ObjectiveTo determine the effect of introducing prospective monitoring of outcomes using control charts and regular feedback on indicators to surgical teams on major adverse events in patients.DesignNational, parallel, cluster randomised trial embedding a difference-in-differences analysis.Setting40 surgical departments of hospitals across France.Participants155 362 adults who underwent digestive tract surgery. 20 of the surgical departments were randomised to prospective monitoring of outcomes using control charts with regular feedback on indicators (intervention group) and 20 to usual care only (control group).InterventionsProspective monitoring of outcomes using control charts, provided in sets quarterly, with regular feedback on indicators (intervention hospitals). To facilitate implementation of the programme, study champion partnerships were established at each site, comprising a surgeon and another member of the surgical team (surgeon, anaesthetist, or nurse), and were trained to conduct team meetings, display posters in operating rooms, maintain a logbook, and devise an improvement plan.Main outcome measuresThe primary outcome was a composite of major adverse events (inpatient death, intensive care stay, reoperation, and severe complications) within 30 days after surgery. Changes in surgical outcomes were compared before and after implementation of the programme between intervention and control hospitals, with adjustment for patient mix and clustering.Results75 047 patients were analysed in the intervention hospitals (37 579 before and 37 468 after programme implementation) versus 80 315 in the control hospitals (41 548 and 38 767). After introduction of the control chart, the absolute risk of a major adverse event was reduced by 0.9% (95% confidence interval 0.4% to 1.4%) in intervention compared with control hospitals, corresponding to 114 patients (70 to 280) who needed to receive the intervention to prevent one major adverse event. A significant decrease in major adverse events (adjusted ratio of odds ratios 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.83 to 0.96), patient death (0.84, 0.71 to 0.99), and intensive care stay (0.85, 0.76 to 0.94) was found in intervention compared with control hospitals. The same trend was observed for reoperation (0.91, 0.82 to 1.00), whereas severe complications remained unchanged (0.96, 0.87 to 1.07). Among the intervention hospitals, the effect size was proportional to the degree of control chart implementation witnessed. Highly compliant hospitals experienced a more important reduction in major adverse events (0.84, 0.77 to 0.92), patient death (0.78, 0.63 to 0.97), intensive care stay (0.76, 0.67 to 0.87), and reoperation (0.84, 0.74 to 0.96).ConclusionsThe implementation of control charts with feedback on indicators to surgical teams was associated with concomitant reductions in major adverse events in patients. Understanding variations in surgical outcomes and how to provide safe surgery is imperative for improvements.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02569450.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged hospital organizations worldwide, not only because of the novelty of the disease, but also because of the high volume of patients in need of critical care over a short time period [1]. ICU mortality of COVID-19 patients depends on patient-related and caregiver-related factors in addition to organizational aspects of the unit, where those patients are hospitalized. We sought to identify various organizational factors associated with ICU mortality among COVID-19 patients. We performed a nationwide study based on the medical information system from all public and private hospitals in France. All adults admitted to a French ICU for severe COVID-19 acute respiratory failure, with SAPS II greater than 15 and who received invasive ventilation, between January 1, 2020, and April 26, 2020 were included. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality during the ICU stay. We computed a modified Poisson regression model to estimate the influence on patient mortality of organizational factors including a potential weekend effect (death probability among patients discharged from ICU on Saturday or Sunday compared to other weekdays), hospital location in French regions, and ICU team experience over time (cumulative number of COVID-19 patients already admitted to the ICU) [2]. A total of 9809 patients from 350 hospitals were analyzed, with a median of 17 severe COVID-19 patients (range 1-230) and 4 related deaths (0-97) per ICU. Patients mean age was 63.2 years (SD 11.6), SAPS II was 45.4 (16.9) and ICU length of stay 20.5 days (16.1). Overall, 3069 (31.3%) patients died in ICU. After adjusting for

ObjectiveTo identify the determinants of operative time for thyroidectomy and quantify the relative influence of preoperative and intra-operative factors.BackgroundAnticipation of operative time is key to avoid both waste of hospital resources and dissatisfaction of the surgical staff. Having an accurate and anticipated planning would allow a rationalized operating room use and may improve patient flow and staffing level.MethodsWe conducted a prospective, cross-sectional study between April 2008 and December 2009. The operative time of 3454 patients who underwent thyroidectomy performed by 28 surgeons in five academic hospitals was monitored. We used multilevel linear regression to model determinants of operative time while accounting for the interplay of characteristics specific to surgeons, patients, and surgical procedures. The relative impact of each variable on operative time was estimated.ResultsOverall, 86% (99% CI 83 to 89) of operative time variation was related to preoperative variables. Surgeon characteristics accounted for 32% (99% CI 29 to 35) of variation, center location for 29% (99% CI 25 to 33), and surgical procedure or patient variables for 24% (99% CI 20 to 27). Operative time was significantly lower among experienced surgeons having practiced from 5–19 years (-21.8 min, P<0.05), performing at least 300 thyroidectomies per year (-28.8 min, P<0.05), and with increasing number of thyroidectomies performed the same day (-11.7min, P<0.001). Conversely, operative time increased in cases of procedure supervision by a more experienced surgeon (+20.0 min, P<0.001). The remaining 13.0% of variability was attributable to unanticipated technical difficulties at the time of surgery.ConclusionsVariation in thyroidectomy duration is largely explained by preoperative factors, suggesting that it can be accurately anticipated. Prediction tools allowing better regulation of patient flow in operating rooms appears feasible for both working conditions and cost management.

