Medicine Consultation Research Articles

An observational case series of targeted virtual geriatric medicine and palliative care consults for hospitalized older adults with COVID-19.

COVID-19 presents unique challenges to the care of hospitalized older adults, including fractured lines of communication and uncertainty surrounding long term trajectories in cognition and function. Geriatric medicine and palliative care clinicians bring specialized training in facilitating communication in the face of uncertainty. Insurance expansion of virtual visits enabled inpatient virtual consultation, which can preserve personal protective equipment and minimize exposure to clinicians. We examined changes in goals of care and code status following an inpatient virtual consultation with geriatric medicine and palliative care clinicians. This was an observational case series study performed at a large tertiary Academic Hospital. The study population included 78 patients aged 65 years and older, hospitalized with COVID-19 who had an inpatient consultation completed by geriatric medicine or palliative care clinicians between April 9, 2020 through May 9, 2020. The intervention was targeted, virtual geriatric medicine or palliative care consultation. All patients admitted to a medical floor with COVID-19 were screened four days a week and if a patient was over the age of 65, the medical team was offered a consultation by geriatric medicine (ages 80 and above) or palliative care (ages 65-79). Consultation included medical record review, telephone conversations with clinicians and nurses, telephone or video conversations with patients and/or surrogate decision-makers and collaborative case review on daily virtual huddles with an interprofessional team of geriatric medicine and palliative care clinicians. Descriptive statistics were applied to categorize outcomes after chart abstraction. Following consultation, 24 patients (31%) patients changed their code status to less invasive interventions. Of patients who were FULL CODE at the time of consultation (n=42), 2 (4.8%) transitioned to DNR only and 16 (38.1%) transitioned to DNR/DNI after consultation. While 8 patients (10.3%) utilized intensive care unit (ICU) level of care prior to consultation, 6 (7.6%) patients utilized ICU after consultation. After consultation, 11 (14.1%) patients were referred to hospice. Given uncertain trajectories in older adults hospitalized with COVID-19 and variability in patient preferences, virtual goals of care geriatric medicine and palliative care consultations should be considered as a key component of COVID-19 hospital protocols.

Predicting risks of physical health deterioration in a place of safety

AimsHealthcare triage for those subject to section 136 powers (MHA 1983/2007) remains challenging. Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust opened a dedicated Health-Based Place of Safety (HBPOS) in 2020, situated separately from an emergency department (ED). There was concern that this may lead to physical health problems going unrecognised. We aimed to design a simple, efficient algorithm to be used by non-medically-trained staff to identify those who are subject to s.136 powers who would benefit from medical clearance before being admitted to the HBPOSMethodWe chaired a consensus meeting with nursing staff, police and emergency medicine consultants when designing the algorithm. Case notes of those presenting under s.136 to the POS over 1 calendar-month in 2019 were reviewed, and the proportion of those who the algorithm would have diverted for medical clearance was calculated. We then reviewed the proportion of cases sent for medical clearance during a single calendar month in 2020, after the HBPOS had opened, to see whether there was a significant difference.Result37 patients were admitted to the ED-based POS in July 2019, of which 36 records were analysed. 9 patients (25%) were referred for medical clearance, with 2 (6%) requiring medical admission. 8.6% were identified as needing medical clearance when the algorithm was applied retrospectively (positive predictive value 66%, negative predictive value = 79%).Review of records over 1 calendar-month after the HBPOS was established showed 30.6% of patients had been diverted for medical clearance prior to entering the HBPOS. Of the 65 patients, 1 (2%) required transfer to ED within 48 hours of entry. No statistical difference in the proportion of patients sent for medical clearance was observed since the formation of the HBPOS away from the ED (Chi-squared = 0.549, p = 0.458), suggesting the algorithm successfully identified those patients who needed medical clearance prior to admission.We observed high rates of intoxication amongst those admitted (30–40%).ConclusionThe algorithm showed high specificity and negative predictive value, allowing for a degree of confidence when admitting those deemed at low-risk of physical deterioration, though it does not eliminate the need for clinical judgement. Interpretation of the results is complicated by the COVID19 pandemic in 2020, which was not accounted for in the algorithm, which possibly led to deviations from the algorithm in real-world clinical practice.

