Common Emergency Department Diagnosis Research Articles

The Performance Characteristics of Handheld, Non-Piezoelectric Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in the Emergency Department.

The use of handheld point-of-care ultrasound (HH-POCUS) platforms is rapidly increasing, but the diagnostic performance of HH-POCUS in the emergency department (ED) has not been well-studied. For a period of one year, only a HH-POCUS system that uses a non-piezoelectric array (Butterfly iQ+™) was available for clinical POCUS examinations in our ED. We performed a retrospective observational study of patients who underwent cardiac, thoracic, renal, biliary, or lower extremity venous (DVT) examinations from November 2021-November 2022 and calculated performance characteristics of HH-POCUS relative to radiology imaging. A total of 381 HH-POCUS studies were evaluated. Cardiac image quality was significantly lower than lung (p = 0.002). Over half of the studies (213/381) had imaging available for comparison, and HH-POCUS identified 86.5% (32/37, (95%CI) 70.4-94.9) of prespecified emergent diagnoses, including acute cholecystitis, severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, pericardial effusion or tamponade, moderate or larger pleural effusion, pneumothorax, moderate or larger hydronephrosis, and DVT. For less emergent diagnoses, 84.3% (43/51, (95%CI) 70.9-92.5) were identified. Overall, HH-POCUS using a non-piezoelectric array showed modest real-world performance in the ED for cardiac, thoracic, renal, biliary, and DVT examinations. HH-POCUS may be inadequate to rule out some common ED diagnoses, but had good specificity for certain conditions such as pericardial effusion.

Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis: Case Report

BackgroundIn the emergency department (ED), pyelonephritis is a fairly common diagnosis, especially in patients with unilateral flank pain. Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) is a rare type of pyelonephritis that is associated with unique features, which may lead to its diagnosis. Case ReportA 30-year-old male patient presented to the ED for evaluation of right-sided abdominal pain that has been ongoing for the past 24 hours. He noted the pain was located predominantly in the right flank and described it as sharp in nature. The pain was nonradiating and was associated with scant hematuria. He stated that he had similar pains approximately 1 month earlier that resolved after a few days. The patient underwent a bedside ultrasound and a subsequent computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis, which showed an enlarged, multiloculated right kidney with dilated calyces and a large staghorn calculus, findings that represent XGP. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?This case report highlights an unusual variant of pyelonephritis, a relatively common ED diagnosis. XGP should be considered in patients with recurrent pyelonephritis, as treatment for XGP may require surgical intervention in addition to traditional antibiotic management.

Profile of patients visiting the emergency departments at Haji Adam Malik and Universitas Sumatera Utara hospitals in Medan, Indonesia

ObjectivesData on the patient profiles and characteristics of emergency department (ED) visits are crucial for enhancing hospital emergency care resources and developing a more effective emergency healthcare unit. The aim of this study was to report the characteristics and trends of pediatric ED visits at Haji Adam Malik (HAM) and Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) hospitals in Medan, Indonesia, during the year 2020. MethodsThis was a retrospective descriptive study conducted in HAM Hospital and USU Hospital, using patient medical records data extracted from the hospital information systems for the period January to December 2020. ResultsThis study included 3462 pediatric patients as participants. The majority of the patients in this study were male (57.8%), and the most represented age group was 11–18 years (35.8%). Trauma/injury was the most common ED diagnosis at HAM Hospital, whereas unspecified fever was the most common reason for visits to the ED at USU Hospital. The majority of patients attending the ED at HAM Hospital were hospitalized, while the majority at USU Hospital were treated as outpatients. ConclusionsThis study found that the most frequent diagnosis in the ED was trauma/injury at HAM Hospital and unspecified fever at USU Hospital.

A curriculum to improve knowledge and skills of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in the pediatric emergency department.

Nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) have an important role in delivery of care in a tertiary children's hospital emergency department (ED). Most NPs and PAs have not had any formal training to work in a pediatric ED; although our NPs and PAs had no formal ED training, some were acute care certified. We describe a curriculum designed to improve knowledge and skills of NPs and PAs in the pediatric ED. The curriculum consists of three modules, namely, online lecture series, procedural workshops, and case scenarios in a simulated setting. Module 1 consisted of online lecture on 10 common ED diagnoses. The second module consisted of procedural workshops on lumbar puncture, incision and drainage of abscesses, gastrostomy insertion, and laceration repair. The third module included simulation scenarios on ED-specific cases of seizure in an infant, bronchiolitis and ruptured appendicitis with shock. Each module was evaluated by a survey. Participants rated each item on the survey using a Likert scale response (1 = disagree completely to 5 = agree completely ). Both NPs and PAs demonstrated increase in knowledge scores in posttest 1 vs pretest ( p < .001) and did not show a significant decline in posttest 2 ( p = .073). The mean ratings of components of the online lecture series, workshops, and simulation scenarios were 4.5-4.7, 4.4-4.8, and 4.5-4.7, respectively, with positive comments. This novel curriculum meets the educational needs of NPs and PAs at our institution and can be used as a model to train them at other tertiary care pediatric EDs.

Younger Age and Longer Case Times Associated With Emergency Department Visits After Cataract Surgery

To characterize the frequency, reasons, hospital costs, and risk factors for emergency department (ED) visits within 30 days of cataract surgery. Retrospective cohort study. A retrospective review of all cataract surgeries at Duke Health between 2013 and 2021 was conducted. Demographics, case characteristics (length, complexity by billing codes, anesthesia type), ED visit findings, and hospital costs were collected. Logistic regression models were used to determine the odds of ED visits based on several risk factors. Of 34246 patients (57656 eyes) undergoing cataract surgery at Duke Health from 2013 to 2021, a total of 607 patients (1.77%) had 680 ED visits within 30 days of surgery. The most common ED diagnosis was cardiovascular (24.4%), whereas ocular complaints constituted 15.4% of visits. The most common ocular diagnoses were high intraocular pressure, rebound iritis, and posterior vitreous detachment. Hospital costs were lowest for ocular diagnoses (mean $467.72) and highest for trauma diagnoses (mean $4660.55). Risk factors for ED visits included case lengths greater than 30 minutes (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.56-2.83, P < .001), the combination of Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC) and retrobulbar anesthesia or general anesthesia (OR 2.98, 95% CI 1.73-5.12, P < .001), and age less than 70 years (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.16-1.65, P < .001). ED visits within 30 days of cataract surgery are uncommon. Longer case lengths, anesthesia other than MAC alone, and younger age are associated with higher odds of ED visits.

Emergency department presentations and 30-day mortality in patients from residential aged care facilities.

Objective To describe patterns of emergency department (ED) presentations and predictors of 30-day mortality in patients referred from a residential aged care facility (RACF). Methods A retrospective analysis of linked state-wide emergency, inpatient and death data from 136 public ED hospitals in New South Wales, Australia. Data were collected from the NSW Emergency Department Data Collection database, the NSW Admitted Patient Data Collection database and the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. All patients aged ≥65 years presenting to the ED from a RACF between January 2017 and July 2018 were included. ED diagnosis categories, re-admission rates within 30 days and 30-day all-cause mortality were measured. Results In total, 43 248 presentations were identified. The most common ED diagnosis categories were: injury (26.48%), respiratory conditions (14.12%) and cardiovascular conditions (10.74%). Prolonged ED length of stay was associated with higher adjusted hazard ratios for 30-day all-cause mortality after adjustments for age Charlson Comorbidity Index, triage category and diagnosis category (HR 1.10 95% CI 1.05-1.14 P < 0.001). Conclusions A large proportion of ED presentations from RACFs were for injuries associated with falls and chest infections. There was a range of both high- and low-urgency presentations. Both the 30-day mortality and re-admission rates were high. Predictors of increased mortality included prolonged length of stay in the ED and re-admission within 30 days. The findings are useful in informing discussion around improving access to care in RACFs and coordination of healthcare providers in this cohort.

