General characteristics of patients with electrolyte imbalance admitted to emergency department

BACKGROUND:

Fluid and electrolyte balance is a key concept to understand for maintaining homeostasis, and for a successful treatment of many metabolic disorders. There are various regulating mechanisms for the equilibrium of electrolytes in organisms. Disorders of these mechanisms result in electrolyte imbalances that may be life-threatening clinical conditions. In this study we defined the electrolyte imbalance characteristics of patients admitted to our emergency department.

METHODS:

This study was conducted in the Emergency Department (ED) of Uludag University Faculty of Medicine, and included 996 patients over 18 years of age. All patients had electrolyte imbalance, with various etiologies other than traumatic origin. Demographic and clinical parameters were collected after obtaining informed consent from the patients. The ethical committee of the university approved this study.

RESULTS:

The mean age of the patients was 59.28±16.79, and 55% of the patients were male. The common symptoms of the patients were dyspnea (14.7%), fever (13.7%), and systemic deterioration (11.9%); but the most and least frequent electrolyte imbalances were hyponatremia and hypermagnesemia, respectively. Most frequent findings in physical examination were confusion (14%), edema (10%) and rales (9%); and most frequent pathological findings in ECG were tachycardia in 24%, and atrial fibrillation in 7% of the patients. Most frequent comorbidity was malignancy (39%). Most frequent diagnoses in the patients were sepsis (11%), pneumonia (9%), and acute renal failure (7%).

CONCLUSIONS:

Electrolyte imbalances are of particular importance in the treatment of ED patients. Therefore, ED physicians must be acknowledged of their fluid-electrolyte balance dynamics and general characteristics.KEY WORDS: Emergency department, Electrolyte imbalance, Patient characteristics     

Preventable deaths in patients admitted from emergency department

Background

There is limited data about how appropriate medical care is in the emergency department (ED).

Objectives

To investigate the rate and types of preventable deaths among patients with early mortality after emergency admission from the ED.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed charts of early mortality (defined as mortality which occurred within 24 hours after admission from the ED ) over a 3 year period. Those patients with terminal cancer or out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) at presentation were excluded. Two independent assessors reviewed each eligible chart and determined whether early mortality was preventable. Any disagreements were resolved through discussion between the investigators. A mortality event was considered preventable if actions or missed actions were identified that would have prevented the death. The types of preventability were categorised as misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, and inappropriate medical management. Interrater reliability in the initial determination was assessed using Cohen κ statistic.

Results

Over a 3 year period, 210 early mortality cases were identified. Excluding patients with terminal cancer or OHCA, the rate of preventable deaths was 25.8% (32/124). The types of preventability were inappropriate medical management (17 patients), delayed diagnosis (eight), and misdiagnosis (seven). There was good agreement between assessors with a Cohen κ statistic of 0.81.

Conclusions

Preventable deaths in emergency admitted patients with early mortality are not uncommon. Analysis and identification of preventability early mortality by using a chart based method may be used as a quality assurance index in emergency medical care.     

Clinical use of copeptin in migraine patients admitted to the emergency department

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical use of copeptin to evaluate migraine attacks in the Emergency Department. An additional aim was to detect changes in serum copeptin levels in migraine patients during attack and attack-free periods.MethodsThis prospective case–control study included 52 migraine patients and 51 healthy individuals with similar demographic characteristics. Blood samples were collected from migraine patients both in attack and attack-free periods.ResultsThe mean copeptin levels in the patients group in the attack and attack-free periods were 689.28 and 576.68 pg/ml, respectively, whereas they were 608.68 pg/ml in the control group. There was a significant difference in the mean copeptin level in the attack period and attack-free periods (p = 0.026). The sensitivity and specificity of copeptin in detecting headache episodes in migraine patients were 58.8% and 60.7%, respectively, at a cut-off value of 388.67 pg/ml.ConclusionThis is the first study to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of serum copeptin levels in migraine patients. Although the diagnostic efficacy of serum copeptin levels for migraines was unsatisfactory, it could be helpful at management of migraine patients in ED.     

Attributes of cancer patients admitted to the emergency department in one year

BACKGROUND:

Cancer patients frequently visit the emergency department (ED) with various symptoms of cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics and 1-year survival rate of cancer patients in the ED of a university hospital.

METHODS:

We conducted a retrospective review of 408 cancer patients who visited the ED between January 2011 and December 2011. Patient information on demographics, chief complaints, findings, and survival was gathered from the hospital registry and corresponding health administration.

