scholarly journals Evaluating the association between COVID-19 and psychiatric presentations, suicidal ideation in an emergency department

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0253805
Author(s):  
Michal J. McDowell ◽  
Carrie E. Fry ◽  
Mladen Nisavic ◽  
Mila Grossman ◽  
Charles Masaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Electronic Health Record Data ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Differential Increase

Objective To estimate the association between COVID-19 and Emergency Department (ED) psychiatric presentations, including suicidal ideation. Methods Using an interrupted time series design, we analyzed psychiatric presentations using electronic health record data in an academic medical center ED between 2018 and 2020. We used regression models to assess the association between the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak and certain psychiatric presentations. The period February 26–March 6, 2020 was used to define patterns in psychiatric presentations before and after the coronavirus outbreak. Results We found a 36.2% decrease (unadjusted) in ED psychiatric consults following the coronavirus outbreak, as compared to the previous year. After accounting for underlying trends, our results estimate significant differential change associated with suicidal ideation and substance use disorder (SUD) presentations following the outbreak. Specifically, we noted a significant differential increase in presentations with suicidal ideation six weeks after the outbreak (36.4 percentage points change; 95% CI: 5.3, 67.6). For presentations with SUD, we found a differential increase in the COVID-19 time series relative to the comparison time series at all post-outbreak time points and this differential increase was significant three weeks (32.8 percentage points; 95% CI: 4.0, 61.6) following the outbreak. Our results estimate no differential changes significant at the P value < 0.05 level associated with affective disorder or psychotic disorder presentations in the COVID-19 time series relative to the comparator time series. Conclusions The COVID-19 outbreak in Boston was associated with significant differential increases in ED presentations with suicidal ideation and SUD.

scholarly journals Implementation of Scribes in an Academic Emergency Department: The Resident Perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 518-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan Ou ◽  
Mary Mulcare ◽  
Sunday Clark ◽  
Rahul Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
Residency Program ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Educational Experience ◽  
Patient Disposition ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Faculty Supervision ◽  
Medical Scribes

ABSTRACT Background  Medical scribes have been shown to improve emergency department (ED) throughput, physician productivity metrics, and patient satisfaction by fulfilling primary documentation and nonclinical functions. Little research has been done to date to study the effect of implementing a scribe program in a residency setting. Objective  Our goal was to investigate emergency medicine residents' perception of their educational experience, including interactions with faculty, before and after the implementation of an ED scribe program. Methods  We used a pre-post design to assess residents' perceptions of their educational experience before and after implementation of the scribe program. Residents at a large, urban academic medical center with an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–accredited, 4-year emergency medicine residency program were surveyed during August 2015 (prior to the implementation of the scribe program) and April 2016 (6 months after implementation). Results  Residents reported improved educational experiences with statistically significant changes in the following areas: increased interaction with faculty due to fewer documentation requirements (P = .012); more face-to-face teaching with faculty (P &lt; .001); increased faculty supervision for procedures (P = .016); and a decrease of delays in patient disposition due to incomplete documentation (P = .029). Conclusions  Implementation of an ED scribe program in an urban 4-year emergency medicine residency program led to improvements in residents' perceptions of their education.

Privileging pharmacists improves time to patient notification in the microbiological test review process for patients discharged from the emergency department

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S19-S24
Author(s):  
Steven M Loborec ◽  
Jose A Bazan ◽  
Nicole V Brown ◽  
Mary Beth Shirk ◽  
Trisha A Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Infectious Disease Physician ◽  
Microbiological Test ◽  
Test Review ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose Results of a study evaluating the impact of privileging pharmacists to manage microbiologic test results for patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) are reported. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective pre-post study that was conducted at an urban academic medical center. Patients discharged from the ED with a subsequent positive microbiologic test result before and after privileging of an ED specialty practice pharmacist (ED-SPP) to manage the results independently were screened for inclusion. Time to patient notification of a required change in antimicrobial therapy was compared between groups. Numbers of erroneous interventions before and after pharmacist privileging were compared to assess the safety of implementation. Results One hundred seventy-eight positive microbiologic test results (n = 92 pre- and n = 86 postimplementation) were included. The median time to patient notification in the pre-implementation group was 23.6 hours (range, 12.4-93 hours) and in the postimplementation group was 14.9 hours (range, 2.5-27.9 hours; P = 0.0023). As determined by the board-certified infectious disease physician, 1.1% of reviewed microbiologic test results (1 of 92) was erroneous prior to implementation of pharmacist privileging compared with 2.3% (2 of 86) after implementation (P = 0.6105). Conclusion Privileging ED-SPPs to assess microbiologic test results improved the time to patient notification with no statistical difference in the number of erroneous interventions between groups. These findings demonstrate the benefit of clinical privileging and provide support for expansion of this role to other ED-SPPs.

