Emergency Department Assessment Research Articles

Functional Decline After Nonhospitalized Injuries in Older Patients: Results From the Canadian Emergency Team Initiative Cohort in Elders

To estimate the cumulative incidence of functional decline over 6 months following emergency department (ED) assessments of nonhospitalized injuries and to identify its main determinants. We conducted a prospective multicenter cohort of older adults discharged home following assessment for injuries in 8 Canadian EDs. Participants were assessed at 3 time points: baseline in the ED, 3 months, and 6 months. The primary outcome, functional decline, was defined as a 2-points loss from baseline on the Older American Resources Scale (OARS). Other measures included demographics, comorbidities, injury characteristics, frailty, cognition, mobility status, etc. Cumulative incidences were estimated using proportions with 95% confidence intervals. Log-binomial regressions and the "least absolute shrinkage and selection operator" (LASSO) were used to identify significant functional decline determinants. Among 2,919 participants, 403 (13.8%) were lost to follow-up. Mean age was 76.2±7.6 years, 65.3% were women, 9% were frail, and 40.0% prefrail. Main injury mechanisms were falls (65.5%) and motor vehicle accidents (18.6%). The cumulative incidence of functional decline over 6 months was 17.0% (95% confidence interval 12.5% to 23.0%). Occasional use of walking devices, less than 5 outings/week, frailty, and older age were significant baseline determinants of functional decline. A significant 17% of older adults with "minor" injuries experience a persistent functional decline over 6 months following their ED visit. Four frailty-related determinants were identified: occasional use of a walking device, less than 5 outings/week, frailty, and older age. Further work is needed to assess if these can help ED clinicians screen seniors at risk and initiate interventions at discharge.

Early discharging patients with chest pain using EDACS-ADP and COMPASS-MI risk predictors.

Deciding on the early discharge of low-risk patients with chest pain is still controversial in emergency care. Beyond the validated tools for risk assessment, high sensitive troponin levels on admission, whether to take the next serial sampling or when to take are the main issues affecting the unnecessary follow-ups that lead to the emergency crowd. We aimed to investigate the prediction performance of emergency department assessment of chest pain score and accelerated diagnostic protocol (EDACS-ADP) and calculation of MI risk probabilities to manage patients with suspicion of myocardial infarction (COMPASS-MI). We conducted a prospective cross-sectional study that included patients with chest pain followed-up in the emergency department with a serial troponin sampling. We calculated the performance tests of the risk scores after recording the patients' risk factors, chest pain types, troponin levels as defined in the risk assessment tools. Nine hundred eleven patients were included in the study. Thirty-eight patients had significant adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) within 30 days. Patients with a not-low-risk score at EDACS-ADP had a 3.975 (95% CI 2.136–7.396) fold higher risk of MACE than the patients with low-risk EDACS-ADP, and the absolute risk increase was 7.3%. Patients with high-risk late-stage risk in COMPASS-MI had a 3.581 (95% CI 1.660–7.726) fold higher risk of MACE than those with low-risk late-stage risk in COMPASS-MI, and absolute risk increase was 4.6%. We found EDACS-ADP and COMPASS-MI at a late time point (2 h hsTnI) with a high negative predictive value as a risk assessment tool for discharging chest pain patients.

Improving triage accuracy through a modified nurse-administered emergency department assessment of chest pain score on patients with chest pain at triage (EDACT): A prospective observational study

BackgroundChest pain triage in our emergency department (ED) prioritize patients for consultation based on unstructured nursing gestalt. The Emergency Department Assessment of Chest Pain Score (EDACS) identifies patients at low-risk for major adverse cardiac events and may provide standardization for chest pain triage in ED. MethodsWe conducted a prospective observational study, including adult patients with chief complaint of chest pain who were self-conveyed. We aimed to evaluate the overall diagnostic performance of a modified EDACS in triaging these patients. ResultsData was collected over 6 weeks, with 284 patients included in the final analysis. Nursing gestalt had higher sensitivity (97.6%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 87.4% to 99.9% versus EDACS 45.2%, 95% CI 29.8% to 61.3%), while modified EDACS provided higher specificity (76.4%, 95% CI 70.6% to 81.6%, versus nursing gestalt 29.8%, 95% CI 24.1% to 35.9%). EDACS with electrocardiogram had significantly better area under the receiver operating characteristic curve statistic (0.712; 95% CI 0.631 to 0.793) than EDACS alone (0.608; 95% CI 0.528 to 0.689) and nursing gestalt (0.637; 95% CI 0.600 to 0.674) (p = 0.0324). ConclusionsFurther studies should explore if modified EDACS, together with nursing gestalt, can improve triage accuracy for ED patients with chest pain.