RESULTS:

The study included 240 (58.8%) males and 168 (41.2%) females with a median age of 57.9 years (range 19–87). Regarding cancer staging, 266 patients (65.3%) had metastatic disease and 142 (34.7%) had local and loco-regional disease. The hospitalization rate was 59.6%. The most common symptoms were shortness of breath (23.2%), pain (17.8%), fever (14.2%), and nausea/vomiting (14.4%). The most common cancer sites were the lung (32.5%), gastrointestinal system (25.4%), and breast (9.3%). The initial evaluation determined progressive disease (42.4%), chemotherapy effects (20.7%), infections (17.2%), radiotherapy effects (4.7%), extravasation (1.8%), anemia (1.4%), and unknown (11.3%). During follow up, 191 (46.8%) patients died after admission to the ED. The 1-year overall survival of all patients was 7.3 months.

CONCLUSIONS:

Symptom management in cancer patients is a complex multifaceted concern for the emergency physician. Because of the increasing prevalence of cancer patients, emergency physicians should develop consensus algorithms in collaboration with the relevant disciplines to manage the commonly encountered problems.KEY WORDS: Cancer, Oncology, Emergency department, Survival     

Multimarker panel in patients admitted to emergency department: a comparison with reference methods

Objectives

Point of care testing and multimarker panels are rapidly expanding in emergency departments. We determined the reliability of Short-of-Breath SOB® panel in patients admitted for acute dyspnea and/or chest pain.

Design and methods

SOB® d-dimer, BNP, cTnI, CK-MB and myoglobin assays were compared with references in 97 outpatients.

Results

The correlation between SOB® and references methods was acceptable, but with limited precision and accuracy.

Conclusions

Diagnostic performances and cut-off values should be further validated before clinicians replace traditional cardio-respiratory biomarkers by the new SOB® panel.     

Prevalence of victims of violence admitted to an emergency department

Objective: To collect data on the consultation frequency and demographic profile of victims of violence attending an emergency department (ED) in Switzerland.     

Analgesic efficacy of orodispersible paracetamol in patients admitted to the emergency department with an osteoarticular injury.

INTRODUCTION: Acute pain still persists in patients under treatment after admission to emergency departments (ED). The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of 1 g of paracetamol in patients presenting an osteoarticular injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study included all patients admitted to the ED with an osteoarticular injury and a pain score above 30 on the visual analogue scale (VAS). Patients were selected on admission by the reception nurse and given paracetamol within 5 min of admission. VAS scores were recorded 30 and 60 min after admission. On discharge from the ED, the patients underwent a further VAS assessment and were asked a question about pain relief (yes/no answer). The primary endpoint was the VAS score at 60 min. The secondary endpoint was the pain relief expressed by the patient on discharge from the ED. RESULTS: Five hundred and seventy-one patients were included. The median stay in the ED was 90 min (75-120 min). The diagnoses at discharge were sprain or dislocation (ankle, knee, and wrist) for 287 patients, fracture for 102 patients, and other injury for 182 patients. In 69% of the patients, the injured limb was immobilized. The median VAS score on admission was 57. A significant difference was seen between the median VAS on admission and at 1 h after admission (57+/-18 vs. 30+/-18; P<0.0001), and between the median VAS score at admission and the score at discharge from the ED (57+/-18 vs. 26+/-18, P<0.0001). Finally, 81% of the patients expressed pain relief. On discharge from the ED, a gain of 20 mm on the VAS had a positive predictive value of 93% [area under curve (AUC): 89; CI: 86-92; P=0.001], for the endpoint 'patients stating pain relief'. CONCLUSION: A simple and easily applicable protocol of pain management permits the achievement of satisfactory analgesia during a patient's stay in the ED.     

Evaluation of relationship between inflammatory markers and hyperemesis gravidarum in patients admitted to emergency department

BackgroundHyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is defined as severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and considered as one of the most frequent causes to emergency department (ED) admissions. Previous research has shown that HG is associated with systemic inflammation, but there have been no prospective studies to explore this link. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of inflammation in HG pathophysiology and to investigate the association between severity of HG and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and CRP in patients who were admitted to ED with nausea and vomiting.MethodsThis prospective study has been conducted in a tertiary clinic between 2015 and 2016. A total of 162 patients with <16 weeks gestation with singleton pregnancies and without any chronic diseases enrolled in the study. The study group consisted of 113 patients with HG and the control group included 49 healthy subjects. PUQE Index and VAS were used to evaluate the severity of symptoms.ResultsDemographical data were similar between both groups. The study group demonstrated significantly higher NLR, PLR and CRP levels (NLR 3.39 vs 2.5, p = 0.001; PLR 134.3 vs 111.2, p = 0.005; CRP 0.85 mg/dL vs 0.19 mg/dL, p = 0.001). While NLR and PLR levels were not correlated with severity of HG, CRP levels were associated with severity of disease (p = 0.001) regarding to PUQE index.ConclusionNLR and PLR are easily obtained and routinely used diagnostic tools for various inflammatory diseases. Measurement of this markers might provide useful information in HG pathogenesis and diagnosis.     

