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Vacuum extraction. Use in a community hospital setting.

The history of vacuum extraction and its use in a specific community hospital setting is reviewed. Basic principles for successful use of the extractor are cited. Two hundred twenty-eight consecutive vacuum extraction cases occurring in an 18-month period are evaluated for indications and outcome. The most common indications were fetal distress, 41.6%; malposition of the vertex 35%; and dysfunctional labor 14.6%. Several subjects exhibited more than one condition influencing the decision to use the extractor. Particular reference is made to the occurrence of significant trauma to the fetal scalp in 18.7% of cases. Careful choice of candidates for vacuum extraction and adherence to principles of application and traction technique are emphasized to reduce the incidence of fetal scalp trauma.

Adolescent↗

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a community hospital setting.

Recently, laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become the preferred surgical procedure for removal of the gallbladder. However, many surgeons believe that the safety and efficacy have yet to be proved in the community hospital setting. To address this concern, a retrospective chart review of the initial 271 instances of inpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy within a community hospital was undertaken. All procedures were performed by 15 general surgeons in private practice and residents in general surgery. Of the 271 patients, 11 were converted to open cholecystectomy. Surgical complications occurred in six of the 260 instances of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (2.3 percent), with only one injury to the common bile duct. Major postoperative complications occurred in 23 patients, including severe postoperative pain (nine patients), prolonged ileus (seven patients), bile leakage (three patients), retained common duct stones (two patients), respiratory failure (one patient) and postoperative myocardial infarction (one patient). The period of hospitalization ranged from one to 64 nights with a median of one night. The operative mortality rate was zero percent. Multivariate analysis identified two factors associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications. Patients 70 years of age or older and patients whose operating times were greater than one hour and 45 minutes were at increased risk for postoperative complications. We believe that these data represent the general outcomes of the laparoscopic procedure in a community hospital setting and lend support to the argument that the procedure can be performed safely and effectively in this setting.

Age Factors↗

Laser operator training and competency assessment in the community hospital setting.

At the 279 bed Marymount community hospital, Cleveland, Ohio, the importance of providing a safe laser environment for patients as well as staff was identified. The decision was made to cross-train all full-time RNs, LPNs, and SAs to allow flexibility in staffing all laser procedures with a qualified operator. A competency based training program was implemented, utilizing a combination of techniques to assist the adult learner. Selected video tapes were used to teach laser physics and applications. Comprehension was assessed through written and oral quizzing. Individual time was spent familiarizing trainees with the equipment and accessories. Practice setups were performed until that individual reached a comfort level satisfactory to him/her and the laser coordinator. Actual experience in the various surgical specialties was dependent upon our case load. Initially very close supervision was provided. Each trainee was gradually given more autonomy as his/her skills improved and permitted to operate the laser independently after passing our competency assessment. During the first year, each operator was given competency assessment reviews at regular intervals. This approach was found to have both strengths and weaknesses and the program was modified accordingly.

Adult↗

[The Israeli trial with cilazapril (Vasocase) for the treatment of hypertension--summary of the care of 413 patients in a community health setting].

In a multicenter study in community clinics, 413 patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension were treated with cilazapril (Vasocase), 2.5 mg daily. Patients had either been untreated or had developed side-effects from previous antihypertensive treatment. When response was inadequate the dose was either increased to 5 mg or another antihypertensive medication was added, or both. Treatment significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Pulse rate decreased significantly from the second month of treatment onwards. At the end of the 3rd month of treatment blood pressure was normalized or had decreased by more than 10 mmHg in 91.9% of patients. Physicians' evaluations revealed improvement in 62%; patients' self-evaluations suggested improvement in 61%. Efficacy was equal in all age groups and in both obese and nonobese patients. Antihypertensive response was superior in those with normal renal function. Side-effects were rare and similar to those reported in the literature.

Adult↗

Laparoscopic bariatric surgery can be performed safely in the community hospital setting.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery is being performed commonly in various practice settings. To evaluate safety and efficacy, we reviewed the results of our first 516 laparoscopic bariatric operations performed in a community hospital setting. METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively the results of our first 516 consecutive laparoscopic bariatric procedures. RESULTS: Between December 2001 and December 2004, we performed 516 bariatric surgical procedures. Ninety-nine percent of these were accomplished laparoscopically. Thirty-day mortality in our series of 516 patients is 0%. Of these patients, 431 had laparoscopic gastric bypass. The mean BMI in these patients was 51. Mean percent excess weight loss in the laparoscopic gastric bypass patients was 70% at 1 year, 79% at 2 years and 84% at 3 years. Complications in the laparoscopic bypass group requiring reoperation included 11 bowel obstructions (2.5%), 5 episodes of bleeding (1.1%), and 2 laparoscopies for benign reasons. There were 8 anastomotic leaks (1.9%)-7 requiring reoperation, 1 managed nonoperatively. Eighty-five patients had adjustable gastric banding. Mean BMI was 45. Mean percent excess weight loss in the adjustable gastric banding patients was 39% at 1 year and 57% at 2 years. Complications in the adjustable gastric band patients requiring reoperation included 3 access port malfunctions (3.5%), 3 prolapsed bands (3.5%), 1 punctured band requiring replacement (1.2%) and 1 band causing complete obstruction requiring removal (1.2%). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic bariatric surgery can be performed safely in the community hospital setting with a very low operative morbidity and mortality. This requires an experienced team of bariatric surgeons leading a multidisciplinary team of other health care professionals. Surgeon experience and super obesity can influence the risks.

