Pneumonia In Emergency Department Research Articles

Impact of measuring pneumonia severity index (PSI) in the management of community acquired pneumonia in Emergency Department

Impact of measuring pneumonia severity index (PSI) in the management of community acquired pneumonia in Emergency Department

Sarcopenia measured with paraspinous muscle using computed tomography for predicting prognosis in elderly pneumonia patients

Background: In the elderly, diagnostic findings of pneumonia are often atypical. Computed tomography was recommended for the diagnosis of pneumonia in elderly patients. Recently, the usage of computed tomography as a screening tool for pneumonia in emergency departments has increased. Sarcopenia is defined as the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength with aging. In this study, the association between sarcopenia and prognosis measured through computed tomography was evaluated compared to CURB-65. Methods: This study was conducted on patients diagnosed with pneumonia through computed tomography from 1 March 2018 to 31 March 2020. The paraspinous muscle size and attenuation were measured at a level located at the T12 pedicle level on axial computed tomography images. Paraspinous muscle size was presented as paraspinous muscle index. Differences in the prognostic performance among the paraspinous muscle size and attenuation, and CURB-65 were evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: A total of 509 patients were included and 132 patients (25.9%) were admitted to the ICU, and 58 patients (11.4%) died in hospital. Paraspinous muscle index was the significant factor for predicting in-hospital mortality and ICU admission. The area under the receiver operating characteristic value of paraspinous muscle index for prediction of mortality was 0.738 and CURB-65 was 0.707. The area under the receiver operating characteristic of paraspinous muscle index and CURB-65 for predicting ICU admission were 0.766 and 0.704, respectively. Conclusion: As a method of measuring sarcopenia, paraspinous muscle index was superior to CURB-65 in elderly pneumonia patients. The use of computed tomography in predicting prognosis for elderly pneumonia patients will ease the economic burden.

COVID-19 Pneumonia: The Great Ultrasonography Mimicker.

The pandemic spread of the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has raised the necessity to identify an appropriate imaging method for early diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Chest computed tomography (CT) has been regarded as the mainstay of imaging evaluation for pulmonary involvement in the early phase of the pandemic. However, due to the poor specificity of the radiological pattern and the disruption of radiology centers' functionality linked to an excessive demand for exams, the American College of Radiology has advised against CT use for screening purposes. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a point-of-care imaging tool that is quickly available and easy to disinfect. These advantages have determined a “pandemic” increase of its use for early detection of COVID-19 pneumonia in emergency departments. However, LUS findings in COVID-19 patients are even less specific than those detectable on CT scans. The scope of this perspective article is to discuss the great number of diseases and pathologic conditions that may mimic COVID-19 pneumonia on LUS examination.

Prognostic Prediction Value of qSOFA, SOFA, and Admission Lactate in Septic Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Emergency Department.

Background Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of sepsis and common presentation to emergency department (ED) with a high mortality rate. The prognostic prediction value of sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and quick SOFA (qSOFA) scores in CAP in ED has not been validated in detail. The aim of this research is to investigate the prognostic prediction value of SOFA, qSOFA, and admission lactate compared with that of other commonly used severity scores (CURB65, CRB65, and PSI) in septic patients with CAP in ED. Methods Adult septic patients with CAP admitted between Jan. 2017 and Jan. 2019 with increased admission SOFA ≥ 2 from baseline were enrolled. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. The secondary outcome included intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, and vasopressor use. Prognostic prediction performance of the parameters above was compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were compared using optimal cutoff values of qSOFA and admission lactate. Results Among the 336 enrolled septic patients with CAP, 89 patients died and 247 patients survived after 28-day follow-up. The CURB65, CRB65, PSI, SOFA, qSOFA, and admission lactate levels were statistically significantly higher in the death group (P < 0.001). qSOFA and SOFA were superior and the combination of qSOFA + lactate and SOFA + lactate outperformed other combinations of severity score and admission lactate in predicting both primary and secondary outcomes. Patients with admission qSOFA < 2 or lactate ≤ 2 mmol/L showed significantly prolonged survival than those patients with qSOFA ≥ 2 or lactate > 2 mmol/L (log-rank χ2 = 59.825, P < 0.001). The prognostic prediction performance of the combination of qSOFA and admission lactate was comparable to the full version of SOFA (AUROC 0.833 vs. 0.795, Z = 1.378, P=0.168 in predicting 28-day mortality; AUROC 0.868 vs. 0.895, Z = 1.022, P=0.307 in predicting ICU admission; AUROC 0.868 vs. 0.845, Z = 0.921, P=0.357 in predicting mechanical ventilation; AUROC 0.875 vs. 0.821, Z = 2.12, P=0.034 in predicting vasopressor use). Conclusion qSOFA and SOFA were superior to CURB65, CRB65, and PSI in predicting 28-day mortality, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and vasopressor use for septic patients with CAP in ED. Admission qSOFA with lactate is a convenient and useful predictor. Admission qSOFA ≥ 2 or lactate > 2 mmol/L would be very helpful in discriminating high-risk patients with a higher mortality rate.

