Impact of Traditional Versus Flavored Tongue Depressors on Pediatric Oropharynx Exam

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (9) ◽  
pp. 1053-1057
Author(s):  
Brian Murray ◽  
Marina Gore ◽  
Nicole R. Leonard ◽  
Nadia M. Pearson ◽  
Jeremiah J. Johnson ◽  
...  

We compared patient-reported discomfort associated with oropharynx examination using traditional (unflavored) versus flavored tongue depressors among pediatric patients presenting to the emergency department in a single-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial using a convenience sample ages 3 to 12 years. Our primary outcome was patient discomfort. Secondary outcomes included provider perceptions of patient discomfort, provider-reported examination ease, and caregiver perceptions of patient discomfort. Of 96 recruited patients, 92 (95.8%) completed the study. Forty-six (50%) were randomized to a traditional tongue depressor. Mean patient-reported oropharynx examination discomfort scores were 2.3 cm (95% confidence interval = 1.4-3.2 cm) with traditional tongue depressors versus 1.9 cm (95% confidence interval = 1.0-2.8 cm) with flavored tongue depressors ( P = .72). There were similarly no significant differences between the 2 arms with regard to any of the secondary outcomes. We conclude that the use of flavored tongue depressors does not appear to significantly alleviate discomfort associated with examination of the oropharynx in pediatric patients.

CJEM ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (02) ◽  
pp. 139-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tawfik Al-Abdullah ◽  
Amy C. Plint ◽  
Alyson Shaw ◽  
Rhonda Correll ◽  
Isabelle Gaboury ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective: We compared the appropriateness of visits to a pediatric emergency department (ED) by provincial telephone health line–referral, by self- or parent-referral, and by physician-referral. Methods: A cohort of patients younger than 18 years of age who presented to a pediatric ED during any of four 1-week study periods were prospectively enrolled. The cohort consisted of all patients who were referred to the ED by a provincial telephone health line or by a physician. For each patient referred by the health line, the next patient who was self- or parent-referred was also enrolled. The primary outcome was visit appropriateness, which was determined using previously published explicit criteria. Secondary outcomes included the treating physician's view of appropriateness, disposition (hospital admission or discharge), treatment, investigations and the length of stay in the ED. Results: Of the 578 patients who were enrolled, 129 were referred from the health line, 102 were either self- or parent-referred, and 347 were physician-referred. Groups were similar at baseline for sex, but health line–referred patients were significantly younger. Using explicitly set criteria, there was no significant difference in visit appropriateness among the health line–referrals (66%), the self- or parent-referrals (77%) and the physician-referrals (73%) (p = 0.11). However, when the examining physician determined visit appropriateness, physician-referred patients (80%) were deemed appropriate significantly more often than those referred by the health line (56%, p < 0.001) or by self- or parent-referral (63%, p = 0.002). There was no significant difference between these latter 2 referral routes (p = 0.50). In keeping with their greater acuity, physician-referred patients were significantly more likely to have investigations, receive some treatment, be admitted to hospital and have longer lengths of stay. Patients who were self- or parent-referred, and those who were health line–referred were similar to each other in these outcomes. Conclusion: There was no significant difference in visit appropriateness based on the route of referral when we used set criteria; however, there was when we used treating physician opinion, triage category and resource use.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (11) ◽  
pp. 2243-2251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily L. Joyce ◽  
Sandra L. Kane-Gill ◽  
Priyanka Priyanka ◽  
Dana Y. Fuhrman ◽  
John A. Kellum

BackgroundThere continues to be uncertainty about whether piperacillin/tazobactam (TZP) increases the risk of AKI in critically ill pediatric patients. We sought to compare rates of AKI among critically ill children treated with TZP or cefepime, an alternative frequently used in intensive care units, with and without vancomycin.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study assessing the risk of AKI in pediatric intensive care unit patients after exposure to vancomycin, TZP, and cefepime, alone or in combination, within 48 hours of admission. The primary outcome was development of stage 2 or 3 AKI or an increase in AKI stage from 2 to 3 within the 6 days after the 48-hour exposure window. Secondary outcomes included lengths of stay, need for RRT, and mortality.ResultsOf 5686 patients included, 494 (8.7%) developed stage 2 or 3 AKI. The adjusted odds of developing AKI after medication exposure were 1.56 for TZP (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.23 to 1.99), 1.13 for cefepime (95% CI, 0.79 to 1.64), and 0.86 for vancomycin (95% CI, 0.69 to 1.07). The adjusted odds of developing AKI for vancomycin plus TZP versus vancomycin plus cefepime was 1.38 (95% CI, 0.85 to 2.24).ConclusionsObservational data in critically ill children show that TZP use is associated with increased odds of AKI. A weaker, nonsignificant association between vancomycin plus TZP and AKI compared with vancomycin plus cefepime, creates some uncertainty about the nature of the association between TZP and AKI. However, cefepime is an alternative not associated with AKI.