Adolescent↗

The utility of level of functioning to characterize community residential settings.

An assessment of client functioning was utilized to characterize differences among community residential placement facilities, with the aim of understanding the relationships among settings. Clients recommended for placement in one of nine settings differed significantly on seven scales measuring community living skills, self-care skills, sociability, nuisance behaviors, violence, irritability and nursing needs. Results indicate that community residential settings, although characterized as forming a continuum, may be better conceptualized as an array of settings, where clients may differ in some but not all functional abilities. Facilities may also serve different functions for clients of different ages, either because of expectations concerning older clients or due to different patterns of functioning. Illustrations of the implications that can be drawn for purposes of policy-making and service planning are provided.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Validation in a community hospital setting of a clinical rule to predict preserved left ventricular ejection fraction in patients after myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: A previous study showed that patients with previous myocardial infarction (MI) who meet 4 simple clinical and/or electrocardiographic criteria have a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 40% or greater, with a positive predictive value of 98%. The objective of this study was to validate this clinical rule in the community hospital setting. METHODS: Retrospective chart review in a 330-bed community hospital. Two hundred thirteen consecutive patients with MI were identified between June 1, 1993, and March 31, 1995. Left ventricular ejection fraction was predicted in a blinded fashion by means of the clinical rule before the actual LVEF test was reviewed. RESULTS: We identified 213 patients admitted with the primary discharge diagnosis of acute MI. All patients met standard clinical and enzymatic definitions for acute MI and had at least 1 measure of LVEF, such as echocardiography, ventricular angiography, or gated blood pool scan. The clinical rule predicted that 83 patients (39.0%) would have an LVEF of 40% or greater. Of these 83 patients, 71 had an ejection fraction of 40% or greater, for a positive predictive value of 86%. Of the 12 patients who were incorrectly predicted to have a preserved LVEF, 6 (50%) had an index non-Q-wave anterior MI (P<.001). Reanalyzing the patient population with a fifth variable (anterior non-Q-wave MI) added to the original 4 variables increased the positive predictive value to 91%. CONCLUSION: This simple clinical prediction rule has a positive predictive value of 86% when applied in the community hospital setting. Patients with anterior non-Q-wave MI may be 1 group in whom the rule is inaccurate, and expanding the clinical rule to 5 variables may increase the positive predictive value. When a technology-based assessment of left ventricular function is considered in patients after an MI, this prediction rule may allow for a more cost-effective patient selection, and as many as 40% of patients who have had acute MIs may require no testing at all.

Aged↗

Nurses preparing for change: their needs and concerns.

As a result of decreased lengths of stay and cost-containment initiatives, fewer nurses are needed in acute care settings. The trend for community-based health care is broadening employment opportunities for nurses to work in community settings. As nurses are considering options to base their practice in community settings, it is important to understand their concerns about making this transition. The results of a qualitative study conducted to examine the concerns and educational needs of acute care nurses related to working in the community are reported. Clinical, professional, and intrapersonal skills important for a successful transition to community-based practice are identified and discussed.

Acute Disease↗

Angiographic suitability for catheter revascularization of total coronary occlusions in patients from a community hospital setting.

To assess the frequency of totally occluded coronary arteries and their angiographic suitability for catheter-based revascularization in an unselected patient population, all coronary angiograms showing > or = 50% diameter stenosis obtained from patients in a community hospital setting, were reviewed during a 1-year period. There were 112 totally occluded arteries in 101 patients (35%). Based on coronary morphologic variables previously identified as predictive of successful revascularization, 52 (46%) totally occluded arteries were judged suitable for coronary angioplasty. Totally occluded arteries with unfavorable features for coronary angioplasty were present in 29% of patients with multivessel coronary artery disease and were more commonly present in the right coronary artery. Thus totally occluded coronary arteries are found in approximately one third of patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease studied by means of coronary arteriography in a community hospital setting. Approximately one half of the total occlusions have features favoring successful coronary angioplasty.

Aged↗

Economic evaluation of pharmacist involvement in disease management in a community pharmacy setting.

