Association of Educational Intervention With Knowledge of Airway Injury After Endotracheal Intubation and Tube Size Selection

In this nonrandomized controlled trial, an educational intervention for emergency medicine residents was developed to increase knowledge of airway injury following prolonged intubation and reduce the proportion of large-for-height endotracheal tubes placed in the emergency department.

Assessment of safety and effectiveness of non-neurosurgical management for minimal traumatic brain injury (TBI)

BACKGROUND

Patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and intracranial hemorrhage often receive neurosurgical consultation. However, only a small proportion of patients require intervention. Our hypothesis is that low-risk minimal TBI patients managed without immediate neurosurgical consultation will have a reasonable safety and effectiveness outcome profile.

METHODS

A non-neurosurgical management protocol for adult minimal TBI was implemented at a level I trauma center as an interdisciplinary quality-improvement initiative in November 2018. Minimal TBI was defined as Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 15 secondary to blunt mechanism, without anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy, and isolated pneumocephalus and/or traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage on head CT imaging. Safety was assessed by in-hospital mortality, neurosurgical interventions, and ED revisits within two weeks of discharge. Effectiveness was assessed by neurosurgical consult rate and length of stay. Outcomes were compared 8-months pre- and post-protocol implementation.

RESULTS

A total of 97 patients were included, of which 49 were pre-protocol and 48 were post-protocol There was no difference in rates of in-hospital mortality [0 (0%) vs 0 (0%)], neurosurgical procedure [1 (2.1%) vs 0 (0%)], operations [0 (0%) vs 0 (0%)], and ED revisits [1 (2.0%) vs 2 (4.2%), p = 0.985] between the periods. There was a significant reduction in neurosurgical consults post-protocol implementation (92% vs 29%, p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

A protocol for minimal TBI patients effectively reduced neurosurgical consultation without changes in safety profile. Such an interdisciplinary management protocol for low-risk neurotrauma can effectively utilize the neurosurgery consult services by stratifying neurologically stable TBI patient.

Decision Support to Improve Critical Care Services Documentation in an Academic Emergency Department

OBJECTIVES

Critical care services (CCS) documentation affects billing, operations, and research. No studies exist on documentation decision support (DDS) for CCS in the emergency department (ED). We describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of a DDS tool built to improve CCS documentation at an academic ED.

METHODS

This quality improvement study reports the prospective design, implementation, and evaluation of a novel DDS tool for CCS documentation at an academic ED. CCS-associated ED diagnoses triggered a message to appear within the physician note attestation workflow for any patient seen in the adult ED. The alert raised awareness of CCS-associated diagnoses without recommending specific documentation practices. The message disappeared from the note automatically once signed. We measured current procedural terminology (CPT) codes 99291 or 99292 (representing CCS rendered) for 8 months before and after deployment to identify CCS documentation rates. We performed state-space Bayesian time-series analysis to evaluate the causal effect of our intervention on CCS documentation capture. We used monthly ED volume and monthly admission rates as covariate time-series for model generation.

RESULTS

The study included 92,350 ED patients with an observed mean proportion CCS of 3.9% before the intervention and 5.8% afterward. The counterfactual model predicted an average response of 3.9% [95% CI 3.5-4.3%]. The estimated absolute causal effect of the intervention was 2.0% [95% CI 1.5-2.4%] (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

A DDS tool measurably increased ED CCS documentation. Attention to user workflows and collaboration with compliance and billing teams avoided alert fatigue and ensures compliance.

Effect of Smartphone App-Based Education on Clinician Prescribing Habits in a Learning Health Care System: A Randomized Cluster Crossover Trial

IMPORTANCE

Effective methods for engaging clinicians in continuing education for learning-based practice improvement remain unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether a smartphone-based app using spaced education with retrieval practice is an effective method to increase evidence-based practice.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A prospective, unblinded, single-center, crossover randomized clinical trial was conducted at a single academic medical center from January 6 to April 24, 2020. Vanderbilt University Medical Center clinicians prescribing intravenous fluids were invited to participate in this study.

