Extremes of Emergency Department Boarding are Associated With Poorer Financial Performance Among Hospitals

GOAL

Boarding emergency department (ED) patients is associated with reductions in quality of care, patient safety and experience, and ED operational efficiency. However, ED boarding is ultimately reflective of inefficiencies in hospital capacity management. The ability of a hospital to accommodate variability in patient flow presumably affects its financial performance, but this relationship is not well studied. We investigated the relationship between ED boarding and hospital financial performance measures. Our objective was to see if there was an association between key financial measures of business performance and limitations in patient progression efficiency, as evidenced by ED boarding.

METHODS

Cross-sectional ED operational data were collected from the Emergency Department Benchmarking Alliance, a voluntarily self-reporting operational database that includes 54% of EDs in the United States. Freestanding EDs, pediatric EDs and EDs with missing boarding data were excluded. The key operational outcome variable was boarding time. We reviewed the financial information of these nonprofit institutions by accessing their Internal Revenue Service Form 990. We examined standard measures of financial performance, including return on equity, total margin, total asset turnover, and equity multiplier (EM). We studied these associations using quantile regressions of added ED volume, ED admission percentage, urban versus nonurban ED site location, trauma status, and percentage of the population receiving Medicare and Medicaid as covariates in the regression models.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Operational data were available for 892 EDs from 31 states. Of those, 127 reported a Form 990 in the year corresponding to the ED boarding measures. Median boarding time across EDs was 148 min (interquartile range [IQR]: 100-216). A significant relationship exists between boarding and the EM, along with a negative association with the hospital's total profit margin in the highest-performing hospitals (by profit margin percentage). After adjusting for the covariates in the regression model, we found that for every 10 min above 90 min of boarding, the mean EM for the top quartile increased from 245.8% to 249.5% (p < .001). In hospitals in the top 90th percentile of total margin, every 10 min beyond the median ED boarding interval led to a decrease in total margin of 0.24%.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Using the largest available national registry of ED operational data and concordant nonprofit financial reports, higher boarding among the highest-profitability hospitals (i.e., top 10%) is associated with a drag on profit margin, while hospitals with the highest boarding are associated with the highest leverage (i.e., indicated by the EM). These relationships suggest an association between a key ED indicator of hospital capacity management and overall institutional financial performance.

The Accuracy of Predictive Analytics in Forecasting Emergency Department Volume Before and After Onset of COVID-19

Introduction

Big data and improved analytic techniques, such as triple exponential smoothing (TES), allow for prediction of emergency department (ED) volume. We sought to determine 1) which method of TES was most accurate in predicting pre-coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), during COVID-19, and post-COVID-19 ED volume; 2) how the pandemic would affect TES prediction accuracy; and 3) whether TES would regain its pre-COVID-19 accuracy in the early post-pandemic period.

Methods

We studied monthly volumes of four EDs with a combined annual census of approximately 250,000 visits in the two years prior to, during the 25-month COVID-19 pandemic, and the 14 months following. We compared the accuracy of four models of TES forecasting by measuring the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), mean square errors (MSE) and mean absolute deviation (MAD), comparing actual to predicted monthly volume.

Results

In the 23 months prior to COVID-19, the overall average MAPE across four forecasting methods was 3.88% ± 1.88% (range 2.41-6.42% across the four ED sites), rising to 15.21% ± 6.67% during the 25-month COVID-19 period (range 9.97-25.18% across the four sites), and falling to 6.45% ± 3.92% in the 14 months after (range 3.86-12.34% across the four sites). The 12-month Holt-Winter method had the greatest accuracy prior to COVID-19 (3.18% ± 1.65%) and during the pandemic (11.31% ± 4.81%), while the 24-month Holt-Winter offered the best performance following the pandemic (5.91% ± 3.82%). The pediatric ED had an average MAPE more than twice that of the average MAPE of the three adult EDs (6.42% ± 1.54% prior to COVID-19, 25.18% ± 9.42% during the pandemic, and 12.34% ± 0.55% after COVID-19). After the onset of the pandemic, there was no immediate improvement in forecasting model accuracy until two years later; however, these still had not returned to baseline accuracy levels.

Conclusion

We were able to identify a TES model that was the most accurate. Most of the models saw an approximate four-fold increase in MAPE after onset of the pandemic. In the months following the most severe waves of COVID-19, we saw improvements in the accuracy of forecasting models, but they were not back to pre-COVID-19 accuracies.

Boarding is Associated with Reduced Emergency Department Efficiency that is not Mitigated by a Provider in Triage

INTRODUCTION

Boarding of patients in the emergency department (ED) is associated with decreased ED efficiency. The provider-in-triage (PIT) model has been shown to improve ED throughput, but it is unclear how these improvements are affected by boarding. We sought to assess the effects of boarding on ED throughput and whether implementation of a PIT model mitigated those effects.

METHODS

We performed a multi-site retrospective review of 955 days of ED operations data at a tertiary care academic ED (AED) and a high-volume community ED (CED) before and after implementation of PIT. Key outcome variables were door to provider time (D2P), total length of stay of discharged patients (LOSD), and boarding time (admit request to ED departure [A2D]).

