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Objective: To develop a methodology to identify indications and normative rates for elective primary cesarean delivery using administrative data.Data Sources/study Setting: All delivery discharges in 1995, as reported to the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (secondary data).Study Design: Retrospective population based study.Data Collection/extraction: Data were entered into a recursive partitioning algorithm to develop a hierarchy of conditions by which patients with multiple conditions could be sorted with respect to the binary outcome of labor or elective primary cesarean without labor. This hierarchy was examined for its clinical consistency, validated on a second sample, and compared with results obtained from logistic regression.Principal Findings: Four percent (19,664) of delivery discharges in 1995 underwent elective primary cesarean. Twelve clinical conditions contributed to the hierarchy, and accounted for 92.9 percent of all women experiencing elective primary cesarean delivery. The remaining 7.1 percent of the elective primary cesarean cases were classified as "unspecified."Conclusions: A standardized methodology (utilizing recursive partitioning algorithms) for assigning indications for elective primary cesarean is presented. This methodology relies on administrative data, classifies women with complex comorbidity patterns into clinically relevant subpopulations, and can be used to establish normative rates for benchmarking specific indications for cesarean delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The purpose of this study is to determine the association between personal characteristics, a person's oral health literacy, and failing to show for dental appointments at a university dental clinic. Methods A secondary data analysis was conducted on data collected from 200 adults at a university dental clinic between January 2005 and December 2006. In the original study, an oral health literacy instrument, the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine and Dentistry ( REALM- D), was administered, sociodemographic and health information seeking behavior was gathered, and electronic records were reviewed. Results Descriptive and bivariate analyses and a classification and regression tree ( CART) analysis were conducted. Seeking health information through fewer sources vs. multiple sources was the strongest predictor of failing to show. The subjects' oral health literacy, as measured by the REALM- D List 3 score, was the next most significant variable. Classification and regression tree analyses also selected gender, chief complaint, age, and payment type as predictor variables. Conclusions Multiple factors contribute to failing to show for dental appointments. However, individuals who use fewer sources of oral health information, a subset of health literacy skills, are more likely to fail to show for dental appointments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify medical predictors of futility in recipients with laboratory Model of End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores of 40 or more at the time of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT)., Background: Although the survival benefit for transplant patients with the highest MELD scores is indisputable, the medical and economic effort to bring these highest acuity recipients through OLT presents a major challenge for every transplant center., Methods: This study was undertaken to analyze outcomes in patients with MELD scores of 40 or more undergoing OLT during the period February 2002 to December 2010. The analysis was focused on futile outcome (3-month or in-hospital mortality) and long-term posttransplant outcome. Independent predictors of futility and failure-free survival were identified and a futility risk model was created., Results: During the study period, 1522 adult cadaveric OLTs were performed, and 169 patients (13%) had a MELD score of 40 or more. The overall 1, 3, 5, and 8-year patient survivals were 72%, 64%, 60%, and 56%. Futile outcome occurred in 37 patients (22%). MELD score, pretransplant septic shock, cardiac risk, and comorbidities were independent predictors of futile outcome. Using all 4 factors, the futility risk model had a good discriminatory ability (c-statistic 0.75). Recipient age per year, life-threatening postoperative complications, hepatitis C, and metabolic syndrome were independent predictors for long-term survival in nonfutile patients (Harrels c-statistic 0.72)., Conclusions: Short- and long-term outcomes of recipients with MELD scores of 40 or more are primarily determined by disease-specific factors. Cardiac risk, pretransplant septic shock, and comorbidities are the most important predictors and can be used for risk stratification in these highest acuity recipients.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that selected septuagenarians may do as well after transplantation as those of a younger group of older recipients. This work compares post-liver transplant survival in septuagenarians with that of patients aged 50 to 59 years., Design: Review of a prospectively maintained database., Setting: University transplant center., Patients: First-time liver transplant recipients treated from January 1, 1988, to December 31, 2005. Group 1 consisted of liver transplant recipients aged 70 years or older at the time of transplant. Group 2 was a younger cohort of patients aged 50 to 59 years., Interventions: Liver transplantation., Main Outcome Measures: Patient survival. Survival data were stratified, Kaplan-Meier survival was calculated, and a multivariate analysis was performed., Results: Group 1 included 62 patients aged 70 years or older (average, 71.9 +/- 2.1 years). Group 2 included 864 patients aged 50 to 59 years (average, 54.3 +/- 2.9 years). Unadjusted patient survival of group 1 at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years was 73.3%, 65.8%, 47.1%, and 39.7%, respectively. Unadjusted patient survival of group 2 at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years was 79.4%, 71.5%, 65.3%, and 45.2%, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant (P = .14). Multivariate analysis for factors affecting survival demonstrated preoperative hospitalization, cold ischemia time, and hepatitis C/ethanol as risk factors for death. Age 70 years or more was not a strong risk factor (mortality ratio, 1.28; P = .27)., Conclusions: When other risk factors for mortality are controlled in older recipients, risk of death due to age is reduced in well-selected recipients. Age by itself should not be used to limit liver transplantation.

