Asthma Coaching in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Objectives: Coaching and monetary incentives have been used to modify medical behavior of individuals with several chronic diseases, including asthma. The authors performed a randomized, controlled trial of an intervention combining asthma coaching during an emergency department (ED) visit for asthma, and monetary incentive to improve follow-up with primary care providers (PCP).
Methods: Subjects were parents of children 2–12 years of age, with Medicaid or no medical insurance, receiving treatment for asthma in the ED. The primary outcome was a verified PCP visit for asthma within two weeks of the index ED visit. All parents received 15 for their time in the ED. Parents in the intervention group were told that they would receive an additional 15 monetary incentive if a PCP visit was completed. The coach engaged in a dialogue with the parent during the ED visit, and discussed the importance and advantages of seeking follow-up care with the child's PCP. All parents received the usual discharge instructions, including advice to see the PCP within three days.
Results: The authors enrolled 92 parents; outcome data were available for 86 (42 controls, 50 intervention). Demographic characteristics were similar in both groups. There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients who had follow-up PCP visits between the intervention (22.0%; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 11.5% to 36.0%) and control (23.8%; 95% CI = 12.0% to 39.4%) groups (p = 0.99).
Conclusions: An intervention combining asthma coaching during acute ED visits and a monetary incentive to return for a PCP visit does not appear to increase follow-up with the PCP.     

Relapse after Emergency Department Discharge for Acute Asthma

Objectives:  The objectives were to determine patient and treatment-response factors associated with relapse after emergency department (ED) treatment for acute asthma.
Methods:  Subjects aged 18–55 years who were treated for acute asthma in 20 Canadian EDs prospectively underwent a structured ED interview and telephone contact 2 weeks later.
Results:  Of 695 enrolled patients, 604 (86.9%) were discharged from the ED; follow-up was available in 529 (87.5%); 63% were female and the median age was 29 years. Most patients were discharged on oral (70.8%) and inhaled (60.1%) corticosteroids (CS); 2-week treatment adherences were 93.3 and 80.9%, respectively. Relapse occurred in 9.2% at 1 week (95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.1% to 12.0%) and 13.9% (95% CI = 11% to 17%) at 2 weeks. In multivariable modeling, factors associated with relapse were ethnicity (risk ratio [RR] white = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.52 to 0.83); female gender (RR = 1.57; 95% CI = 1.14 to 2.09); any ED visits in the past 2 years (RR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.18 to 1.80); ever admitted for asthma treatment (RR = 1.83; 95% CI = 1.09 to 2.84); use of combined inhaled CS plus long-acting β₂-agonists (RR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.07 to 1.78) and of oral CS (RR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.12 to 1.59) at the time of ED presentation.
Conclusions:  Ethnicity (white), female gender, prior ED visits and admissions for asthma, and recent treatments (especially oral CS) were associated with asthma relapse, which remains relatively common. Future research is required to target this high-risk group.     

Embedded Guideline Information without Patient Specificity in a Commercial Emergency Department Computerized Order-entry System

Background: Clinical practice guidelines and computerized provider order entry (CPOE) have potential for improving clinical care. Questions remain about feasibility and effectiveness of CPOE in the emergency department (ED). However, successful implementations in other settings typically incorporate decision support functions that are lacking in many commercially available ED information systems.
Objectives: To compare acute coronary syndrome (ACS) guideline compliance before and after implementation of a locally implemented ACS guideline, first on paper and then in a commercially available ED information system without patient-specific clinical decision support.
Methods: Clinical data were abstracted retrospectively on patients seen before and after introduction of paper and, subsequently, CPOE versions of ACS guideline-based order-sets. Order-set use was determined. Risk category assignments were made retrospectively using guideline criteria and compliance with the guideline regarding β -blockers, heparin, and aspirin was determined. Association between order-set use and compliance was determined.
Results: The authors found increasing use of order-sets over the period of study. However, there was poor association between the order-sets used and risk stratification category. Some association between ED β -blocker use and use of CPOE order-sets was found, but there was no improvement in overall compliance with any of the guideline recommendations.
Conclusions: Adherence to an ACS guideline did not improve with implementation of a commercial ED information system without provision for patient-specific decision support. This suggests that the lack of patient-specific decision-support functionality in most current ED information system products may hamper progress in the development of effective decision support.     

