Increased access to urgent care centers decreases low acuity diagnoses in a nearby hospital emergency department

Objective

We studied the impact four new urgent care centers (UCCs) had on a hospital emergency department (ED) in terms of overall census and proportion of low acuity diagnoses from 2009 to 2016. We hypothesized that low acuity medical problems frequently seen in UCCs would decrease in the ED population. Since Medicaid was not accepted at these UCCs, we also studied the Medicaid vs non-Medicaid discharged populations to see if there were some differences related to access to urgent care.

Medical Clearance of the Psychiatric Patient in the Emergency Department

Background: As part of the emergency department (ED) evaluation of patients with psychiatric complaints, emergency physicians are often asked to perform screening laboratory tests prior to admitting psychiatric patients, the value of which is questionable. Study Objective: To determine if routine screening laboratory studies performed in the ED on patients with a psychiatric chief complaint would alter ED medical clearance (evaluation, management or disposition) of such patients. Methods: In this retrospective chart review, the patient charts were reviewed for triage notes, history and physical examination, laboratory study results, and patient disposition. The study investigators subjectively determined if any of the laboratory abnormalities identified after admission would have changed ED management or disposition of the patient had they been identified in the ED. Results: Subjects were 519 consecutive adult patients (18 years of age and older) admitted to the Medical College of Georgia's inpatient psychiatric ward through the ED. There were 502 patients who met inclusion criteria, and 50 of them had completely normal laboratory studies. Laboratory studies were performed in the ED for 148 patients. The most common abnormalities identified were positive urine drug screen (n = 221), anemia (n = 136), and hyperglycemia (n = 139). There was one case (0.19%) identified in which an abnormal laboratory value would have changed ED management or disposition of the patient had it been found during the patient's ED visit. Conclusions: Patients presenting to the ED with a psychiatric chief complaint can be medically cleared for admission to a psychiatric facility by qualified emergency physicians using an appropriate history and physical examination. There is no need for routine medical screening laboratory tests.     

Venous thromboembolism in the emergency department: A survey of current best practice awareness in physicians and nurses in China

BACKGROUND: For emergency department (ED) patients, risk assessment, prophylaxis, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) are essential for preventing morbidity and mortality. This study aimes to investigate knowledge amongst emergency medical staff in the management of VTE. METHODS: We designed a questionnaire based on multiple scales. The questionnaire was distributed to the medical and nursing clinical staff in the large urban ED of a medical center in Northern China. Data was described with percentages and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare ranked data between different groups. The statistical analysis was done using the SPSS 22.0 software.RESULTS: In this survey, 180 questionnaires were distributed and 174 valid responses (response rate of 96.67%) were collected and analyzed. In scores of VTE knowledge, no significant differences were found with respect to job (doctor vs. nurse), the number of years working in clinical medicine, education level, and current position, previous hospital experience and nurses’ current work location within the ED. However, in pair wise comparison, we found participants who worked in ED for more than 5 years (n=83) scored significantly higher on the questionnaire than those under 5 years (n=91) (95.75 vs. 79.97, P=0.039). There was a significant difference in some questions based on gender, age, job, and nurse work location, number of working years, education level, and different ED working lifetime. CONCLUSION: Our survey has shown deficiencies among ED medical staff in knowledge and awareness of the management of VTE. We recommend several changes be considered, such as the introduction of an interdisciplinary workshop for medical staff; the introduction of a standardized VTE protocol; a mandatory study module on VTE for new physicians and nurses; the introduction of a mandatory reporting system for adverse events (including VTE).     

Emergency Department Crowding and Decreased Quality of Pain Care

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of emergency department (ED) crowding factors with the quality of pain care. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of all adult patients (≥18 years) with conditions warranting pain care seen at an academic, urban, tertiary care ED from July 1 to July 31, 2005, and December 1 to December 31, 2005. Patients were included if they presented with a chief complaint of pain and a final ED diagnosis of a painful condition. Predictor ED crowding variables studied were 1) census, 2) number of admitted patients waiting for inpatient beds (boarders), and 3) number of boarders divided by ED census (boarding burden). The outcomes of interest were process of pain care measures: documentation of clinician pain assessment, medications ordered, and times of activities (e.g., arrival, assessment, ordering of medications). Results: A total of 1,068 patient visits were reviewed. Fewer patients received analgesic medication during periods of high census (>50th percentile; parameter estimate = –0.47; 95% confidence interval [CI] = –0.80 to –0.07). There was a direct correlation with total ED census and increased time to pain assessment (Spearman r = 0.33, p < 0.0001), time to analgesic medication ordering (r = 0.22, p < 0.0001), and time to analgesic medication administration (r = 0.25, p < 0.0001). There were significant delays (>1 hour) for pain assessment and the ordering and administration of analgesic medication during periods of high ED census and number of boarders, but not with boarding burden. Conclusions: ED crowding as measured by patient volume negatively impacts patient care. Greater numbers of patients in the ED, whether as total census or number of boarders, were associated with worse pain care.     