This study evaluated the economic impact of patient-focused pharmacist intervention in the community retail setting in patients with hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and/or hypercholesterolemia. Specially trained pharmacists intervened by providing targeted patient education, performing systematic patient monitoring, offering feedback and behavior modification, and communicating regularly with patients' physicians to enable early intervention for drug-related problems. We evaluated prescription drug costs and total medical costs by comparing claims data from 188 patients enrolled in the program at three intervention pharmacies with data from 401 control patients at five nonparticipating pharmacies from the same retail chain. For all disease states, the average cost per prescription was significantly higher in the group receiving intervention than in the control group. Differences in total monthly prescription costs were significant only for patients with asthma, with higher monthly costs in the group receiving intervention. Substantial savings were demonstrated across all cost analyses for total monthly medical costs. Savings ranged from a conservative estimate of $143.95 per patient per month to $293.39 per patient per month when accounting for the possible influence of age, comorbid conditions, and disease severity. Our data indicate that pharmacist intervention in this community pharmacy-based disease management model substantially reduced monthly health care costs in patients with hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and asthma.

Aged↗

Environmental characteristics of nursing homes and community-based settings, and the well-being of adults with intellectual disability.

The present study examined whether characteristics of the environment of nursing homes and community-based residential settings are associated with the adaptive behaviour, health and community integration of adults with intellectual disability living in those settings. The specific characteristics of the environment were type of facility, size, level of residential involvement in policy-making, and the degree of variety and stimulation of the physical environment. The study assessed 249 residents with intellectual disability over a 3-year period who lived in nursing homes at baseline. At follow-up, 50 of the residents had moved to community-based facilities while 199 of the residents remained in nursing homes. The results indicated that type, size and characteristics of the environment were related to the level of adaptive behaviour and community integration at follow-up. Residents living in community-based settings had better health and greater levels of community integration than residents living in nursing homes. Residents living in smaller facilities had greater adaptive behaviour at follow-up than residents living in larger facilities. More variety and stimulation in the residential physical environment was associated with greater adaptive behaviour among residents at follow-up. Residential facilities that permitted greater resident involvement in policy-making, and had greater variety and stimulation in their physical environment were associated with greater levels of community integration among their residents at follow-up.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Implementation of a patient medication assistance program in a community pharmacy setting.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the establishment of a community pharmacy-based patient medication assistance program to improve access to medications by indigent patients, lessen the burden placed on physicians in obtaining such medications, reduce the amount of money spent on such medications by area charitable organizations, and improve therapeutic outcomes by improving patient adherence with therapy. SETTING: Supermarket-based pharmacy in Ashland, Ohio. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: Community pharmacy. PRACTICE INNOVATION: A partnership was developed among Buehler's Pharmacy #3, United Way of Ashland County, and United Way Affiliates to establish a community pharmacy-based medication assistance program to help indigent patients obtain needed medications through manufacturer assistance programs and discount card programs. INTERVENTIONS: Following initial screening by a United Way affiliate agency, patients are seen by appointment by a Certified Pharmacy Technician at the pharmacy. An electronic application is completed, printed, and sent to the patient's physician for signatures and medication orders. The paperwork is returned to the pharmacy, where it is completed, signed by the patient, and filed. The patient pays the United Way agency $10 and the pharmacy $15 for these services. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of prescriptions dispensed cumulatively from April 1, 2003, to July 31, 2003, within the program, patients' cumulative savings, and community response. RESULTS: Between April 1, 2003, and July 31, 2003, a total of 123 patients and 47 physicians were served, and 512 medications valued at $112,139.00 were applied for and/or procured. The time lapse between filing of paperwork and receipt of medications varies from 1 to 6 weeks. While some manufacturers ship product to physicians or directly to patients, the process works better when the product is sent to the pharmacy, where it can be added to the patient's profile, screened for drug interactions and allergies, and dispensed with proper labels and counseling. CONCLUSION: Establishing a community pharmacy-based medication assistance program is an innovative spin on the traditional physician office, advocacy, or health-system setting and was found to be beneficial to the patients, physicians and other health care providers, and the community it served.

Charities↗

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: 3- to 10-year results in a community hospital setting.

The results of 40 medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasties, performed by a single surgeon in a community hospital setting, with an average follow-up of 6 years (range, 3-10 years), were analyzed retrospectively. The Knee Society rating system was used, revealing an average score of 80.5 points and 79% good-to-excellent results. One patient required revision to total knee arthroplasty secondary to late infection. Five other patients (5 knees) required further surgery consisting of limited synovectomy and exchange of polyethylene insert at an average of 5.5 years. The 10-year survival rate using revision to total knee arthroplasty or aseptic loosening as an endpoint is 97%. The survival using any revision surgery as an endpoint was 74% at 10 years. Statistical analysis revealed that the most important factor for good-to-excellent results was patient age >65 years. Likewise, postoperative alignment was crucial in decreasing the rate of revision surgery. No other selection criteria were statistically significant in this series. We report favorable intermediate-term results in 40 unicompartmental knee arthroplasties; special attention to patient selection and postoperative alignment is essential to attain good-to-excellent results.

