FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 27, 2015--
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.
Source: MEDNAX, Inc.
MEDNAX, Inc.
Charles Lynch, 954-384-0175, x 5692
Vice
President, Strategy and Investor Relations
charles_lynch@mednax.com