What about the others: differential diagnosis of COVID-19 in a German emergency department

BackgroundThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic remains a major challenge for worldwide health care systems and in particular emergency medicine. An early and safe triage in the emergency department (ED) is especially crucial for proper therapy. Clinical symptoms of COVID-19 comprise those of many common diseases; thus, differential diagnosis remains challenging.MethodWe performed a retrospective study of 314 ED patients presenting with conceivable COVID-19 symptoms during the first wave in Germany. All were tested for COVID-19 with SARS-Cov-2-nasopharyngeal swabs. Forty-seven patients were positive. We analyzed the 267 COVID-19 negative patients for their main diagnosis and compared COVID-19 patients with COVID-19 negative respiratory infections for differences in laboratory parameters, symptoms, and vital signs.ResultsAmong the 267 COVID-19 negative patients, 42.7% had respiratory, 14.2% had other infectious, and 11.2% had cardiovascular diseases. Further, 9.0% and 6.7% had oncological and gastroenterological diagnoses, respectively. Compared to COVID-19 negative airway infections, COVID-19 patients showed less dyspnea (OR 0.440; p = 0.024) but more dysgeusia (OR 7.631; p = 0.005). Their hospital stay was significantly longer (9.0 vs. 5.6 days; p = 0.014), and their mortality significantly higher (OR 3.979; p = 0.014).ConclusionFor many common ED diagnoses, COVID-19 should be considered a differential diagnosis. COVID-19 cannot be distinguished from COVID-19 negative respiratory infections by clinical signs, symptoms, or laboratory results. When hospitalization is necessary, the clinical course of COVID-19 airway infections seems to be more severe compared to other respiratory infections.Trial registration: German Clinical Trial Registry DRKS, DRKS-ID of the study: DRKS00021675 date of registration: May 8th, 2020, retrospectively registered.

Emergency Department Visits Among Lung Transplant Patients: A 4-Year Experience.

Emergency department (ED) visits by lung transplant (LT) patients have not been well documented in the literature. To analyze outcomes among LT recipients with ED visits, to better inform clinicians regarding evaluation and treatment. This was a retrospective cohort study of LT patients at our ED (2015-2018). Demographics, transplant indication, laboratory studies, ED interventions, disposition, death, and revisit data were collected. Logistic regression models were used to identify univariable and multivariable predictors of ED revisit, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, or death. For 505 ED visits among 160 LT recipients, respiratory-related concerns were most frequent (n=152, 30.1%). Infection was the most common ED diagnosis (n=101, 20.0%). Many patients were sent home from the ED (n=235, 46.5%), and 31.3% (n=158) returned to the ED within 30days. Fourteen patients (2.8%) needed advanced airway measures. One patient died in the ED, and 18 died in the hospital. On multivariable analysis, more previous ED visits significantly increased the probability of 30-day ED revisit. Heart rate faster than 100 beats/min and systolic blood pressure < 90mm Hg were significantly associated with ICU admission or death. Infection should be prominent on the differential diagnosis for LT patients in the ED. A large proportion of patients were discharged from the ED, but a higher number of previous ED visits was most predictive of ED revisit within 30days. Mortality rate was low in our study, but higher heart rate and lower systolic blood pressure were associated with ICU admission or death.

Prescriptive practice differences between nurse practitioners and physicians in the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections in the emergency department setting.

Nurse practitioners (NPs) have increasingly broad prescribing authority, yet there is insufficient information available on the prescribing practices of NPs working in the emergency department setting. The purpose of this study was to describe prescriptive practices between two provider groups, NPs and physicians, in an emergency department setting in the United Arab Emirates. This comparison focused on treatment of a common emergency department diagnosis of uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI). The investigators reviewed a sample of 690 UTI patients during the period of August 30, 2016 to June 30, 2018. Physician and NP provider groups were then assessed for treatment selection and associated patient outcomes. A Chi-square test was used to compare empiric antibiotic selection using variables of population type, gender, age, and provider type. There were similar prescriptive practices for beta-lactam, nitrofurantoin, and trimethoprim prescriptions. The investigators noted a statistical difference for fluoroquinolone use, with the physician group selecting fluoroquinolones more often than the NP group. Also, fluoroquinolone use within the physician group varied significantly; however, the investigators did not see this within the NP group. The findings support that there is comparable care quality in the treatment of uncomplicated UTIs between physician providers and NPs in this setting. Comparing outcome similarities and differences on a commonly occurring medical problem in the emergency department provides an early look at the value-added services that NPs provide.