Quality improvement outcomes from the introduction of a geriatrician into a rehabilitation setting.

Geriatrician impact on patient and system outcomes in formal rehabilitation settings has not been well described to date. We studied the effect of adding a geriatric medicine consultation service to a geriatric focused rehabilitation setting providing care to dialysis and non-dialysis patients. A pre- and post-retrospective observational cohort study from January 1, 2009 to June 30, 2019 on all consecutively admitted adults aged 65 and older to general rehabilitation program, and adults aged 60 and older to specialized dialysis rehabilitation program, within a 25 bed general rehabilitation unit in a large urban academic rehabilitation center in Toronto, Ontario. Data were analyzed with quality improvement methodology including Statistical Process Control charts (XmR and U charts). Addition of a geriatric medicine service providing automatic comprehensive geriatric assessment and co-management consultative services for all admitted patients from admission onwards who met criteria for the intervention. The intervention commenced on August 1, 2013. Outcome measures were length of stay (days), service interruption frequency, and average functional independence measure (FIM) change (discharge FIM minus admission FIM) which uses the validated FIM score, a marker of functional ability. A 22 point change in FIM score is clinically relevant. Patient characteristics: general rehabilitation patients (n=1395, mean age=79.7, 50.1% female) and dialysis rehabilitation patients (n=838, mean age=72.8, 41.8% female). The average FIM change following intervention improved from 20.8 to 29.3 in the general rehabilitation cohort (40.6% improvement, SD=5.51) and from 22.1 to 30.6 in the dialysis rehabilitation cohort (38.6% improvement, SD=5.88). Changes in length of stay (24.9%-28.1% reduction) and service interruption frequency (34.3%-49.7% reduction) were also observed. Introduction of a geriatric medicine service for rehabilitation inpatients was associated with significant FIM score improvements. Our results suggest this intervention contributes to important gains in functional independence in reduced time for older adults receiving inpatient rehabilitative care.

Increasing Awareness of Palliative Medicine With the Emergency Department: A Quality Improvement Project.

Palliative medicine can be essential in helping to align patients' goals of care with their treatment team. Referrals for palliative medicine are more advantageous when initiated in the emergency department as this is the first point of contact for seriously ill patients being admitted to the hospital. This paper highlights a quality improvement project initiated to address knowledge gaps in palliative medicine with emergency department (ED) staff and to increase referrals for palliative medicine from the ED. The palliative medicine staff held an in-service training with the ED staff which focused on defining palliative medicine and the importance of early consults when the patient presents in the ED. Palliative medicine staff also highlighted the differences between palliative medicine and hospice care, when and how to initiate a consult for palliative medicine, as well as how to contact the palliative medicine division. The results showed that after this educational intervention the number of palliative medicine consults increased three-fold. Before the educational intervention, monthly averages for palliative medicine were 6 and after rose to 18.9 per month.

Integrative Medicine Clinical Centers Keys to Success: Innovative Programming, Education, and Collaboration

Integrative Medicine Clinical Centers Keys to Success: Innovative Programming, Education, and Collaboration

Recomendaciones de la Sociedad Valenciana de Patología Digestiva sobre uso de consultas no presenciales y telemedicina

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant a qualitative change in the way patients are treated in outpatient clinics. The need to take measures of social isolation as prevention for contagion by the new coronavirus has forced the use of telematic and telephone consultations in most medical and surgical units. The specialty of digestive medicine, due to the characteristics of its patients and frequent support in complementary techniques for diagnosis, is especially suitable for the use of non-contact consultations. In this document a series of recommendations are proposed that can serve as a guide for the establishment or improvement of non-face-to-face digestive medicine consultations.

Implementation of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society guidelines for perioperative risk assessment and management: an interrupted time series study.

The Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) guidelines for patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery address the lack of standardized management for patients at risk of perioperative cardiovascular complications. Our interdisciplinary group evaluated the implementation of these guidelines. We used an interrupted time series design to evaluate the effect of implementation of the CCS guidelines, using routinely collected hospital data. The study population consisted of elective, non-cardiac surgery patients who were: i) inpatients following surgery and ii) age ≥ 65 or age 45-64 yr with a Revised Cardiac Risk Index ≥ 1. Outcomes included adherence to troponin I (TnI) monitoring (primary) and adherence to appropriate consultant care for patients with elevated TnI (secondary). Exploratory outcomes included cost measures and clinical outcomes such as length of stay. We included 1,421 patients (706 pre- and 715 post-implementation). We observed a 67% absolute increase (95% confidence interval, 55 to 80; P < 0.001) in adherence to TnI testing following the implementation of the guidelines. In patients who had elevated TnI following guideline implementation (n = 64), the majority (85%) received appropriate follow-up care in the form of a general medicine or cardiology consult, all received at least one electrocardiogram, and half received at least one advanced cardiac test (e.g., cardiac perfusion scan, or percutaneous intervention). Our study showed the ability to implement and adhere to the CCS guidelines. Large-scale multicentre evaluations of CCS guideline implementation are needed to gain a better understanding of potential effects on clinically relevant outcomes.

The Development and Implementation of a Hospitalist-Directed Addiction Medicine Consultation Service to Address a Treatment Gap.

Hospitalizations related to the consequences of substance use are rising yet most hospitalized patients with substance use disorder do not receive evidence-based addiction treatment. Opportunities to leverage the hospitalist workforce could close this treatment gap. To describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a hospitalist-directed addiction consultation service (ACS) to provide in-hospital addiction treatment. Six hundred fifty-bed university hospital in Aurora, Colorado. Hospitalists completed buprenorphine waiver training, participated in a 13-part addiction lecture series, and completed a minimum of 40hours of online addiction training. Hospitalists participated in shadow shifts with an addiction-trained physician. Dedicated addiction social workers developed relationships with local addiction treatment services. Physician-related metrics included education, training, and clinical time spent in addiction practice. Patient and encounter-related metrics included a description of ACS care provision. Eleven hospitalists completed an average of 95hours of addiction-related didactics. Once addiction training was complete, hospitalists spent an average of 30days over 12months staffing a weekday ACS. Between October 2019 and November 2020, the ACS completed 1620 consultations on 1350 unique patients. Alcohol was the most common substance (n = 1279; 79%), followed by tobacco (979; 60.4%), methamphetamines/amphetamines (n = 494; 30.5%), and opioids (n = 400; 24.7%). Naltrexone was the most frequently prescribed medication (n = 350; 21.6%), followed by acamprosate (n = 93; 5.7%), and buprenorphine (n = 77, 4.8%). Trauma was a frequent discharge diagnoses (n = 1564; 96.5%). Leaving prior to treatment completion was commonly noted (n = 120, 7.4%). The ACS completed 47 in-hospital methadone enrollments. The hospitalist-directed ACS is a promising clinical initiative that could be implemented to expand hospital-based addiction treatment. Future research is needed to understand challenges to disseminating this model into other hospital settings, and to evaluate intended and unintended effects of broad implementation.

Place of Death Trends and Utilization of Outpatient Palliative Care at the End of Life—Analysis of Death Certificates (2001, 2011, 2017) and Pseudonymized Data From Selected Palliative Medicine Consultation Services (2017) in Westphalia, Germany.

The largest German study on place of death was performed for deaths in selected regions of Westphalia in the years 2001 and 2011. In the period thereafter, provision of palliative care was regionally expanded. This upgrade included the establishment of palliative medicine consultation services (PMCS), combining general and specialized palliative care on an outpatient basis. A follow-up place of death survey took place in 2017. The aim was to depict the trends in place of death between 2001 and 2017. A second goal was to determine how often outpatient PMCS were used by persons who died in 2017. Descriptive analysis of place of death as specified in all death certificates (2001, 2011, 2017) issued in the cities of Bochum and Münster and the districts of Borken and Coesfeld. Comparison of pseudonymized data on deceased patients (2017) treated by the PMCS of Münster and Coesfeld with the place of death database to ascertain the rate of PMCS care at the end of life. A total of 38 954 death certificates were analyzed, and 5887 deaths were compared with PCMS data. The distribution of place of death was as follows: (2001, 2011, 2017; age standardized; %): own residence 27.8; 23.3; 21.3; hospital: 55.8; 51.8; 51.8; palliative care unit: 0.0; 1.0; 6.2; hospice: 1.9; 4.5; 4.8; nursing home: 13.1; 18.6; 20.4; other: 1.2; 1.2; 1.5. The rate of PMCS use was 28.8% (1694/5887). Over the period 2001-2017, the proportion of people who died at home or in the hospital went down, while the number who died in a palliative care unit, hospice, or nursing home increased. In the city of Münster and the district of Coesfeld, one fourth of the people who died in 2017 received PMCS care at the end of life.

