scholarly journals Prehospital Application of the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale by Emergency Medical Services

CJEM ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murdoch Leeies ◽  
Cheryl ffrench ◽  
Trevor Strome ◽  
Erin Weldon ◽  
Michael Bullard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Interrater Reliability ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Observational Evidence ◽  
Implementation Study ◽  
Emergency Patient ◽  
Patient Assessment ◽  
Perfect Agreement ◽  
Hospital Arrival ◽  
Moderate Agreement

AbstractObjectivesTriage is fundamental to emergency patient assessment. Effective triage systems accurately prioritize patients and help predict resource utilization. CTAS is a validated five-level triage score utilized in Emergency Departments (EDs) across Canada and internationally. Historically CTAS has been applied by triage nurses in EDs. Observational evidence suggests that the CTAS might be implemented reliably by paramedics in the prehospital setting. This is the first system-wide assessment of CTAS interrater reliability between paramedics and triage nurses during clinical practice.MethodsVariables were extracted from hospital and EMS databases. EMS providers determined CTAS on-scene, CTAS pre-transport, and CTAS on-arrival at hospital for each patient (N=14,378). The hospital arrival EMS CTAS (CTASarrival) score was compared to the initial nursing CTAS score (CTASinitial) and the final nursing CTAS score (CTASfinal) incuding nursing overrides. Interrater reliability between ED CTASinitial and EMS CTASarrival scores was assessed. Interrater reliability between ED CTASfinal and EMS CTASarrival scores, as well as proportion of patient encounters with perfect or near-perfect agreement, were evaluated.ResultsOur primary outcome, interrater reliability [kappa=0.437 (p<0.001, 95% CI 0.421-0.452)], indicated moderate agreement. EMS CTASarrival and ED CTASinitial scores had an exact or within one point match 84.3% of the time. The secondary interrater reliability outcome between hospital arrival EMS CTAS (CTASarrival) score and the final ED triage CTAS score (CTASfinal) showed moderate agreement with kappa =0.452 (p<0.001, 95% CI 0.437-0.466).ConclusionsInterrater reliability of CTAS scoring between triage nurses and paramedics was moderate in this system-wide implementation study.

scholarly journals A standardized nomenclature for cervical spine soft-tissue release and osteotomy for deformity correction

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher P. Ames ◽  
Justin S. Smith ◽  
Justin K. Scheer ◽  
Christopher I. Shaffrey ◽  
Virginie Lafage ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Spine ◽  
Soft Tissue ◽  
Interrater Reliability ◽  
Soft Tissue Release ◽  
Spine Deformity ◽  
Intrarater Reliability ◽  
Perfect Agreement ◽  
Moderate Agreement ◽  
Posterior Anterior ◽  
Anterior Posterior

Object Cervical spine osteotomies are powerful techniques to correct rigid cervical spine deformity. Many variations exist, however, and there is no current standardized system with which to describe and classify cervical osteotomies. This complicates the ability to compare outcomes across procedures and studies. The authors' objective was to establish a universal nomenclature for cervical spine osteotomies to provide a common language among spine surgeons. Methods A proposed nomenclature with 7 anatomical grades of increasing extent of bone/soft tissue resection and destabilization was designed. The highest grade of resection is termed the major osteotomy, and an approach modifier is used to denote the surgical approach(es), including anterior (A), posterior (P), anterior-posterior (AP), posterior-anterior (PA), anterior-posterior-anterior (APA), and posterior-anterior-posterior (PAP). For cases in which multiple grades of osteotomies were performed, the highest grade is termed the major osteotomy, and lower-grade osteotomies are termed minor osteotomies. The nomenclature was evaluated by 11 reviewers through 25 different radiographic clinical cases. The review was performed twice, separated by a minimum 1-week interval. Reliability was assessed using Fleiss kappa coefficients. Results The average intrarater reliability was classified as “almost perfect agreement” for the major osteotomy (0.89 [range 0.60–1.00]) and approach modifier (0.99 [0.95–1.00]); it was classified as “moderate agreement” for the minor osteotomy (0.73 [range 0.41–1.00]). The average interrater reliability for the 2 readings was the following: major osteotomy, 0.87 (“almost perfect agreement”); approach modifier, 0.99 (“almost perfect agreement”); and minor osteotomy, 0.55 (“moderate agreement”). Analysis of only major osteotomy plus approach modifier yielded a classification that was “almost perfect” with an average intrarater reliability of 0.90 (0.63–1.00) and an interrater reliability of 0.88 and 0.86 for the two reviews. Conclusions The proposed cervical spine osteotomy nomenclature provides the surgeon with a simple, standard description of the various cervical osteotomies. The reliability analysis demonstrated that this system is consistent and directly applicable. Future work will evaluate the relationship between this system and health-related quality of life metrics.

