scholarly journals Admission is not Always Necessary for Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Risk Classes IV and V Diagnosed in the Emergency Room

2007 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 212-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
TJ Marrie ◽  
JQ Huang
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Room ◽  
Altered Mental Status ◽  
Community Acquired Pneumonia ◽  
Antibiotic Administration ◽  
Free Standing ◽  
Laboratory Findings ◽  
Risk Of Mortality ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Abnormal Lymphocyte ◽  
At Home

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors that allow patients with community-acquired pneumonia who are at high risk of mortality (risk classes IV and V) to be treated at home.DESIGN: A prospective, observational study.SETTING: Six hospitals and one free-standing emergency room in Edmonton, Alberta.PARTICIPANTS: The present study included 2354 patients in risk classes IV and V who had a diagnosis of pneumonia made by an emergency room physician or an internist.MEASUREMENTS: Symptoms, signs and laboratory findings, as well as outcome measures of length of stay and mortality.RESULTS: Of the total study group, 319 of the patients (13.5%) were treated on an ambulatory basis. Factors predictive of admission were definite or possible pneumonia on chest radiograph as read by a radiologist, functional impairment, altered mental status, substance abuse, psychiatric disorder, abnormal white blood cell count, abnormal lymphocyte count, oxygen saturation less than 90% and antibiotic administration in the week before admission. If chest pain was present, admission was less likely. Only two of the 319 patients required subsequent admission (both had positive blood cultures) and only two died.CONCLUSIONS: A substantial number of patients in risk classes IV and V can be safely treated at home. Factors that help clinicians to select this subset of patients are discussed.

scholarly journals A short therapeutic regimen based on hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin for the treatment of COVID-19 in patients with non-severe disease. A strategy associated with a reduction in hospital admissions and complications.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
José A. Oteo ◽  
Pedro Marco ◽  
Luis Ponce de León ◽  
Alejandra Roncero ◽  
Teófilo Lobera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Emergency Room ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Qtc Interval ◽  
Therapeutic Regime ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Short Period ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

The new SARS-CoV-2 infection named COVID-19 has severely hit our Health System. At the time of writing this paper no medical therapy is officially recommended or has shown results in improving the outcomes in COVID-19 patients. With the aim of diminishing the impact in Hospital admissions and reducing the number of medical complications, we implemented a strategy based on a Hospital Home-Care Unit (HHCU) using an easy-to-use treatment based on an oral administration regimen outside the hospital with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) plus azithromycin (AZM) for a short period of 5 days. Patients and methods: Patients ≥ 18 years old visiting the emergency room at the Hospital Universitario San Pedro de Logrono (La Rioja) between March, 31st and April, 12th diagnosed with COVID-19 with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection by a specific PCR, as follows: Patients with pneumonia (CURB ≤ 1) who did not present severe comorbidities and had no processes that contraindicated this therapeutic regime. Olygosimptomatic patients without pneumonia aged ≥ 55 years. Patients ≥ 18 years old without pneumonia with significant comorbidities. We excluded patients with known allergies to some of the antimicrobials used and patients treated with other drugs that increase the QTc or with QTc >450msc. The therapeutic regime was: HCQ 400 mg every twice in a loading dose followed by 200 mg twice for 5 days, plus AZM 500 mg on the first day followed by 250 mg daily for 5 days. A daily telephone follow-up was carried out from the hospital by the same physician. The end-points of our study were: 1.- To measure the need for hospital admission within 15 days after the start of treatment. 2.- To measure the need to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) within 15 days after the start of the treatment. 3.- To describe the severity of the clinical complications developed. 4.- To measure the mortality within 30 days after starting treatment (differentiating if the cause is COVID-19 or something else). 5.-To describe the safety and adverse effects of the therapeutic regime. Results: During the 13 days studied a total of 502 patients were attended in the emergency room due to COVID-19. Forty-two were sent at home; 80 were attended by the HHCU (patients on this study) and 380 were admitted to the Hospital. In our series there were a group of 69 (85.18%) patients diagnosed with pneumonia (37 males and 32 females). Most of them, 57 (82.60%) had a CURB65 score of <1 (average age 49) and 12 (17.40%) a CURB score of 1 (average age 63). Eighteen (22.50%) of the pneumonia patients also had some morbidity as a risk factor. 11 patients (13.75%) without pneumonia were admitted to the HHCU because comorbidities or age ≥ 55 years. Six patients with pneumonia had to be hospitalized during the observation period, 3 of them because side effects and 3 because of worsening. One of these patients, with morbid obesity and asthma, had clinical worsening needing mechanical ventilation at ICU and developed acute distress respiratory syndrome. With the exception of the patient admitted to the ICU, the rest of the patients were discharged at home in the following 8 days (3 to 8 days). Twelve patients (15%), 11 of whom had pneumonia, experienced side effects affecting mainly the digestive. In another patient a QTc interval prolongation (452 msc) was observed. In total 3 of these patients had to be admitted in the Hospital, 2 because of vomiting and 1 because a QTc interval lengthening. None of the patients needed to stop the HCQ or AZM and all the 80 patients finished the therapeutic strategy. From the group without pneumonia only a patient developed diarrhea that did not require hospitalization or stop the medication. Conclusions: Our strategy has been associated with a reduction in the burden of hospital pressure, and it seems to be successful in terms of the number of patients who have developed serious complications and / or death. None of the patients died in the studied period and only 6 have to be admitted in conventional hospitalization area.