Knowledge of Sleep Disorders Among Physicians at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Qatar: Cross-sectional Study.

BackgroundSleep disorders constitute a major health problem because of their relatively high and rising prevalence. Several studies worldwide have analyzed health care providers’ knowledge of sleep disorders.ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to assess the knowledge of sleep disorders among physicians in Qatar.MethodsA total of 250 physicians were surveyed regarding their knowledge of sleep medicine by using the validated 30-item Assessment of Sleep Knowledge in Medical Education (ASKME) Survey. The participants included residents, fellows, and consultants in medicine and allied subspecialties. A high score was defined as ≥60% of correctly answered questions, implying the respondent has adequate knowledge of sleep disorders.ResultsResponses were received from 158 of the 250 physicians, with a response rate of 63.2%. This included responses from 34 residents, 74 clinical fellows, and 50 consultants. The overall mean score was 15.53 (SD 4.42), with the highest possible score of 30. Only 57 of 158 (36.1%) respondents were able to answer ≥60% of the questions correctly. No statistically significant difference was found in the scores of participants with regard to their ranks (ie, residents, fellows, or consultants) or years of medical training.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that health care providers in Qatar have decreased awareness and knowledge about sleep medicine, which may reflect reduced emphasis on sleep disorders during medical school and training. Increasing awareness regarding sleep medicine among nonspecialist physicians will allow early detection and treatment of sleep disorders, thereby reducing the morbidity associated with these disorders.

Insights from outside BJOG

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & GynaecologyVolume 128, Issue 7 p. 1107-1111 Insights from outside BJOG Insights from outside BJOG Athol Kent, Search for more papers by this authorShona Kirtley, Search for more papers by this author Athol Kent, Search for more papers by this authorShona Kirtley, Search for more papers by this author First published: 07 May 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.16713 The Research Snippets are extracts from a monthly service called the Journal Article Summary Service. It is a service that summarises new articles in obstetrics and gynaecology published over the preceding month. If you would like information on how to subscribe, please email the editor Athol Kent at atholkent@mweb.co.za or visit the website www.getjass.com. The remaining sections of Insights from outside BJOG are written by Shona Kirtley, Senior Research Information Specialist, Centre for Statistics in Medicine, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Botnar Research Centre, Oxford, UK. This Insights from outside BJOG was edited by Sherif Abdel-Fattah, Consultant in Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine at Southmead Hospital in Bristol and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Bristol, and BJOG Executive Scientific Editor. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume128, Issue7June 2021Pages 1107-1111 RelatedInformation

Influence of post-COVID-19 deconfinement on psychiatric visits to the emergency department.

ObjectiveDuring the deconfinement period after the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the number and characteristics of psychiatric visits changed in our emergency department (ED). We aimed to assess changes in the number of visits and characterize the profiles of these patients.MethodsIn this retrospective observational study, we examined the number of psychiatric ED visits and their proportion among the total number of ED visits. We also evaluated psychiatric visits characteristics during a one-month period after the declaration of deconfinement, and we compared those characteristics to characteristics observed during the same month over the previous 4 years.ResultsThe number of psychiatric visits to our emergency department during deconfinement was similar to the number observed in the same month of previous years. However, the proportion of psychiatric visits to our emergency department among all visits to the ED rose during deconfinement to a level never before observed. The mean proportion of psychiatric admissions to all ED admissions rose from 3.5% in past years to 5.3% during deconfinement (p = 0.013). Moreover, during deconfinement, more visits (80%) were without an acute intoxication compared to past years (58.5%; p = 0.031). Also, in the deconfinement period, more visits lacked a follow-up consultation organized at discharge (40%) compared to the historical period (25%, p = 0.036).ConclusionsThe deconfinement period after the first wave COVID-19 changed the number and type of psychiatric emergency medicine consultations at our hospital, suggesting a psychiatric impact of confinement during this pandemic. These findings will be of interest to practitioners and politicians in the coming months.

