• P Pronovost, T Dorman, N Sadovnikoff, E Garrett, M Breslow, and B Rosenfeld.
• The Johns Hopkins Medical Institution, Baltimore, MD, USA.
• J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. 1999 Oct 1;13(5):549-54.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between patient characteristics and both clinical and economic outcomes in patients having abdominal aortic surgery in Maryland between 1994 and 1996.DesignRetrospective study using an administrative data set.SettingAll Maryland hospitals that performed abdominal aortic surgery from 1994 through 1996 (n = 46).ParticipantsAll patients who had abdominal aortic surgery in Maryland from 1994 through 1996 (n = 2,987).InterventionsNone.Measurements And Main ResultsThe authors obtained discharge abstracts from the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission for patients with a primary procedure code for abdominal aortic surgery. Primary outcome variables were in-hospital mortality, hospital length of stay, and intensive care unit (ICU) days. The authors evaluated the following groups of independent variables: demographic characteristics, severity of illness, comorbid disease, and preoperative admission days. In multivariate analysis, independent predictors of in-hospital mortality were age 61 to 70 years (odds ratio [OR], 3.1; confidence interval [CI], 1.4 to 6.9), age 71 to 84 years (OR, 7.2; CI, 3.7 to 14.1), age 85 years or older (OR, 9.3; CI, 3.9 to 21.9), ruptured aneurysm (OR, 5.3; CI, 3.5 to 8.2), urgent operation (OR, 2.3; CI, 1.1 to 5.2), emergent operation (OR, 3.0; CI, 1.9 to 4.7), mild liver disease (OR, 4.6; CI, 2.0 to 10.9), and chronic renal disease (OR, 6.9; CI, 3.9 to 12.1). Hospital admission 1 to 2 days preoperatively was not associated with a difference in in-hospital mortality but was associated with a 31% increase in hospital days (CI, 23% to 40%) and a 38% increase in ICU days (CI, 19% to 60%).ConclusionIn patients having aortic surgery, several patient characteristics such as mild liver disease and chronic renal failure, were associated with increased in-hospital mortality and length of stay. The practice of admitting patients to the hospital 1 to 2 days before surgery should be reevaluated because this was not associated with reduced in-hospital mortality but was associated with increased hospital and ICU stay.

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