Mechanical esophageal deviation >20 mm from the PV ablation line prevents significant esophageal heating during PV isolation, but this level of displacement was difficult to safely achieve with this off-the-shelf mechanical stylet approach.
Background
Same‐day discharge (SDD) after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is increasingly being considered. This study examined the barriers and financial impact associated with SDD in a contemporary cohort of patients undergoing elective AF ablation.
Methods
A single center retrospective review was conducted of the 249 first case‐of‐the‐day outpatient AF ablations performed in 2019 to evaluate the proportion of patients that could have undergone SDD. Barriers to SDD were defined as any intervention that prevented SDD by 8 p.m. The financial impact of SDD was based on savings from avoidance of the overnight hospital stay and revenue related to management of chest pain facilitated by a vacant hospital bed.
Results
SDD could have occurred in 157 patients (63%) without change in management and in up to 200 patients (80%) if avoidable barriers were addressed. Barriers to SDD included non‐clinical logistical issues (43%), prolonged post‐procedure recovery (42%) and minor procedural complications (15%). On multivariate analysis, factors associated with barriers to SDD included increasing age (P = .01), left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 35% (P = .04), and severely dilated left atrium (P = .04). The financial gain from SDD would have ranged from $1,110,096 (assuming discharge of 63% of eligible patients) to $1,480,128 (assuming 80% discharge) over the course of a year.
Conclusions
Up to 80% of patients undergoing outpatient AF ablation were amenable to SDD if avoidable delays in care had been anticipated. Based on reduced hospital operating expenses and increased revenue from management of individuals with chest pain, this would translate to a financial savings of ∼$1.5 million.
Technological advancements have transformed healthcare. System delays in transferring patients with ST- segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) to a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) center are associated with worse clinical outcomes. Our aim was to design and develop a secure mobile application, STEMIcathAID, streamlining communication and coordination between the STEMI care teams to reduce ischemia time and improve patient outcomes. The app was designed for transfer of patients with STEMI to a cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL) from an emergency department (ED) of either a PCI capable or a non-PCI capable hospital. When a suspected STEMI arrives to a non-PCI hospital ED, the ED physician uploads the EKG and relevant patient information. An instant notification is simultaneously sent to the on-call CCL attending and transfer center. The attending reviews the information, makes a video call and decides to either accept or reject the transfer. If accepted, on-call CCL team members receive an immediate push notification and begin communicating with the ED team via a HIPPA compliant chat. The app provides live GPS tracking of the ambulance and frequent clinical status updates of the patient. In addition, it allows for screening of STEMI patients in cardiogenic shock. Prior to discharge important data elements have to be entered to close the case. In conclusion, we developed a novel mobile app to optimize care for STEMI patients and facilitate electronic extraction of relevant performance metrics to improve allocation of resources and reduction of costs.
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