INTERVENTIONS

All clinicians received two 4-week education modules: 1 on prescribing intravenous fluids and 1 on prescribing opioid and nonopioid medications (counterbalancing measure), over a 12-week period. The order of delivery was randomized 1:1 such that 1 group received the fluid management module first, followed by the pain management module after a 4-week break, and the other group received the pain management module first, followed by the fluid management module after a 4-week break.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was evidence-based clinician prescribing behavior concerning intravenous fluids in the inpatient setting and pain medication prescribing on discharge from the hospital.

RESULTS

A total of 354 participants were enrolled and randomized, with 177 in group 1 (fluid then pain management education) and 177 in group 2 (pain management then fluid education). During the overall study period, 16 868 questions were sent to 349 learners, with 11 783 (70.0%) being opened: 10 885 (92.4%) of those opened were answered and 7175 (65.9%) of those answered were answered correctly. The differences between groups changed significantly over time, indicated by the significant interaction between educational intervention and time (P = .002). Briefly, at baseline evidence-concordant IV fluid ordered 7.2% less frequently in group 1 than group 2 (95% CI, -19.2% to 4.9%). This was reversed after training at 4% higher (95% CI, -8.2% to 16.0%) in group 1 than group 2, a more than doubling in the odds of evidence-concordant ordering (OR, 2.56, 95% CI, 0.80-8.21). Postintervention, all gains had been reversed with less frequent ordering in group 1 than group 2 (-9.5%, 95% CI, -21.6% to 2.7%). There was no measurable change in opioid prescribing behaviors at any time point.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this randomized clinical trial, use of smartphone app learning modules resulted in statistically significant short-term improvement in some prescribing behaviors. However, this effect was not sustained over the long-term. Additional research is needed to understand how to sustain improvements in care delivery as a result of continuous professional development at the institutional level.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03771482.

Assessment of a Naloxone Coprescribing Alert for Patients at Risk of Opioid Overdose: A Quality Improvement Project

BACKGROUND

Patients taking high doses of opioids, or taking opioids in combination with other central nervous system depressants, are at increased risk of opioid overdose. Coprescribing the opioid-reversal agent naloxone is an essential safety measure, recommended by the surgeon general, but the rate of naloxone coprescribing is low. Therefore, we set out to determine whether a targeted clinical decision support alert could increase the rate of naloxone coprescribing.

METHODS

We conducted a before-after study from January 2019 to April 2021 at a large academic health system in the Southeast. We developed a targeted point of care decision support notification in the electronic health record to suggest ordering naloxone for patients who have a high risk of opioid overdose based on a high morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD) ≥90 mg, concomitant benzodiazepine prescription, or a history of opioid use disorder or opioid overdose. We measured the rate of outpatient naloxone prescribing as our primary measure. A multivariable logistic regression model with robust variance to adjust for prescriptions within the same prescriber was implemented to estimate the association between alerts and naloxone coprescribing.

RESULTS

The baseline naloxone coprescribing rate in 2019 was 0.28 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24-0.31) naloxone prescriptions per 100 opioid prescriptions. After alert implementation, the naloxone coprescribing rate increased to 4.51 (95% CI, 4.33-4.68) naloxone prescriptions per 100 opioid prescriptions (P < .001). The adjusted odds of naloxone coprescribing after alert implementation were approximately 28 times those during the baseline period (95% CI, 15-52).

CONCLUSIONS

A targeted decision support alert for patients at risk for opioid overdose significantly increased the rate of naloxone coprescribing and was relatively easy to build.

Catching Those Who Fall Through the Cracks: Integrating a Follow-Up Process for Emergency Department Patients with Incidental Radiologic Findings

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Abnormal findings unrelated to the indication for testing are identified on emergency department (ED) imaging studies. We report the design and implementation of an electronic health record-based interdisciplinary referral system and our experience from the first 13 months of ensuring that patients with incidental radiology findings were connected with the appropriate outpatient surveillance.

