scholarly journals Preparing an Academic Medical Center to Manage Patients Infected With Ebola: Experiences of a University Hospital

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 558-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl H. Schultz ◽  
Kristi L. Koenig ◽  
Wajdan Alassaf
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Treatment Center ◽  
Treatment Unit ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Care Systems

AbstractAs Ebola has spread beyond West Africa, the challenges confronting health care systems with no experience in managing such patients are enormous. Not only is Ebola a significant threat to a population’s health, it can infect the medical personnel trying to treat it. As such, it represents a major challenge to those in public health, emergency medical services (EMS), and acute care hospitals. Our academic medical center volunteered to become an Ebola Treatment Center as part of the US effort to manage the threat. We developed detailed policies and procedures for Ebola patient management at our university hospital. Both the EMS system and county public health made significant contributions during the development process. This article shares information about this process and the outcomes to inform other institutions facing similar challenges of preparing for an emerging threat with limited resources. The discussion includes information about management of (1) patients who arrive by ambulance with prior notification, (2) spontaneous walk-in patients, and (3) patients with confirmed Ebola who are interfacility transfers. Hospital management includes information about Ebola screening procedures, personal protective equipment selection and personnel training, erection of a tent outside the main facility, establishing an Ebola treatment unit inside the facility, and infectious waste and equipment management. Finally, several health policy considerations are presented. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:558–567)

scholarly journals Epidemiology of Hospital-Acquired Urinary Tract–Related Bloodstream Infection at a University Hospital

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (11) ◽  
pp. 1127-1129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Chang ◽  
M. Todd Greene ◽  
Carol E. Chenoweth ◽  
Latoya Kuhn ◽  
Emily Shuman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Bloodstream Infection ◽  
Case Fatality Rate ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Hospital Acquired

Little is known about the epidemiology of nosocomial urinary tract-related bloodstream infection. In a case series from an academic medical center, Enterococcus (28.7%) and Candida (19.6%) species were the predominant microorganisms, which suggests a potential shift from gram-negative microorganisms. A case-fatality rate of 32.8% highlights the severity of this condition.

scholarly journals Ethical management of limited medical resources in COVID-19 times

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 22-28
Author(s):  
Arianna Omaña-Covarrubias ◽  
Ana Teresa Nez-Castro ◽  
Adrián Moya-Escalera ◽  
Carlos Cuevas-Suárez ◽  
María del Refugio Acuña-Gorrola
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Emergency Situation ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Sexual Preferences ◽  
Material Resources ◽  
Great Responsibility ◽  
Care Systems

The current COVID-19 pandemic has affected thousands of people around de world, regardless their race, religion, sexual preferences nor socioeconomic class, leaving all of us with the same vulnerability to suffer this disease. This emergency situation has shown to have the ability to collapse de health care systems in countries like: Italy, Spain, and the United States, because the medical personnel and the available material resources were exceeded. This conflict generates big ethical challenges for the practice of public health since difficult decisions have to be made about how, when and to whom the resources should be allocated.  Due to the great responsibility that resource allocation implies, important points in the existing literature are exposed on how to give the best solution to this situation.

scholarly journals Rapid Implementation of Video Visits in Neurology During COVID-19: Mixed Methods Evaluation (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika A Saliba-Gustafsson ◽  
Rebecca Miller-Kuhlmann ◽  
Samantha M R Kling ◽  
Donn W Garvert ◽  
Cati G Brown-Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Traditional Health ◽  
Traditional Health Care ◽  
Care Systems

