Advanced cancer patients have low survival rate after cardiac arrest
A new study published in the Journal of Oncology Practice found that patients with advanced cancer who suffer a heart attack in the hospital have a survival rate of less than 10%, which is about half the rate of patients without cancer. The study found that 57.5% of cancer patients were resuscitated successfully after a heart attack, but just 9.6% lived to be discharged from the hospital. Of those who were resuscitated, many signed a do-not-resuscitate order within 48 hours of the heart attack. The researchers, led by a team at the University of Rochester Medical Center, said healthcare workers should discuss advanced care planning with cancer patients and their families. (Journal of Oncology Practice)
Patients with dementia have worse outcomes, longer hospital stays
Patients with dementia or other causes of delirium have longer hospital stays and worse outcomes than patients without some type of confusion, researchers at the University of Stirling in the United Kingdom found. The researchers found that elderly patients with a “cognitive spectrum disorder” stayed in the hospital an average of 25 days, 13 days longer than other elderly patients. The study also reports higher mortality rates of 40%, compared to 26% for the rest of the hospitalized population. The study included a cohort of more than 10,000 patients aged 65 and over. (BMC Medicine)
Oregon’s coordinated care organizations lead to more timely prenatal care
Oregon’s coordinated care organizations (CCOs) helped more women on Medicaid access timely prenatal care, according to a new study. Researchers at Oregon State University found that in the first year of the CCOs in 2012, more women sought out care in the first trimester than had the year before. However, the findings were most positive for white and Asian women and those living in urban areas, meaning there's more work to be done to help women of other ethnic groups and those living in rural areas. (Maternal and Child Health Journal)