Multivariate analysis of factors influencing length of hospitalization and medical costs of cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis in Japan: a national database analysis.

Little information is available on the factors influencing length of stay (LOS) in hospital and medical costs during hospitalization associated with cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis. We determined the independent factors affecting LOS and medical costs of patients who underwent cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis based on data from the Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) database. In 2008, a total of 2176 patients with acute cholecystitis were referred for cholecystectomy to 624 hospitals in Japan. We collected patient characteristics and data on treatments for acute cholecystitis using the DPC database and identified independent factors affecting LOS and medical costs during hospitalization using multiple linear regression models. Analysis revealed that early cholecystectomy was significantly associated with a decrease in LOS, whereas longer preoperative antimicrobial therapy was significantly associated with an increase of LOS: the standardized coefficient for early cholecystectomy was -0.372 and that for preoperative antimicrobial therapy was 0.353 (P < 0.001). These procedures were also significant independent factors with regard to medical costs during hospitalization: the standardized coefficient for early cholecystectomy was -0.391 and that for preoperative antimicrobial therapy was 0.335 (P < 0.001). Early cholecystectomy significantly reduces the LOS and medical costs of cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis, while preoperative antimicrobial therapy increases LOS and medical costs during hospitalization. These results highlight the need for health care implementations such as promotion of early cholecystectomy, appropriate use of antimicrobial drugs, and centralization of patients with cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis in Japan.

Association between hospital volume and outcomes of elderly and non-elderly patients with acute biliary diseases: a national administrative database analysis.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between hospital volume and clinical outcomes of elderly and non-elderly patients with acute biliary diseases using data from a national administrative database. METHODS: Overall, 26720 elderly and 33774 non-elderly patients with acute biliary diseases were referred to 820 hospitals in Japan. Hospital volume was categorized into three groups based on the case numbers during the study period: low-volume, medium-volume and high-volume. We compared the risk-adjusted length of stay (LOS) and in-hospital mortality in relation to hospital volume. These analyses were stratified according to the presence of invasive treatments for acute biliary diseases. RESULTS: Multiple linear regression analyses showed that increased hospital volume was significantly associated with shorter LOS in both elderly and non-elderly patients with and without invasive treatments. Increased hospital volume was significantly associated with decreased relative risk of in-hospital mortality in elderly patients. The odds ratio for high-volume hospitals was 0.672 in elderly patients without invasive treatments (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.533-0.847, P=0.001) and 0.715 in those with invasive treatments (95% C, 0.566-0.904, P=0.005). However, no significant differences for in-hospital mortality were seen in non-elderly patients with and without invasive treatments. CONCLUSION: This study has highlighted that higher volume hospitals significantly reduced LOS and in-hospital mortality for elderly patients with acute biliary diseases, but not non-elderly patients. The current results are of value for elderly healthcare policy decision-making, and highlight the need for further studies into the quality of care for elderly patients.

A community-based comparison of trauma patient outcomes between D- and L-lactate fluids.

PURPOSE: Ringer's lactate is used for patient resuscitation. Lactate naturally occurs in 2 stereoisometric forms, D- and L-lactate, that are added to fluid in equal amounts. Animal studies have demonstrated potentially deleterious effects of d-lactate on vital organs. Using an administrative database, we examined whether D- or L-lactate volume was associated with mortality in patients with trauma. BASIC PROCEDURES: The Trauma and Injury Severity Score could be calculated in 24,616 of 528,219 patients admitted in 2006 to 2009. Demographic characteristics, the use of blood products, mechanical ventilation, and mortality were compared among the following 3 groups of patients administered Ringer's lactate: group 1, fluids other than Ringer's lactate; group 2, fluids including Ringer's DL-lactate; and group 3, no D-lactate. The mean volume (in millimoles per day) of D- and L-lactate administered was calculated. Multivariate analyses were used to measure the impact of lactate volume on mortality, and mechanical ventilation started more than 48 hours after admission. MAIN FINDINGS: Groups 2 and 3 consisted of 2,827 (11.5%) patients (88 hospitals) and 12,036 (48.9%) patients (145 hospitals), respectively. The use of mechanical ventilation best explained the variation in mortality. Greater d-lactate volume, but not fluid management category or L-lactate volume, was associated with mortality. L-Lactate decreased and D-lactate increased the use of mechanical ventilation more than 48 hours after admission. CONCLUSIONS: Because early administration of D-lactate was associated with mortality and ventilation, physicians and policy makers should recognize the advantages of L-lactate and encourage research on the quality of d- and l-lactate in case mixes beyond trauma.