METHODS

Our informatics team standardized the contemporaneous reporting of critical radiology alerts using our ED trackboard and created a companion follow-up request form for the treating ED clinicians to complete. The forms were routed to nurse case managers, who arranged follow-ups based on the findings and clinical significance. The primary outcome was the proportion of ED patient visits with identified incidental findings that had documented communication of the incidental findings and surveillance plans.

RESULTS

Over the first 13 months after implementation, 932 ED patient visits had critical radiology alert referrals, for a total of 982 incidental findings. The primary outcome (confirmed post-ED communication and documented follow-up plan) was attained in 888 (95.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 93.9% to 96.6%) ED patient visits with confirmed post-ED communication and documented follow-up plans. The team was unable to contact or confirm follow-up with 44 (4.7%, 95% CI 3.4 to 6.1) patients by telephone or through the health care system's electronic communication tools.

CONCLUSION

We report the implementation of a standardized notification and referral system for ED patients with incidental radiology findings. The development of a reliable notification and follow-up system is an important patient safety intervention given the opportunity to potentially identify undiagnosed malignancies.

Impact of an Asynchronous Spaced Education Learning Intervention on Emergency Medicine Clinician Opioid Prescribing

Introduction

Opioid prescribing has contributed to the opioid crisis and education has focused on improved opioid stewardship. We aimed to evaluate the impact of an asynchronous high-quality education to change emergency medicine (EM) clinician opioid prescribing.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of a spaced-education intervention in EM clinicians who work at an urban, university-affiliated academic medical center emergency department. We developed opioid prescribing educational content and investigated whether prescriber participation in a novel asynchronous educational program, QuizTime, was associated with a change in EM clinician opioid prescribing practices and whether those prescribing practice changes would be maintained. The primary outcome was the frequency of opioid prescriptions by attributable emergency department discharges. We compared the frequency during the post-intervention period, 24 months following QuizTime education (July 2018 - June 2020) to the baseline period (November 2016 - March 2018). The secondary outcomes were total morphine milligram equivalent (MME) and the number of tablets dispensed per prescription. We analyzed the outcomes by EM clinicians’ level of participation in QuizTime education.

Results

During the study period, there was an overall reduction in opioid prescribing per attributable emergency department discharge (p < 0.001). Among the 45 prescribers who enrolled in QuizTime, there was a significant reduction of 4.3 (95% CI: 3.9, 4.6, p < 0.001) opioid prescriptions per 100 ED discharges in the post-intervention period compared to baseline. Among the 11 non-enrollees, there was a significant reduction of 2.4 (95% CI: 1.7, 3.1, p < 0.001) opioid prescriptions per 100 emergency department discharges in the post-intervention period compared to baseline. The prescribers enrolled in QuizTime had a significantly larger reduction in prescriptions compared to those who did not enroll (p < 0.001). A decreasing trend of total MME and the number of tablets dispensed was observed (p < 0.001). However, there was insufficient evidence to show a reduction in the number of tablets dispensed or MME per day.

Conclusion

EM clinician participation in the QuizTime Pain Management educational program was associated with a nearly two-fold decrease in opioid prescriptions per emergency department discharge compared to peers who chose not to enroll.

LVS-HARMED Risk Score for Incident Heart Failure in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Who Present to the Emergency Department: Data from a World-Wide Registry

