Emergency Department Of University Hospital Research Articles

Transolecranon and lateral Kirschner wire fixation for displaced supracondylar humeral fracture in children

Abstract Introduction Percutaneous pinning of supracondylar humerus fracture(SCHF) in children is an effective way to maintain the anatomic reduction of a displaced. closed reduction and percutaneous pinning (CRPP) had been considered the standard treatment for displaced SCHF in children. Patients and methods A prospective case series, was conducted at the emergency department of Helwan university hospital from February 2020 to September 2021. It includes 40 patients with Gartland type III fracture who presented to the orthopaedic casualty and were included in the study. Four patients (10%) had the transolecranon wire was directed intramedullary, 11 patients (27%) had the wire directed posterolaterally, and 16 patients (40%) had the wire directed posteromedially and 9 patients (23%) had the wire directed posteriorly. Results The mean age was 5.57 years (range from 2–12 years). The mean Baumann angle in the patients was (70.89 ± 2.40). The mean follow-up duration was 3 months (range from 3–3.2 months). with mean carrying angle was about (9.37 ± 2.52) and no one of the patients had an excessive deformity of carrying angle that required correction. Regarding ROM loss, there were 25, but always poor. A few complications occurred including pin tract infection and broken transolecranon wire and all were tolerable with no effect on the outcome. Conclusion The Transolecranon and lateral Kirschner wires fixation is an effective option that provides good stability with the little number of trials in the management of supracondylar fracture of the humerus in children, and the risk of nerve injury or fishtail deformity was avoided especially in the hands of junior trainees in their first 3 years of training.

Trends in the incidence of hospital-treated suicide attempts during the COVID-19 pandemic in Oviedo, Spain.

The potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicidal behavior has generated predictions anticipating an increase in suicidal tendencies. The aim of this research is to study its influence on the incidence of hospital-treated suicide attempts throughout the year 2020 in Oviedo, Spain. Data were collected on all patients admitted to the emergency department of Central University Hospital of Asturias in Oviedo for attempted suicide during 2020. Incidence rates were calculated for three lockdown periods. Suicide attempt trends in 2020 were compared with a non-COVID-19 year (2009) to avoid seasonal variations bias. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were performed. The influence of COVID-19 incidence in Oviedo was analyzed using Spearman's correlation coefficient. The cumulative incidence rate of attempted suicide per 100,000 person-years was 136.33 (pre-lockdown), 115.15 (lockdown), and 90.25 (post-lockdown) in adults (over 19years old), and 43.63 (pre-lockdown), 32.72 (lockdown), and 72.72 (post-lockdown) in adolescents (10-19years old). No association was found with COVID-19 incidence rates (Spearman's rho -0.222; p=0.113). Comparing the years 2020 and 2009, statistically significant differences were observed in adolescents (Fisher's exact test; p=0.024), but no differences were observed in adults (chi-square test=3.0401; p=0.218). Hospital-treated suicide rates attempted during the COVID-19 outbreak in Oviedo, Spain showed a similar trend compared with a non-COVID-19 year. In contrast, the number of adolescents hospital-treated for attempted suicide increased during lockdown, suggesting more vulnerability to COVID-19 restrictions after the initial lockdown period in this age group.

Retrospective analysis of urine culture results of patients admitted to the emergency department with urinary tract infection symptoms

Aim: In this study, we aimed to examine the prognostic factors for infection and the approach and demographic data of patients admitted to the emergency department of a university training and research hospital with signs and symptoms of urinary tract infection. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective observational study, using the hospital data management system, we analyzed the demographic data, presenting complaints, type of urinary tract infection, comorbid diseases, culture positivity, other laboratory results, imaging reports, and mortality rates of 115 patients admitted to the emergency department of a tertiary care university hospital with symptoms of urinary tract infection. Results: Pyelonephritis and cystitis rates were 47.8% and 52.1%, respectively. Of all patients admitted with pyelonephritis and cystitis, 28.6% were hospitalized. We observed that 18% of the hospitalized cases were admitted to the intensive care unit. The urine culture positivity rate of all cases was 24.3%. The most common microorganisms grown in urine culture were Escherichia coli (E. coli) (50%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) (17.8%), and Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) (10.7%). In blood culture results, the blood culture positivity rate was 6% and the isolated microorganisms were E. coli (42.8%), and coagulase-negative staphylococci (28.5%). Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase was detected in 50% of E. coli and 40% of K. pneumoniae. The total mortality rate was calculated as 1.7% in the whole study group. Conclusion: Urinary tract infections are common in the community and may be fatal when complicated or involving the upper urinary tract. These cases should be evaluated carefully and rapidly in the emergency department.

