scholarly journals Deliberate Self-Poisoning Presenting to an Emergency Medicine Network in South-East Melbourne: A Descriptive Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asheq Rahman ◽  
Catherine Martin ◽  
Andis Graudins ◽  
Rose Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Clinical Audit ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Short Stay ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
The Mean

Background. Deliberate self-poisoning (DSP) comprises a small but significant proportion of presentations to the emergency department (ED). However, the prevalence and patient characteristics of self-poisoning attendances to EDs in Victoria have not been recently characterised.Aim. To identify and compare the characteristics of adult patients presenting to the three EDs of Monash Health following DSP.Methods. Retrospective clinical audit of adult DSP attendances between 1st July 2009 and 30th June 2012.Results. A total of 3558 cases over three years were identified fulfilling the search criteria. The mean age of patients was 36.3 years with the largest numbers aged between 18 and 30 (38%). About 30% of patients were born overseas. Forty-eight percent were discharged home, 15% were admitted to ED short stay units, and 5% required ICU admission. The median ED length of stay was 359 minutes (IQR 231–607). The most frequently reported substances in DSP were benzodiazepines (36.6%), paracetamol (22.2%), and antipsychotics (12.1%). Exposure to more than one substance for the episode of DSP was common (47%).Conclusion. This information may help identify the trends in poisoning substances used for DSP in Victoria, which in turn may provide clinicians with information to provide more focused and targeted interventions.

The Efficacy of Emergency Medicine Ward for the Management of Patients with Mental Disorders

2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 217-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
CM Chan ◽  
MY Wong ◽  
SL Chan ◽  
MY Wan ◽  
YF Mo
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Admission Rate ◽  
Medical Ward ◽  
Attendance Rate ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Emergency Medicine Ward

Objective Patients with mental disorders are one of the target groups selected for management in the Emergency Medicine Ward (EMW) with the enrolment of psychiatric advanced practice nurses. This study aimed to determine whether the EMW can be efficiently used for the management of patients with mental disorders in terms of length of stay (LOS), admission rate, and re-attendance rate when compared with the medical ward. Methods This was a retrospective descriptive study. Patients with mental disorders were defined and recruited from the Princess Margaret Hospital during two selected study periods: pre-opening (pre-EMW) and post-opening (post-EMW) of the EMW. All emergency department records of patients with mental disorders within these two periods were reviewed and data of the selected samples were retrieved from different computer databases. Results The total number of patients with mental disorders was 565 in the pre-EMW period and 404 in the post-EMW period; 214 (37.9%) cases were admitted into the medical ward in the pre-EMW period while only 62 (15.3%) were admitted into the medical ward in the post-EMW period. The mean LOS in the pre-EMW period was 67.7 hours. For the post-EMW period, the mean LOS was 32.3 hours. The reduction in mean LOS was 35.4 hours, and 82% of the study patients treated in the EMW were discharged within 48 hours. Notably, 23.3% of the cases re-attended the emergency department after discharge from the medical ward, whereas only 8.8% of cases re-attended after discharge from the EMW. Conclusion Patients with mental disorders or related problems can be efficaciously managed in the EMW, as evidenced by a decrease in the length of stay, admission rate, and re-attendance rate.

scholarly journals Predictive factors for prolonged hospitalisation in acute pyelonephritis patients admitted to the emergency medicine ward

2021 ◽  
pp. 102490792110009
Author(s):  
Howard Tat Chun Chan ◽  
Ling Yan Leung ◽  
Alex Kwok Keung Law ◽  
Chi Hung Cheng ◽  
Colin A Graham
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Acute Pyelonephritis ◽  
Hospital Length ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Prolonged Length ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
Prolonged Hospital ◽  
Emergency Medicine Ward

Background: Acute pyelonephritis is a bacterial infection of the upper urinary tract. Patients can be admitted to a variety of wards for treatment. However, at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong, they are managed initially in the emergency medicine ward. The aim of the study is to identify the risk factors that are associated with a prolonged hospital length of stay. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted in Prince of Wales Hospital. The study recruited patients who were admitted to the emergency medicine ward between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2017. These patients presented with clinical features of pyelonephritis, received antibiotic treatment and had a discharge diagnosis of pyelonephritis. The length of stay was measured and any length of stay over 72 h was considered to be prolonged. Results: There were 271 patients admitted to the emergency medicine ward, and 118 (44%) had a prolonged hospital length of stay. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the only statistically significant predictor of prolonged length of stay was a raised C-reactive protein (odds ratio 1.01; 95% confidence 1.01–1.02; p < 0.0001). Out of 271 patients, 261 received antibiotics in the emergency department. All 10 patients (8.5%) who did not receive antibiotics in emergency department had a prolonged length of stay (p = 0.0002). Conclusion: In this series of acute pyelonephritis treated in the emergency medicine ward, raised C-reactive protein levels were predictive for prolonged length of stay. Patients who did not receive antibiotics in the emergency department prior to emergency medicine ward admission had prolonged length of stay.

