The purpose of our study was to determine whether there is a relationship between renal cortical thickness or length measured on ultrasound and the degree of renal impairment in chronic kidney disease (CKD). MATERIALS AND METHODS.
Where Have All the Nurses Gone? According to Nursing Solutions' 2013 National Healthcare and Registered Nurse Retention Report, hospital turnover rates in 2013 range from 8.7 to 31.7 percent nationwide. The national average for that year is 14.7 percent, up slightly from the previous year. The swelling labor market plays a part. As the economy heats up, voluntary turnover rates increase, with staff looking to secure better positions and promotions elsewhere. Alarmingly, more than 37 percent of Nursing Solutions' hospital respondents report a 2013 registered nurse vacancy rate above 7.5 percent.
Hospital and Surgery Costs. Total health care spending in America was approximately $2.7 trillion in 2011. A little over 31 percent of that amount, or $814 billion, was spent on hospital services. Hospital costs averaged $3,949 per day, and costs per stay averaged $15,734. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the total number of inpatient surgeries performed in 2009 was 48 million. Total spending for common hospital operating room procedures in nonfederal community hospitals was over $166 billion.