MEDNAX, Inc. (NYSE: MD) announced that a study of the increase
in admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) related to
neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) has been published online in the
New England Journal of Medicine.
NAS is a drug withdrawal syndrome that most commonly occurs
after in utero exposure to opioids. From 2000 to 2009, the
incidence of NAS in the United States nearly tripled, according to
an article published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association in 2012, concurrent with growth in the use of opioids
by pregnant women.
Despite these increases, no study had yet evaluated changes in
NICU utilization or management of infants with the syndrome. The
study published by the NEJM, titled “Increasing Incidence of the
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in U.S. Neonatal ICUs,” directly
addresses this topic, relying on data from MEDNAX’s Clinical Data
Warehouse, and found that NAS is responsible for a substantial and
growing portion of resources dedicated to critically ill neonates
in NICUs nationwide.
“This study highlights one of the most critical issues in
neonatal medicine today, namely the increasing exposure of the
fetus to narcotic drugs,” said Alan Spitzer, M.D., Senior Vice
President for Research, Education and Quality at MEDNAX. “The
rapidly rising rate of NICU admissions for neonates who are
withdrawing from narcotic exposure during pregnancy is alarming
and, most importantly, is a preventable problem. The study also
highlights the value of ‘Big Data’ from the MEDNAX Clinical Data
Warehouse in defining emerging issues such as this one.”
Using multiple cross-sectional analyses, researchers affiliated
with MEDNAX’s Clinical Research, Education and Quality efforts
analyzed infants with NAS from 2004 to 2013 in 299 NICUs across the
United States from a de-identified dataset. During the study
period, the rate of NICU admissions for NAS increased nearly
four-fold, from 7 to 27 per 1,000 admissions; the median length of
stay increased from 13 to 19 days; and the total percentage of
nationwide NICU days devoted to care of NAS infants increased from
0.6% to 4.0%, representing a 6.7-fold increase.
In addition to publishing this study, MEDNAX has been an active
participant in awareness efforts related to the rising burden of
NAS on the United States healthcare system. In March, Dr. Stefan
Maxwell, Chair of the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership,
testified before a House of Representatives Committee on the topic
in conjunction with the introduction of the Protecting Our Infants
Act, which directs the Department of Health and Human Services to
make recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of NAS.
Dr. Spitzer added, “It is important to note that while the
neonatologist is the clinician confronted with this problem, by the
time the infant arrives in the NICU, his or her pathway is already
in motion. Women who are contemplating pregnancy must be made aware
of the risks of narcotics to their fetus, so that the problem can
be avoided.”
The study was a collaborative effort between MEDNAX and Baylor
Scott & White Health. Veeral N. Tolia, M.D., a MEDNAX physician
and faculty at Baylor University Medical Center’s Division of
Neonatology and Department of Pediatrics, is the principal author,
and Dr. Spitzer is senior author. The study can be found online at
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1500439.
ABOUT MEDNAX
MEDNAX, Inc. is a national medical group comprised of the
nation's leading providers of neonatal, anesthesia, maternal-fetal
and pediatric physician subspecialty services. Physicians and
advanced practitioners practicing as part of MEDNAX are reshaping
the delivery of care within their specialties and subspecialties,
using evidence-based tools, continuous quality initiatives and
clinical research to enhance patient outcomes and provide
high-quality, cost-effective care. Pediatrix Medical Group, a
division of MEDNAX, was founded in 1979 and includes neonatal
physicians who provide services at more than 370 neonatal intensive
care units, and collaborate with affiliated maternal-fetal
medicine, pediatric cardiology, pediatric critical care and other
physician subspecialists to provide a clinical care continuum.
Pediatrix is also the nation's largest provider of newborn hearing
screens. American Anesthesiology, a division of MEDNAX, was
established in 2007 and includes more than 2,400 anesthesiologists
and advanced practitioners who provide anesthesia care to patients
in connection with surgical and other procedures as well as pain
management. MEDNAX, through its affiliated professional
corporations, employs more than 2,675 physicians in 34 states and
Puerto Rico. In addition to its national physician network, MEDNAX
provides services to medical providers in over 40 states through
two complementary businesses, consisting of a revenue cycle
management company and a consulting services company. Additional
information is available at www.mednax.com.
Certain statements and information in this press release may be
deemed to contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking
statements may include, but are not limited to, statements relating
to our objectives, plans and strategies, and all statements, other
than statements of historical facts, that address activities,
events or developments that we intend, expect, project, believe or
anticipate will or may occur in the future. These statements are
often characterized by terminology such as “believe”, “hope”,
“may”, “anticipate”, “should”, “intend”, “plan”, “will”, “expect”,
“estimate”, “project”, “positioned”, “strategy” and similar
expressions, and are based on assumptions and assessments made by
MEDNAX’s management in light of their experience and their
perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected
future developments and other factors they believe to be
appropriate. Any forward-looking statements in this press release
are made as of the date hereof, and MEDNAX undertakes no duty to
update or revise any such statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise. Forward-looking statements
are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks
and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual
results, developments, and business decisions to differ materially
from forward-looking statements are described in MEDNAX’s most
recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q, including the sections entitled “Risk Factors”, as well
MEDNAX’s current reports on Form 8-K, filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
MEDNAX, Inc.Charles Lynch, 954-384-0175, x 5692Vice President,
Strategy and Investor Relationscharles_lynch@mednax.com
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