Background Heart failure (HF) is a common complication to atrial fibrillation (AF), leading to rehospitalization and death. Early identification of patients with AF at risk for HF might improve outcomes. We aimed to derive a score to predict 1-year risk of new-onset HF after an emergency department (ED) visit with AF. Methods and Results The RE-LY AF (Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulant Therapy) registry enrolled patients with AF presenting to an ED in 47 countries, and followed them for a year. The end point was HF hospitalization and/or HF death. Among 15 400 ED patients, 9765 had no prior HF (mean age, 64.9±14.9 years). Within 1 year, new-onset HF developed in 6.8% of patients, of whom 21% died of HF. Independent predictors of HF included left ventricular hypertrophy (odds ratio [OR], 1.47; 95% CI, 1.19-1.82), valvular heart disease (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.18-2.04), smoking (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.12-1.78), height (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.90-0.95 per 3 cm), age (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.07-1.15 per 5 years), rheumatic heart disease (OR, 1.77, 95% CI, 1.24-2.51), prior myocardial infarction (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.45-2.36), remaining in AF at ED discharge (OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.46-2.36), and diabetes (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.09-1.64). A continuous risk prediction score (LVS-HARMED [left ventricular, valvular heart disease, smoking or other tobacco use, height, age, rheumatic heart disease, myocardial infarction, emergency department discharge rhythm, and diabetes]) had good discrimination (C statistic, 0.735; 95% CI, 0.716-0.755). Validation was conducted internally using bootstrapping (optimism-corrected C statistic, 0.705) and externally (C statistic, 0.699). The 1-year incidence of HF hospitalization and/or HF death across quartile groups of the score was 1.1%, 4.5%, 6.9%, and 14.4%, respectively. LVS-HARMED also predicted incident stroke (C statistic, 0.753; 95% CI, 0.728-0.778). Conclusions The LVS-HARMED score predicts new-onset HF after an ED visit for AF. Preventative strategies should be considered in patients with high LVS-HARMED HF risk.

Description of the Use of Incentives and Penalties for Point-of-Care Ultrasound Documentation Compliance in an Academic Emergency Department

Objectives Incomplete documentation and submission to the electronic health record of performed point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) studies is problematic from a patient care, medicolegal, and billing standpoint. Positive and negative financial incentives may be used to motivate physicians to complete documentation workflow. The most efficacious route to improve POCUS workflow completion remains to be determined. Materials and methods A retrospective analysis of POCUS documentation in an academic emergency department during four distinct six-month blocks was performed. POCUS workflow completion was assessed without incentives (Baseline), with financial bonus (Incentive), interim period (Washout), and with a negative financial incentive (Penalty) to determine the effect of these incentives on workflow completion. Results There was an appreciable increase in the rate of POCUS studies documented between the "Baseline" (no incentive) and "Incentive" (small financial bonus) time periods. The improvement remained stable during the "Washout" (interim) period, and then increased further in the "Penalty" (negative financial incentive) period. This improvement was relatively diffuse among the providers studied. A similar pattern - improvements in the Incentive and Penalty periods with stability in the Washout - was also observed in the POCUS volume data (number of studies performed). Conclusions This study reveals a positive association between the implementation of both financial incentives and financial penalties, which increases in POCUS documentation among attending physicians at an academic emergency department.

Characteristics and outcomes of atrial fibrillation in patients without traditional risk factors: an RE-LY AF registry analysis

AIMS

Data on patient characteristics, prevalence, and outcomes of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients without traditional risk factors, often labelled 'lone AF', are sparse.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The RE-LY AF registry included 15 400 individuals who presented to emergency departments with AF in 47 countries. This analysis focused on patients without traditional risk factors, including age ≥60 years, hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, left ventricular hypertrophy, congenital heart disease, pulmonary disease, valve heart disease, hyperthyroidism, and prior cardiac surgery. Patients without traditional risk factors were compared with age- and region-matched controls with traditional risk factors (1:3 fashion). In 796 (5%) patients, no traditional risk factors were present. However, 98% (779/796) had less-established or borderline risk factors, including borderline hypertension (130-140/80-90 mmHg; 47%), chronic kidney disease (eGFR < 60 mL/min; 57%), obesity (body mass index > 30; 19%), diabetes (5%), excessive alcohol intake (>14 units/week; 4%), and smoking (25%). Compared with patients with traditional risk factors (n = 2388), patients without traditional risk factors were more often men (74% vs. 59%, P < 0.001) had paroxysmal AF (55% vs. 37%, P < 0.001) and less AF persistence after 1 year (21% vs. 49%, P < 0.001). Furthermore, 1-year stroke occurrence rate (0.6% vs. 2.0%, P = 0.013) and heart failure hospitalizations (0.9% vs. 12.5%, P < 0.001) were lower. However, risk of AF-related re-hospitalization was similar (18% vs. 21%, P = 0.09).

