charges for patients with cerebral aneurysms treated with either clipping or coiling at our institution. We now report an analysis of the same comparison at a national level conducted using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database. Methods—We obtained the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from the Healthc...

AIM To assess incidence of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (post-ERCP) pancreatitis in the early (July/August/September) vs the late (April/May/June) academic year and evaluate in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), and total hospitalization charge between these time periods. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study using the 2012 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NI...

BACKGROUND Hypertension is one of the commonest chronic diseases, yet limited data are available for related health care utilization. Our study objective was to describe the emergency department (ED) and subsequent hospitalization related health care utilization and charges due to hypertension in the U.S. METHODS We used the National ED sample (NEDS) to study hypertension-related utilization ...

BACKGROUND Combined procedures involving elective breast surgery at the time of abdominoplasty are frequently performed procedures in aesthetic plastic surgery. While found to be safe outpatient procedures, many surgeons elect to perform combined abdominoplasty/breast surgery as inpatient surgery. This study was performed to explore the practice of performing the combined procedure as an inpat...

INTRODUCTION Emergency department (ED) cardioversion (EDCV) and discharge of patients with recent onset atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter (AF) has been shown to be a safe and effective management strategy. This study examines the impact of such aggressive ED management on hospital charges. METHODS A random sample of 300 AF patients were identified from an ED electronic data base and scree...

Objective: To determine if the use of fetal fibronectin (fFN) testing has affected hospital admissions for preterm labor. Methods: ICD-9 and CPT codes from all admissions to Brigham & Women’s Hospital between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2010 were evaluated. Data recorded included total deliveries, admissions for preterm labor (PTL) without delivery, length of stay (days) for PTL admissions...

BACKGROUND We created the orphan drug Human Botulism Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) (BIG-IV), which neutralizes botulinum toxin, and evaluated its safety and efficacy in treating infant botulism, the intestinal-toxemia form of human botulism. METHODS We performed a five-year, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial statewide, in California, of BIG-IV in 122 infants with suspec...