Prehospital Translation of Chest Pain Tools (RESCUE Study): Completion Rate and Inter-rater Reliability.

IntroductionChest pain is a common reason for ambulance transport. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and pulmonary embolism (PE) risk assessments, such as history, electrocardiogram, age, risk factors (HEAR); Emergency Department Assessment of Chest Pain Score (EDACS); Pulmonary Embolism Rule-out Criteria (PERC); and revised Geneva score, are well validated for emergency department (ED) use but have not been translated to the prehospital setting. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the 1) prehospital completion rate and 2) inter-rater reliability of chest pain risk assessments.MethodsWe conducted a prospective observational cohort study in two emergency medical services (EMS) agencies (April 18, 2018 – January 2, 2019). Adults with acute, non-traumatic chest pain without ST-elevation myocardial infarction or unstable vital signs were accrued. Paramedics were trained to use the HEAR, EDACS, PERC, and revised Geneva score assessments. A subset of patients (a priori goal of N = 250) also had the four risk assessments completed by their treating clinicians in the ED, who were blinded to the EMS risk assessments. Outcomes were 1) risk assessments completion rate and 2) inter-rater reliability between EMS and ED assessments. An a priori goal for completion rate was set as >75%. We computed kappa with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each risk assessment as a measure of inter-rater reliability. Acceptable agreement was defined a priori as kappa ≥ 0.60.ResultsDuring the study period, 837 patients with acute chest pain were accrued. The median age was 54 years, interquartile range 43–66, with 53% female and 51% Black. Completion rates for each risk assessment were above goal: the HEAR score was completed on 95.1% (796/837), EDACS on 92.0% (770/837), PERC on 89.4% (748/837), and revised Geneva score on 90.7% (759/837) of patients. We assessed agreement in a subgroup of 260 patients. The HEAR score had a kappa of 0.51 (95% CI, 0.41–0.61); EDACS was 0.60 (95% CI, 0.49–0.72); PERC was 0.71 (95% CI, 0.61–0.81); and revised Geneva score was 0.51 (95% CI, 0.39–0.62).ConclusionThe completion rate of risk assessments for ACS and PE was high for prehospital field personnel. The PERC and EDACS both demonstrated acceptable agreement between paramedics and clinicians in the ED, although assessments with better agreement are likely needed.

A physiotherapy-led transition to home intervention for older adults following emergency department discharge: protocol for a pilot feasibility randomised controlled trial

BackgroundOlder adults frequently attend the emergency department (ED) and experience high rates of adverse outcomes following ED presentation including functional decline, ED re-presentation and unplanned hospital admission. The development of effective interventions to prevent such outcomes is a key priority for research and service provision. This paper reports a protocol designed to evaluate the feasibility of conducting a three arm randomised controlled trial (RCT) within the ED setting and in the patient’s home. The interventions are comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), ED PLUS and usual care.MethodsThe ED PLUS pilot trial is designed as a feasibility RCT conducted in the ED and Acute Medical Assessment Unit of a university teaching hospital in the mid-west region of Ireland. We aim to recruit 30 patients, aged 65 years and over presenting to the ED with undifferentiated medical complaints and discharged within 72 h of index visit.Patients will be randomised by a computer in a ratio of 1:1:1 to deliver usual care, CGA or ED PLUS during a 6-month study period. A randomised algorithm is used to perform randomization. CGA will include a medical assessment, medication review, nursing assessment, falls assessment, assessment of mobility and stairs, transfers, personal care, activities of daily living (ADLs), social supports and baseline cognition. ED PLUS, a physiotherapist led, multidisciplinary intervention, aims to bridge the transition of care between the index visit to the ED and the community by initiating a CGA intervention in the ED and implementing a 6-week follow-up self-management programme in the patient’s own home following discharge from the ED. The outcomes will be parameters of the feasibility of the intervention and trial methods and will be assessed quantitatively and qualitatively.DiscussionRising ED visits and an ageing population with chronic health issues render ED interventions to reduce adverse outcomes in older adults a research priority. This feasibility RCT will generate data and experience to inform the conduct and delivery of a definite RCT.Trial registrationThe trial was registered in Clinical Trials Protocols and Results System as of 21st July 2021, with registration number NCT049836020.