Clinical practice guidelines for comprehensive patient assessment in emergency care: A quality evaluation study

2021 ◽  
pp. 205715852110069
Author(s):  
Åsa Falchenberg ◽  
Ulf Andersson ◽  
Birgitta Wireklint Sundström ◽  
Anders Bremer ◽  
Henrik Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Clinical Practice Guidelines ◽  
Practice Guidelines ◽  
Emergency Care ◽  
Quality Evaluation ◽  
Evaluation Study ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Patient Assessment ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Home Based

Emergency care nurses (ECNs) face several challenges when they assess patients with different symptoms, signs, and conditions to determine patients’ care needs. Patients’ care needs do not always originate from physical or biomedical dysfunctions. To provide effective patient-centred care, ECNs must be sensitive to patients’ unique medical, physical, psychological, social, and existential needs. Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) provide guidance for ECNs in such assessments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of CPGs for comprehensive patient assessments in emergency care. A quality evaluation study was conducted in Sweden in 2017. Managers from 97 organizations (25 emergency medical services and 72 emergency departments) were contacted, covering all 20 Swedish county councils. Fifteen guidelines were appraised using the validated Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II (AGREE II) tool. The results revealed that various CPGs are used in emergency care, but none of the CPGs support ECNs in performing a comprehensive patient assessment; rather, the CPGs address parts of the assessment primarily related to biomedical needs. The results also demonstrate that the foundation for evidence-based CPGs is weak and cannot confirm that an ECN has the prerequisites to assess patients and refer them to treatment, such as home-based self-care. This may indicate that Swedish emergency care services utilize non-evidence-based guidelines. This implies that ECN managers and educators should actively seek more effective ways of highlighting and safeguarding patients’ various care needs using more comprehensive guidelines.

scholarly journals National Bariatric Surgery Registries: an International Comparison

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erman O. Akpinar ◽  
Perla J. Marang- van de Mheen ◽  
Simon W. Nienhuijs ◽  
Jan Willem M. Greve ◽  
Ronald S. L. Liem
Keyword(s):  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Substantial Agreement ◽  
Perfect Agreement ◽  
Moderate Agreement ◽  
Real World Evidence ◽  
International Collaborations ◽  
Global Registry ◽  
Registry Report

Abstract Introduction Pooling population-based data from all national bariatric registries may provide international real-world evidence for outcomes that will help establish a universal standard of care, provided that the same variables and definitions are used. Therefore, this study aims to assess the concordance of variables across national registries to identify which outcomes can be used for international collaborations. Methods All 18 countries with a national bariatric registry who contributed to The International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) Global Registry report 2019 were requested to share their data dictionary by email. The primary outcome was the percentage of perfect agreement for variables by domain: patient, prior bariatric history, screening, operation, complication, and follow-up. Perfect agreement was defined as 100% concordance, meaning that the variable was registered with the same definition across all registries. Secondary outcomes were defined as variables having “substantial agreement” (75–99.9%) and “moderate agreement” (50–74.9%) across registries. Results Eleven registries responded and had a total of 2585 recorded variables that were grouped into 250 variables measuring the same concept. A total of 25 (10%) variables have a perfect agreement across all domains: 3 (18.75%) for the patient domain, 0 (0.0%) for prior bariatric history, 5 (8.2%) for screening, 6 (11.8%) for operation, 5 (8.8%) for complications, and 6 (11.8%) for follow-up. Furthermore, 28 (11.2%) variables have substantial agreement and 59 (23.6%) variables have moderate agreement across registries. Conclusion There is limited uniform agreement in variables across national bariatric registries. Further alignment and uniformity in collected variables are required to enable future international collaborations and comparison. Graphical abstract

scholarly journals Inter-examiner reliability of the clinical parts of MRCPsych part II examinations

2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (9) ◽  
pp. 342-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Femi Oyebode ◽  
Sanju George ◽  
Veena Math ◽  
Sayeed Haque
Keyword(s):  
Interrater Reliability ◽  
Patient Management ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Patient Assessment ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Management Problems ◽  
Oral Examinations ◽  
The Individual

Aims and MethodThe aim of the study was to investigate the interrater reliability of the clinical component of the MRCPsych part II examinations, namely the individual patient assessment and the patient management problems. In the study period, there were 1546 candidates and 773 pairs of examiners. Kappa scores for pairs of examiners in both these assessments were calculated.ResultsThe kappa scores for exact numerical agreement between the pairs of examiners in both individual patient assessment and patient management problems were only moderate (0.4 –0.5). However, the kappa scores for agreement between pairs of examiners for the reclassified pass and fail categories were very good (0.8).Clinical ImplicationsThe poor reliability of the traditional long case and oral examinations in general is one of the most potent arguments against their use. Our finding suggests that the College clinical examinations are at least not problematic from this point of view, particularly if global pass or fail judgements rather than discrete scores are applied.