6 Improving Patient Flow in a Multi-Specialty Assessment Area by Introducing Referral Pathways for Orthopaedics and Plastic Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has seen fundamental organisational changes to emergency departments internationally. Specialties throughout the hospital setting have been asked to change their working practice, often with the aim of adapting to new processes in emergency departments. Early in the pandemic, the orthopaedic team at one district general hospital were required to provide 24/7 onsite cover in a multi-specialty area. Confusion over the referral pathways of two specialties (orthopaedics and plastic surgery) led to increase waiting times, constrained patient flow and poor patient and staff satisfaction.MethodThis quality improvement project occurred over three cycles of data collection and intervention over a two-month period. A novel referral pathway was developed and implemented after discussion with consultants in orthopaedics, plastics, and emergency medicine. Interventions included staff teaching, clarifying of roles at morning meetings and the deployment of posters.ResultsIn cycle 1, 39% of orthopaedic referrals were inappropriately referred. By cycle 3, 0% of orthopaedic patients were inappropriately referred. Average time in department for patients referred to orthopaedics improved from 124 minutes to 88 minutes. Staff reported increased satisfaction, with appreciation for the clarification on referral criteria.ConclusionsThis QUIP demonstrates how simple interventions during times of crisis can solve complex organisational issues.

507 Clinical Impression of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) at initial Sleep Medicine (SM) consultation and its clinical correlates

Abstract Introduction EDS represents a cardinal symptom in SM. Use of subjective scales are prevalent, which have a modest correlation with the MSLT. While the Clinical Global Impression has been used in research, reports of clinical impression (CI) in medical practice are lacking. We report on the CI of EDS in a convenience sample of patients undergoing initial consultation. Methods Patients reported primary, secondary symptoms and completed the Sleep Wake Activity Inventory (SWAI) prior to Tele-Medicine consultation. A SM physician completed the assessment which included ascertainment of CI of EDS (presence S+ / absence S-). Results There were 39 ♂and 13 ♀. The CI identified 26 patients in each group (S+/S-). Age (52 [14]), BMI (33 [7]), reported time in bed, sleep time, sleep onset latency and # of awakenings did not differ. All identified a primary symptom (S-: 21, S+: 19 reported snoring or a previous Dx of OSA). Sleepiness as a 1ry or 2ry symptom was identified by 0 in the S- and by 13 in the S+ groups. Refreshing quality of sleep differed (χ2 &amp;lt;0.05): un-refreshing sleep was reported by 7 (S-) and by 13 (S+). Naps/week: 0.7 [1.5] and 1.57 [1.5] for the S-, S+ groups respectively (p&amp;lt;0.05). A main effect (p&amp;lt;0.01) was documented on the SWAI. We report on the Sleepiness [SS] and Energy Level [EL] scales (lower scores on the SS reflect higher sleepiness while lower scores on EL denote higher energy). Higher sleepiness (p&amp;lt;0.01) 43 [12] and lower energy levels 24 [6] (p&amp;lt;0.05) were documented on the S+ group (S- 61 [17], and 18 [6] respectively). Available spouse’s Epworth score on 29 patients: S- patients 5.8 [4] and S+ 10.2 [6] (p&amp;lt;0.05). Dx of OSA was identified among all but 1 in the S+ group. Also, Insomnia was diagnosed among 11 (S-) and 19 (S+) patients (p&amp;lt;0.05) despite only 3 and 7 (respectively) identifying it as a presenting symptom. Conclusion While snoring or previous Dx of OSA were prevalent motivations for consultation, sleepiness and insomnia were clinically relevant among a substantial number of patients. Unrefreshing sleep, daytime naps, lower energy, and higher sleepiness were ubiquitous among S+ patients. Support (if any):