CONCLUSION

Almost all patients without traditionally defined AF risk factors have less-established or borderline risk factors. These patients have a favourable 1-year prognosis, but risk of AF-related re-hospitalization remains high. Greater emphasis should be placed on recognition and management of less-established or borderline risk factors.

A model for rapid emergency department expansion for the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 has caused global dramatic change in medical practices including the introduction of temporary screening and assessment areas outside the footprint of the main hospital structures. Following the initial surge of patients with novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the United States, our medical center rapidly designed and constructed an alternative assessment and treatment site in a converted parking garage deck for emergency department patients with suspected or confirmed 2019-nCoV. During the first month after opening, 651 patients were treated in this alternative assessment area including 54 patients who tested positive for 2019-nCoV. This accounted for 55% of the 98 patients with confirmed novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) who were treated in our ED. This report provides a blueprint for the necessary steps, materials, labor needs and barriers, both anticipated and unanticipated, to rapidly construct an alternative ED treatment site during a pandemic.

Managing sedation in the mechanically ventilated emergency department patient: a clinical review

Managing sedation in the ventilated emergency department (ED) patient is increasingly important as critical care unit admissions from EDs increase and hospital crowding results in intubated patients boarding for longer periods. The objectives of this review are 3-fold; (1) describe the historical perspective of how sedation of the ventilated patient has changed, (2) summarize the most commonly used sedation and analgesic agents, and (3) provide a practical approach to sedation and analgesia in mechanically ventilated ED patients. We searched PubMed using keywords "emergency department post-intubation sedation," "emergency department critical care length of stay," and "sedation in mechanically ventilated patient." The search results were limited to English language and reviewed for relevance to the subject of interest. Our search resulted in 723 articles that met the criteria for managing sedation in the ventilated ED patient, of which 19 articles were selected and reviewed. Our review of the literature found that the level of sedation and practices of sedation and analgesia in the ED environment have downstream consequences on patient care including overall patient centered outcomes even after the patient has left the ED. It is reasonable to begin with analgesia in isolation, although sedating medications should be used when patients remain uncomfortable and agitated after initial interventions are performed.

Implementation of an Opioid Detoxification Management Pathway Reduces Emergency Department Length of Stay

OBJECTIVES

With the rise of opioid use in the United States, the increasing demand for treatment for opioid use disorders presents both a challenge and an opportunity to develop new care pathways for emergency department (ED) patients seeking opioid detoxification. We set out to improve the care of patients presenting to our ED seeking opioid detoxification by implementing a standardized management pathway and to measure the effects of this intervention.

METHODS

We conducted a before-after study of the effects of an opioid detoxification management pathway on ED length of stay (EDLOS), use of resources (social worker consultation, laboratory tests obtained), and return visits to the same ED within 30 days of discharge. All data were collected retrospectively by review of the electronic health record.

RESULTS

Ultimately, 107 patients presented to the ED that met criteria, 52 in the intervention period and 55 in the preintervention period. Median EDLOS in the intervention period was 152 (interquartile range [IQR] = 93-237) minutes compared to 312 (IQR = 187-468) minutes in the preintervention period (p < 0.001). Patients in the intervention period less frequently had a social work consultation (32.7% vs. 83.6%, p < 0.001) or had laboratory tests obtained (32.7% vs 74.5%, p < 0.001) and more frequently were prescribed a medication for withdrawal symptoms (57.7% vs. 29.1%, p = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of an opioid detoxification management pathway reduced EDLOS, reduced utilization of resources, and increased the proportion of patients prescribed medications for symptom relief.

