Quality Control in Anatomical Lung Resection. Major Postoperative Complications vs Failure to Rescue

Abstract

[EN] Objectives: Failure to rescue (FTR) is defined by the number of deaths among patients experiencing major complications after surgery. In this report we analyze FTR and apply a cumulative sum control chart (CUSUM) methodology for monitoring performance in a large series of operated lung carcinoma patients. Methods: Prospectively stored records of cases undergoing anatomical lung resection in one center were reviewed. Postoperative adverse events were coded and included as a binary variable (major, or minor complications). The occurrence of 30-day mortality was also recorded. Patients dying after suffering major complications were considered as FTR. Risk-adjusted CUSUM graphs using EuroLung1 and 2 variables were constructed for major complications and FTR. Points of plateauing or trend inversion were checked to detect intentional or non-adverted changes in the process of care. Results: 2237 cases included. 9.1% cases suffered major complications. The number of cases considered as failures to rescuing was 46 (2.1% of the total series and 22.5% of cases having major complications). The predictive performance of EuroLung1 and 2 models was as follows: EuroLung1 (major morbidity) Cindex 0.70 (95%CI: 0.66–0.73); EuroLung2 (applied to FTR) C-index 0.81 (95%CI: 0.750.87). CUSUM graphs depicted improvement in rescuing complicated patients after case 330 but no improvement in the rate of non-complicated cases until case 720. Conclusions: FTR offers a complementary view to classical outcomes for quality assessment in Thoracic Surgery. Our study also shows how the analysis of FTR on time series can be applied to evaluate changes in team performance along time.

[ES] Objetivos: El fallo en el rescate (FTR, por sus siglas en inglés) se define por el número de muertes entre los pacientes que experimentan complicaciones graves tras la cirugía. En este informe analizamos el FTR y realizamos gráficos de control de suma acumulada (CUSUM, por sus siglas en inglés) para monitorizar los resultados en una serie de gran tama˜no de pacientes operados de carcinoma de pulmón. Métodos: Se revisaron los datos almacenados prospectivamente de los casos de resección pulmonar anatómica en un centro. Se codificaron los eventos adversos postoperatorios y se incluyeron como una variable binaria (complicaciones graves o menores). También se registró la mortalidad a los 30 días. Los pacientes que murieron después de sufrir complicaciones mayores se consideraron FTR. Se elaboraron gráficos CUSUM ajustados al riesgo, utilizando las variables EuroLung1 y 2, para el análisis de las complicaciones graves y el FTR. Se analizaron los puntos de estancamiento o inversión de la tendencia para detectar los posibles cambios voluntarios o inadvertidos en el plan de cuidados.