Saint Francis University

About: Saint Francis University is a education organization based out in Loretto, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Osteoblast. The organization has 1694 authors who have published 2038 publications receiving 87149 citations.

The thoracic spine sign in bedside ultrasound. Three cases report.

Abstract: The "thoracic spine sign" is visualized when anechoic or hypoechoic fluid is present in the pleural space. Fluid serves as a medium through which the thoracic vertebral bodies are visualized above the diaphragm. We present three cases of emergency department patients with a thoracic spine sign identified on bedside ultrasound. These patients were subsequently diagnosed with pleural fluid accumulations on chest radiograph. Our findings suggest that the identification of the sonographic spine sign may aid the physician in the evaluation and diagnosis of emergency department patients with thoracic complaints.

Use of a Modified American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program to Enhance 30-Day Post-Trauma Readmission Detection

Abstract: Background Traumatic injury remains the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality worldwide, with a large economic burden. One fourth of annual Medicare expenditures result from readmissions, including trauma. The American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program (ACS TQIP) has elevated care for >200 trauma programs worldwide. We use ACS TQIP, which does not include 30-day outcomes featured in the ACS NSQIP, affecting observed readmission rates. Study Design Trauma patients were subjected to the 30-day follow-up with the ACS NSQIP tools to assess readmission rates. The existing standard hospital and trauma registry data review was used to determine readmission, with the same group assessed for readmission using the information collected with the modified TQIP tools. All data collected via this method were patient reported and verified by review of records at our facility and via patient-authorized outside record review. Results Six hundred and ninety-eight consecutive patients were admitted to the trauma service during the study period and 378 (54.1%) were contacted by telephone for interview. Demographic characteristics were similar (p = NS). The readmission rate changed from 4.01% to 2.4% using the hospital and trauma registry subset (p = NS). Readmission rate by the modified TQIP method was 7.1% (p Conclusions We hypothesized that our observed and actual readmission rates differed. We discovered a significant difference in reported rates. Incorporating an NSQIP-like postdischarge feedback process can improve the accuracy of hospitals' readmission data and complication reporting, and thereby improve the value of the information TQIP uses as benchmarks.