Measuring Emergency Department Acuity

BACKGROUND

Emergency department (ED) acuity is the general level of patient illness, urgency for clinical intervention, and intensity of resource use in an ED environment. The relative strength of commonly used measures of ED acuity is not well understood.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of ED-level data to evaluate the relative strength of association between commonly used proxy measures with a full spectrum measure of ED acuity. Common measures included the percentage of patients with Emergency Severity Index (ESI) scores of 1 or 2, case mix index (CMI), academic status, annual ED volume, inpatient admission rate, percentage of Medicare patients, and patients seen per attending-hour. Our reference standard for acuity is the proportion of high-acuity charts (PHAC) coded and billed according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service's Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) system. High-acuity charts included those APC 4 or 5 or critical care. PHAC was represented as a fractional response variable. We examined the strength of associations between common acuity measures and PHAC using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (r_s ) and regression models including a quasi-binomial generalized linear model and linear regression.

RESULTS

In our univariate analysis, the percentage of patients ESI 1 or 2, CMI, academic status, and annual ED volume had statistically significant associations with PHAC. None explained more than 16% of PHAC variation. For regression models including all common acuity measures, academic status was the only variable significantly associated with PHAC.

CONCLUSION

Emergency Severity Index had the strongest association with PHAC followed by CMI and annual ED volume. Academic status captures variability outside of that explained by ESI, CMI, annual ED volume, percentage of Medicare patients, or patients per attending per hour. All measures combined only explained only 42.6% of PHAC variation.

Renal Function and Scaled Troponin in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department with Symptoms of Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND

Cardiac troponins are often found to be elevated in patients with renal dysfunction, even in the absence of acute myocardial injury. The objective of this report was to characterize the scaled troponin values and proportion of adjudicated acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among patients with and without renal dysfunction.

METHODS

The data was from a multicenter prospective study including patients presenting to the emergency department with symptoms of AMI. Troponin measurements were standardized across various assays by calculating the observed results as multiples of the assay-specific 99th percentile upper limit of normal. Patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; calculated by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration formula) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 were considered to have renal dysfunction.

RESULTS

Of 430 included patients, 249 (58%) were male and 181 (42%) were female, with a mean age of 55.9 ± 12.3 and 57.3 ± 12.8 years, respectively. Eighty-seven (20.2%) had renal dysfunction. The proportions of patients with at least one scaled troponin value above the 99th percentile cut-off point among patients with and without renal dysfunction were 40 (45.9%) and 81 (23.6%) respectively (p < 0.001). The proportions of patients with an adjudicated diagnosis of AMI among those with and without renal dysfunction were 20.7 and 18.7%, respectively (p = 0.67). Using scaled troponins, by the second test there was >5X and by the third test >15X separation in the excursion of troponin among those with AMI compared to those without.

CONCLUSIONS

One or more elevated troponin values are common in those with renal dysfunction. Scaled troponins for eGFR groups were similar, indicating that the use of this interpretative technique is applicable in discerning AMI for those with and without renal dysfunction.

Surface ECG f Wave Analysis at Initial Onset of Paroxysmal and Persistent Atrial Fibrillation

INTRODUCTION

Dominant frequency (DF) analysis of electrocardiograms (ECGs) from patients with paroxysmal (PAF) and persistent (PeAF) atrial fibrillation has identified higher DFs in PeAF. We therefore hypothesized that among patients initially presenting to the emergency department (ED) with new onset AF, surface ECG features could differentiate PeAF from PAF.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Initial 12-lead ECGs from patients presenting to the ED with a first episode of symptomatic AF were analyzed. Following QRS-T subtraction, fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis of the AF fibrillatory waves was performed to measure DF and organization index (OI). Median DF of all leads and the DF in the lead with maximum OI were determined. Maximum f wave amplitude and vector magnitudes were measured. One hundred sixty-one patients (age 59 ± 16 years, 68% men) were included in this analysis, of whom 96 (58%) spontaneously converted to sinus rhythm within 7 days (PAF group). The remaining 65 patients underwent cardioversion or remained in AF (PeAF group). ECG features (DF, OI, f wave amplitude, and vector magnitude) did not differ among PAF and PeAF patients.