RESULTS

Implementation of PIT was associated with a decrease in median D2P by 22 minutes or 43% at the AED (p < 0.01), and 18 minutes (31%) at the CED (p < 0.01). LOSD also decreased by 19 minutes (5.9%) at the AED and 8 minutes (3.3%) at the CED (p<0.01). After adjusting for variations in daily census, the effect of boarding (A2D) on D2P and LOSD was unchanged, despite the implementation of PIT. At the AED, 7.7 minutes of boarding increased median D2P by one additional minute (p < 0.01), and every four minutes of boarding increased median LOSD by one minute (p < 0.01). At the CED, 7.1 minutes of boarding added one additional minute to D2P (p < 0.01), and 4.8 minutes of boarding added one minute to median LOSD (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

In this retrospective, observational multicenter study, ED operational efficiency was improved with the implementation of a PIT model but worsened with boarding. The PIT model was unable to mitigate any of the effects of boarding. This suggests that PIT is associated with increased efficiency of ED intake and throughput, but boarding continues to have the same effect on ED efficiency regardless of upstream efficiency measures that may be designed to minimize its impact.

Inferior vena cava collapsibility detects fluid responsiveness among spontaneously breathing critically-ill patients

PURPOSE

Measurement of inferior vena cava collapsibility (cIVC) by point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has been proposed as a viable, non-invasive means of assessing fluid responsiveness. We aimed to determine the ability of cIVC to identify patients who will respond to additional intravenous fluid (IVF) administration among spontaneously breathing critically-ill patients.

METHODS

Prospective observational trial of spontaneously breathing critically-ill patients. cIVC was obtained 3cm caudal from the right atrium and IVC junction using POCUS. Fluid responsiveness was defined as a≥10% increase in cardiac index following a 500ml IVF bolus; measured using bioreactance (NICOM™, Cheetah Medical). cIVC was compared with fluid responsiveness and a cIVC optimal value was identified.

RESULTS

Of the 124 participants, 49% were fluid responders. cIVC was able to detect fluid responsiveness: AUC=0.84 [0.76, 0.91]. The optimum cutoff point for cIVC was identified as 25% (LR+ 4.56 [2.72, 7.66], LR- 0.16 [0.08, 0.31]). A cIVC of 25% produced a lower misclassification rate (16.1%) for determining fluid responsiveness than the previous suggested cutoff values of 40% (34.7%).

CONCLUSION

IVC collapsibility, as measured by POCUS, performs well in distinguishing fluid responders from non-responders, and may be used to guide IVF resuscitation among spontaneously breathing critically-ill patients.

Inter-rater Reliability of the Diamond & Forrester Score in Emergency Department Chest Pain Observation Unit Patients

BACKGROUND

Cardiology consensus guidelines recommend use of the Diamond & Forrester (D&F) score in augmenting the decision to pursue stress testing. We have recently shown that it may have value in safely reducing stress utilization in an emergency department chest pain unit (CPU). However, full application necessitates demonstration of a good inter-rater reliability of the D&F score in the CPU setting. We hypothesized that D&F pretest probability would have good inter-rater reliability in CPU patients.

METHODS

This was a chart review of randomly selected patients from a previously collected prospective observational trial of admitted CPU patients in a large-volume academic urban emergency department. Inclusion criteria were: age>18 years, American Heart Association low/intermediate risk, nondynamic electrocardiograms, and normal initial troponin I. Exclusion criteria were: age>75 years with coronary artery disease. A D&F score for likelihood of coronary artery disease was calculated on each patient by 2 trained chart abstractors using a standardized data abstraction instrument. Abstractors were trained to specifically categorize presenting symptoms as fitting 1 of 3 types of chest pain symptoms: nonanginal, atypical, or anginal based on previously published prespecified criteria. Approximately 20% of charts in a CPU registry were abstracted by 2 chart abstractors who were blind to each other's categorization, the patient outcomes, and the study hypothesis. The primary outcome was the kappa statistic for agreement between the 2 raters.

RESULTS

The charts of 705 random patients were reviewed. The mean age was 55.1±11.8 years, 52% were female. Forty four percentage of patients received stress testing, and 2.4% of patients had acute coronary syndrome. The mean D&F score was 39±24. There was good inter-rater agreement of chest pain characteristics (κ=0.77, 95% confidence interval, 0.72-0.81; P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

This study supports the use of the D&F score as a reliable indicator of pretest probability in CPU patients by demonstrating that there is good inter-rater reliability. Prospective validation is necessary at the point of patient assessment, in conjunction with application of the D&F score to augment stress utilization decision making.

Pleth variability index and fluid responsiveness of hemodynamically stable patients after cardiothoracic surgery

BACKGROUND

Fluid responsiveness is a measure of preload dependence and is defined as an increase in cardiac output due to volume expansion. Recent publications have suggested that variation in amplitude of the pulse oximetry waveform may be predictive of fluid responsiveness. The pleth variability index (PVI) was developed as a noninvasive bedside measurement of this variation in the pulse oximetry waveform.

OBJECTIVES

To measure the discriminatory value of PVI for predicting fluid responsiveness as measured by pulmonary artery catheter thermodilution in patients after cardiothoracic surgery.

METHODS

A prospective observational study of hemodynamically stable postoperative cardiac surgery patients with pulmonary artery catheters. A fingertip sensor was used to measure PVI. Vital signs, PVI, and cardiac index were measured before, during, and after passive leg raise. Fluid responsiveness was defined by increase in cardiac index of greater than 15% during passive leg raise. The discriminatory value of PVI was assessed by using the Wilcoxon method to measure the area under the receiver operating curve.

