scholarly journals 67. Transitioning from Permissive to Restrictive Urine Reflex Criteria: Compiling the Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S152-S152
Author(s):  
Chad D Nix ◽  
Angela H Villamagna

Abstract Background Reflex urine cultures (UCx) are a diagnostic stewardship practice that limit the progression of UCx to specimens that meet pre-defined urinalysis criteria, but there is no widely recommended threshold for culture. At our institution, urinalyses (UAs) are reflexed to UCx for positive nitrites, leukocyte esterase, presence of bacteria, or ≥5 white blood cells per high powered field (WBC/hpf). Our aim is to assess if a more restrictive criteria of >10 WBC/hpf would result in missed UTI diagnoses. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of a systematic sampling of urine specimens collected from July 2018 to June 2019 in the emergency department and adult inpatient units. Inclusion criteria were UA with a WBC/hpf of 5-10 – samples that would not reflex to culture under our proposed criteria – and a UCx. We recorded signs, symptoms and antibiotic use via chart review. Positive UCxs were defined as ≥10e5 CFU/mL of bacterial growth (BG) and these cases were assessed using standardized CDC UTI definitions. Results 486 urine specimens with < 10e5 CFU/mL BG and 96 with ≥10e5 CFU/mL BG met inclusion criteria. Chart review was performed on 99 cases. 81 (82%) specimens had negative UCxs and 18 (18%) were positive. 45% had documented localizing UTI symptoms. 26% of all urine studies were sent for an indication of fever, 15% for altered mental status (AMS), and 8% for malaise. Among the 18 patients with positive UCxs, 11 (61%) met UTI criteria. Among the 81 patients with negative UCxs, 33/81 (41%) had a local symptom compatible with UTI. 7/81 (9%) patients had positive tests from other body sites; all 7 of these UCxs were sent for a new or worsening fever. Conclusion Of the 99 UCxs reviewed, less than half had a urinary symptom consistent with UTI, and almost half of studies were sent for non-specific indications such as fever, which suggests reflex UCxs are overutilized at our institution. However, our data demonstrate that a more restrictive UCx criteria may not be the solution, as at least 11 clinically significant UTIs would have been missed under the new criteria. We recommend improved clinical decision support tools and more data to validate restrictive reflex UCx criteria before their implementation. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Author(s):  
Marie Uecker ◽  
Joachim F. Kuebler ◽  
Nagoud Schukfeh ◽  
Eva-Doreen Pfister ◽  
Ulrich Baumann ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Age at Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE) has been identified as a predictive factor for native-liver survival in patients with biliary atresia (BA). Outcomes of pediatric liver transplantation (LT) have improved over recent years. It has been proposed to consider primary LT as a treatment option for late-presenting BA infants instead of attempting KPE. We present our experience with patients older than 90 days undergoing KPE. Materials and Methods A retrospective chart review of patients with BA undergoing KPE at our institution between January 2010 and December 2020 was performed. Patients 90 days and older at the time of surgery were included. Patients' characteristics, perioperative data, and follow-up results were collected. Eleven patients matched the inclusion criteria. Mean age at KPE was 108 days (range: 90–133 days). Results Postoperative jaundice clearance (bilirubin < 2 mg/dL) at 2-year follow-up was achieved in three patients (27%). Eight patients (73%) received a liver transplant at a mean of 626 days (range: 57–2,109 days) after KPE. Four patients (36%) were transplanted within 12 months post-KPE. Two patients died 237 and 139 days after KPE due to disease-related complications. One patient is still alive with his native liver, currently 10 years old. Conclusion Even when performed at an advanced age, KPE can help prolong native-liver survival in BA patients and offers an important bridge to transplant. In our opinion, it continues to represent a viable primary treatment option for late-presenting infants with BA.


SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A226-A227
Author(s):  
Nimra Alvi ◽  
Allison Clarke ◽  
Pallavi Patwari

