scholarly journals Revisits within 48 Hours to a Thai Emergency Department

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiraporn Sri-on ◽  
Adisak Nithimathachoke ◽  
Gregory Philip Tirrell ◽  
Sataporn Surawongwattana ◽  
Shan Woo Liu
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Chart Review ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Related Factor ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Chief Complaints ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Patient Related Factor

Objective. Emergency department (ED) revisits are a common ED quality measure. This study was undertaken to ascertain the contributing factors of revisits within 48 hours to a Thai ED and to explore physician-related, illness-related, and patient-related factors behind those revisits.Methods. This study was a chart review from one tertiary care, urban Thai hospital from October 1, 2009, to September 31, 2010. We identified patients who returned to the ED within 48 hours for the same or related complaints after their initial discharge. Three physicians classified revisit as physician-related, illness-related, and patient-related factors.Results. Our study included 172 ED patients’ charts. 86/172 (50%) were male and the mean age was38 ± 5.6(SD) years. The ED revisits contributing factors were physician-related factors [86/172 (50.0%)], illness-related factors [61/172 (35.5%)], and patient-related factor [25/172 (14.5%)], respectively. Among revisits classified as physician-related factors, 40/86 (46.5%) revisits were due to misdiagnosis and 36/86 (41.9%) were due to suboptimal management. Abdominal pain [27/86 (31.4%)] was the majority of physician-related chief complaints, followed by fever [16/86 (18.6%)] and dyspnea [15/86 (17.4%)].Conclusion. Misdiagnosis and suboptimal management contributed to half of the 48-hour repeat ED visits in this Thai hospital.

Presence of undertriage and overtriage in simple triage and rapid treatment

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 147-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Hong, MEd ◽  
Gerard Carroll, MD ◽  
Rick Hong, MD
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Inner City ◽  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Chart Review ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Treatment Start ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Rapid Treatment

Objective: We evaluated the use of the Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) method by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and hypothesized that EMS can categorize patients using the START algorithm accurately.Design: Retrospective Chart Review.Setting: Inner-city Tertiary-Care Institutional Emergency Department (ED).Participants: Patients ≥ 18 years transported by EMS with a START color of Red, Yellow, or Green during the state triage tag exercise, October 9-15, 2011.Interventions: EMS assigned each patient a START triage tag. Chart review of the electronic EMS run sheets was performed by investigators to determine a START color.Main Outcome Measures: START triage colors were re-categorized as Red = 1, Yellow = 2, and Green = 3. The difference between the investigators’ color and EMS color were coded as: 0 for agreement in triage, -1 for undertriage by one category, -2 for undertriage by two categories, 1 for overtriage by one category, 2 for overtriage by two categories.Results: Of 224 participants, START triage colors were: Red = 7.1 percent, Yellow = 19.2 percent, Green = 73.7 percent. The mean difference in triage categories was 0.228 (95% CI: 0.114-0.311, p.001). 71.0 percent of patients were triaged to the same category, 5.8 percent undertriaged by one category, 0 percent undertriaged by two categories, 17.9 percent overtriaged by one category, and 5.4 percent overtriaged by two categories.Conclusion: EMS was more likely to overtriage using START. All patients who were overtriaged by two categories were ambulatory at the scene, which implies other findings not in START may affect triage.

scholarly journals P163: Methanol poisoning by inhalation: a case series

CJEM ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (S1) ◽  
pp. S115-S115
Author(s):  
H. Yaworski ◽  
W. Palatnick ◽  
C. Oleschuk ◽  
S. Ringland ◽  
M. Tenebein
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Chart Review ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Methanol Intoxication ◽  
Methanol Poisoning ◽  
Product Formulation ◽  
Retail Outlets ◽  
Chief Complaints ◽  
Gastrointestinal Complaints ◽  
Ed Visits

