Gaps in access to emergency general surgery services exist across the United States, disproportionately affecting underserved, rural communities. Policy initiatives need to increase emergency general surgery capacity nationwide.

Our data suggests that there may be a role for preadmission beta-blockers in reducing sepsis-related mortality.

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To our knowledge, we showed for the first time that NLR is independently associated with SVGD. It can be easily used in this era, because it is easily available, widely used, and relatively cheap. Besides NLR, WBC count, SVG age, and RDW can also be used to predict SVGD.

BACKGROUND To date, no studies have reported nationwide adoption of Acute Care Surgery (ACS) or identified structural and/or process variations for the care of emergency general surgery (EGS) patients within such models. METHODS We surveyed surgeons responsible for EGS coverage at University HealthSystems Consortium hospitals using an 8-page postal/email questionnaire querying respondents on hospital and EGS structure/process measures. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, univariate comparisons, and multivariable regression models. RESULTS 258 of 319 (81%) potential respondents completed surveys. 81 hospitals (31%) had implemented ACS while 134 (52%) had a traditional general surgeon on-call model (GSOC). 38 (15%) hospitals had another model (HYBRID). Larger bed, university-based, teaching hospitals with Level 1 trauma center verification status located in urban areas were more likely to have adopted ACS. In multivariable modeling, hospital type, setting, and trauma center verification predicted ACS implementation. EGS processes of care varied with 28% GSOC having block time vs 67% ACS (p<0.0001); 45% GSOC providing ICU care to EGS patients in a surgical/trauma ICU vs 93% ACS (p<0.0001); GSOC sharing call among 5.7 (+/− 3.2) surgeons vs 7.9 (+/−2.3) ACS surgeons (p<0.0001); and 13% GSOC taking in-house EGS call vs 75% ACS (p<0.0001). Among ACS hospitals there were variations in patient cohorting (25% EGS patients alone; 21% EGS+trauma; 17% EGS+elective; 30% EGS+trauma+elective), data collection (26% had prospective EGS registries), and patient handoffs (56% had attending surgeon presence), call responsibilities (averaging 4.8 (+/− 1.3) calls per month with 60% providing extra call stipend and 40% with no post-call clinical duties). CONCLUSION The potential of the ACS on the national crisis in access to EGS care is not fully met. Variations in EGS processes of care among adopters of ACS suggest that standardized criteria for ACS implementation, much like trauma center verification criteria, may be beneficial. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Survey results, Level III

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Background Rates of Clostridium difficile (CD) infections are increasing. Elderly patients may be at particular risk of recurrent CD infection. Little is known about the risk for CD readmission specifically in this age group. Methods A 5 % random sample of Medicare data (2009–2011) was queried for patients surviving a hospitalization for CD by ICD-9 code. Demographic (age, sex, gender), clinical (Elixhauser index, gastrointestinal comorbidities), and hospitalization (length of stay, ICU admission) characteristics as well as exposure to antibiotics and interim non-CD hospitalization were compared for those with and without a readmission for CD. A multivariable survival analysis was used to determine predictors of readmission. Results Of 7,564 patients surviving a CD hospitalization, 8.5 % were readmitted with CD in a median of 25 days (interquartile range (IQR) 14–57). In multivariable survival analyses, interim non-CD hospital exposure was the strongest predictor of CD readmission (hazard ration (HR) 3.75 95 %, confidence interval (CI) 3.2–4.42). Oral and intravenous/intramuscular (IV/IM) antibiotic use, Elixhauser index, and CD as the primary diagnosis also increased the risk of CD readmission. Discharge to hospice, long-term care or a skilled nursing facility decreased the odds of CD readmission. Conclusion Hospital exposure and antibiotic use put elderly patients at risk of CD readmission. Exposure to these factors should be minimized in the immediate post discharge period.

Background The incidence of community-acquired Clostridium difficile (CACD) is increasing in the US. Many CACD infections occur in the elderly who are predisposed to poor outcomes. We aimed to describe the epidemiology and outcomes of CACD in a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries. Study Design We queried a 5% random sample of Medicare beneficiaries (2009–2011 Part A inpatient and Part D prescription drug claims, N=864,604) for any hospital admission with a primary ICD-9 diagnosis code for C. difficile (008.45). We examined patient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, pre-admission exposure to oral antibiotics, prior treatment with oral vancomycin or metronidazole, inpatient outcomes (colectomy, ICU stay, length of stay, mortality), and subsequent admissions for C. difficile. Results A total of 1566 (0.18%) patients were admitted with CACD. Of these, 889(56.8%) received oral antibiotics within 90 days of admission. Few were being treated with oral metronidazole (N=123, 7.8%) or vancomycin (N=13, 0.8%) at the time of admission. While 223(14%) patients required ICU admission, few (N=15, 1%) underwent colectomy. Hospital mortality was 9%. Median length of stay (LOS) among survivors was 5 days (IQR 3–8). One- fifth of survivors were re-admitted with C. difficile with a median follow up time of 393 days (IQR 129–769). Conclusions Nearly half of Medicare beneficiaries admitted with CACD have no recent antibiotic exposure. High mortality and re-admission rates suggest that the burden of C. difficile on patients and the healthcare system will increase as the US population ages. Additional efforts at primary prevention and eradication may be warranted.