scholarly journals 752. Timing of Antibiotics Administration in Emergency Department and Mortality in Sepsis by Sepsis-3 Definition

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S335-S336
Author(s):  
Hyeri Seok ◽  
Ju-Hyun Song ◽  
Ji Hoon Jeon ◽  
Hee Kyoung Choi ◽  
Won Suk Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Sofa Score ◽  
Lactate Level ◽  
P Value ◽  
Antibiotic Administration ◽  
Risk Of Mortality ◽  
Administration Time ◽  
Comorbidity Index ◽  
Time To Antibiotics ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Background Even after the introduction of the Sepsis-3 definition, there is still debate on the ideal antibiotic administration time in patients with sepsis. This study was performed to evaluate the association between the timing of antibiotic administration and mortality in sepsis patients who visited the emergency room. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted on patients who were diagnosed as sepsis with Sepsis-3 definition among patients who visited the emergency department (ED) of Korea University Ansan Hospital from September 2017 to January 2019. The timing of antibiotic administration was defined as the time in hours from ED arrival until the first antibiotic administration. Cox logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between time to antibiotics and 7-, 14-, and 28-day mortality. Results During the study period, a total of 251 patients were enrolled with a 7-, 14-, and 28-day mortality of 16.7%, 36.3%, and 57.4%, respectively. The median time to antibiotic administration was 247 minutes (interquartile range 72 – 202 minutes). The mean age was 72 ± 15 years old and 122 patients (48.6%) were female. The most common site of infection was respiratory infection. The timing of antibiotic administration were not associated with 7-, 14-, and 28-day mortality. Female (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2.06 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.21 – 3.53]; P value = 0.008), SOFA score (aHR 1.17 [95% CI 1.05 - 1.31]; P = 0.005), and initial lactate level (aHR 1.13 [95% CI 1.05 - 1.22]; P = 0.001) increased the risk of 7-day mortality. Female (aHR 2.07 [95% CI 1.48 – 2.89]; P ≤ 0.001), Charlson comorbidity index (aHR 1.12 [95% CI 1.02 - 1.24]; P = 0.025), and initial lactate level (aHR 1.19 [95% CI 1.02 - 1.16]; P = 0.011) increased the risk of 14-day mortality. Female (aHR 1.95 [95% CI 1.50 – 2.54]; P = 0.001) increased the risk of 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis. Conclusion The timing of antibiotic administration did not increase the risk of mortality in the treatment of sepsis patients who visited ED. Rather, the SOFA score, lactate, female, and comorbidity increased the mortality associated with sepsis. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

COMMUNICATING EMPIRE: THE HABSBURGS AND THEIR CRITICS, 1700–1919

2009 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 117-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. W. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
Roman Empire ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Holy Roman Empire ◽  
The Other ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Free Standing ◽  
Power Base ◽  
The One ◽  
At Home

ABSTRACTIn the vibrant current debate about European empires and their ideologies, one basic dichotomy still tends to be overlooked: that between, on the one hand, the plurality of modern empires of colonisation, commerce and settlement; and, on the other, the traditional claim to single and undividedimperiumso long embodied in the Roman Empire and its successor, the Holy Roman Empire, or (First) Reich. This paper examines the tensions between the two, as manifested in the theory and practice of Habsburg imperial rule. The Habsburgs, emperors of the Reich almost continuously through its last centuries, sought to build their own power-base within and beyond it. The first half of the paper examines how by the eighteenth century their ‘Monarchy’, subsisting alongside the Reich, dealt with the associated legacy of empire. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 the Habsburgs could pursue a free-standing Austrian ‘imperialism’, but it rested on an uneasy combination of old and new elements and was correspondingly vulnerable to challenge from abroad and censure at home. The second half of the article charts this aspect of Habsburg government through an age of international imperialism and its contribution to the collapse of the Dual Monarchy in 1918.