Introduction: Methanol intoxication is a well-recognized toxicological emergency. While most cases of significant methanol poisoning occur via ingestion, there are reports in the literature of poisoning resulting from the inhalational route. We report a series of methanol intoxications secondary to inhalational abuse of a methanol containing lacquer thinner presenting to an inner city Emergency Department. Methods: A laboratory database was searched for methanol levels > 5 mmol/L. (16mg/dL). from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2015. A chart review was completed to determine mode of poisoning, clinical presentation, treatment, and disposition. Results: We found 35 patients who made a total of 83 emergency department (ED) visits with a methanol level > 5mmol/L. (16mg/dL). The methanol levels ranged from 5.3-39.6 mmol/L. (16.96 -126.72 mg/dL) . 73% of poisonings were secondary to inhalation of a methanol-containing lacquer thinner. The median age of these patients was 43 years, and 49% were male. The majority of patients (96%) resided in the core area. The most frequent chief complaints were substance abuse/intoxication, gastrointestinal complaints, and chest pain. 18% of patients described visual symptoms. Treatments were fomepizole only (59%), fomepizole plus hemodialysis (26%), and hemodialysis alone (2%). 49% of patients were discharged from the ED, while 28% and 23% were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) and an internal medicine ward respectively. There were no cases of blindness. We describe a cohort of patients who developed methanol poisoning from inhalation of a methanol containing lacquer thinner that required treatment with fomepizole and hemodialysis. While almost 1/3 of these patients were admitted to ICU, 49% were discharged from the emergency department after a course of fomepizole. The etiology of this outbreak was found to be a change in the formulation of the lacquer thinner, substituting a higher concentration of methanol for toluene. The manufacturer and a number of local retail outlets were contacted. This resulted in the product being taken off the shelves by the retail outlets, and eventually, a change in the product formulation by the manufacturer, with a resultant decrease in the methanol content. After these actions, we have not seen any additional presentations of inhalational methanol intoxication. Conclusion: We report the largest case series to date of patients who presented with methanol intoxication, requiring fomepizole and/or hemodialysis, secondary to inhalation of a methanol containing lacquer thinner. Physician advocacy regarding the etiology of this outbreak resulted in collaboration with retail outlets and subsequent action by the manufacturer. This ended the outbreak.

scholarly journals P091: Anaphylaxis: epidemiology and treatment in a Canadian emergency department

CJEM ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (S1) ◽  
pp. S108-S109
Author(s):  
J. Morris ◽  
A. Marcotte ◽  
S. La Vieille ◽  
R. Alizadehfar ◽  
E. Perkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Chart Review ◽  
Treatment Guidelines ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
H1 Antihistamines ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
Anaphylaxis Registry ◽  
Current Guidelines ◽  
Auto Injector

Introduction: As part of the multicenter C-CARE (Cross-Canada Anaphylaxis Registry) project, this study aimed to describe the characteristics of anaphylactic reactions and assess if emergency physicians follow treatment guidelines. Methods: A cohort study was conducted in the emergency department of Sacré-Cœur Hospital, a university-affiliated, urban tertiary care hospital. For each anaphylaxis case recruited by the treating physician, a standardised questionnaire was completed. The information for missed cases was collected retrospectively through chart review. Results: Between May 2012 and May 2015, 280 cases (205 prospective and 75 retrospective) of anaphylaxis were identified from a total of 182,408 ED visits. The median age was 36.21 years (IQR 27.8), 61.8% were female, and 12.5% of all patients were children (<18 years old). The majority of reactions were triggered by food [54.3% (95%CI:48.5-60.1%)], followed by medications [18.2% (95%CI:13.7-22.7%)] and venom [5.7% (95%CI:3.0-8.4%)]. Among all cases, 66.8% (95%CI:61.3-72.3%) received epinephrine; 26.1% (95%CI:21.0-31.2%) received it prior to their arrival and 46.8% (95%CI:41.0-52.6%) in-hospital. As for other in-hospital treatments, 85.4% of patients (95%CI:81.3-89.5%) received corticosteroids, 81.1% (95%CI:76.5-85.7%) received H1 antihistamines, and 41.1% (95%CI:35.3-46.9%) received H2 antihistamines. Out of all patients who had anaphylaxis, 86.4% (95%CI:82.4-90.4%) were prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector in-hospital or had already had one prescribed. Conclusion: Our results reveal that food is a major trigger of anaphylaxis and that despite current guidelines, there is under use of epinephrine and preferential use of corticosteroids and antihistamines.

