No abstract

The STESS reliably identifies SE patients who will survive. Early aggressive treatment could not be routinely warranted in patients with a favorable STESS, who will almost certainly survive their SE episode. A randomized trial using this score would be needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Practical and conceptual consequences of the results are discussed. They can be extended to the analyses of other consumption variables used in health services. Statistical procedures for casemix description, including current rules of trimming, should be improved by means of more flexible families of models.

Using current VTE prophylaxis, approximately 1 in 100 patients undergoing TPKA and approximately 1 in 200 patients undergoing TPHA develops symptomatic VTE prior to hospital discharge.