Impact of Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens Colonizing the Respiratory Secretions of Patients in an Extended-Care Area of the Emergency Department

2003 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 351-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sônia R. P. E. Dantas ◽  
M. Luiza Moretti-Branchini
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Mechanical Ventilation ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Prolonged Stay ◽  
Nasogastric Intubation ◽  
Extended Care ◽  
The Mean

AbstractObjective:To determine the incidence of acquired infection, and the incidence, risk factors, and molecular typing of multidrug-resistant bacterial organisms (MROs) colonizing respiratory secretions or the oropharynx of patients in an extended-care area of the emergency department (ED) in a tertiary-care university hospital.Methods:A case-control study was conducted regarding risk factors for colonization with MROs in ED patients from July 1996 to August 1998. The most prevalent MRO strains were determined using plasmid and genomic analysis with PFGE.Results:MROs colonized 59 (25.4%) of 232 ED patients and 173 controls. The mean ED length of stay for the 59 cases was 13.9 days versus 9.8 days for the 173 controls. The mean length of stay prior to the first isolation of MROs was 9.9 days. MRO species included Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The rate of hospital-acquired infection was 32.7 per 1,000 ED patient-days. The case fatality rate was significantly higher for cases. Univariate analysis identified mechanical ventilation, nebulization, nasogastric intubation, urinary catheterization, antibiotic therapy, and number of antibiotics as risk factors for MRO colonization. Multivariate regression analysis found that mechanical ventilation and nasogastric intubation independently predicted MRO colonization. Endemic clones were identified by PFGE in ED patients and were also found in patients in other parts of the hospital.Conclusions:Prolonged stay in the ED posed a risk for colonization with MROs and for contracting nosocomial infections, both of which were associated with increased mortality. Patients colonized with antibiotic-resistant A. baumannii may serve as a reservoir for spread in this hospital.

scholarly journals MO273A NOVEL APPROACH TO ASSESS THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN A NEPHROPATHY (IGAN) PATIENTS IN A US REAL-WORLD SETTING

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Przybysz ◽  
Rina Mehta ◽  
Gisela Rovira Tomas ◽  
Carolina Aldworth ◽  
Jim Doherty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kidney Function ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Index Date ◽  
Immunoglobulin A ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Severe Deterioration

Abstract Background and Aims Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is a chronic glomerular disease that affects approximately 100,000-200,000 people in the US. Approximately 15-40% of IgAN patients will eventually progress to end stage kidney disease (ESKD) within 10-20 years of diagnosis, and there is currently no targeted therapy for this disease. Decreased kidney function, persistent proteinuria and hypertension are some of the clinical manifestations of IgAN, and with demographic aspects (e.g. ethnicity) are considered as predictors of disease progression. The aim of this study is to better understand the demographic and clinical characteristics of IgAN patients in the US identified via physician notes. Method This is a descriptive, retrospective study of adult (≥ 18 years) IgAN patients in Optum® Electronic Health Records (EHRs), between January 2007 and December 2019. Optum® EHRs contain de-identified clinical and medical administrative data from 96 million people in 50 states that come from more than 140,000 providers at 740 hospitals and over 7,000 clinics. Identification of IgAN patients is challenging because there are no specific ICD codes for this disease so we used natural language processing of physician notes and chose patients with at least two IgAN records with the first one considered to be the index date, and no negative mention, as well as a biopsy procedure. Here, we present the baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of the identified patients up to 12 months before and at the index date. Results A total of 1803 patients with a biopsy record (22% of all patients with at least two IgAN records in their EHRs in our study) were included in this analysis; results are presented in Table 1. The mean age was 48 years, and the majority of patients were male (60.9%) and white (75.7%). Proteinuria levels of ≥1 g/day were found in 34% of patients. The mean eGFR was 45 ml/min/1.73m2 and 21.6% of patients had severe deterioration of kidney function (eGFR &lt;15). The mean creatinine level was 3 mg/dL. Pain, edema and fatigue/tiredness were reported in 39.6%, 18.1% and 13.4% of patients, respectively. Hypertension was reported in 73% of patients. Based on the ICD 9 (585.6) and ICD-10 (N18.6) codes for diagnosis, 17.5% of patients had ESKD in our study. Conclusion In our cohort, a significant proportion of patients were found to have high proteinuria levels and severe deterioration of kidney function or ESKD. Moreover, edema and fatigue were recorded for a noticeable proportion of patients. In addition to the commonly reported symptoms, our study also found that pain was reported in a high proportion of patients. These findings highlight the clinical and symptom burden to patients with IgAN, suggesting that future targeted interventions are needed to reduce the burden and delay the progression of this disease.