689 Objective Assessment of Inpatient Sleep Patterns and Quality: A Pilot Study

Abstract Introduction Sleep disruption is common among hospitalized patients due to psychological, physiological, and environmental reasons including illness, pain, anxiety, invasive interventions, frequent monitoring, and stimuli, especially noise and light. The AASM has published guidelines for the use of actigraphy in the outpatient setting, but there is a paucity of literature evaluating the validity of actigraphy in inpatients. The aim of this study is to evaluate sleep in hospitalized general medicine patients undergoing sleep medicine consultation using actigraphy and qualitative surveys. Methods A single-site prospective study in hospitalized medicine patients. Patients were observed with a Fitbit® Charge3 wrist actigraphy device overnight, then administered 7 surveys: Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ), qualitative questionnaires assessing sleep history, sleep hygiene, barriers to sleep, STOP-BANG, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Patient-Health Questionniare-2 (PHQ-2). Actigraphy data including total sleep time, slow wave sleep time, and number of awakenings was compared with patient-reported data. Results In preliminary analysis, six patients met inclusion criteria and underwent sleep medicine consultation, overnight actigraphy, and completed 7 surveys. Based on subjective sleep history questionnaires, average total sleep time was 437 + 215 minutes. Actigraphy revealed average total sleep time was 228 + 80 minutes with an average of 3.6 nocturnal awakenings. Increased number of awakenings on actigraphy was not correlated with increased number of awakenings by survey. The most frequently reported barriers to sleep on patient surveys were pain and being woken up for labs or vital signs. The average STOP-BANG score was 6 out of 8 and average ESS was 14 out of 24. Conclusion Restorative sleep warrants consideration alongside complex medical care during hospitalization. Patients experience decreased total sleep time and increased number of awakenings while in the hospital compared with their subjective estimates of sleep at home. Actigraphy provides a non-invasive and reliable way to monitor some sleep parameters in the inpatient setting. An elevated STOP-BANG score could represent sleep disordered breathing and impact perceptions of sleep quality. Patient-identified barriers to sleep are targets for quality improvement. Future studies should compare inpatient actigraphy data to polysomnographic data and the effect of sleep-directed interventions on sleep quality in the hospital. Support (if any):

Clinical long-term consequences of thoraco-lumbar spine fracture and osteosynthesis

ObjectAlthough traumatic spine fractures can be treated by osteosynthesis, their long-term clinical, social, and familial consequences are less known. The aim of this study was to assess these global consequences to a very long-term (at least more than 12 years after the fracture). MethodsTwo groups, one composed of 30 patients operated for a thoracolumbar fracture by posterior fixation and one with 30 controls (who never had a spinal fracture) matched for age, sex, job and time of follow-up were studied. Patients and control subjects had to answer to 3 questionnaires: one about clinical, familial, and socio-professional changes, and 2 back pain (Dallas and Eifel) scales. ResultsThe mean patient follow-up was 14.5 years (from 12 to 18 years, sd 2.3) – control subjects, 15 years. The majority (56%) of the fractures occurred at T12/L1 level. At last follow-up, the chronic low back pain concerned 20 (66,7%) patients versus 11 (36.7%) control subjects (p=0.03); more patients (13 patients – 43.3%) consumed analgesics than control (5 persons – 16.6%) subjects (p=0.04). A large majority (13 patients, 57%) had sick leaves that exceeded 6 months. The loss of wage due to traumatism or chronic low back pain was also significant (p=0.002) between patients and matched controls over the period. At follow-up, the mean Eifel score for the whole patients’ cohort was significaty superior compared to control group (4.7 [sd 3.75] vs. 2.6 [sd 4.2], p=0.008). Dallas score was superior in the patient's group for the daily, work-leisure activities and sociability aspect (p<0.05). ConclusionChronic back pain, long sick leaves, changes in professional and familial life, the very long-term postoperative outcome of patients could be more difficult than expected in a majority of patients operated for thoracolumbar fracture. In order to facilitate the back to work and reduce these long-term consequences, we propose that guidelines about job resume in traumatic spinal fractures should be established along with early occupational medicine consultations. Level of evidenceIII; retrospective case control study.

Routine Postoperative Chemistry Panels Are Not Necessary for Most Total Joint Arthroplasty Patients.