Abstract Introduction Medical consensus advises against co-sleeping for infants to protect against SIDS, but co-sleeping in older children is often dismissed if not associated with caregiver distress. While some families may choose to co-sleep due to cultural, circumstantial, or psychosocial factors, this choice can also be due to medical concerns warranting greater caregiver attention. We aimed to explore characteristics of co-sleeping children referred for sleep disordered breathing and hypothesized that children with polysomnogram confirmed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) would have higher caregiver-reported sleep disordered breathing symptoms as compared to children without confirmed OSA. Methods Caregivers who accompanied their child for polysomnogram were asked to complete a questionnaire that included sleep-related symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing (snoring, apnea, gasping/choking), restlessness, and parasomnias. Inclusion criteria are age &gt;1.0 years and &lt;18 years, baseline study for sleep disordered breathing, and completed questionnaire. Retrospective chart review included demographic information, BMI, co-morbid conditions, and polysomnogram results. The cohort was divided into 2 groups based on polysomnogram confirmed diagnosis of “snoring” or “OSA”. Results Of 75 co-sleeping children, 27 (36%) had a diagnosis of snoring and 48 (64%) of OSA. The cohort was similar in age, gender, and insurance type for snoring and OSA groups (Average 5.7 +/- 2.6 yrs and 5.4 +/- 2.9 yrs, respectively; 41% and 35% female, respectively; 44% and 50% Medicaid, respectively). Notable differences in the snoring and OSA groups were found with BMI z-score (1.6 +/- 4.6 and 1.0 +/- 1.5, respectively) and absence of co-morbid conditions (44% and 63%, respectively). Regarding reported symptoms, the snoring-group compared to OSA-group had lower report of gasping/choking (19% vs 29%), bedwetting (7% vs 13%), and nightmares (7% vs 15%); and had higher report of movement (74% vs 60%), kicking (48% vs 31%), and startle/jump (30% vs 19%). Conclusion Although we predicted that co-sleeping would be associated with increased caregiver vigilance, witnessed sleep-disordered-breathing symptoms was only higher for report of gasping/choking and did not differ significantly for report of snoring and apnea in children with and without OSA. Interestingly, co-sleeping in children without OSA appeared to be more strongly related to report of sleep disruption in the form of restless sleep. Support (if any):


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Pi ◽  
Estello Nap-Hill ◽  
Jennifer Telford ◽  
Robert Enns

Background. Lynch Syndrome (LS) is the most common cause of inherited colorectal cancer (CRC). In British Columbia, most centres still use clinical criteria (Amsterdam II, Revised Bethesda, or the BC Cancer Agency’s criteria) to determine who should undergo further first-line testing in the form of microsatellite instability or immunohistochemistry staining. Given the limitations with this strategy, LS is thought to be underrecognized. Objective. To investigate whether LS is truly underrecognized when compared to the reported prevalence. Methods. A retrospective chart review of all CRC cases diagnosed at St. Paul’s Hospital from 2010 to 2013 was conducted. Results. 246 patients met inclusion criteria. 76% (83/109) with a family history of malignancy were unable to recall the specific malignancy or age of diagnosis. 18% (43/235) were only asked about a history of gastrointestinal related malignancy and 26% (65/246) met at least one of the three criteria but only 21% (13/63) received further investigation. Only 1.6% (4/246) had LS compared to the reported prevalence of 2–5% of all CRC cases. Conclusion. This data supports our hypothesis that LS is underrecognized. Issues at the patient, physician, and systems level need to be evaluated to determine where the limitations preventing appropriate testing are occurring.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 124-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Lening ◽  
Vatche G. Agopian ◽  
Ronald W. Busuttil ◽  
David S. Liebeskind

Background: We examined neurologic consultations for altered mental status in perioperative liver transplant patients to determine the overall incidence, to assess the presumed etiology and the data reviewed to determine that etiology, and to assess outcomes. Methods: Retrospective chart review conducted for all 728 adult patients receiving orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) between January 01, 2010, to June 30, 2014, with identification of 218 receiving neurology consults between 30 days pre-OLT and 90 days post-OLT, with review of all records necessary to determine initial findings and follow-up examination. Results: Seventy-three consults for 69 patients were identified, with 27 felt to be altered since a procedure, 20 with sudden-onset altered mentation, and 26 with gradual or waxing–waning course. A single underlying etiology was identified in only 19 cases, with multiple factors involved in all others, with metabolic, toxic, infectious, and structural etiologies most often implicated. There was no statistically significant difference in outcome for those with altered mental status consults versus the total OLT population, though the sudden-onset presentation group did show significantly increased mortality rates. Conclusions: This systematic study illustrates the variety of potential causes of altered mentation within the perioperative setting of liver transplantation. Workup including neuroimaging (preferably magnetic resonance imaging), infectious cultures, and expanded metabolic laboratory tests should be undertaken.


