急诊室工作环境对急诊护士生活质量的影响

[目的]了解急诊室工作环境对急诊护士生活质量的影响。[方法]应用生活质量综合评定问卷对64名急诊护士(研究组)及非急诊护士(对照组) 60名生活质量进行调查,分析急诊室环境与急诊护士生活质量的相关性。[结果]急诊护士总体生活质量、躯体功能、心理功能、社会功能均较对照组差,其中心理功能、躯体功能对生活质量的影响最大。[结论]长期进行急诊护理工作的护士,生活质量较非急诊护士差,医院需重视急诊护理工作,改善急诊环境,以减轻工作压力,提高急诊护理质量。     

Why SANEs matter: models of care for sexual violence victims in the emergency department

This study examines models of SANE service in the ED and quality of care. Nurse managers of all 82 EDs in Virginia were surveyed (RR 76%). Five models emerged: 1) No SANE services (27.4%); 2) Victims transferred off-site for services (14.5%); 3) Partial coverage of services by ED SANEs (16.1%); 4) SANEs called in from off-site (6.5%); and 5) full-coverage of services by ED SANEs (35.5%). Models 4 and 5 consistently provided a higher quality of care.     

Patient and Primary Care Physician Satisfaction with Chest Pain Unit and Routine Care

OBJECTIVES: The chest pain unit (CPU) has been developed to improve care for patients with acute, undifferentiated chest pain. The authors aimed to measure patient and primary care physician (PCP) satisfaction with CPU care and routine care and to determine whether patient satisfaction predicted PCP satisfaction. METHODS: A CPU was established, and 442 days were randomly allocated to either CPU care or routine care. Consenting patients presenting with acute, undifferentiated chest pain were recruited and followed at two days and one month. All were given a self-completed patient satisfaction questionnaire two days after attendance (N = 972). Each patient's PCP was sent a self-completed satisfaction questionnaire during days 171-442 of the trial (N = 601). Analysis determined whether CPU care was associated with improved patient or PCP satisfaction and whether patient satisfaction predicted PCP satisfaction for three questions relating to diagnosis, treatment, and overall care. RESULTS: CPU care was consistently associated with higher scores across all patient satisfaction questions, from the perceived thoroughness of examination to care received to an overall assessment of the service received. However, CPU care achieved small improvements in only two of ten PCP satisfaction questions, concerning overall management of the patient and the amount of information about investigations performed. Furthermore, patient satisfaction did not predict PCP satisfaction in relation to diagnosis (p = 0.456), treatment (p = 0.256), or overall care (p = 0.085). CONCLUSIONS: CPU care is associated with substantial improvements in all dimensions of patient satisfaction but only minimal improvements in PCP satisfaction. Patient satisfaction was not a strong predictor of PCP satisfaction with emergency care.     

The relationship between distance to hospital and patient mortality in emergencies: an observational study

Objectives

Reconfiguration of emergency services could lead to patients with life‐threatening conditions travelling longer distances to hospital. Concerns have been raised that this could increase the risk of death. We aimed to determine whether distance to hospital was associated with mortality in patients with life‐threatening emergencies.

Methods

We undertook an observational cohort study of 10 315 cases transported with a potentially life‐threatening condition (excluding cardiac arrests) by four English ambulance services to associated acute hospitals, to determine whether distance to hospital was associated with mortality, after adjustment for age, sex, clinical category and illness severity.

Results

Straight‐line ambulance journey distances ranged from 0 to 58 km with a median of 5 km, and 644 patients died (6.2%). Increased distance was associated with increased risk of death (odds ratio 1.02 per kilometre; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03; p<0.001). This association was not changed by adjustment for confounding by age, sex, clinical category or illness severity. Patients with respiratory emergencies showed the greatest association between distance and mortality.

Conclusion

Increased journey distance to hospital appears to be associated with increased risk of mortality. Our data suggest that a 10‐km increase in straight‐line distance is associated with around a 1% absolute increase in mortality.     

How healthy are our emergency departments?

Objective: To demonstrate a comprehensive workplace health survey is able to identify indicators that contribute to staff workplace welfare. Methods: Analysis of a VicHealth workplace health survey distributed to seven suburban emergency departments. Respondents rated multiple workplace health indicators in terms of perceived importance and perceived performance. A satisfaction rating and performance gap for each indicator was calculated. Results: There was a 64% response rate to 500 surveys. Staff rated a safe environment, professional standards, and staff morale the most important factors for workplace health. They were most satisfied with the flexibility of work arrangements (85.6%) and leadership (79.9%), and were least satisfied with the performance management of staff (68.5%) and job satisfaction and morale (67.2%). The largest gaps between perceived importance and performance were in the provision of safe well‐lit parking, staff morale, and the use of reward and recognition systems. Conclusion: The VicHealth survey was an effective tool in identifying indicators that contribute to staff workplace health. Quantifiable findings allowed interdepartmental comparison and may be useful in focusing on improvements in organizational structure.     