The routine use of traditional chemistry-7 (chem-7) laboratory tests following total joint arthroplasty (TJA) has been called into question with the advent of short-stay procedures. Our objective was to determine the incidence, risk factors, and clinical interventions associated with inpatient abnormal routine postoperative chem-7 panels. From 2015 to 2017, 3,162 patients underwent a total of 3,721 TJA procedures, including primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) (n = 1,939; 52.1%) or primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) (n = 1,782; 47.9%). Patients underwent routine preoperative and postoperative chem-7 testing. Clinical interventions were identified. With use of mixed-effects multivariate logistic regression, potential risk factors for abnormal chemistry panel values (including preoperative chem-7 results, type of surgery, age, sex, race, comorbidities, American Society of Anesthesiologists [ASA] score, and medications) were analyzed. The rates of abnormal preoperative laboratory results were 3.4% for sodium (Na+), 7.4% for potassium (K+), 15.8% for blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and 26.4% for creatinine (Cr). The incidence of abnormal postoperative results was low for K+ (9.7%) and higher for Na+ (25.6%), BUN (55.6%), and Cr (27.9%). Preoperative abnormal laboratory results were a significant predictor of a postoperative abnormality for Na+ (odds ratio [OR] = 2.15; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.82 to 2.54), K+ (OR = 4.22; 95% CI = 3.03 to 5.88), and Cr (OR = 3.00; 95% CI = 2.45 to 3.68). Bilateral TJA was associated with increased odds of abnormal postoperative Na+ (OR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.44 to 1.68). Renal disease was associated with increased odds of abnormal postoperative Cr (OR = 15.21; 95% CI = 5.67 to 40.77). Patients taking loop diuretics had increased odds of abnormal postoperative K+ (OR = 2.10; 95% CI = 1.42 to 3.11) and Cr (OR = 2.28; 95% CI = 1.56 to 3.33). Regarding intervention, 6.7% of hypokalemic patients received potassium chloride (KCl) fluid/tablets. Forty percent of hyponatremic patients received sodium chloride (NaCl) fluid/tablets. The electrolyte-related medicine consultation rate was 0.3% (13 of 3,721). On the basis of our findings, we recommend postoperative chem-7 testing for patients with an abnormal preoperative laboratory result (Na+, K+, BUN, Cr), preexisting renal disease, bilateral TJA, and prescribed angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE), angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB), and diuretics. Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Frequency of Patient Complaints Before and After Legal Medicine Consultation in Orthopedic Ward

Background: Patient who complain of the health community are unpleasant and may endanger the honor of the medical community. However, patients’ complaints can improve the quality of medical services, increase the accuracy of the medical staff, and reduce diagnostic and treatment costs. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of patients’ complaints before and after legal medicine consultation in the orthopedic ward of Taleghani hospital in Tehran, Iran. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study investigated the frequency of the complaints of 460 patients before and after legal medicine consultation from spring 2011 to winter 2017. Data were analyzed by excel. Results: The results of this study showed that the frequency of complaints was lowest in spring and highest in fall. The number of complaints and frequencies also decreased over time compared with the previous year. The lowest number of complaints was in 2011 and the highest in 2013. Conclusion: In this study, performing legal medicine consultation in Taleghani hospital in Tehran, Iran reduced the number of registered complaints.

