A Study of Clinical Features and Risk Factors of Self-Referring Emergency Department Headache Patients: A Comparison with Headache Center Outpatients

2020 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-40
Author(s):  
Alessandro Viganò ◽  
Ersilia Savastano ◽  
Barbara Petolicchio ◽  
Massimiliano Toscano ◽  
Rita De Sanctis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Clinical Features ◽  
Statistical Models ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Emergency Setting ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Headache Patients

Background: Nonlife-threatening headaches account for 3% of emergency department (ED) admissions, with social and economic negative consequences. We aim to investigate clinical features and risk factors of nonlife-threatening headache patients referring to ED versus those referring to headache outpatient clinics. Methods: During 6 months, we promptly reevaluated in our headache unit (HU) patients discharged from ED. We compared the clinical characteristics of patients who referred to ED with those of HU outpatients visited in the same time interval. Discriminant Function Analysis and Correspondence Analysis were used to determine risk factors for ED referral. Results: We recruited 49 post-ED patients and 126 outpatients. The main reasons for ED admission were poor response to acute treatment and aura-related symptoms. Headache diagnoses made in ED were generally not confirmed later (overall concordance of 47%), except for cluster headache (CH) and migraine with aura (MA). ED patients complained higher headache intensity, longer duration, and prolonged aura compared to outpatients. Aura was the main risk factor associated with ED admission on statistical models, while less prominent risk factors were sex, age, and years from migraine onset. Conclusions: ED patients presented a more severe headache clinical phenotype compared with outpatients. Headache diagnosis remains difficult in the emergency setting and is more easily achieved for the headache forms with standout features, such as MA or CH. According to statistical models, the aura is the most important risk factor for ED admissions.

Surviving “Risk Factor Frenzy”: The Perils of Incorrectly Applying Epidemiological Research in Health Education and Promotion

2002 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan I. Robison ◽  
Gregory Kline
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Lifestyle Change ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Epidemiological Research ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Health Education And Promotion

In health education and promotion, “risk factors” for disease gathered from epidemiological research form the basis from which the majority of recommendations to individuals for lifestyle change are made. Unfortunately, many health practitioners are unaware that this type of research was never intended to be applied to individuals. The result is ongoing public confusion and anxiety concerning health recommendations and a loss of credibility for health professionals. This article: 1) briefly reviews the most commonly encountered limitations inherent in epidemiological research; 2) explores the problems and potential negative consequences of incorrectly applying epidemiological research in health education and promotion; and 3) makes recommendations to help health practitioners more skillfully interpret and incorporate into their work findings from epidemiological research.

scholarly journals Demographic and Risk Factor Differences between Children with “One-Time” and “Repeat” Visits to the Emergency Department for Asthma

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 486
Author(s):  
Pavani Rangachari ◽  
Jie Chen ◽  
Nishtha Ahuja ◽  
Anjeli Patel ◽  
Renuka Mehta
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Childhood Asthma ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Primary Research ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
The Individual

This retrospective study examines demographic and risk factor differences between children who visited the emergency department (ED) for asthma once (“one-time”) and more than once (“repeat”) over an 18-month period at an academic medical center. The purpose is to contribute to the literature on ED utilization for asthma and provide a foundation for future primary research on self-management effectiveness (SME) of childhood asthma. For the first round of analysis, an 18-month retrospective chart review was conducted on 252 children (0–17 years) who visited the ED for asthma in 2019–2020, to obtain data on demographics, risk factors, and ED visits for each child. Of these, 160 (63%) were “one-time” and 92 (37%) were “repeat” ED patients. Demographic and risk factor differences between “one-time” and “repeat” ED patients were assessed using contingency table and logistic regression analyses. A second round of analysis was conducted on patients in the age-group 8–17 years to match another retrospective asthma study recently completed in the outpatient clinics at the same (study) institution. The first-round analysis indicated that except age, none of the individual demographic or risk factors were statistically significant in predicting of “repeat” ED visits. More unequivocally, the second-round analysis revealed that none of the individual factors examined (including age, race, gender, insurance, and asthma severity, among others) were statistically significant in predicting “repeat” ED visits for childhood asthma. A key implication of the results therefore is that something other than the factors examined is driving “repeat” ED visits in children with asthma. In addition to contributing to the ED utilization literature, the results serve to corroborate findings from the recent outpatient study and bolster the impetus for future primary research on SME of childhood asthma.