Associations between the use of critical care procedures and change in functional status at discharge.

Quality improvement initiatives in intensive care units (ICUs) have increased survival rates. Changes in functional status following ICU care have been studied, but results are inconclusive because of insufficient consideration of the combinations of critical care procedures used. Using the Japanese administrative database including the Barthel Index (BI) at admission and discharge, we measured the changes in functional status among the adult patients and determined whether longer ICU stay or use of various critical care procedures was associated with functional deterioration. Of the 12 502 528 patients admitted to 1206 hospitals over 5 consecutive years from 2006, we analyzed data from patients aged 15 years or older who survived ICU admission in 320 hospitals. Critical care procedures evaluated were ventilation, blood purification (hemodialysis, hemodiafiltration, or hemadsorption), and cardiac support devices (intra-aortic balloon pump or percutaneous cardiopulmonary support system). Functional outcomes were determined by the difference between BI at admission and at discharge and were divided into improvement, no change, or deterioration. We compared patient characteristics, principal diagnosis, comorbidities, timing of surgical procedure, complications, days in ICU, and use of critical care procedures among the 3 categories. Associations between critical care procedures and functional deterioration were identified using multivariate analysis. Of 234 209 patients with complete BI information, 7137 (3.1%) received blood purification, 27 100 (11.7%) received ventilation, 2888 (1.2%) received blood purification and ventilation, 5613 (2.4%) received a cardiac support device, 247 (0.1%) received a cardiac support device and blood purification, 10 444 (4.5%) received a cardiac support device and ventilation, and 1110 (0.5%) received a cardiac support device, ventilation, and blood purification. Longer use of blood purification or ventilation and a longer ICU stay were associated with functional deterioration. Intensivists should be aware of the effects of critical care procedures on functional deterioration and advance the appropriate use of functional support according to each patient's condition.

Association of early post-procedure hemodynamic management with the outcomes of subarachnoid hemorrhage patients.

Post-procedure hemodynamic management for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is controversial because of the paucity of studied patients. Using a Japanese administrative database, we tested whether increased albumin, catecholamine, and volumes of fluid administered between the procedure and the 4th post-procedure day would be associated with outcomes of mortality, consciousness deterioration at discharge and re-intubation between the 5th and 14th post-procedure days. Across 550 hospitals, 5,400 patients were identified who received clipping, wrapping and endovascular coiling within 48 h after admission in 2010. Patient characteristics and the administration of albumin, catecholamine, and volume of fluid normalized by body weight were analyzed among the groups and categorized according to the presence of albumin and catecholamine administered between the procedure and the 4th post-procedure day. The association of early hemodynamic management with outcomes was measured using logistic regression models, through controlling for the preference of early administration of albumin and catecholamine. For the patients, 9.3 % received albumin only, 14.4 % catecholamine only, and 4.9 % both between the procedure and the 4th post-procedure day, while 16.5 % received albumin or catecholamine on other days. Variation in albumin and catecholamine administration was observed. Higher normalized fluid volume, commenced before the 4th post-procedure day, was associated with increased mortality and re-intubation (although with decreased complications), and vice versa between the 4th and 14th post-procedure days. Catecholamine administration was associated with worsened outcomes. Hypervolemic and hypertensive therapies commenced before the 4th post-procedure day require further research to determine whether their associations with outcomes in this administrative data base are causal or not.

Outcomes after laparoscopic or open distal gastrectomy for early-stage gastric cancer: a propensity-matched analysis.