RESULTS

In 13 months, 47 patients (24 receiving mechanical ventilation, 23 spontaneously breathing) were enrolled. Fluid responsiveness was noted in 42% of intubated patients and 48% of spontaneously breathing patients. PVI was not adequate to discriminate fluid responsiveness in intubated patients (area under curve, 0.63; P = .16) or spontaneously breathing patients (area under curve, 0.41; P = .75).

CONCLUSIONS

Among postoperative cardiac surgery patients, PVI is not reliable for predicting fluid responsiveness as measured by pulmonary artery catheter thermodilution, regardless of ventilatory status.

Abstract W P185: Clinical Predictors of Stroke, TIA and Mimic among Patients with Transient Neurological Dysfunction Admitted to an Emergency Department Observation Unit

Background: In patients with resolved symptoms, transient ischemic attack (TIA) is distinguished from ischemic stroke by neuroimaging evidence of acute infarction. DW-MRI has been shown to be more sensitive at detecting infarction than CT, but is not uniformly available in the acute setting.

Hypothesis: We sought to identify predictors of stroke diagnosis among a cohort of clinically suspected TIA patients undergoing an accelerated diagnostic protocol in an emergency department observation unit (EDOU).

Methods: We prospectively studied 189 patients treated in the EDOU of a single tertiary care academic medical center. Patients underwent DW-MRI of the brain (unless contraindicated), and bedside neurologist evaluation. A CT scan of the brain was considered optional prior to EDOU admission. We compared the odds of extremity weakness, sensory loss, facial droop, visual disturbance, slurred speech, aphasia, dizziness, and headache between patients with final diagnosis of stroke, TIA and mimic. This study was approved by the hospital IRB.

Results: Thirty-one patients (16%) were diagnosed with an acute ischemic stroke, 85 (45%) TIA, and 73 (39%) mimic. Mean age was 64.8 years (SD = 15.5; range = 30-90). DW-MRI was performed on 92% of patients. A CT scan was also performed in 80% of patients diagnosed with stroke and 0 were diagnostic. Median ABCD2 scores were 4 for stroke and TIA (IQR 3-5) and 3 for mimic (IQR 2-4). Only headache symptoms predicted lower odds of stroke (OR 0.22; 95% CI: 0.05-0.96). Both headache (OR 1.44; 95% CI: 1.03-2.03) and visual disturbance (OR 3.14; 95% CI: 1.49-6.65) increased the odds of mimic diagnosis, but were also present in 13% and 10% of stroke patients respectively. Slurred speech (OR 0.48: 95% CI: 0.25-0.93); aphasia (OR 0.34 95% CI: 0.15-0.76) and facial droop (OR 90.36: 95% CI: 0.14-0.94) significantly predicted lower odds of mimic diagnosis.

Conclusions: In our investigation of patients with transient neurologic dysfunction in an EDOU, stroke diagnosis was common and could not be predicted by clinical variables alone. Early DW-MRI should be considered in all TIA patients, especially those reporting slurred speech, aphasia or facial droop.

Abstract T MP74: The Diagnosis, Etiologic Classification, and Safe Discharge of Ischemic Strokes with Transient Symptoms from an Emergency Department Observation Unit

Background: Patients with a clinical diagnosis of transient ischemic attack (TIA) who have imaging evidence of infarction portend a high risk of short-term recurrent stroke. Emergency Department Observation Units (EDOU) offer an alternative to hospital admission and are becoming increasingly utilized for acute cerebrovascular emergencies.

Hypothesis: We sought to determine whether an EDOU protocol emphasizing etiologic determination and individualized secondary prevention could be a safe alternative to hospital admission for suspected TIA patients with and without brain infarction.

Methods: We prospectively studied 189 patients admitted to the TIA EDOU of a single tertiary care academic medical center. There was no ABCD2 cutoff for eligibility and exclusion criteria included persistent deficits or another diagnosis warranting hospitalization. Patients underwent DW-MRI/MRA of the head and neck unless contraindicated, transthoracic echocardiogram and bedside neurologist evaluation. Etiologic subtyping was determined using the Causative Classification System (CCS). 30-day follow-up was performed on all patients by telephone and/or review of medical records. This study was approved by the hospital IRB.

Results: Acute ischemic stroke was diagnosed in 31 (16%) of patients, including 30 with DWI lesions and 1 in whom MRI was contraindicated, but had clinical worsening while in the EDOU. An evident or probable etiology was determined by CCS subtyping in 38% of strokes and 32% of TIAs (17% atherosclerosis, 12% cardioembolism, 5% small vessel). Of the total cohort, 84% were discharged from the EDOU including 16 (52%) with confirmed stroke. Median LOS was 22 hours (IQR: 17-25). At 30 days, one patient was found to have a small recurrent stroke (0.7%). There was 1 non-stroke related death. Twenty (11%) overall returned to the ED, the vast majority (70%) from the non-stroke cohort.

Conclusions: Not all ischemic stroke patients require hospitalization. An EDOU is a safe and effective alternative for the complete diagnostic evaluation and management of patients with transient neurologic symptoms. Further study of cost and quality effectiveness in warranted.

The DISPARITY-II study: delays to antibiotic administration in women with severe sepsis or septic shock

BACKGROUND

Early antibiotics reduce mortality in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. Recent work demonstrated that women experience greater delays to antibiotic administration, but it is unknown if this relationship remains after adjusting for factors such as source of infection.

