Risk of unplanned healthcare utilization in postpartum period for patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine which factors are associated with unplanned postpartum healthcare utilization, including hospital readmission and unplanned outpatient and emergency room visits, in patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). STUDY DESIGN: This was a case control study of patients with HDP delivering at a single academic institution from 2014 through 2018. The diagnosis of HDP included chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and superimposed preeclampsia. Using bivariate and multivariate analysis, demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between patients who had unplanned healthcare utilization, defined as readmission to the hospital, emergency room visit or unplanned outpatient encounter in the first 6-weeks postpartum, and those patients who did not. RESULTS: Of the 1427 patients with HDP included in this analysis, 174 (12.2%) had unplanned postpartum healthcare utilization. Maternal non-Hispanic Black race and ethnicity and presence of mild blood pressures on the day of discharge after delivery were associated with higher odds of unplanned healthcare utilization (aOR 1.67, 95% CI 1.08 - 2.56 and aOR 1.59, 95% CI 1.12 - 2.27, respectively). In contrast, presence of chronic hypertension was associated with lower odds of unplanned postpartum healthcare utilization (aOR 0.47, 95% CI 0.28 - 0.79) CONCLUSION: Among postpartum patients with HDP, non-Hispanic Black race and ethnicity and discharge home with mild range blood pressures were associated with higher odds of unplanned healthcare utilization in the first 6 weeks postpartum, while chronic hypertension was associated with lower odds.

Refinement of an instrument for assessing incontinent-associated dermatitis and its severity for use with darker-toned skin.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to refine an instrument for assessing incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) and its severity for use on lighter- and darker-toned skin, the Incontinence-Associated Dermatitis and its Severity Instrument-D (IADS-D), and to test its validity and reliability among WOC nurses. METHODS: Revisions to the existing instrument included examples of colors of normal and IAD-damaged skin that would be observed on light-, medium-, and dark-toned skin using pixels from patient photographs, additional photographs of IAD manifestations on different skin tones, and training materials. Four certified WOC nurse consultants and 2 WOC nurse clinical experts assessed the face and content validity of the IADS-D instrument. The IADS-D instrument was tested for criterion validity and interrater reliability using photo cases by attendees at the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society 2012 conference. RESULTS: The IADS-D instrument had good face and content validity. The overall average intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of IADS-D scores for all photo cases of testers (n = 266, 95% female, age 53.0 ± 7.9 years, mean ± SD) and those of investigators, experts, and consultants serving as the criterion was 0.90. The overall ICC for interrater reliability between all nurse testers was 0.99 and the ICC for tester skin tone was 0.99. CONCLUSION: The IADS-D instrument has excellent validity and interrater reliability among WOC nurses. Its refinement for use with lighter- and darker-toned skin addresses the lack of a much-needed instrument in nursing practice and research. Results support continued development and evaluation of the instrument's use in clinical and research settings.