Adult↗

A study of primary care teaching comparing academic and community-based settings.

OBJECTIVE: To compare teaching activity and content between academic and community-based practices used in third year medical student primary care training. SETTING: Academic and community-based primary care practices participating in third-year internal medicine, family medicine, and primary care core clerkships. PARTICIPANTS: Five-hundred thirteen preceptor-student encounters involving 32 preceptors and 26 third-year medical students were evaluated. DESIGN: Student-preceptor pairs collected a convenience sample of data from shared patient encounters. Preceptors recorded the content of teaching interventions, and students independently documented learning points received for each clinical encounter. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Comparison of problem exposure, frequency and content of teaching interventions, and the effect of patient complexity and patient care workload on teaching frequency was made between the academic and community-based practices. Several small differences were found in the frequency of clinical problem exposure between the 2 settings. The frequency and focus of teaching interventions did not differ by practice type. Teaching by community-based preceptors tended to decrease with increased patient care workload, but increased in academically based practices. CONCLUSIONS: Although several differences exist between educational experiences in community- and academically based primary care practices, they appear to be minor and of minimal educational significance.

Education, Medical, Undergraduate↗

Etiology of blindness in an urban community hospital setting.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the cause of monocular and binocular blindness in a predominantly nonwhite urban community hospital setting. DESIGN: Retrospective hospital-based cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: All 3562 unique subjects examined in the New and General Ophthalmology clinic at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas, Texas, from July 1 to September 30, 1998. METHODS: The EYEstation program by Datamedic was queried to conduct a detailed review of electronic medical records of the participants listed previously. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Blindness was defined as visual acuity </=20/200 in at least one eye. Records of blind subjects were subjected to further review. RESULTS: Of the 3562 subjects examined, 321 (9.0%) were blind in one eye and 76 (2.1%) were blind in both eyes. Retinal disease was the leading cause of blindness (90 = 22.7%), with retinal vascular occlusions and retinal detachments accounting for more than half of retinal causes. Trauma (71 = 17.9%), diabetes (68 = 17.1%), and glaucoma (62 = 15.6%) were the next most frequent causes. Trauma was the leading cause of blindness among subjects less than 40 years old and among blind new subjects. The most common cause of blindness among the 40- to 59-year-old age group was diabetes, accounting for 26.1% of cases. Age-related macular degeneration accounted for only 1.3% (n = 5) of blindness. CONCLUSIONS: Retinal diseases, especially retinal vascular occlusions and retinal detachments, are leading causes of blindness in this predominantly nonwhite and uninsured subject population. Trauma is a significant cause of severe, unilateral vision loss, especially in the young and in newly presenting subjects. Diabetes was the leading cause of blindness among the 40- to 59-year-old population. Age-related macular degeneration plays a relatively minor role in the cause of blindness in the study population.

Adolescent↗

Clinical and humanistic outcomes of a lipid management program in the community pharmacy setting.

OBJECTIVES: To identify patients at risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) through a search of a community pharmacy's prescription database, to screen and identify patients with elevated cholesterol and at risk for CAD, to enroll patients in a pharmacist-directed lipid management program, and to evaluate selected clinical and humanistic outcomes. DESIGN: Randomized, pretest-posttest control groups. SETTING: Independent community pharmacy in a suburban metropolitan area. PATIENTS: 51 patients who were not at National Cholesterol Education Program low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or defined triglyceride goals and who met inclusion criteria. INTERVENTION: Pharmacist-directed lipid management program. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical outcome measures included total cholesterol, LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglyceride levels; achievement of LDL-C goal; and risk factor prediction scores. Humanistic outcome measures included patient satisfaction with pharmaceutical care and patient knowledge of hyperlipidemia. RESULTS: LDL-C was decreased in the pharmacist intervention group (n = 25), compared with an increase in the control group at study end. HDL-C levels increased and triglyceride levels decreased in both groups. Of treatment group patients, 32% achieved their cholesterol goals, compared with 15% of control group patients. Risk factor prediction scores improved in the treatment group and worsened in the control group. The treatment group's hyperlipidemia knowledge scores improved significantly from pretest to posttest. Both treatment and control group patient satisfaction scores for the pharmacist investigator were favorable at study end. CONCLUSION: Both treatment and control patients benefited from participating in this study. Patients enrolled in the lipid management program made greater improvements in their knowledge of hyperlipidemia, risk factor scores, and cholesterol levels.

Community Pharmacy Services↗