Outcomes after emergency department use in patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy in Ontario, Canada: a population-based cohort study.

Patients with cancer frequently require emergency medical care during treatment. The objective of this study was to characterize emergency department visits made by patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy and to describe associated outcomes. This retrospective cohort study used population-based administrative data from Ontario, Canada. Patients aged 18 years and older, with a cancer diagnosis, and who received chemotherapy in the 30 days before being seen in an emergency department between 2013 and 2017 were included. Emergency department discharge diagnosis codes were categorized to identify the most frequent emergency department diagnoses. We examined the proportion of patients admitted to hospital and 30-day mortality. We used logistic regression to identify predictors of hospital admission. We identified 218 459 emergency department visits made by 87 555 patients. The median number of emergency department visits per patient was 2 (interquartile range 1-3). Hematological, gastrointestinal, breast and lung cancer were the most common malignancies represented. The most common emergency department diagnoses were infection or fever (57 036 [26.1%]) and gastrointestinal diagnoses (26 456 [12.2%]). Of all visits, 77 978 (35.7%) resulted in admission to hospital. Thirty-day mortality after an emergency department visit was 9.8%. There was an increased odds of admission among patients who previously received palliative consultation, patients with bone or soft tissue or hematological malignancies, and patients with infection, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, cardiac, weakness or genitourinary and nephrology diagnoses. Patients with cancer frequently used the emergency department during chemotherapy, and 1 in 4 emergency department visits were for infection or fever. These results highlight opportunities to optimize care for certain patients being actively treated for cancer, particularly around infectious complaints.

P074: Emergency department utilization and outcomes for patients with early pregnancy complications

Introduction: Affecting roughly 1 in 5 pregnancies, early pregnancy loss is a common experience for reproductive-aged women. In Canada, most women do not establish care with an obstetrical provider until the second trimester of pregnancy. Consequently, pregnant patients experiencing symptoms of early pregnancy loss frequently access care in the emergency department (ED). The objective of this study was to describe the resource utilization and outcomes of women presenting to two Ontario EDs for early pregnancy loss or threatened early pregnancy loss. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of pregnant (≤20 weeks), adult (≥18 years) women in two EDs (one community hospital with 110,000 annual ED visits; one academic hospital with 65,000 annual ED visits) between January 2010 and December 2017. Patients were identified by diagnostic codes indicating early pregnancy loss or threatened early pregnancy loss. Results: A total of 16,091 patients were included, with a mean (SD) age of 32.8 (5.6) years. Patients had a total of 22,410 ED visits for early pregnancy complications, accounting for 1.6% of the EDs’ combined visits during the study period. Threatened abortion (n = 11,265, 50.3%) was the most common ED diagnosis, followed by spontaneous abortion (n = 5,652, 25.2%), ectopic pregnancy (n = 3,242, 14.5%), missed abortion (n = 1,541, 6.9%), and other diagnoses (n = 710, 3.2%). 8,000 (44.8%) patients had a radiologist-interpreted ultrasound performed during the initial ED visit. Median (IQR) ED length of stay was 3.4 (2.3 to 5.1) hours. There were 4,561 (25.6%) return ED visits within 30 days, of which 2,317 (50.8%) occurred less than 24 hours of index visit, and 481 (10.6%) were for scheduled, next day ultrasound. The total number of hospital admissions was 1,793 (8.0%), and the majority were for ectopic pregnancy (n = 1,052, 58.7%). Of admitted patients, 1,320 (73.6%) underwent surgical interventions related to early pregnancy. There were 474 (10.4%) patients admitted to hospital during return ED visits. Conclusion: Pregnant patients experiencing symptoms of early pregnancy loss in the ED frequently had radiologist-interpreted US and low rates of hospital admission, yet had high rates of return ED visits. This study highlights the heavy reliance on Ontario EDs to care for patients experiencing complications of early pregnancy.

Possible Missed Acute Coronary Syndrome Rate in North Texas: Is There Room to Improve?