OBJECTIVES

The objective was to investigate whether gender and/or source of infection are associated with delays to antibiotics in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, observational study in an urban academic emergency department and national Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) database study site. Consecutive patients age 18 years and older admitted to intensive care with severe sepsis or septic shock and entered into the SSC database from October 2005 to March 2012 were included. Two trained research assistants, blinded to the primary outcome, used a standardized abstraction form to obtain patient demographic and clinical data, including the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores and comorbidities. Time to first antibiotic and presumed source of infection were extracted from the SSC database. Univariate analyses were performed with Pearson chi-square tests and t-tests. Linear regression was performed with time to first antibiotic as the primary outcome. Covariates, chosen a priori by study authors, included age, race, ethnicity, source of infection, SOFA score, and lactate.

RESULTS

A total of 771 patients were included. Women were 45.3% of the sample, the mean age was 66 years (95% confidence interval [CI] = 65.1 to 67.5 years), 19.4% were nonwhite, and 8% were Hispanic. Mean time to first antibiotic was 153 minutes (95% CI = 143 to 163 minutes) for men and 184 minutes (95% CI = 171 to 197 minutes) for women (p < 0.001). The urinary tract was source of infection for 35.2% of women (95% CI = 30.2% to 40.3%) versus 23.7% (95% CI = 19.6% to 27.8%) of men. Pneumonia was present in 46.9% of men (95% CI = 42.1% to 51.7%) versus 35.8% (95% CI = 30.8% to 40.8%) of women. The mean time to antibiotics in women was longer than in men (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.07 to 1.30), even after adjusting for age, race, ethnicity, presumed source of infection, SOFA score, and lactate (p = 0.001). Those with pneumonia compared to other infections received antibiotics faster (aOR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.66 to 0.81). There was no significant association between other sources of infection and time to antibiotics in either univariate or multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Women experience longer delays to initial antibiotics among patients with severe sepsis or septic shock, even after adjusting for infectious source. Pneumonia was associated with shorter times to antibiotic administration. Future research is necessary to investigate contributors to delayed antibiotic administration in women.

The association between pretest probability of coronary artery disease and stress test utilization and outcomes in a chest pain observation unit

OBJECTIVES

Cardiology consensus guidelines recommend use of the Diamond and Forrester (D&F) score to augment the decision to pursue stress testing. However, recent work has reported no association between pretest probability of coronary artery disease (CAD) as measured by D&F and physician discretion in stress test utilization for inpatients. The author hypothesized that D&F pretest probability would predict the likelihood of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and a positive stress test and that there would be limited yield to diagnostic testing of patients categorized as low pretest probability by D&F score who are admitted to a chest pain observation unit (CPU).

METHODS

This was a prospective observational cohort study of consecutively admitted CPU patients in a large-volume academic urban emergency department (ED). Cardiologists rounded on all patients and stress test utilization was driven by their recommendations. Inclusion criteria were as follows: age>18 years, American Heart Association (AHA) low/intermediate risk, nondynamic electrocardiograms (ECGs), and normal initial troponin I. Exclusion criteria were as follows: age older than 75 years with a history of CAD. A D&F score for likelihood of CAD was calculated on each patient independent of patient care. Based on the D&F score, patients were assigned a priori to low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups (<10, 10 to 90, and >90%, respectively). ACS was defined by ischemia on stress test, coronary artery occlusion of ≥70% in at least one vessel, or elevations in troponin I consistent with consensus guidelines. A true-positive stress test was defined by evidence of reversible ischemia and subsequent angiographic evidence of critical stenosis or a discharge diagnosis of ACS. An estimated 3,500 patients would be necessary to have 1% precision around a potential 0.3% event rate in low-pretest-probability patients. Categorical comparisons were made using Pearson chi-square testing.

RESULTS

A total of 3,552 patients with index visits were enrolled over a 29-month period. The mean (±standard deviation [SD]) age was 51.3 (±9.3) years. Forty-nine percent of patients received stress testing. Pretest probability based on D&F score was associated with stress test utilization (p<0.01), risk of ACS (p<0.01), and true-positive stress tests (p=0.03). No patients with low pretest probability were subsequently diagnosed with ACS (95% CI=0 to 0.66%) or had a true-positive stress test (95% CI=0 to 1.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

Physician discretionary decision-making regarding stress test use is associated with pretest probability of CAD. However, based on the D&F score, low-pretest-probability patients who meet CPU admission criteria are very unlikely to have a true-positive stress test or eventually receive a diagnosis of ACS, such that observation and stress test utilization may be obviated.

The DISPARITY Study: do gender differences exist in Surviving Sepsis Campaign resuscitation bundle completion, completion of individual bundle elements, or sepsis mortality?

PURPOSE

Women in the emergency department are less likely to receive early goal directed therapy, but gender differences in the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) bundle completion have not been studied [1]. We hypothesized that women have lower SSC resuscitation bundle completion rates.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective, observational study in a large urban academic ED at a national SSC site. Consecutive patients (age>18 years) admitted to intensive care with severe sepsis or septic shock and entered into the SSC database from October 2005 to February 2012 were included. Data on overall and individual bundle elements were exported from the database. Bivariate analyses were performed with chi-square tests and t-tests. Multiple logistic regression was then performed with gender as an effect modifier.

RESULTS

Eight hundred fourteen patients were enrolled. The mean age was 66 years;, 44.8% were women. There was no association between gender and bundle completion (aOR 0.83, 95% CI 0.58-1.16), controlling for age, race, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, congestive heart failure, and coagulopathy. In-hospital mortality did not differ by gender. Women were less likely to receive antibiotics within 3 hours (60.5% vs. 68.8%, p=0.01) and less likely to reach a target ScvO2>70 (31.3% vs. 39.5%, P=.05).