OBJECTIVE: In a large nationwide administrative database of hospitalized patients, we investigated postoperative outcomes after laparoscopic or open distal gastrectomy in Japan. BACKGROUND: The benefits of laparoscopic gastrectomy, such as decreased length of stay and morbidity, have typically been evaluated only with limited data on the basis of small samples. METHODS: : Using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination Database, we identified 9388 patients who were preoperatively diagnosed with stage I and II gastric cancer and underwent laparoscopic (n = 3937) or open (n = 5451) distal gastrectomy between July and December 2010. One-to-one propensity score matching was performed to compare in-hospital mortality, postoperative complication rates, length of stay, total costs, and 30-day readmission rates between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Patients with younger age, lower comorbidity index, or stage I cancer were more likely to receive laparoscopic gastrectomy. In the propensity-matched analysis with 2473 pairs, the laparoscopic gastrectomy group in comparison with the open gastrectomy group showed a slight reduction in median postoperative length of stay (13 days vs 15 days, P < 0.001) but a slight increase in median total costs (US $21,510 vs $21,024, P = 0.002). There were no significant differences in in-hospital mortality (0.36% vs 0.28%, P = 0.80), overall postoperative complications (12.9% vs 12.6%, P = 0.73), or 30-day readmission rates (3.2% vs 3.2%, P = 0.94). CONCLUSIONS: In this large nationwide cohort of patients with early-stage gastric cancer, laparoscopic gastrectomy was associated with a statistically significant but slight reduction in postoperative length of stay, but no differences between laparoscopic gastrectomy and open gastrectomy were detected in terms of early mortality and morbidity.

Comparative Study on the Difference in Functional Outcomes at Discharge between Proximal and Total Gastrectomy.

Several studies have regarded proximal gastrectomy (PG) as optimal compared to total gastrectomy (TG) for upper stomach cancer. In addition to the traditional outcomes of complication and mortality, change in functional status should be considered as another relevant outcome in aging generations. However, there has been no community-based appraisal of functional outcomes between PG and TG. Using an administrative database, we compared functional outcomes between PG and TG. Among 12,508 patients who survived for ≥15 years and underwent open gastrectomy between 2008 and 2010, we examined patient characteristics, comorbidities, functional status estimated by the Barthel index (BI) at admission and discharge, complications, ICU care, ventilation administration, blood transfusion, operating room time, resumption of oral intake, length of stay and total charges. With reference to distal gastrectomy (DG), we performed multivariate analyses to assess the impacts of PG and TG on complications and BI deterioration. A total of 434 PGs and 4,941 TGs were observed in 148 and 295 hospitals, respectively. Patient characteristics, care process, resumption of oral intake, operating room time, length of stay and total charges were also significantly different among the three gastrectomy types. PG, TG and DG were not associated with complications or functional deterioration. Patient characteristics, preoperative blood transfusion and longer operating room time were significantly associated with more complications and BI deterioration. Since patient case mix and longer operating room time were associated with poor outcomes, physicians should recognize the role of PG and might optimally challenge and complete gastrectomies within the appropriate indications.

Contribution of the administrative database and the geographical information system to disaster preparedness and regionalization.

OBJECTIVE: Public health emergencies like earthquakes and tsunamis underscore the need for an evidence-based approach to disaster preparedness. Using the Japanese administrative database and the geographical information system (GIS), the interruption of hospital-based mechanical ventilation administration by a hypothetical disaster in three areas of the southeastern mainland (Tokai, Tonankai, and Nankai) was simulated and the repercussions on ventilator care in the prefectures adjacent to the damaged prefectures was estimated. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Using the database of 2010 including 3,181,847 hospitalized patients among 952 hospitals, the maximum daily ventilator capacity in each hospital was calculated and the number of patients who were administered ventilation on October xx was counted. INTERVENTIONS: Using GIS and patient zip code, the straight-line distances among the damaged hospitals, the hospitals in prefectures nearest to damaged prefectures, and ventilated patients' zip codes were measured. The authors simulated that ventilated patients were transferred to the closest hospitals outside damaged prefectures. OUTCOMES: The increase in the ventilator operating rates in three areas was aggregated. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-four and 236 patients were administered ventilation in the damaged hospitals and in the closest hospitals outside the damaged prefectures of Tokai, 92 and 561 of Tonankai, and 35 and 85 of Nankai, respectively. The increases in the ventilator operating rates among prefectures ranged from 1.04 to 26.33-fold in Tokai; 1.03 to 1.74-fold in Tonankai, and 1.00 to 2.67-fold in Nankai. CONCLUSION: Administrative databases and GIS can contribute to evidenced-based disaster preparedness and the determination of appropriate receiving hospitals with available medical resources.

