The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Frequently Asked Questions: General Thoracic Database

Version 2.07

 October, 2006

How to use the “interactive” FAQ Document:

1.  To review all clinical questions in an individual section, click on the section title below.

2.      To review an individual Seq# clinical question, click on the Seq# title below.

Participation in both General Thoracic and Adult Cardiac Databases

GENERAL STATEMENT #2

Seq# 200:   Zubrod Score                                                       Seq# 775:  Postop Events

Seq# 300:   WtLoss3Kg                                                           Seq# 860: Pneumonia

Seq# 310:  Category of disease                                              Seq# 930:  Other Pumonary Event

Seq# 390:  PreOp Chemotherapy                                           Seq# 940:  Atrial Arryhthmia

Seq# 400:  PreOp Thoracic RT                                               Seq# 1020:  Anastomotic leak

Seq# 430:  Other Cormorbidity                                              Seq# 1190:  Empyema

Seq# 540:  Clinical Stage Not Applicable (2.06)                  Seq# 1200:  Other event req. Rx

Seq# 725:  Reoperation                                                          Seq# 1250:  30 Day Status

Seq# 740:  Procedure                                                             Seq# 1280:  Chest Tube Out Date

Seq# 750:  Primary Procedure                   

Seq# 751:  Thoracoscopy Approach

NEW

Date

SeqNo

FieldName

Definition

1220

Discharge date

Indicate the date the patient was discharged from the hospital (acute care).  If the patient expired in the hospital, the discharge date is the date of death.

1230

Discharge status - alive or dead

Indicate whether the patient was alive or dead at discharge from the hospitalization in which the primary surgery procedure occurred.

1240

Date of death if death occurs after discharge

Indicate the date the patient was diagnosed clinically dead.

1250

Status 30 days after surgery - alive or dead

Indicate whether the patient was alive or dead at 30 days post surgery (whether in the hospital or not).

3/06

If the patient is not seen at our institution after surgery (post 30 days) how do we answer.  (i.e. it is unknown if the patient is alive or dead--or had post op complications.)  How do other institution respond to this question when they have no documentation verifying the patient is alive?  Where else might they get the information.

This has been resolved in v2.07. "Unknown" was added as a choice for Seq# 1250. For v2.06, there are some proprietary services that are available for contracting to investigate deaths outside of the hospital. Also, there is the National Death Index, which runs approximately 18 months behind. If you have the resources, calling all patients that were discharged alive could be initiated.

NEW!

10/06

Short Field Name: Status 30days after surgery
  Message: If a patient discharge status is dead, but they were still alive at 30 days, is this counted as an in-hospital mortality but not a 30-day mortality? How is this calculated for the Harvest?

Both of these variables appear separately in the report and are handled as separate variables.  In your example, if both values are not missing then this record will appear in both denominators but would only appear in the numerator for discharge mortality, not for 30-day mortality.

1275

Patient Discharged with Chest Tube

Indicate whether the patient was discharged with a chest tube.

1280

Date chest tube was removed

Indicate the date the last chest tube was removed prior to discharge.

3/06

In reviewing the updated version 2.07, the wording has changed and it is unclear if the date of chest tube removal is only for those who have chest tubes d/c while in house.  Do you also want the date the tubes were removed if they were d/c with a chest tube?

Seq# 1275 CTubeDis Yes/No is the Parent Field to Seq# 1280 CTubeOutDate. This means that Seq# 1280 will only be required to be answered if Seq# 1275 CTubeDis=Yes.

1300

Pathological stage n/a

Indicate if path staging is not applicable.  For benign disease or pulmonary metastases of any type, pathological staging is not applicable.

4/04

Lung and Esophageal cancer staging is the only staging applicable in the STS General Thoracic Database. 

4/04

Please define the difference between clinical staging and pathological staging.

Clinicopathological staging of cancer:  Staging is the clinical or pathological assessment of the extent of tumor spread.

Clinical staging is a preoperative assessment.  It is based on clinical, radiological and operative information.  Clinical Staging is used to determine treatment offered to patients.

Pathological staging is a postoperative assessment that is based on pathological testing results.  Provides useful prognostic information and allows decisions to be made regarding adjuvant therapy.

NEW!

10/06

Are carcinoid (neuroendocrine) tumors staged as lung CA?  We have a difference of opinion among our physicians.

stage them as lung cancer.

1310

Pathological stage T

Indicate the appropriate descriptor for tumor based on the pathological staging characteristics of the tumor.  (See Appendix A for full description.)

1320

Pathological stage N

  Indicate the appropriate descriptor for nodes based on the pathological staging characteristics of the lymph nodes.  (See Appendix A for full description.)

1330

Pathological stage M

Indicate the appropriate descriptor for metastasis based on the pathological staging characteristics of the metastasis(es).  (See Appendix A for full description.)

1340

Pathological stage Ma, b

For esophageal carcinoma patients only.  Please indicate the appropriate Metastasis descriptor based on the pathological staging of the metastasis(es).  (See Appendix A for full description.)