1232 Trust-Wide Assessment of Delirium in Post-Operative Elective Surgery

Aim Delirium is an acute change in cognition and associated with adverse patient outcomes. The incidence of post-operative delirium after elective non-cardiac surgery is unknown. We aimed to assess the incidence of post-operative delirium in this group and the effect on patient outcomes. Method Patients aged 65 and over who underwent elective non-cardiac surgery were identified on post-operative day three. Delirium screening was performed in real time using the validated 4-AT assessment tool. A retrospective review of the patients’ preoperative and perioperative record was conducted to collect demographics and identify risk factors for delirium. Outcome data was collected at 30 days. Patients with a positive delirium score (>4) underwent a more in-depth assessment and managing teams given a delirium management pack. Results 75 (39 male) consecutive patients were screened over a period of 4 months. Median age 77 years and 18% had frailty assessed as “vulnerable”. The majority of patients (37.3%) underwent thoracic surgery, followed by hepatobiliary (17.3%), gynaecological (17.3%), colorectal (12%), maxillofacial (9.3%) and ENT (4%). 5.3% (4) of patients had a positive 4-AT screen. No patients had a formal delirium screen or diagnosis in the initial 48 hours. The median length of stay for patients with a positive screen was 8.5 days (IQR 7.5-12) compared to 8 days (IQR 5-13) for patients with a negative screen. Conclusions Reassuringly, rate of post-operative delirium following elective operations in our Trust are low (5%). Larger numbers of patients are required to assess the impact this has on patient outcomes and identify correlation with risk factors.

Class-Modeling of Septic Shock With Hyperdimensional Computing

Sepsis arises when a patient's immune system has an extreme reaction to an infection. This is followed by septic shock if damage to organ tissue is so extensive that it causes a total systemic failure. Early detection of septic shock among septic patients could save critical time for preparation and prevention treatment. Due to the high variance in symptoms and patient state before shock, it is challenging to create a protocol that would be effective across patients. However, since septic shock is an acute change in patient state, modeling patient stability could be more effective in detecting a condition that departs from it. In this paper we present a one-class classification approach to septic shock using hyperdimensional computing. We built various models that consider different contexts and can be adapted according to a target priority. Among septic patients, the models can detect septic shock accurately with 90% sensitivity and overall accuracy of 60% of the cases up to three hours before the onset of septic shock, with the ability to adjust predictions according to incoming data. Additionally, the models can be easily adapted to prioritize sensitivity (increase true positives) or specificity (decrease false positives).

Massive Ischemic Strokes in a Young Patient With Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia

Stroke is an identified sequela of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. While the pathophysiology remains poorly understood, endothelial dysfunction and intravascular thrombosis secondary to sepsis-induced hypercoagulability likely increase the risk of stroke. This report describes the rare case of an otherwise healthy 42-year-old male who developed large bilateral ischemic infarcts during admission for severe hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to COVID pneumonia. This report adds to scarce literature describing massive cerebrovascular injury in COVID patients and emphasizes the importance of increased clinical suspicion for stroke in patients who exhibit acute change in mental status or motor function, as well as rapid clinical deterioration.

Improving care for residents in long term care facilities experiencing an acute change in health status

Background Long term care (LTC) facilities provide health services and assist residents with daily care. At times residents may require transfer to emergency departments (ED), depending on the severity of their change in health status, their goals of care, and the ability of the facility to care for medically unstable residents. However, many transfers from LTC to ED are unnecessary, and expose residents to discontinuity in care and iatrogenic harms. This knowledge translation project aims to implement a standardized LTC-ED care and referral pathway for LTC facilities seeking transfer to ED, which optimizes the use of resources both within the LTC facility and surrounding community. Methods/design We will use a quasi-experimental randomized stepped-wedge design in the implementation and evaluation of the pathway within the Calgary zone of Alberta Health Services (AHS), Canada. Specifically, the intervention will be implemented in 38 LTC facilities. The intervention will involve a standardized LTC-ED care and referral pathway, along with targeted INTERACT® tools. The implementation strategies will be adapted to the local context of each facility and to address potential implementation barriers identified through a staff completed barriers assessment tool. The evaluation will use a mixed-methods approach. The primary outcome will be any change in the rate of transfers to ED from LTC facilities adjusted by resident-days. Secondary outcomes will include a post-implementation qualitative assessment of the pathway. Comparative cost-analysis will be undertaken from the perspective of publicly funded health care. Discussion This study will integrate current resources in the LTC-ED pathway in a manner that will better coordinate and optimize the care for LTC residents experiencing an acute change in health status.

Documentation of acute change in mental status in nursing homes highlights opportunity to augment infection surveillance criteria

Acute change in mental status (ACMS), defined by the Confusion Assessment Method, is used to identify infections in nursing home residents. A medical record review revealed that none of 15,276 residents had an ACMS documented. Using the revised McGeer criteria with a possible ACMS definition, we identified 296 residents and 21 additional infections. The use of a possible ACMS definition should be considered for retrospective nursing home infection surveillance.

SAT-246 A Case of Cabergoline Induced Pituitary Apoplexy in a Patient with Prolactinoma

Objective To report a case in which Cabergoline led to pituitary apoplexy (PA) in a young female patient with a macroprolactinoma. Methods A 28 y/o F presented with 10 months of irregular menses followed by 6 months of amenorrhea. She reported a dull supranasal headache, and nipple crusting without obvious galactorrhea. She denied visual changes, dizziness nausea or vomiting. Her Prolactin (PRL) was elevated at 194ng/mL, and she was started on Cabergoline 0.25mg twice per week and sent for a pituitary MRI. Four weeks later, the patient presented to the emergency department with an acute worsening of headache after being found to have a pituitary hemorrhage on MRI. On PE there were no obvious neurologic deficits. Neurosurgery recommended no acute intervention and she was managed conservatively. Results Labs prior to Cabergoline: bHCG (-), PRL 194 ng/mL; LH 3.1 µIU/mL; FSH 4.9 µIU/mL; Estradiol <11 pg/mL; Cortisol 11.44 ug/dL; TSH 1.080 µIU/mL; Free T4 0.76 ng/dL. Labs after 1 month of Cabergoline treatment: PRL 84.3 ng/mL; FSH 2.2 µIU/mL; LH 2.8 µIU/mL; TSH 1.23 µIU/mL; FT4 0.82 ng/dL; Cortisol 15.43 ug/dL. MRI 1 month after Cabergoline was performed and showed a 1.4 x 1.4 x 1.5cm hemorrhagic mass of pituitary gland. Discussion PA is the acute hemorrhage or infarction of the pituitary gland, commonly presenting with sudden onset of severe headache, visual field impairment, vomiting or altered mental status. However, like our patient, 25% of patients may present with subclinical apoplexy. Bromocriptine and Cabergoline are the two main treatments for prolactinoma. Both have been linked to PA, though the number of reports on Cabergoline is much less. There are now 10 cases of apoplexy reported with Cabergoline. PA can be spontaneous or precipitated by angiography, surgery, head trauma, hypertension, thrombocytopenia, diabetes, radiotherapy, coagulopathies, and Dopamine Agonists (DA). Most cases occur in older patients (50–60’s) with comorbidities, and incidence in patients <35 is rare. Moreover, PA is more common in males. Therefore, PA presenting in a young, healthy female suggests that Cabergoline may have been the precipitating factor. Conclusion It is important to be aware that Cabergoline can precipitate PA in patients being treated for a Prolactinoma. We recommend a thorough history, physical exam and baseline imaging before starting Cabergoline therapy. We also recommend emergent imaging if there is an acute change in symptoms.