2016年6月全国突发公共卫生事件及需关注的传染病风险评估

目的 评估2016年6月国内外突发公共卫生事件及需要关注传染病的风险。方法 根据国内外突发公共卫生事件报告及重点传染病监测等各种资料和部门通报信息,采用专家会商法,并通过视频会议形式邀请省(直辖市、自治区)疾病预防控制中心专家参与评估。结果 近期我国仍有可能出现黄热病、寨卡病毒病、登革热、基孔肯雅热等蚊媒传播传染病的输入性病例,广东、云南、海南、福建、广西和浙江等重点省(自治区)存在输入后发生本地传播的可能。全国手足口病流行强度将逐渐增强,重症和死亡病例将逐渐增多。人感染禽流感疫情仍可能呈散发态势。食物中毒事件将进一步增多。结论 根据近期传染病和突发公共卫生事件监测数据,结合既往突发公共卫生事件发生情况及传染病流行特点分析,预计全国6月总报告事件数和病例数较5月基本持平。需重点关注寨卡病毒病、黄热病、登革热和基孔肯雅热等媒介伊蚊传染病,人感染禽流感、手足口病和食物中毒的公共卫生风险。     

Remote Scene Size-up Using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in a Simulated Mass Casualty Incident

Introduction: The scene-size-up is a crucial first step in the response to a mass casualty incident (MCI). Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) may potentially enhance the scene-size-up with real-time visual feedback during chaotic, evolving or inaccessible events. We performed this study to test the feasibility of paramedics using UAV video from a simulated MCI to identify scene hazards, initiate patient triage, and designate key operational locations.

Methods: We simulated an MCI, including 15 patients plus 4 hazards, on a college campus. A UAV surveyed the scene, capturing video of all patients, hazards, surrounding buildings and streets. We invited attendees of a provincial paramedic meeting to participate. Participants received a lecture on Sort-Assess-Lifesaving Interventions-Treatment/Transport (SALT) Triage and MCI scene management principles. Next, they watched the UAV video footage. We directed participants to sort patients according to SALT Triage Step One, identify injuries, and to localize the patients within the campus. Additionally, we asked them to select a start point for SALT Triage Step Two, identify and locate hazards, and designate locations for an Incident Command Post, Treatment Area, Transport Area and Access/Egress routes. The primary outcome was the number of correctly allocated triage scores.

Results: Ninety-six individuals participated. Mean age was 35 years (SD 11); 46% (44) were female and 49% (47) were Primary Care Paramedics. Most participants (79; 82%) correctly sorted at least 12 of 15 patients. Increased age was associated with decreased triage accuracy [?0.04(?0.07, ?0.01); p?=?0.031]. Fifty-two (54%) correctly localized 12 or more patients to a 27?×?20m grid area. Advanced paramedic certification, and local residency were associated with improved patient localization [2.47(0.23,4.72); p?=?0.031], [3.36(1.10,5.61); p?=?0.004]. The majority of participants (70; 81%) chose an acceptable location to start SALT Triage Step Two and 75 (78%) identified at least 3 of 4 hazards. Approximately half (53; 56%) of participants appropriately designated 4 or more of 5 key operational areas.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates the ability of UAV technology to remotely facilitate the scene size-up in an MCI. Additional research is required to further investigate optimal strategies to deploy UAVs in this context.     

The Emergency Department Electrocardiogram and Hospital Complications in Myocardial Infarction Patients

Objective: To determine whether acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients who have negative ECGs on presentation have significantly lower complication rates than do those AMI patients who have positive ECGs on presentation.
Methods: Retrospective, cohort analysis comparing rates of hospital complications (ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia, shock, atrial arrhythmia or bradyarrhythmia with systolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg, pulmonary edema) or interventions among patients with a final hospital diagnosis of AMI and an initially negative vs positive ECG. A negative ECG was normal or had nonspecific ST–segment and/or T–wave abnormalities (upright, flattened T waves; an isolated inverted T wave; ST depression <0.1 mV; tall T waves with J–point elevation) or minor nonischemic abnormalities. Sample size was adequate to detect a 30% between–group difference in complication rates [α = 0.05, 1 —- β (power) = 0.80].
Results: The 27 negative–ECG AMI patients differed from the 38 control patients in (mean X SD) age [57 X 12 vs 66 X 12 years, p < 0.01] but not in gender or history of AMI. The negative– and positive–ECG groups had similar rates of hospital complications [30% (95% CI: 13–47%) vs 42% (95% CI: 26–58%), p = 0.44] and intensive procedures [19% (95% CI: 4–34%) vs 29% (95% CI: 15–43%), p = 0.50], respectively. The negative–ECG patients with hospital complications had ECG evolution precede the event in 83% (95% CI: 69–97%) of cases; persistently negative–ECG patients had no complication [(95% CI: 0–33%), p = 0.06].
Conclusions: Negative– and positive–ECG AMI patients do not have moderate or large differences in the rates of in–hospital complications. Most negative–ECG patients who suffer complications evolve ECG changes prior to the event and such changes indicate the potential need for a higher level of care.     

The formation of cocaethylene and clinical presentation of ED patients testing positive for the use of cocaine and ethanol

The purpose of this investigation was to document the clinical presentation of emergency department (ED) patients who tested positive for concurrent cocaine (COC) and ethanol (EtOH) use and the incidence of cocaethylene (CE) formation in this study population. Four study groups were evaluated: (1) drug-free, (2) EtOH-only, (3) COC-only, and (4) COC plus EtOH. CE was detected in plasma or urine specimens in 88% of the COC/EtOH-positive patients, and correlated directly with plasma COC and its metabolite benzoylecognine. Blood pressure and body temperature did not vary across study groups. COC/EtOH-positive patients displayed a significantly higher mean respiratory rate while the EtOH-only study group had an elevated mean heart rate. No significant differences were detected with respect to cardiac and neurological complaints between study groups. Trauma complaints in the drug-positive groups were more frequent than the incidence reported in the drug-free population. COC/EtOH-positive patients had the greatest percentage of trauma complaints (34.6%). Nearly half of the patients who tested positive for CE cited trauma as the primary reason for reporting to the ED. We conclude that ED patients who have concurrently used COC and EtOH are more closely associated with presentations related to traumatic injury than to those related to toxicologic complications.