Chasing the rate: An interrupted time series analysis of interventions targeting reported hospital onset Clostridioides difficile, 2013–2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (10) ◽  
pp. 1142-1147
Author(s):  
Michelle E. Doll ◽  
Jinlei Zhao ◽  
Le Kang ◽  
Barry Rittmann ◽  
Michael Alvarez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Decision Support ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Interrupted Time Series Analysis ◽  
Test Volume ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile ◽  
The Impact

AbstractObjective:To assess the impact of major interventions targeting infection control and diagnostic stewardship in efforts to decrease Clostridioides difficile hospital onset rates over a 6-year period.Design:Interrupted time series.Setting:The study was conducted in an 865-bed academic medical center.Methods:Monthly hospital-onset C. difficile infection (HO-CDI) rates from January 2013 through January 2019 were analyzed around 5 major interventions: (1) a 2-step cleaning process in which an initial quaternary ammonium product was followed with 10% bleach for daily and terminal cleaning of rooms of patients who have tested positive for C. difficile (February 2014), (2) UV-C device for all terminal cleaning of rooms of C. difficile patients (August 2015), (3) “contact plus” isolation precautions (June 2016), (4) sporicidal peroxyacetic acid and hydrogen peroxide cleaning in all patient areas (June 2017), (5) electronic medical record (EMR) decision support tool to facilitate appropriate C. difficile test ordering (March 2018).Results:Environmental cleaning interventions and enhanced “contact plus” isolation did not impact HO-CDI rates. Diagnostic stewardship via EMR decision support decreased the HO-CDI rate by 6.7 per 10,000 patient days (P = .0079). When adjusting rates for test volume, the EMR decision support significance was reduced to a difference of 5.1 case reductions per 10,000 patient days (P = .0470).Conclusion:Multiple aggressively implemented infection control interventions targeting CDI demonstrated a disappointing impact on endemic CDI rates over 6 years. This study adds to existing data that outside of an outbreak situation, traditional infection control guidance for CDI prevention has little impact on endemic rates.

scholarly journals Impact of Discontinuing Contact Precautions for Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureusand Vancomycin-ResistantEnterococcus: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 676-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Bearman ◽  
Salma Abbas ◽  
Nadia Masroor ◽  
Kakotan Sanogo ◽  
Ginger Vanhoozer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Urinary Catheter ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Interrupted Time Series Analysis ◽  
Contact Precautions ◽  
The Impact

OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of discontinuing contact precautions among patients infected or colonized with methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) or vancomycin-resistantEnterococcus(VRE) on rates of healthcare-associated infection (HAI). DESIGN. Single-center, quasi-experimental study conducted between 2011 and 2016.METHODSWe employed an interrupted time series design to evaluate the impact of 7 horizontal infection prevention interventions across intensive care units (ICUs) and hospital wards at an 865-bed urban, academic medical center. These interventions included (1) implementation of a urinary catheter bundle in January 2011, (2) chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) perineal care outside ICUs in June 2011, (3) hospital-wide CHG bathing outside of ICUs in March 2012, (4) discontinuation of contact precautions in April 2013 for MRSA and VRE, (5) assessments and feedback with bare below the elbows (BBE) and contact precautions in August 2014, (6) implementation of an ultraviolet-C disinfection robot in March 2015, and (7) 72-hour automatic urinary catheter discontinuation orders in March 2016. Segmented regression modeling was performed to assess the changes in the infection rates attributable to the interventions.RESULTSThe rate of HAI declined throughout the study period. Infection rates for MRSA and VRE decreased by 1.31 (P=.76) and 6.25 (P=.21) per 100,000 patient days, respectively, and the infection rate decreased by 2.44 per 10,000 patient days (P=.23) for device-associated HAI following discontinuation of contact precautions.CONCLUSIONThe discontinuation of contact precautions for patients infected or colonized with MRSA or VRE, when combined with horizontal infection prevention measures was not associated with an increased incidence of MRSA and VRE device-associated infections. This approach may represent a safe and cost-effective strategy for managing these patients.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2018;39:676–682

Application of a Computer Vision Tool for Automated Glottic Tracking to Vocal Fold Paralysis Patients

2021 ◽  
pp. 019459982198960
Author(s):  
Tiffany V. Wang ◽  
Nat Adamian ◽  
Phillip C. Song ◽  
Ramon A. Franco ◽  
Molly N. Huston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Fold ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Vocal Fold Paralysis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Large Patient ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Before And After