CONCLUSIONS

ECG features (DF, OI, amplitude, vector magnitude) do not differ among patients with PAF versus PeAF when the ECGs are obtained at the initial onset of symptoms. Thus, prior data showing higher DF in PeAF likely reflect electrophysiologic remodeling rather than a marker for any specific type of AF or extent of underlying substrate.

The 2016 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference, "Shared Decision Making in the Emergency Department: Development of a Policy-relevant Patient-centered Research Agenda" Diagnostic Testing Breakout Session Report

Diagnostic testing is an integral component of patient evaluation in the emergency department (ED). Emergency clinicians frequently use diagnostic testing to more confidently exclude "worst-case" diagnoses rather than to determine the most likely etiology for a presenting complaint. Increased utilization of diagnostic testing has not been associated with reductions in disease-related mortality but has led to increased overall healthcare costs and other unintended consequences (e.g., incidental findings requiring further workup, unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation or potentially nephrotoxic contrast). Shared decision making (SDM) presents an opportunity for clinicians to discuss the benefits and harms associated with diagnostic testing with patients to more closely tailor testing to patient risk. This article introduces the challenges and opportunities associated with incorporating SDM into emergency care by summarizing the conclusions of the diagnostic testing group at the 2016 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference on SDM. Three primary domains emerged: 1) characteristics of a condition or test appropriate for SDM, 2) critical elements of and potential barriers to SDM discussions on diagnostic testing, and 3) financial aspects of SDM applied to diagnostic testing. The most critical research questions to improve engagement of patients in their acute care diagnostic decisions were determined by consensus.

Association of atrial fibrillation risk alleles and response to acute rate control therapy

OBJECTIVES

Given the sparse evidence for selection of first-line therapy for acute atrial fibrillation (AF) based on clinical factors alone, incorporation of genotype data may improve the effectiveness of treatment algorithms and advance the understanding of interpatient heterogeneity. We tested whether candidate nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to AF physiologic responses are associated with ventricular rate control after intravenous diltiazem in the emergency department (ED).

METHODS

We conducted an analysis within a prospective observational cohort of ED patients with acute symptomatic AF, ventricular rate >110 beats per minute within the first 2 hours, initially treated with intravenous diltiazem, and who had DNA available for analysis. We evaluated 24 candidate SNPs that were grouped into 3 categories based on their phenotype response (atrioventricular nodal [AVN] conduction, resting heart rate, disease susceptibility) and calculated 3 genetic scores for each patient. Our primary outcome was maximum heart rate reduction within 4 hours of diltiazem administration. Multivariable regression was used to identify associations with the outcome while adjusting for age, sex, baseline heart rate, and diltiazem dose.

RESULTS

Of the 142 patients, 127 had complete data for the primary outcome. None of the genetic scores for AVN conduction, resting heart rate, or AF susceptibility showed a significant association with maximal heart rate response.

CONCLUSION

Using a candidate SNP approach, screening for genetic variants associated with AVN conduction, resting heart rate, or AF susceptibility failed to provide significant data for predicting successful rate control response to intravenous diltiazem for treating acute AF in the ED.

Plasma bioactive adrenomedullin as a prognostic biomarker in acute heart failure

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to evaluate the prognostic performance of a new biomarker, plasma bioactive adrenomedullin (bio-ADM), for short-term clinical outcomes in acute heart failure.

METHODS

A multicenter prospective cohort study of adult emergency department (ED) patients suspected of having acute heart failure was conducted to evaluate the association between plasma bio-ADM concentration and clinical outcomes. The primary outcome was a composite of the following within 30 days: death, cardiac arrest with resuscitation, respiratory failure, emergency dialysis, acute coronary syndrome, hospitalization >5 days, and repeat ED visit or hospitalization. Prognostic accuracy was evaluated with a nonparametric receiver operating characteristic curve. In addition, a multivariable logistic regression model was constructed to assess the additive prognostic performance of bio-ADM while adjusting for other biomarkers routinely used clinically, including B-type natriuretic peptide, cardiac troponin I, creatinine, and sodium concentration.