Occupational Hand Injuries and Third-line University Hospital Emergency Department Admissions in Istanbul

Occupational Hand Injuries and Third-line University Hospital Emergency Department Admissions in Istanbul

The outcome of “non-urgent'' patients diverted by triage at an emergency department

No universal definitions have been proposed for non-urgent emergency department (ED) patients. Robust evidence on safety issues and the subsequent utilisation of health care services among diverted patients is insufficient. The aim of this study was to establish the revisit rate within 7 days, as well as the 30-day mortality and outcome of patients diverted by triage. An observational single-centre retrospective study was conducted at the Tampere University Hospital ED for the full calendar year of 2019. The primary outcomes were a revisit within 7 days and 30-day mortality. A total of 92,406 ED visits were registered. Of these patients, 7.8% (7216 visits) were diverted by triage. Among the diverted patients, the hospital revisit rate within 7 days was 10.1%, and a diagnostic or therapeutic intervention was performed on 81.4% of the readmitted patients. The all-cause 30-day mortality, hospitalisation and intensive care unit admission rates of diverted patients were 0.07%, 1.7% and 0.1%, respectively. Diverting non-urgent patients reduces ED visits. The current study showed a revisit rate of 10.1% and a 30-day mortality rate of 0.07% for diverted patients. There were more unanticipated adverse outcomes than reported previously, and the strategy may thus be suitable only for some groups of patients without increasing risks. Therefore, further investigation is needed to determine the factors associated with readmissions and adverse outcomes to enhance the performance of triage in the future.

Pulmoner Emboli ile D-dimer Düzeyinin Korelasyonu ve Yaşa Göre Eşik Değerlerinin Belirlenmesi

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the D-dimer threshold levels according to age in patients diagnosed with pulmonary embolism (PE) by pulmonary computed tomography (CT) angiography. Material and Methods: Patients who had pulmonary CT angiography performed and whose D-dimer test was obtained with the suspicion of pulmonary embolism (PE) in the emergency department of a tertiary university hospital between January 01, 2015, and December 30, 2019, were included in the study. The demographic characteristics of the patients, imaging reports, and 1-month mortality were evaluated retrospectively by examining the hospital information management system and patient files. Patients with missing records and patients who had diagnostic examinations other than the preliminary diagnosis of PE were excluded from the study. Results: Among the 6240 patients included in the study, 58.1% were female. The mean age of the patients was 43±17 years. Of the 1,507 patients who had a pulmonary CT angiogram, 9.8% were diagnosed with PE. When we looked at the 1-month mortality of 6240 patients, whose D-dimer assay was analyzed with the preliminary diagnosis of PE, we found that 0.3% of patients died. The monthly mortality rate was 0.7% in patients with high D-dimer levels while the mortality rate in patients with normal D-dimer levels was 0.1%. A positive and statistically significant correlation was found between the location of the pulmonary embolism in pulmonary CT angiography and the D-dimer level (spearman’s rho= 0.251, p<0.001). The cut-off D-dimer value in predicting the presence of PE in all age groups was calculated as 1.34 mg/L. The cut-off values of D-dimer to predict the presence of PE according to age ranges was calculated as 1.18 mg/L (<50 years), 1.19 mg/L (50-60 years), 1.58 mg/L (60-70 years) 1.79 mg/L (70-80 years), 2.83 mg/L (>80 years) respectively. Conclusion: As age increases, the D-dimer cut-off value for the diagnosis of PE also increases. There is a positive and significant relationship between D-dimer level and pulmonary embolism severity.

The Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown on Cerebrovascular Accidents, Acute Coronary Syndrome, and Diabetic Ketoacidosis Visits the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Study.

Objective This study aims to assess the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on acute coronary syndrome (ACS), cerebrovascular accident (CVA), and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) visits the emergency department (ED). Methods We compared two groups of patients attending King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) ED diagnosed with one of the following ACS, CVA, or DKA; patients presenting from 21 December 2019 to 23 March 2020 and patients presenting from 23 March 2020 to 21 June 2020, representing COVID-19 pre-lockdown and during-lockdown period, respectively. The variables we analyzed were age, nationality (Saudi/non-Saudi), and gender. Results Our total sample size was 285 patient visits, ACS (n=130), CVA (n=98), and DKA (n=57). Results showed a statistically significant relationship between the number of patients with ACS and the period of visitation to ED (45.24% reduction, p-value <0.001), while CVA (18.5% reduction, p-value 0.312) and DKA (16% reduction, p-value 0.508) showed no statistically significant relationship. Conclusion A lockdown may be necessary to control a pandemic. However, it may carry potential collateral damage, such as a decrease and delay in the presentation of life-threatening conditions, which may lead to worsening outcomes. A clinical presentation of these conditions should warrant comprehensive evaluation by healthcare workers regardless of an ongoing pandemic while implementing infection control guidelines.

Frailty Screening in the Emergency Department: Comparing the Variable Indicative of Placement Risk, Clinical Frailty Scale and PRISMA-7

Prompt recognition of frailty in the emergency department (ED) is important to identify patients at higher risk of adverse outcomes. Despite this, few studies examine the diagnostic accuracy of screening instruments for frailty, instead focusing on predictive validity. We compared three commonly used, short frailty screens to an independent comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in an urban University Hospital ED. Consecutive attendees aged ≥70 years were screened by trained raters, blind to the CGA, with the Variable Indicative of Placement risk (VIP), 3 and 4-item versions, Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and PRISMA-7. Accuracy was measured from the area under the ROC curve (AUROC). In total, 197 patients were included, median age 79 (±10); 46% were female. Half (49%) were confirmed as frail after CGA. All instruments differentiated frail from non-frail states, although the CFS (AUROC: 0.91) and PRISMA-7 (AUROC: 0.90) had higher accuracy compared to the VIP-4 (AUROC: 0.84) and VIP-3 (AUROC: 0.84). The CFS was significantly more accurate than the VIP-3 (p = 0.026) or VIP-4 (p = 0.047). There was no significant difference between the CFS and PRISMA-7 (p = 0.90). The CFS and PRISMA-7 were more accurate and should be considered in preference to the VIP (3 or 4-item versions) to identify frailty in EDs.

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: What We Can Learn from a Qualitative Study of Patient Perceptions Following Emergency Department Discharge

Aims: This study investigated the experiences of patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) to identify barriers and suggest clinically relevant areas for improvement in the current system of care.&#x0D; Methods: 16 patients with a clinical diagnosis of mTBI were recruited from the Cork University Hospital Emergency Department (ED) for participation in this study. Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted at approximately 2.5-3 months post-discharge. Reflexive thematic analysis with an inductive and realist approach was used to code and inductively analyse the data. The most frequently occurring themes and their relationship to subthemes are reported.&#x0D; Results: A total of 16 mTBI adult patients were interviewed (mean age: 50.5 (18-85)). Major themes identified in the experience of mTBI patients were: lack of clarity in diagnosis and treatment, poor access to information, and ongoing symptoms. Notably, 87.5% of participants reported being uncertain about their diagnosis of mTBI and 93.8% of participants did not seek further information regarding their head injury. Nearly half (43.8%) of the participants reported prolonged recovery with two participants (12.5%) reporting ongoing symptoms. Headache, photophobia, and difficulty with thinking and memory were the predominant symptoms reported.&#x0D; Conclusion: Several overarching themes were identified in the qualitative self-reported experiences of mTBI patients following ED discharge. Participants reported persistent symptoms, lack of clarity, and a lack of access to information regarding their mTBI diagnosis and treatment. Suggested recommendations for future practice include adding psychoeducational resources and increasing awareness and training among staff to provide timely patient education.