The care processes for acute cholecystitis according to clinical practice guidelines based on the Japanese administrative database.

Acute cholecystitis is one of the most frequently encountered conditions in daily practice in Japan. However, there is a shortage of detailed data about treatments that have been performed according to the clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for acute cholecystitis. We therefore examined the management of acute cholecystitis for adherence to the appropriate CPGs using the Japanese administrative database associated with the Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) system. We collected data from 6,070 patients with acute cholecystitis, examining for the application of four recommended treatments (administration of antimicrobial drugs and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and performance of early and laparoscopic cholecystectomy). The patients were classified according to the procedures documented for each case: no gallbladder drainage (n = 4,333), gallbladder drainage without supportive care (ventilation or hemodiafiltration or the use of vasopressor) (n = 1,591) and gallbladder drainage and supportive care (n = 146). Multiple logistic regression models revealed that patients with gallbladder drainage without supportive care and those with gallbladder drainage and supportive care significantly higher received administration of antimicrobial drugs and NSAIDs, while these patients underwent less early or laparoscopic cholecystectomy than did patients without gallbladder drainage, after adjusting for potential confounding effects of the clinical variables. This study demonstrated that there were various differences with regard to the performance of recommended treatments between the levels of procedures required for acute cholecystitis. In addition, this administrative database was a feasible tool for the evaluation of care processes and will provide useful information contributing to improved quality of medical care.

The influence of diabetes mellitus on short-term outcomes of patients with bleeding peptic ulcers.

PURPOSE: Little information is available on the influence of diabetes mellitus on the short-term clinical outcomes of patients with bleeding peptic ulcers. The aim of this study is to investigate whether diabetes mellitus influences the short-term clinical outcomes of patients with bleeding peptic ulcers using a Japanese national administrative database. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 4863 patients treated by endoscopic hemostasis on admission for bleeding peptic ulcers were referred to 586 participating hospitals in Japan. We collected their data to compare the risk-adjusted length of stay (LOS) and in-hospital mortality of patients with and without diabetes mellitus within 30 days. Patients were divided into two groups: patients with diabetes mellitus (n=434) and patients without diabetes mellitus (n=4429). RESULTS: Mean LOS in patients with diabetes mellitus was significantly longer than those without diabetes mellitus (15.8 days vs. 12.5 days, p<0.001). Also, higher in-hospital mortality within 30 days was observed in patients with diabetes mellitus compared with those without diabetes mellitus (2.7% vs. 1.1%, p=0.004). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with an increase in risk-adjusted LOS. The standardized coefficient was 0.036 days (p=0.01). Furthermore, the analysis revealed that diabetes mellitus significantly increased the risk of in-hospital mortality within 30 days (odds ratio=2.285, 95% CI=1.161-4.497, p=0.017). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that presence of diabetes mellitus significantly influences the short-term clinical outcomes of patients with bleeding peptic ulcers.

Assessing the impact of diabetes-related comorbidities and care on the hospitalization costs for patients with diabetes mellitus in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: Because diabetes mellitus (DM) has been highlighted in several healthcare sectors, variations in the case mix of DM should be evaluated to promote effective disease management. Using a Japanese administrative database (2003), we investigated the impact of DM-related comorbidities and of their relevant care processes on healthcare costs incurred during hospitalization. METHODS: Of 283,771 hospital admissions across 174 acute care hospitals, 27,853 patients with DM were analyzed. The following variables were analyzed according to age (<65 or ≥65 years), the presence of comorbidities, demographic characteristics, procedure-related complications, insulin use, surgical procedures (percutaneous minimally invasive intervention, hemodialysis, ventilation, and rehabilitation), length of stay (LOS), and total charge (TC; US$1=Y90). Multivariate analyses were applied to investigate the effects of DM-related complications and care processes associated with DM on TC. RESULTS: The mortality and procedure-related complication rates were 2.1% and 2.7%, respectively. There were significant differences in the frequencies of comorbidities by age category. Among DM-related comorbidities, peripheral vascular disease had the greatest impact on increasing the LOS or TC. Minimally invasive procedures, hemodialysis, ventilation, and procedure-related complications were significant determinants of TC. Hemodialysis and invasive surgical procedures were independent predictors of procedure-related complications. CONCLUSIONS: DM-related comorbidities and care process representative of the DM case mix were responsible for variations in healthcare costs during hospitalization.