Trends in Chest Radiographs for Pneumonia in Emergency Departments.

National guidelines recommend against routine use of chest radiography (CXR) for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) diagnosis in the pediatric emergency department (ED). Given that CXR is often used to exclude the diagnosis of CAP, a reduction in CXR use may result in overdiagnosis of CAP. We sought to evaluate trends in CXR use and assess the association between CXR performance and CAP diagnosis among children discharged from pediatric EDs. Children 3 months to 18 years of age discharged from 30 US EDs with (1) CAP or (2) fever or respiratory illness between 2008 and 2018 were included. Temporal trends in CXR use and rates of CAP diagnoses among patients with fever or respiratory illness were assessed. Correlation between hospital-level CXR use and CAP diagnosis rates were evaluated by using Spearman's correlation weighted by hospital volume. CXR usage decreased from 86.6% to 80.4% (P < .001) for patients with CAP and from 30.4% to 18.6% (P < .001) for children with fever or respiratory illness over the 10-year study period. CAP diagnosis rates also declined from 7.8% to 5.9% (P < .001). Hospital-level CXR use was correlated with pneumonia diagnosis rates (correlation coefficient 0.58; P < .001). Over the past decade, there has been a decline in CXR use in the ED among children with pneumonia and respiratory illnesses, with a decrease in pneumonia diagnoses over the same time period. Future studies are needed to assess the role of CXR in the evaluation of children with possible pneumonia in the ED setting.

Comparison of pneumonia severity scores for patients diagnosed with pneumonia in emergency department.

Background & objectives:Sepsis due to pneumonia or pneumonia itself is one of the main causes of deaths in patients despite the advanced treatment methods. The optimal prognostic tool in pneumonia is still not clear. This study was aimed to compare the pneumonia severity scores and the possibility of using the new scores in patients who were diagnosed with pneumonia in the emergency department.Methods:Demographic data, laboratory and imaging results, confusion, elevated blood urea nitrogen, respiratory rate and blood pressure plus age ≥65 yr (CURB-65), pneumonia severity index (PSI), national early warning score (NEWS), NEWS-lactate (NEWS-L) scores, hospitalization, referral, discharge and 30-day mortality of patients who were diagnosed with pneumonia in emergency department were recorded.Results:A total of 250 patients were included in the study. The most successful score in predicted mortality was found to be NEWS-L. This was followed by NEWS, CURB-65 and PSI, respectively. Most successful scores in anticipation of admission to the intensive care unit were NEWS-L followed by NEWS. This was followed by CURB-65 and PSI scores, respectively. The most successful score in anticipation of hospital admission was NEWS-L, followed by NEWS, CURB-65 and PSI, respectively. There was a significant difference between all pneumonia severity scores of the patients who died and survived within 30 days. There was a significant difference between the scores of patients in intensive care unit (ICU) and service, compared to non-ICU patients.Interpretation & conclusions:NEWS-L score was found to be the most successful score in predicting mortality, ICU admission and hospitalization requirement. Both NEWS-L and NEWS scores can be used in determining the mortality, need for hospitalization and intensive care of the patients with pneumonia in the emergency department.