P-EGS29 Is an ambulatory emergency general surgery management pathway of biliary disease more cost effective than a traditional approach? A matched case series study

Abstract Background Patients presenting with biliary colic with or without deranged liver function tests (LFT’s) requiring surgery have traditionally been managed as inpatients or on an elective basis. Emergency surgery has previously been associated with higher costs in comparison to outpatient, elective management. Methods Thirteen patients presenting as an emergency with a diagnosis of cholecystitis, with or without deranged LFTs, who underwent different patient pathways resulting in laparoscopic cholecystectomy were identified randomly over 1 month period. They were then matched into groups to compare elective, inpatient and ambulatory care pathway management for patients with similar demographics and clinical picture. The costs of each patient’s journey, from acute presentation to discharge following laparoscopic cholecystectomy was calculated in conjunction with the patient level information costing team (PLICS). Results Three matched groups of patients were identified: 50-60M, 65-75F with normal LFTs, 60F with obstructive LFT’s. Each patient underwent an ultrasound scan of the upper abdomen, laparoscopic cholecystectomy with additional investigations dependent on the group and clinical picture. In each group, when elective, emergency inpatient or ambulatory care pathways were compared there was a consistent cost difference. The order from most expensive to cheapest was: inpatient management, elective management, ambulatory care. The difference in costs was primarily linked with emergency department assessment and inpatient bed stays with cost saving of up to £5000 in one group when comparing inpatient stay to ambulatory emergency care management. Conclusions The use of an ambulatory emergency general surgical pathway for patients with a variety of biliary colic presentations including those with deranged LFT’s is economically comparable and potentially advantageous to more traditional and established patient management pathway options in a number of patient demographics across age, gender and pathology. An ambulatory care pathway, when developed and used correctly can provide significant cost savings to a wide range of patients.

Implementation and evaluation of the five-level emergency triage (emergency severity index tool): A hospital-based, prospective, observational study

Objective: To implement the 5-level Emergency Severity Index (ESI) triage tool into nursing practice in the emergency department (ED) and validate it with a population-based cohort using hospitalization and length of stay (LOS) as outcome measures. Methods: The study included 850 patients, irrespective of age and gender, reporting to the ED of a tertiary care hospital. Each patient was assessed by the triage nurse as per the 5-level ESI triage tool and categorized. The number and type of resources used by the patient, LOS in the ED and the outcome were noted. Data were statistically analyzed by using RStudio Team software, 2015. A P value of<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: The majority of patients belonged to ESI-4 (46.82%), followed by ESI-1 (19.41%), ESI-2 (17.06%), ESI-3 (10.35%), and ESI-5 (6.35%). In most patients, the LOS in the ED was<120 minutes (55.65%). ESI showed a statistically significant association with all the clinical characteristics, as well as resources used, interventions needed, maximum time allowed before initiating physician assessment, duration of stay in ED, and patient outcomes (P=0.000). ESI was found to have a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 78%. Conclusion: ESI is a useful and valid tool for the emergency triage and has the potential to become the standard triage acuity assessment in EDs in India.

Abstract 14253: Combining History Of Present Illness With Risk Stratification Scores To Predict Intensive Care Admission For Suspicious Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients In The Emergency Department

Introduction: Patient symptom data are recorded in free text notes in the electronic health records and are difficult to extract. Natural language processing (NLP) is a technique that can be used to mine key patient symptoms that can be combined with risk stratification tools to improve patient outcomes. Hypothesis: Adding symptom data to the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) and quick sequential organ failure assessment score (qSOFA) will improve the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) performance. Methods: NEWS scores and qSOFA scores were calculated with assistance from an emergency medicine physician for each patient with suspicion of acute coronary syndrome at initial emergency department (ED) assessment. Independent reviewers annotated the outcome of admission to the intensive care unit as a binary outcome (yes/no). The Apache clinical Text Analysis Knowledge Extraction System (cTAKES), an open access NLP platform, was used to preprocess and run analysis on patient free text ED history of present illness notes. Patient symptom data were extracted and used as patient features/input variables and combined with variables from the NEWS and qSOFA scores. Logistic regression model was used to do prediction. We used DeLong’s test to determine the statistical difference between each scores’ AUC. Results: 70 patients out of 1195 had an intensive care admission. The AUC for the NEWS and qSOFA scores were 0.75 and 0.67, respectively. After adding symptoms features, the AUCs improved to 0.81 and 0.79, respectively. There were statistical differences between the AUCs between each score. Conclusion: Adding patient symptom data improves performance of both the NEWS and qSOFA risk stratification scores. Enhanced risk stratification scores with symptom data could identify those at high risk for clinical deterioration and could help augment accurate decision making at ED disposition.