The Role of Exhaled Nitric Oxide in Evaluation of Acute Asthma in a Pediatric Emergency Department

Objectives:  Fractional excretion of nitric oxide (FE_NO) has been used as a noninvasive marker to assess and manage chronic asthma in adults and children. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of obtaining FE_NO concentrations in children treated in the emergency department (ED) for acute asthma exacerbation and to examine the association between FE_NO concentrations and other measures of acute asthma severity.
Methods:  This was a cross-sectional study of a convenience sample of children 2–18 years old who were seen in an urban ED for acute asthma exacerbation. Using a tidal breathing method with real-time display, the authors measured FE_NO concentrations before and 1 hour after the administration of corticosteroids and at discharge from the ED. Outcome measures included pulmonary index score (PIS), hospital admission, and short-term outcomes (e.g., missed days of school).
Results:  A total of 133 subjects were enrolled. Sixty-eight percent (95% confidence interval [CI] = 60% to 76%) of the subjects provided adequate breaths for FE_NO measurement. There was no difference in the median initial FE_NO concentration among subjects, regardless of the severity of their acute asthma. Most subjects showed no change in their FE_NO concentrations from the start to the end of treatment. FE_NO concentrations were not significantly associated with other short-term outcomes.
Conclusions:  Measurement of FE_NO is difficult for a large proportion of children with acute asthma exacerbation. FE_NO concentration during an asthma exacerbation does not correlate with other measures of acute severity and has limited utility in the ED management of acute asthma in children.     

Implementation of Clinical Decision Rules in the Emergency Department

Clinical decision rules (CDRs) are tools designed to help clinicians make bedside diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. The development of a CDR involves three stages: derivation, validation, and implementation. Several criteria need to be considered when designing and evaluating the results of an implementation trial. In this article, the authors review the results of implementation studies evaluating the effect of four CDRs: the Ottawa Ankle Rules, the Ottawa Knee Rule, the Canadian C-Spine Rule, and the Canadian CT Head Rule. Four implementation studies demonstrated that the implementation of CDRs in the emergency department (ED) safely reduced the use of radiography for ankle, knee, and cervical spine injuries. However, a recent trial failed to demonstrate an impact on computed tomography imaging rates. Well-developed and validated CDRs can be successfully implemented into practice, efficiently standardizing ED care. However, further research is needed to identify barriers to implementation in order to achieve improved uptake in the ED.     

Effect of a Practice Guideline for Emergency Department Care of Falls in Elder Patients on Subsequent Falls and Hospitalizations for Injuries

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of a practice guideline for the ED management of falls in community-dwelling elders on selected health outcomes. METHODS: The experimental design was a prepost-intervention comparison with one-year pre- and post-intervention phases. The guideline was presented to emergency physicians and nurses during a two-week interval between these two periods. The intervention also included health information provided to the subjects and a one-time educational intervention directed at primary care providers. The number of falls in the year following the ED visit was determined by telephone interview. The number of hospitalizations for falls was determined from the HMO database of all health care encounters. RESULTS: 1,899 patients were eligible for the study; 1,140 pre-intervention and 759 post-intervention patients. Of these, 1,504 (79%) were interviewed by telephone 12 to 15 months after their initial ED visits. Eighteen percent of the pre-intervention and 21% of the post-intervention subjects reported at least one fall in the 12 months following their ED visits (p = 0.162). The rate of falls per 100 patient years was 36.2 in both groups. Three percent of both groups were hospitalized at least once for a fall in the year following their ED visits. One percent in each group were hospitalized for a hip fracture. CONCLUSIONS: The attempted implementation of a practice guideline for the ED management of falls in community-dwelling elders did not result in a reduction in total falls, or in hospitalizations for falls, injuries, or fractures.     

