Predictors of never events in patients undergoing radical dissection of cervical lymph nodes

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2013 Jun;115(6):710-6. doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2012.09.004. Epub 2012 Dec 12.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify variables associated with infection-related never events in patients undergoing radical neck dissections for head and neck cancer.

Study design: All hospitalizations with head and neck cancer that underwent radical dissection of cervical lymph nodes were selected from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Predictor variables included patient and hospital-level factors. Outcome variable was occurrence of ≥1 never events. Association between predictor and outcome variables was examined by using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models.

Results: There were 10,660 hospitalizations. At least 1 never event occurred in 7.8% of hospitalizations. Teaching hospitals were associated with higher odds of having ≥1 never event compared with nonteaching hospitals (odds ratio 1.92; P = .02). Presence of comorbid conditions and race were other significant predictors of never events.

Conclusions: Teaching hospitals and presence of comorbid conditions were associated with higher odds of experiencing a never event.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Female
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Hospitals, Teaching / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Infections / epidemiology
  • International Classification of Diseases
  • Logistic Models
  • Lymph Nodes / surgery*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Neck Dissection* / mortality
  • Odds Ratio
  • Postoperative Complications / epidemiology*
  • Postoperative Complications / mortality
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • United States / epidemiology