Personalised risk prediction following emergency department assessment for syncope

BackgroundPublished risk tools do not provide possible management options for syncope in the emergency department (ED). Using the 30-day observed risk estimates based on the Canadian Syncope Risk Score (CSRS),...

Rapid antigen test to identify COVID-19 infected patients with and without symptoms admitted to the Emergency Department.

PurposeEarly detection of SARS-CoV-2 patients is essential to contain the pandemic and keep the hospital secure. The rapid antigen test seems to be a quick and easy diagnostic test to identify patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. To assess the possible role of the antigen test in the Emergency Department (ED) assessment of potential SARS-CoV-2 infection in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.MethodsBetween 1 July 2020 and 10 December 2020, all patients consecutively assessed in the ED for suspected COVID-19 symptoms or who required hospitalisation for a condition not associated with COVID-19 were subjected to a rapid antigen test and RT-PCR swab. The diagnostic accuracy of the antigen test was determined in comparison to the SARS-CoV-2 PCR test using contingency tables. The possible clinical benefit of the antigen test was globally evaluated through decision curve analysis (DCA).ResultsA total of 3899 patients were subjected to antigen tests and PCR swabs. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the antigen test were 82.9%, 99.1% and 97.4% (Cohen's K = 0.854, 95% CI 0.826–0.882, p < 0.001), respectively. In symptomatic patients, sensitivity was found to be 89.8%, while in asymptomatic patients, sensitivity was 63.1%. DCA appears to confirm a net clinical benefit for the preliminary use of antigen tests.ConclusionsThe antigen test performed in the ED, though not ideal, can improve the overall identification of infected patients. While it appears to perform well in symptomatic patients, in asymptomatic patients, although it improves their management, it seems not to be definitive.

884 Improving the Analgesia Prescribing Compliance to NICE Guidelines (NG118) In Suspected Renal Colic Patients Using a Proforma

Abstract Aim To improve analgesia prescribing for patients admitted with suspected renal colic in line with NICE guidelines (NG118) in an acute district general hospital using a proforma. Method In the first cycle, a retrospective review of 16 patients who presented with renal colic to the emergency department or surgical assessment unit was performed and the analgesia prescribing was recorded. A unique analgesia prescribing proforma was then developed using NICE guidelines (NG118) including the use of NSAIDS as first-line when there are no contra-indications, intravenous paracetamol, opioid analgesics and omitting antispasmodics. Following implementation of the proforma, a prospective review of 18 patients were included in the second cycle and the prescribing compliance were compared. Results Study included 34 patients who presented with suspected renal colic over a 3-month period. In the first cycle, 19% of patients had appropriate analgesia prescribed which were compliant with NICE guidelines. In cycle 2, 89% of patients had appropriate analgesia prescribed. In particular, the inappropriate prescription of antispasmodics has improved significantly (38 % in cycle 1 vs 0 % in cycle 2). Conclusions A proforma can serve as a useful ‘checklist’ for analgesia prescribing and improve the symptomatic relief for patients presenting with suspected renal colic in line with NICE quality standards.

1436 A Stab in The Back: Assessment of Suspected Cauda Equina Syndrome by The Emergency Department Prior To Referral to Orthopaedics in A District General Hospital

