Study objective Excessive radiation exposure remains a concern for patients with symptoms suggesting acute coronary syndrome and pulmonary embolism but must be judged in the perspective of pretest ...probability and outcomes. We quantify and qualify the pretest probability, outcomes, and radiation exposure of adults with both chest pain and dyspnea. Methods This was a prospective, 4-center, outcomes study. Patients were adults with dyspnea and chest pain, nondiagnostic ECGs, and no obvious diagnosis. Pretest probability for both acute coronary syndrome and pulmonary embolism was assessed with a validated method; ultralow risk was defined as pretest probability less than 2.5% for both acute coronary syndrome and pulmonary embolism. Patients were followed for diagnosis and total medical radiation exposure for 90 days. Results Eight hundred forty patients had complete data; 23 (3%) had acute coronary syndrome and 15 (2%) had pulmonary embolism. The cohort received an average of 4.9 mSv radiation to the chest, 48% from computed tomography pulmonary angiography. The pretest probability estimates for acute coronary syndrome and pulmonary embolism were less than 2.5% in 227 patients (27%), of whom 0 of 277 (0%; 95% confidence interval 0% to 1.7%) had acute coronary syndrome or pulmonary embolism and 7 of 227 (3%) had any significant cardiopulmonary diagnosis. The estimated chest radiation exposure per patient in this ultralow-risk group was 3.5 mSv, including 26 (3%) with greater than 5 mSv radiation to the chest and no significant cardiopulmonary diagnosis. Conclusion One quarter of patients with chest pain and dyspnea had ultralow risk and no acute coronary syndrome or pulmonary embolism but were exposed to an average of 3.5 mSv radiation to the chest. These data can be used in a clinical guideline to reduce radiation exposure.
Abstract Background Early treatment of sepsis in Emergency Department (ED) patients has lead to improved outcomes, making early identification of the disease essential. The presence of systemic ...inflammatory response criteria aids in recognition of infection, although the reliability of these markers is variable. Study Objective This study aims to quantify the ability of abnormal temperature, white blood cell (WBC) count, and bandemia to identify bacteremia in ED patients with suspected infection. Methods This was a post hoc analysis of data collected for a prospective, observational, cohort study. Consecutive adult (age ≥ 18 years) patients who presented to the ED of a tertiary care center between February 1, 2000 and February 1, 2001 and had blood cultures obtained in the ED or within 3 h of admission were enrolled. Patients with bacteremia were identified and charts were reviewed for presence of normal temperature (36.1–38°C/97–100.4°F), normal WBC (4–12 K/μL), and presence of bandemia (> 5% of WBC differential). Results There were 3563 patients enrolled; 289 patients (8.1%) had positive blood cultures. Among patients with positive blood cultures, 33% had a normal body temperature and 52% had a normal WBC count. Bandemia was present in 80% of culture-positive patients with a normal temperature and 79% of culture-positive patients with a normal WBC count. Fifty-two (17.4%) patients with positive blood cultures had neither an abnormal temperature nor an abnormal WBC. Conclusion A significant percentage of ED patients with blood culture-proven bacteremia have a normal temperature and WBC count upon presentation. Bandemia may be a useful clue for identifying occult bacteremia.
Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study is to compare the impact of older age and nursing home residence on the incidence and morbidity of severe sepsis. Materials and Methods This was a ...retrospective analysis of 19 460 emergency department visits from the 2005 to 2009 National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys with diagnosis of infection with or without severe sepsis (acute organ dysfunction). Clinical outcomes included intensive care unit (ICU) admission, hospital length of stay (LOS), and in-hospital mortality. Results Older adults (age ≥ 65 years) were 5-fold more likely to have infections classified as severe sepsis than younger adults (6.5% vs 1.3%), and nursing home residents were 7-fold more likely to have a severe sepsis diagnosis compared with nonnursing home residents (14% vs 1.9%). Among visits for severe sepsis, older adults, compared with younger adults, had modestly higher rates of ICU admission (27% vs 21%), hospital LOS (median, 6 vs 5 days), and in-hospital mortality (24% vs 16%). Nursing home residents with severe sepsis, compared with nonnursing home residents, had significantly higher rates of ICU admission (40% vs 21%), hospital LOS (median, 7 vs 5 days), and in-hospital mortality (37% vs 15%). Conclusions Older adults and particularly nursing home residents have a disproportionately high incidence of and morbidity from severe sepsis.