CJEM ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (05) ◽  
pp. 405-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quynh Doan ◽  
Emerson D. Genuis ◽  
Alvis Yu

ABSTRACTIntroduction:Emergency department (ED) crowding is a significant problem in Canada and has been associated with decreased quality of care in general and pediatric emergency departments (PEDs). Although boarding of admitted patients in the ED is the main contributor to adult ED overcrowding, factors involved in PED crowding may be different. The objective of this study was to report the trend in PED services use and to document the degree of overcrowding experienced in a Canadian PED.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted using administrative data from a tertiary care PED from 2002 to 2011. The primary outcome was PED use (total volume of visits and case severity per triage levels using the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale [CTAS] score and admissions). Secondary outcomes included measures of PED overcrowding, such as rates of patients leaving without being seen (LWBS) and length of stay (LOS).Results:Total volumes increased by 30% over the 10-year study period, whereas hospitalizations remained stable at approximately 10%. Trends in CTAS levels did not indicate meaningful changes in the severity of cases treated at our PED. LWBS proportions among CTAS 3, CTAS 4, and CTAS 5 groups and LOS for all CTAS groups progressively and statistically increased from year to year.Conclusions:Over the course of the study period, there was a substantial increase in PED visits,which likely contributed to the worsening markers of PED flow outcomes. Further study into the effects of PED crowding on patient outcomes is warranted.


Stroke ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 2755-2759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Saposnik ◽  
Mathew J. Reeves ◽  
S. Claiborne Johnston ◽  
Philip M.W. Bath ◽  
Bruce Ovbiagele

Background and Purpose— The ischemic stroke risk score (iScore) is a validated tool developed to estimate the risk of death and functional outcomes early after an acute ischemic stroke. Our goal was to determine the ability of the iScore to estimate clinical outcomes after intravenous thrombolysis tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) in the Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive (VISTA). Methods— We applied the iScore ( www.sorcan.ca/iscore ) to patients with an acute ischemic stroke within the VISTA collaboration to examine the effect of tPA. We explored the association between the iScore (<200 and ≥200) and the primary outcome of favorable outcome at 3 months defined as a modified Rankin scale score of 0 to 2. Secondary outcomes included death at 3 months, catastrophic outcomes (modified Rankin scale, 4–6), and Barthel index >90 at 3 months. Results— Among 7140 patients with an acute ischemic stroke, 2732 (38.5%) received tPA and 711 (10%) had an iScore ≥200. Overall, tPA treatment was associated with a significant improvement in the primary outcome among patients with an iScore <200 (38.9% non-tPA versus 47.5% tPA; P <0.001) but was not associated with a favorable outcome among patients with an iScore ≥200 (5.5% non-tPA versus 7.6% tPA; P =0.45). In the multivariable analysis after adjusting for age, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and onset-to-treatment time, there was a significant interaction between tPA administration and iScore; tPA administration was associated with 47% higher odds of a favorable outcome at 3 months among patients with an iScore <200 (odds ratio, 1.47; 95% confidence interval, 1.30–1.67), whereas the association between tPA and favorable outcome among those with an iScore ≥200 remained nonsignificant (odds ratio, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.45–1.42). A similar pattern of benefit with tPA among patients with an iScore <200, but not ≥200, was observed for secondary outcomes including death. Conclusions— The iScore is a useful and validated tool that helps clinicians estimate stroke outcomes. In stroke patients participating in VISTA, an iScore <200 was associated with better outcomes at 3 months after tPA.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e023214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariane Ballard ◽  
Christelle Khadra ◽  
Samara Adler ◽  
Evelyne D Trottier ◽  
Benoit Bailey ◽  
...  

IntroductionNeedle-related procedures are considered as the most important source of pain and distress in children in hospital settings. Considering the physiological and psychological consequences that could result from these procedures, management of pain and distress through pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods is essential. Therefore, it is important to have interventions that are rapid, easy-to-use and likely to be translated into clinical practice for routine use. The aim of this study will be to determine whether a device combining cold and vibration (Buzzy) is non-inferior to a topical anaesthetic (liposomal lidocaine 4% cream) for pain management of children undergoing needle-related procedures in the emergency department.Methods and analysisThis study will be a randomised controlled non-inferiority trial comparing the Buzzy device to liposomal lidocaine 4% cream for needle-related pain management. A total of 346 participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to one of the two study groups. The primary outcome will be the mean difference in pain intensity between groups during needle-related procedures. A non-inferiority margin of 0.70 on the Color Analogue Scale will be considered. A Non-inferiority margin of 0.70 on the Color Analogue Scale will be considered. The secondary outcomes will be the level of distress during the procedure, the success of the procedure at first attempt, the occurrence of adverse events, the satisfaction of both interventions and the memory of pain 24 hours after the procedure. The primary outcome will be assessed for non-inferiority and the secondary outcomes for superiority.Ethics and disseminationThis study protocol was reviewed and approved by the institutional review board of the study setting. Findings of this trial will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.Trial registration numberNCT02616419.