CONCLUSIONS

There were no gender disparities in bundle completion or in-hospital mortality. Further research is needed to examine individual bundle elements and gender specific factors that may affect bundle completion and mortality.

Low-risk chest pain patients younger than 40 years do not benefit from admission and stress testing

BACKGROUND

A number of studies have suggested clinical decision rules for patients age <40 who are at low risk for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and may be safe for discharge from the emergency department. Despite this, many such patients continue to be admitted for observation in low-risk observation units. We hypothesized that patients age <40 without coronary artery disease, with a nonischemic electrocardiogram (ECG), and normal initial troponin I (TnI) who are admitted to a CPU are at very low risk (<1%) for ACS or 30-day major adverse cardiac event (MACE) and would not benefit from observation care.

METHODS

This was a prospective, observational study of consecutive patients admitted to the CPU in a large-volume academic urban emergency department. Eligibility criteria included age >18 but <40, American Heart Association low-to-intermediate risk, nonischemic ECGs, and normal initial TnI. Standard descriptive statistics were used for demographics, cardiac comorbidities, and risk scores. Our primary outcomes were CPU ACS rate and 30-day MACE. MACE was defined as death, nonfatal AMI, revascularization, or out of hospital cardiac arrest. A sample size of at least 400 was chosen to have 1% precision about an expected outcome rate of 0.3% (based on prior CPU data of patients of all ages). Confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the refined Wilson simple asymptotic method with continuity correction. All patients were called at 30 days. All charts on index visit and any subsequent visit within 30 days were reviewed using standardized chart abstractions forms by 2 trained abstractors blinded to the hypothesis of the study. A Social Security Death Index search was performed on all patients.

RESULTS

Three hundred eighty-four patients accounting for 403 CPU admissions were enrolled over a 28-month period. Mean age was 34.3 ± 4.5; 42% were women; and 89%, 8%, 2%, and 1% had Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively. No patient had an abnormal TnI. The ACS rate was 0 (95% CI, 0-0.8%). The 30-day MACE rate was 0 (95% CI, 0-0.8%). Forty-two percentage of these patients received stress testing but 0 (95% CI, 0-1.8%) were positive.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients age <40 with a normal ECG and normal first biomarker have <1% risk of ACS or 30-day MACE, such that admission and stress testing are of no benefit.

Injury patterns in recreational alpine skiing and snowboarding at a mountainside clinic

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine the demographic and injury characteristics of skiing and snowboarding at a mountainside clinic.

METHODS

Prospectively collected data of all acutely injured patients at the Big Sky Medical Clinic at the base of Big Sky Ski Area in the Northern Rocky Mountains were reviewed. A total of 1593 patients filled out the study questionnaire during the 1995-2000 and 2009-2010 ski seasons. Injury patterns by sport, demographics, and skill level were analyzed and compared over time.

RESULTS

The mean overall age was 32.9 ± 14.9 years, 35.4 ± 15.2 for skiers and 23.6 ± 9.5 for snowboarders (P < .01). The knee accounted for 43% of all skiing injuries, the shoulder 12%, and the thumb 8%. The wrist accounted for 18% of all snowboarding injuries, the shoulders 14%, and the ankle and knee each 13%. Beginner snowboarders were more likely to present with wrist injuries compared with intermediate (P = .04) and advanced snowboarders (P < .01). Demographic and injury patterns did not significantly change over time.

CONCLUSIONS

At this mountainside clinic, the most frequent ski injuries are to the knee and shoulder, regardless of skill level. Beginning snowboarders most frequently injure their wrists whereas shoulder injuries remain frequent at all skill levels. Knowledge of these injury patterns may help manage patients who present for medical care in the prehospital setting as well as help in designing targeted educational tools for injury prevention.

Racial disparities in stress test utilization in an emergency department chest pain unit

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated racial disparities in the workup of emergency department patients with chest pain and the referral of admitted patients for intervention. However, little is known about possible disparities in stress test utilization in low-risk chest pain patients admitted to emergency department chest pain units.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study of consecutive chest pain unit patients was conducted. Eligibility criteria included age >18 years, American Heart Association low-to-intermediate risk, nondynamic electrocardiograms, and normal initial troponin I. Patients aged >75 years with a history of coronary artery heart disease were excluded. On each patient, we calculated a Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk prediction score and a Diamond and Forrester (D&F) score for likelihood of coronary artery disease. Two separate multivariate analyses were completed, one including the TIMI score and the other including D&F score, using logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for receiving testing based on race, controlling for other relevant covariates.

RESULTS

Two thousand four hundred fifty-one patients were enrolled over a planned 1.5-year period. In total, 59.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) 57.8-61.7] of patients were white, 11.6% (95% CI 10.4-12.9) African American, and 28.6% (95% CI 26.9-30.4) "other." The overall stress testing rate was 50.3% (95% CI 48.4-52.3). After controlling for insurance and TIMI or D&F scores, African American patients had significantly decreased odds of stress testing (OR(TIMI) 0.68, 95% CI 0.52-0.89; OR(D&F) 0.67, 95% CI 0.51-0.89).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study confirms racial disparities in the utilization of stress testing in the chest pain unit. Further investigation is needed to identify specific provider or patient-level factors that may contribute to this disparity.