scholarly journals Comparison of the Contamination Rate and Risk Factor Profile of Blood Culture Done in Emergency Department and MHDU/MICUs

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Dr. Pankaj Kumar Singh
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Blood Culture ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Prospective Observational Study ◽  
Contamination Rate ◽  
Medical Illness ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Factors Associated

Aims and objectives: To determine the risk factors of blood culture contamination done in ED and those done in the MHDU/MICU among patients admitted with medical illness. Material and Methods: This is a two months’ prospective observational study comparing blood culture contamination rate and risk factors associated with contamination between ED and MICU/MHDU. A total of 998 patients were included in the study who underwent blood culture in ED and MICU/MHDU. 570 in ED and 428 in MICU/MHDU were included after meeting exclusion and inclusion criteria. Results: Blood culture growths were higher in ED (19%). Most common growth was CoNS (4%). The overall contamination rate in this study was (4.8%) The contamination rate was lower in ED (4.4%) when compared to MICU/MHDU (5.4%).

scholarly journals Management of Primary Headache in the Emergency Department

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Pescatore
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Symptom Relief ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
Primary Headache ◽  
Overwhelming Majority ◽  
Diagnostic Process ◽  
Primary Headaches ◽  
Emergency Setting ◽  
Headache Management ◽  
Headache Patients

Headache is a common presentation to emergency departments (EDs), comprising nearly 4% of all ED admissions.‎1 While the overwhelming majority of patients present with a primary headache disorder, particularly migraine, the emergency physician’s role calls for the simultaneous exclusion of severe or life-threatening pathology while providing judicious and effective symptom relief.‎2 Notably, recent investigations suggest that this dual mandate performs well, excluding more than 99% of conditions resulting in serious adverse neurologic sequelae, though at the cost of high-frequency and low-yield advanced imaging utilization.‎3‎, 4 While a comprehensive understanding of the diagnostic process and underlying pathophysiology associated with headache disorders is critical for the emergency clinician, this review is meant to chiefly describe the treatment of primary headache and the variety, efficacy, and indications of those interventions. While individual headache type classification can be helpful in targeting approach or therapy, diagnosis can be difficult in the emergency setting, and primary headaches of most types are often approached similarly in the ED. Interestingly, the overwhelming majority of patients who present to an emergency department with acute primary headache have migraine, but the majority of patients receive a less specific diagnosis and a treatment that is correspondingly nonspecific.‎5 Importantly, however, the dynamic, diverse, and unique nature of different headache presentations to the ED make an algorithmic or step-wise approach to headache management ill-advised. The emergency practitioner must have a working knowledge of the array of treatment options available and apply therapies in a considered and informed manner. Following effective analgesia, however, the most important intervention emergency physicians can deliver for their headache patients is to connect them with outpatient physicians savvy about headache management, who will then provide these headache patients with appropriate acute therapeutics, initiate preventive therapy and provide anticipatory guidance about their disease process.‎6

General, Interpersonal, and Gender Role Specific Risk Factors of Postpartum Depressive Symptoms in Fathers

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 545-567
Author(s):  
Hanne N⊘rr Fentz ◽  
Marianne Simonsen ◽  
Tea Trillingsgaard
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Gender Role ◽  
Postnatal Depression ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Postnatal Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Specific Risk ◽  
Paternal Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Study Results

