scholarly journals P063: Identification of emergency department patients for referral to rapid-access addiction services: A retrospective chart review

CJEM ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (S1) ◽  
pp. S86
Author(s):  
J. Hann ◽  
H. Wu ◽  
A. Gauri ◽  
K. Dong ◽  
N. Lam ◽  
...  

Introduction: Emergency Department (ED) visits related to substance use are rapidly increasing. Despite this, few Canadian EDs have immediate access to addiction medicine specialists or on-site addiction medicine clinics. This study characterized substance-related ED presentations to an urban tertiary care ED and assessed need for an on-site rapid-access addiction clinic (RAAC). Methods: This prospective enrollment, retrospective chart review was conducted from June to August 2018. Adult patients presenting to the ED with a known or suspected substance use disorder were enrolled by any member of their ED care team using a 1-page form. Retrospective chart review of the index ED visit was conducted and the Emergency Department Information System was used to extract information related to the visit. A multivariable logistic regression model was fit to examine factors associated with recommendation for referral to a hypothetical on-site RAAC.This prospective enrollment, retrospective chart review was conducted from June to August 2018. Adult patients presenting to the ED with a known or suspected substance use disorder were enrolled by any member of their ED care team using a 1-page form. Retrospective chart review of the index ED visit was conducted and the Emergency Department Information System was used to extract information related to the visit. A multivariable logistic regression model was fit to examine factors associated with recommendation for referral to a hypothetical on-site RAAC. Results: Of the 557 enrolment forms received, 458 were included in the analysis. 64% of included patients were male and 36% were female, with a median age of 35.0 years. Polysubstance use was seen in 23% of patients, and alcohol was the most common substance indicated (60%), followed by stimulants (32%) and opioids (16%). The median ED length of stay for included patients was 483 minutes, compared to 354 minutes for all-comers discharged from the ED during the study period. 28% of patients had a previous ED visit within 7 days of the index visit, and an additional 17% had a visit in the preceding 30 days. The ED care team indicated ‘Yes’ for RAAC referral from the ED for 66% of patients, for a mean of 4.3 patients referred per day during the study period. Multivariable analysis showed that all substances (except cannabis) correlated to a statistically significant increase in likelihood for indicating ‘Yes’ for RAAC referral from the ED (alcohol, stimulants, opioids, polysubstance; p < 0.05). Patients presenting to the ED with a chief complaint related to substance use were also more likely to be referred (p = 0.01). Conclusion: This retrospective chart review characterized substance-related presentations at a Canadian urban tertiary care ED. Approximately four patients per day would have been referred to an on-site RAAC had one been available. The RAAC model has been implemented in other Canadian hospitals, and collaborating with these sites to begin developing this service would be an important next step.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Major ◽  
Katherine Rittenbach ◽  
Frank MacMaster ◽  
Hina Walia ◽  
Stephanie D. VandenBerg

Abstract Background This study quantifies the frequency of adverse events (AEs) experienced by psychiatric patients while boarded in the emergency department (ED) and describes those events over a broad range of categories. Methods A retrospective chart review (RCR) of adult psychiatric patients aged 18–55 presenting to one of four Calgary EDs (Foothills Medical Centre (FMC), the Peter Lougheed Centre (PLC), the Rockyview General Hospital (RGH), and South Health Campus (SHC)) who were subsequently admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit between January 1, 2019 and May 15, 2019 were eligible for review. A test of association was used to determine the odds of an independent variable being associated with an adverse event. Results During the study time period, 1862 adult patients were admitted from EDs (city wide) to the psychiatry service. Of the 200 charts reviewed, the average boarding time was 23.5 h with an average total ED length of stay of 31 h for all presentations within the sample. Those who experienced an AE while boarded in the ED had a significantly prolonged average boarding time (35 h) compared to those who did not experience one (6.5 h) (p = 0.005). Conclusions The length of time a patient is in the emergency department and the length of time a patient is boarded after admission significantly increases the odds that the patient will experience an AE while in the ED. Other significant factors associated with AEs include the type of admission and the hospital the patient was admitted from.