2019 ◽  
pp. 102490791988256
Author(s):  
Lee-Kwan Chuk ◽  
Josephine Yuen-Man Chung ◽  
Henry Hing-Wai Lau ◽  
Ling Yan Leung ◽  
Kevin KC Hung ◽  
...  

Background: Emergency nurse practitioners have traditionally been reluctant to treat acute red eyes in Hong Kong emergency departments. The Edinburgh Red Eye Diagnostic Algorithm is the only validated tool to assist non-ophthalmologists to make diagnoses. Objectives: This study investigates the utility of a modified version used by emergency nurse practitioners. Methods: This is a prospective single-centre cohort study in a university hospital emergency department in Hong Kong, comparing red eye patients seen by emergency nurse practitioners with the aid of the algorithm to patients seen by emergency doctors. Data on patient-reported symptom severity were obtained on the day of consultation and information on resolution of symptoms at 1 week following emergency department attendance via telephone interviews. Results: A convenience sample of 50 patients was recruited to the emergency nurse practitioner group and 130 patients were recruited to the doctors’ group over 9 weeks. Reductions in symptom severity were seen in both groups (>70% in both groups reported moderate to very severe discomfort on day 0; ~90% in both groups reported none or mild discomfort on day 7). There was no difference between the two groups ( p = 0.55, analysis of covariance). Symptom resolution was reported in 96% in the emergency nurse practitioner group and 98.5% in the doctor’s group, which was not statistically significant ( p = 0.31, χ2 test). Conclusion: Emergency nurse practitioners using the Edinburgh Red Eye Algorithm to manage red eye patients in a Hong Kong emergency department achieve similar patient-reported outcomes compared to emergency department doctor consultations.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. E. White ◽  
Alicia N. Scribner ◽  
Maria E. Martin ◽  
Stacy Tsai

Study objective. To compare patient satisfaction with emergency department (ED) opt-in and opt-out HIV screening.Methods. We conducted a survey in an urban ED that provided rapid HIV screening using opt-in (February 1, 2007–July 31, 2007) and opt-out (August 1, 2007–January 31, 2008) approaches. We surveyed a convenience sample of patients that completed screening in each phase. The primary outcome was patient satisfaction with HIV screening.Results. There were 207 and 188 completed surveys during the opt-in and opt-out phases, respectively. The majority of patients were satisfied with both opt-in screening (95%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 92–98) and opt-out screening (94%, 95% CI = 89–97). Satisfaction ratings were similar between opt-in and opt-out phases even after adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and test result (adjusted odds ratio 1.3, 95% CI = 0.5–3.1).Conclusions. Emergency department patient satisfaction with opt-in and opt-out HIV screening is similarly high.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shane M. McClinton ◽  
Bryan C. Heiderscheit ◽  
Thomas G. McPoil ◽  
Timothy W. Flynn

Abstract Background Many patients will seek care from a podiatrist for plantar heel pain (PHP), while few of these patients will also be seen by a physical therapist. Physical therapists can provide treatment that is not a part of routine podiatric care for PHP and may provide additional improvement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of interdisciplinary care for PHP that incorporated physical therapy treatment after initiating podiatric treatment. Methods Eligible individuals with PHP that presented to a podiatrist were randomized to receive usual podiatric care (uPOD) or usual podiatric care plus physical therapy treatment (uPOD+PT). The primary outcome was change in foot and ankle ability measure (FAAM) at 6-months. Secondary outcomes included change in numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), patient-reported success, and 6-week and 1-year endpoints. Patient-reported success was defined as the top two global rating of change scale rankings. Primary analysis was intention-to-treat (ITT) using analysis by covariance adjusted to baseline scores, and a secondary per-protocol (PP) analysis was performed analyzing only those who completed treatment. Results Ninety-five individuals participated and were included in the ITT analysis, and 79 were included in the PP analysis. For the primary outcome of FAAM change from baseline to 6-months, both groups improved significantly (uPOD+PT: 26.8 [95% CI 21.6, 31.9]; uPOD: (20 [15.6, 24.4]), but there was no between-group difference (4.3 [− 1, 9.6]). For secondary outcomes, the uPOD+PT group demonstrated greater improvement in NPRS at 6 weeks (0.9 [0.3, 1.4]) and 1 year (1.5 [0.6, 2.5]) in the ITT analysis. In the PP analysis, the uPOD+PT group demonstrated greater improvement in FAAM at 6 months (7.7 [2.1, 13.3]) and 1 year (5.5 [0.1, 10.8]), NPRS at 6 weeks (0.9 [0.2, 1.6]), 6 months (1.3 [0.6, 2.1]) and 1 year (1.3 [0.6, 2.1]), and in patient-reported success (relative risk [95% CI]) at 6 weeks (2.8 [1.1, 7.1]), 6 months (1.5 [1.1, 2.1]), and 1 year (1.5 [1.1, 1.9]). Conclusions There was no significant benefit of uPOD+PT in the primary outcome of FAAM change at 6 months. Secondary outcomes and PP analysis indicated additional benefit of uPOD+PT, mostly observed in individuals who completed treatment. Trial registration Prospectively registered May 24, 2013 at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01865734).


