scholarly journals Applying triage principles of mass casualty events to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: From the perspective of the acute care surgeons at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in the COVID epicenter of the United States

Surgery ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 168 (3) ◽  
pp. 408-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Giangola ◽  
Sara Siskind ◽  
Brad Faliks ◽  
Ronald Dela Cruz ◽  
Andrew Lee ◽  
...  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Amy Spallone ◽  
Luboslav Woroch ◽  
Keith Sweeney ◽  
Roberta Seidman ◽  
Luis A. Marcos

Neurocysticercosis (NCC), a disease caused by the larval pork tapeworm Taenia solium, has emerged as an important infection in the United States. In this study, we describe the spectrum of NCC infection in eastern Long Island, where there is a growing population of immigrants from endemic countries. A retrospective study was designed to identify patients diagnosed with NCC using ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes in the electronic medical records at Stony Brook University Hospital between 2005 and 2016. We identified 52 patients (56% male, median age: 35 years) diagnosed with NCC in the only tertiary medical center in Suffolk County. Twenty-five cases were reported in the last three years of the study. Forty-eight (94%) patients self-identified as Hispanic or Latino in the electronic medical record. Twenty-two (44%) and 28 (56%) patients had parenchymal and extraparenchymal lesions, respectively. Nineteen (41.3%) patients presented with seizures to the emergency department. Six patients (11.7%) had hydrocephalus, and five of them required frequent hospitalizations and neurosurgical interventions, including permanent ventriculoperitoneal shunts or temporary external ventricular drains. No deaths were reported. The minimum accumulated estimated cost of NCC hospitalizations during the study period for all patients was approximately 1.4 million United States dollars (USD). In conclusion, NCC predominantly affects young, Hispanic immigrants in Eastern Long Island, particularly in zip codes correlating to predominantly Hispanic communities. The number of cases diagnosed increased at an alarming rate during the study period. Our study suggests a growing need for screening high-risk patients and connecting patients to care in hopes of providing early intervention and treatment to avoid potentially detrimental neurological sequelae.


Author(s):  
Ashley Tseung

AbstractSince 9/11, the United States and the international community have emphasized the need to protect people from terrorist attacks. The Boston Bombing that took place on April 15, 2013, showed that even with all of the preventive measures in place, the United States is not immune from terrorist attacks. If there had been a bioterrorist attack in Boston instead of a homemade bomb, the amount of casualties would likely have been a lot higher. Many hospitals lack effective emergency preparedness plans that address bioterrorist attacks. One area that will help prepare nations during a mass casualty incident or public health emergency involves implementing effective mass casualty preparedness plans for hospitals. This paper analyzes mass casualty preparedness in hospitals and demonstrates the need to have legislation in place to protect doctors who treat patients during mass casualty events.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 361-368
Author(s):  
Pat Azarnoff ◽  
Patricia D. Woody

To study the prevalence and nature of psychological preparation for pediatric care, children's hospitals and acute care general hospitals were surveyed, and 24 hospitals were visited. Of 1,427 hospitals responding, 468 (33%) provided regular, planned preparation services. Prior to hospitalization, group tours and group discussion were the two most frequently used methods. During hospitalization, children learned informally as events occurred, usually through conversations.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary F Meisel ◽  
Esha Bansal ◽  
Marilyn M Schapira ◽  
Jeanmarie Perrone ◽  
Carolyn C Cannuscio ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Prescription opioid abuse in the United States is a devastating public health crisis, of which many chronic opioid users were originally prescribed the medication for acute pain. Narrative enhanced risk communication may improve patient outcomes such as knowledge of opioid risk and opioid use behaviors in the setting of acute pain. Methods & Design: Patients presenting to the acute care facilities of four geographically and ethnically diverse United States hospital centers with renal colic or musculoskeletal back pain will be eligible for this multicenter randomized clinical trial. A control group of patients receiving a standardized, general risk information sheet will be compared to two intervention groups, one receiving the risk information sheet plus a probabilistic opioid risk tool and another receiving the risk information sheet plus a narrative enhanced probabilistic opioid risk tool. We will study the effect of probabilistic and narrative enhanced opioid risk communication on: 1) knowledge as measured by risk awareness and treatment preferences for fewer opioids; 2) reduced use of opioids as measured by quantity of opioids taken, functional improvement, and repeat use of unscheduled visits for pain; 3) patient-provider alignment as measured by concordance between patient preference and finalized prescription plan and the presence of shared decision making. To assess these outcomes, we will administer baseline patient surveys during acute care admission and follow-up surveys at predetermined times during the ninety days after discharge. Discussion: This study seeks to assess the potential clinical role of narrative enhanced, risk-informed communication for acute pain management in acute care settings. This paper outlines the protocol used to implement the study and highlights crucial methodological, statistical, stakeholder involvement, and dissemination considerations.


2013 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 404-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Bergquist-Beringer ◽  
Lei Dong ◽  
Jianghua He ◽  
Nancy Dunton

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Brooke Lerner ◽  
David C. Cone ◽  
Eric S. Weinstein ◽  
Richard B. Schwartz ◽  
Phillip L. Coule ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTMass casualty triage is the process of prioritizing multiple victims when resources are not sufficient to treat everyone immediately. No national guideline for mass casualty triage exists in the United States. The lack of a national guideline has resulted in variability in triage processes, tags, and nomenclature. This variability has the potential to inject confusion and miscommunication into the disaster incident, particularly when multiple jurisdictions are involved. The Model Uniform Core Criteria for Mass Casualty Triage were developed to be a national guideline for mass casualty triage to ensure interoperability and standardization when responding to a mass casualty incident. The Core Criteria consist of 4 categories: general considerations, global sorting, lifesaving interventions, and individual assessment of triage category. The criteria within each of these categories were developed by a workgroup of experts representing national stakeholder organizations who used the best available science and, when necessary, consensus opinion. This article describes how the Model Uniform Core Criteria for Mass Casualty Triage were developed.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2011;5:129-137)


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