scholarly journals LO18: Access to take home naloxone in the Royal Alexandra Hospitals emergency department for patients at risk of an opioid overdose

CJEM ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (S1) ◽  
pp. S12-S13
Author(s):  
D. W. Dabbs ◽  
K. Dong ◽  
K. Lavergne ◽  
H. Brooks ◽  
E. Hyshka
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Chart Review ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Tertiary Hospital ◽  
Primary Diagnosis ◽  
Opioid Overdose ◽  
Risk Of Mortality ◽  
Patients At Risk ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
The Mean

Introduction: Take Home Naloxone (THN) programs prevent death from opioid poisoning by training laypersons to recognize an overdose and administer naloxone. Dispensing THN through the emergency department (ED) is particularly critical because an ED visit for opioid poisoning strongly predicts future mortality. Many EDs have implemented THN programs, yet almost no literature examines the reach of such initiatives. To address this gap, we conducted a chart review of all patients presenting for opioid poisoning to an urban tertiary hospital, with a large ED-based THN program. This exploratory study hypothesized that more than 50% of ED patients presenting for opioid poisoning would be offered a THN kit. Methods: Data on demographics, clinical characteristics, and THN kit dispensing were extracted and analyzed from the charts of all ED patients presenting with a primary diagnosis of opioid poisoning between April 1 2016 and April 30 2017. Logistic regression analyzed predictors of being offered a THN kit. Results: A total of 347 ED visits for 301 unique patients occurred during the study period. The mean age ± SD of patients was 38 ± 14 years, and 69% were male. In 49% of ED visits, a THN kit was offered; 73% of these episodes had a THN kit dispensation. Patients who were male (AOR=1.94; 95% CI 1.11 - 3.40), and reported that their overdose was unintentional (AOR=2.95; 95% CI 1.04 8.35) and caused by illegal opioids (AOR=4.73; 95% CI 2.63 8.52) were significantly more likely to be offered a THN kit. Conclusion: ED-based THN programs have the potential to reach significant proportions of patients at high risk of mortality. However, these programs may have differential reach within the target population. Further research is needed to examine barriers and facilitators to offering all eligible ED patients a THN kit.

scholarly journals Delirium and neuropsychological outcomes in critically Ill patients with COVID-19: a cohort study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. e050045
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Ragheb ◽  
Amy McKinney ◽  
Mackenzie Zierau ◽  
Joseph Brooks ◽  
Maria Hill-Caruthers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Chart Review ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Ischaemic Injury ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Neuropsychological Outcomes

ObjectiveTo characterise the clinical course of delirium for patients with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit, including postdischarge neuropsychological outcomes.DesignRetrospective chart review and prospective survey study.SettingIntensive care units, large academic tertiary-care centre (USA).ParticipantsPatients (n=148) with COVID-19 admitted to an intensive care unit at Michigan Medicine between 1 March 2020 and 31 May 2020 were eligible for inclusion.Primary and secondary outcome measuresDelirium was the primary outcome, assessed via validated chart review method. Secondary outcomes included measures related to delirium, such as delirium duration, antipsychotic use, length of hospital and intensive care unit stay, inflammatory markers and final disposition. Neuroimaging data were also collected. Finally, a telephone survey was conducted between 1 and 2 months after discharge to determine neuropsychological function via the following tests: Family Confusion Assessment Method, Short Blessed Test, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Cognitive Abilities 4a and Patient-Health Questionnaire-9.ResultsDelirium was identified in 108/148 (73%) patients, with median (IQR) duration lasting 10 (4–17) days. In the delirium cohort, 50% (54/108) of patients were African American and delirious patients were more likely to be female (76/108, 70%) (absolute standardised differences >0.30). Sedation regimens, inflammation, delirium prevention protocol deviations and hypoxic-ischaemic injury were likely contributing factors, and the most common disposition for delirious patients was a skilled care facility (41/108, 38%). Among patients who were delirious during hospitalisation, 4/17 (24%) later screened positive for delirium at home based on caretaker assessment, 5/22 (23%) demonstrated signs of questionable cognitive impairment or cognitive impairment consistent with dementia and 3/25 (12%) screened positive for depression within 2 months after discharge.ConclusionPatients with COVID-19 commonly experience a prolonged course of delirium in the intensive care unit, likely with multiple contributing factors. Furthermore, neuropsychological impairment may persist after discharge.