scholarly journals P139: The impact of a pancreatitis admission algorithm on emergency department length of stay in a tertiary care academic hospital

CJEM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (S1) ◽  
pp. S114-S115
Author(s):  
A. Albina ◽  
F. Kegel ◽  
F. Dankoff ◽  
G. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Physician Satisfaction ◽  
Academic Hospital ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Potential Applicability ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Algorithm Implementation ◽  
The Impact

Background: Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is associated with a broad spectrum of poor medical outcomes, including medical errors, mortality, higher rates of leaving without being seen, and reduced patient and physician satisfaction. The largest contributor to overcrowding is access block – the inability of admitted patients to access in-patient beds from the ED. One component to addressing access block involves streamlining the decision process to rapidly determine which hospital service will admit the patient. Aim Statement: As of Sep 2011, admission algorithms at our institution were supported and formalised. The pancreatitis algorithm clarified whether general surgery or internal medicine would admit ED patients with pancreatitis. We hypothesize that this prior uncertainty delayed the admission decision and prolonged ED length of stay (LOS) for patients with pancreatitis. Our project evaluates whether implementing a pancreatitis admission algorithm at our institution reduced ED time to disposition (TTD) and LOS. Measures & Design: A retrospective review was conducted in a tertiary care academic hospital in Montreal for all adult ED patients diagnosed with pancreatitis from Apr 2010 to Mar 2014. The data was used to plot separate run charts for ED TTD and LOS. Serial measurements of each outcome were used to monitor change and evaluate for special cause variation. The mean ED LOS and TTD before and after algorithm implementation were also compared using the Student's t test. Evaluation/Results: Over four years, a total of 365 ED patients were diagnosed with pancreatitis and 287 (79%) were admitted. The mean ED LOS for patients with pancreatitis decreased following the implementation of an admission algorithm (1616 vs. 1418 mins, p = 0.05). The mean ED TTD was also reduced (1171 vs. 899 mins, p = 0.0006). A non-random signal of change was suggested by a shift above the median prior to algorithm implementation and one below the median following. Discussion/Impact: This project demonstrates that in a busy tertiary care academic hospital, an admission algorithm helped reduce ED TTD and LOS for patients with pancreatitis. This proves especially valuable when considering the potential applicability of such algorithms to other disease processes, such as gastrointestinal bleeding and congestive heart failure, among others. Future studies demonstrating this external applicability, and the impact of such decision algorithms on physician decision fatigue and within non-academic institutions, proves warranted.

scholarly journals Residents' Self-Perceived Errors in Transitions of Care in the Emergency Department

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dustin Smith ◽  
J. Wayne Burris ◽  
Guisou Mahmoud ◽  
Gregory Guldner
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
Resident Physician ◽  
Transitions Of Care ◽  
Transition Of Care ◽  
Standardized Protocol ◽  
The Mean ◽  
System Errors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Research Assistants

Abstract Background The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requirements for systems-based practice state residents are expected to participate in identifying system errors and implementing potential systems solutions. The objective of this study was to determine the numbers of perceived errors occurring from patient pass offs between resident physicians in our emergency department. Methods Using a prospective observational study, we queried emergency medicine residents about perceived errors in the transition of care using trained research assistants and a standardized protocol. Transition of care was defined as the transfer of responsibility to evaluate and treat and disposition of a patient in the emergency department from 1 resident physician to a second oncoming emergency department resident physician. Mean resident-perceived errors per shift and per patient transfer of care were calculated. Additionally, the mean number of perceived errors impacting patients was calculated. Results Emergency medicine residents on 107 shifts reported receiving 713 patients in pass off with a mean of 7 patients per physician per shift, with 40% of patients passed off needing some intervention (mean of 2.8 patients per provider per shift). Nineteen of the 107 shifts (17.8%) during which a resident took patients from a prior provider had a perceived error in at least 1 patient signed off. Of the 713 patients transitioned, the receiving physician perceived an error related to the transition of care for 23. Two of the 23 errors were determined by reviewing emergency medicine attendings to not be errors, and for 9 the receiving physician perceived an impact on the patient. All were delays in care or disposition. Conclusion Our data suggest emergency medicine residents were able to perceive errors related to transitions of care, describe the types of pass-off errors, and, to a lesser degree, describe the impact these errors have on patients.