Abstract Background Previous research on the management of hyperglycemia in patients with sepsis has focused primarily on those with established organ failure in the critical care setting. The impact ...of hyperglycemia and glycemic control in patients with infection before developing severe sepsis or shock remains undefined. Methods This observational, prospective, cohort study investigated the relationship between initial 72-hour time-weighted mean glucose concentrations and in-hospital mortality, intensive care unit transfer, and hospital length of stay in a cohort of patients with an acute infection who were admitted from the emergency department to a non-intensive care unit hospital ward. We used multivariate regression models adjusted for age, diabetes, and disease severity. Results A total of 1849 patients were included, of whom 29% had diabetes. In the 1310 nondiabetic patients, we observed hyperglycemia using time-weighted glucose concentrations: 121 to 150 mg/dL (n = 204, 16%), 151 to 180 mg/dL (n = 32, 2.4%), and greater than 180 mg/dL (n = 21, 1.6%). Insulin treatment was infrequent in nondiabetic patients, with 9%, 13%, and 29% of nondiabetic patients in these ranges receiving insulin, respectively. As patient glucose values increased, in-hospital mortality increased in nondiabetic patients, with odds ratios (ORs) of 4.4 (95% confidence interval CI, 1.8-11), 10.0 (95% CI, 2.5-40), and 9.3 (95% CI, 1.9-44.0). Conversely, hyperglycemia did not confer an increased risk of adverse outcomes in diabetic patients. Likewise, increased risk for unplanned intensive care unit admission from the floor demonstrated ORs of 2.2 (95% CI, 1.1-4.3), 2.0 (95% CI, 0.45-8.9), and 6.3 (95% CI, 1.9-20.6) in nondiabetic patients, whereas no increased risk was found in diabetic patients. Conclusions In this cohort of acutely infected patients without established severe sepsis or shock, higher glucose concentrations within the first 72 hours in the nondiabetic population were associated with worse hospital outcomes and were less likely to be treated with insulin compared with diabetic patients.
Abstract Purpose We investigated the reproducibility of passive leg raise (PLR) and fluid bolus (BOLUS) using the Non-Invasive Cardiac Output Monitor (NICOM; Cheetah Medical, Tel Aviv, Israel) for ...assessment of fluid responsiveness (FR) in spontaneously breathing emergency department (ED) patients. Methods Prospective, observational study of a convenience sample of adult ED patients receiving intravenous fluid bolus. We assessed stroke volume (SV) using NICOM and obtained results from PLR, where the head of the bed was changed from semirecumbent to supine while the patients' legs raised to 45° for 3 minutes. Fluid bolus was defined as 5 mL/kg normal saline infusion. Maximal increase in SV was recorded. Fluid responsiveness was defined as an increase of SV greater than 10% from baseline. We obtained 4 consecutive responses for each patient; PLR1, PLR2, BOLUS1 separated each by 10 minutes, and BOLUS2 initiated immediately after the end of BOLUS1. We calculated κ statistics, correlation coefficients, and odds ratios with 95% confidence interval and Bland-Altman plots. Results We enrolled 109 patients enrolled in this study. The 2 PLRs were significantly correlated ( r = 0.78, P < .001) with κ = 0.46 for FR ( P < .001). The 2 BOLUSES less strongly correlated ( r = 0.14, P = .001) and κ = 0.06 for FR ( P < .001). Patients who were responsive to PLR1 had 9.5 (3.6-25) odds of being FR for PLR2, whereas those responsive to BOLUS1 had a 1.8 (0.76-4.3) increased odds of FR for BOLUS2. Conclusion In conclusion, we have found PLR as measured by the NICOM to be a promising tool for the evaluation of SV responsiveness. It was feasible for use in the ED, and the data suggest that the PLR technique may be more reproducible than the fluid bolus technique for assessing volume responsiveness.