2017 ◽  
Vol 157 (6) ◽  
pp. 1041-1047 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy L. Hughes ◽  
David Roberson ◽  
Cassandra Bannos ◽  
Emily K. Trudell ◽  
Louis Vernacchio

Introduction Otitis media (OM) is the most common reason children receive general anesthesia, with bilateral tympanostomy tube (TT) insertion the second most common surgery in children. Prior research suggests overuse of TT. As part of a project designed to improve appropriateness of OM referrals, we evaluated appropriateness of TT insertion in a patient cohort. Methods Patients younger than 9 years with initial otolaryngology (ORL) visits in academic and private office settings for OM from January 1, 2012, to August 31, 2013, were identified through claims database. A detailed retrospective chart review of patients undergoing TT insertion was performed to determine appropriateness of TT insertion per the 2013 American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) guidelines. Results A total of 120 patients undergoing TT insertion were randomly chosen for detailed chart review; 32 patients were excluded. Sixty-six (75%) of 88 patients available for analysis met AAO-HNSF guidelines for TT. Recurrent acute OM with middle ear effusion was the most common indication (56%). Other indications included chronic OME and TT in at-risk patients with speech, learning, or behavioral delays. Of the 22 patients undergoing TT insertion not meeting AAO-HNSF guidelines, 11(50%) had abnormal exams, but were 1 to 2 infections short of meeting guidelines; 7 (33%) had normal exams but met criteria for number of infections. Discussion Contrary to prior publications, 75% of patients undergoing TT insertion had an appropriate indication per AAO-HNSF guidelines. In only 5% was TT insertion a substantial departure from guidelines. Implications for Practice The study outcomes suggest appropriate clinical decision making, improved guideline adherence, and better guideline applicability from the previously published 1994 and 2004 guidelines.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dahn Jeong ◽  
Ha Nhan Thi Nguyen ◽  
Mark Tyndall ◽  
Yoko S Schreiber

Abstract Background Previous publications indicated an emerging issue with community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), particularly skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs), in Indigenous communities in Canada. The objectives of this analysis were to explore the prevalence of SSTIs due to CA-MRSA and patterns of antimicrobial use in the community setting. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted as part of an environmental scan to assess antibiotic prescriptions in 12 First Nations communities across five provinces in Canada including Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Québec. Charts were randomly selected from nursing stations and patients who had accessed care in the previous 12 months and were ≥18 years were included in the review. Data was collected from September to December, 2013 on antibiotic prescriptions, including SSTIs, clinical symptoms, diagnostic information including presence of CA-MRSA infection, and treatment. Results A total of 372 charts were reviewed, 60 from Alberta, 70 from Saskatchewan, 120 from Manitoba, 100 from Ontario, and 22 from Québec. Among 372 patients, 224 (60.2%) patients had at least one antibiotic prescription in the previous 12 months and 569 prescriptions were written in total. The prevalence of SSTIs was estimated at 36.8% (137 cases of SSTIs in 372 charts reviewed). In 137 cases of SSTIs, 34 (24.8%) were purulent infections, and 55 (40.2%) were due to CA-MRSA. Conclusions This study has identified a high prevalence of antibiotic use and SSTIs due to CA-MRSA in remote and isolated Indigenous communities across Canada. This population is currently hard to reach and under-represented in standard surveillance system and randomized retrospective chart reviews can offer complimentary methodology for monitoring disease burden, treatment and prevention.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Jamieson ◽  
Alexandra C Lesko ◽  
Elizabeth Baraban ◽  
Lisa R Yanase

Introduction: Thrombolytic treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) during night-time hours and weekends is associated with prolonged door to needle (DTN) times. A CT suite telestroke unit (CTTU) was installed at two urban stroke centers to expedite treatment for AIS patients. The purpose of this study was to determine whether CTTU evaluation would decrease DTN times on nights and weekends. Methods: A retrospective chart review included patients 18 years and older presenting with AIS to the emergency department and treated with IV alteplase on a week-night (4pm-8am) or weekend (Friday 4pm - Monday 8am) between January 2019- February 2020. The distribution of median DTN times were compared for the following groups: (1) Pre-CTTU installation (January 1, 2019-July 28, 2019) versus post-CTTU installation (July 29, 2019 - February 29, 2020), regardless of telestroke usage (“intention to treat”), (2) Pre-CTTU (using traditional telestroke and excluding bedside evaluations) versus post-CTTU (using CTTU and excluding bedside evaluations) (“per-protocol”) and (3) Post-CTTU period use of traditional telestroke versus CTTU (“post-CTTU group”). Analyses were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: A total of 111 patients met inclusion criteria with 44 (39.6%) treated in the pre-CTTU period and 67 (60.4%) treated in the post-CTTU period. After installation, CTTU was utilized in 38.8% (n=26) of cases, traditional telestroke in 44.8% (n=30), and the remaining 16.4% (n=11) were evaluated at bedside. The intention-to-treat analysis showed no difference between the pre-CTTU and post-CTTU groups (44.0 minutes vs 44.0 minutes, p=0.909). The per-protocol analysis showed faster DTN times in the Post-CTTU group compared to the Pre-CTTU group (38.5 minutes vs 44.0 minutes, p=0.128), but the difference was not significant. The post-CTTU group analysis showed median DTN times significantly improved using CTTU compared to traditional telestroke (38.5 minutes vs 48.0 minutes, p=0.011). Conclusion: The use of CT telestroke in the evaluation of acute ischemic stroke patients decreased DTN time when a stroke neurologist is not on-site.