scholarly journals Status of Geriatric Patients with Abdominal Pain Presented To Emergency Department

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-96
Author(s):  
Daya Ram Lamsal ◽  
Jeetendra Bhandari
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Abdominal Pain ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Medical Officer ◽  
Common System ◽  
Life Expectancy At Birth ◽  
Chief Complaints ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
The Common

Background: As the development of better health facilities with advanced tools for diagnosis and management our country is not away from global trend. Nepal’s life expectancy at birth is increasing at its pace, it has in­creased in about 30 years in last 4 decades. Among the various problem presenting to ED abdominal pain is one of the common complain elderly patients are greater risk of missing life-threatening causes during evalua­tion and investigation. The aim of the study wasEdit to identify the frequency, cause and outcome of patient presenting in Emergency department with abdominal pain. Methods: It is a retrospective study conducted in tertiary care center at Chitwan, Nepal during the period from 01/09/2017 to 30/08/2018. Elec­tronic data entered by medical officer were retrieved and analyzed. Statis­tical analysis of the record was done using SPSS 16 software. Results: Elderly population who presented with chief complaints of ab­dominal pain was 1160 (21.79%). Among the patient presented with ab­dominal pain 605(52.2%) were male and 555(47.8%) were female. Mean age of patients was 71.72±8.50 years. Most common system involved was gastrointestinal and biliary problem 730(62.93%). Most common diagno­sis was Urinary tract infection 269 (23.2%) among them, 487(41.98%) re­quired hospital admission. Conclusions: Abdominal pain is one of the common presentations of el­derly to emergency department. Disorders of Gastrointestinal and biliary system were among leading causes of emergency visit. Emergency phy­sician should be tactful to identify life threatening conditions and emer­gency management.

scholarly journals P060: Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome presentation to the emergency department: a two-year multi-centre retrospective study

CJEM ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (S1) ◽  
pp. S98-S99 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Hernandez ◽  
J. Paty ◽  
I. Price
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Kappa Statistic ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Data Abstraction ◽  
Tertiary Care Centre ◽  
Associated Symptoms ◽  
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome ◽  
Ed Visits

Introduction: Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is a paradoxical side effect of cannabis use. Patients with CHS often present multiple times to the Emergency Department (ED) with cyclical nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, and are discharged with various misdiagnoses. CHS studies to date are limited to case series. We examined the epidemiology of CHS cases presenting to two major urban Tertiary Care Centre EDs. Methods: Using explicit variables, trained abstractors, and standardized abstraction forms, we abstracted data for all adults (18-55 years) with a presenting complaint of vomiting, and/or a discharge diagnosis of vomiting and/or cyclical vomiting, during a 2-year period. Inter-rater agreement was measured using a kappa statistic. Results: We identified 494 cases: mean age 31 years; 36% male; only 19.4% of charts specifically reported cannabis use. Among the regular cannabis users (>3 times per week), 43% had repeat ED visits for similar complaints. Interestingly, of these patients, 92% had bloodwork done in the ED, 92% received IV fluids, 89% received anti-emetics, 27% received opiates, 19% underwent imaging, 8% were admitted to hospital, and 8% were referred to the Gastroentorology service. Inter-rater reliability for data abstraction was kappa = 1. Conclusion: This study suggests CHS may be an overlooked diagnosis for nausea and vomiting, a factor which can possibly contribute to unnecessary investigations and treatment in the ED. Additionally, this indicates a lack of screening for CHS on ED history, especially in quantifying cannabis use and eliciting associated symptoms of CHS.

scholarly journals P085: Remember that patient you saw last week – Characteristics of patients experiencing unanticipated death following emergency department discharge

CJEM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (S1) ◽  
pp. S95-S95
Author(s):  
R. Hoang ◽  
K. Sampsel ◽  
A. Willmore ◽  
K. Yelle-Labre ◽  
V. Thiruganasambandamoorthy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Medical Errors ◽  
Medical Error ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Diagnostic Error ◽  
Sufficient Information ◽  
Risk Area ◽  
Ed Visits