Abstract Introduction Within the UK, Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) is a rare surgical emergency which has the potential to cause significant morbidity. Within hospitals that do not have an on-site neurosurgical service, assessment of potential CES patients is performed in the Emergency Department (ED) prior to referral to either local orthopaedic or regional neurosurgical services. Delay or inefficiency in this assessment can result in delayed treatment and worsens patient outcomes. Method A retrospective study with patients identified from the orthopaedic trauma meeting lists over a 6-month period. Only patients assessed by the emergency department were included (25 total). Direct referrals and those with infective symptoms were excluded. ED clinical notes were assessed, and the documentation was compared against a standard from the American Spinal Cord Injury Association. Documentation of pre- and post-void bladder scan was also assessed. Results Of the 25 total patients, 60% had a full lower limb neurological examination documented. 20% had no documented neurological examination and 20% had an incomplete neurological examination. Only 68% of patients had a Per Rectal exam performed, of those 94% had perianal sensation assessed. 56% of patients did not have a post-void bladder scan documented. Conclusions Limitations to initial ED assessment of likely CES patients can delay diagnosis and treatment which can have devastating consequences for the patient. The data is limited by reliance on an accurate trauma list and exclusion of patients who were referred directly to neurosurgery from ED. Our recommendations include introduction of a CES assessment proforma within ED and a re-audit cycle.

Effect of the Emergency Department Assessment of Chest Pain Score on the Triage Performance in Patients With Chest Pain

The sensitivity of triage systems in identifying acute cardiovascular events in patients presented to the emergency department with chest pain is not optimal. Recently, a clinical score, the Emergency Department Assessment of Chest Pain Score (EDACS), has been proposed for a rapid assessment without additional instruments. To evaluate whether the integration of EDACS into triage evaluation of patients with chest pain can improve the triage's predictive validity for an acute cardiovascular event, a single-center prospective observational study was conducted. This study involved all patients who needed a triage admission for chest pain between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020. All enrolled patients first underwent a standard triage assessment and then the EDACS was calculated. The primary outcome of the study was the presence of an acute cardiovascular event. The discriminatory ability of EDACS in triage compared with standard triage assessment was evaluated by comparing the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve, decision curve analysis, and net reclassification improvement. The study involved 1,596 patients, of that 7.3% presented the study outcome. The discriminatory ability of triage presented an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.688 that increased to 0.818 after the application of EDACS in the triage assessment. EDACS improved the baseline assessment of priority assigned in triage, with a net reclassification improvement of 33.6% (p <0.001), and the decision curve analyses demonstrated that EDACS in triage resulted in a clear net clinical benefit. In conclusion, the results of the study suggest that EDACS has a good discriminatory capacity for acute cardiovascular events and that its implementation in routine triage may improve triage performance in patients with chest pain.

Can an Emergency Department Adequately Address an Older Adult who has Complex Needs?

Older adults account for a considerable percentage of all emergency departments (ED) patient encounters. Those with very complex needs or multiple co-morbid conditions often have lengthy ED evaluations culminating in admission, many of which are considered potentially avoidable. Provider and process elements can evolve to create efficient and more comprehensive geriatric assessments in ED. This paper describes an older adult with acute on chronic symptoms admitted through the ED to the Acute Care for Elders (ACE) inpatient unit. We illustrate how elements of the ACE model, when applied in the ED, may avoid hospitalization. We review the Domain Management Model as a useful technique for ED-based assessment of older adults with complex medical, functional, and social needs. Finally, we consider geriatric screening tools to promote broad evaluation and safer transitions of care for older adults.

Development and Validation of a Model to Predict Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depression After a Motor Vehicle Collision