Objectives (1) Demonstrate true vocal fold (TVF) tracking software (AGATI [Automated Glottic Action Tracking by artificial Intelligence]) as a quantitative assessment of unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) in a large patient cohort. (2) Correlate patient-reported metrics with AGATI measurements of TVF anterior glottic angles, before and after procedural intervention. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Academic medical center. Methods AGATI was used to analyze videolaryngoscopy from healthy adults (n = 72) and patients with UVFP (n = 70). Minimum, 3rd percentile, 97th percentile, and maximum anterior glottic angles (AGAs) were computed for each patient. In patients with UVFP, patient-reported outcomes (Voice Handicap Index 10, Dyspnea Index, and Eating Assessment Tool 10) were assessed, before and after procedural intervention (injection or medialization laryngoplasty). A receiver operating characteristic curve for the logistic fit of paralysis vs control group was used to determine AGA cutoff values for defining UVFP. Results Mean (SD) 3rd percentile AGA (in degrees) was 2.67 (3.21) in control and 5.64 (5.42) in patients with UVFP ( P < .001); mean (SD) 97th percentile AGA was 57.08 (11.14) in control and 42.59 (12.37) in patients with UVFP ( P < .001). For patients with UVFP who underwent procedural intervention, the mean 97th percentile AGA decreased by 5 degrees from pre- to postprocedure ( P = .026). The difference between the 97th and 3rd percentile AGA predicted UVFP with 77% sensitivity and 92% specificity ( P < .0001). There was no correlation between AGA measurements and patient-reported outcome scores. Conclusions AGATI demonstrated a difference in AGA measurements between paralysis and control patients. AGATI can predict UVFP with 77% sensitivity and 92% specificity.

Implementation of a Leeches + Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Order Panel to Optimize Medicinal Leech Use at a Tertiary Care Academic Medical Center

2021 ◽  
pp. 089719002199368
Author(s):  
Nicole M. Palm ◽  
Jill C. Wesolowski ◽  
Janet Y. Wu ◽  
Pavithra Srinivas
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Prophylaxis ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Medicinal Leech ◽  
Aeromonas Species ◽  
Leech Therapy ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Timing Of Initiation ◽  
Medicinal Leeches

Medicinal leech therapy promotes vascular flow and can be used to salvage grafts. Medicinal leeches have a symbiotic relationship with Aeromonas species and can therefore present a risk of bacterial transmission to patients. Antimicrobial prophylaxis is warranted for the duration of leech therapy, however, an institutional evaluation of 40 patients receiving medicinal leech therapy demonstrated poor adherence with recommendations. An electronic medical record order panel for antimicrobial prophylaxis with medicinal leech therapy was implemented, leading to a subsequent improvement in adherence to prophylaxis use, including significant increases in the ordering of antibiotics and the appropriate timing of initiation in the subsequent 10 patients receiving medicinal leech therapy after panel implementation. Aeromonas infections were rare before and after panel implementation, and developed only in the patient subset with non-optimized prophylaxis.

scholarly journals Changes in the Use of Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics after Cefepime Shortage: a Time Series Analysis

2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 989-994 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Plüss-Suard ◽  
A. Pannatier ◽  
C. Ruffieux ◽  
A. Kronenberg ◽  
K. Mühlemann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Antibiotic Policy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Broad Spectrum Antibiotics ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Alternative Antibiotic ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTThe original cefepime product was withdrawn from the Swiss market in January 2007 and replaced by a generic 10 months later. The goals of the study were to assess the impact of this cefepime shortage on the use and costs of alternative broad-spectrum antibiotics, on antibiotic policy, and on resistance ofPseudomonas aeruginosatoward carbapenems, ceftazidime, and piperacillin-tazobactam. A generalized regression-based interrupted time series model assessed how much the shortage changed the monthly use and costs of cefepime and of selected alternative broad-spectrum antibiotics (ceftazidime, imipenem-cilastatin, meropenem, piperacillin-tazobactam) in 15 Swiss acute care hospitals from January 2005 to December 2008. Resistance ofP. aeruginosawas compared before and after the cefepime shortage. There was a statistically significant increase in the consumption of piperacillin-tazobactam in hospitals with definitive interruption of cefepime supply and of meropenem in hospitals with transient interruption of cefepime supply. Consumption of each alternative antibiotic tended to increase during the cefepime shortage and to decrease when the cefepime generic was released. These shifts were associated with significantly higher overall costs. There was no significant change in hospitals with uninterrupted cefepime supply. The alternative antibiotics for which an increase in consumption showed the strongest association with a progression of resistance were the carbapenems. The use of alternative antibiotics after cefepime withdrawal was associated with a significant increase in piperacillin-tazobactam and meropenem use and in overall costs and with a decrease in susceptibility ofP. aeruginosain hospitals. This warrants caution with regard to shortages and withdrawals of antibiotics.

scholarly journals Using design and innovation principles to reduce avoidable emergency department visits among employees of a large academic medical center

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 100514
Author(s):  
Krisda H. Chaiyachati ◽  
Katy Mahraj ◽  
Carolina Garzon Mrad ◽  
Christina J. O'Malley ◽  
Marguerite Balasta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Academic Medical

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.

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