Heart Failure Beliefs and Self-Care Adherence While Being Treated in an Emergency Department

Background

Heart failure (HF) emergency department (ED) visits are commonly due to HF self-care nonadherence.

Objective

Our objective was to assess the accuracy of HF beliefs and adherence to self care in patients using an ED for acute HF.

Methods

A cross-sectional, correlational study using validated surveys of HF beliefs and self-care adherence was conducted. A multivariable regression model was used to control for significant baseline factors.

Results

In 195 adults, mean HF beliefs score was 2.8 ± 0.3, significantly below the accurate cutoff score of 3.0 (p < 0.001). Mean HF self-care adherence score was 5.1 (10 reflects best adherence). Of HF-related self-care behaviors, adherence was highest for taking medications without skipping or missing doses (7.8 ± 3.3) and lowest for daily weight monitoring (3.5 ± 3.5). Higher accuracy in HF beliefs was associated with higher education level (p = 0.01), younger age (p < 0.001), and choosing low-sodium restaurant foods (p = 0.04), but not with adherence to other self-care behaviors. Self-care adherence was associated with the belief that the HF care plan must be followed forever (p = 0.04), but not with other HF beliefs; and there was a trend toward lower HF self-care adherence when HF belief scores were more accurate. After controlling for significant baseline factors, HF beliefs were not associated with self-care adherence (p = 0.15).

Conclusions

Patients seeking ED care for decompensated HF had inaccurate HF beliefs and poor self-care adherence. Lack of association between HF beliefs and self care (and trend of an inverse relationship) reflects a need for predischarge HF education, including an explanation of what HF means and how it can be better controlled through self-care behaviors.     

Pilot Study Comparing Sepsis Management with and without Electronic Clinical Practice Guidelines in an Academic Emergency Department

Background

Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires urgent management in an Emergency Department (ED). Evidence-based guidelines for managing sepsis have been developed; however, their integration into routine practice is often incomplete. Care maps may help clinicians meet guideline targets more often.

Objectives

To determine if electronic clinical practice guidelines (eCPGs) improve management of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock (SS/SS).

Methods

The impact of an eCPG on the management of patients presenting with SS/SS over a 3-year period at a tertiary care ED was evaluated using retrospective case-control design and chart review methods. Cases and controls, matched by age and sex, were chosen from an electronic database using physician sepsis diagnoses. Data were compared using McNemar tests or paired t-tests, as appropriate.

Results

Overall, 51 cases and controls were evaluated; the average age was 62 years, and 60% were male. eCPG patients were more likely to have a central venous pressure and central venous oxygen saturation measured; however, lactate measurement, blood cultures, and other investigations were similarly ordered (all p > 0.05). The administration of antibiotics within 3 h (63% vs. 41%; p = 0.03) and vasopressors (45% vs. 20%; p = 0.02) was more common in the eCPG group; however, use of corticosteroids and other interventions did not differ between the groups. Overall, survival was high and similar between groups.

Conclusion

A sepsis eCPG experienced variable use; however, physicians using the eCPG achieved more quality-of-care targets for SS/SS. Strategies to increase the utilization of eCPGs in Emergency Medicine seem warranted.     

Adequacy of Medical Chart Review to Characterize Emergency Care for Asthma: Findings from the Illinois Emergency Department Asthma Collaborative

Objectives: To assess the intermethod reliability of medical chart review compared with directly observed care in patients presenting to emergency departments (EDs) for asthma care.
Methods: ED care practices for persons with asthma were evaluated by comparing chart review with trained observers. Fifty-one patients from five EDs participating in the Illinois Emergency Department Asthma Collaborative were studied. Practices in assessment, treatment, education, and referral were measured. Eighteen elements of care were assessed. Concordance between chart and observation was measured by using the kappa statistic.
Results: Of 51 subjects studied, nine were children. Kappa values varied depending on content. Kappa values ranged from 0.22 to 0.91 for items reflecting asthma assessment. Good concordances ( κ = 0.50 to 0.82) were found for items reflecting treatment practices. The lowest concordances were for items assessing educational activities ( κ = 0.04 to 0.34). Referral practices had fair to moderate concordances ( κ = 0.21 to 0.45).
Conclusions: Intermethod reliability of medical chart review and directly observed care varied depending on the element of care being measured. The use of chart review to measure quality of ED-based asthma care may only be appropriate for a limited number of care processes that are reliably and validly captured from chart review.     

