London Teaching Hospital Research Articles

A demand–capacity mismatch between rehabilitation need and service provision as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic? Early clinical observations from a large teaching hospital in London

In this short report the authors characterise inpatient bed occupancy and predicted rehabilitation need of patients cared for in two acute hospitals of a large London NHS Trust during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, including 394 people with confirmed COVID-19. Data were captured on a single day (17th April 2020) from the two Trust hospitals to inform discharge planning in line with national COVID-19 Hospital Discharge Service policy guidance. Our data suggests that the proportion of COVID-19 patients predicted to require rehabilitation upon hospital discharge may be greater than the estimates described in the national COVID-19 Hospital Discharge Service policy guidance; posing the question is there a demand–capacity mismatch between rehabilitation need and service provision as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic?

144 Probable Delirium is A Presenting Symptom of COVID-19 in Frail, Older Adults: A Study of Hospitalised and Community-Based Cohorts

IntroductionCOVID-19 exhibits a more severe disease course in older adults with frailty. Awareness of atypical presentations is critical to facilitate early disease identification. This study aimed to assess how frailty affects presenting symptoms of COVID-19 in older adults.MethodsObservational study of two distinct cohorts: (i) Hospitalised patients aged 65 and over; unscheduled admission to a large London teaching hospital between March 1st, 2020-May 5th, 2020; COVID-19 confirmed by RT-PCR of nasopharyngeal swab (n = 322); (ii) Community-based adults aged 65 and over enrolled in the COVID Symptom Study mobile application between March 24th (application launch)-May 8th, 2020; self-report or report-by-proxy data; reported test-positive for COVID-19 (n = 535). Multivariable logistic regression analysis performed on age-matched samples of both cohorts to determine associations between frailty and symptoms of COVID-19 including delirium, fever and cough.ResultsHospital cohort: there was a significantly higher prevalence of delirium amongst the frail sample, with no difference in fever or cough. Of those presenting with delirium, 10/53 (18.9%) presented with delirium as the only documented symptom. Community-based cohort: there was a significantly higher prevalence of probable delirium in the frail sample, and also of fatigue and shortness of breath. Of those reporting probable delirium, 28/84 (33%) did not report fever or cough.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates a higher prevalence of delirium as a presenting symptom of COVID-19 infection in older adults with frailty compared to their age-matched non-frail counterparts. Clinicians should suspect COVID-19 in frail older adults presenting with delirium. Early detection facilitates infection control measures to mitigate against catastrophic spread and preventable hospitalisations and deaths amongst this population. Our findings emphasise the need for systematic frailty assessment for all acutely ill older patients in both hospital and community settings, as well as systematic evaluation of any change in mental status.

Migraine poses large, unnecessary burden on ED services in a busy London teaching hospital

Migraine poses large, unnecessary burden on ED services in a busy London teaching hospital

The burden of migraine on acute and emergency services in a London teaching hospital.

There is a lack of data on the burden of primary headache disorders such as migraine on emergency services. Existing data relies on a coding of "headache", which encompasses both primary and secondary headache of all causes; for example, subarachnoid haemorrhage. Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust in London is one of the UK's busiest emergency departments with 150,000 attendances per year. Our aim was to assess the healthcare resource utilisation of primary headaches, in particular migraine, in acute medical services. We conducted an audit of all adult presentations to the emergency department of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals which were coded as "headache" over the first 6 months of 2018. We reviewed the initial diagnosis at presentation and also at discharge, investigations and outcome. Of 78,273 attendances to the emergency department, there were 976 presentations to the emergency department with "headache" as their primary complaint. "Migraine" was the most frequent of all diagnoses, accounting for 30% of all headache presentations and 25% of headache admissions. We calculated the cost of admitting and investigating migraine as £131,250 over the 6-month period. Emergency admissions for migraine represent an avoidable cost and burden for both the hospital and the migraineur. This data informs us about the need to develop better care pathways for migraine in the community and to improve headache education for physicians and patients.

Consent in pregnancy - an observational study of ante-natal care in the context of Montgomery: all about risk?

