scholarly journals LO89: A multi-disciplinary quality improvement project to improve adherence to best practice guidelines for emergency department patients with transient ischemic attack

CJEM ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (S1) ◽  
pp. S40
Author(s):  
A. Verma ◽  
A. Kapoor ◽  
J. Kim ◽  
N. Kujbid ◽  
K. Si ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Transient Ischemic Attack ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Stroke Recurrence ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
High Risk Patients ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
Ischemic Attack

Background: Canadian Stroke Guidelines recommend that Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) patients at highest risk of stroke recurrence should undergo immediate vascular imaging. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the head and neck is recommended over carotid doppler because it allows for enhanced visualization of the intracranial and posterior circulation vasculature. Imaging while patients are in the emergency department (ED) is optimal for high-risk patients because the risk of stroke recurrence is highest in the first 48 hours. Aim Statement: At our hospital, a designated stroke centre, less than 5% of TIA patients meet national recommendations by undergoing CTA in the ED. We sought to increase the rate of CTA in high risk ED TIA patients from less than 5% to at least 80% in 10 months. Measures & Design: We used a multi-faceted approach to improve our adherence to guidelines including: 1) education for staff ED physicians; 2) agreements between ED and radiology to facilitate rapid access to CTA; 3) agreements between ED and neurology for consultations regarding patients with abnormal CTA; and 4) the creation of an electronic decision support tool to guide ED physicians as to which patients require CTA. We measured the rate of CTA in high risk patients biweekly using retrospective chart review of patients referred to the TIA clinic from the ED on a biweekly basis. As a balancing measure, we also measured the rate of CTA in non-high risk patients. Evaluation/Results: Data collection is ongoing. An interim run chart at 19 weeks shows a complete shift above the median after implementation, with CTA rates between 70 and 100%. At the time of submission, we had no downward trends below 80%, showing sustained improvement. The CTA rate in non-high risk patients did also increase. Disucssion/Impact: After 19 weeks of our intervention, 112 (78.9%) of high risk TIA patients had a CTA, compared to 10 (9.8%) in the 19 weeks prior to our intervention. On average, 10-15% of high risk patients will have an identifiable lesion on CTA, leading to immediate change in management (at minimum, an inpatient consultation with neurology). Our multi-faceted approach could be replicated in any ED with the engagement and availability of the same multi-disciplinary team (ED, radiology, and neurology), access to CTA, and electronic orders.

scholarly journals Postoperative ischemic events in patients undergoing carotid artery stenting using algorithmic selection for embolic protection

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 294-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Kawabata ◽  
Norio Nakajima ◽  
Hidenori Miyake ◽  
Shunichi Fukuda ◽  
Tetsuya Tsukahara
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Carotid Artery ◽  
Carotid Endarterectomy ◽  
Transient Ischemic Attack ◽  
Carotid Artery Stenting ◽  
Minor Stroke ◽  
High Risk Patients ◽  
Embolic Protection ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
Ischemic Attack

Purpose Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is a valuable alternative to carotid endarterectomy, especially in high-risk patients. However, the reported incidences of perioperative stroke and death remain higher than for carotid endarterectomy, even when using embolic protection devices (EPDs) during CAS. Our purpose was to evaluate 30-day major adverse events after CAS when selecting the most appropriate EPD. Methods We reviewed the clinical outcomes of 61 patients with 64 lesions who underwent CAS with EPDs. Patients who underwent CAS associated with thrombectomy and who had a preoperative modified Rankin scale score >3 were excluded from the analysis. The EPD was selected based on symptoms, carotid wall magnetic resonance imaging and lesion length, and we analyzed combined 30-day complication rates (transient ischemic attack, minor stroke, major stroke or death). Results Forty-nine patients were men and 12 were women. The median age was 72 years (range: 59–89 years) and 44 lesions were asymptomatic. A filter-type EPD was selected in 23 procedures, distal-balloon protection in 14 procedures and proximal-occlusive protection in 27 procedures. Two patients (3.1%) experienced a transient ischemic attack and one patient (1.6%) had a minor stroke within 30 days of the procedure. No patients experienced procedure-related morbidities (modified Rankin score >2) or death. Conclusions The perioperative stoke rate was low when we selected a proximal-occlusive-type EPD in high-risk patients with vulnerable carotid artery disease. Our algorithm for EPD selection was an effective tool in the perioperative management of carotid artery stenosis.