BACKGROUND Telemedicine has been used for decades. Despite its many advantages, its uptake and rigorous evaluation of feasibility across neurology’s ambulatory subspecialties has been sparse. However, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted health care systems worldwide to reconsider traditional health care delivery. To safeguard health care workers and patients, many health care systems quickly transitioned to telemedicine, including across neurology subspecialties, providing a new opportunity to evaluate this modality of care. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the accelerated implementation of video visits in ambulatory neurology during the COVID-19 pandemic, we used mixed methods to assess adoption, acceptability, appropriateness, and perceptions of potential sustainability. METHODS Video visits were launched rapidly in ambulatory neurology clinics of a large academic medical center. To assess adoption, we analyzed clinician-level scheduling data collected between March 22 and May 16, 2020. We assessed acceptability, appropriateness, and sustainability via a clinician survey (n=48) and semistructured interviews with providers (n=30) completed between March and May 2020. RESULTS Video visits were adopted rapidly; overall, 65 (98%) clinicians integrated video visits into their workflow within the first 6 implementation weeks and 92% of all visits were conducted via video. Video visits were largely considered acceptable by clinicians, although various technological issues impacted their satisfaction. Video visits were reported to be more convenient for patients, families, and caregivers than in-person visits; however, access to technology, the patient’s technological capacity, and language difficulties were considered barriers. Many clinicians expressed optimism about future utilization of video visits in neurology. They believed that video visits promote continuity of care and can be incorporated into their practice long-term, although several insisted that they can never replace the in-person examination. CONCLUSIONS Video visits are an important addition to clinical care in ambulatory neurology and are anticipated to remain a permanent supplement to in-person visits, promoting patient care continuity, and flexibility for patients and clinicians alike.

scholarly journals Knowing Your Team: Rapid Assessment of Residents and Fellows for Effective Horizontal Care Delivery in Emergency Events

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley Dennis ◽  
Alexandra Highet ◽  
Daniel Kendrick ◽  
Laura Mazer ◽  
Sean Loiselle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Response ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Response Preparation ◽  
Emergency Situations ◽  
Care Systems

ABSTRACT Background Horizontal care, in which clinicians assume roles outside of their usual responsibilities, is an important health care systems response to emergency situations. Allocating residents and fellows into skill-concordant clinical roles, however, is challenging. The most efficient method to accomplish graduate medical education (GME) assessment and deployment for horizontal care is not known. Objective We designed a categorization schema that can efficiently facilitate clinical and educational horizontal care delivery for trainees within a given institution. Methods In September 2019, as part of a general emergency response preparation, a 4-tiered system of trainee categorization was developed at one academic medical center. All residents and fellows were mapped to this system. This single institution model was disseminated to other institutions in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic began to affect hospitals nationally. In March 2020, a multi-institution collaborative launched the Trainee Pandemic Role Allocation Tool (TPRAT), which allows institutions to map institutional programs to COVID-19 roles within minutes. This was disseminated to other GME programs for use and refinement. Results The emergency response preparation plan was disseminated and selectively implemented with a positive response from the emergency preparedness team, program directors, and trainees. The TPRAT website was visited more than 100 times in the 2 weeks after its launch. Institutions suggested rapid refinements via webinars and e-mails, and we developed an online user's manual. Conclusions This tool to assess and deploy trainees horizontally during emergency situations appears feasible and scalable to other GME institutions.

scholarly journals 769. Risk Factors of Central Line-associated Bloodstream Infection in an Academic Medical Center

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S481-S482
Author(s):  
Zane Conrad ◽  
Minji Kang ◽  
Elizabeth Thomas ◽  
Doramarie Arocha ◽  
Julie B Trivedi
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Candida Species ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Central Line ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Icu Patients ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Line Type

Abstract Background Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) are one of the leading healthcare-acquired infections (HAI) with significant morbidity and mortality. We aimed to identify risk factors of CLABSI at an academic medical center to determine high-risk populations and target interventions. Methods This is an observational retrospective cohort study at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2020. Retrospective chart review was conducted to identify demographics and co-morbidities of hospitalized patients diagnosed with CLABSI as defined by National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Infections due to mucosal barrier injuries were excluded. Means were compared using independent-samples T-test and proportions were compared using chi-square. Results Ninety-three CLABSI events were identified with an increase in the standardized infection ratio from 0.38 in 2017 to 0.74 in 2020 (Figure 1). Bacterial organisms were identified in 71 (76%) cases while fungal organisms were identified in 22 (24%) (Table 2). There was no significant difference in the timing of CLABSI after line insertion (p=0.09) or organism identified (p=0.61) in PICC lines (n=33, 34%) vs all other central lines (n=60, 67%). When comparing immunocompromised patients with CLABSI (n=47, 51%) vs non-immunocompromised (n=46, 50%), there was a significant difference in the indication for line (chemotherapy), but no difference was seen in the number of line days prior to event (p=0.57), line type (p=0.17), or organism identified (p=0.94). Of all CLABSI, 46% (n=43) were in the intensive care unit (ICU) with significantly more Candida species (p=0.018) identified compared to non-ICU patients with CLABSI (n= 50, 54%). Figure 1. CLABSI Rate and SIR from 2017 to 2020 by Quarter Conclusion Candida species were more likely to be found in ICU patients with CLABSI as compared to non-ICU counterparts with further investigation in the ICU population revealing lack of flushing after administration of total parenteral nutrition. Otherwise, this observational cohort of CLABSI events did not identify any difference in immunosuppression status or line type. Given this information, infection prevention efforts will continue to be directed towards proper central line maintenance and removal when no longer indicated. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Pneumatized Crista Galli: A Histopathologic Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 163 (3) ◽  
pp. 517-521
Author(s):  
Marcel Marjanovic Kavanagh ◽  
Tomislav Tokic ◽  
Antonia Jakovcevic ◽  
Ranko Smiljanic ◽  
Boris Bumber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Inflammation ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Clinical Importance ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Histopathologic Study ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Hematoxylin And Eosin ◽  
The University