Headache in an Italian pediatric emergency department

The objective of this study was to assess epidemiology, diagnostic work-up, treatment and follow-up of children presenting to emergency department (ED) with headache. Records of visits for non-traumatic headache to the ED of a pediatric hospital over a period of 12 months were retrospectively reviewed. Headache center charts were analyzed one year after. Five-hundred and fifty patients (1% of all ED visits) were included. Spectrum of diagnoses was: primary headache (56.7%), with 9.6% of migraine; secondary headache (42%); unclassified headache (1.3%). Viral illnesses accounted for 90.5% of secondary headaches. A serious disorder was found in 4% of patients. Forty-four patients (8%) underwent neuroimaging studies, with 25% of abnormal findings. Only 223 patients (40.5%) received pharmacological treatment. On discharge, 212 patients (38.5%) were referred to headache center and 114 (20.7% of all patients) attended it. ED diagnosis was confirmed in 74.6% of cases. Most of ED repeated visits (82.6%) occurred in patients not referred to headache center at discharge from first ED visit. The most frequent diagnosis was primary headache; viral illnesses represented the majority of secondary headaches. Underlying serious disorders were associated with neurological signs, limiting the need of diagnostic investigations. Well structured prospective studies are needed to evaluate appropriate diagnostic tools, as well as correct therapeutic approach of pediatric headache in emergency. Collaboration with headache center might limit repeated visits and provide a correct diagnostic definition.     

Utility of point-of-care musculoskeletal ultrasound in the evaluation of emergency department musculoskeletal pathology

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the utilization of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) for the assessment of emergency department (ED) patients with musculoskeletal symptoms and the impact of musculoskeletal POCUS on medical decision-making and patient management in the ED.METHODS: This was a retrospective review of ED patients presenting with musculoskeletal symptoms who received a POCUS over a 3.5-year period. An ED POCUS database was reviewed for musculoskeletal POCUS examinations used for medical decision-making. Electronic medical records were then reviewed for demographic characteristics, history, physical examination findings, ED course, additional imaging studies, and impact of musculoskeletal POCUS on patient management in ED.RESULTS: A total of 264 subjects (92 females, 172 males) and 292 musculoskeletal POCUS examinations were included in the final analysis. Most common symptomatic sites were knee (31.8%) and ankle (16.3%). Joint effusion was the most common finding on musculoskeletal POCUS, noted in 33.7% of the patients, and subcutaneous edema/cobblestoning was found in 10.2% of the patients. Muscle or tendon rupture was found in 2.3% of the patients, and 1.9% of the patients had joint dislocation. Bursitis or bursa fluid was found in 3.4% of patients, and tendonitis/tendinopathy was found in 2.3%. Twenty percent of them were ultrasound-guided musculoskeletal procedures, and most of them (73.3%) were arthrocentesis. Of the included studies, all except three either changed or helped guide patient management as documented in the patients’ medical records.CONCLUSION: Our study findings illustrate the utility of POCUS in the evaluation of a variety of musculoskeletal pathologies in the ED.     

The impact of CT head scans on ED management and length of stay in bizarre behavior patients

Methods

A 5-year retrospective chart review was conducted at 3 EDs. Inclusion criteria were patients ≥18 years old triaged as “mental health - bizarre behavior” (deviation from normal cognitive behaviour with no obvious cause) with a CT head scan ordered in the ED. Exclusion criteria were focal neurologic deficits on exam, alternative medical etiology (i.e. delirium, trauma) and/or pre-existing CNS disease. Clinical, demographic and administrative data were extracted with 10% of charts independently reviewed by an Emergency Physician for inter-rater reliability.

Emergency department patient experience: Same location,same provider,different scores by different survey methods

BACKGROUND: Recent findings on emergency department (ED) patient experience surveys and concerns for the low response rates challenge the quality and reliability of the survey reports. We assessed the consistency of an ED patient experience survey report and identified the effects of patient demographics on ED patient experiences. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional study at a university-based ED from July to December 2017. We obtained ED patient experience scores from an institutional version (IS) survey and the Press Ganey Associates-distributed survey (PGA). We compared top box scores from the two reports using frequency analysis and performed multivariable logistic regressions to identify associations between IS patient demographics and scores. RESULTS: We obtained 289 PGA and 234 IS responses. The IS reported significant, higher top box scores in doctor-specific patient questions compared to PGA (all four P-values < 0.01). Female, Christian and White patients were more likely to give top box scores (OR 3.07, OR 2.22 and OR 2.41, P-value < 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: We found significant differences in ED patient experience scores between the IS and PGA surveys. We recommend that healthcare providers consider patient demographic variables when interpreting ED experience score reports. Multiple survey techniques and distribution methods may be adopted to best capture ED patient experiences.     

