BACKGROUND In the evaluation of infants with bronchiolitis there is little evidence to support the use of diagnostic testing, particularly complete blood counts (CBCs). However, the extent to which CBCs are ordered in the evaluation of infants with bronchiolitis is unknown. OBJECTIVES (1) To determine institutional variability in ordering of initial and repeat CBCs in infants hospitalized wit...

HYPOTHESIS Medicare health maintenance organizations (HMOs) do not reduce the cost of colon resections in elderly patients. DESIGN Review of prospectively collected and mandatory reported Florida hospital discharge data from January 1, 1995, through December 31, 1999. We used the chi(2) test for trend analysis to assess significant change in age, mortality, and complications, and the Kruskal-...

BACKGROUND The ownership, location, and teaching status of hospitals affect their missions, policies, finances, and operations. OBJECTIVE This study assesses the relationship of hospital ownership, location, and teaching status with charges and length of stay for children with asthma, the most common reason for pediatric admission after birth. METHODS All 28 545 complete records of patients...

OBJECTIVE This study examined 2-car crashes including one passenger car and one light truck (van, minivan, pickup truck, or sport utility vehicle) and investigated the likelihood of hospitalization, hospitalization charges, and the likelihood of fatality of an occupant by vehicle type differentiating between passengers and drivers. METHODS We used unique data from Minnesota's Crash Outcome Da...

STUDY DESIGN Cost-effectiveness analysis with retrospective cost analysis and literature review. OBJECTIVE To determine the relative cost-effectiveness of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with autograft, allograft, and allograft with plating for single-level anterior cervical spondylosis. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA There are several accepted methods of surgically treating sing...

The Council collects over 3.8 million inpatient hospital discharge and ambulatory/outpatient procedure records each year from hospitals and freestanding ambulatory surgery centers in Pennsylvania. This data, which includes hospital charge and treatment information as well as other financial data, is collected on a quarterly basis and is then verified by PHC4 staff. The Council also collects dat...

BACKGROUND  Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in ischemic stroke patients are a common occurrence and the frequent focus of quality improvement initiatives. However, many UTIs are community-acquired and the impact of such infections on patient outcomes remains controversial. METHODS  We conducted a retrospective analysis of our Stroke Center Database and electronic medical records to determine ...