CJEM ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (S1) ◽  
pp. S43
Author(s):  
P.R. Atkinson ◽  
J. Milne ◽  
L. Diegelmann ◽  
H. Lamprecht ◽  
M. Stander ◽  
...  

Introduction: Point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) is an established tool in the initial management of patients with undifferentiated hypotension in the emergency department (ED). While PoCUS protocols have been shown to improve early diagnostic accuracy, there is little published evidence for any mortality benefit. We report the findings from our international multicenter randomized controlled trial, assessing the impact of a PoCUS protocol on survival and key clinical outcomes. Methods: Recruitment occurred at 7 centres in North America (4) and South Africa (3). Scans were performed by PoCUS-trained physicians. Screening at triage identified patients (SBP&lt;100 or shock index&gt;1), randomized to PoCUS or control (standard care and no PoCUS) groups. Demographics, clinical details and study findings were collected prospectively. Initial and secondary diagnoses were recorded at 0 and 60 minutes, with ultrasound performed in the PoCUS group prior to secondary assessment. The primary outcome measure was 30-day/discharge mortality. Secondary outcome measures included diagnostic accuracy, changes in vital signs, acid-base status, and length of stay. Categorical data was analyzed using Fishers test, and continuous data by Student T test and multi-level log-regression testing. (GraphPad/SPSS) Final chart review was blinded to initial impressions and PoCUS findings. Results: 258 patients were enrolled with follow-up fully completed. Baseline comparisons confirmed effective randomization. There was no difference between groups for the primary outcome of mortality; PoCUS 32/129 (24.8%; 95% CI 14.3-35.3%) vs. Control 32/129 (24.8%; 95% CI 14.3-35.3%); RR 1.00 (95% CI 0.869 to 1.15; p=1.00). There were no differences in the secondary outcomes; ICU and total length of stay. Our sample size has a power of 0.80 (α:0.05) for a moderate effect size. Other secondary outcomes are reported separately. Conclusion: This is the first RCT to compare PoCUS to standard care for undifferentiated hypotensive ED patients. We did not find any mortality or length of stay benefits with the use of a PoCUS protocol, though a larger study is required to confirm these findings. While PoCUS may have diagnostic benefits, these may not translate into a survival benefit effect.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 338-343
Author(s):  
Jocelyn Gravel ◽  
Andrée-Ann Ledoux ◽  
Ken Tang ◽  
Keith Owens Yeates ◽  
William Craig ◽  
...  

ObjectivesWe evaluated the association between timing of presentation and postconcussive symptoms (PCS) at 1, 4 and 12 weeks after injury.MethodsThis was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study conducted in nine Canadian paediatric EDs in 2013–2015 (5P study). Participants were children who suffered a head injury within the preceding 48 hours and met Zurich consensus concussion diagnostic criteria. The exposure was the time between head injury and ED presentation. The primary outcome was the presence of PCS at 1 week defined by the presence of at least three symptoms on the Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory (PCSI). Secondary outcomes evaluated PCS at 4 and 12 weeks. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were adjusted for ED PCSI and other potential confounders.ResultsThere were 3041 patients with a concussion in which timing of the injury was known. 2287 (75%) participants sought care in the first 12 hours, 388 (13%) 12–24 hours after trauma and 366 (12%) between 24 and 48 hours. Compared with children who sought care >24 hours after trauma, children who sought care in the first 12 hours had a significantly lower incidence of PCS at 1 week (OR: 0.55 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.75)) and 4 weeks (OR: 0.74 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.99)) but not at 12 weeks (OR: 0.88 (95% CI 0.63 to 1.23)).ConclusionsPatients who present early after a concussion appear to have a shorter duration of PCS than those presenting more than 12 hours later. Patients/families should be informed of the higher probability of PCS in children with delayed presentation.


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