'Aorta code' implementation and preliminary results of a multidisciplinary protocol for patients with acute aortic syndrome

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Ferrera Duran ◽  
I Vilacosta ◽  
J Perez-Villacastin ◽  
P Busca ◽  
A Carrero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Room ◽  
Aortic Surgery ◽  
Referral Hospital ◽  
Acute Aortic Syndrome ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
Group I ◽  
Aortic Pathology ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Group Ii ◽  
Patient’S Outcome

Abstract Background Expediting life-saving care for patients with acute aortic syndrome (AAS) through multi-disciplinary code protocols is a potential method to improve outcomes. Other code protocols for cardiovascular emergencies, such as ST-elevation myocardial infarction and stroke have shown excellent results. Aim To examine the implementation and preliminary results of a code protocol “Aorta Code” for patients with AAS in a healthcare framework of a 4-hospital network in our city by reviewing the number of patients detected, patient's transference time, aortic surgery and patient's outcome during a trial period of 10 months (April 2019-January 2020). A comparison with a previous 2-year period with standard of care management of AAS was performed. Methods “Aorta Code” uses a specific diagnostic algorithm to improve detection of patients with AAS at the emergency room, facilitates their quick transfer to the referral hospital by activating a paging system, and places acute cardiovascular care unit, operating room and surgeons specialized in aortic pathology on standby. Results Compared to a previous 2-year period (2017–2018) (group I), the current implementation of “Aorta Code” in a period of 10 months (group II) in our 4-hospital network involving the healthcare of 1.100000 inhabitants resulted in the detection of more patients with AAS (group-I: n=18 patients (0.8 patients/month), group-II: n=19 patients (1.9 patients/month); p=0.013). AAS detection in secondary hospitals importantly increased (33.3% vs 63.8%, p=0.07). The “Aorta Code” achieved a significant decrease in patient's transference time to referral hospital (group-I: median 259 min (IQR 150–1911), group-II: median 129 min (IQR 95.5–167.25); p=0.035). There was a marked reduction in the number of surgeons involved in the “Aorta Code” (group-I= 7 cardiac, 6 vascular, group-II= 2 cardiac, 2 vascular). Thirty-day mortality was lower in group-II in the whole AAS cohort (group-I= 22.2%, group-II= 12.5%; p=0.660) and in type A AAS (28.6% vs 18.2%, p=0.661). Misdiagnosis rate (false-calls): 11 patients (7 of them with non-acute aortic disease). Conclusion “Aorta Code” facilitates detecting patients with AAS at the emergency room, speeds them to the referral hospital center, allows patients to be treated by surgeons specialized in aortic surgery and improves patient's outcome. Further prospective studies examining the utility of “Aorta Code” are warranted. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Use of a Structured Panel Process to Define Quality Metrics for Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 500-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Morris ◽  
Stacey Brener ◽  
Linda Dresser ◽  
Nick Daneman ◽  
Timothy H. Dellit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Bloodstream Infections ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Acquired Pneumonia ◽  
Public Reporting ◽  
Modified Delphi ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Days Of Therapy ◽  
The Impact

Introduction.Antimicrobial stewardship programs are being implemented in health care to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial use, adverse events, Clostridium difficile infection, and antimicrobial resistance. There is no standardized approach to evaluate the impact of these programs.Objective.To use a structured panel process to define quality improvement metrics for evaluating antimicrobial stewardship programs in hospital settings that also have the potential to be used as part of public reporting efforts.Design.A multiphase modified Delphi technique.Setting.Paper-based survey supplemented with a 1-day consensus meeting.Participants.A 10-member expert panel from Canada and the United States was assembled to evaluate indicators for relevance, effectiveness, and the potential to aid quality improvement efforts.Results.There were a total of 5 final metrics selected by the panel: (1) days of therapy per 1000 patient-days; (2) number of patients with specific organisms that are drug resistant; (3) mortality related to antimicrobial-resistant organisms; (4) conservable days of therapy among patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTI), or sepsis and bloodstream infections (BSI); and (5) unplanned hospital readmission within 30 days after discharge from the hospital in which the most responsible diagnosis was one of CAP, SSTI, sepsis or BSI. The first and second indicators were also identified as useful for accountability purposes, such as public reporting.Conclusion.We have successfully identified 2 measures for public reporting purposes and 5 measures that can be used internally in healthcare settings as quality indicators. These indicators can be implemented across diverse healthcare systems to enable ongoing evaluation of antimicrobial stewardship programs and complement efforts for improved patient safety.