scholarly journals Implementation of the acutely presenting older patient (APOP) screening program in routine emergency department care

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura C. Blomaard ◽  
Bas de Groot ◽  
Jacinta A. Lucke ◽  
Jelle de Gelder ◽  
Anja M. Booijen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Screening Program ◽  
Admission Rate ◽  
Older Patient ◽  
Hospital Admission Rate ◽  
High Risk Patients ◽  
Risk Patients

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of implementation of the acutely presenting older patient (APOP) screening program for older patients in routine emergency department (ED) care shortly after implementation. Methods We conducted an implementation study with before-after design, using the plan-do-study-act (PDSA) model for quality improvement, in the ED of a Dutch academic hospital. All consecutive patients ≥ 70 years during 2 months before and after implementation were included. The APOP program comprises screening for risk of functional decline, mortality and cognitive impairment, targeted interventions for high-risk patients and education of professionals. Outcome measures were compliance with interventions and impact on ED process, length of stay (LOS) and hospital admission rate. Results Two comparable groups of patients (median age 77 years) were included before (n = 920) and after (n = 953) implementation. After implementation 560 (59%) patients were screened of which 190 (34%) were high-risk patients. Some of the program interventions for high-risk patients in the ED were adhered to, some were not. More hospitalized patients received comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) after implementation (21% before vs. 31% after; p = 0.002). In 89% of high-risk patients who were discharged to home, telephone follow-up was initiated. Implementation did not influence median ED LOS (202 min before vs. 196 min after; p = 0.152) or hospital admission rate (40% before vs. 39% after; p = 0.410). Conclusion Implementation of the APOP screening program in routine ED care did not negatively impact the ED process and resulted in an increase of CGA and telephone follow-up in older patients. Future studies should investigate whether sustainable changes in management and patient outcomes occur after more PDSA cycles.

scholarly journals Hepatitis C Virus Screening of High-Risk Patients in a Canadian Emergency Department

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Kelsey Ragan ◽  
Anjali Pandya ◽  
Tristan Holotnak ◽  
Katrina Koger ◽  
Neil Collins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Hcv Rna ◽  
High Risk Patients ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
History Of ◽  
Hcv Screening

Background. Approximately 0.7% of the Canadian population is infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), and many individuals are unaware of their infection. Our objectives were to utilize an emergency department (ED) based point-of-care (POC) HCV screening test to describe our local population and estimate the proportion of high-risk patients in our population with undiagnosed HCV. Methods. A convenience sample of medically stable patients (≥18 years) presenting to a community ED in Calgary, AB, between April and July 2018 underwent rapid clinical screening for HCV risk factors, including history of injection drug use, healthcare in endemic countries, and other recognized criteria. High-risk patients were offered POC HCV testing. Antibody-positive patients underwent HCV-RNA testing and were linked to hepatology care. The primary outcome was the proportion of new HCV diagnoses in the high-risk population. Results. Of the 999 patients screened by survey, 247 patients (24.7%) were high-risk and eligible for testing. Of these, 123 (49.8%) were from HCV-endemic countries, while 63 (25.5%) and 31 (12.6%) patients endorsed a history of incarceration and intravenous drug use (IVDU), respectively. A total of 144 (58.3%) eligible patients agreed to testing. Of these, 6 patients were POC-positive (4.2%, CI 0.9–7.4%); all 6 had antibodies detected on confirmatory lab testing and 4 had detectable HCV-RNA viral loads in follow-up. Notably, 103 (41.7%) patients declined POC testing. Interpretation. Among 144 high-risk patients who agreed to testing, the rate of undiagnosed HCV infection was 4.2%, and the rate of undiagnosed HCV infection with detectable viral load was 2.8%. Many patients with high-risk clinical criteria refused POC testing. It is unknown if tested and untested groups have the same disease prevalence. This study shows that ED HCV screening is feasible and that a small number of previously undiagnosed patients can be identified and linked to potentially life-changing care.

scholarly journals Negative D-dimer testing excludes pulmonary embolism in non-high risk patients in the emergency department

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
John B. Harringa ◽  
Rebecca L. Bracken ◽  
Scott K. Nagle ◽  
Mark L. Schiebler ◽  
Michael S. Pulia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Pulmonary Embolism ◽  
High Risk ◽  
High Risk Patients ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
D Dimer
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