Long-term outcome of convulsive status epilepticus: a 10-year follow-up

This study aimed to determine the mortality, causes of death and factors affecting the outcome of convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) at 10 years. This retrospective study consisted of 62 consecutive adult patients diagnosed with CSE at the Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) emergency department during 2002-2003. Patients were followed for up to 10 years or up to the time of death. Data on patient demographics, CSE characteristics, treatment, complications, and outcome from the time of CSE were collected. The Official Statistics of Finland provided the information on mortality and causes of death. Survival analysis was conducted using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. In-hospital mortality was 8.1%, and mortality was 25.8% at one year, 51.6% at five years and 64.5% at 10 years. Estimated standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was 5.3 and the deceased patients lost 20.9 potential years of life, on average. The leading causes of death were disorders of the brain or the circulatory system, epilepsy-related conditions or intracranial tumours. The univariable survival analysis demonstrated that age ≥65 (HR=2.8, p=0.001), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI)>0 (CCI=1-3: HR=3.0, p=0.009; CCI>3: HR=8.4, p<0.001), Status Epilepticus Severity Score (STESS)>4 (HR=5.3, p<0.001) and Epidemiology-Based Mortality Score (EMSE-EAC)>15 (HR=2.2, p=0.036) were risk factors and a Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) of 5 at discharge (HR=0.14, p=0.025) was a protective factor for survival. The multivariable analysis established STESS>4 (HR=5.0, p=0.002) and CCI>0 (CCI=1-3: HR=2.9, p=0.015;CCI>3: HR=6.3, p=0.006) as independent risk factors and GOS>3 (time-dependent) (GOS=4: HR=0.33, p=0.048;GOS=5: HR=0.13, p=0.019) as a protective factor for survival. The rate of long-term mortality and number of potential years of life lost were high. Factors demonstrative of the overall situation of the patients, such as comorbidities, functional state after CSE and age, were significant predictors for long-term outcome.

Effect of a Novel Brief Motivational Intervention for Alcohol-Intoxicated Young Adults in the Emergency Department

Heavy drinking among young adults is a major public health concern. Brief motivational interventions in the emergency department have shown promising but inconsistent results. To test whether young adults receiving a newly developed brief motivational intervention reduce their number of heavy drinking days and alcohol-related problems over 1 year compared with participants receiving brief advice. This randomized clinical trial was conducted at an emergency department of a tertiary care university hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland. Recruitment ran from December 2016 to August 2019. Follow-up was conducted after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. All adults aged 18 to 35 years presenting for any cause and presenting with alcohol intoxication were eligible (N = 2108); 1764 were excluded or refused participation. Follow-up rate was 79% at 12 months and 89% of participants provided follow-up data at least once and were included in the primary analyses. Statistical analysis was performed from September 2020 to January 2021. The novel intervention was based on motivational interviewing and comprised in-person discussion in the emergency department and up to 3 booster telephone calls. The control group received brief advice. Primary outcomes were the number of heavy drinking days (at least 60 g of ethanol) over the previous month and the total score on the Short Inventory of Problems (0-45, higher scores indicating more problems) over the previous 3 months. Hypotheses tested were formulated before data collection. There were 344 young adults included (median [IQR] age: 23 [20-28] years; 84 women [24.4%]). Among the 306 participants providing at least 1 follow-up point, a statistically significant time × group interaction was observed (β = -0.03; 95% CI, -0.05 to 0.00; P = .02), and simple slopes indicated an increase of heavy drinking days over time in the control (β = 0.04; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.05; P < .001) but not in the intervention group (β = 0.01; 95% CI, -0.01 to 0.03; P = .24). There was no effect on the Short Inventory of Problems score (β = -0.01; 95% CI, -0.03 to 0.02; P = .71). This randomized clinical trial found that a brief motivational intervention implemented in the emergency department provided beneficial effects on heavy drinking, which accounts for a substantial portion of mortality and disease burden among young adults. ISRCTN registry: 13832949.