scholarly journals Altered Mental Status and a Retro-auricular Mass

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 317-319
Author(s):  
Lauren M. Segal ◽  
Angela Walker ◽  
Eric Marmor ◽  
Errol Stern ◽  
Mark Levental ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Glasgow Coma Scale ◽  
Emergency Room ◽  
Mental Status ◽  
External Auditory Canal ◽  
Posterior Wall ◽  
Altered Mental Status ◽  
Facial Paresis ◽  
Coma Scale ◽  
History Of

A 29-year-old woman was found lying unconscious in the shower. There was a two-day history of headache and dizziness. In the emergency room, she was initially stuporous (Glasgow Coma Scale 10/15), afebrile, bradycardic and hypertensive. She exhibited roving, conjugate eye movements, left facial paresis (including frontalis), left ptosis, diffuse hypotonia, extensor plantar responses bilaterally and a 1.5 cm warm, fluctuant mass with surrounding erythema behind the left ear (Figure 1). Otoscopy revealed a bulge in the posterior wall of the left external auditory canal.

scholarly journals Clinical and laboratory findings in elderly with Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Babol, northern Iran – 2017-2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saleh Habibi ◽  
Arefeh Babazadeh ◽  
Soheil Ebrahimpour ◽  
Parisa Sabbagh ◽  
Mehran Shokri
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Community Acquired Pneumonia ◽  
Northern Iran ◽  
Laboratory Findings ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract Morbidity and mortality are higher in older adults with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) than in other age groups. Also, CAP in older adults has various clinical manifestations with other. A higher mortality rate in the elderly with CAP may contribute to a delay in management. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical and laboratory manifestations of CAP in the elderly. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 221 elderly patients with CAP who were admitted to Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital, in Babol, northern of Iran, in 2017-2019. Patient outcomes included 170 cases that recovered from CAP, and 51 cases that died of complications. Patients were evaluated in terms of their clinical and laboratory manifestations. The most common symptoms of pneumonia were cough (79.6%), sputum (73.8%), weakness (72.9%), fever (56%), dyspnea (46.2%). The most frequent underlying disease was ischemic heart disease (43.9%). In our study, clinical and laboratory characteristics in older patients with CAP were evaluated and compared with other studies confirming past findings, but there were differences in some cases, such as vital signs, gastrointestinal symptoms, and disturbance of the level of consciousness. Therefore, it recommends carefully taking the patients’ initial histories and accurately recording their clinical and laboratory symptoms.

Abstract P134: ASSOCIATION OF HYPERTENSION WITH MORTALITY RISK IN PATIENTS WITH COVID 19 PNEUMONIA IN A HOSPITAL IN MEXICO CITY

Hypertension ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
José Martín Alanís Naranjo ◽  
Gabriela Olguín Contreras ◽  
Cristo Raymundo Ibarra Jaimes
Keyword(s):  
Severe Pneumonia ◽  
Ground Glass Opacity ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Community Acquired Pneumonia ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Risk Of Mortality ◽  
Chest X Ray ◽  
Time Of Admission ◽  
First Time

Introduction: The world is currently suffering from the outbreak of a pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes the disease called COVID-19. This disease was reported for the first time in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on December 31, 2019. Hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease are common among patients with COVID-19. In Mexico, information on the association between COVID-19 and hypertension is scarce. Methods: This investigation was a descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study that included patients over 18 years of age who had been hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 between April 6, 2020, and May 6, 2020, and exhibited chest X-ray abnormalities (ground-glass opacity, interstitial alterations and/or multilobar infiltrate). Severity of pneumonia (severe vs. nonsevere) at the time of admission was defined using the community-acquired pneumonia guidelines of the American Thoracic Society (ATS). Results: Information was collected from 89 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, 34 of whom (38.2%) were hypertensive. When studying risk factors in hypertensive patients and their degree of statistical association with risk of mortality, only the severity of pneumonia stood out. The association between severe pneumonia and mortality was statistically significant (OR: 10.9, CI 1.19-99.6, p value = 0.034). Conclusions: Severity of pneumonia upon admission can be regarded as a marker of adverse clinical outcome in hypertensive COVID-19 patients. Among hypertensive COVID-19 patients, in-hospital mortality was high (68%); such mortality was higher in our study than has been reported in other series worldwide.

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