American heart journal
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American heart journal · Jul 1999
Multicenter StudyEffect of clinical factors on length of stay after coronary artery bypass surgery: results of the cooperative cardiovascular project.
Rising health care costs have prompted careful review of comparative hospital resource use. Length of stay after bypass surgery has received particular attention. However, many providers assert that these variations are caused by differences in the clinical mix of patients treated. Our goals were to identify the major clinical predictors of postoperative length of stay (PLOS) after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), document variations in PLOS among 28 hospitals, and assess the degree to which patient characteristics account for hospital variations in PLOS. ⋯ This study found significant between-hospital variations in PLOS that were not explained by patient factors. This finding suggests the potential for increased efficiency in the care of patients undergoing CABG at many institutions. Further research is needed to determine the practice patterns contributing to variations in length of stay after bypass surgery.
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American heart journal · Jul 1999
Editorial CommentPulmonary embolism thrombolysis: Do we need another agent?