Multivariate analysis of factors influencing medical costs of acute pancreatitis hospitalizations based on a national administrative database.

BACKGROUND: Little information is available on the analysis of medical costs of acute pancreatitis hospitalizations. AIM: This study aimed to determine the factors affecting medical costs of patients with acute pancreatitis during hospitalization using a Japanese administrative database. METHODS: A total of 7193 patients with acute pancreatitis were referred to 776 hospitals. We defined "patients with high medical costs" as patients whose medical costs exceeded the 90th percentile in medical costs during hospitalization and identified the independent factors for patients with high medical costs with and without controlling for length of stay. RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that necrosectomy was the most significant factor for medical costs of acute pancreatitis during hospitalization. The odds ratio of necrosectomy was 33.64 (95% confidence interval, 14.14-80.03; p<0.001). Use of an intensive care unit was the most significant factor for medical costs after controlling for LOS. The OR of an ICU was 6.44 (95% CI, 4.72-8.81; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that necrosectomy and use of an ICU significantly affected the medical costs of acute pancreatitis hospitalization. These results highlight the need for health care implementations to reduce medical costs whilst maintaining the quality of patient care, and targeting patients with severe acute pancreatitis.

Effect of hospital volume on clinical outcome in patients with acute pancreatitis, based on a national administrative database.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between hospital volume and clinical outcome in patients with acute pancreatitis, using a Japanese national administrative database. METHODS: A total of 7007 patients with acute pancreatitis were referred to776 hospitals in Japan. Patient data were corrected according to the severity of acute pancreatitis to allow the comparison of risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality and length of stay in relation to hospital volume. Hospital volume was categorized based on the number of cases during the study period into low-volume (<10 cases), medium-volume (10-16 cases), and high-volume hospitals (HVHs, >16 cases). RESULTS: Increased hospital volume was significantly associated with decreased relative risk of in-hospital mortality in both patients with mild and those with severe acute pancreatitis. The odds ratios for HVHs were 0.424 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.228-0.787; P = 0.007) and 0.338 (95% CI, 0.138-0.826; P = 0.017), respectively. Hospital volume was also significantly associated with shorter length of stay in patients with mild acute pancreatitis. The unstandardized coefficient for HVHs was -0.978 days (95% CI, -1.909 to -0.048; P = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that hospital volume influences the clinical outcome in both patients with mild and those with severe acute pancreatitis.

Community-based evaluation of laparoscopic versus open simple closure of perforated peptic ulcers.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have advocated laparoscopic simple closure (LSC) as the treatment of choice for perforated peptic ulcer disease (PUD). However, there has been no comprehensive community-based evaluation of the advantages of using LSC over open simple closure (OSC). Using an administrative database, we evaluated LSC versus OSC for patients with perforated ulcers. METHODS: From 6,334 patients with perforated ulcers, we identified 2,909 simple closure cases between 2006 and 2010. Study variables were demographics, mortality, co-morbidities, complications, ulcer location, surgical timing, blood transfusion, postoperative ventilation, operating room (OR) time, time to resumption of oral food intake, length of stay (LOS), and total charges. After matching patient baseline variables between OSC and LSC, we performed multivariate analyses to assess the impacts of LSC on mortality, complications, and ventilation administration. RESULTS: A total of 2,073 OSC cases and 836 LSC cases were identified in 670 hospitals. Younger age, duodenal ulcer, and pre-existing PUD were indicators for selection of LSC. Matching analysis indicated a correlation between LSC and lower mortality, less frequent postoperative and overall blood transfusion, shorter LOS, earlier return to oral intake, and longer OR time. There was no difference between OSC and LSC in complication rate or mortality. Longer OR time was correlated with a higher complication rate and the need for ventilation, the latter of which was independently associated with an increase in mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Because longer OR time was associated with more frequent complications and ventilation, surgeons should obtain the skills and strategies necessary to accomplish LSC without extending OR time improperly.

