Emergency Department Protocol Research Articles

Clinical impact of the implementation of monocyte distribution width (MDW) measurement on time to anti-infective administration in sepsis patients in the emergency department: a before/after cohort study

BackgroundTimely recognition of sepsis in emergency department (ED) is challenging. We evaluated the impact of implementing the biomarker monocyte distribution width (MDW) at bedside, on the time to anti-infective administration.MethodsWe conducted a before-and-after cohort study in the ED of an academic hospital in Paris, to compare sepsis patients care and outcomes, before and after the implementation of point of care (POC) MDW measurement in the ED. During post-implementation period (period-2), MDW was measured with complete blood count by ED nurses with results given in 2 min: if above 21.5 units, ED physicians were asked to consider sepsis and to start an anti-infectious as soon as possible. Primary endpoint was time to anti-infectious administration (TTA) from ED arrival, and secondary endpoints were TTA from sepsis onset (TTAS), length of stay, mortality, and hospitalization rates.ResultsIn total, 255 patients (period-1) and 180 patients (period-2) with sepsis were included. The TTA was 5.4 h (3.5–7.7) period-1 and 4.9 h (IQR 2.5–7.1) in period-2 (p = 0.06). MDW implementation significantly reduced the median TTAS from to 3.7 h (IQR 1.5–5.8) in period-1, to 2.2 h (IQR 0.5–4.5) in period-2 (p < 0.001). Mortality rates remained similar between the two periods (18% vs. 16% respectively, p = 0.4), as did hospitalization rates (93% vs. 91%, p = 0.4) and ED length of stay (7.2 h (5.3–9.8) vs 7.0 (5.4–9.4), p = 0.7).ConclusionImplementing POC MDW measurement in the ED protocols enhances the timeliness of anti-infective administration from sepsis onset, meeting current sepsis management guidelines.

Mechanical Thrombectomy Access Score: A Systematic Review and Modified Delphi of Global Barriers to Endovascular Therapy.

The availability of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for acute ischemic stroke is limited, and vast disparities exist between countries. We aim to create a MT access score to measure the drivers of access to help quantify and accelerate treatment worldwide. We used a systematic review complemented by a modified Delphi method. In the first of 3 rounds, 4 independent investigators performed a systematic literature review using key search terms that drive MT access, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. In the second round, a panel of 6 anonymous international experts selected key attributes needed for scoring. In the final round, a total of 12 attributes were selected on consensus, each given a score on a 0 to 3 scale. An ultimate MT access score (range, 0-36) was proposed as a new tool to use in identifying barriers to MT access and assist in providing an initial framework for public health interventions. Of 2864 abstracts screened, 121 studies were included in the final systematic review. A total of 34 attributes that potentially drive MT access were initially identified. In the final round, 12 attributes were selected by the expert panel: public awareness, emergency medical services transportation, prehospital large vessel occlusion screening, interhospital transfer policy, emergency department protocols, stroke imaging protocols, emergency department stroke expertise or telestroke availability, interventionalists, MT-capable centers, device availability, and insurance coverage. These attributes were weighted as part of the final score of 0 to 36. The MT access score represents the first tool to quantify barriers to global MT access. Its implementation stands not just as an academic achievement but as a beacon of hope for improving stroke care and outcomes worldwide, bringing us a step closer to bridging the gap in stroke treatment disparities.

This Emergency Department Protocol May Facilitate a More Timely Diagnosis of Eye Stroke

This Emergency Department Protocol May Facilitate a More Timely Diagnosis of Eye Stroke

Integrating Disaster Medicine into Emergency Department Protocols

Integrating Disaster Medicine into Emergency Department Protocols

IgA Vasculitis Secondary to Enterococcus Faecalis Cardiac Device Infective Endocarditis; A Case Report, Discussion of the Literature and Protocol for Assessment of Inflammatory Skin Lesions in Emergency Medicine