scholarly journals Feasibility and Reliability of a Multisource Feedback Tool for Emergency Medicine Residents

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 356-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Garra ◽  
Andrew Wackett ◽  
Henry Thode
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Multisource Feedback ◽  
Resident Performance ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Evaluation Of Performance ◽  
Interclass Correlation ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Emergency Department Patients

Abstract Background While the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education recommends multisource feedback (MSF) of resident performance, there is no uniformly accepted MSF tool for emergency medicine (EM) trainees, and the process of obtaining MSF in EM residencies is untested. Objective To determine the feasibility of an MSF program and evaluate the intraclass and interclass correlation of a previously reported resident professionalism evaluation, the Humanism Scale (HS). Methods To assess 10 third-year EM residents, we distributed an anonymous 9-item modified HS (EM-HS) to emergency department nursing staff, faculty physicians, and patients. The evaluators rated resident performance on a 1 to 9 scale (needs improvement to outstanding). Residents were asked to complete a self-evaluation of performance, using the same scale. Analysis Generalizability coefficients (Eρ2) were used to assess the reliability within evaluator classes. The mean score for each of the 9 questions provided by each evaluator class was calculated for each resident. Correlation coefficients were used to evaluate correlation between rater classes for each question on the EM-HS. Eρ2 and correlation values greater than 0.70 were deemed acceptable. Results EM-HSs were obtained from 44 nurses and 12 faculty physicians. The residents had an average of 13 evaluations by emergency department patients. Reliability within faculty and nurses was acceptable, with Eρ2 of 0.79 and 0.83, respectively. Interclass reliability was good between faculty and nurses. Conclusions An MSF program for EM residents is feasible. Intraclass reliability was acceptable for faculty and nurses. However, reliable feedback from patients requires a larger number of patient evaluations.

scholarly journals Impact of a specialist service in the Emergency Department on admission, length of stay and readmission of patients presenting with falls, syncope and dizziness

QJM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Jusmanova ◽  
C Rice ◽  
R Bourke ◽  
A Lavan ◽  
C G McMahon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Admission Rate ◽  
Readmission Rates ◽  
Specialist Service ◽  
Admission Rates ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Bed Days ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

Summary Background Up to half of patients presenting with falls, syncope or dizziness are admitted to hospital. Many are discharged without a clear diagnosis for their index episode, however, and therefore a relatively high risk of readmission. Aim To examine the impact of ED-FASS (Emergency Department Falls and Syncope Service) a dedicated specialist service embedded within an ED, seeing patients of all ages with falls, syncope and dizziness. Design Pre- and post-cohort study. Methods Admission rates, length of stay (LOS) and readmission at 3 months were examined for all patients presenting with a fall, syncope or dizziness from April to July 2018 (pre-ED-FASS) inclusive and compared to April to July 2019 inclusive (post-ED-FASS). Results There was a significantly lower admission rate for patients presenting in 2019 compared to 2018 [27% (453/1676) vs. 34% (548/1620); X2 = 18.0; P &lt; 0.001], with a 20% reduction in admissions. The mean LOS for patients admitted in 2018 was 20.7 [95% confidence interval (CI) 17.4–24.0] days compared to 18.2 (95% CI 14.6–21.9) days in 2019 (t = 0.98; P = 0.3294). This accounts for 11 344 bed days in the 2018 study period, and 8299 bed days used after ED-FASS. There was also a significant reduction in readmission rates within 3 months of index presentation, from 21% (109/1620) to 16% (68/1676) (X2 = 4.68; P = 0.030). Conclusion This study highlights the significant potential benefits of embedding dedicated multidisciplinary services at the hospital front door in terms of early specialist assessment and directing appropriate patients to effective ambulatory care pathways.

scholarly journals (P2-94) How One Group of Physicians Helped a Busy Emergency Department