RESULTS

Two hundred forty-six patients were enrolled, including 85 (34.6%) patients with the primary outcome. Plasma bio-ADM concentrations were higher among patients who experienced the primary outcome (median, 80.5 pg/mL; interquartile range [IQR], 53.7-151.5 pg/mL) compared with those who did not (median, 54.4 pg/mL; IQR, 43.4-78.4 pg/mL) (P < .01). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.70 (95% confidence interval, 0.63-0.75). After adjusting for the other biomarkers, plasma bio-ADM remained a strong predictor of the primary outcome (adjusted odds ratio per IQR change, 2.68; 95% confidence interval, 1.60-4.51).

CONCLUSIONS

Bioactive adrenomedullin concentrations at the time of ED evaluation for acute heart failure were predictive of clinically important 30-day outcomes, suggesting that bio-ADM is a promising prognostic marker for further study.

Thirty-day mortality in ED patients with new onset atrial fibrillation and actively treated cancer

OBJECTIVES

Studies suggest that inflammatory, autonomic, and coagulation alterations associated with cancer may increase incident atrial fibrillation (AF). New-onset AF is associated with increased mortality in other nonneoplastic disease processes. We investigated the association of active cancer with 30-day mortality in emergency department (ED) patients with new-onset AF.

METHODS

We conducted an analysis within an observational cohort study at a tertiary care hospital that included ED patients with new-onset AF. The exposure variable was presence of active cancer. We defined active cancer as the patient received chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or recent cancer-related surgery within 90 days of the ED visit. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between cancer status and 30-day mortality adjusting for patient age and sex.

RESULTS

During the 5.5-year study period, 420 patients with new-onset AF were included in our cohort, including 37 (8.8%) with active cancer. Patients with active cancer had no clinically relevant differences in their hemodynamic stability. Among the 37 patients with active cancer, 9 (24%) died within 30 days. Of the 383 patients without active cancer, 11 (3%) died within 30 days. After adjusting for age and sex, active cancer was an independent predictor of 30-day mortality, with an adjusted odds ratio of 10.8 (95% confidence interval, 3.8-31.1).

CONCLUSIONS

Among ED patients with new-onset AF, active cancer appears to be associated with 11-fold increased odds of 30-day mortality; new-onset AF may represent progressive organ dysfunction leading to an increased risk of short-term mortality in patients with cancer.

Comparison of clinical prediction models for resistant bacteria in community-onset pneumonia

OBJECTIVES

Six recently published algorithms classify pneumonia patients presenting from the community into high- and low-risk groups for resistant bacteria. Our objective was to compare performance of these algorithms for identifying patients infected with bacteria resistant to traditional community-acquired pneumonia antibiotics.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of consecutive adult patients diagnosed with pneumonia in an emergency department and subsequently hospitalized. Each patient was classified as high or low risk for resistant bacteria according to the following algorithms: original health care-associated pneumonia (HCAP) criteria, Summit criteria, Brito and Niederman strategy, Shorr model, Aliberti model, and Shindo model. The reference for comparison was detection of resistant bacteria, defined as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or Gram-negative bacteria resistant to ceftriaxone or levofloxacin.

RESULTS

A total of 614 patients were studied, including 36 (5.9%) with resistant bacteria. The HCAP criteria classified 304 (49.5%) patients as high risk, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.63 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.54 to 0.72), sensitivity of 0.69 (95% CI = 0.52 to 0.83), and specificity of 0.52 (95% CI = 0.48 to 0.56). None of the other algorithms improved both sensitivity and specificity or significantly improved the AUC. Compared to the HCAP criteria, the Shorr and Aliberti models classified more patients as high risk, resulting in higher sensitivity and lower specificity. The Shindo model classified fewer patients as high risk, with lower sensitivity and higher specificity.

CONCLUSIONS

All algorithms for identification of resistant bacteria included in this study had suboptimal performance to guide antibiotic selection. New strategies for selecting empirical antibiotics for community-onset pneumonia are necessary.