Comparison of intravenous pantoprazole and ranitidine in patients with dyspepsia presented to the emergency department: a randomized,double blind,controlled trial

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare pantoprazole, a proton-pomp inhibitors (PPIs), and ranitidine, a H₂ receptor antagonists (H₂RA), in ceasing dyspeptic symptoms in the emergency department (ED).METHODS: This randomized, double-blinded study compared the effectiveness of 50 mg ranitidine (Ulcuran^®) and 40 mg pantoprazole (Pantpas^®), given in a 100 mL saline solution by an intravenous rapid infusion within 2-4 minutes in patients with dyspepsia presented to the ED. Pain intensity was measured at baseline, 30 and 60 minutes after the drug administration.RESULTS: A total of 72 patients were eligible for the study. Of these patients, 2 were excluded from the study because the initial visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were under 20 mm and 4 were excluded from the statistical analysis because of being diagnosed as having other causes of epigastric pain despite being allocated to one of the study groups. Thirty-three patients in the pantoprazole group and 33 patients in the ranitidine group were analyzed ultimately. The mean age of the patients was 36.6±15 years, and 26 (39.4%) patients were male. Both of the groups reduced pain effectively at 30 [27.6±28 (18 to 37) vs. 28.3±23 (20 to 37), respectively] and 60 minutes [39.6±39 (26 to 53) vs. 42.3±25 (33 to 51), respectively]. There were 13 (39.4%) patients in the pantoprazole group and 8 (24.2%) patients in the ranitidine group who required additional drug at the end of the study (P=0.186).CONCLUSION: Intravenous pantoprazole and ranitidine are not superior to each other in ceasing dyspeptic symptoms at 30 and 60 minutes in the ED.     

Identifying disparity in emergency department length of stay and admission likelihood

BACKGROUND: To assess whether insurance status has an effect on emergency department (ED) length of stay (LOS) and likelihood for admission or transfer to an operating room.METHODS: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of all encounters from January 2011 through October 2013 at an urban, academic trauma center. Analysis included multi-variable linear regression for ED LOS and logistic regression for the likelihood of admission.RESULTS: Overall, 201 535 patients met the inclusion criteria, for which the mean age was 43.8 years, 55.9% were female, 23.4% were uninsured and 8% were of non-black race. Admission rate was 24.5% and operative rate was 1.4%. After adjusting for age, sex, triage acuity and race, the presence of insurance coverage was associated with an increased ED LOS of 575 (95%CI 552-598) vs. 567 (95%CI 543-591) minutes (P<0.01) among admitted patients and a decreased ED LOS of 456 (95%CI 381-531) vs. 499 (95%CI 423-575) minutes (P<0.01) among those transferred to an operating room. Adjusting for these same predictors, insured status remained a predictor for admission (odds ratio 1.24, 95%CI 1.20-1.28, P<0.01) and a negative predictor for transfer to the operating room (odds ratio 0.84, 95%CI 0.77-0.92, P<0.01).CONCLUSION: The insured experienced a clinically insignificant increase in ED LOS when admitted and a 43-minute decrease in ED LOS when being transferred to the operating room. The insured were more likely to be admitted and less likely to be transferred to an operating room.     

Diagnosis of gastritis by means of a combination of serological analyses

Background: Gastroscopy and examination of biopsy is normally required for diagnosis of gastritis. This is costly and inconvenient for the patient, and there is a need for a simple pregastroscopic screening method to reduce the endoscopy workload. Our aim was to develop a serological screening test for gastritis. Methods: Sera from subjects examined with gastroscopy and biopsy were analyzed for H,K-ATPase antibodies, Helicobacter pylori antibodies and pepsinogen I. The diagnoses were normal gastric mucosa (n=50), duodenal ulcer (n=53) and atrophic corpus gastritis, with (n=50) or without pernicious anemia (n=46). Results: An evaluation scheme was constructed to optimize the diagnostic agreement between serology and gastric mucosal morphology. The sensitivity to detect gastritis was 98% (146/149) (95% CI 94–100%) and the specificity 84% (42/50) (95% CI 71–93%). Additional sera from 483 subjects from the general population were analyzed. There was a good agreement between serology and gastric mucosal morphology. Conclusions: Assays of multiple serum analytes are useful for the initial screening of gastritis. They are complementary to upper gastroscopy by identification of subjects with a normal gastric mucosa, those who qualify for eradication of H. pylori, and those who have developed atrophy and are at risk of developing malignancy and, therefore, require gastroscopic examination.     

