A Review of Pediatric Inpatient Care Raymond S. Duff, MD; Charles D. Cook, MD; Carmi William E. Lattanzi, MD; Julius Landwirth, MD and 188 medical \s=b\ Between 101 records of children hospitalized in each of three community hospitals and one major teaching hospital were examined to determine need for admission and quality of care administered. Two of the hospitals had been similarly studied two years before. Twenty-five percent of all admissions and 17% of all patient days were considered unnecessary. The smallest number of inappropriate admissions was found in the major teaching institution, but one of the community hospitals without any teaching affiliation was notably better than the other two. The teaching hospital and the same community hospital also achieved the lowest questionable management rates. Significant (P < .05) but minimal reduction had occurred in number of unnecessary admissions when first and second utilization studies in these two hospitals

compared. (Am J Dis Child 129:1422-1424, 1975)

were

In portedprevious a

article,1

we

re¬

that 7% to 38% (weighted average, 25%) of pediatrie patient days in four Connecticut hospitals were considered unnecessary for optiReceived for publication Oct 10,1974; accepted Dec 16. From the departments of pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn (Dr Duff) and Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY (Dr Cook), US Kenner Army Hospital, Fort Lee, Va (Dr Margolis), departments of pediatrics, St Raphael's Hospital, New Haven (Dr Lattanzi) and Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, Conn (Dr Landwirth). Reprint requests to Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06510 (Dr Duff).

mal

Z.

and they should be discharged as soon as possible. Notes by physicians or nurses often indi¬

Margolis, MD;

care.

There

was

also considerable

inappropriate use of laboratory and roentgenographic studies and of anti¬ biotics and other drugs. There were significant differences between hospi¬ tals (P

A review of pediatric inpatient care.

Between 101 and 188 medical records of children hospitalized in each of three community hospitals and one major teaching hospital were examined to det...
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