Early crystalloid fluid volume management in acute pancreatitis: association with mortality and organ failure.

AIMS: Guidelines recommend aggressive fluid resuscitation in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) to minimize organ failure. This study aimed to determine whether early crystalloid fluid management is associated with mortality and/or critical care. METHODS: 9,489 AP patients aged ≥18 years were categorized into four study groups: ventilation, hemodialysis, a combination of ventilation and hemodialysis, and neither ventilation nor hemodialysis. We analyzed demographics, mortality, comorbidities, complications, AP severity, surgery of the biliary/pancreatic system, and fluid volume (FV) during the initial 48 h (FV48) and during hospitalization (FVH), and calculated the FV ratio (FVR) as FV48/FVH. The impact of FV48 and FVR on mortality and the care process was assessed according to AP severity. RESULTS: 1.1% of AP patients received ventilation, 1.7% received hemodialysis and 1.0% received both treatments. FV48 and FVR were higher in patients requiring ventilation compared with those not requiring ventilation. A high FV48 increased mortality and a high FVR decreased mortality in patients with severe AP. A high FV48 required ventilation in patients with severe AP, which was independently associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: Since relatively too much or too little early FV is associated with mortality, FV should be continuously monitored and managed according to AP severity. and IAP.

Association of operating time and gastrectomy with initiation of postoperative oral food intake.

BACKGROUND: Fast-track programs optimizing perioperative care have been initiated along with the advancement of laparoscopic colorectal surgery. To clarify that these programs were evidence based for gastrectomy cases, we assessed the effect of operating time and gastrectomy type [open partial (OPG), open total (OTG), laparoscopic partial (LPG) and laparoscopic total (LTG)] on postoperative commencement of oral food intake. METHODS: Among 14,465 cases of gastrectomy across 837 hospitals, we examined the demographics, comorbidity, complications, postoperative epidural analgesia, rehabilitation and teaching status. The impact of gastrectomy type and operating time on postoperative fasting period was assessed using mixed regression models to distill off the hospital practice belief. RESULTS: We identified 2,775 laparoscopic gastrectomies and 10,064 partial gastrectomies, 2,485 of which were conducted via laparoscopy. Operating time was shortest in OPG and longest in LTG. The fasting period was shortest in LPG and longest in OTG. Longer operating time prolonged the fasting period, except for LTG. Postoperative epidural analgesia and earlier rehabilitation, but not laparoscopic gastrectomy, were associated with a shortened fasting period. CONCLUSION: When developing a fast-track program for gastrectomy, clinicians should recognize the impact of longer operating time and perioperative care rather than that of gastrectomy type on oral intake.

Effect of the Japanese herbal kampo medicine dai-kenchu-to on postoperative adhesive small bowel obstruction requiring long-tube decompression: a propensity score analysis.

Adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO) is an adverse consequence of abdominal surgery. Although the Kampo medicine Dai-kenchu-to is widely used in Japan for treatment of postoperative ASBO, rigorous clinical studies for its use have not been performed. In the present retrospective observational study using the Japanese diagnosis procedure combination inpatient database, we selected 288 propensity-score-matched patients with early postoperative ASBO following colorectal cancer surgery, who received long-tube decompression (LTD) with or without Dai-kenchu-to administration. The success rates of LTD were not significantly different between Dai-kenchu-to users and nonusers (84.7% versus 78.5%; P = .224), while Dai-kenchu-to users showed a shorter duration of LTD (8 versus 10 days; P = .012), shorter duration between long-tube insertion and discharge (23 versus 25 days; P = .018), and lower hospital charges ($23,086 versus $26,950; P = .018) compared with Dai-kenchu-to nonusers. In conclusion, the present study suggests that Dai-kenchu-to is effective for reducing the duration of LTD and saving costs.

