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Mitchell R, Fang W, Tee QW, O'Reilly G, Romero L, Mitchell R, Bornstein S, Cameron P. Systematic review: What is the impact of triage implementation on clinical outcomes and process measures in low- and middle-income country emergency departments? Acad Emerg Med 2024; 31:164-182. [PMID: 37803524 DOI: 10.1111/acem.14815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Triage is widely regarded as an essential function of emergency care (EC) systems, especially in resource-limited settings. Through a systematic search and review of the literature, we investigated the effect of triage implementation on clinical outcomes and process measures in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) emergency departments (EDs). METHODS Structured searches were conducted using MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Global Health. Eligible articles identified through screening and full-text review underwent risk-of-bias assessment using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The quality of evidence for each effect measure was summarized using GRADE. RESULTS Among 10,394 articles identified through the search strategy, 58 underwent full-text review and 16 were included in the final synthesis. All utilized pre-/postintervention methods and a majority were single center. Effect measures included mortality, waiting time, length of stay, admission rate, and patient satisfaction. Of these, ED mortality and time to clinician assessment were evaluated most frequently. The majority of studies using these outcomes identified a positive effect, namely a reduction in deaths and waiting time among patients presenting for EC. The quality of the evidence was moderate for these measures but low or very low for all other outcomes and process indicators. CONCLUSIONS There is moderate quality of evidence supporting an association between the introduction of triage and a reduction in deaths and waiting time. Although the available data support the value of triage in LMIC EDs, the risk of confounding and publication bias is significant. Future studies will benefit from more rigorous research methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob Mitchell
- Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Wendy Fang
- School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Qiao Wen Tee
- School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gerard O'Reilly
- Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Peter Cameron
- Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Moon TD, Sumah I, Amorim G, Alhasan F, Howard LM, Myers H, Green AF, Grant DS, Schieffelin JS, Samuels RJ. Antibiotic prescribing practices for acute respiratory illness in children less than 24 months of age in Kenema, Sierra Leone: is it time to move beyond algorithm driven decision making? BMC Infect Dis 2023; 23:626. [PMID: 37749485 PMCID: PMC10519098 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08606-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lower respiratory tract infections are the leading cause of mortality in young children globally. In many resource-limited settings clinicians rely on guidelines such as IMCI or ETAT + that promote empiric antibiotic utilization for management of acute respiratory illness (ARI). Numerous evaluations of both guidelines have shown an overall positive response however, several challenges have also been reported, including the potential for over-prescribing of unnecessary antibiotics. The aims of this study were to describe the antibiotic prescribing practices for children less than 24 months of age with symptoms of ARI, that were admitted to Kenema Government Hospital (KGH) in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone, and to identify the number of children empirically prescribed antibiotics who were admitted to hospital with ARI, as well as their clinical signs, symptoms, and outcomes. METHODS We conducted a prospective study of children < 24 months of age admitted to the KGH pediatric ward with respiratory symptoms between October 1, 2020 and May 31, 2022. Study nurses collected data on demographic information, medical and medication history, and information on clinical course while hospitalized. RESULTS A total of 777 children were enrolled. Prior to arrival at the hospital, 224 children (28.8%) reported taking an antibiotic for this illness without improvement. Only 15 (1.9%) children received a chest radiograph to aid in diagnosis and 100% of patients were placed on antibiotics during their hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS Despite the lives saved, reliance on clinical decision-support tools such as IMCI and ETAT + for pediatric ARI, is resulting in the likely over-prescribing of antibiotics. Greater uptake of implementation research is needed to develop strategies and tools designed to optimize antibiotic use for ARI in LMIC settings. Additionally, much greater priority needs to be given to ensuring clinicians have the basic tools for clinical diagnosis, as well as greater investments in essential laboratory and radiographic diagnostics that help LMIC clinicians move beyond the sole reliance on algorithm based clinical decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troy D Moon
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2300, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 1600, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112, USA.
- Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2525 West End Avenue, Suite 750, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA.
| | - Ibrahim Sumah
- Kenema Government Hospital, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, 1 Combema Road, Kenema, Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone
| | - Gustavo Amorim
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2525 West End Avenue, Suite 1000, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA
| | - Foday Alhasan
- Kenema Government Hospital, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, 1 Combema Road, Kenema, Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone
| | - Leigh M Howard
- Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2525 West End Avenue, Suite 750, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, D-7235 Medical Center North, 1161 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Harriett Myers
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2300, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2525 West End Avenue, Suite 750, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA
| | - Ann F Green
- Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2525 West End Avenue, Suite 750, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA
| | - Donald S Grant
- Kenema Government Hospital, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, 1 Combema Road, Kenema, Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone
- College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, New England Ville, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - John S Schieffelin
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 1600, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112, USA
| | - Robert J Samuels
- Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2525 West End Avenue, Suite 750, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA
- Kenema Government Hospital, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, 1 Combema Road, Kenema, Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone
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A mixed-methods study on evaluating an updated, francophone version of ETAT+ training in Madagascar. SOUTHERN AFRICAN JOURNAL OF CRITICAL CARE 2022; 38. [PMID: 36284927 PMCID: PMC9549591 DOI: 10.7196/sajcc.2022.v38i2.535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Madagascar needs major efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, despite the considerable reduction of child
mortality during past years. In this context, implementation of emergency triage assessment and treatment (ETAT) plays an important role. In
recent years, ETAT training activities rarely took place in Madagascar. To strengthen ETAT in Madagascar, a pilot training course was conducted
in December 2019 at the University Hospital Mahajanga.
Objectives
This study aims to evaluate if the ETAT+ pilot training content matches clinical needs in Madagascar and whether participants achieved
their learning objectives.
Methods
In this cross-sectional mixed-methods study, a 41-item questionnaire was used at the end of the ETAT+ training to evaluate their
learning experience from the 12 participants (paediatricians, physicians, nurses and midwives). Six weeks after the training, guided interviews were
conducted among five participants to describe how training content could be transferred into clinical practice in five health facilities.
Results
Results suggest that this pilot project designed to contribute to the re-establishment of ETAT in Madagascar meets participants’ needs
and is adapted to clinical realities in terms of transmitted knowledge, skills and competencies. However, results also show that considerable multi-disciplinary efforts are needed to advance ETAT+ implementation in Madagascar.
Conclusion
Implementation processes of ETAT training programmes need re-evaluation to assure their validity to contribute to quality of
care improvements efficiently. Further operational research is required to evaluate sustainable, innovative implementation strategies adapted to
contexts in Madagascar.
Contributions of the study
This study aims to evaluate an updated Malagasy version of the Emergency Triage Assessment and Treatment Plus (ETAT+). The training met the
participants’ needs and was adapted to the clinical realities in Madagascar relating to transmitted knowledge, skills and competencies.
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Teaching Trauma in Resource-Limited Settings: A Scoping Review of Pediatric Trauma Courses. World J Surg 2022; 46:1209-1219. [PMID: 35066628 DOI: 10.1007/s00268-021-06419-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Injury remains an important cause of death and disability globally, with 95% of all childhood injury deaths occurring in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). Pediatric trauma training, tailored to the resources in LMICs, represents an opportunity to improve such outcomes. We explored the nature of course offerings in pediatric trauma in resource-limited settings. METHODS Seven databases were interrogated up to June 12, 2020, to retrieve articles examining pediatric trauma training in LMICs, as defined by the World Bank, without language restrictions. Independent authors reviewed and selected abstracts based on set criteria. Data from included studies was extracted and analyzed. An adapted Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist designed for cohort studies was used to assess the risk of bias. RESULTS After screening 3960 articles for eligibility, 16 were included for final analysis. Course delivery methods included didactic modules, simulations, clinical mentorship, small group discussion, audits, assessments, and feedback. Knowledge acquisition was primarily assessed through pre/post-tests, clinical skills assessments, and self-assessment questionnaires. Twelve studies detailed course content, nine of which were based on the WHO Emergency Triage, Assessment and Treatment model, which is not specific to trauma. The other three studies involved locally developed pediatric trauma-focused training courses, including airway management, head trauma and cervical spine management, thoracic and abdominal trauma, orthopedic trauma, burn and wound management, and shock. CONCLUSION Despite being essential to decreasing pediatric trauma morbidity and mortality worldwide, educational programs in pediatric trauma are not a widespread reality in low-and-middle-income countries. The development of accessible and efficient pediatric trauma education programs is critical for improving pediatric trauma quality of care.