Study objective Despite its high prevalence, the influence of diabetes on outcomes of emergency department (ED) patients with sepsis remains undefined. Our aim is to investigate the association of ...diabetes and initial glucose level with mortality in patients with suspected infection from the ED. Methods Three independent, observational, prospective cohorts from 2 large US tertiary care centers were studied. We included patients admitted to the hospital from the ED with suspected infection. We investigated the association of diabetes and inhospital mortality within each cohort separately and then overall with logistic regression and generalized estimating equations adjusted for age, sex, disease severity, and sepsis syndrome. We also tested for an interaction between diabetes and hyperglycemia/hypoglycemia. Results A total of 7,754 patients were included. The mortality rate was 4.3% (95% confidence interval CI 3.9% to 4.8%) and similar in diabetic and nondiabetic patients (4.1% versus 4.4%; absolute risk difference 0.4%; 95% CI –0.7% to 1.4%). There was no significant association between diabetes and mortality in adjusted analysis (odds ratio OR overall 0.85; 95% CI 0.71 to 1.01). Diabetes significantly modified the effect of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia with mortality; initial glucose levels greater than 200 mg/dL were associated with higher mortality in nondiabetic patients (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.4 to 3.0) but not in diabetic patients (OR 1.0; 95% CI 0.2 to 4.7), whereas glucose levels less than 100 mg/dL were associated with higher mortality mainly in the diabetic population (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.6 to 3.3) and to a lesser extent in nondiabetic patients (OR 1.1; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.14). Conclusion We found no evidence for a harmful association of diabetes and mortality in patients across different sepsis severities. High initial glucose levels were associated with adverse outcomes in the nondiabetic population only. Further investigation is warranted to determine the mechanism for these effects.
Predicting Adverse Outcomes in Syncope Grossman, Shamai A., MD, MS; Fischer, Christopher, MD; Lipsitz, Lewis A., MD ...
The Journal of emergency medicine,
10/2007, Letnik:
33, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Abstract Syncope is a common presentation to the Emergency Department (ED); however, appropriate management and indications for hospitalization remain an ongoing challenge. The objective of this ...study was to determine if a predefined decision rule could accurately identify patients with syncope likely to have an adverse outcome or critical intervention. A prospective, observational, cohort study was conducted of consecutive ED patients aged 18 years or older presenting with syncope. A clinical decision rule was developed a priori to identify patients at risk if they met any of the following 8 criteria: 1) Signs and symptoms of acute coronary syndrome; 2) Signs of conduction disease; 3) Worrisome cardiac history; 4) Valvular heart disease by history or physical examination; 5) Family history of sudden death; 6) Persistent abnormal vital signs in the ED; 7) Volume depletion; 8) Primary central nervous system event. The primary outcome was either a critical intervention or an adverse outcome within 30 days. Among 362 patients enrolled with syncope, 293 (81%) patients completed their 30-day follow-up. Of these, 201 (69%) were admitted. There were 68 patients (23%) who had either a critical intervention or adverse outcome. The rule identified 66/68 patients who met the outcome for a sensitivity of 97% (95% confidence interval 93–100%) and specificity of 62% (56–69%). This pathway may be useful in identifying patients with syncope who are likely to have adverse outcome or critical interventions. Implementation and multicenter validation is needed before widespread application.
