BACKGROUND We investigated the relation between hospital volume and outcome in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). The determination is important because patient outcome may be improved through volume-based selective referral. METHODS In this cohort study, we analyzed 22,551 SAP patients in 2,208 hospital-years (between 2000 and 2009) from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Researc...

BACKGROUND Antimicrobial resistance is an increasing problem. OBJECTIVE To examine the clinical and economic impact of antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. METHODS In-hospital mortality, secondary bacteremia, length of stay, and hospital charges were examined in a cohort of 489 inpatients with positive clinical cultures for P aeruginosa. One hundred forty-four had a resistant ba...

The strategy of elective synchronized cardioversion (EDCV) of new onset atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF/flutter) compares favorably to that of Emergency Department (ED) rate control and inpatient admission. This 1-year study comprised consecutive ED synchronized cardioversions performed on patients with new onset (< 48 h) AF/flutter; all were hemodynamically stable. A control group was obtained...

BACKGROUND Many hysterectomies are now performed by a laparoscopically assisted vaginal technique. This procedure is controversial, partly because of concern about cost. We studied hospital charges and costs for the procedure as compared with those for total abdominal hysterectomy and total vaginal hysterectomy in clinically similar groups of patients. METHODS From hospital-discharge data and...

STUDY OBJECTIVE Previous studies have shown that charges for inpatient and clinic procedures vary substantially; however, there are scant data on variation in charges for emergency department (ED) visits. Outpatient ED visits are typically billed with current procedural terminology-coded levels to standardize the intensity of services received, providing an ideal element on which to evaluate ch...

OBJECTIVE To determine risk factors and outcomes associated with a foreign body left during a procedure in a population of pediatric surgical patients. DESIGN Case-control study. SETTING The Nationwide Inpatient Sample and Kids' Inpatient Database were used to identify hospitalized pediatric surgical patients in the United States (aged 0-18 years) from 1988 to 2005. PATIENTS After data fr...

OBJECTIVE To analyze clinical results and financial costs of salpingo-oophorectomy performed by laparoscopy versus laparotomy. STUDY DESIGN Comparison of laparoscopic salpingo-oophorectomy with procedures performed by laparotomy. SETTING St. Vincent's Hospital and Fallon Clinic in Worcester, Massachusetts. PATIENTS Twenty women in both groups. INTERVENTIONS Salpingo-oophorectomies perfo...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Our objectives were to investigate pediatric cochlear implantation (PCI) across representative states within the United States and analyze any geographical differences in age, median household income, race, insurance, and total medical charges. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional. METHODS Data from children (aged 0.5-18 years) who received cochlear implantation surgery were c...

BACKGROUND While delirium has been increasingly recognized as a serious and potentially preventable condition, its long-term implications are not well understood. This study determined the total 1-year health care costs associated with delirium. METHODS Hospitalized patients aged 70 years and older who participated in a previous controlled clinical trial of a delirium prevention intervention ...

OBJECTIVE All-terrain vehicle (ATV) injuries among children represent a significant and growing problem. Although state-level analyses have characterized some aspects of pediatric ATV-related injuries, little information on the national impact on hospitalization is available. This study was designed to characterize more fully the patterns of injury, hospital length of stay, and hospital charges...