Predicting Asthma Morbidity in Harlem Emergency Department Patients

OBJECTIVES: To determine predictors of asthma morbidity in African American patients with asthma. Proxies for asthma morbidity were emergency department (ED) visits for asthma and hospitalizations for asthma. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study that evaluated baseline predictors of asthma morbidity in adults in an urban, predominantly African American community in New York City. Potential predictors of asthma morbidity evaluated were education, gender, employment status, current smoking status, asthma severity, duration of asthma, daily use of a peak flow meter, presence or absence of pets at home, presence or absence of a significant other, presence or absence of medical insurance, and previous hospitalization for asthma in the past year. Follow-up consisted of a repeat questionnaire obtained between nine and 15 months after the baseline questionnaire. Follow-up data collection was limited to the last three-month history of ED visits or hospitalizations before the follow-up visit. At follow-up, the baseline predictors were related to the presence or absence of ED visits for asthma or hospitalizations for asthma. All predictors were evaluated individually (crude odds ratio [OR]) and simultaneously (adjusted OR) in a logistic regression model with the dichotomous outcome variable ED visits or hospitalization. RESULTS: Return ED visits on follow-up were more likely to occur in asthma patients hospitalized in the previous year (adjusted OR, 3.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.7 to 9.0) and were less likely to occur in asthma patients with pets (OR, 0.4; 95% CI = 0.2 to 0.9). Patients with moderate/severe asthma, relative to patients with mild asthma, were more likely to be seen in the ED on follow-up on initial analysis (crude OR, 2.4; 95% CI = 1.1 to 1.5), but the adjusted OR was not significant. Follow-up hospitalizations were significantly more likely to occur only in subjects reporting daily use of a peak flow meter (OR, 6.8; 95% CI = 1.3 to 34.5). Subjects hospitalized for asthma in the previous year were more likely to be hospitalized subsequently on initial analysis (crude OR, 2.9; 95% CI = 1.0 to 8.1), but the adjusted OR was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that African American patients with asthma who had previous hospitalizations for asthma within the past year or use a peak flow meter daily (a marker for more severe asthma) are more likely to visit the ED in the future or to be hospitalized for asthma, respectively. These patients need to be targeted and treated more aggressively to improve asthma care and decrease morbidity. The apparent protective effect of the presence of pets on reducing ED visits is unclear at this time, and the findings need to be replicated and evaluated further.     

急诊227例急性死亡病人临床分析及预防

目的：分析急诊死亡病人的临床特点，探讨早期影响因素及防治措施。方法：回顾性分析近5年来我院急诊内科急性死亡病人227例临床资料。结果：大部分死亡患者都存在诱因、忽视病情、就诊时间迟、延误诊治及不恰当的早期处理等加重病情的不利因素。结论：早期预防、早期发现及早期正确有效地诊治急危重症病人，部分死亡可以预防或避免。     

Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Adherence to Referrals From the Pediatric Emergency Department

BackgroundOutpatient referrals constitute a critical component of emergency medical care. However, barriers to care after emergency department (ED) visits have not been investigated thoroughly.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to determine the impact of sociodemographic variables on referral attendance after ED visits.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was designed. Patients aged 0–17 years who visited the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital ED in 2016 and received a referral were included. Multiple referrals for 1 patient were counted as independent encounters for statistical analysis.ResultsChart review was performed on 6120 pediatric ED encounters, producing a total of 822 referrals to University of Michigan Health System outpatient clinics. Referral attendance did not differ by race, ethnicity, language, or religion. Older age was associated with decreased attendance at referrals (p = 0.043). Patients who were black and female (p = 0.019), patients with public health insurance (p = 0.004), and patients residing in areas with either high rates of unemployment (p = 0.003), or lower high school education rates (p = 0.006) demonstrated decreased attendance. Patients referred to pediatric neurology had lower attendance rates (p < 0.001), and those referred to pediatric orthopedic surgery attended referrals more often (p = 0.006).ConclusionsThis study provides an overview of the impact of sociodemographic and departmental factors on attendance at outpatient follow-up referrals. Significant disparities exist with respect to referral attendance after emergency medical care. Informed resource allocation may be utilized to improve care for these at-risk patient populations.     