Objective This is the first histopathologic study that investigates the incidence of the pneumatized crista galli. Study Design A prospective histopathologic study. Setting Tertiary academic medical center. Subjects and Methods A total of 109 specimens of crista galli were obtained postmortem during 2018 from randomly chosen patients who died at the University Hospital Centre Zagreb and had an autopsy at our Department of Pathology and Cytology. Specimens were surgically resected during the autopsy and then fixed, decalcinated, dehydrated, and embedded in paraffin. All slides were cut into 5-µm-thin sections and stained with a standard method (hematoxylin and eosin) for light microscope analysis. Specimens were histopathologically analyzed for the existence of pneumatization inside crista galli. The criterion to declare a specimen pneumatized was the presence of mucosa inside the cavity. Results Pneumatized crista galli was found in 5 of 109 specimens (4.59%). In 5 of 5 cases (100%) of pneumatized crista galli, there was evidence of chronic inflammation. Conclusion We found that the incidence of pneumatized crista galli is significantly lower in our histopathologic study in comparison with the majority of previous radiologic studies. Our study also found that all 5 specimens with pneumatized crista galli had chronic inflammation in the mucosa, which is a considerably higher incidence than in the previous studies (7.7%-44%). Due to the emerging evidence of pneumatized crista galli being of clinical importance, we suggest that a larger study be conducted before the results are generalized to the general population.

scholarly journals Tracking Substance Use Complications: A Collaborative Analysis of Public Health and Academic Medical Center Records on Drug Use-Associated Infective Endocarditis

2020 ◽  
Vol 222 (Supplement_5) ◽  
pp. S437-S441
Author(s):  
David de Gijsel ◽  
Martha DesBiens ◽  
Elizabeth A Talbot ◽  
David J Laflamme ◽  
Stephen Conn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Chart Review ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Discharge Diagnosis ◽  
Composite Measure ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Diagnosis Coding ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Healthcare systems and public health agencies use different methods to measure the impact of substance use (SU) on population health. We studied the ability of systems to accurately capture data on drug use-associated infective endocarditis (DUA-IE). Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with IE discharge diagnosis from an academic medical center, 2011–2017, comparing data from hospital Electronic Health Record (EHR) to State Uniform Hospital Discharge Data Set (UHDDS). To identify SU we developed a composite measure. Results EHR identified 472 IE discharges (430 of these were captured in UHDDS); 406 (86.0%) were correctly coded based on chart review. IE discharges increased from 57 to 92 (62%) from 2012 to 2017. Hospitalizations for the subset of DUA-IE identified by any measure of SU increased from 10 to 54 (440%). Discharge diagnosis coding identified 128 (60.7%) of total DUA-IE hospitalizations. The composite measure identified an additional 65 (30.8%) DUA-IE hospitalizations and chart review an additional 18 (8.5%). Conclusions The failure of discharge diagnosis coding to identify DUA-IE in 40% of hospitalizations demonstrates the need for better systems to capture the impact of SU. Collaborative data sharing could help improve surveillance responsiveness to address an emerging public health crises.

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