A substantial proportion of the 40 million people in the US who present to emergency departments (EDs) each year after traumatic events develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depressive episode (MDE). Accurately identifying patients at high risk in the ED would facilitate the targeting of preventive interventions. To develop and validate a prediction tool based on ED reports after a motor vehicle collision to predict PTSD or MDE 3 months later. The Advancing Understanding of Recovery After Trauma (AURORA) study is a longitudinal study that examined adverse posttraumatic neuropsychiatric sequalae among patients who presented to 28 US urban EDs in the immediate aftermath of a traumatic experience. Enrollment began on September 25, 2017. The 1003 patients considered in this diagnostic/prognostic report completed 3-month assessments by January 31, 2020. Each patient received a baseline ED assessment along with follow-up self-report surveys 2 weeks, 8 weeks, and 3 months later. An ensemble machine learning method was used to predict 3-month PTSD or MDE from baseline information. Data analysis was performed from November 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021. The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 was used to assess PTSD and the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Depression Short-Form 8b to assess MDE. A total of 1003 patients (median [interquartile range] age, 34.5 [24-43] years; 715 [weighted 67.9%] female; 100 [weighted 10.7%] Hispanic, 537 [weighted 52.7%] non-Hispanic Black, 324 [weighted 32.2%] non-Hispanic White, and 42 [weighted 4.4%] of non-Hispanic other race or ethnicity were included in this study. A total of 274 patients (weighted 26.6%) met criteria for 3-month PTSD or MDE. An ensemble machine learning model restricted to 30 predictors estimated in a training sample (patients from the Northeast or Midwest) had good prediction accuracy (mean [SE] area under the curve [AUC], 0.815 [0.031]) and calibration (mean [SE] integrated calibration index, 0.040 [0.002]; mean [SE] expected calibration error, 0.039 [0.002]) in an independent test sample (patients from the South). Patients in the top 30% of predicted risk accounted for 65% of all 3-month PTSD or MDE, with a mean (SE) positive predictive value of 58.2% (6.4%) among these patients at high risk. The model had good consistency across regions of the country in terms of both AUC (mean [SE], 0.789 [0.025] using the Northeast as the test sample and 0.809 [0.023] using the Midwest as the test sample) and calibration (mean [SE] integrated calibration index, 0.048 [0.003] using the Northeast as the test sample and 0.024 [0.001] using the Midwest as the test sample; mean [SE] expected calibration error, 0.034 [0.003] using the Northeast as the test sample and 0.025 [0.001] using the Midwest as the test sample). The most important predictors in terms of Shapley Additive Explanations values were symptoms of anxiety sensitivity and depressive disposition, psychological distress in the 30 days before motor vehicle collision, and peritraumatic psychosomatic symptoms. The results of this study suggest that a short set of questions feasible to administer in an ED can predict 3-month PTSD or MDE with good AUC, calibration, and geographic consistency. Patients at high risk can be identified in the ED for targeting if cost-effective preventive interventions are developed.

The impact of frailty Screening of Older adults with muLtidisciplinary assessment of those At Risk during emergency hospital attendance on the quality, safety and cost-effectiveness of care (SOLAR): a randomised controlled trial.

BackgroundOlder people account for 25% of all Emergency Department (ED) admissions. This is expected to rise with an ageing demographic. Older people often present to the ED with complex medical needs in the setting of multiple comorbidities. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) has been shown to improve outcomes in an inpatient setting but clear evidence of benefit in the ED setting has not been established. It is not feasible to offer this resource-intensive assessment to all older adults in a timely fashion. Screening tools for frailty have been used to identify those at most risk for adverse outcomes following ED visit. The overall aim of this study is to examine the impact of CGA on the quality, safety and cost-effectiveness of care in an undifferentiated population of frail older people with medical complaints who present to the ED and Acute Medical Assessment Unit.MethodsThis will be a parallel 1:1 allocation randomised control trial. All patients who are ≥ 75 years will be screened for frailty using the Identification of Seniors At Risk (ISAR) tool. Those with a score of ≥ 2 on the ISAR will be randomised. The treatment arm will undergo geriatric medicine team-led CGA in the ED or Acute Medical Assessment Unit whereas the non-treatment arm will undergo usual patient care. A dedicated multidisciplinary team of a specialist geriatric medicine doctor, senior physiotherapist, specialist nurse, pharmacist, senior occupational therapist and senior medical social worker will carry out the assessment, as well as interventions that arise from that assessment. Primary outcomes will be the length of stay in the ED or Acute Medical Assessment Unit. Secondary outcomes will include ED re-attendance, re-hospitalisation, functional decline, quality of life and mortality at 30 days and 180 days. These will be determined by telephone consultation and electronic records by a research nurse blinded to group allocation.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was obtained from the Health Service Executive (HSE) Mid-Western Regional Hospital Research Ethics Committee (088/2020). Our lay dissemination strategy will be developed in collaboration with our Patient and Public Involvement stakeholder panel of older people at the Ageing Research Centre and we will present our findings in peer-reviewed journals and national and international conferences.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04629690. Registered on November 16, 2020

Retrospective validation of a machine learning clinical decision support tool for myocardial infarction risk stratification.

Diagnosis and appropriate intervention for myocardial infarction (MI) are time‐sensitive but rely on clinical measures that can be progressive and initially inconclusive, underscoring the need for an accurate and early predictor of MI to support diagnostic and clinical management decisions. The objective of this study was to develop a machine learning algorithm (MLA) to predict MI diagnosis based on electronic health record data (EHR) readily available during Emergency Department assessment. An MLA was developed using retrospective patient data. The MLA used patient data as they became available in the first 3 h of care to predict MI diagnosis (defined by International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision code) at any time during the encounter. The MLA obtained an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.87, sensitivity of 87% and specificity of 70%, outperforming the comparator scoring systems TIMI and GRACE on all metrics. An MLA can synthesize complex EHR data to serve as a clinically relevant risk stratification tool for MI.