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a common diagnosis in the emergency department (ED). Missing this diagnosis may lead to increased morbidity or mortality. With improved cardiac biomarkers tests, it is unknown if that has decreased the prevalence of ACS diagnoses in ED patients who were recently evaluated in the ED. This is a retrospective review of ED patients who were diagnosed with ACS and seen in the ED 7 and 30 days before that visit in North Texas between 2009 and 2015. The demographics and temporal trends of missed ACS rates are described. Logistic regression was used to evaluate if any factors (ie, age, ethnicity, sex, insurance status) were significant. Between December 26, 2008 and June 29, 2015, there were 24,914 diagnoses of ACS in the ED. The overall prevalence of patients diagnosed with ACS 7 days after their ED visit was 3.2% and 8.8% at 30 days. For patients diagnosed with ACS 7 days and 30 days after an ED visit, the most common initial ED diagnoses were nonspecific chest pain (57.7%), atherosclerotic disease (19.5%), and heart failure (12.8%). Between 2009 and 2015, there was no overall change in the rate of ACS diagnoses in patients seen 7 or 30 days before an ED visit. The prevalence of missed ACS in the North Texas region at 7 and 30 days after the initial ED visit is low and has not changed over the past several years.

Analysis of Diagnoses, Symptoms, Medications, and Admissions Among Patients With Cancer Presenting to Emergency Departments

Better understanding of the emergency care needs of patients with cancer will inform outpatient and emergency department (ED) management. To provide a benchmark description of patients who present to the ED with active cancer. This multicenter prospective cohort study included 18 EDs affiliated with the Comprehensive Oncologic Emergencies Research Network (CONCERN). Of 1564 eligible patients, 1075 adults with active cancer were included from February 1, 2016, through January 30, 2017. Data were analyzed from February 1 through August 1, 2018. The proportion of patients reporting symptoms (eg, pain, nausea) before and during the ED visit, ED and outpatient medications, most common diagnoses, and suspected infection as indicated by ED antibiotic administration. The proportions observed, admitted, and with a hospital length of stay (LOS) of no more than 2 days were identified. Of 1075 participants, mean (SD) age was 62 (14) years, and 51.8% were female. Seven hundred ninety-four participants (73.9%; 95% CI, 71.1%-76.5%) had undergone cancer treatment in the preceding 30 days; 674 (62.7%; 95% CI, 59.7%-65.6%) had advanced or metastatic cancer; and 505 (47.0%; 95% CI, 43.9%-50.0%) were 65 years or older. The 5 most common ED diagnoses were symptom related. Of all participants, 82 (7.6%; 95% CI, 6.1%-9.4%) were placed in observation and 615 (57.2%; 95% CI, 54.2%-60.2%) were admitted; 154 of 615 admissions (25.0%; 95% CI, 21.7%-28.7%) had an LOS of 2 days or less (median, 3 days; interquartile range, 2-6 days). Pain during the ED visit was present in 668 patients (62.1%; 95% CI, 59.2%-65.0%; mean [SD] pain score, 6.4 [2.6] of 10.0) and in 776 (72.2%) during the prior week. Opioids were administered in the ED to 228 of 386 patients (59.1%; 95% CI, 18.8%-23.8%) with moderate to severe ED pain. Outpatient opioids were prescribed to 368 patients (47.4%; 95% CI, 3.14%-37.2%) of those with pre-ED pain, including 244 of 428 (57.0%; 95% CI, 52.2%-61.8%) who reported quite a bit or very much pain. Nausea in the ED was present in 336 (31.3%; 95% CI, 28.5%-34.1%); of these, 160 (47.6%; 95% CI, 12.8%-17.1%) received antiemetics in the ED. Antibiotics were administered in the ED to 285 patients (26.5%; 95% CI, 23.9%-29.2%). Of these, 209 patients (73.3%; 95% CI, 17.1%-21.9%) were admitted compared with 427 of 790 (54.1%; 95% CI, 50.5%-57.6%) not receiving antibiotics. This initial prospective, multicenter study profiling patients with cancer who were treated in the ED identifies common characteristics in this patient population and suggests opportunities to optimize care before, during, and after the ED visit. Improvement requires collaboration between specialists and emergency physicians optimizing ED use, improving symptom control, avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations, and appropriately stratifying risk to ensure safe ED treatment and disposition of patients with cancer.