A 68-year-old Caucasian male presented to the emergency department for administration of IV ceftriaxone post discharge for Enterococcus faecalis Cardiac Device Infective Endocarditis (CDIE). The patient reported a rash on his legs which had been present for many weeks. On examination the rash a revealed non-blanching purpuric rash resembling leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Biopsy and serology performed in our rural emergency department confirmed IgA vasculitis (IgAV). The patient had no systemic features to suggest IgA nephritis, or other systemic disease and the rash resolved with no additional treatment. A discussion of the differential diagnoses in this case highlights the importance of opportunistic biopsy and vasculitis serology in the rural emergency department setting and recommends screening for underlying cancer given the close association of IgAV with malignancy. The importance of emergency department protocols for assessment of skin lesions suggestive of an underlying systemic disease is also discussed.

A Novel Common Canister Protocol for Albuterol Sulfate Metered Dose Inhalers: Conservation Strategy and Clinical Outcomes Amid COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented shortages of albuterol sulfate metered dose inhalers (MDIs) utilized in the supportive management of respiratory symptoms in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections. The risk of generating infective aerosols in nebulized treatments increased the demand for metered dose delivery, leading to a worldwide shortage of albuterol sulfate MDIs. Previous common canister protocols involve the recycling and cleaning of canisters for multiple patient use, however have not undergone quality control studies on viral cross-contamination. Torrance Memorial Medical Center utilized an off-label method of common canister administration through spacer devices, forgoing the need for sterilization while conserving albuterol sulfate during a public health emergency. A retrospective review of this emergency department protocol was conducted on 329 patients receiving this novel albuterol sulfate common canister method over a 10-month period between 3/23/2020 to 1/23/2021. Results showed 265 patients (80.5%) had improved aeration determined by breath sounds evaluation by the respiratory therapist and patient interview. Purchasing records reviewed since 3/1/2020 show purchases were sufficient to sustain albuterol sulfate MDI supply so that no treatments were delayed omitted during the 10-month evaluation period. This novel approach to common canister delivery offers a promising measure to conserve a vital inhaled medication during a public health emergency and could serve as a basis for future development of conservation and quality control studies.

Standardization of Evaluation and Management of Early Pregnancy Concerns in the Emergency Department: A Quality Improvement Initiative [ID 2683509

INTRODUCTION: This study explored the effect of a standardized protocol for gynecologic consultation on readmissions for early pregnancy concerns in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pregnant patients presenting to the ED for first trimester pregnancy concerns from January 2020 to March 2023. In October 2022, ED protocols were standardized such that gynecology was consulted for all pregnant patients without intrauterine pregnancy and cardiac motion. Patients seen before implementation (January 2020 to June 2021) were compared to patients seen after (October 2022 to March 2023). Chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test were used to investigate the association between readmission and reason for readmission to intervention period. The primary outcome, preventable readmission rate, was defined as a readmission that could have been prevented if the patient received correct counseling, diagnosis, or management at the index admission. This protocol was approved for IRB exemption by the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School. RESULTS: We identified 383 patients in the pre-implementation cohort compared to 130 patients seen after. There was an increase in the rate of gynecologic consultation for all concerns (30% before versus 40% after; P=.06). Fewer readmissions occurred after implementation (31% before versus 26% after) and preventable readmission decreased significantly (28% before versus 0% after; P&lt;.001). Documented counseling about diagnosis also increased (74% versus 96%; P&lt;.001) post-implementation. CONCLUSION: Readmission to the ED is common in early pregnancy; standardization of gynecologic consultation for early pregnancy care in the ED can improve quality of care and reduce readmissions.

Imaging in a Pandemic: How Lack of Intravenous Contrast for Computed Tomography Affects Emergency Department Throughput.