A Comparative Study on the Heart Score with Emergency Department Assessment of Chest Pain Score (EDACS) in Prediction of MACE (Major Adverse Cardiac Events) Among Patients Presenting With Undifferentiated Chest Pain in North Indian Setting

Objective: To compare the heart score with emergency department assessment of chest pain score (EDACS) in prediction of MACE (Major Adverse Cardiac Events) among patients presenting with undifferentiated chest pain in north Indian setting. Methods: This study was conducted in the Department of Medicine, Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences. Lucknow. The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Institute. The consent was taken from each participant before including in the study. All patients presenting to Emergency department with undifferentiated chest pain were included in the study. A total of 118 patients were included in the study. Results: About one third of patients were below 50 years of age (35.6%) followed by 61-70 (34.7%) and 50-60 (29.7%) years. The mean age of patients was 58.33±12.86 years. Majority of patients were males (71.2%). The incidence of MACE was 53.4%. Both HEART and EDACS score were significantly (p&lt;0.01) higher among patients whom MACE was present than absent. HEART score&gt;5 correctly predicted 39% MACE cases with sensitivity and specificity of 73% and 49.1% respectively. However, EDACS score&gt;16 correctly predicted 40.7% MACE cases with sensitivity and specificity of 76.2% and 54.5% respectively. Conclusion: This study shows that HEART and EDACS scores have good sensitivity in predicting MACE at the emergency department. The HEART and EDACS scores for chest pain patients at the emergency department provides the clinician with a quick and reliable predictor of outcome shortly after arrival of the patient, without computer-required calculating. In patients with high HEART scores (7-10) the high risk of MACE may indicate more aggressive policies.

Developing a tool to assess and monitor institutional readiness to address elder mistreatment in hospital emergency departments

ABSTRACT Hospital emergency departments (EDs) lack the tools and processes required to facilitate consistent screening and intervention in cases of elder abuse and neglect. To address this need, the National Collaboratory to Address Elder Mistreatment has developed a clinical care model that ED’s can implement to improve screening, referral, and linkage to coordinated care and support services for older adults who are at risk of mistreatment. To gauge ED readiness to change and facilitate adoption of the care model, we developed an organizational assessment tool, the Elder Mistreatment Emergency Department Assessment Profile (EM-EDAP). Development included a phased approach in which we reviewed evidence on best practice; consulted with multidisciplinary experts; and sought input from ED staff. Based on this formative research, we developed a tool that can be used to guide EDs in focusing on practice improvements for addressing elder mistreatment that are most responsive to local needs and opportunities.

Causes for Emergency Hospitalization of Neurological Patients With Palliative Care Needs.

Background: Acute and unexpected hospitalization can cause serious distress, particularly in patients with palliative care needs. Nevertheless, the majority of neurological inpatients receiving palliative care are admitted via an emergency department.Objective: Identification of potentially avoidable causes leading to acute hospitalization of patients with neurological disorders or neurological symptoms requiring palliative care.Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records of all patients who were admitted via the emergency department and received palliative care in a neurological ward later on (n = 130).Results: The main reasons for acute admission were epileptic seizures (22%), gait disorders (22%), disturbance of consciousness (20%), pain (17%), nutritional problems (17%), or paresis (14%). Possible therapy limitations, (non)existence of a patient decree, or healthcare proxy was documented in only 31%. Primary diagnoses were neoplastic (49%), neurodegenerative (30%), or cerebrovascular (18%) diseases. Fifty-nine percent were directly admitted to a neurological ward; 25% needed intensive care. On average, it took 24 h until the palliative care team was involved. In contrast to initially documented problems, key challenges identified by palliative care assessment were psychosocial problems. For 40% of all cases, a specialized palliative care could be organized.Conclusion: Admissions were mainly triggered by acute events. Documentation of the palliative situation and treatment limitations may help to prevent unnecessary hospitalization. Although patients present with a complex symptom burden, emergency department assessment is not able to fully address multidimensionality, especially concerning psychosocial problems. Prospective investigations should develop short screening tools to identify palliative care needs of neurological patients already in the emergency department.