MP08: What’s the plan?: Improving ED patient discharge communication through patient-centred discharge handouts

Introduction: Discharge from the Emergency Department (ED) is a high-risk period for communication failures. Clear verbal and written discharge instructions at patient-level health literacy are fundamental to a safe discharge process. As part of a hospital-wide quality initiative to measure and improve discharge processes, and in response to patient feedback, the St. Michael’s Hospital ED and patient advisors co-designed and implemented patient-centred discharge handouts. Methods: The design and implementation of discharge handouts was based on a collaborative and iterative approach, including stakeholder engagement and patient co-design. Discharge topics were based on the 10 most common historical ED diagnoses. ED patient advisors and the hospital’s plain language review team co-designed and edited materials for readability and comprehension. Process mapping of ED workflow identified opportunities for interventions. Multidisciplinary ED stakeholders co-led implementation, including staff education, training and huddles for feedback. Patient telephone surveys to every 25th patient presenting to the ED meeting the study inclusion criteria (16 years of age or older, directly discharged from the ED, speaks English, has a valid telephone number, and has capacity to consent) were conducted both pre- (June-Sept 2016) and post- (Oct-Dec 2016) implementation. Results: Stakeholder engagement and co-design took place over 10 months. Education was provided across one MD staff meeting, four RN inservices, and at monthly learner orientation. 44846 patients presented to the ED and 25600 met the study inclusion criteria. 935 surveys (response rate=97%; declined n=30) were completed to date. Pre-implementation (n=467), 9.2% (n=43) of patients received printed discharge materials and 71% (n=330) understood symptoms to look for after leaving the ED. Post-implementation (n=468), 44% (n=207) of patients received printed discharge materials with 97% (n=200) finding the handouts helpful and 82% (n=385) understanding symptoms to look for after leaving the ED. Conclusion: Through the introduction of patient co-designed and patient-centred discharge handouts, we have found a marked improvement in patient understanding, and consequently safer discharge practices. Future efforts will focus on optimizing discharge communication, both verbal and written, tailored to individual patient preferences.

Comparison of self-reported to observational agitation scales

BackgroundIncreasingly, psychiatric patients are presenting to the emergency department (ED) with agitation. ED staff rarely, if ever, use scale to assess agitation or use any self-assessment tools to determine a patient's level of agitation.ObjectivesTo evaluate the relationship between a patient's self-reported level of agitation and other validated agitation assessment tools.MethodsThis is a prospective study using a convenience sample of patients presenting to the ED with a psychiatric complaint. This study was conducted in an urban, inner-city trauma level 1 center with 55,000 ED visits a year. After obtaining consent, a research fellow administered observational tools, PANSS-EC and ACES and BAM and Likert scale self assessment tools on arrival to the ED. SPSS version 24 was used. The study was IRB approved.ResultsA total of 139 patients were enrolled. The most common ED diagnoses were depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar. Majority of patients were African-American (59%), falling in the 25–44 year old age range (56%) 52% male. Self-reported agitation was rated as moderate to high in 72.4% of these patients on the Likert scale and 76.3% on the BAM. There was a significant correlation between the self-reported score versus the BAM (F = 11.2, P = 0.00). However, the self-reported scores were significantly different from the scores assessed by observational tools (P &lt; 0.05).ConclusionsED providers should assess a patient's self-reported level of agitation because a patient could be feeling markedly agitated without expressing outward signs detected by observational tools.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