The impact of first Timing of antibiotics for community acquired pneumonia in emergency department

Background and objective: For patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), reported associations between timing of the first dose of antibiotics and short-term mortality are inconsistent. To reduce the risks of antibiotic overuse in the emergency department, this summary of the relevant literature identified patients with CAP who benefit most from early antibiotic administration. Methods: A PubMed and Google Scholar search was performed for articles concerning the epidemiology, prognosis, diagnosis, and preliminary management of CAP. Results: Duplicate studies were eliminated and 370 citations were screened. Finally, 16 studies met the eligibility criteria. The review found that, in the presence of sepsis, antibiotics should not be delayed but administered as soon as possible. For patients with moderate-to-severe symptoms, antibiotics should be administered if a diagnosis of CAP is highly likely. For stable, non-critically ill patients with CAP, the timing of antibiotics remains unclear, but available evidence does not indicate strict requirements. For best quality of care, antibiotic timing whether rapid or delayed depends on the clinical situation. Conclusions: In suspected cases of pneumonia presenting in the emergency department, starting antibiotics early solely to conform to dogmatic guidelines within a rigid timeframe has led to unnecessary antibiotic treatment of uninfected patients, while the outcomes of patients with pneumonia have not improved. Since severity of illness is the key factor associated with poor outcomes in pneumonia, the timing of initial antibiotic treatment should be guided by the severity of symptoms.

Outcome prediction value of National Early Warning Score in septic patients with community-acquired pneumonia in emergency department: A single-center retrospective cohort study.

To evaluate the accuracy of National Early Warning Score (NEWS) in predicting clinical outcomes (28-day mortality, intensive care unit [ICU] admission, and mechanical ventilation use) for septic patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) compared with other commonly used severity scores (CURB65, Pneumonia Severity Index [PSI], Sequential Organ Failure Assessment [SOFA], quick SOFA [qSOFA], and Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis [MEDS]) and admission lactate level. Adult patients diagnosed with CAP admitted between January 2017 and May 2019 with admission SOFA ≥2 from baseline were enrolled. Demographic characteristics were collected. The primary outcome was the 28-day mortality after admission, and the secondary outcome included ICU admission and mechanical ventilation use. Outcome prediction value of parameters above was compared using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves. Cox regression analyses were carried out to determine the risk factors for the 28-day mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted and compared using optimal cut-off values of qSOFA and NEWS. Among the 340 enrolled patients, 90 patients were dead after a 28-day follow-up, 62 patients were admitted to ICU, and 84 patients underwent mechanical ventilation. Among single predictors, NEWS achieved the largest area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve in predicting the 28-day mortality (0.861), ICU admission (0.895), and use of mechanical ventilation (0.873). NEWS+lactate, similar to MEDS+lactate, outperformed other combinations of severity score and admission lactate in predicting the 28-day mortality (AUROC 0.866) and ICU admission (AUROC 0.905), while NEWS+lactate did not outperform other combinations in predicting mechanical ventilation (AUROC 0.886). Admission lactate only improved the predicting performance of CURB65 and qSOFA in predicting the 28-day mortality and ICU admission. NEWS could be a valuable predictor in septic patients with CAP in emergency departments. Admission lactate did not predict well the outcomes or improve the severity scores. A qSOFA ≥2 and a NEWS ≥9 were strongly associated with the 28-day mortality, ICU admission, and mechanical ventilation of septic patients with CAP in the emergency departments.

Comparison of emergency chest ultrasound with radiography in the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia in Emergency Department

Comparison of emergency chest ultrasound with radiography in the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia in Emergency Department

Lung ultrasonography versus chest radiography for the diagnosis of pediatric community acquired pneumonia in emergency department: a meta-analysis.

Pediatric community acquired pneumonia (pCAP) is a major public health and economic problem with a considerable impact on morbidity and mortality in children. Recently many studies and meta-analyses have shown promising results on the accuracy of lung ultrasonography (LU) in diagnosing pneumonia and potentially replacing chest radiography (CR) in pediatric population. However, previous studies establishing the accuracy of LU often used CR as reference standard and took into account different clinical settings all together. To make a more objective and specific analysis, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the diagnostic accuracy of LU and CR for pCAP in the emergency department (ED) setting. A literature search of PubMed and Embase databases up to December 2018 was conducted. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio of LU and CR were calculated, and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves were drawn. A total of six studies, which included 575 pCAPs from 701 patients, were finally analyzed. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratios of LU were 96.7%, 87.3%, 8.10, 0.05, 256.68, while they were 89.7%, 93.7%, 9.97, 0.12, 175.07 for CR, respectively. The area under the SROC curves in diagnosing pCAP in the ED setting were 0.99 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.98-1.00] and 0.97 (95% CI, 0.95-1.00) for LU and CR, respectively. Our meta-analysis suggests that LU is an accurate tool in the diagnosis of pCAP in the ED setting with a superior sensitivity over CR.

Stratified and prognostic value of admission lactate and severity scores in patients with community-acquired pneumonia in emergency department: A single-center retrospective cohort study.