During the coronavirus 2019 pandemic, hospitals in the United States experienced a shortage of contrast agent, much of which is manufactured in China. As a result, there was a significantly decreased amount of intravenous (IV) contrast available. We sought to determine the effect of restricting the use of IV contrast on emergency department (ED) length of stay (LOS). We conducted a single-institution, retrospective cohort study on adult patients presenting with abdominal pain to the ED from March 7-July 5, 2022. Of 26,122 patient encounters reviewed, 3,028 (11.6%) included abdominopelvic CT with a complaint including "abdominal pain." We excluded patients with outside imaging and non-ED scans. Routine IV contrast agent was administered to approximately 74.6% of patients between March 7-May 6, 2022, when we altered usage guidelines due to a nationwide shortage. Between May 6-July 5, 2022, 32.8% of patients received IV contrast after institutional recommendations were made to limit contrast use. We compared patient demographics and clinical characteristics between groups with chi-square test for frequency data. We analyzed ED LOS with nonparametric Wilcoxon rank-sum test for continuous measures with focus before and after new ED protocols. We also used statistical process control charts and plotted the 1, 2 and 3 sigma control limits to visualize the variation in ED LOS over time. The charts include the average (mean) of the data and upper and lower control limits, corresponding to the number of standard deviations away from the mean. After use of routine IV contrast was discontinued, ED LOS (229.0 vs 212.5 minutes, P = <0.001) declined by 16.5 minutes (95% confidence interval -10, -22). Intravenous contrast adds significantly to ED LOS. Decreased use of routine IV contrast in the ED accelerates time to CT completion. A policy change to limit IV contrast during a national shortage significantly decreased ED LOS.

Characteristics and correlates of seclusion and mechanical restraint measures in a Parisian psychiatric hospital group.

Seclusion or restraint (S/R) are last-resort measures used in psychiatry to ensure the safety of the patient and the staff. However, they have harmful physical and psychological effects on patients, and efforts to limit their use are needed. We describe the characteristics and correlates of S/R events in four Parisian psychiatric centers. Within a 3-month period, November 5, 2018 to February 3, 2019, we recorded data for patients experiencing an S/R measure as well as characteristics of the measures. We studied the mean duration of a S/R event, the time between hospital admission and the occurrence of the event, as well as correlates of these durations. We also examined factors associated with use of a restraint versus a seclusion measure. For the 233 patients included, we recorded 217 seclusion measures and 64 mechanical restraints. Seclusion measures mostly occurred after the patient's transfer from the emergency department. The duration of a seclusion measure was about 10 days. Patients considered resistant to psychotropic treatments more frequently had a longer seclusion duration than others. The mean duration of a mechanical restraint measure was 4 days. Male sex and younger age were associated with experiencing mechanical restraint. S/R measures mostly occur among patients perceived as resistant to psychotropic drugs who are arriving from the emergency department. Developing specific emergency department protocols might be useful in limiting the use of coercive measures.

Detecting Stroke at the Emergency Department by a Point of Care Device: A Multicenter Feasibility Study.

To evaluate if the Strokefinder MD 100 by Medfield Diagnostics AB can be used as a point of care device in overcrowded Emergency Departments (ED). We used the strokefinder MD 100 by Medfield Diagnostics AB in two Greek National Health System (NHS) Hospitals Emergency Departments. Our research protocol was approved by local scientific and ethics committees. We prospectively enrolled 71 adult patients from two NHS emergency departments in whom stroke was included as a differential diagnosis after triage. The feasibility of using the Strokefinder MD 100 by Medfield Diagnostics AB in various emergency department settings was evaluated through a structured questionnaire. The strokefinder MD 100 was used on 71 patients in various settings in the Emergency Department. In every case, the test was completed at the patient bedside without interfering with other ongoing and diagnostic and resuscitation procedures. There was no additional delay to patient care caused by performing the test when compared with current local Emergency Department practice and protocol. In almost 90% of the cases, a clear result was produced by the device. The Strokefinder MD 100 can be safely used as a point of care device by all trained healthcare professionals, in the most overcrowded emergency department, in various ED locations. Point of Care Systems, Cerebrovascular Stroke, Proof of Concept Study.