Prevalence of type 2 diabetes among acute inpatients and its impact on length of hospital stay in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among acute inpatients and evaluate its impact on the length of hospital stay in Japan. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The discharge records of 2,120,170 acute inpatients who were 30 years old or older and discharged between July and December of 2008 were obtained from the Japanese administrative case-mix system, Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC), and allocated for analysis. Type 2 diabetes was defined by E11 of the ICD-10 coding system on patient records. Other types of diabetes, including type 1 diabetes and diabetes in pregnancy (defined by ICD-10 codes E10 E12-14 and O24, respectively) were excluded from the analyses. RESULTS: Type 2 diabetes was observed among 11.4% of the records, 9.9% of which were cases of diabetes as a comorbidity. Total length of hospital stay was 33,468,152 days, with diabetes patients occupying 13.9% of the total bed days. Patients with type 2 diabetes as a comorbidity had prolonged lengths of hospital stay compared to patients free from diabetes, and stratification by sex, age, surgical treatment, and disease category did not alter these results. The median length of hospital stay was 9 days among patients without diabetes and 13 days among patients with diabetes. CONCLUSION: Japanese acute health care is experiencing an epidemic of type 2 diabetes, with 1 out of 10 acute inpatients suffering from the disease. Complication of type 2 diabetes is associated with prolonged length of hospital stay.

A descriptive study evaluating the circumstances of medical treatment for acute pancreatitis before publication of the new JPN guidelines based on the Japanese administrative database associated with the Diagnosis Procedure Combination system.

PURPOSE: To examine the circumstances of medical treatment for acute pancreatitis before publication of the new Japanese (JPN) guidelines using the Japanese administrative database associated with the Diagnosis Procedure Combination system. METHODS: We collected data from 7,193 patients with acute pancreatitis in 2008 and examined the recommended medical treatment in the new JPN guidelines [from recommendations B (considered to be recommended treatments) to D (considered to be unacceptable treatments)] according to severity of acute pancreatitis. Patients were divided into two groups: mild cases (n = 6,520) and severe cases (n = 673). RESULTS: Enteral nutrition for severe cases without ileus (recommendation B) was uncommon (13.5%). In contrast, prophylactic antibiotics were administered in a large number (80.4%) of mild cases without acute cholangitis (recommendation D). Furthermore, administration of H(2) receptor antagonists, except for cases of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (recommendation D), were performed in many patients with both mild and severe cases (66.8 vs. 78.6%). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a discrepancy between actual medical treatment performed and the new JPN guidelines with regard to some of the medical treatments. Future studies are required after publication of the new JPN guidelines to determine how they affect medical treatments.

Relationships of age, cholecystectomy approach and timing with the surgical and functional outcomes of elderly patients with cholecystitis.

BACKGROUND: Safety confirmation has led to calls for laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) to prevail in elderly patients, but the functional changes after LC have not been sufficiently compared with open cholecystectomy (OC). Using an administrative database, we reassessed the quality of cholecystectomy approach and timing of cholecystectomy for elderly patients with cholecystitis. METHODS: A total of 2552 patients aged ≥60 years who underwent cholecystectomy for cholecystitis were enrolled. Variables included demographics, comorbidities, complications, preoperative bile duct scrutiny, cholecystectomy timing (<48, 48-96, >96 h), functional status estimated by the Barthel index, teaching status, postoperative length of stay (LOS) and total charges (TC). The impacts of age, OC and timing on LOS, TC, complications and functional changes were assessed by mixed linear regression analyses using propensity score-matched cohorts for LC and OC. RESULTS: The patients comprised 1742 LC and 810 OC patients across 122 hospitals. The mean ages and octogenarian proportions were 70.1 years and 10.6% for LC and 72.9 years and 20.5% for OC. Advancing age, males and acute inflammation were more frequently associated with OC. Longer LOS, higher TC and more complications were observed for OC. Age was a predictor of functional changes but not complications. Octogenarians and complications were associated with longer LOS, higher TC and more functional deterioration. Earlier cholecystectomy was only associated with lower TC. CONCLUSIONS: Octogenarians were likely to have OC and functional deterioration. Since OC was a predictor of resource use and complications, strategies to complete earlier LC and prevent complications are required for octogenarians.