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Racial and ethnic differences
Table 2.10a. Racial and Ethnic Differences in Patient Safety
| Measure |
Racial Differencei |
Ethnic
Differenceii |
| Black |
Asian |
NHOPI |
AI/AN |
>1 Race |
Hispanic |
| Nosocomial Infections |
| Selected infections due to medical care per
1000 dischargesiii |
↓iii |
↓iii |
|
|
= |
| Postoperative septicemia per 1,000 elective surgical
discharges of 4 or more daysiii |
↓iii |
=iii |
|
|
↓ |
| Medicare beneficiaries with central venous
catheter-associated infection at insertion siteiv |
= |
|
|
|
|
| Medicare beneficiaries with central venous
catheter-associated blood stream infectioniv |
= |
|
|
|
|
Medicare beneficiaries with postoperative
pneumoniaiv |
= |
|
|
|
|
Medicare beneficiaries with postoperative urinary
tract infectioniv |
= |
|
|
|
|
Medicare beneficiaries with ventilator-associated
pneumoniaiv |
= |
|
|
|
|
Medicare beneficiaries with hospital-acquired blood
stream infectioniv |
= |
|
|
|
|
Complications of Care |
| Postoperative hemorrhage or hematoma with surgical
drainage or evacuation per 1,000 surgical
dischargesiii |
↓iii |
↓iii |
|
|
↑ |
| Postoperative pulmonary embolus or deep vein
thrombosis per 1,000 surgical dischargesiii |
↓iii |
↓iii |
|
|
= |
| Postoperative respiratory failure per 1,000 elective
surgical dischargesiii |
↓iii |
↓iii |
|
|
↓ |
| Postoperative physiologic/metabolic derangements
per 1,000 elective surgeriesiii |
↓iii |
=iii |
|
|
= |
| Complications of anesthesia per 1,000 surgical
dischargesiii |
↑iii |
=iii |
|
|
↑ |
| Decubitus ulcers per 1,000 selected stays of 4 or
more daysiii |
↓iii |
↑iii |
|
|
↓ |
| Postoperative hip fractures per 1,000 surgical
discharges age 18 and overiii |
↑iii |
=iii |
|
|
= |
| Medicare beneficiaries with postoperative
pulmonaryembolus or deep vein thrombosisiv |
↓ |
|
|
|
|
iCompared with whites.
iiCompared with non-Hispanic whites.
iiiSource: HCUP SID disparities analysis file, 2001. This source categorizes race/ethnicity ve ry differently from other sources. Race/ethnicity information
is categorized as a single item: non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander. Contrasts compare each group with non-
Hispanic whites.
ivSource: Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring System, 2002.
Key: NHOPI=Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; AI/AN=American Indian or Alaska Native.

Table 2.10a. Racial and Ethnic Differences in Patient Safety (continued)
| Measure |
Racial Differencei |
Ethnic
Differenceii |
| Black |
Asian |
NHOPI |
AI/AN |
>1 Race |
Hispanic |
| Injuries or Adverse Events Due to Care |
| Medicare beneficiaries with central venous
catheter-associated mechanical complicationiii |
= |
|
|
|
|
|
| Accidental laceration or puncture during procedure
per 1,000 dischargesiv |
=iv |
=iv |
|
|
↑ |
| I a t r ogenic pneumothorax per 1,000 relevant
dischargesiv |
=iv |
=iv |
|
|
↑ |
| Reclosure of postoperative disruption of abdominal
wall (postoperative abdominal wound dehiscence)
per 1,000 abdominopelvic-surg e ry dischargesiv |
=iv |
↑iv |
|
|
↑ |
| Foreign body left in during procedure per 1,000
dischargesiv |
=iv |
=iv |
|
|
= |
| B i rth Related Traumaiv |
| B i rth trauma injury to neonate per 1,000 selected
live births |
=iv |
=iv |
|
|
↑ |
| Obstetric trauma per 1,000 instrument-assisted
deliveries |
↑iv |
=iv |
|
|
= |
| Obstetric trauma per 1,000 vaginal deliveries
without instrument assistance |
↑iv |
=iv |
|
|
↑ |
| Obstetric trauma per 1,000 cesarean deliveries |
=iv |
=iv |
|
|
↑ |
| Potentially Avoidable Deathv |
| Deaths per 1,000 discharges in low - mortality
DRGs |
↓iv |
=iv |
|
|
= |
| Deaths per 1,000 discharges with complications
potentially resulting from care (failure to rescue) |
=iv |
↓iv |
|
|
= |
| Medication Safetyv |
| Persons with provider who does not usually
ask about medications and treatments other
doctors may give |
↑ |
=iv |
= |
|
↑ |
iCompared with whites.
iiCompared with non-Hispanic whites.
iiiSource: Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring System, 2002.
ivSource: HCUP State Inpatient Databases disparities analysis file, 2001. This source categorizes race/ethnicity ve ry differently from other sources.
Race/ethnicity information is categorized as a single item: non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander. These contrasts
compare each group with non-Hispanic whites.
vSource: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2001. This source did not collect information on Asians and NHOPIs separately but in aggr egate as Asian or
Pacific Islander. This source did not collect information for >>1 race.
Key: NHOPI=Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; AI/AN=American Indian or Alaska Native.
Key to Symbols Used in Quality of Health Care Tables
=: Group and comparison group receive about same quality of health care or have similar outcomes.
↑Group receives better quality of health care than the comparison group or has better outcomes.
↓Group receives poorer quality of health care than the comparison group or has worse outcomes.
Blank cell: Reliable estimate for group could not be made.