scholarly journals Intrarater and interrater reliability of the pediatric arteriovenous malformation compactness score in children

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 547-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio A. Frisoli ◽  
Shih-Shan Lang ◽  
Arastoo Vossough ◽  
Anne Marie Cahill ◽  
Gregory G. Heuer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arteriovenous Malformation ◽  
Recurrence Rate ◽  
Arteriovenous Malformations ◽  
Interrater Reliability ◽  
Intrarater Reliability ◽  
Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations ◽  
Perfect Agreement ◽  
Interventional Radiologist ◽  
Κ Statistic

Object Cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) have a higher postresection recurrence rate in children than in adults. The authors' previous study demonstrated that a diffuse AVM (low compactness score) predicts postresection recurrence. The aims of this study were to evaluate the intra- and interrater reliability of the AVM compactness score. Methods Angiograms of 24 patients assigned a preoperative compactness score (scale of 1–3; 1 = most diffuse, 3 = most compact) in the authors' previous study were rerated by the same pediatric neuroradiologist 9 months later. A pediatric neurosurgeon, pediatric neuroradiology fellow, and interventional radiologist blinded to each other's ratings, the original ratings, and AVM recurrence also rated each AVM's compactness. Intrarater and interrater reliability were calculated using the κ statistic. Results Of the 24 AVMs, scores by the original neuroradiologist were 1 in 6 patients, 2 in 16 patients, and 3 in 2 patients. Intrarater reliability was 1.0. The κ statistic among the 4 raters was 0.69 (95% CI 0.44–0.89), which indicates substantial reliability. The interrater reliability between the neuroradiologist and neuroradiology fellow was moderate (κ = 0.59 [95%CI 0.20–0.89]) and was substantial between the neuroradiologist and neurosurgeon (κ = 0.74 [95% CI 0.41–1.0]). The neuroradiologist and interventional radiologist had perfect agreement (κ = 1.0). Conclusions Intrarater and interrater reliability of the AVM compactness score were excellent and substantial, respectively. These results demonstrate that the AVM compactness score is reproducible. However, the neuroradiologist and interventional radiologist had perfect agreement, which indicates that the compactness score is applied most accurately by those with extensive angiography experience.

Abstract 3111: Translating Evidence into Clinical Practice: Can it Always Be Done? The Example of Intensive Stroke Rehabilitation

Stroke ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Norine C Foley ◽  
Shelialah Pereira ◽  
Katherine Salter ◽  
Matthew Meyer ◽  
Andrew McClure ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Clinical Practice Guidelines ◽  
Practice Guidelines ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Inpatient Rehabilitation ◽  
Motor Recovery ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Daily Minimum ◽  
Inpatient Therapy ◽  
Experimental Group

Background and Purpose: While it remains unclear how much therapy patients should receive to maximize motor recovery, specifically during inpatient rehabilitation, recommendations regarding the daily minimum dose of therapy are included in many clinical practice guidelines. Since these documents are evidence-based, we examined the related literature to determine if a specific recommendation could be supported. Methods: Six clinical practice guidelines were retrieved and examined to determine what recommendation, if any, had been made regarding the daily provision of therapy during inpatient rehabilitation. We then identified all studies cited by the guideline authors to support their recommendations. Studies in which treatment was focused on motor recovery, were initiated during inpatient rehabilitation and provided within 3 months of stroke onset were reviewed in greater detail. Study design, details of the therapy contrasts, the duration of scheduled daily therapy (min/day), actual therapy received (min/day), the primary outcome and the results, were noted for each trial. Results: Three of the 6 identified guidelines recommended daily minimum amounts of therapy, ranging from 45 to 60 minutes each day of occupational (OT) and physiotherapy (PT), one made no recommendation, and two made general statements indicating that increased intensity of therapy was either recommended or was not recommended. Among the 6 guidelines, a total of 73 studies had been cited to support the recommendations. Sixteen randomized controlled trials and 2 controlled trials were reviewed in detail. The majority of trials not reviewed further examined treatments provided in the chronic stage of stroke and/or were non-hospital based. Treatment contrasts included comparisons of intensive inpatient rehabilitation vs. standard inpatient therapy or standard inpatient therapy plus additional therapy provided by OT and/or PT vs. standard therapy only. Details of daily therapy either prescribed or received was included in 9 studies. Patients in the control condition received an average of 48 minutes of therapy per day while those in the experimental group received an average of 61% more, or 77 minutes per day. In only 6 (33%) studies did patients in the experimental group perform significantly better on the primary outcome compared with those in the control group. Conclusions: Although included in several best practice guidelines, we believe the evidence base cannot support a specific recommendations related to therapy intensity during inpatient rehabilitation following stroke.