Assessment of Effectiveness of the Recognition of Stroke in the Emergency Room Scale in Emergency Department of Suez Canal University Hospital, Egypt

Background: The Recognition of Stroke in The Emergency Room (ROSIER( scale has been designed to provide physicians in the emergency department with a framework which can be used to assess patients with suspected stroke and to facilitate early identification of acute stroke &amp; appropriate referral.&#x0D; Aims: To assess the sensitivity and specificity of the ROSIER score in order to improve outcome of stoke patients.&#x0D; Methodology: The current study was designed as a prospective cross sectional study that included Patients over 18 years of age with suspected stroke presenting at emergency department in Suez Canal university hospital.&#x0D; Results: Patients with stroke formed about 65.2% of the patients with suspected stroke in the ER. Patients with stroke/ TIA were found to have significantly higher age compared to other patients (63.58 ±12.55 vs 39.18±11.12) (p&lt;0.001). The most frequent comorbid diseases among patients were hypertension and diabetes mellitus. For ROSIER accuracy, a value of 1.00 or more was found to be the best cut-off point for prediction of stoke among patients attending with suspected stroke, with sensitivity = 98.3% and specificity = 87.5 % and accuracy= 94.5%.&#x0D; Conclusion: The ROSIER scale is simple, rapid, effective and sensitive screening tool in early detection of patients presenting with stroke and differentiating stroke from stroke mimics in the emergency room.

A novel biomarker in acute cholecystitis: YKL-40

BackgroundThe lack of a specific biomarker that can be used in the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis, a common cause of admission to the emergency department, delays physician efforts to diagnose and treat these patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to measure plasma YKL-40 levels and investigate their diagnostic value in patients with acute cholecystitis (AC). MethodsThis study was carried out between February 2020 and September 2020 in the adult emergency department of a tertiary university hospital. Permission was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Scientific Research on 03/02/2020 with Decision No. 03/16. The study included 80 patients who were diagnosed with acute cholecystitis and 80 healthy volunteers without known chronic diseases. ResultsThe median YKL-40 protein level was 798.66 pq/mL in the patient group and 392.45 pq/mL in the control group. A statistically significant difference in YKL-40 protein levels was found between the two groups. YKL-40 protein levels were significantly higher in patients diagnosed with acute cholecystitis than in healthy individuals (p < 0.001). A positive correlation was found between YKL-40 protein levels and ALT, AST, LDH, and GGT levels (r = 0.272, p = 0.015; r = 0.397, p < 0.001; r = 0.386, p < 0.001; and r = 0.264, p = 0.018; respectively). ConclusionWhen evaluated together with physical examination, radiological imaging and other laboratory parameters, we think that plasma YKL-40 levels can be used effectively in the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis.

Global longitudinal strain to predict myocardial fibrosis in patients in carbon monoxide poisoning