Malnutrition at the time of ART initiation was the main predictor of malnutrition at enrollment among HIV-infected children on ART. Longer duration on ART had no overall protective effect on wasting and stunting. Growth and virologic monitoring are of utmost importance in the comprehensive care of children with HIV infection.

To determine accurately the number of serious injuries at EU level and to compare serious injury rates between different countries it is essential to use a common definition. In January 2013, the High Level Group on Road Safety established the definition of serious injuries as patients with an injury level of MAIS3+(Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale). Whatever the method used for estimating the number or serious injuries, at some point it is always necessary to use hospital records. The aim of this paper is to understand the implications for (1) in/exclusion criteria applied to case selection and (2) a methodological approach for converting ICD (International Classification of Diseases/Injuries) to MAIS codes, when estimating the number of road traffic serious injuries from hospital data. A descriptive analysis with hospital data from Spain and the Netherlands was carried out to examine the effect of certain choices concerning in- and exclusion criteria based on codes of the ICD9-CM and ICD10. The main parameters explored were: deaths before and after 30 days, readmissions, and external injury causes. Additionally, an analysis was done to explore the impact of using different conversion tools to derive MAIS3 + using data from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, and Spain. Recommendations are given regarding the in/exclusion criteria and when there is incomplete data to ascertain a road injury, weighting factors could be used to correct data deviations and make more real estimations.

In our study, high-risk patients harbored a greater risk of mortality and morbidity at 5 years after TAVI compared with those who underwent SAVR and higher hospitalizations costs. Those results should encourage caution before expanding the indications of TAVI.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate whether patients who undergo surgery in hospitals experiencing significant length of stay (LOS) reductions over time are exposed to a higher risk of severe adverse events in the postoperative period. Summary Background Data: Surgical care innovation has encouraged hospitals to shorten LOS under financial pressures with uncertain impact on patient outcomes. Methods: We selected all patients who underwent elective colectomy or urgent hip fracture repair in French hospitals between 2013 and 2016. For each procedure, hospitals were categorized into 3 groups according to variations in their median LOS as follows: major decrease, moderate decrease, and no decrease. These groups were matched using propensity scores based on patients’ and hospitals’ potential confounders. Potentially avoidable readmission for severe adverse events and death at 6 months were compared between groups using Cox regressions. Results: We considered 98,713 patients in 540 hospitals for colectomy and 206,812 patients in 414 hospitals for hip fracture repair before matching. After colectomy, patient outcomes were not negatively impacted when hospitals reduced their LOS [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval): 0.93 (0.78–1.10)]. After hip fracture repair, patients in hospitals with major decreases in LOS had a higher risk of severe adverse events [1.22 (1.11–1.34)] and death [1.17 (1.04–1.32)]. Conclusions: Patients who underwent surgical procedures in hospitals experiencing major decreases in LOS were demonstrated worse postoperative outcomes after urgent hip fracture repair and not after elective colectomy. Development of care bundles to enhance recovery after emergency surgeries may allow better control of LOS reduction and patient outcomes.

BackgroundThe long-term benefits of antiretroviral treatment (ART) are associated with metabolic complications, especially lipodystrophy, which has been well described among HIV-infected adults and children on ART in developed settings. Specifically, stavudine, and to a lesser extent zidovudine and protease inhibitors (PI), have been consistently implicated in the development of lipodystrophy. In 2006, following advice from the WHO, Senegal began phasing out stavudine from first-line ART. The objectives of this cross-sectional analysis are to assess and identify risk factors affecting the prevalence of lipodystrophy in Senegalese children and adolescents on long-term ART participating in a cohort study.MethodsLipodystrophy was clinically assessed in two- to 18-year-old children on ART for at least six months and with no concurrent severe acute malnutrition. Risk factors for lipodystrophy were identified using stepwise multivariable logistic regression. Explanatory variables included clinical and personal data, immunovirologic status, and therapeutic history.ResultsOverall, 254 children were assessed for lipodystrophy. The median age was 10.9 years (IQR: 8.1–14.2) and the median duration on ART was 54 months (32–84). Only 18% had been previously treated with stavudine, with a median treatment duration of 8 months (5–25). Ongoing treatment included 76% of children receiving zidovudine (median duration of 48 months (26–74)) and 27% receiving PI (lopinavir/ritonavir; median duration of 49 months (23–59)). Mild signs of lipodystrophy were observed in 33 children (13%): 28 with lipoatrophy, 4 with lipohypertrophy and one with combined type. Boys were more likely to present with lipoatrophy than girls (aOR: 4.3, 95% CI: 1.6–11.7). Children previously treated with stavudine for ≥1 year had a greater risk for lipoatrophy than those never exposed (3.8, 1.0–14.0), although the association was weak. There was no association between lipodystrophy and age or current or cumulative treatment with lopinavir/ritonavir or zidovudine.ConclusionsWe report low prevalence of mild lipodystrophy in children and adolescents on long-term ART receiving a stavudine-sparing regimen. These findings are reassuring for clinicians in low-income settings where zidovudine is massively prescribed and lopinavir/ritonavir is the only widely available PI.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01771562 (registration date: 01/18/2013).