Introduction: Paternal postnatal depression has significant negative consequences for the family and child. Still, only little attention has been paid to potential unique risk factors of depression in fathers and the theoretical grounding of such research is sparse. Method: This study examined prenatal risk factors derived from three theoretical models: the cognitive vulnerability-stress model, the interpersonal model, and the gender role risk model of paternal postnatal depression. The sample consisted of 211 expectant fathers, of whom 5.7% scored above the clinical cut-off on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and 235 mothers were included as a reference group. Participants filled in questionnaires during pregnancy and four months postpartum. Results: The study results suggest that prenatal depressive score is the strongest risk factor for both paternal and maternal postnatal depressive symptoms. In addition, childhood separation from parents, unemployment, financial strain, and doubts about having the child were unique risk factors for paternal depressive symptoms, while lower marital satisfaction was a unique risk factor for maternal depression. Discussion: These findings highlight that beyond the strong role of prenatal depressive symptoms for both genders, specific risk factors for father depression exist. This may be informative to health care professionals in increasing the reach and prevention of depression in new fathers.

scholarly journals Risk Factor and Surgical Outcome of Petersen’s Hernia After Gastrectomy in Gastric Cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Song Liu ◽  
Qiongyuan Hu ◽  
Peng Song ◽  
Liang Tao ◽  
Shichao Ai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Distal Gastrectomy ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Bowel Necrosis ◽  
Surgical Interventions ◽  
Petersen’S Hernia ◽  
Factor Evaluation

BackgroundPetersen’s hernia is a life-threatening complication after gastrectomy. This study is dedicated to identify risk factors for Petersen’s hernia and compare clinical outcomes between patients receiving early or delayed surgical interventions.MethodsData from all patients who received gastrectomy due to gastric cancer were collected. Clinical characteristics were compared between Petersen and non-Petersen groups, bowel necrosis and non-necrotic groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted to generate two comparative groups. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were performed for risk factor evaluation.ResultsA total of 24 cases of Petersen’s hernia were identified from 1,481 cases of gastrectomy. PSM demonstrated that lower body mass index [BMI; odds ratio (OR) = 0.2, p < 0.01] and distal gastrectomy (OR = 6.2, p = 0.011) were risk factors for Petersen’s hernia. Longer time interval from emergence visit to laparotomy (p = 0.042) and elevated preoperative procalcitonin (p = 0.033) and C-reactive protein (CRP; p = 0.012) were associated with higher risk of bowel necrosis in Petersen’s hernia. Early surgical intervention resulted in less bowel necrosis rate (p = 0.012) and shorter length of necrotic bowel (p = 0.0041).ConclusionsLow BMI and distal gastrectomy are independent risk factor for Petersen’s hernia after gastrectomy. Curtailing observing time and executing prompt surgery are associated with bowel viability and better outcome in patients with Petersen’s hernia.

scholarly journals Risk Factor Profile Of Young Adults With Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Preliminary Finding

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Zhafri Mohd Razib ◽  
Azarisman Shah M.Shah ◽  
Jamalludin A.Rahman ◽  
Aszrin Abdullah ◽  
Aida N.S M.Shah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Acute Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Preliminary Finding ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Risk Factor Profile ◽  
Common Risk Factors

Introduction: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a major cause of death around the world. There are limited studies of risk factor profile in young adults with AMI. This study aimed to assess the risk factor profile of young adults with AMI at the emergency department of Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA), Kuantan, Pahang. This is a preliminary result of young adults (age between 18 to 45 years old) who presented to the emergency department of HTAA. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in HTAA from the 31st July 2017 to the 11th June 2018 involving 709 patients who were diagnosed with AMI. Seventy seven patients were less than 45 years old. However, only 55 were recruited for analysis who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: The prevalence of young adults with AMI was 10.9% with mean age of 38.8 ± 5.1 years old and 96.4% were male. Eighty percent of the patients were Malay followed by 10.9% Chinese and 9.1% were Indian. 83.6% were married while 14.5% were unmarried and 1.8% were divorcees. Majority of patients (81.8%) had income less than RM4000. The common risk factors of young adults with AMI presented to HTAA was smoking (80%) followed by increased waist circumference (54.5%), obesity (52.7%), hypertension (40%), hypercholesterolaemia (27.2%), family history of ischaemic heart disease (27.2%), and diabetes mellitus (21.8%). Conclusion: AMI in young adults almost exclusively occurs in male. Smoking and obesity were the most common risk factors in young adults with AMI in HTAA.