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Hands C, Hands S, Verriotis M, Bunn J, Bailey E, Samuels RJ, Sankoh K, Mustapha A, Williams B, Taylor S. Emergency Triage Assessment and Treatment Plus (ETAT+): adapting training to strengthen quality improvement and task-sharing in emergency paediatric care in Sierra Leone. J Glob Health 2021; 11:04069. [PMID: 34956636 PMCID: PMC8684797 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.11.04069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Over the past 25 years Sierra Leone has made progress in reducing maternal and child mortality, but the burden of preventable paediatric deaths remains high. Further progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will require greater strengthening of the health care system, including hospital care for perinatal and paediatric conditions. Emergency Triage Assessment and Treatment Plus (ETAT+) may offer a useful tool. Methods The five-day ETAT+ course was adapted as a six-month programme of in-situ training and mentoring integrated with patient flow and service delivery improvements in 14 regional and district government hospitals across the country. Nurses were trained to carry out the initial resuscitation and assessment of the sick paediatric patient, and to administer the first dose of medication per protocol. The course was for all clinical staff; most participants were nurses. Results The intervention was associated with an improvement in the quality of paediatric care and a reduction in mortality. In 2017 mortality decreased by 33.1%, from 14.5% at baseline to 9.7% after six months of the intervention. Mortality at the start of the 2018 intervention was 8.5% and reduced over six months to 6.5%. Care quality indicators showed improvement across the two intervention periods, with some evidence of sustained effect. Conclusions These results suggest that adapted ETAT+ training with in-situ mentoring alongside improved patient flow and service delivery supports improvements in the quality of paediatric care in Sierra Leonean hospitals. ETAT+ may provide an affordable framework for improving the quality of secondary paediatric care in Sierra Leone and a model of nurse-led resuscitation may allow for prompt and timely emergency paediatric care in Sierra Leonean hospitals where there are fewer physicians and other resources for care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandra Hands
- Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, London, UK
| | | | - James Bunn
- World Health Organisation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Emma Bailey
- Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, London, UK
| | | | - Kadiatu Sankoh
- Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | | | - Bhanu Williams
- Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, London, UK
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Trehan I, Kivlehan SM, Balhara KS, Bonney J, Hexom BJ, Pousson AY, Quao NSA, Rybarczyk MM, Selvam A, Nicholson BD, Bhaskar N, Becker TK, Balhara KS, Bandolin NS, Bannon‐Murphy H, Becker TK, Bhaskar N, Bonney J, Boone A, Broccoli MC, Charlton ADI, Cho DK, Ciano JD, Collier A, Dawson‐Amoah NA, Dyal JW, Flaherty KE, Hartford EA, Hayward AS, Hexom BJ, Hunter C, Jacobson AA, Joiner AP, Jones JE, Kampalath VN, Kivlehan SM, Laurence CE, Leanza J, Ledger E, Lee JA, Levine AC, Lowsby R, McCuskee S, Moretti KR, Nicholson BD, Pigoga JL, Pousson AY, Quao NSA, Rees CA, Roy CM, Rybarczyk MM, Selvam A, Skarpiak BJ, Strong JM, Trehan I, Vogel LD, Wang AH, Wegman KM, Winders WT. Global emergency medicine: A scoping review of the literature from 2020. Acad Emerg Med 2021; 28:1328-1340. [PMID: 34310782 DOI: 10.1111/acem.14356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective was to identify, screen, highlight, review, and summarize some of the most rigorously conducted and impactful original research (OR) and review articles (RE) in global emergency medicine (EM) published in 2020 in the peer-reviewed and gray literature. METHODS A broad systematic search of peer-reviewed publications related to global EM indexed on PubMed and in the gray literature was conducted. The titles and abstracts of the articles on this list were screened by members of the Global Emergency Medicine Literature Review (GEMLR) Group to identify those that met our criteria of OR or RE in the domains of disaster and humanitarian response (DHR), emergency care in resource-limited settings (ECRLS), and EM development. Those articles that met these screening criteria were then scored using one of three scoring templates appropriate to the article type. Those articles that scored in the top 5% then underwent in-depth narrative summarization. RESULTS The 2020 GEMLR search initially identified 35,970 articles, more than 50% more than last year's search. From these, 364 were scored based on their full text. Nearly three-fourths of the scored articles constituted OR, of which nearly three-fourths employed quantitative research methods. Nearly 10% of the articles identified this year were directly related to COVID-19. Research involving ECRLS again constituted most of the articles in this year's review, accounting for more than 60% of the literature scored. A total of 20 articles underwent in-depth narrative critiques. CONCLUSIONS The number of studies relevant to global EM identified by our search was very similar to that of last year. Revisions to our methodology to identify a broader range of research were successful in identifying more qualitative research and studies related to DHR. The number of COVID-19-related articles is likely to continue to increase in subsequent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indi Trehan
