Foundation releases white paper on septicemia
The Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation (DFWHC Foundation) today announced the publication of a white paper on septicemia prevalence in North Texas readmissions. The white paper highlights 2011 readmissions from 77 acute care facilities where the blood infection is in the top 50 percent of reasons why people readmit to a hospital within 30 days. Results also show septicemia patients have a higher mortality rate and longer lengths of stay in the hospital.
Results detailed by the DFWHC Foundation’s data stated:
• Patients with congestive heart failure as an index admission and readmit with septicemia stay approximately 2.5 days longer in the hospital than other conditions
• Patients with diabetes and chemotherapy as an index admission and that readmit with septicemia stay 5 days longer in the hospital than other conditions
• Patients with complication of device, implant or graft, acute cerebrovascular disease, or renal failure as an index admission, and that readmit with septicemia stay 2 days longer in the hospital than other conditions
• Patients who later readmitted with septicemia had a shorter length of stay in their index admission, than those who did not readmit.
Feedback on the paper will help DFWHC Foundation staff members and others within healthcare assess measures that need to be taken in the North Texas area to combat septicemia. Estimates in the white paper reveal septicemia could be prevented and reduce readmissions by as much as 18.6 percent.
“We are grateful for the work of the DFWHC Foundation staff members to provide these results on septicemia,” said Kristin Jenkins, president of the DFWHC Foundation. “We are committed towards providing crucial information for hospitals from our warehouse of data. We believe this information can initiate actions, as necessary, to promote safe practices in healthcare. The white paper represents an important step in this direction.”
The white paper, titled “Septicemia Prevalence in Readmissions North Texas,” was written by Pamela D. Doughty, Ph.D. and Emily Lin, BA of the DFWHC Foundation. It can be found here or click on image below.