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
pp. s167-s167
Author(s):  
J. Hu ◽  
J. Xu ◽  
J. Botler ◽  
S. Haydar
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Hospital Medicine ◽  
Intermediate Care ◽  
Physician Time ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Medical Telemetry

A pilot admission leadership physician (ALP) program was experimented within a 693-bed, tertiary medical center with a 60-bed emergency department. This trial was intended to investigate whether having a physician triage potential patients would shorten patients' length-of-stay in the emergency department. After a emergency physician evaluated patients, ALP triaged them. The ALP ordered the appropriate bed for the patients if they qualified for the inpatient criteria, choosing among medical, medical telemetry, cardiac telemetry, intermediate care, or intensive care bed. The mean patient door-to-bed order time (time between patients reaching the emergency department to time to bed ordered by ALP) is 330.7 minutes (n = 234, SD = 151.68, 95% CI = 310.21–351.28) with ALP involvement. Compared with the mean door-to-bed order time of 337.8 minutes (n = 827, SD = 149.71, 95%CI = 326.98–348.57) without ALP, ALP shortened the waiting time by 7.09 minutes. During the same period, the door-to-physician time was 41.38 minutes (SD = 38.87 95%CI = 36.38–46.39), compared with 39.52 minutes (SD = 40.32, 95%CI = 36.77–42.27) before ALP. The time for patients waiting in the emergency department for other services such as surgery, psychiatry, and pediatrics also have decreased accordingly. Incorrect medical admissions such as scrambling to get the patient to the intensive care unit right after seeing patients has decreased (data not provided). Identifying physicians as physicians in the emergency department who triage potential admissions also has improved efficiencies within the hospital medicine group and bonding with ER physicians.

scholarly journals Increasing the Use of Anti-Inflammatory Agents for Acute Asthma in the Emergency Department: Experience with an Asthma Care Map

2008 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian H Rowe ◽  
Anthony M Chahal ◽  
Carol H Spooner ◽  
Sandra Blitz ◽  
Ambikaipakan Senthilselvan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Inhaled Corticosteroids ◽  
Acute Asthma ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Primary Diagnosis ◽  
Asthma Care ◽  
Systemic Corticosteroids ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Time Periods

PURPOSE: Acute asthma is a common emergency department (ED) presentation and variation in its management is well recognized. The present study examined the use of an asthma care map (ACM) in one Canadian ED to improve adherence to acute asthma guidelines, emphasizing the use of systemic corticosteroids (SCSs) and inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs).METHODS: Three time periods were studied: the 15 months before ACM introduction (PRE), the 15 months following a three-month introduction of the ACM (POST1) and the 18 months after POST1(POST2). Randomly selected patient charts from each period were included from patients who were 18 to 60 years of age and presented with a primary diagnosis of acute asthma. A priori criteria were established to determine the degree of completion and success of the ACM. Primary outcomes included documentation, use of SCSs in the ED, and prescription of SCSs and ICSs at ED discharge.RESULTS: A total of 387 patient charts were included (PRE, n=150; POST1, n=150; POST2, n=87). Patient characteristics in the three groups were similar; however, patients in POST1and POST2showed higher use of newer agents than those in the PRE group. Overall, more women (n=209; 54%) than men were seen; the mean age was 32.4 years. The care map was used in 67% of cases during POST1and 70% during POST2. The use of peak expiratory flow (PEF) was high during the PRE, POST1and POST2periods (91%, 89% and 91%, respectively); however, documentation of other markers of severity increased in the POST periods. Use of SCSs occurred earlier (P<0.01) and more often (57% PRE, 68% POST1and 75% POST2; P<0.01) in the POST1,2periods than the PRE period. There was a significant increase in use of SCSs on discharge (55% PRE, 66% POST1and 69% POST2; P<0.05), and prescription of ICSs significantly increased (24% PRE, 45% POST1and 61% POST2; P<0.001) in the POST1,2periods. Discharge with-out any corticosteroids decreased over the three periods (32% PRE, 21% POST1and 17% POST2; P<0.05). The length of stay in the ED increased over the study periods (181 min PRE, 209 min POST1and 265 min POST2; P<0.01) and admissions were infrequent (9% PRE, 13% POST1and 6% POST2; P=0.50).CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides evidence that the standardized ED ACM was widely accepted, improved chart documentation, improved some aspects of ED care and increased prescribing of discharge preventive medications.

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