Influence of clinical experience and productivity on emergency medicine faculty teaching scores

BACKGROUND

Commonly cited barriers to effective teaching in emergency medicine include lack of time, competing demands for patient care, and a lack of formal teaching experience. Teaching may be negatively affected by demands for increased clinical productivity, or positively influenced by clinical experience.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between faculty teaching scores and clinical productivity, years of clinical experience, and amount of clinical contact with resident physicians.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective, observational study with existing data on full-time faculty at a high-volume, urban emergency medicine residency training program for academic year 2008-2009. Residents rated faculty on 9 domains of teaching, including willingness to teach, enthusiasm for teaching, medical knowledge, preparation, and communication. Clinical productivity data for relative value units per hour and number of patients per hour, years of clinical experience, and annual clinical hours were obtained from existing databases.

RESULTS

For the 25 core faculty members included in the study, there was no relationship between faculty teaching scores and clinical productivity measures (relative value units per hour: r (2)  =  0.01, P  =  .96, patients per hour: r (2)  =  0.00, P  =  .76), or between teaching scores and total clinical hours with residents (r (2)  =  0.07, P  =  .19). There was a significant negative relationship between years of experience and teaching scores (r (2)  =  0.27, P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that teaching scores for core emergency medicine faculty did not correlate with clinical productivity or amount of clinical contact with residents. Teaching scores were inversely related to number of years of clinical experience, with more experienced faculty earning the lowest teaching scores. Further study is necessary to determine if there are clinical measures that identify good educators.

Bedside sonographic measurement of the inferior vena cava caval index is a poor predictor of fluid responsiveness in emergency department patients

OBJECTIVES

Sonographic measurement of the inferior vena cava (IVC) caval index predicts central venous pressure in ED patients. Fluid responsiveness (FR) is a measure of preload dependence defined as an increase in cardiac output secondary to volume expansion. We sought to determine if the caval index is an accurate measurement of FR in ED patients.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective, observational trial at an urban, academic, adult ED with an annual census >105 000. Included patients were clinically suspected of eu- and hypovolemia. Excluded patients were <18 years old, pregnant, incarcerated, sustained significant trauma or unable to consent. Supine IVC diameter was measured by bedside ultrasonography (M-Turbo; Sonosite, Bothwell, WA, USA). Caval index = [(expiratory IVC diameter - inspiratory IVC diameter)/expiratory IVC diameter] × 100. FR was defined as an increase in the cardiac index by >10% by impedance cardiography (BioZ; Sonosite) following passive leg raise. The primary outcome was analysed using Spearman correlations for non-parametric data and the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve by Wilcoxon method.

RESULTS

Thirty patients were enrolled; four were excluded because of incomplete data collection. Thirty-one per cent (95% CI 13-48) of the patients were FR. The mean initial caval and cardiac index were 15.8% (95% CI 9.5-22) and 2.9 L/min/m(2) (95% CI 2.6-3.2), respectively. Caval index did not predict FR (receiver operating curve = 0.46, 95% CI 0.21-0.71, P = 0.63).

CONCLUSION

Bedside sonographic measurement of IVC caval index does not predict FR in a heterogeneous ED patient population. Further research using this technique in targeted patient subsets and a variety of shock etiologies is needed.

Use of the relationship between absolute lymphocyte count and CD4 count to improve earlier consideration of pneumocystis pneumonia in HIV-positive emergency department patients with pneumonia

BACKGROUND

The ability to accurately assess the level of immunosuppression in HIV+ patients in the emergency department (ED) is often limited and can affect management of these patients.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the relationship between the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and CD4 count in HIV patients admitted through the ED with pneumonia and how utilization of this relationship may affect early consideration and evaluation of Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP).

METHODS

Retrospective multicenter 5-year study of HIV+ patients with an ICD-9 diagnosis of pneumonia. Included patients had an ALC measured on ED presentation and a CD4 count measured in < 24 h. A receiver operator curve (ROC), decision plot analysis, and McNemar test of proportions were used to characterize the relationship between study variables.

RESULTS

Six hundred eighty six patients were enrolled, 23.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 20.2-26.1) were diagnosed with PCP. The geometric mean CD4 count and ALC were 81 and 1089, respectively. The correlation between ALC and CD4 was r = 0.60 (95% CI 0.55-65, p < 0.01). The ROC was 0.78 (0.75-0.82). An ALC < 1700 cells/mm(3) had a sensitivity of 84% (95% CI 80-87) and specificity of 55% (95% CI 48-70) for a CD4 < 200 cells/mm(3). An ALC threshold of 1700 cells/mm(3) would have identified 86% of patients with PCP but falsely identified 2.5 patients without PCP for every one accurately identified.

CONCLUSION

The ALC threshold of 1700 cells/mm(3) retains significant discriminatory value and would moderately improve identification of patients with a CD4 < 200 cells/mm(3) but is not likely to be reliable as the sole method of early recognition and evaluation of PCP.

Physician discretion is safe and may lower stress test utilization in emergency department chest pain unit patients

INTRODUCTION

Chest pain unit (CPU) observation with defined stress utilization protocols is a common management option for low-risk emergency department patients. We sought to evaluate the safety of a joint emergency medicine and cardiology staffed CPU.