Background:Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a potentially life-threatening condition. The aim of this study is to investigate the stratified and prognostic value of admission lactate and severity scores (confusion, urea >7 mmol/L, respiratory rate ≥30/min, blood pressure <90 mm Hg systolic and/or ≤60 mm Hg diastolic, and age ≥65 years [CURB65], pneumonia severity index [PSI], sequential organ failure assessment [SOFA], qSOFA) in patients with CAP in emergency department.Methods:Adult patients diagnosed with CAP admitted between January 2017 and January 2019 were enrolled and divided into severe CAP (SCAP) group and nonSCAP (NSCAP) group according to international guidelines, death group, and survival group according to 28-day prognosis. Predicting performance of parameters above was compared using receiver operating characteristic curves and logistic regression model. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to identify variables independently associated with 28-day mortality.Results:A total of 350 patients with CAP were enrolled. About 196 patients were classified as SCAP and 74 patients died after a 28-day follow-up. The levels of CURB65, PSI, SOFA, qSOFA, and admission lactate were higher in the SCAP group and death group. SOFA showed advantage in predicting SCAP, while qSOFA is superior in predicting 28-day mortality. The combination of SOFA and admission lactate outperformed other combinations in predicting SCAP, and the combination of qSOFA and lactate showed highest superiority over other combinations in predicting 28-day mortality.Conclusion:The SOFA is a valuable predictor for SCAP and qSOFA is superior in predicting 28-day mortality. Combination of qSOFA and admission lactate can improve the predicting performance of single qSOFA.

Rational Use of CT-Scan for the Diagnosis of Pneumonia: Comparative Accuracy of Different Strategies.

Diagnosing pneumonia in emergency departments is challenging because the accuracy of symptoms, signs and laboratory tests is limited. As a confirmation test, chest X-ray has significant limitations and is outperformed by CT-scan. However, obtaining a CT-scan in all cases of suspected pneumonia has significant drawbacks. We used a cohort of 200 consecutive elderly patients admitted to the hospital for suspected pneumonia to build a simple prediction score, which was used to determine indication for performing a CT-scan. The reference diagnosis was adjudicated by experts considering all available data, including evolution until discharge and CT scan in all patients. Results were externally validated in a second cohort of 319 patients. Pneumonia was confirmed in 133 patients (67%). Area under the receiver operator curve (AUROC) of physician evaluation was 0.55 (0.46–0.64). The score incorporated four variables independently predicting confirmed pneumonia: male gender, acute cough, C-reactive protein >70 mg/L, and urea <7 mmol/L. AUROC of the score was 0.68 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60–0.76). When a CT-scan was obtained for patients at low or intermediate predicted risk (108 patients, 54% of the cohort), AUROC was 0.71 (0.63–0.80) and 0.69 (0.64–0.74) in the derivation and validation cohort, respectively. A simple prediction score for pneumonia had moderate accuracy and could guide the performance of a CT-scan.

Risk stratification and prediction value of procalcitonin and clinical severity scores for community-acquired pneumonia in ED

ObjectiveCommunity-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common presentation to the emergency department (ED) and has high mortality rates. The aim of our study is to investigate the risk stratification and prognostic prediction value of precalcitonin (PCT) and clinical severity scores on patients with CAP in ED. Methods226 consecutive adult patients with CAP admitted in ED of a tertiary teaching hospital were enrolled. Demographic information and clinical parameters including PCT levels were analyzed. CURB65, PSI, SOFA and qSOFA scores were calculated and compared between the severe CAP (SCAP) and non-severe CAP (NSCAP) group or the death and survival group. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves for 28-day mortality were calculated for each predictor using cut-off values. Logistic regression models and area under the curve (AUC) analysis were performed to compare the performance of predictors. ResultsFifty-one patients were classified as SCAP and forty-nine patients died within 28days. There was significant difference between either SCAP and NSCAP group or death and survival group in PCT level and CURB65, PSI, SOFA, qSOFA scores (p < 0.001). The AUCs of the PCT and CURB65, PSI, SOFA and qSOFA in predicting SCAP were 0.875, 0.805, 0.810, 0.852 and 0.724, respectively. PCT is superior in predicting SCAP and the models combining PCT and SOFA demonstrated superior performance to those of PCT or the CAP severity score alone. The AUCs of the PCT and CURB65, PSI, SOFA and qSOFA in predicting 28-day mortality were 0.822, 0.829, 0.813, 0.913 and 0.717, respectively. SOFA achieved the highest AUC and the combination of PCT and SOFA had the highest superiority over other combinations in predicting 28-day mortality. ConclusionSerum PCT is a valuable single predictor for SCAP. SOFA is superior in prediction of 28-day mortality. Combination of PCT and SOFA could improve the performance of single predictors. More further studies with larger sample size are warranted to validate our results.