BackgroundHow to best support pregnant women in making truly autonomous decisions which accord with current consent law is poorly understood and problematic for them and their healthcare professionals. This observational study examined a range of ante-natal consultations where consent for an intervention took place to determine key themes during the encounter.MethodsQualitative research in a large urban teaching hospital in London. Sixteen consultations between pregnant women and their healthcare professionals (nine obstetricians and three midwives) where ante-natal interventions were discussed and consent was documented were directly observed. Data were collectively analysed to identify key themes characterising the consent process.ResultsFour themes were identified: 1) Clinical framing - by framing the consultation in terms of the clinical decision to be made HCPs miss the opportunity to assess what really matters to a pregnant woman. For many women the opportunity to feel that their previous experiences had been ‘heard’ was an important but sometimes neglected prelude to the ensuing consultation; 2) Clinical risk dominated narrative - all consultations were dominated by information related to risk; discussion of reasonable alternatives was not always observed and women’s understanding of information was seldom verified making compliance with current law questionable; 3) Parallel narrative - woman-centred experience – for pregnant women social factors such as the place of birth and partner influences were as or more important than considerations of clinical risk yet were often missed by HCPs; 4) Cross cutting narrative - genuine dialogue - we observed variably effective interaction between the clinical (2) and patient (3) narratives influenced by trust and empathy and explicit empowering language by HCPs.ConclusionWe found that ante-natal consultations that include consent for interventions are dominated by clinical framing and risk, and explore the woman-centred narrative less well. Current UK law requires consent consultations to include explicit effort to gauge a woman’s preferences and values, yet consultations seem to fail to achieve such understanding. At the very least, consultations may be improved by the addition of opening questions along the lines of ‘what matters to you most?’

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Infections in Critical Care Staff: Beware the Risks Beyond the Bedside.

Critical care workers were considered to be at high risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection from patients during the first wave of the pandemic. Staff symptoms, previous swab testing, and antibody prevalence were correlated with patient admissions to investigate this assumption. Cross-sectional study. A large critical care department in a tertiary-care teaching hospital in London, United Kingdom. Staff working in critical care. None. Participants completed a questionnaire and provided a serum sample for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 antibody testing over a 3-day period in April 2020. We compared the timing of symptoms in staff to the coronavirus disease 2019 patient admissions to critical care. We also identified factors associated with antibody detection. Of 625 staff 384 (61.4%) reported previous symptoms and 124 (19.8%) had sent a swab for testing. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection had been confirmed in 37 of those swabbed (29.8%). Overall, 21% (131/625) had detectable severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 antibody, of whom 9.9% (13/131) had been asymptomatic. The peak onset of symptoms among staff occurred 2 weeks before the peak in coronavirus disease 2019 patient admissions. Staff who worked in multiple departments across the hospital were more likely to be seropositive. Staff with a symptomatic household contact were also more likely to be seropositive at 31.3%, compared with 16.2% in those without (p < 0.0001). Staff who developed coronavirus disease 2019 were less likely to have caught it from their patients in critical care. Other staff, other areas of the hospital, and the wider community are more likely sources of infection. These findings indicate that personal protective equipment was effective at preventing transmission from patients. However, staff also need to maintain protective measures away from the bedside.

Childhood Acute Urticaria and Seasonal Patterns Presenting in the Emergency Department of a Teaching Hospital in London, United Kingdom.

To characterize the clinical presentation, possible trigger factors and seasonality of acute urticaria (AU) in children referred to the emergency department in a teaching hospital in London, United Kingdom. This was a retrospective descriptive study. One hundred and sixty-three consecutive patients younger than 18 years with the diagnosis of AU who attended accident and emergency department from January 2018 until January 2020 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, United Kingdom, were included in the study. Descriptive statistics were performed using IBM SPSS 25. In total, 163 patients younger than 18 years, 82 (50.3%) boys and 81 (49.7%) girls. The median age of patients with AU was 4 years (interquartile range, 6 years). In 120 of (73.6%) 163 patients, there was no clear trigger of AU, in 17 (10.4%) of 163 patients, upper respiratory infection was considered as a potential trigger of AU, followed by food in 14 (8.6%) cases, medications in 9 (5.5%) cases, hymenoptera sting in 1 (0.6%) case, and contact urticaria 2 (1.2%) cases. Seventeen (10.4%) of the patients were admitted into the hospital as a result of their urticaria. The majority of AU urticaria cases were reported in autumn with 76 (46.6%) cases with most of AU cases occurring in November (34/163, 20.9%). A total of 163 cases of AU were identified between January 2018 and January 2020. A seasonal trend of AU in autumn was observed. Respiratory infections were found to be the most commonly associated potential trigger of AU cases.

