CLINICAL SUMMARY: A 75-year-old male arrived at the Emergency Department with fevers, body aches, shortness of breath and chills. The patient had a medical history of Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and chronic urinary retention for which he self-catheterized. Additionally, the patient had diabetic peripheral neuropathy being treated with gabapentin, and he presented with elevated creatinine, […]
CLINICAL SUMMARY: An 88-year-old patient with a complex cardiac history of chronic congestive heart failure and dilated cardiomyopathy arrived at the emergency department (ED) with worsening shortness of breath and intermittent dizziness. The patient’s medical history included COPD, dilated cardiomyopathy, ventricular tachycardia with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks, atrial fibrillation (for which the patient uses Eliquis®),
Case Study: Physician Advisor Secondary Review Insight on MA Case Read More »
CLINICAL SUMMARY: Doctors performed a scheduled hysteroscopy with dilation and curettage (D&C), endocervical myomectomy and MyoSure polypectomy on a 55-year-old patient who had been experiencing abnormal uterine bleeding with cervical fibroids and an endometrial polyp. The patient had a medical history which included pancreatitis due to alcoholism with a pseudocyst, deep venous thrombosis, hypertension, pleural
Case Study: IPO List Proves Critical in Overturning Denied Inpatient Stay Read More »
CLINICAL SUMMARY: A 30-year-old patient arrived at the emergency room suffering from abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. The patient’s symptoms had been occurring for the past six weeks and progressively worsened. The patient complained of pain in the upper abdomen that radiated to the back. The patient had a medical history of anxiety, asthma, depression,
Case Study: Denial Reversed in Short Stay Alcohol-Induced Pancreatitis Admission Read More »
CLINICAL SUMMARY: A 50-year-old patient was hospitalized overnight after arriving in the emergency room with constant left flank pain. The patient was seen in the emergency room (ER) the previous week with similar symptoms, which doctors diagnosed as a 5 mm, left proximal ureteral stone with mild hydroureteronephrosis. The patient was treated and sent home
Case Study: Overnight Short-Stay Denial Reversed Read More »
CLINICAL SUMMARY: Denied One-Day Stay Overturned This case involved a patient who presented to the ER with nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, dehydration, blood sugars greater than 400 and upper abdominal pain. He was diagnosed to have DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis). This 54-year-old patient was not able to take insulin for several days leading up to this
CLINICAL SUMMARY: Medical Necessity Behind Short Stay is Key This case involves a one-day inpatient denial for a 30-year-old patient treated for acute pancreatitis. With abdominal pain and nausea, the patient went to the Emergency Department where he was found to have upper abdominal pain and tenderness, a lipase of 1,447 U/L (reference range 16-77
Case Study: Medical Necessity Behind Short Stay is Key Read More »
Both national evidence-based guidelines and insurance company guidelines factor into level of care determination. When it comes to determining a patient’s level of care for a short hospital stay, observation services are generally used for short-term monitoring, testing and evaluation to establish a treatment plan, and to give the treatment team time to see
Which Guidelines Should Hospitals Follow for an Observation Stay? Read More »