Maximizing the Clinical Value of Blood-Based Biomarkers for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussion can have serious consequences that develop over time with unpredictable levels of recovery. Millions of concussions occur yearly, and a substantial number result in lingering symptoms, loss of productivity, and lower quality of life. The diagnosis may not be made for multiple reasons, including due to patient hesitancy to undergo neuroimaging and inability of imaging to detect minimal damage. Biomarkers could fill this gap, but the time needed to send blood to a laboratory for analysis made this impractical until point-of-care measurement became available. A handheld blood test is now on the market for diagnosis of concussion based on the specific blood biomarkers glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ubiquitin carboxyl terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1). This paper discusses rapid blood biomarker assessment for mild TBI and its implications in improving prediction of TBI course, avoiding repeated head trauma, and its potential role in assessing new therapeutic options. Although we focus on the Abbott i-STAT TBI plasma test because it is the first to be FDA-cleared, our discussion applies to any comparable test systems that may become available in the future. The difficulties in changing emergency department protocols to include new technology are addressed.

Impact of a high sensitivity troponin accelerated diagnostic protocol on the safety and emergency department length of stay of chest pain in an academic tertiary hospital: a quality improvement study.

High-sensitivity troponin (hsTn) accelerated diagnostic protocols are highly recommended for evaluating acute coronary syndromes. Our goal was to improve care for chest pain patients through the safe adoption of an accelerated diagnostic protocol in our academic Emergency Department (ED) with an aim to reduce mean ED length of stay for chest pain patients by 1 h over 1.5 years. Pre-accelerated diagnostic protocol, our mean ED length of stay for chest pain patients was 9.0 h. Using the Model for Improvement, we implemented a two-hour accelerated diagnostic protocol and conducted two Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles and education efforts to improve accelerated diagnostic protocol compliance and decrease ED length of stay. Using control charts, we measured the mean monthly ED length of stay for chest pain patients to look for special cause evidence of improvement. Process measures measured compliance with the accelerated diagnostic protocol. Balancing measures included the ED length of stay for abdominal pain patients and the number of admissions and deaths at 7 days for chest pain patients. Mean ED length of stay for chest pain patients decreased from 9.0 to 8.2 h post-accelerated diagnostic protocol. The mean time between troponins decreased from 3.9 to 3.0 h, and the percentage of second troponins repeated at < 2.75 h increased from 22.3% to 58.6%. For abdominal pain patients, ED length of stay decreased from 10.8 to 10.5 h. No chest pain patients died within 7 days pre- or post-accelerated diagnostic protocol. Pre-accelerated diagnostic protocol, 0.84% (41/4,905) were admitted within 7 days. Post-accelerated diagnostic protocol and accelerated diagnostic protocol compliant, 0.70% (13/1,844) were admitted. Post-accelerated diagnostic protocol and accelerated diagnostic protocol non-compliant, 1.1% (13/1,183) were admitted. We safely introduced a hsTn accelerated diagnostic protocol in an academic ED. ED length of stay decreased for chest pain patients but did not meet our 1-h goal.

HIV in youth prevention in the emergency department initiative: A survey of pediatric emergency medicine providers

BackgroundThe incidence of HIV among adolescents remains high, and adolescents are known to participate in sexual behaviors that increase their risk for HIV, such as unprotected sex and sex with multiple partners. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been shown to be effective at preventing HIV when taken daily and is approved by the FDA for use in adolescents. Efforts to screen patients in adult emergency departments and connect them with PrEP services have been validated. We surveyed pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) providers to determine their knowledge of PrEP, prescribing practices, willingness to prescribe, and barriers to a screening protocol in the pediatric emergency department (PED). MethodsWe administered a survey to a multidisciplinary group of PEM providers to measure knowledge, use, willingness, and implementation barriers to PrEP as well as elements needed for a successful referral system. ResultsA total of 87 responses were included for analysis. While 79.1% of all providers had heard of PrEP, only 14.8% of prescribing providers had ever discussed PrEP with a patient, and none had ever prescribed PrEP. Overall, 76.3% of all providers were knowledgeable about PrEP based on answers to true/false questions, with prescribing providers significantly more likely to be knowledgeable compared to nurses (p = 0.005). Knowledgeable providers had higher willingness scores to refer for PrEP compared to providers who were not knowledgeable. Ninety-two percent of providers felt a PrEP referral process from the PED would be feasible. Creation of an eligibility algorithm and educational materials were the most common efforts providers preferred to make them more likely to refer for PrEP. The most notable barriers perceived by providers included patient noncompliance with therapy (20.9%), acceptance of PrEP discussion among patients and parents (19.8%), and cost of therapy (15.1%). ConclusionPEM providers are knowledgeable about PrEP but have little experience with discussing or prescribing PrEP. Their willingness to refer for PrEP and anticipated feasibility of a PrEP referral system is encouraging. These results support the need for future educational efforts among PEM providers and creation of referral systems for PrEP services from the PED.