- Departments of Pediatrics, Global Health, and Epidemiology University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Sean M. Kivlehan
- Department of Emergency Medicine Brigham and Women’s Hospital Boston Massachusetts USA
- Harvard Humanitarian Initiative Cambridge Massachusetts USA
| | - Kamna S. Balhara
- Department of Emergency Medicine Johns Hopkins University Baltimore Maryland USA
| | - Joseph Bonney
- Department of Emergency Medicine Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Kumasi Ghana
- Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Group Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine Kumasi Ghana
| | - Braden J. Hexom
- Department of Emergency Medicine Rush University Medical Center Chicago Illinois USA
| | - Amelia Y. Pousson
- Department of Emergency Medicine Johns Hopkins University Baltimore Maryland USA
| | - Nana S. A. Quao
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Accident and Emergency Centre Korle Bu Teaching Hospital Accra Ghana
| | - Megan M. Rybarczyk
- Department of Emergency Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA
| | - Anand Selvam
- Department of Emergency Medicine Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
| | - Benjamin D. Nicholson
- Department of Emergency Medicine Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia USA
| | | | - Torben K. Becker
- Department of Emergency Medicine University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
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Bucher SL, Cardellichio P, Muinga N, Patterson JK, Thukral A, Deorari AK, Data S, Umoren R, Purkayastha S. Digital Health Innovations, Tools, and Resources to Support Helping Babies Survive Programs. Pediatrics 2020; 146:S165-S182. [PMID: 33004639 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2020-016915i] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Helping Babies Survive (HBS) initiative features a suite of evidence-based curricula and simulation-based training programs designed to provide health workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to prevent, recognize, and manage leading causes of newborn morbidity and mortality. Global scale-up of HBS initiatives has been rapid. As HBS initiatives rolled out across LMIC settings, numerous bottlenecks, gaps, and barriers to the effective, consistent dissemination and implementation of the programs, across both the pre- and in-service continuums, emerged. Within the first decade of expansive scale-up of HBS programs, mobile phone ownership and access to cellular networks have also concomitantly surged in LMICs. In this article, we describe a number of HBS digital health innovations and resources that have been developed from 2010 to 2020 to support education and training, data collection for monitoring and evaluation, clinical decision support, and quality improvement. Helping Babies Survive partners and stakeholders can potentially integrate the described digital tools with HBS dissemination and implementation efforts in a myriad of ways to support low-dose high-frequency skills practice, in-person refresher courses, continuing medical and nursing education, on-the-job training, or peer-to-peer learning, and strengthen data collection for key newborn care and quality improvement indicators and outcomes. Thoughtful integration of purpose-built digital health tools, innovations, and resources may assist HBS practitioners to more effectively disseminate and implement newborn care programs in LMICs, and facilitate progress toward the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal health goals, targets, and objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherri L Bucher
- Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana; .,Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
| | | | - Naomi Muinga
- Kenya Medical Research Institute Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jackie K Patterson
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Anu Thukral
- Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Ashok K Deorari
- Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Santorino Data
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Rachel Umoren
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Global Health, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; and
| | - Saptarshi Purkayastha
- Department of Data Science and Health Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana
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