Background: The emergency department (ED) is an at-risk area for medical error. We measured the frequency and characteristics of patients with unanticipated death within 7 days of ED discharge and whether medical error contributed. Aim Statement: This study aimed to calculate the frequency of patients experiencing death within 7 days after ED discharge and determine whether these deaths were related to their index ED visit, were unanticipated, and whether possible medical error occurred. Measures & Design: We performed a single-centre health records review of 200 consecutive cases from an eligible 458,634 ED visits from 2014-2017 in two urban, academic, tertiary care EDs. We included patients evaluated by an emergency physician who were discharged and died within 7 days. Three trained and blinded reviewers determined if deaths were related to the index visit, anticipated or unanticipated, or due to potential medical error. Reviewers performed content analysis to identify themes. Evaluation/Results: Of the 200 cases, 129 had sufficient information for analysis, translating to 44 deaths per 100,000 ED discharges. We found 13 cases per 100,000 ED discharges were related and unanticipated deaths and 18 of these were due to potential medical errors. Over half (52.7%) of 129 patients displayed abnormal vital signs at discharge. Patients experienced pneumonia (27.1%) as their most common cause of death. Patient characteristic themes were: difficult historian, multiple complaints, multiple comorbidities, acute progression of chronic disease, recurrent falls. Provider themes were: failure to consider infectious etiology, failure to admit high-risk elderly patient, missed diagnosis. System themes included multiple ED visits or recent admission, no repeat vital signs recorded. Discussion/Impact: Though the frequency of related and unanticipated deaths and those due to medical error was low, these results highlight opportunities to potentially enhance ED discharge decisions. These data add to the growing body of ED diagnostic error literature and emphasize the importance of identifying potentially high risk patients as well as being cognizant of the common medical errors leading to patient harm.

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 P108: Characterizing use of next-day ultrasound from the emergency department

CJEM ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (S1) ◽  
pp. S103
Author(s):  
C. Roberts ◽  
T. Oyedokun ◽  
B. Cload ◽  
L. Witt
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Improve Patient Care ◽  
Additional Stress ◽  
Start Date ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Tertiary Care Hospitals ◽  
Improve Patient

Introduction: Formal ultrasound imaging, with use of ultrasound technicians and radiologists, provides a valuable diagnostic component to patient care in the Emergency Department (ED). Outside of regular weekday hours, ordering formal ultrasounds can produce logistical difficulties. EDs have developed protocols for next-day ultrasounds, where the patient returns the following day for imaging and reassessment by an ED physician. This creates additional stress on ED resources – personnel, bed space, finances – that are already strained. There is a dearth of literature regarding the use of next-day ultrasounds or guidelines to direct efficient use. This study sought to accumulate data on the use of ED next-day ultrasounds and patient oriented clinical outcomes. Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review of 150 patients, 75 from each of two different tertiary care hospitals in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. After a predetermined start date, convenience samples were collected of all patients who had undergone a next-day ultrasound ordered from the ED until the quota was satisfied. Patients were identified by an electronic medical record search for specific triage note phrases indicating use of next-day ultrasounds. Different demographic, clinical, and administrative parameters were collected and analyzed. Results: Of the 150 patients, the mean age was 35.9 years and 75.3% were female. Median length of stay for the first visit was 4.1 hours, and 2.2 hours for the return visit. Most common ultrasound scans performed were abdomen and pelvis/gyne (34.7%), complete abdomen (30.0%), duplex extremity venous (10.0%). Most common indications on the ultrasound requisition were nonspecific abdominal pain (18.7%), vaginal bleeding with or without pregnancy (17.3%), and hepatobiliary pathology (15.3%). Ultrasounds results reported a relevant finding 56% of the time, and 34% were completely normal. After the next-day ultrasound 5.3% of patients had a CT scan, 10.7% had specialist consultation, 8.2% were admitted, and 7.3% underwent surgery. Conclusion: Information was gathered to close gaps in knowledge about the use of next-day ultrasounds from the ED. A large proportion of patients are discharged home without further interventions. Additional research and the development of next-day ultrasound guidelines or outpatient pathways may improve patient care and ED resource utilization.

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