Characteristics and outcomes of reversed patients admitted to an emergency department for VKA-related intramuscular hematoma

Background

According to the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH), intramuscular hematoma without other severity criteria is not considered a major bleeding. Objectives: In a large cohort of reversed vitamin K antagonist (VKA) patients admitted to the emergency unit for muscular hematoma, we assess frequency, severity, and anticoagulation management based on whether ISTH criteria were met or not.

Retrospective analysis of forensic cases in refugees admitted to emergency department

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to compare the distribution and frequency of forensic medical events in a refugee group with that of the general population, and thus, extrapolate the problems encountered in the immigrant population.MethodsThose cases admitted to the emergency department (ED) for any reason that required a forensic examination between January 2016 and June 2018 were investigated retrospectively.ResultsA total of 310 refugees were admitted to the ED for forensic medical events. The most common nations of origin of the refugees were Iraq (n = 167), Syria (n = 65), and Afghanistan (n = 28). The median age of the refugees was 24 years old (interquartile range = 17–33). With regard to forensics, the most common reasons for the refugees to present to the ED were motor vehicle accidents 27.4%, assaults 25.8%, employment and industrial accidents 16.1%, and suicide attempts 10.3%. Other than suicide attempts, all of the forensic presentations were more common in the males. The outcomes of the refugee group were as follows: 92.3% were discharged, 5.8% were admitted to the hospital, 1% were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), and 1% were transferred. Suicide attempts were the most common reasons for the ICU admissions, while the most common reasons for the hospital admissions were orthopedic injuries.ConclusionIn general, the forensic event frequency in the refugee group was lower (p = 0.001); however, this was a single center study, and there could have been unrecorded cases due to an inability to access healthcare assistance, so these results may not be reliable.     

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the urgency of patients admitted to the emergency department

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic brought important changes in access to the Emergency Department (ED). At present, an analysis of how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed not only the number but also the nature of the urgency of ED access is not available. This study aimed to verify the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the urgency of patients admitted to the ED utilizing timebased analyses.MethodsA quasi-experimental interrupted time series analysis based on a retrospective review of data from all ED admissions occurring at the Merano Hospital (Italy) from 1 January 2015 to 30 June 2021 was conducted.ResultsFrom January 2015 to June 2021, 416,560 patients were admitted to the ED. Since the pandemic outbreak, the trend of urgent patients (classified as orange and red by triage) remained unchanged compared to the pre-pandemic period (p = 0.095, p = 0.155). In contrast, patients classified as blue (non-urgent) increased exponentially since the outbreak of the pandemic (p < 0.001).ConclusionThe present study reported stability in urgent codes (orange and red) since the pandemic outbreak while a dramatic increase in non-urgent codes (blue and green) is reported. The results of the study may indicate the need to find health policy solutions to manage this large increase in nonurgent patients requiring assessment in EDs since the outbreak of the pandemic.     

Myocardial infarction and cardiac complications in emergency department patients admitted to the intensive care unit with gastrointestinal hemorrhage

Patients admitted with significant gastrointestinal hemorrhage (GIH) often experience in-hospital cardiac complications. This retrospective study examined 68 patients admitted from the Emergency Department to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) over a 1-year period. The patients were 75% Caucasian, 60% male, with a mean age of 57 +/- 19 years. Medical co-morbidity was noted in 70%, and 54% of patients had a history of significant alcohol use. A systolic blood pressure < 100 mm Hg was present in 26%, hemoglobin < 7 mg/dL in 32%, and three patients (4%) expired. Death, acute myocardial infarction or other cardiac complications were noted in 32% of patients. Patients older than 60 years were three times more likely to have a complicated course than were younger patients, and those with a co-morbidity were 14.8 times more likely. Patients with a history of significant alcohol use were 31% less likely to have an inpatient complication than those without such a history. Regression analysis supported the protective effect of a history of significant alcohol use and also demonstrated that a history of peptic ulcer disease was predictive of inpatient complications. Older GIH patients and those with co-morbidities may benefit from ICU disposition given their greater risk. Younger patients presenting with hematemesis and a history of significant alcohol use tended to have fewer complications such that it may be possible to manage these patients outside of the ICU if hemodynamically stable.     