CJEM ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-74
Author(s):  
Krista Hawrylyshyn ◽  
Shelley L. McLeod ◽  
Jackie Thomas ◽  
Catherine Varner

AbstractObjectiveThe objective of this study was to determine the proportion of women who had a ruptured ectopic pregnancy after being discharged from the emergency department (ED) where ectopic pregnancy had not yet been excluded.MethodsThis was a retrospective chart review of pregnant (<12-week gestational age) women discharged home from an academic tertiary care ED with a diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy, rule-out ectopic pregnancy, or pregnancy of unknown location over a 7-year period.ResultsOf the 550 included patients, 83 (15.1%) had a viable pregnancy, 94 (17.1%) had a spontaneous or missed abortion, 230 (41.8%) had an ectopic pregnancy, 72 (13.1%) had unknown outcomes, and 71 (12.9%) had other outcomes that included therapeutic abortion, molar pregnancy, or resolution of βHCG with no location documented. Of the 230 ectopic pregnancies, 42 (7.6%) underwent expectant management, 131 (23.8%) were managed medically with methotrexate, 29 (5.3%) were managed with surgical intervention, and 28 (5.1%) patients had a ruptured ectopic pregnancy after their index ED visit. Of the 550 included patients, 221 (40.2%) did not have a transvaginal ultrasound during their index ED visit, and 73 (33.0%) were subsequently diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy.ConclusionThese results may be useful for ED physicians counselling women with symptomatic early pregnancies about the risk of ectopic pregnancy after they are discharged from the ED.


CJEM ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 345-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Emmi Driedger ◽  
Kathryn A. Dong ◽  
Amanda S. Newton ◽  
Rhonda J. Rosychuk ◽  
Samina Ali

AbstractObjectivesGoals for this study were to characterize the substances being used by youth who presented to an emergency department (ED), their demographic descriptors, and to describe the associated acute morbidity and mortality.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective review of all youth, ages 10–16 years, who presented to a pediatric ED with complaints related to recreational drug use (n=641) for 2 years ending on December 31, 2009.ResultsThe median age of patients was 15 years; 56% were female. Six percent of patients were homeless, and 21% were wards of the state. The most frequent ingestions included ethanol (74%), marijuana (20%), ecstasy (19%), and medications (15%). Over one third of patients had ingested two or more substances. Ninety percent of patients were brought to the ED by the emergency medical services; 63% of these activations were by non-acquaintances. Of the 47% of youth who presented with a decreased level of consciousness, half had a Glasgow Coma Scale less than 13. The Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale score was 1 or 2 for 44% of patients. Sixty-eight percent received IV fluids, 42% received medication, and 4% were intubated. The admission rate was 9%.ConclusionsYouth who presented to the ED for substance use represented a socially vulnerable population whose use of recreational substances resulted in high medical acuity and significant morbidity. Improved clinical identification of such high-risk youth and subsequent design of interventions to address problematic substance use and social issues are urgently needed to complement the acute medical care that youth receive.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 1342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jérôme Bertrand ◽  
Christophe Fehlmann ◽  
Olivier Grosgurin ◽  
François Sarasin ◽  
Omar Kherad

Background: Laboratory and radiographic tests are often repeated during inter-hospital transfers from secondary to tertiary emergency departments (ED), despite available data from the sending structure. The aim of this study was to identify the proportion of repeated tests in patients transferred to a tertiary care ED, and to estimate their inappropriateness and their costs. Methods: A retrospective chart review of all adult patients transferred from one secondary care ED to a tertiary care ED during the year 2016 was carried out. The primary outcome was the redundancy (proportion of procedure repeated in the 8 h following the transfer, despite the availability of the previous results). Factors predicting the repetition of procedures were identified through a logistic regression analysis. Two authors independently assessed inappropriateness. Results: In 2016, 432 patients were transferred from the secondary to the tertiary ED, and 251 procedures were repeated: 179 patients (77.2%) had a repeated laboratory test, 34 (14.7%) a repeated radiological procedure and 19 (8.2%) both. Repeated procedures were judged as inappropriate for 197 (99.5%) laboratory tests and for 39 (73.6%) radiological procedures. Conclusion: Over half of the patients transferred from another emergency department had a repeated procedure. In most cases, these repeated procedures were considered inappropriate.


