Impact of July resident turnover on inpatient outcomes in patients with congestive heart failure and concomitant sepsis: Analysis of the national inpatient sample
The notion of a “July effect,” suggesting that the influx of new residents in teaching hospitals every July (JU) may adversely affect patient care and outcomes, remains debatable. This study evaluated the impact of resident turnover in JU on patients admitted for congestive heart failure (CHF) and concomitant sepsis. This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the 2016 to 2020 National Inpatient Sample. Patients with CHF and concomitant sepsis hospitalized at teaching hospitals, as determined by International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes, were included. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate in-hospital mortality and secondary outcomes after adjustment for confounders, including cardiac arrest (CA), cardiogenic shock, non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, respiratory failure (RF), use of cardiac and respiratory devices, and healthcare resource utilization metrics such as length of stay (LOS) and total hospitalization charges (TOTCHG). Patients were classified according to the month of admission as JU or other months (OM) to investigate the potential impact of the “July effect” on patient outcomes. The study included 281,874 patients, of which 8% were in the JU group and 92% in the OM group. The mean age was 71 ± 13 years, with a slight male predominance (52% vs 48%), and most patients were White (70%). A total of 34,974 in-hospital deaths occurred, with no significant difference between the JU and OM groups (odds ratio [OR] = 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.85–1.06; p=0.329). Similarly, no significant differences were observed in CA (OR = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.70–1.11; p=0.282), RF (OR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.90–1.06; p=0.597), ventilator use (OR = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.77–1.25; p=0.879), LOS (11.3 vs. 11.3), and TOTCHG (USD 136,377 vs. USD 136,181). However, lower rates of acute kidney injury were observed in the JU group compared with the OM group (OR 0.90; 95% CI, 0.84–0.98, p=0.011). This study demonstrates that the “July effect” does not significantly influence in-hospital outcomes in patients with CHF and concomitant sepsis. While mortality and major clinical outcomes were comparable across groups, lower rates of acute kidney injury were observed in patients admitted in JU. Further research is needed to understand the complex interplay between healthcare resident turnover and patient outcomes.
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