Factors associated with first-pass success of emergency endotracheal intubation

Study objectiveEndotracheal intubation is frequently performed in emergency departments (EDs). First-pass success is important because repeated attempts are associated with poor outcomes. We sought to identify factors associated with first-pass success in emergency endotracheal intubation.MethodsWe analyzed emergency orotracheal intubations on adult patients in an ED located in South Korea from Jan. 2013 to Dec. 2016. Various operator-, procedure- and patient-related factors were screened with univariable logistic regression. Using variables with P-values less than 0.2, a multiple logistic regression model was constructed to identify independent predictors.ResultsThere were 1154 eligible cases. First-pass success was achieved in 974 (84.4%) cases. Among operator-related factors, clinical experience (OR: 2.93, 5.26, 3.80 and 5.71; 95% CI: 1.62–5.26, 2.80–9.84, 1.81–8.13 and 2.07–18.67 for PGY 3, 4 and 5 residents and EM specialists, respectively, relative to PGY 2 residents) and physician based outside the ED (OR: 0.10; 95% CI: 0.04–0.25) were independently associated with first-pass success. There was no statistically or clinically significant difference for first-pass success rate as determined by operator's gender (83.6% for female vs. 84.8% for male; 95% CI for difference: −3.1% to 5.8%). Among patient-related factors, restricted mouth opening (OR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.31–0.72), restricted neck extension (OR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.39–0.85) and swollen tongue (OR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.28–0.77) were independent predictors of first-pass success.ConclusionsOperator characteristics, including clinical experience and working department, and patient characteristics, including restricted mouth opening, restricted neck extension and swollen tongue, were independent predictors of first-pass success in emergency endotracheal intubation.     

Emergency department utilization during a doctors'' strike

Emergency department (ED) patient volume at Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Hospital was 33% higher during the 1983 doctors' strike as compared with the same period in 1982. Excess visits were recorded for both sexes (P less than 0.0001), but there were many more excess visits by females than males. The largest increase in visits by adults (60-70%) was in persons aged 40-64 years (P less than 0.02), and there was also a large and unexplained increase in ED visits by girls under age 6 (P less than 0.0003). In contrast to excess ED visits, which were higher during the strike for both sexes, excess hospital admissions via the ED were recorded only among females (P = 0.007). The number of ED visits during the strike was increased on all three hospital work shifts (P less than 0.0001), with the greatest number of excess visits occurring between 7 AM and 3 PM.     

Obese Patients with Abdominal Pain Presenting to the Emergency Department Do Not Require More Time or Resources for Evaluation Than Nonobese Patients

Objectives: The authors describe the evaluation of obese and nonobese adult patients with abdominal pain presenting to an emergency department (ED). The hypothesis was that more ED and hospital resources are used to evaluate and treat obese patients. Methods: A prospective observational study of obese (n= 98; body mass index ≥30 kg/m²) and nonobese (n= 176; body mass index < 30 kg/m²) adults presenting to the ED with abdominal pain was performed. ED length of stay (LOS) was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included use of laboratory tests, computed tomography, and ultrasonography, and rates of consultations, operations, and admissions. ED diagnoses were compared between the two groups. Results: Obese patients were older (41.9 vs. 38.3 years; p = 0.027) and more often female (69% vs. 51%; p = 0.003) than nonobese patients. There were no significant differences between obese and nonobese patients in either the primary or the secondary outcome measures. Obese patients were similar to nonobese patients in regard to LOS (457 vs. 486 minutes), laboratory studies (3.2 vs. 2.9 tests), abdominopelvic computed tomographic scans (30% vs. 31%), and abdominal ultrasounds (16% vs. 13%). Obese and nonobese patients were also similar in their rates of consultations (27% vs. 31%), operations (14% vs. 12%), and admissions (18% vs. 24%). No difference was found for LOS between obese and nonobese patients as evaluated by the Wilcoxon rank‐sum test (p = 0.81). Logistic regression analysis controlling for baseline characteristics revealed no significant differences between obese and nonobese patients for secondary outcome variables. ED diagnoses for obese and nonobese patients were similar except that genitourinary diagnoses were less common in obese patients (8% vs. 21%; p = 0.01). Conclusions: In contradiction to the hypothesis, the results suggest that LOS and ED resource use in obese patients with abdominal pain are not increased when compared with nonobese patients.