Medico-legal risk and use of medical directives in the emergency department.

The medico-legal risk associated with application of medical directives in the emergency department (ED) is unknown. The objective of this study was to describe and analyze factors associated with medico-legal risk in cases involving medical directives in the ED. We conducted a descriptive analysis of closed medico-legal cases [hospital complaints, regulatory authority (i.e., College) complaints, and civil legal actions] involving emergency physicians in Canadian EDs involving medical directives (alternate terms including "standing order", "nursing initiated", "nurse initiated", "nursing order", "triage initiated", "triage ordered", "directive", "ED protocol", and "ED's protocol"). We used data from closed cases involving the Canadian Medical Protective Association from January 2016 until December 2021. We abstracted descriptive factors of the cases and used a framework for contributing factors classification. From 2016 until 2021, 43,332 cases were closed and 1957 involved emergency physicians for which there was medico-legal information available for analysis. In all, 28 involved emergency physicians and medical directives. Situational awareness, team communication, and issues with clinical decision-making were the most important factors contributing to harm and medico-legal risk. Peer experts were critical of physicians not reviewing all results available for patients when initiated through a directive, misinterpreting test results, a less than thorough initial assessment, and of failing to reassess patients or re-order investigations when indicated. Our findings suggest that the medico-legal risk exposure from the use of medical directives in the ED is low. Emergency departments may consider implementing systems to support adherence to medical directive policies, ensure physicians are alerted when medical directives are completed in a timely fashion, and leverage tools to notify the healthcare team when results have not been reviewed.

The effect of evidence-based pain assessment protocol in pediatric emergency department on nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards pain

PurposeThis study aimed to determine the effect of the “Evidence-Based Pain Assessment Protocol in Pediatric Emergency Department” on nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards pain. MethodA pretest–posttest quasi-experimental study was conducted with 11 nurses. Before the protocol was applied, 337 nurses' records were assessed for one month. Subsequently, the nurses were educated in the Evidence-Based Pain Assessment Protocol in the Pediatric Emergency Department. After the education, the researchers assessed 315 nurses' records for one month to evaluate the protocol's effect on the nurses' clinical practice. ResultsThe study found no significant difference in the mean scores of nurses' Pediatric Pain Knowledge and Attitude Scale between the pre-and post-education periods (p > 0.05). However, there was a significant difference in the types of pain assessment tools used between these two periods (p < 0.001). In the post-education period, the frequency of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions implemented increased significantly compared to the pre-education period (p < 0.001). Additionally, the study found that the frequency of nurses describing pain and reassessing pain increased significantly in the post-education period compared to the pre-education period (p < 0.001). ConclusionsThe study found that there was no significant change in the nurses' Pediatric Pain Knowledge and Attitude Scale scores before and after the training. However, it was observed that the frequency of nurses reassessing pain, using non-pharmacological interventions, and describing pain increased after the protocol was applied in the emergency department. In particular, therapeutic communication and the walking method were used more frequently in the post-training period among the non-pharmacological interventions applied by the nurses for pain.

Multicenter Study of High-Flow Nasal Cannula Initiation and Duration of Use in Bronchiolitis.