Immunoglobulin-E Mediated Chlorhexidine Hypersensitivity among Healthcare Workers

Objective: With a wide spectrum antimicrobial activity that is not affected by body fluids and blood, chlorhexidine is a particularly useful disinfectant widely used in healthcare settings. Given the importance of disinfectant usage by healthcare workers to prevent nosocomial infections, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study aims to evaluate the prevalence of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated sensitivity in healthcare workers. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted through a questionnaire and immunoassay for chlorhexidine- specific IgE in healthcare workers in a large teaching hospital in London, UK. The prevalence of IgE-mediated chlorhexidine hypersensitivity was determined along with potential determinants. Results: With a 77.7% response rate, the study showed that 4 out of 233 participants were positive for chlorhexidine-specific IgE, with an overall prevalence of 1.72% (95% Confidence Interval: 0.05% to 3.39%). All the positive cases belonged to occupationally exposed healthcare workers. In this group, the prevalence rate was 2.82% (95% Confidence Interval: 0.1% to 5.54%). Conclusion: Chlorhexidine is a potential allergen and an under-reported cause of anaphylaxis in patient-care and occupational settings. The results suggest that chlorhexidine has a relatively safe profile for healthcare workers in occupational settings, but a higher prevalence of chlorhexidine hypersensitivity cannot be ruled out. Sensitized healthcare workers must be advised to avoid further exposure to prevent potentially serious IgE-mediated allergic symptoms. Further studies are recommended to determine if any change in disinfection guidelines and protocols is warranted.

Surgical Tracheostomy Outcomes in COVID-19-Positive Patients.

ObjectiveThe aim of this case series was to demonstrate that surgical tracheostomy can be undertaken safely in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and that it is an effective weaning tool.Study DesignRetrospective case series.SettingSingle academic teaching hospital in London.MethodsAll adult patients admitted to the adult intensive care unit (AICU), diagnosed with severe COVID-19 infection and requiring surgical tracheostomy between the March 10, 2020, and May 1, 2020, were included. Data collection focused upon patient demographics, AICU admission data, tracheostomy-specific data, and clinical outcomes.ResultsTwenty patients with COVID-19 underwent surgical tracheostomy. The main indication for tracheostomy was to assist in respiratory weaning. Patients had undergone mechanical ventilation for a median of 16.5 days prior to surgical tracheostomy. Tracheostomy remained in situ for a median of 12.5 days. Sixty percent of patients were decannulated at the end of the data collection period. There were no serious immediate or short-term complications. Surgical tracheostomy facilitated significant reduction in intravenous sedation at 48 hours after tracheostomy formation. There was no confirmed COVID-19 infection or reported sickness in the operating surgical or anesthetic teams.ConclusionSurgical tracheostomy has been demonstrated to be an effective weaning tool in patients with severe COVID-19 infection.

Adverse outcomes in COVID-19 and diabetes: a retrospective cohort study from three London teaching hospitals

IntroductionPatients with diabetes mellitus admitted to hospital with COVID-19 have poorer outcomes. However, the drivers of poorer outcomes are not fully elucidated. We performed detailed characterization of patients with COVID-19...

A pseudo-outbreak of Rhinocladiella similis in a bronchoscopy unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital in London, United Kingdom.

Outbreaks of fungal infections due to emerging and rare species are increasingly reported in healthcare settings. We investigated a pseudo-outbreak of Rhinocladiella similis in a bronchoscopy unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital in London, UK. We aimed to determine route of healthcare-associated transmission and prevent additional infections. From July 2018 through February 2019, we detected a pseudo-outbreak of R.similis isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid samples collected from nine patients who had undergone bronchoscopy in a multispecialty teaching hospital, during a period of 8months. Isolates were identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed by EUCAST broth microdilution. To determine genetic relatedness among R.similis isolates, we undertook amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis. To determine the potential source of contamination, an epidemiological investigation was carried out. We reviewed patient records retrospectively and audited steps taken during bronchoscopy as well as the subsequent cleaning and decontamination procedures. Fungal cultures were performed on samples collected from bronchoscopes and automated endoscope washer-disinfector systems. No patient was found to have an infection due to R.similis either before or after bronchoscopy. One bronchoscope was identified to be used among all affected patients with positive fungal cultures. Physical damage was found in the index bronchoscope; however, no fungus was recovered after sampling of the affected scope or the rinse water of automated endoscope washer-disinfectors. Use of the scope was halted, and, during the following 12-month period, Rhinocladiella species were not isolated from any BAL specimen. All pseudo-outbreak isolates were identified as R.similis with high genetic relatedness (>90% similarity) on ALFP analysis. The study emphasises the emergence of a rare and uncommon black yeast R.similis, with reduced susceptibility to echinocandins, in a bronchoscope-related pseudo-outbreak with a potential water-related reservoir. Our findings highlight the importance of prolonged fungal culture and species-level identification of melanised yeasts isolated from bronchoscopy samples. Possibility of healthcare-associated transmission should be considered when R.similis is involved in clinical microbiology samples.

