Quality assurance in the emergency department

A coordinated approach to quality assurance is essential for managing the complexities of health care in the emergency department. Nearly every activity in the emergency care setting has implications that fall under the quality assurance umbrella. A comprehensive quality assurance program for the emergency department at Michael Reese Hospital was built through a process of defining, further developing, and coordinating existing quality assurance activities. Several new activities were developed to fill identified gaps. The program follows traditional quality assurance concepts for monitoring structure, process, and outcome elements of emergency care. Key principles that are the foundation of the program include active participation by all staff levels (clinical and nonclinical), standardized documentation, and specifically defined review mechanisms.     

Quality assurance in the emergency department

Quality assurance (QA) is an increasingly important element in the administrative management of the ED. The need to critically self-evaluate physician performance, allocate scarce resources, and conduct careful risk management requires a methodology well met by a comprehensive QA plan. Aggressive collection of potential problems requires multiple methodologies to review complaints, accomplish generic screening, perform audits, address administrative concerns, and satisfy reviews mandated by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals. The means by which such wide-ranging issues can be brought into a single comprehensive plan require an efficient and flexible model of ED administration that includes problem identification, resolution and monitoring, risk management, and sensible administration. The QA elements of monitoring, assessment, improvement, documentation, generic screening, and standards of care are examined.     

1990年广州白云机场“10·2”空难的灾害医学分析

1990年10月2日上午，广州白云机场发生了因歹徒劫机而紧急着陆造成的大空难，现场死亡120人，受伤65人（8名伤员送医院后抢救无效死亡），生还102人。事发后，在机场当局、公安、武警、消防、医疗抢救组的密切配合下，40min内完成了现场的伤员抢救工作。这次空难的灾害医学应急反应是快速、高效的，体现了广州白云机场当局对机场重大空难的灾害应急计划和医学救援的能力，但也暴露了一些问题，如现场医学救援的统一指挥、伤员的分类、后送时机和医院的选择、以及身份识别等问题都有待进一步总结和改进。本次空难的伤亡情况分析揭示，这类灾害的救护重点是颅脑伤和烧伤，紧急情况下嘱乘客取弯腰、屈膝、双手抱头紧靠前座椅背的姿式，可减少伤亡。     

QUALITY OF LIFE AFTER EMERGENCY ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM REPAIR

Background : Quality of life issues following surgical procedures, especially those with high mortality, should be of prime importance. There have been few studies on the quality of life of patients following emergency abdominal aortic aneurysm repairs. The decision to continue to offer surgery to these patients, especially with present monetary constraints, should rely heavily on quality of life issues. Audits of major surgical procedures should be undertaken and quality of life included. Methods : All patients in the Hawkes Bay area who had undergone emergency abdominal aortic aneurysm repairs since 1981 were identified and their quality of life assessed by means of the short form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Results : One hundred and fifteen patients were identified as having had an abdominal aortic aneurysm repaired as an emergency. Sixty patients died peri-operatively and 19 subsequently. There were 28 patients available to complete the questionnaire, of whom 75% rated their global quality of life as good to excellent. Using the SF-36 questionnaire, there was no statistically significant difference between those patients who had undergone surgery (whether proven leak or not) and the age-matched healthy population. Conclusions : Quality of life remains good to excellent in the majority of patients following emergency abdominal aortic aneurysm repairs. This may help justify surgery being offered to patients with this condition. Quality of life should be considered as an important outcome rather than mortality only.     