METHODS

Prospective observational trial of consecutive patients admitted to an emergency department CPU was conducted. A standard 6-hour observation protocol was followed by cardiology consultation and stress utilization largely at their discretion. Included patients were at low/intermediate risk by the American Heart Association, had nondiagnostic electrocardiograms, and a normal initial troponin. Excluded patients were those with an acute comorbidity, age >75, and a history of coronary artery disease, or had a coexistent problem restricting 24-hour observation. Primary outcome was 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events-defined as death, nonfatal acute myocardial infarction, revascularization, or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

RESULTS

A total of 1063 patients were enrolled over 8 months. The mean age of the patients was 52.8 ± 11.8 years, and 51% (95% confidence interval [CI], 48-54) were female. The mean thrombolysis in myocardial infarction and Diamond & Forrester scores were 0.6% (95% CI, 0.51-0.62) and 33% (95% CI, 31-35), respectively. In all, 51% (95% CI, 48-54) received stress testing (52% nuclear stress, 39% stress echocardiogram, 5% exercise, 4% other). In all, 0.9% patients (n = 10, 95% CI, 0.4-1.5) were diagnosed with a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and 2.2% (n = 23, 95% CI, 1.3-3) with acute coronary syndrome. There was 1 (95% CI, 0%-0.3%) case of a 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events. The 51% stress test utilization rate was less than the range reported in previous CPU studies (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Joint emergency medicine and cardiology management of patients within a CPU protocol is safe, efficacious, and may safely reduce stress testing rates.

The role of lactate clearance in the resuscitation bundle

The sepsis resuscitation bundle is the result of an effort on behalf of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to translate individual guideline recommendations into standardized, achievable goals for physicians caring for the critically ill patient. Implementation of this bundle is associated with decreased mortality. Many of the bundle items reflect components of therapy shown to improve mortality in the seminal early goal-directed therapy trial for severe sepsis and septic shock, including an initial lactate measurement. Elevations in serum lactate are associated with increased mortality, and may result from either increased lactate production or impaired lactate clearance. Lactate clearance may be an important addition to the monitoring and management bundles of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock, However, specific mechanisms of lactate clearance, the relation of lactate clearance to traditional hemodynamic parameters, and the importance of lactate clearance as a therapeutic target or monitoring tool remain unclear.

Absolute lymphocyte count in the emergency department predicts a low CD4 count in admitted HIV-positive patients

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to determine if the automated absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) predicts a "low" (<200 × 10(6) cells/μL) CD4 count in patients with known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV+) who are admitted to the hospital from the emergency department (ED).

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study over an 8-year period was performed in a single, urban academic tertiary care hospital with over 85,000 annual ED visits. Included were patients who were known to be HIV+ and admitted from the ED, who had an ALC measured in the ED and a CD4 count measured within 24 hours of admission. Back-translated means and confidence intervals (CIs) were used to describe CD4 and ALC levels. The primary outcome was to determine the utility of an ALC threshold for predicting a CD4 count of <200 × 10(6) cells/μL by assessing the strength of association between log-transformed ALC and CD4 counts using a Pearson correlation coefficient. In addition, area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) and a decision plot analysis were used to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, and the positive and negative likelihood ratios to identify prespecified optimal clinical thresholds of a likelihood ratio of <0.1 and >10.

RESULTS

  A total of 866 patients (mean age 42 years, 40% female) met inclusion criteria. The transformed means (95% CIs) for CD4 and ALC were 34 (31-38) and 654 (618-691), respectively. There was a significant relationship between the two measures, r = 0.74 (95% CI = 0.71 to 0.77, p < 0.01). The AUC was 0.92 (95% CI = 0.90 to 0.94, p < 0.001). An ALC of <1700 × 10(6) cells/μL had a sensitivity of 95% (95% CI = 93% to 96%), specificity of 52% (95% CI = 43% to 62%), and negative likelihood ratio of 0.09 (95% CI = 0.05 to 0.2) for a CD4 count of <200 × 10(6) cells/μL. An ALC of <950 × 10(6) cells/μL has a sensitivity of 76% (95% CI = 73% to 79%), specificity of 93% (95% CI = 87% to 96%), and positive likelihood ratio of 10.1 (95% CI = 8.2 to 14) for a CD4 count of <200 × 10(6) cells/μL.

CONCLUSIONS

  Absolute lymphocyte count was predictive of a CD4 count of <200 × 10(6) cells/μL in HIV+ patients who present to the ED, necessitating hospital admission. A CD4 count of <200 × 10(6) cells/μL is very likely if the ED ALC is <950 × 10(6) cells/μL and less likely if the ALC is >1,700 × 10(6) cells/μL. Depending on pretest probability, clinical use of this relationship may help emergency physicians predict the likelihood of susceptibility to opportunistic infections and may help identify patients who should receive definitive CD4 testing.

Tension pneumoperitoneum during routine colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is generally a safe and effective means to detect, diagnose, and treat colonic abnormalities. Although the overall complication rate is low, the morbidity and mortality following perforation approach 50%. Here we present a case of a 49-year-old woman undergoing routine colonoscopy when she suffered bowel perforation and tension pneumoperitoneum. This is a seldom occurrence and may result following bowel perforation with the rapid accumulation of free air into the peritoneal cavity. It is a life-threatening complication and a surgical emergency.

Prognostic value of noninvasive measures of contractility in emergency department patients with severe sepsis and septic shock undergoing early goal-directed therapy

PURPOSE

Reversible ventricular dysfunction is common in sepsis. Impedance cardiography allows for noninvasive measurement of contractility through time interval or amplitude-based measures. This study evaluates the prognostic capacity of these measures in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock in the emergency department.

METHODS

This is a prospective observational cohort study of 56 patients older than 18 years meeting criteria for early goal-directed therapy (lactate level >4 mmol/L or systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg after 2-L isotonic sodium chloride solution). Continuous collections of contractility measures were performed, and patients were followed until discharge or in-hospital death.