Patient-reported and clinician-rated performance status and general health among women with gynecologic cancers on palliative chemotherapy.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e24128-e24128
Author(s):  
Hanneke Poort ◽  
Embree Thompson ◽  
Gang Lu ◽  
Nancy Lynn Keating ◽  
Ursula A. Matulonis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Health ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Gynecologic Cancers ◽  
Perfect Agreement ◽  
Step Counts ◽  
Moderate Agreement ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Management Advice ◽  
Ecog Ps

e24128 Background: Oncologists’ perceptions of patients’ performance status (PS) and general health are key determinants of eligibility for chemotherapy and clinical trials. We sought to examine correlations between patient-reported and clinician-rated Eastern Clinical Oncology Group PS (ECOG-PS) and general health status (EQ5D) in women with incurable recurrent gynecologic cancers, as well as step counts from accelerometry as a proxy for objective PS. Methods: We used baseline data from a randomized trial evaluating a mobile health intervention that collects patient-reported outcomes and passive smartphone data and provides tailored symptom management advice. Half of participants also received a wearable accelerometer. We calculated Pearson correlations to determine agreement between ECOG-PS and EQ-5D assessments in patient-clinician dyads. We also calculated the median (IQR) step counts among a subset of women with ≥7 days of ≥8 hours wear time. Results: Data from 78 patient-clinician dyads demonstrated a moderate correlation between patient-reported and clinician-rated ECOG-PS (r = .47; P< .000). Among dyads, 38 (49%) had perfect agreement; 36 (46%) had higher patient-reported ECOG-PS, indicating more patient-reported functional limitations, compared with clinician reports; and 4 (5%) had lower patient-reported ECOG-PS. Comparisons between patient-clinician ratings of EQ-5D subscales indicated moderate agreement for mobility (r = 0.44; P< .001), pain/discomfort (r = 0.45; P< .001), and usual activities (r = 0.36; P= .002); and weak or no agreement for anxiety/depression (r = 0.31; P= .007) and self-care (r = 0.02; P> .05). Participants’ daily step counts varied widely (median = 5,511 steps, IQR = 3,784, range 1,736-13,961) and were not associated with patients’ or clinicians’ ECOG-PS estimates (r = -.12; P= 0.44 and r = -0.03; P= 0.84) or patient-reported mobility (r = -0.10; P =0.51). Conclusions: Among women with incurable gynecologic cancers, patients’ and clinicians’ perceptions of patients’ ECOG-PS were moderately correlated, although 46% of clinician ratings were more optimistic than patients’ ratings. There was also moderate agreement between dyads for mobility and pain/discomfort. Patients’ step counts were not correlated with ECOG-PS or patient-reported mobility. Future studies should examine these measures longitudinally to determine which is the most sensitive predictor of clinical outcomes. Clinical trial information: NCT03022032 .

scholarly journals Neurally adjusted ventilatory assist as a weaning mode for adults with invasive mechanical ventilation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Critical Care ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueyan Yuan ◽  
Xinxing Lu ◽  
Yali Chao ◽  
Jennifer Beck ◽  
Christer Sinderby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Ventilation ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Invasive Mechanical Ventilation ◽  
Ventilatory Support ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist ◽  
Partial Support ◽  
Ventilatory Assist

Abstract Background Prolonged ventilatory support is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Partial support modes, especially pressure support ventilation, are frequently used in clinical practice but are associated with patient–ventilation asynchrony and deliver fixed levels of assist. Neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA), a mode of partial ventilatory assist that reduces patient–ventilator asynchrony, may be an alternative for weaning. However, the effects of NAVA on weaning outcomes in clinical practice are unclear. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Medline, and Cochrane Library from 2007 to December 2020. Randomized controlled trials and crossover trials that compared NAVA and other modes were identified in this study. The primary outcome was weaning success which was defined as the absence of ventilatory support for more than 48 h. Summary estimates of effect using odds ratio (OR) for dichotomous outcomes and mean difference (MD) for continuous outcomes with accompanying 95% confidence interval (CI) were expressed. Results Seven studies (n = 693 patients) were included. Regarding the primary outcome, patients weaned with NAVA had a higher success rate compared with other partial support modes (OR = 1.93; 95% CI 1.12 to 3.32; P = 0.02). For the secondary outcomes, NAVA may reduce duration of mechanical ventilation (MD = − 2.63; 95% CI − 4.22 to − 1.03; P = 0.001) and hospital mortality (OR = 0.58; 95% CI 0.40 to 0.84; P = 0.004) and prolongs ventilator-free days (MD = 3.48; 95% CI 0.97 to 6.00; P = 0.007) when compared with other modes. Conclusions Our study suggests that the NAVA mode may improve the rate of weaning success compared with other partial support modes for difficult to wean patients.

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