Abstract Background Carbon monoxide (CO) inhibits oxygen delivery and subsequently causes ischemic changes that can lead to myocardial damage. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) reflects myocardial fibrosis and detects subclinical myocardial damage in patients with acute CO poisoning. However, CMR is expensive and hard to perform in patients with neurologic deficit. Therefore, this study aims to investigate which echocardiographic parameters could predict the presence of myocardial fibrosis represented by LGE in CO intoxication patients. Methods This prospective observational study included 128 consecutive patients (Mean age: 52.2±16.2) with acute CO poisoning and elevated troponin I (defined as &amp;gt;0.045 ng/mL) at the emergency department of a tertiary university hospital. All participants underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). CMR and conventional echocardiography with 2D speckle-tracking were performed within 7 days. Subjects were categorized into late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and no LGE group according to the CMR findings. Results Mean left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) were 57.0±10.0% and −16.3±3.7% respectively. LGE was observed in 89 (69.5%) patients and the most common pattern was mid-wall involvement. Clinical characteristics such as age, sex, shock, time elapsed from rescue to HBOT, and the level of troponin I were not different between groups with LGE and without LGE. Among echocardiographic parameters, LV EF was not significantly different between groups (LGE: 56.0±10.5% vs 59.3±8.1%, p=0.089). LV GLS was more impaired in patients with LGE compared to those without LGE (−15.7±3.8% vs −17.9±3.0%, p=0.003). In multivariate logistic analysis, LV GLS was independently associated with the presence of LGE [Odds ratio (OR) 1.279, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.047–1.563), p=0.016], but not LV EF. Conclusion In patients with acute CO poisoning and elevated troponin I, LV GLS predicted the presence of LGE in CMR. These finding suggest that subclinical myocardial dysfunction represented by LV GLS may reflect the burden of CO induced myocardial fibrosis. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

17 Saline Versus Plasma Solution-A in Initial Resuscitation of Patients With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Randomized Clinical Trial

17 Saline Versus Plasma Solution-A in Initial Resuscitation of Patients With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Frequency, Characteristics, and Predictive Factors of Adverse Drug Events in an Adult Emergency Department according to Age: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Adverse drug events (ADEs) are a major public health concern, given their consequences in terms of morbi-mortality and associated healthcare costs. Many studies have focused on the elderly, who are considered particularly vulnerable in this respect. We aimed to determine and compare the frequency, characteristics, and predictive factors of ADEs according to age in an adult population. A prospective seven-year cross-sectional study was conducted in a university hospital emergency department. Structured medication reviews and ADE detection were performed. Patient data and ADE characteristics were collected. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were performed in two age groups: Group 1 (age < 65 years) and 2 (age ≥ 65 years). Among the 13,653 patients included, 18.4% in Group 1 and 22.6% in Group 2 experienced an ADE. Differences were identified in terms of the ADE type (more ADEs due to noncompliance in Group 1) and ADE symptoms (greater bleeding in Group 2). In the multivariable analysis, several specific predictive factors were identified, including kidney failure and antidiabetic drug use in Group 1 and inappropriate prescription and antithrombotic treatment in Group 2. Analysis by age provided a more refined vision of ADEs as we identified distinct profiles of iatrogenesis. These results will lead to a better detection of ADEs.

Prevalence of pathological arrhythmia in patients triaged to “cardiac arrhythmia” in the emergency department: a preliminary study

BackgroundSymptoms caused by cardiac arrhythmia are common problems that lead to presentation to the emergency department. However, the prevalence of pathological heart rhythm in patients triaged for cardiac arrhythmia in the emergency department remains up to now unknown.Methods and resultsIn this retrospective study, patients triaged for cardiac arrhythmia admitted to the interdisciplinary emergency department of the Ludwig-Maximilians University Hospital in Munich within 1 year were included. Subsequently, cardiac rhythm in the 12-lead electrocardiogram, clinical presentation, admission rate, and diagnosis at discharge was analyzed. A total of 558 out of 39,798 patients were triaged for cardiac arrhythmia. Of these 42.3% of patients showed a pathological heart rhythm on the initial electrocardiogram (66.9% atrial fibrillation, 16.5% atrial flutter, 16.5% others). About 80% presented in emergency severity index III (many resources are needed without critical vitals) conditions. Sixty-two percent of the pathological electrocardiogram group and 60% of the sinus rhythm group of patients were admitted to the hospital, and 34.7% with pathological electrocardiogram underwent invasive investigations (16.8% in the sinus rhythm group). In 43.4% of patients, the diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia was already known from previous medical contacts.ConclusionA total of 1.8% of patients who presented to our interdisciplinary emergency department were triaged for cardiac arrhythmia. With 49.5%, the hospital admission rate was quite high but the patients presented to the emergency department in our cohort were rarely in critical condition. As a high percentage of our cohort had a history of cardiac arrhythmia, better outpatient management is needed for these patients to reduce emergency department visits and save resources.