经急诊诊断脓毒症住院患者流行病学特点分析

目的分析经急诊医学科（ED）诊断脓毒症住院患者特点,为脓毒症早期防治提供依据。 方法采用回顾性队列研究分析2017年1月1日至2020年12月31日天津医科大学总医院收治的2 110例脓毒症住院患者,根据是否经ED诊断住院,将其分为经ED诊断脓毒症住院组（1 274例）和非ED诊断脓毒症住院组（836例）。分析两组患者的流行病学特点以及影响死亡的危险因素。 结果2017至2020年每月脓毒症住院患者占总住院数波动在3.6‰~19.0‰,主要集中于1至3月份,尤其是2月份达到最高。脓毒症住院患者多集中于年龄≥ 70岁、男性、首次住院、住院中位时间15（9,25）d、住院中位费用4.7（2.5,10.1）万元、城职医保,病死率为25.5%（538/2 110）。经ED诊断脓毒症住院患者随住院次数增加,病死率逐渐升高;死亡患者多集中于住院时间≤ 7 d和≥ 61 d、年龄≥ 70岁以及住院费用≥ 3~< 6万元;年龄、住院次数和住院时间是经ED诊断脓毒症住院患者死亡的危险因素,且患者年龄≥ 70岁死亡风险高于18~39岁者,住院次数≥ 3次的死亡风险高于<3次患者,住院时间为14 d内的死亡风险高于其他时间段（P均< 0.05）。经ED诊断脓毒症住院、低龄、女性是脓毒症住院患者生存的保护因素,住院次数≥ 3次是危险因素（P均< 0.05）。 结论经ED诊断脓毒症住院是患者生存的保护因素,临床医生应从社会学特征、住院次数、住院时间和医疗消费角度提高对脓毒症早期救治的认识。     

Usefulness of initial blood cultures in patients admitted with pneumonia from an emergency department in Japan

Guidelines recommend obtaining blood cultures for all patients admitted with pneumonia. However, recent American studies have reported the low impact of these cultures on antibiotic therapy. Our aim was to investigate the incidence of bacteremia and change of therapy in admitted pneumonia patients from whom blood cultures were obtained in the emergency department (ED). A retrospective, observational, cohort study was conducted on consecutive patients (age ≥12 years) with pneumonia hospitalized through the ED between January 1 and December 31, 2006, in an urban teaching hospital in Japan. Data were collected on antibiotic sensitivities, empirical antibiotics, and changes of antibiotic management. Blood cultures were classified as positive, negative, or contaminant, based on previously established criteria. Out of 164 consecutive cases, blood cultures were positive in 6 patients (3.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.8%–6.6%), contaminated in 6 (3.7%), and negative in 152 (92.7%). Of the 6 bacteremic patients, 2 cases were likely to have been caused by concomitant diseases. Blood culture results altered therapy for 4 patients (2.4% of 164; 95% CI, 0.7%–6.1%), of whom 2 patients (1.2%; 95% CI, 0.1%–4.3%) had their coverage narrowed, 1 patient (0.6%; 95% CI, 0.0%–3.4%) had coverage broadened, and 1 patient had altered therapy before the drug sensitivities were reported. Considering cost and workload, the overall total annual cost was €758 631 (€107 = 1 $US in June 2008). Blood cultures could identify organisms in only a few patients with pneumonia and rarely altered antibiotic management even in patients with positive cultures. It may not be necessary to obtain blood cultures for patients admitted with pneumonia.     

Factors associated with refractory pain in emergency patients admitted to emergency general surgery

BACKGROUND: Oligoanalgesia in emergency departments (EDs) is multifactorial. A previousstudy reported that emergency providers did not adequately manage patients with severe paindespite objective findings for surgical pathologies. Our study aims to investigate clinical andlaboratory factors, in addition to providers’ interventions, that might have been associated witholigoanalgesia in a group of ED patients with moderate and severe pains due to surgical pathologies.METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of adult patients who were transferred directlyfrom referring EDs to the emergency general surgery (EGS) service at a quaternary academic centerbetween January 2014 and December 2016. Patients who were intubated, did not have adequaterecords, or had mild pain were excluded. The primary outcome was refractory pain, which wasdefi ned as pain reduction <2 units on the 0–10 pain scale between triage and ED departure.RESULTS: We analyzed 200 patients, and 58 (29%) had refractory pain. Patients with refractory painhad signifi cantly higher disease severity, serum lactate (3.4±2.0 mg/dL vs. 1.4±0.9 mg/dL, P=0.001), and lessfrequent pain medication administration (median [interquartile range], 3 [3–5] vs. 4 [3–7], P=0.001), whencompared to patients with no refractory pain. Multivariable logistic regression showed that the number of painmedication administration (odds ratio [OR] 0.80, 95% confi dence interval [95% CI] 0.68–0.98) and ED serumlactate levels (OR 3.80, 95% CI 2.10–6.80) were signifi cantly associated with the likelihood of refractory pain.CONCLUSIONS: In ED patients transferring to EGS service, elevated serum lactate levelswere associated with a higher likelihood of refractory pain.