Antibiotic usage and stewardship in patients with COVID-19: too much antibiotic in uncharted waters?

Antimicrobial usage and stewardship programmes during COVID-19 have been poorly studied. Prescribing practice varies despite national guidelines, and there is concern that stewardship principles have suffered. To analyse antibiotic prescriptions during the COVID-19 pandemic at a teaching hospital and to propose improved approaches to stewardship. We reviewed COVID-19 admissions to medical wards and intensive care units (ICUs) in a London teaching hospital to assess initial antibiotic usage and evidence of bacterial co-infection, and to determine if our current antibiotic guidelines were adhered to. Data from 130 inpatients (76% medical and 24% ICU) were obtained. On admission, 90% were treated with antibiotics. No microbiological samples taken on admission provided definitive evidence of respiratory co-infection. In 13% of cases, antibiotics were escalated, usually without supporting clinical, radiological or laboratory evidence. In 16% of cases, antibiotics were stopped or de-escalated within 72 h. Blood results and chest radiographs were characteristic of COVID-19 in 20% of ward patients and 42% of ICU patients. Overall mortality was 25% at 14 days - similar to rates described for the UK as a whole. The majority of patients received antibiotics despite limited evidence of co-infection. Most patients received narrower spectrum antibiotics than recommended by NICE. As understanding of the natural history of COVID-19 infections progresses, stewardship programmes will need to evolve; however, at this point, we feel that a more restrictive antibiotic prescribing approach is warranted. We propose strategies for effective stewardship and estimate the effect this may have on antibiotic consumption.

The impact of Brexit on maxillofacial trauma: an analysis of cases seen at a London Teaching Hospital

The impact of Brexit on maxillofacial trauma: an analysis of cases seen at a London Teaching Hospital

Comparison of deep learning with regression analysis in creating predictive models for SARS-CoV-2 outcomes

BackgroundAccurately predicting patient outcomes in Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) could aid patient management and allocation of healthcare resources. There are a variety of methods which can be used to develop prognostic models, ranging from logistic regression and survival analysis to more complex machine learning algorithms and deep learning. Despite several models having been created for SARS-CoV-2, most of these have been found to be highly susceptible to bias. We aimed to develop and compare two separate predictive models for death during admission with SARS-CoV-2.MethodBetween March 1 and April 24, 2020, 398 patients were identified with laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 in a London teaching hospital. Data from electronic health records were extracted and used to create two predictive models using: (1) a Cox regression model and (2) an artificial neural network (ANN). Model performance profiles were assessed by validation, discrimination, and calibration.ResultsBoth the Cox regression and ANN models achieved high accuracy (83.8%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 73.8–91.1 and 90.0%, 95% CI 81.2–95.6, respectively). The area under the receiver operator curve (AUROC) for the ANN (92.6%, 95% CI 91.1–94.1) was significantly greater than that of the Cox regression model (86.9%, 95% CI 85.7–88.2), p = 0.0136. Both models achieved acceptable calibration with Brier scores of 0.13 and 0.11 for the Cox model and ANN, respectively.ConclusionWe demonstrate an ANN which is non-inferior to a Cox regression model but with potential for further development such that it can learn as new data becomes available. Deep learning techniques are particularly suited to complex datasets with non-linear solutions, which make them appropriate for use in conditions with a paucity of prior knowledge. Accurate prognostic models for SARS-CoV-2 can provide benefits at the patient, departmental and organisational level.