腹腔镜技术在胃肠外科急腹症中的应用

目的探讨腹腔镜技术在腹部外科急腹症诊断和治疗中的应用。方法回顾性分析2008年10月至2011年10月问解放军总医院普通外科收治的因诊断不明确而接受腹腔镜探查术44例急腹症患者的临床资料。并与同期行急诊剖腹探查术的65例患者资料进行比较分析。结果经腹腔镜探查的44例患者中,有42例患者（95．5％,42／44）在腹腔镜下明确诊断,其中34例（77．3％）患者在明确诊断的同时于腹腔镜下完成手术治疗,全腔镜下处理20例,小切口辅助14例。与传统剖腹探查术患者相比,腹腔镜探查术手术切口长度明显缩短[（6．7±2．2）cm比（15．8±3．4）cm]、术中出血明显减少[（51．4±303）ml比（117．9±49．5）m1]、术后胃肠功能恢复明显加快[术后进食时间（15．0±6．1）d比（30．5±8.4）d]和术后住院时间明显缩短[（5．6±4．2）d比（8．4±4．8）d],差异均具有统计学意义（均P〈O．05）,而且手术费用也并未见明显增加[（1．2±0．8）万元比（1．4±0．5）万元,P〉O．05]。结论腹腔镜探杏技术在腹部外科急腹症患者中的应用安全、有效．可在明确病因的同时实施治疗。     

扁平化管理在妇科优质护理服务中的实施

目的在优质护理服务过程中进一步提高护理管理及护理服务满意度。方法在妇科病区采用扁平化管理模式,即取消责任护士组长,按3个管床教授组将病区18名护士均分为3组,每组A班(7:30～17:00)2人,N班(17:00～8:00)1人,轮休3人;每人分管患者≤8例,另6名护理人员分别上辅助班、计算机操作班及主班等。每个月按护理部制定的标准进行护理质控,实施10个月后评价效果。结果患者对优质护理服务及责任护士知晓率≥95%,入院介绍、技术操作等10项满意度评分9.28～9.66分,均为满意和非常满意。结论扁平化管理模式的运用有利于护理人力资源的合理利用,从而提高护理质量和患者满意度。     

急诊ERCP在急性胆源性胰腺炎治疗中的应用

目的探讨急诊ERCP在急性胆源性胰腺炎(ABP)急性反应期中的作用与地位。方法回顾分析92例ABP患者,根据是否早期接受急诊ERCP分为ERCP组(ERCP组,52例)和非ERCP组(N-ERCP组,40例)。观察ERCP组中胆总管微小结石或胆泥发生率;比较两组重症胰腺炎发生率、腹痛缓解时间、血清淀粉酶及肝功能变化。结果 ERCP组中49例急诊ERCP治疗成功,成功率达94.2%。ERCP组中,胆总管微小结石及胆泥共6例,占胰腺炎病因11.5%(6/52);ERCP组重症胰腺炎发生率[5.8%(3/52)]明显低于N-ERCP组[20%(8/40)](P<0.05)。ERCP组腹痛缓解时间(3.5±1.1 d vs 5.0±1.5 d)、血清淀粉酶下降速度(50±135 U/L vs 201±120 U/L)、肝功能(TBIL:125±114μmol/L vs 250±140μmol/L;ALT:210±183 U/L vs 452±215 U/L;GGT:241±198 U/L vs 450±285 U/L)改善情况均优于N-ERCP组(P<0.05)。结论急诊治疗性ERCP可显著缓解临床症状和降低重症胰腺炎发生率。     

Australian emergency doctors' and nurses' acceptance and knowledge regarding brain death: a national survey

Healthcare staff's acceptance of brain death (BD) being a valid determination of death is essential for optimized organ and tissue donation (OTD) rates. Recently, resources to increase Australian OTD rates have been aimed at emergency departments (ED) as a significant missed donor potential was discovered. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess Australian ED clinicians' acceptance and knowledge regarding BD. Most (86%) of the 599 medical and 212 nursing staff accepted BD, but only 60% passed a 5-item-validated BD knowledge tool. BD knowledge was related to the acceptance of BD. Accepting BD influenced attitudes toward OTD, including willingness to donate. BD acceptance and knowledge were related to education/training regarding OTD, years of experience in EDs, experience with OTD-related tasks, and increased perceived competence and comfort with OTD-related tasks. Of concern, more than half of respondents who did not pass the BD test reported feeling competent and comfortable explaining BD to next of kin; of respondents who had recent experience with this, more than a third failed the BD test. Despite being generally positive toward OTD, Australian ED clinicians do not have a sound knowledge of BD. This may be hampering efforts to increase donation rates from the ED.