RESULTS

A significant 57% reduction in the accelerated contractility index (ACI) in nonsurvivors (71 1/s(2) [41-102]) compared with survivors (123 1/s(2) [98-147]) existed. Only ACI predicted in-hospital mortality (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.70, P < .01). Accelerated contractility index did not correlate with amount of prior fluid administration, central venous pressure, number of cardiac risk factors, or troponin I value. An ACI of less than 40 1/s(2) is 95% (84-99) specific with a positive likelihood ratio of 8.8 for predicting in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

A reduced ACI is associated with mortality in critically ill emergency department patients presenting with severe sepsis and septic shock meeting criteria for early goal-directed therapy. This association appears to be independent of clinical or laboratory predictors of cardiac dysfunction or preload.

Tissue oxygenation does not predict central venous oxygenation in emergency department patients with severe sepsis and septic shock

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to determine whether tissue oxygenation (StO(2)) could be used as a surrogate for central venous oxygenation (ScVO(2)) in early goal-directed therapy (EGDT).

METHODS

The study enrolled a prospective convenience sample of patients aged > or =18 years with sepsis and systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg after 2 L of normal saline or lactate >4 mmol, who received a continuous central venous oximetry catheter. StO(2) and ScVO(2) were measured at 15-minute intervals. Data were analyzed using a random coefficients model, correlations, and Bland-Altman plots.

RESULTS

There were 284 measurements in 40 patients. While a statistically significant relationship existed between StO(2) and ScVO(2) (F(1,37) = 10.23, p = 0.002), StO(2) appears to systematically overestimate at lower ScVO(2) and underestimate at higher ScVO(2). This was reflected in the fixed effect slope of 0.49 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.266 to 0.720) and intercept of 34 (95% CI = 14.681 to 50.830), which were significantly different from 1 and 0, respectively. The initial point correlation (r = 0.5) was fair, but there was poor overall agreement (bias = 4.3, limits of agreement = -20.8 to 29.4).

CONCLUSIONS

Correlation between StO(2) and ScVO(2) was fair. The two measures trend in the same direction, but clinical use of StO(2) in lieu of ScVO(2) is unsubstantiated due to large and systematic biases. However, these biases may reflect real physiologic states. Further research may investigate if these measures could be used in concert as prognostic indicators.

The use of impedance cardiography in predicting mortality in emergency department patients with severe sepsis and septic shock

OBJECTIVES

Pulmonary artery catheterization poses significant risks and requires specialized training. Technological advances allow for more readily available, noninvasive clinical measurements of hemodynamics. Few studies exist that assess the efficacy of noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring in sepsis patients. The authors hypothesized that cardiac index, as measured noninvasively by impedance cardiography (ICG) in emergency department (ED) patients undergoing early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) for sepsis, would be associated with in-hospital mortality.

METHODS

This was a prospective observational cohort study of patients age over 18 years meeting criteria for EGDT (lactate > 4 or systolic blood pressure < 90 after 2 L of normal saline). Initial measurements of cardiac index were obtained by ICG. Patients were followed throughout their hospital course until discharge or in-hospital death. Cardiac index measures in survivors and nonsurvivors are presented as means and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Diagnostic performance of ICG in predicting mortality was tested by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and areas under the ROC curves (AUC) were compared using Wilcoxon test.

RESULTS

Fifty-six patients were enrolled; one was excluded due to an inability to complete data acquisition. The mean cardiac index in nonsurvivors (2.3 L/min.m(2), 95% CI = 1.6 to 3.0) was less than that for survivors (3.2, 95% CI = 2.9 to 3.5) with mean difference of 0.9 (95% CI = 0.12 to 1.71). The AUC for ICG in predicting mortality was 0.71 (95% CI = 0.58 to 0.88; p = 0.004). A cardiac index of < 2 L/min.m(2) had a sensitivity of 43% (95% CI = 18% to 71%), specificity of 93% (95% CI = 80% to 95%), positive likelihood ratio of 5.9, and negative likelihood ratio of 0.6 for predicting in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Early, noninvasive measurement of the cardiac index in critically ill severe sepsis and septic shock patients can be performed in the ED for those who meet criteria for EGDT. There appears to be an association between an initial lower cardiac index as measured noninvasively and in-hospital mortality.

Delayed presentation of traumatic facial nerve (CN VII) paralysis

Facial nerve paralysis (Cranial Nerve VII, CN VII) can be a disfiguring disorder with profound impact upon the patient. The etiology of facial nerve paralysis may be congenital, iatrogenic, or result from neoplasm, infection, trauma, or toxic exposure. In the emergency department, the most common cause of unilateral facial paralysis is Bell's palsy, also known as idiopathic facial paralysis (IFP). We report a case of delayed presentation of unilateral facial nerve paralysis 3 days after sustaining a traumatic head injury. Re-evaluation and imaging of this patient revealed a full facial paralysis and temporal bone fracture extending into the facial canal. Because cranial nerve injuries occur in approximately 5-10% of head-injured patients, a good history and physical examination is important to differentiate IFP from another etiology. Newer generation high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans are commonly demonstrating these fractures. An understanding of this complication, appropriate patient follow-up, and early involvement of the Otolaryngologist is important in management of these patients. The mechanism as well as the timing of facial nerve paralysis will determine the proper evaluation, consultation, and management for the patient. Patients with total or immediate paralysis as well as those with poorly prognostic audiogram results are good candidates for surgical repair.