CJEM ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (04) ◽  
pp. 304-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geneviève Tourigny-Ruel ◽  
Dubravka Diksic ◽  
Elise Mok ◽  
David McGillivray

ABSTRACTObjective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a simple linear midazolam-based protocol for the management of impending status epilepticus in children up to 18 years of age.Methods:This is a descriptive, quality assessment, retrospective chart review of children presenting with the chief complaint of seizure disorder in the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary care pediatric hospital and a triage category of resuscitation or urgent from April 1, 2009, to August 31, 2011. In children with at least one seizure episode in the ED treated according to the linear protocol, three main outcomes were assessed: compliance, effectiveness, and complications.Results:Of the 128 children meeting the above study criteria, 68 had at least one seizure episode in the ED, and treatment was required to terminate at least one seizure episode in 46 of 68 patients (67.6%). Fifty-five seizure episodes were treated in the 46 patients: 51 of 55 seizure episodes were treated with midazolam (92.7%) and 4 of 55 with lorazepam or diazepam (7.3%). Of those treated with midazolam, 86.3% (44 of 51) were successfully treated with one or two doses of midazolam. The median seizure duration for all treated patients was 6 minutes. Of the 42 patients treated with midazolam, 7 required either continuous positive airway pressure or intubation, and two patients were treated for hypotension. One patient died of pneumococcal meningitis.Conclusion:This simple linear protocol is an effective and safe regimen for the treatment of impending status epilepticus in children.


2021 ◽  
pp. 082585972110033
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Hamill Howard ◽  
Rachel Schwartz ◽  
Bruce Feldstein ◽  
Marita Grudzen ◽  
Lori Klein ◽  
...  

Objective: To explore chaplains’ ability to identify unmet palliative care (PC) needs in older emergency department (ED) patients. Methods: A palliative chaplain-fellow conducted a retrospective chart review evaluating 580 ED patients, age ≥80 using the Palliative Care and Rapid Emergency Screening (P-CaRES) tool. An emergency medicine physician and chaplain-fellow screened 10% of these charts to provide a clinical assessment. One year post-study, charts were re-examined to identify which patients received PC consultation (PCC) or died, providing an objective metric for comparing predicted needs with services received. Results: Within one year of ED presentation, 31% of the patient sub-sample received PCC; 17% died. Forty percent of deceased patients did not receive PCC. Of this 40%, chaplain screening for P-CaRES eligibility correctly identified 75% of the deceased as needing PCC. Conclusion: Establishing chaplain-led PC screenings as standard practice in the ED setting may improve end-of-life care for older patients.


2021 ◽  
pp. 019459982110089
Author(s):  
Quinn Dunlap ◽  
James Reed Gardner ◽  
Amanda Ederle ◽  
Deanne King ◽  
Maya Merriweather ◽  
...  

Objective Neck dissection (ND) is one of the most commonly performed procedures in head and neck surgery. We sought to compare the morbidity of elective ND (END) versus therapeutic ND (TND). Study Design Retrospective chart review. Setting Academic tertiary care center. Methods Retrospective chart review of 373 NDs performed from January 2015 to December 2018. Patients with radical ND or inadequate chart documentation were excluded. Demographics, clinicopathologic data, complications, and sacrificed structures during ND were retrieved. Statistical analysis was performed with χ2 and analysis of variance for comparison of categorical and continuous variables, respectively, with statistical alpha set a 0.05. Results Patients examined consisted of 224 males (60%) with a mean age of 60 years. TND accounted for 79% (n = 296) as compared with 21% (n = 77) for END. Other than a significantly higher history of radiation (37% vs 7%, P < .001) and endocrine pathology (34% vs 2.6%, P < .001) in the TND group, no significant differences in demographics were found between the therapeutic and elective groups. A significantly higher rate of structure sacrifice and extranodal extension within the TND group was noted to hold in overall and subgroup comparisons. No significant difference in rate of surgical complications was appreciated between groups in overall or subgroup analysis. Conclusion While the significantly higher rate of structure sacrifice among the TND population represents an increased morbidity profile in these patients, no significant difference was found in the rate of surgical complications between groups. The significant difference seen between groups regarding history of radiation and endocrine pathology likely represents selection bias.


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