There is a paucity of multicenter data on rates of high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) usage in bronchiolitis in the United States, largely because of the absence of standardized coding, with HFNC often subsumed into the larger category of noninvasive mechanical ventilation. We examined HFNC utilization in patients with bronchiolitis from a sample of hospitals participating in a national bronchiolitis quality improvement collaborative. Medical records of patients aged <2 years admitted November 2019 to March 2020 were reviewed and hospital-specific bronchiolitis policies were collected. Exclusion criteria were prematurity <32 weeks, any use of mechanical ventilation, and presence of comorbidities. HFNC utilization (including initiation, initiation location, and treatment duration), and hospital length of stay (LOS) were calculated. HFNC utilization was analyzed by individual hospital HFNC policy characteristics. Sixty-one hospitals contributed data on 8296 patients; HFNC was used in 52% (n = 4286) of admissions, with the most common initiation site being the emergency department (ED) (75%, n = 3226). Hospitals that limited HFNC use to PICUs had reduced odds of initiating HFNC (odds ratio, 0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.3 to 0.4). Hospitals with an ED protocol to delay HFNC initiation had shorter HFNC treatment duration (-12 hours; 95% CI, -15.6 to -8.8) and shorter LOS (-14.9 hours; 95% CI, -18.2 to -11.6). HFNC was initiated in >50% of patients admitted with bronchiolitis in this hospital cohort, most commonly in the ED. In general, hospitals with policies to limit HFNC use demonstrated decreased odds of HFNC initiation, shorter HFNC duration, and reduced LOS compared with the study population.

COVID-19 Screening in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

Screening for COVID-19 infection in pediatrics is challenging as its clinical presentation may be asymptomatic or mimic other common childhood infections. We examined the use of a COVID-19 screening protocol (CSP) in the pediatric emergency department (PED) to determine the incidence of positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in patients who are CSP+ and CSP-. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients with SARS-CoV-2 testing completed in an urban tertiary care PED from November 1 to December 31, 2020. Demographics, CSP designation, test results, and disposition were compared. Statistical significance was determined using chi-square or a comparison of means. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. A total of 1,613 patients had SARS-CoV-2 tests completed with 9.1% (N=147) having positive test results.Of 1,014 (62.9%) patients who were CSP+, 12.9% tested positive. Comparatively, 599 (37.1%) patients were CSP- with only 2.7% positive tests, p<0.0001.The sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and PPV of the CSP in all tested patients were 89.1%, 39.8%, 97.3%, and 12.9%, respectively. Of tested patients, 887 (55.0%) were admitted to the hospital and were more likely to be positive if CSP+, p≤0.001. Within the admitted group, 16.8% were admitted to the operating room, of whom 83.9% were CSP- with 4.0% testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 screening in the pediatric population is a useful modality to risk stratify most patients presenting to the PED for the purpose of selective testing and guiding personal protective equipment use. This may be particularly useful in low-resource settings.

Prospective evaluation of an emergency department protocol to prevent hospitalization in mild acute pancreatitis: Outcomes and predictors of discharge

BackgroundWhile acute pancreatitis (AP) contributes significantly to hospitalizations and costs, most cases are mild with minimal complications. In 2016, we piloted an observation pathway in the emergency department (ED) for mild AP and showed reduced admissions and length of stay (LOS) without increased readmissions or mortality. After 5 years of implementation, we evaluated outcomes of the ED pathway and identified predictors of successful discharge. MethodsWe reviewed a prospectively enrolled cohort of patients with mild AP presenting to a tertiary care center ED between 10/2016 and 9/2021, evaluating LOS, charges, imaging, and 30-day readmission, and assessed predictors of successful ED discharge. Patients were divided into two main groups: successfully discharged via the ED pathway (“ED cohort”) and admitted to the hospital (“admission cohort”), with subgroups to compare outcomes, and multivariate analysis to determine predictors of discharge. ResultsOf 619 AP patients, 419 had mild AP (109 ED cohort, 310 admission cohort). The ED cohort was younger (age 49.3 vs 56.3,p < 0.001), had lower Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) (1.30 vs 2.43, p < 0.001), shorter LOS (12.3 h vs 116 h, p < 0.001), lower charges (mean $6768 vs $19886, p < 0.001) and less imaging, without differences in 30-day readmissions. Increasing age (OR: 0.97; p < 0.001), increasing CCI (OR: 0.75; p < 0.001) and biliary AP (OR: 0.10; p < 0.001) were associated with decreased ED discharge, while idiopathic AP had increased ED discharge (OR: 7.8; p < 0.001). ConclusionsAfter appropriate triage, patients with mild AP (age <50, CCI <2, idiopathic AP) can safely discharge from the ED with improved outcomes and cost savings.