Background: Osteoporosis results in >1.5 million fractures in the United States each year, leading to substantial health care costs and loss of quality of life. One major gap in our knowledge is how to effectively identify individuals at risk of developing a fracture., Objective: We examined a population-based cohort for risk factors for fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine in men and women., Methods: The Leisure World Cohort Study was established between 1981 and 1985 when residents of a southern California retirement community completed a postal health survey. Multiple lifestyle, medical, attitudinal, and anthropomorphic factors were self-reported. Fractures were identified from 4 follow-up surveys, hospital discharge records, and death certificates. Fracture rates were determined separately for men and women. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify predictors of fracture., Results: Incident fractures of the hip (n = 1,227), wrist (n = 445), and spine (n = 729) incurred over the course of 2 decades were identified in the 13,978 residents surveyed. Mean (SD) age at entry was 74.9 (7.2) years for men and 73.7 (7.4) years for women. The most important risk factors for fracture were the same in men and women: age increased risk of hip and spine fractures (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.3-3.2 per 10 years) and history of fracture increased fracture risk at all 3 sites (HR = 1.4-3.2). In both men and women, glaucoma was a significant risk factor for hip fracture (HR = 1.9 and 1.3, respectively), and smoking was a risk factor for hip and spine fractures. Men and women with a positive mental attitude had fewer hip and spine fractures (HR = 0.7-0.9). High body mass index was protective at all 3 fracture sites in women (HR = 0.7-0.8), but those who used vitamin A supplements had increased rates of hip and wrist fracture (HR = 1.1 per 10,000 IU per day)., Conclusions: Attitude, lifestyle choices, and the presence of medical conditions may influence the rate of osteoporotic fracture in older women and men and may help identify individuals at high risk.

The caesarean delivery rate has become a commonly used measure intended to reflect the quality of obstetric care. At least 25% of all primary caesarean deliveries occur electively, i.e. to women who are not in labour. This study is intended to validate a previously published model designed to use ICD-9-CM codes to identify and categorise cases of elective primary caesarean delivery by their indication. ICD-9-CM codes were compared with diagnoses written in the medical record for all women without a prior caesarean who delivered in the same month in a single hospital to examine the accuracy of the codes for 12 potential elective primary caesarean indications derived by the published model: malpresentation; bleeding; genital herpes; severe hypertension; uterine scar; multiple gestation; macrosomia; unengaged fetus; maternal soft tissue conditions; other hypertensive conditions; prematurity; and chromosomal anomalies. Of 440 eligible women, a total of 26 (5.9%) had an elective primary caesarean by medical record review vs. [27] (6.1%) by administrative data. Using medical record data as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of administrative data for the identification of elective primary caesarean delivery were 73.1%, 98.1%, and 96.6%, respectively. Administrative coding for all of the 12 conditions was highly specific, although wide variability existed in its sensitivity; its accuracy ranged between 83.9% and 100%. These results suggest that, despite widespread use of caesarean delivery rates obtained through administrative data, more experience is needed to determine which obstetric codes may be sufficiently specific, sensitive, or prevalent to serve a monitoring or surveillance function reflecting the quality of obstetrical care. The results support continued efforts to use administrative data to monitor elective primary caesarean delivery.

Background: Patients diagnosed with localized prostate cancer face several treatment options. Patient preferences for treatment side effects often dominate the decision making process. We proposed to learn more about the nature of patient preferences, or utilities, for these side effects., Methods: Two hundred and fifteen men were consecutively enrolled from three institutions for assessment after prostate needle biopsy. Baseline and 6 month follow-up assessments were done using the University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA PCI), and a laptop utility assessment application, U-Titer II. Patient utility was assessed for current pelvic functions as well as hypothetical pelvic dysfunctions. We calculated stability of utility scores and correlations between utility scores and UCLA PCI scores., Results: Utility scores for current pelvic functions exhibited a significant 'ceiling effect.' Utility scores for current pelvic functions and hypothetical impaired states were stable after 6 months in patients with negative biopsies. In patients who underwent treatment, utility for current sexual function decreased by 0.13 units (p < 0.00) and utility for current urinary function decreased by 0.09 units (p < 0.01). Utility for hypothetical stress urinary incontinence rose in men with a >25-point drop in UCLA PCI score., Conclusion: Utilities for some 'current' pelvic functions decreased in tandem with UCLA PCI scores in men who experienced >25-point changes in these scores. Utilities for some 'hypothetical' pelvic dysfunctions rose as men began to actually experience functional changes in those areas.