scholarly journals Etiology and Risk Factors of Acute Gastroenteritis in a Taipei Emergency Department: Clinical Features for Bacterial Gastroenteritis

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 216-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao-Chih Lai ◽  
Dar-Der Ji ◽  
Fang-Tzy Wu ◽  
Jung-Jung Mu ◽  
Ji-Rong Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Clinical Features ◽  
Acute Gastroenteritis ◽  
Bacterial Gastroenteritis

scholarly journals Antibiotic resistance in isolates recovered from women with community-acquired urinary tract infections presenting to a tertiary care emergency department

CJEM ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (05) ◽  
pp. 295-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyne Filiatrault ◽  
Rachel M. McKay ◽  
David M. Patrick ◽  
Diane L. Roscoe ◽  
Grahame Quan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Urinary Tract Infections ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Adult Females ◽  
Tract Infections

ABSTRACTIntroduction:We sought to determine the antibiotic susceptibility of organisms causing community-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs) in adult females attending an urban emergency department (ED) and to identify risk factors for antibiotic resistance.Methods:We reviewed the ED charts of all nonpregnant, nonlactating adult females with positive urine cultures for 2008 and recorded demographics, diagnosis, complicating factors, organism susceptibility, and risk factors for antibiotic resistance. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for potential risk factors were calculated.Results:Our final sample comprised 327 UTIs: 218 were cystitis, of which 22 were complicated cases and 109 were pyelonephritis, including 22 complicated cases.Escherichia coliaccounted for 82.3% of all UTIs, whereasStaphylococcus saprophyticusaccounted for 5.2%. In uncomplicated cystitis, 9.5% of all isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin and 24.0% to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX). In uncomplicated pyelonephritis, 19.5% of isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin and 36.8% to TMP-SMX. In UTI (all types combined), any antibiotic use within the previous 3 months was a significant risk factor for resistance to both ciprofloxacin (OR 3.34, 95% CI 1.16–9.62) and TMP-SMX (OR 4.02, 95% CI 1.48–10.92). Being 65 years of age or older and having had a history of UTI in the previous year were risk factors only for ciprofloxacin resistance.Conclusions:E. coliwas the predominant urinary pathogen in this series. Resistance to ciprofloxacin and TMP-SMX was high, highlighting the importance of relevant, local antibiograms. Any recent antibiotic use was a risk factor for both ciprofloxacin and TMP-SMX resistance in UTI. Our findings should be confirmed with a larger prospective study.

scholarly journals Risk factors for delirium among older adults in the emergency department: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. e039175
Author(s):  
Lucas Oliveira J e Silva ◽  
Michelle J Berning ◽  
Jessica A Stanich ◽  
Danielle J Gerberi ◽  
Jin Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Quantitative Relationship ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Screening Process

IntroductionDelirium is commonly missed in older adults presenting to the emergency department (ED). Although current recommendations for active screening of delirium in the ED, this might not be feasible or practical. Identifying patients at high risk for prevalent and incident delirium in the ED will help to improve the screening process and to build interventions. There is currently scattered synthesis of evidence on risk factors associated with delirium in the ED. To address this gap, we are conducting a systematic review to describe the risk factors (patient vulnerability factors and precipitating factors) for delirium in the ED.Methods and analysisA literature search was performed from inception to March 2020 in Ovid EBM Reviews, Ovid EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science. We will include original research studies that report a quantitative relationship between at least one risk factor and delirium in the ED setting. Two investigators will use eligibility criteria from this protocol to independently screen titles and abstracts, and select studies based on full-text review of potentially eligible studies. After arriving at a final set of included studies, two investigators will extract data using a standardised data collection form. If appropriate, data regarding each risk factor will be pooled through a random-effect meta-analysis. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach will be used to evaluate the overall quality of evidence.Ethics and disseminationTo our knowledge, this will be the first systematic review evaluating risk factors for prevalent and incident delirium specifically related to the ED setting. Results of this study will aid in the identification of older adults at risk for delirium in the ED. We aim to publish the results of this systematic review in a peer-reviewed journal with good visibility for the fields of emergency medicine and geriatrics.PROSPERO registration numberCDR42020175261

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document