Utility of lung ultrasound score for severity categorization and CLUE protocol for disposition of COVID-19 patients presenting to emergency department

Objective: Lung ultrasound is a point-of-care diagnostic work-up tool used extensively in emergency departments. The COVID-19 Lung Ultrasound in Emergency Department (CLUE) protocol has shown initial promise in aiding emergency clinicians to make rapid and appropriate bedside clinical decisions. Its primary objective is to assess the performance of the lung ultrasound scoring system (LUSS) in determining SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia severity so that the patients can be moved to their designated ICUs, wards, or facility quarantine center from the emergency department. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken among adult patients with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection who were admitted/referred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. The data were descriptively analyzed using Graphpad Prism (vs. 9.2.0). Results: Out of 197 patients included in this study, 74.6% were men with a mean age of 45.3 ± 15.5 years. The men to women ratio was 2.9:1. The most frequent symptoms on presentation were fever (59.9% of cases), cough (54.3%), dyspnea (36%), and 16.2% of the patients were asymptomatic. The mean LUSS score of the patients with invasive support was 24.3 ± 4.5, as compared to 15.7 ± 5.9 in the non-invasive group. Overall, 64.4% patients did not require any respiratory support with a mean LUSS score of 2.3 ± 3.5. Out of 197 patients, 5 (2.5%) died during hospital stay. The mean LUSS score of survivors was 7.1 ± 8.2, as compared to 22.2 ± 4.3 of the deceased. Conclusion: The CLUE protocol can help in triaging the patients in the mild and moderate severity group and discharging them directly from the emergency department itself to either a facility quarantine center or to home isolation. It ultimately helps in avoiding unnecessary referrals, eliminating contamination, and optimum utilization of health resources.

Stroke and emergency department re-presentation after outpatient TIA management: An interrupted time series study

ObjectivesTo assess the effects of a non-admitted management pathway following emergency department (ED) presentation with suspected TIA on: 90-day stroke and ED re-presentations, overnight admission, length of stay (LOS) and costs. MethodsWe implemented a management pathway across an Australian regional health service (4 hospitals; 2 rural, 10,000 km2) including ED protocols followed by urgent outpatient review or telemedicine consultation to one rural hospital. Interrupted time series analysis was conducted on linked hospital administrative datasets for all ED TIA diagnoses 5 years before and 2 years after intervention (2015). We assessed whether pathway introduction was associated with immediate change (level) or subsequent rate of change (slope) in outcomes. ResultsThere were 2031 presentations: 1,467 before, 564 after implementation. Against background declining trends, overnight admissions decreased by 12.4% (95%CI 5.0, 19.7) and total LOS decreased 6 hours (95%CI 1.5, 10.4). Hospital costs reduced by AUD683 per patient with implementation. Outpatient review occurred for 36% at median 5 days (IQR 3, 9), including 19/87 (22%) telemedicine reviews. Pathway adherence was incomplete: 29% had no specialist review. Recurrent stroke increased by 1.3/100 presentations (95%CI 0.6, 2.1) with implementation, then returned to baseline of 0.9/100. ED re-presentations rose at a significant rate after implementation (extra 1.69/100 patients re-presenting/quarter; 95%CI 0.8, 2.6) reaching 32/100. ConclusionsAn ED TIA management pathway designed to avoid hospital admission resulted in decreased hospital use and costs; but an initial increase in recurrent stroke and sustained rise in ED re-presentation, possibly related to delayed and incomplete follow-up.