Improving Provider AASM Guideline Adherence for Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea

With an estimated 10% of the United States adult population impacted by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a protocol was created to increase clinical provider adherence to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s Clinical Guidelines for OSA. Clinic provider responsibilities included screening patients ≥ 18 years old using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), referring patients scoring > 9 for a sleep study, educating patients diagnosed with OSA regarding disease and treatment options, prescribing treatment and short-term follow-up. After providing education and resources, 72% of patients ≥ 18 years of age were screened and 19 patients with a positive screen and OSA diagnosis had reduced OSA severity after treatment.     

Prospective Evaluation of Two Clinical Scores for Acute Asthma in Children 18 Months to 7 Years of Age

Objectives: The objective was to evaluate the discriminatory ability of two clinical asthma scores, the Preschool Respiratory Assessment Measure (PRAM) and the Pediatric Asthma Severity Score (PASS), during an asthma exacerbation. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study in an academic pediatric emergency department (ED; 60,000 visits/year) conducted from March 2006 to October 2007. All patients 18 months to 7 years of age who presented for an asthma exacerbation were eligible. The primary outcome was a length of stay (LOS) of >6 hours in the ED or admission to the hospital. Clinical findings and components of the PRAM and the PASS were assessed by a respiratory therapist (RT) at the start of the ED visit and after 90 minutes of treatment. Results: During the study period, 3,845 patients were seen in the ED for an asthma exacerbation. Of these, 291 were approached to participate, and eight refused. Moderate levels of discrimination were found between a LOS of >6 hours and/or admission and PRAM (area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.59 to 0.79) and PASS (AUC = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.60 to 0.80) as calculated at the start of the ED visit. Significant similar correlations were seen between the physician’s judgment of severity and PRAM (r = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.42 to 0.65) and PASS (r = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.43 to 0.65). Conclusions: The PRAM and PASS clinical asthma scores appear to be measures of asthma severity in children with discriminative properties. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:598–603 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine     

Performance of a Novel Clinical Score, the Pediatric Asthma Severity Score (PASS), in the Evaluation of Acute Asthma

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of a new clinical asthma score, the Pediatric Asthma Severity Score (PASS), in children aged 1 through 18 years in an acute clinical setting. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of children treated for acute asthma at two urban pediatric emergency departments (EDs). A total of 852 patients were enrolled at one site and 369 at the second site. Clinical findings were assessed at the start of the ED visit, after one hour of treatment, and at the time of disposition. Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) (for patients aged 6 years and older) and pulse oximetry were also measured. RESULTS: Composite scores including three, four, or five clinical findings were evaluated, and the three-item score (wheezing, prolonged expiration, and work of breathing) was selected as the PASS. Interobserver reliability for the PASS was good to excellent (kappa = 0.72 to 0.83). There was a significant correlation between PASS and PEFR (r = 0.27 to 0.37) and pulse oximetry (r = 0.29 to 0.41) at various time points. The PASS was able to discriminate between those patients who did and did not require hospitalization, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.82. Finally, the PASS was shown to be responsive, with a 48% relative increase in score from start to end of treatment and an overall effect size of 0.62, indicating a moderate to large effect. CONCLUSIONS: This clinical score, the PASS, based on three clinical findings, is a reliable and valid measure of asthma severity in children and shows both discriminative and responsive properties. The PASS may be a useful tool to assess acute asthma severity for clinical and research purposes.