Impact of CK-MB testing policies on hospital length of stay and laboratory costs for patients with myocardial infarction or chest pain
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Discussion
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Implication
Randomized trial examines association of CK-MB testing policies with length of stay and costs in cardiac patients, suggesting benefits of improved testing frequency.
Key Points
- To explore the relationship between CK-MB testing policies and hospital length of stay (LOS) and laboratory costs for patients with myocardial infarction or chest pain.
- Analyzed data from 82 hospitals in Massachusetts with focus on 5 Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) related to myocardial infarction and chest pain.
- Grouped hospitals based on CK-MB testing frequency (once/twice daily vs. at least 3 runs or stat access) and compared LOS and laboratory costs.
- Reviewed data from 1513 Medicare patients admitted in 1994.
- Mean LOS for AMI patients was 8.4 days with lower testing frequency (CI: 8.2-8.7) and 7.7 days with higher frequency testing (P<0.05, CI: 7.4-8.0).
- Overall laboratory charges were lower in hospitals with shorter LOS related to frequent CK-MB testing.
- No significant differences in LOS observed between angina pectoris or chest pain DRGs and other AMI DRGs.
Cite This Study
Wu et al. (1997) studied this question.