Dinesh Palipana: clinician and leading disability rights advocate

“I have a very rich working life and am grateful for that”, says Dinesh Palipana, Registrar in the Emergency Department of the Gold Coast University Hospital in Southport, QLD, Australia. There he combines clinical work with research into spinal cord injury. Palipana is also an advocate for the rights of disabled people in academic medicine and wider society, including as a Senior Adviser to an Australian Disability Royal Commission into improving access rights for disabled people.

More Accessible COVID-19 Treatment Through Monoclonal Antibody Infusion in the Emergency Department.

IntroductionMonoclonal antibody (MAB) infusion is the first treatment to manage coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in an outpatient setting. Yet increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness may occur from inequities in social determinants of health including access to quality healthcare. Given the safety-net nature of emergency departments (ED), a model that puts them at the center of MAB infusion may better reach underserved patients than models that require physician referral and distribute MAB at outpatient infusion centers. We examined characteristics of two groups of patients who received MAB infusion in the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) ED in New Brunswick, New Jersey: 1) patients who tested positive for COVID-19 in the ED and received ED infusion; and 2) patients who tested positive elsewhere and were referred to the ED for infusion. The process for the latter group was similar to the more common national model of patients testing COVID-19 positive in the community and then being referred to an infusion center for MAB therapy.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional retrospective health record review of all adult patients presenting to the ED from November 20, 2020–March 15, 2021 who received MAB infusion at RWJUH ED (N = 486). Patients were identified through the electronic health record system by an administrative query, with manual chart review for any additional characteristics not available through the query. We compared the two groups using chi-squared tests for categorical variables and t-tests for continuous variables.ResultsWe found higher proportions of Black (18% vs 6% P < 0.001, statistically significant), Hispanic (19% vs 11% P = 0.02), Medicaid (12% vs 9% P = 0.01), and uninsured (17% vs 8% P = 0.01) patients who tested positive for COVID-19 in their ED visit and then received MAB therapy during their visit than patients tested elsewhere in the community and referred to the ED for MAB therapy.ConclusionThese findings suggest that providing MAB infusion in the ED allows increased access for patients traditionally marginalized from the healthcare system, who may be at risk of longer disease duration and complications from COVID-19.

The Accuracy of Sepsis Screening Score for Mortality Prediction at Emergency Department Triage.

IntroductionSepsis has a mortality rate of 10–40% worldwide. Many screening tools for sepsis prediction and for emergency department (ED) triage are controversial. This study compared the accuracy of the scores for predicting 28-day mortality in adult patients with sepsis in the triage area of the ED.MethodsAdult patients who presented to the ED of a tertiary-care university hospital from January–December 2019 with an initial diagnosis of sepsis or other infection-related conditions were enrolled. We calculated predictive scores using information collected in the ED triage area. Prognostic accuracy was measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for predicting 28-day mortality as a primary outcome. The secondary outcomes included mechanical ventilation usage and vasopressor usage for 28 days.ResultsWe analyzed a total of 550 patients. The 28-day mortality rate was 12.4% (n = 68). The 28-day mortality rate was best detected by the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) (AUROC = 0.770; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.705–0.835), followed by the quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score (AUROC = 0.7473; 95% CI: 0.688–0.806), Search Out Severity (SOS) score (AUROC = 0.749; 95% CI: 0.685–0.815), Emergency Severity Index (ESI) triage (AUROC = 0.599; 95% CI: 0.542–0.656, and the Systemic Inflammatory Response System (SIRS) criteria (AUROC = 0.588; 95% CI: 0.522–0.654]). The NEWS also provided a higher AUROC and outperformed for 28-day mechanical ventilator usage and 28-day vasopressor usage.ConclusionThe NEWS outperforms qSOFA, SOS, SIRS, and ESI triage in predicting 28-day mortality, mechanical ventilator, and vasopressor usage of a patient with sepsis who is seen at ED triage.