CJEM ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 3 (03) ◽  
pp. 193-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffery L. Ginn ◽  
James Ducharme

ABSTRACT Objective: Acute upper gastrointestinal (UGI) hemorrhage is a common, often serious condition encountered in the emergency department (ED). Previous research has suggested that transfusion of blood products may interfere with the hypercoagulable state induced by significant blood loss. Our objective was to determine whether the frequency of rebleeding is higher in patients with UGI bleeding who have received early blood transfusion. Methods: The study was a retrospective chart review of patients admitted to hospital through the ED with a diagnosis of UGI hemorrhage. Inclusion criteria limited analysis to patients presenting with hematemesis, melena, or bloody nasogastric aspirate, in whom a UGI lesion was confirmed endoscopically during admission. Results: A total of 214 charts were analyzed. Baseline demographic characteristics were similar in transfused and non-transfused patients. Presenting hemoglobin level was lower in the transfused group (86.5 v. 119.2 g/L, p &lt; 0.001). Recurrent bleeding occurred in 99 (46%) patients and was more common in transfused patients (67 [66%] v. 33 [29%], p &lt; 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that transfusion and presenting hemoglobin level were the only variables with a statistically significant independent association with bleeding recurrence (p &lt; 0.001 and p &lt; 0.05 respectively). Conclusions: Our results support previous research suggesting that transfused UGI bleed patients have a higher rate of rebleeding. However, because of the retrospective design, causality cannot be inferred.


CJEM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (S1) ◽  
pp. S71-S71
Author(s):  
K. Tastad ◽  
J. Koh ◽  
D. Goodridge ◽  
J. Stempien ◽  
T. Oyedokun

Introduction: Patients who are not identified upon presentation to the emergency department (ED), commonly referred to as John or Jane Does (JDs), are a vulnerable population due to the sequelae associated with this lack of patient information. To date, there has been minimal research describing JDs. We aimed to characterize the JD population and determine if it differs significantly from the general ED population. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 114 JDs admitted to Saskatoon EDs from May 2018 to April 2019. Patients met inclusion criteria if they were provided a unique JD identification number at ED admission because their identities were unknown or unverifiable. Data regarding demographics, clinical presentation, ED course, mode of identification, and major clinical outcomes (i.e. admission rates, mortality rates) were gathered from electronic records. A second reviewer abstracted a random 21.0% sample of charts to ensure validity of the data. The JD population was then compared to the general population of ED patients that presented during the same time period. Results: Male JDs most commonly presented as trauma activations (85.7%) in contrast to female JDs who most commonly presented with issues related to substance abuse (51.4%). Compared to the general ED population, a greater percentage of JDs were categorized as CTAS 1 or 2 (85.8% vs 18.9%, p < 0.0001), more likely to be 44 years of age or younger (82.4% vs 58.5%, p < 0.0001), and more likely to be male (64.9% vs 49.1%, p < 0.0001). Descriptive statistics on the JD population demonstrated that most JDs received consults to inpatient services (58.8%). Of JDs who presented to the ED, 34.2% were admitted to hospital. The mortality of the JD population was 13.2% at 3 months. The ED average (SD) length of stay for JDs was 8.7 (9.0) hours. How JDs were ultimately identified was recorded only 70.2% of the time. Most frequently, JDs identified themselves (26.3%), other identification methods included police services (14.9%), family members (7.9%), registered nurses (6.1%), government-issued identification (5.3%), social work (4.4%) or other measures (5.4%). Conclusion: JD's represent a unique population in the ED. Both their presentations and clinical outcomes differ significantly from the generalized ED population. More research is needed to better identify strategies to improve the management and identification methods of these unique patients.


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