Study objective We test the hypothesis that N-acetylcysteine plus normal saline solution is more effective than normal saline solution alone in the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy. Methods ...The design was a randomized, double blind, 2-center, placebo-controlled interventional trial. Inclusion criteria were patients undergoing chest, abdominal, or pelvic computed tomography (CT) scan with intravenous contrast, older than 18 years, and at least one contrast-induced nephropathy risk factor. Exclusion criteria were end-stage renal disease, pregnancy, N-acetylcysteine allergy, or clinical instability. Intervention for the treatment group was N-acetylcysteine 3 g in 500 mL normal saline solution as an intravenous bolus and then 200 mg/hour (67 mL/hour) for up to 24 hours; and for the placebo group was 500 mL normal saline solution and then 67 mL/hour for up to 24 hours. The primary outcome was contrast-induced nephropathy, defined as an increase in creatinine level of 25% or 0.5 mg/dL, measured 48 to 72 hours after CT. Results The data safety and monitoring board terminated the study early for futility. Of 399 patients enrolled, 357 (89%) completed follow-up and were included. The N-acetylcysteine plus saline solution group contrast-induced nephropathy rate was 14 of 185 (7.6%) versus 12 of 172 (7.0%) in the normal saline solution only group (absolute risk difference 0.6%; 95% confidence interval −4.8% to 6.0%). The contrast-induced nephropathy rate in patients receiving less than 1 L intravenous fluids in the emergency department (ED) was 19 of 147 (12.9%) versus 7 of 210 (3.3%) for greater than 1 L intravenous fluids (difference 9.6%; 95% confidence interval 3.7% to 15.5%), a 69% risk reduction (odds ratio 0.41; 95% confidence interval 0.21 to 0.80) per liter of intravenous fluids. Conclusion We did not find evidence of a benefit for N-acetylcysteine administration to our ED patients undergoing contrast-enhanced CT. However, we did find a significant association between volume of intravenous fluids administered and reduction in contrast-induced nephropathy.
Abstract Background/objectives Hyperlipasemia is frequently encountered in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The degree to which it should be valued in making the diagnosis of acute ...pancreatitis (AP) in critically ill patients remains uncertain. We sought to determine the diagnostic accuracy of hyperlipasemia and the optimal lipase cutoff for diagnosing AP in critically ill patients. Methods Four hundred and seventeen ICU patients with hyperlipasemia, defined as lipase greater than three times the upper limit of normal from 2009 to 2012 were retrospectively identified. A diagnosis of AP was confirmed by the additional presence of either characteristic abdominal pain or cross-sectional imaging. Results The overall positive predictive value (PPV) of hyperlipasemia was 38.1%. Median initial lipase levels were 1164 IU/L in patients with AP and 284.5 IU/L in patients without AP (p < 0.001). The optimal diagnostic lipase cutoff of 532 IU/L correlated with a sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and PPV of 77.4%, 78.0%, 84.9%, and 67.0% respectively. The most common primary diagnoses in non-AP patients with elevated lipase included shock, cardiac arrest and malignancy. Conclusions Physicians should maintain caution when interpreting hyperlipasemia in the critically ill due its relatively low PPV. However, a greater lipase cutoff improves its diagnostic value in AP and helps to reduce unnecessary imaging in these patients.
Abstract Background Emergency department observation units (EDOU) are often used for patients with cellulitis to provide intravenous antibiotics followed by a transition to an oral regimen for ...discharge. Because institutional regulations typically limit EDOU stays to 24 hours, patients lacking a clinical response within this period will often be subsequently admitted to the hospital for further treatment. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the rate of hospital admission and characteristics predictive of admission in patients with cellulitis who are initially placed in an ED observation unit. Methods A retrospective cohort study of patients placed into EDOU with a diagnosis of skin infection was conducted. Age, sex, history of diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression, intravenous drug use, location of cellulitis, presence of abscess, laboratory infectious markers, vital signs, and outpatient antibiotic treatment were recorded. The primary outcome was a hospital admission due to failure to respond to treatment within the 24-hour observation time window. Significant variables on univariate analysis were used to create a multivariate analysis, which identified predictive characteristics. Results Four hundred six patient charts were reviewed, with 377 meeting inclusion criteria; the inpatient admission rate from EDOU was 29.2%. Using logistic regression techniques, we created a model of independent predictors for need of admission after 24 hours: cellulitis of the hand (odds ratio OR, 2.9; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.8-4.9), measured temperature higher than 100.4°F (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1-5.5), and lactate greater than 2 (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.3-7.3) were predictive of failure of ED observation. Conclusions Patients with cellulitis placed into ED observation status were more likely to fail an observation trial if they had an objective fever in the ED, an elevated lactate, or a cellulitis that involved the hand.
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