Knowledge of Medication Safety among Dentists in Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Pharmacology and Clinical Sciences,2021,10,1,28-33.DOI:10.5530/ijpcs.2021.10.5Published:March 2021Type:Research ArticleAuthors:Yousef Ahmed Alomi, Fouzia Abdul Karim Bukhary, Tawfik A. M. Khoja, and Rahmah Abdulilah Alsinan Author(s) affiliations:Yousef Ahmed Alomi*, BSc. Pharm, MSc. Clin Pharm, BCPS, BCNSP, DiBA, CDE, Critical Care Clinical Pharmacists, TPN Clinical Pharmacist, Freelancer Business Planner, Content Editor and Data Analyst, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Fouzia Abdul Karim Bukhary, BDS. King Abdul Aziz University, SBARD (MOH ) Consultant of Advanced Restorative Dentistry, MOH, Makkah, SAUDI ARABIA. Tawfik A. M. Khoja, Prof of Public Health – Imperial College – London, Family & Community Medicine Consultant, General Secretary of the Arab Hospital Federation, Deputy Chairperson of Arab Public Health Association, SAUDI ARABIA. Rahmah Abdulilah Alsinan, B.D.S, Ramclinics, East Province, SAUDI ARABIA Abstract:Objectives: The present study aimed to affirm the dentist’s knowledge of medication safety in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: It is an analysis of a cross-sectional survey that conferred dentists’ knowledge of medication safety in Saudi Arabia. Selfreported an electronic survey of dentists, comprising dentists from internship to the consultant, dental specialisms in Saudi Arabia. The survey contained respondents’ demographic information about dentists and knowledge information of designated medication safety elements, and the resources of knowledge of medication safety elements in dental care. The 5-point Likert response scale system was employed with closed-ended questions. The data analysis of the dentist’s knowledge of medication safety is completed through the survey monkey system. The statistical package of social sciences (SPSS), Jeffery’s Amazing Statistics Program (JASP), and Microsoft excel sheet (version 16) were used in the study. Results: The total number of responding dentists was 242, with the mainstream of them coming from the central region 95 (39.26%) with statistically substantial among the areas (p<0.05). Of those, 144 (59.75%) were male, while 97 (40.25%) were female, with statistically significant between them (p<0.05). The total average scores of dentist knowledge of medication safety in dental care were 2.78 with high scores element, knowledge of the high alert medication in dental care was 3.48, consider the Medication Errors (MEs) as a sentinel event (3.25), and familiar with medications reconciliation in dental care (3.23). The most resources employed for medication safety for dental care were health practitioners [129 (54.20%)] and scientific literature [118 (49.58%)]. The reliability test was evaluated in McDonald’s ω (0.955) and Cronbach alpha (0.955). Conclusion: The dentist’s knowledge of medication safety was insufficient in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Targeting training and education of dental medication safety during undergraduate and postgraduates school of dentistry is highly suggested to improve patient’s safety in dental care in Saudi Arabia. Keywords:Dentists, Experiences, Knowledge, Medication safety, Saudi ArabiaView:PDF (215.63 KB) PDFClick here to download the PDF file. Images Knowledge of Medication Safety among Dentists in Saudi Arabia

Effects of an acute care brain injury medicine continuity consultation service on health care utilization and rehabilitation outcomes.

Although general physiatry acute-care consultation services are commonplace and improve length of stay (LOS), the benefits of a subspecialty physiatric continuity consultation service targeting patients with severe brain injury have not been reported. Our primary objective was to characterize patient care recommendations from a Brain Injury Medicine (BIM) Continuity Consult Service, and to investigate the effects on acute-care LOS relative to brain injury patients receiving General Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) Consult Services. Our secondary objectives were to examine inpatient rehabilitation (IPR) health care utilization metrics and costs between groups and evaluate clinical improvements during IPR and discharge disposition. Retrospective cohort comparison study. Academic medical center with level 1 trauma center. Adults with severe brain injury admitted to a single-site acute-care facility and subsequently admitted to a single inpatient brain injury rehabilitation unit over the same time period. BIM Continuity Consult Service versus General PM&R Consult Service. Acute-care LOS; unplanned discharges to acute-care. Despite no major demographic or clinical group differences, the BIM Consult Service had more patient comorbidities than General PM&R Consult Service (17.5±5.3 versus 16±5.1;P=.04). BIM Consult Service patients spent fewer days in acute care (30±11.8 versus 36±22.8; P=.008), and early BIM consult (≤7 days after admission) was associated with shorter acute-care LOS (P < .002). IPR LOS was similar between groups when considering unplanned transfers. Unplanned transfers among General PM&R Consult Service patients occurred twice as frequently as in BIM Consult Service patients; average readmission costs were $2778 per patient on the BIM Consult Service and $6702 per patient on the General PM&R Consult Service. More BIM Consult Service (85.7%) than General PM&R Consult Service (27.3%) patients emerged from disorders of consciousness during IPR (P=.02). BIM Continuity Consultation Services were associated with shorter acute-care LOS, fewer unplanned acute-care transfers, and an increased likelihood of emerging from a minimally conscious state during IPR.