MP75-03 UNPLANNED 30-DAY ENCOUNTERS AFTER URETERO-RENOSCOPY FOR UROLITHIASIS

You have accessJournal of UrologyStone Disease: Surgical Therapy VII1 Apr 2017MP75-03 UNPLANNED 30-DAY ENCOUNTERS AFTER URETERO-RENOSCOPY FOR UROLITHIASIS Kefu Du, Robert Wang, Joel Vetter, Alethea Paradis, Alana Desai, Robert Figenshau, and Ramakrishna Venkatesh Kefu DuKefu Du More articles by this author , Robert WangRobert Wang More articles by this author , Joel VetterJoel Vetter More articles by this author , Alethea ParadisAlethea Paradis More articles by this author , Alana DesaiAlana Desai More articles by this author , Robert FigenshauRobert Figenshau More articles by this author , and Ramakrishna VenkateshRamakrishna Venkatesh More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2017.02.2151AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES While stone treatment by ureteroscopy is increasingly performed, it incurs frequent unplanned encounters. We aim to identify avoidable predictors to minimize 30-day encounters. METHODS We performed retrospective chart review on 157 patients who underwent ureteroscopy for urolithiasis between January and June 2016. Patient demographics, stone characteristics, operative details, and 30-day postoperative unplanned patient-initiated phone calls, emergency department (ED) visits, and readmissions were collected. Administrative patient phone calls were excluded. In order to obtain the most accurate ED and readmission rates, questionnaires were delivered to patients via telephone or email and supplemented chart review data. Fisher′s exact and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used for qualitative and quantitative variables, respectively. RESULTS There were 44 (28%) unplanned patient-initiated phone calls, 23 (14.6%) ED visits, and 8 (5.1%) readmissions postoperatively. The most common chief complaints and ED diagnoses are listed in Table 1. Factors associated with a higher rate of phone calls include first time stone procedure (37% vs 21%, p = 0.03), outpatient status (30% vs 0%, p = 0.02), intraoperative stent placement (31% vs 0%, p = 0.01), and stent removal at home (59% vs 29%, p = 0.01). Factors associated with increased rate of ED visits were first time stone procedure (23% vs 8%, p = 0.01) and ureteral access sheath usage (30% vs 12%, p = 0.02). Factors associated with a higher rate of readmissions were bilateral procedure (20% vs 3%, p = 0.01) and ureteral access sheath usage (15% vs 3%, p = 0.03). Interestingly, of the 16 patients who had no intraoperative stenting, none had unplanned phone call, ED visit or readmission. Stone number and location, operative time, Charleston comorbidity, and history of preoperative urinary tract infection were not significantly associated with postoperative encounters. CONCLUSIONS Pain, first time stone treatment, and presence of a ureteral stent were common reasons for postoperative encounters after ureteroscopy. Development of a clinical care pathway for ureteroscopic stone treatment including patient education and pain management may minimize these encounters and improve treatment quality and cost. © 2017FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 197Issue 4SApril 2017Page: e1004 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2017MetricsAuthor Information Kefu Du More articles by this author Robert Wang More articles by this author Joel Vetter More articles by this author Alethea Paradis More articles by this author Alana Desai More articles by this author Robert Figenshau More articles by this author Ramakrishna Venkatesh More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Does psyche pain manifest as agitation in the emergency setting?

ObjectivesThe objective was to determine a patient's level of psyche pain when they present to an emergency department (ED) and whether there was a relationship between this psyche pain and the patient's level of agitation.MethodsThis was a prospective study using a convenience sample of 300 patients presenting to an ED with a psychiatric complaint. This study was conducted in an urban, inner-city trauma center with 60,000 ED visits a year. After obtaining consent, a research fellow administered validated tools for assessing agitation, BAM, PANSS-EC, ACES, assessment of psyche pain, MBPPAS and a self-assessment of agitation at admission. SPSS version 22 was used for statistical analysis and the study was IRB approved.ResultsA total of 74 patients were enrolled at this time. The most common ED diagnoses were depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder. Majority of patients were African-American (59%), falling in the 25–44-year-old age range (56%). Fifty-two percent male and 48% female. Psyche pain was rated by MBPPAS as marked (18.9%) or moderate (67.6%). The self-reported tool demonstrated 20% none, 16% mild, 21% moderate and 42% marked level of agitation. The agitation rating varied by the tool with self-reported level of agitation having the highest correlation with level of psyche pain (P &lt; 0.05).ConclusionsPsychiatric patients frequently present to the emergency department with a high level of psyche pain and high level of self-reported agitation. This correlation may signal the need to address a patients’ level of agitation early in evaluation process.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Acute care needs in an Indian emergency department: A retrospective analysis