The Association of qSOFA, SOFA, and SIRS with Mortality in Emergency Department Pneumonia

Objective: To determine the association between 30-day mortality with Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), and quick SOFA (qSOFA) in emergency department patients with pneumonia. Secondary outcomes included the association of sepsis scores with hospital admission and direct ICU admission.

Evaulation of PSİ and CURB-65 scoring systems which patients were diagnosed as community-acquired pneumonia in emergency department

Amac: Bu calismadaki amacimiz, hastanemiz acil servisine basvuran toplum kokenli pno moni tan ili hastalarda, pnomoni ciddiyet indeksi (PSI) ve CURB-65 pnomoni skorlama sistemlerinin hastaneye yatis ya da taburculuk acisindan uygunluklarinin karsilastirilmasidir. Yontem: Bu retrospektif calismaya Haziran 2013-Haziran 2014 tarihleri arasinda acil servise bas vuran ve pno moni tanisi alan 150 olgu dahil edildi. Olgulari n demografik ozellikleri, klinik, radyolojik ve laboratuar bulgulari kayit edildi. Tum olgular PSI ve CURB-65 skorlamasina gore gruplandirildi ve hastaneye yatis ya da taburculuk acisindan uygunluklari incelendi. Bulgular: Calismaya yas ortalamalari 69.15 ± 13.34 (min: 19; max: 92) olan 47 (%31.3) kadin, 103 (%68.7) erkek, toplam 150 olgu dahil edildi. Toplam 109 olguda CURB-65 ile PSI arasinda yatarak tedavi gerekliligi acisindan uyumluluk mevcuttu (κ=0,602, p<0,001). Yogun bakim yatis olasiligi ele alindiginda, PSI, CURB-65 ’ e gore daha anlamli bulundu (p=0,011, p=0,045, p<0, 05). Sonuc: Guncel pratikte kullanilmakta olan iki pno moni ag irlik gruplamasinin (CURB- 65, PSI) hastaneye yatarak tedavi endikasyonunu degerlendirmek acisindan birbirleri ile korele oldugu goruldu . CURB-65, deg erlendirme kriterlerinin az olmasi ve bunlarin birinci basamak merkezlerde dahi kolaylikla uygulanabilecek kriterler olmasi nedeni ile pnomoni olgularinda yatarak tedavi gereklilig ini deg erlendirmede tercih edilecek yontem olabilir.

Influence of the adequacy of data collection, during two years, in the management of community acquired pneumonia in emergency departments

Objective. The aim of this study was to analyze whether structured data collec-tion of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the Emergency De-partment (ED) improves compliance with clinical guidelines regarding inpatient and outpatient treatment and prescription of antibiotics at discharge.&nbsp;Material and methods. We performed a quasi experimental, multicenter, pre/post-intervention study. The intervention con-sisted of basic training for the participat-ing physicians and the incorporation of a data collection sheet in the clinical history chart, including the information neces-sary for adequate decision making re-garding patient admission and treatment, in the case of discharge. We analyzed the adequacy of the final destination of pa-tients classified as Fine I-II and antibiotic treatment in patients receiving outpatient treatment, with each participating physi-cian including 8 consecutive patients (4 pre-intervention and 4 post-intervention). Results. A total of 738 patients were in-cluded: 378 pre-intervention and 360 post-intervention. In the pre-intervention group, Fine V was more frequent and pa-tients were older, had more ischemic heart disease, active neoplasms and fewer risk factors for atypical pneumonia. Of the patients with Fine I-II, 23.7% were in-adequately admitted and 19.6% of those discharged received treatment not rec-ommended by guidelines. No differences were observed in the target variables be-tween the two groups.&nbsp;Conclusion. The adequacy of the decision to admit patients with Fine I-II CAP and outpatient antibiotic treatment can be im-proved in the ED. Structured data collec-tion does not improve patient outcome.&nbsp

Lung ultrasound for diagnosis of pneumonia in emergency department.