Undergraduate exposure to patient presentations on the acute medical placement: a prospective study in a London teaching hospital

ObjectivesTo identify the availability and variability of learning opportunities through patient presentations on an acute medical placement at a teaching hospital.DesignA prospective study evaluating all acute admissions to the Acute...

Integrated diagnostic pathway for patients referred with suspected OSA: a model for collaboration across the primary–secondary care interface

BackgroundObstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) presents a major healthcare challenge with current UK data suggesting that only 22% of individuals have been diagnosed and treated. Promoting awareness and improving access to...

Clinical Characteristics and Predictors of Mortality in Patients with COVID-19 Infection Outside Intensive Care.

Background/IntroductionThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected all aspects of inpatient hospital medicine with patients admitted from level 1 (general medical wards) to level 3 (intensive care). Often, there are subtle physiological differences in these cohorts of patients. In particular, in intensive care, patients tend to be younger and have increased disease severity. Data, to date, has combined outcomes from medical and intensive care cohorts, or looked exclusively at intensive care. We looked solely at the level 1 (medical) cohort to identify their clinical characteristics and predictors of outcome.Patients and MethodsThis was a retrospective study of adult patients admitted to a central London teaching hospital with a diagnosis of COVID-19 from 23rd March to 7th April 2020 identified from the hospital electronic database. Any patients who required level 2 or 3 care were excluded.ResultsA total of 229 patients were included for analysis. Increased age and frailty scores were associated with increased 30-day mortality. Reduced renal function and elevated troponin blood levels are also associated with poor outcome. Baseline observations showed that increased oxygen requirement was predictive for mortality. A trend of increased mortality with lower diastolic blood pressure was noted. Lymphopenia was not shown to be related to mortality.ConclusionUrea and creatinine are the best predictors of mortality in the level 1 cohort. Unlike previous intensive care data, lymphopenia is not predictive of mortality. We suggest that these factors be considered when prognosticating and for resource allocation for the treatment and escalation of care for patients with COVID-19 infection.

Analysis of the third WHO Global Safety Challenge ‘Medication Without Harm’ patient-facing materials: exploratory descriptive study

ObjectivesTo evaluate patients’ views on the content and use of the ‘Five Moments for Medication Safety’ materials developed as part of the WHO’s ‘Medication Without Harm’ Global Patient Safety Challenge....

Investigating the association between ethnicity and health outcomes in SARS-CoV-2 in a London secondary care population.

BackgroundBlack, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) populations are emerging as a vulnerable group in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. We investigated the relationship between ethnicity and health outcomes in SARS-CoV-2.Methods and findingsWe conducted a retrospective, observational analysis of SARS-CoV-2 patients across two London teaching hospitals during March 1 –April 30, 2020. Routinely collected clinical data were extracted and analysed for 645 patients who met the study inclusion criteria. Within this hospitalised cohort, the BAME population were younger relative to the white population (61.70 years, 95% CI 59.70–63.73 versus 69.3 years, 95% CI 67.17–71.43, p<0.001). When adjusted for age, sex and comorbidity, ethnicity was not a predictor for ICU admission. The mean age at death was lower in the BAME population compared to the white population (71.44 years, 95% CI 69.90–72.90 versus, 77.40 years, 95% CI 76.1–78.70 respectively, p<0.001). When adjusted for age, sex and comorbidities, Asian patients had higher odds of death (OR 1.99: 95% CI 1.22–3.25, p<0.006).ConclusionsBAME patients were more likely to be admitted younger, and to die at a younger age with SARS-CoV-2. Within the BAME cohort, Asian patients were more likely to die but despite this, there was no difference in rates of admission to ICU. The reasons for these disparities are not fully understood and need to be addressed. Investigating ethnicity as a clinical risk factor remains a high public health priority. Studies that consider ethnicity as part of the wider socio-cultural determinant of health are urgently needed.

Development of an acute general paediatrics service specification at a major London teaching hospital

Poster presented at BAPIO National Conference, London 2019&#x0D; Peer reviewed by Subarna Chakravorty PhD &amp; Sunil Daga PhD&#x0D; The new service specification will be used by clinical staff to reflect on practice and outcomes. It enables clinicians to identify standards, rather than accessing them from various sources. It will aid the planning, commissioning, and provision of acute paediatric services and provide a framework against which to audit provision and demonstrate improvement. It would be possible to translate this for use across the UK.