Emergencies such as road traffic accidents (RTAs), acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and cerebrovascular accident (CVA) are the most common causes of death and disability in India. Robust emergency medicine (EM) services and proper education on acute care are necessary. In order to inform curriculum design for training programs, and to improve the quality of EM care in India, a better understanding of patient epidemiology and case burden presenting to the emergency department (ED) is needed. This study is a retrospective chart review of cases presenting to the ED at Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), a private hospital in Trivandrum, Kerala, India, from November 1, 2011 to April 21, 2012 and from July 1, 2013 to December 21, 2013. De-identified charts were systematically sampled and reviewed. A total of 1 196 ED patient charts were analyzed. Of these patients, 55.35% (n=662) were male and 44.7% (n=534) were female. The majority (67.14%, n=803) were adults, while only 3.85% (n=46) were infants. The most common chief complaints were fever (21.5%, n=257), renal colic (7.3%, n=87), and dyspnea (6.9%, n=82). The most common ED diagnoses were gastrointestinal (15.5%, n=185), pulmonary (12.3%, n=147), tropical (11.1%, n=133), infectious disease and sepsis (9.9%, n=118), and trauma (8.4%, n=101). The patient demographics, diagnoses, and distribution of resources identified by this study can help guide and shape Indian EM training programs and faculty development to more accurately reflect the burden of acute disease in India.

Analysis of emergency department visits by elderly patients in an urban public hospital in Turkey

Background/PurposeElderly patients have higher rates of emergency department visits worldwide. Emergency department utilization by older elderly is much more than younger elderly due to their disease complexity, comorbidities, and severity. This study aimed to determine the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of elderly patients admitted to the emergency department of a hospital and to compare attendance data regarding older age groups. MethodsAll older people admitted to the emergency department in 2011 were evaluated retrospectively. Patients aged 65–74 years were defined as younger elderly and those aged ≥75 years as older elderly. The prevalence of emergency admission, demographic information, reason for visit, time of admission, diagnosis of disease, and disposition of the two age groups were compared. The Chi-square test was used to analyze data. ResultsThe mean age of the elderly patients was 74.7 ± 6.8 years; 56.7% of them were female. Elderly patients accounted for 11.9% of all emergency department visits. The mean number of emergency department visits per year was 1.15 for older elderly patients and 0.75 for younger elderly patients (p < 0.001). The season in which emergency visits are most frequent was winter, and the most frequent presentation times were evening and night shifts (18:00–23:59 hours). The most common emergency department diagnosis among older and younger elderly patients was related to circulatory disease (26.3% and 21.2%, respectively; p < 0.001). Nearly 90% of the elderly were discharged from the emergency department. Older elderly patients were more likely to be admitted to the hospital than younger elderly patients (14.3% vs. 4.7%). ConclusionThe annual rates of admission to the emergency departments and hospitals were significantly higher in the older elderly population than in the younger elderly population. The most common diagnoses among elderly patients were disorders of the circulatory system.

Recurrent and high-frequency use of the emergency department by pediatric patients.

The authors sought to describe the epidemiology of and risk factors for recurrent and high-frequency use of the emergency department (ED) by children. This was a retrospective cohort study using a database of children aged 0 to 17 years, inclusive, presenting to 22 EDs of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) during 2007, with 12-month follow-up after each index visit. ED diagnoses for each visit were categorized as trauma, acute medical, or chronic medical conditions. Recurrent visits were defined as any repeat visit; high-frequency use was defined as four or more recurrent visits. Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to measure the strength of associations between patient and visit characteristics and recurrent ED use. A total of 695,188 unique children had at least one ED visit each in 2007, with 455,588 recurrent ED visits in the 12 months following the index visits. Sixty-four percent of patients had no recurrent visits, 20% had one, 8% had two, 4% had three, and 4% had four or more recurrent visits. Acute medical diagnoses accounted for most visits regardless of the number of recurrent visits. As the number of recurrent visits per patient rose, chronic diseases were increasingly represented, with asthma being the most common ED diagnosis. Trauma-related diagnoses were more common among patients without recurrent visits than among those with high-frequency recurrent visits (28% vs. 9%; p<0.001). High-frequency recurrent visits were more often within the highest severity score classifications. In multivariable analysis, recurrent visits were associated with younger age, black or Hispanic race or ethnicity, and public health insurance. Risk factors for recurrent ED use by children include age, race and ethnicity, and insurance status. Although asthma plays an important role in recurrent ED use, acute illnesses account for the majority of recurrent ED visits.