Lung ultrasound (LUS) in the emergency department (ED) has shown a significant role in the diagnostic workup of pulmonary edema, pneumothorax and pleural effusions. The aim of this study is to assess the reliability of LUS for the diagnosis of acute pneumonia compared to chest X-ray (CXR) study. The study was conducted from September 2013 to March 2015. 107 patients were admitted to the ED with a clinical appearance of pneumonia. All the patients underwent a CXR study, read by a radiologist, and an LUS, performed by a trained ED physician on duty. Among the 105 patients, 68 were given a final diagnosis of pneumonia. We found a sensitivity of 0.985 and a specificity of 0.649 for LUS, and a sensitivity of 0.735 and specificity of 0.595 for CXR. The positive predictive value for LUS was 0.838 against 0.7 for CXR. The negative predictive value of LUS was 0.960 versus 0.550 for CXR. This study has shown sensitivity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of LUS compared to the CXR study for the diagnosis of acute pneumonia. These results suggest the use of bedside thoracic US first-line diagnostic tool in patients with suspected pneumonia.

The prognostic and risk-stratified value of heart-type fatty-acid-binding protein in community acquired pneumonia in emergency department.

Objective. To evaluate the prognostic and risk stratified ability of heart-type fatty-acid-binding protein (H-FABP) in patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in emergency department (ED) and to compare it with Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) and CURB-65. Methods. Consecutive adult CAP patients admitted to the ED of Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital were enrolled. Circulating H-FABP and troponin I were measured. PSI and CURB-65 were calculated in all patients. The differences in 28-day mortality and requirement for mechanical ventilation (MV) or a vasopressor within 6 h after ED arrival were compared in patients with positive H-FABP (≥7 ng/mL) and negative ones (<7 ng/mL). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and logistic regression were used to assess the predictive value of H-FABP. Results. From August to November 2012, 229 CAP patients were enrolled. The 28-day mortality, PSI, CURB-65, and incidence of using MV or a vasopressor were much higher in H-FABP-positive patients than in negative ones (P < 0.01). H-FABP was an independent predictor of the 28-day mortality. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of H-FABP was 0.751. Combination of H-FABP and CURB-65 (AUC = 0.824) or H-FABP and PSI (AUC = 0.820) improved their prognostic performance. Conclusions. H-FABP was valuable for prognosis and risk stratification in CAP patients in ED.

Differentiation of acute decompensated heart failure and pneumonia in emergency department

Differentiation of acute decompensated heart failure and pneumonia in emergency department

Study of automated acid-base mapping on diagnose and treatment of community acquired pneumonia in emergency department

To analyze the value of automated acid-base mapping on diagnose and treatment of patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in emergency department. According to medical history, pulmonary function test, diagnosing guideline of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 111 patients with CAP were divided into two groups: single CAP group (n=56) and COPD complicated with CAP group [acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) group, n=55]. After enquiring medical history, arterial blood samples were drawn for blood gas analysis and automated acid-base mapping was analyzed. Arterial blood gas analysis showed arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure (PaCO(2)), HCO(3)(-), base excess of AECOPD group were obviously higher than those in CAP group (PaCO(2): 7.714±2.414 kPa vs. 5.896±1.308 kPa, HCO(3)(-): 30.767±7.185 mmol/L vs. 25.014±3.043 mmol/L, BE: 4.345±5.371 mmol/L vs. -0.354±3.180 mmol/L, all P<0.01). Automated acid-base mapping showed acid-base disturbance of AECOPD group was 89.1% and CAP group was 66.1%. Chi-square analysis were done for patients of normal (10.9%, 33.9%), acute respiratory acidosis (12.7%, 14.3%), chronic respiratory acidosis (49.1%, 10.7%), respiratory alkalosis (7.3%, 14.3%), metabolic acidosis (12.7%, 17.9%), metabolic alkalosis (12.7%, 8.9%) between AECOPD group and CAP group, and statistical significance was found between AECOPD group and single CAP group (χ (2)=24.421, P=0.001). Advanced Chi-square analysis for patients of normal, acute respiratory acidosis, respiratory alkalosis, metabolic acidosis, metabolic alkalosis were done and showed no statistical difference (χ (2)=5.280, P=0.260). It is indicated chronic respiratory acidosis occurrences rate in AECOPD patients was higher than single CAP patients. Our study demonstrated that automated acid-base mapping may be helpful for emergency physician to rapidly recognize multi-acid-base disturbance in patients with CAP, and to promptly identify acute or chronic phase of respiratory disease.