Utility of rest magnetocardiography in patients presenting to the emergency department with chest pain: A case series on the CardioFlux MCG.

Background: Magnetocardiography (MCG) may provide a rapid diagnostic option for patients presenting with chest pain in the emergency department (ED). Case summaries: This case series presents two instances from a multicenter study, where MCG could have served as a rapid, non-invasive diagnostic tool for chest pain patients. In both cases, multiple high-sensitivity troponin (hsTn) tests yielded incorrect evidence of ischemia. In the first case, multiple positive hsTn tests led to the patient requiring 23 h of observation care, while MCG rapidly ruled out acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In the second case, MCG revealed findings indicative of cardiac ischemia where serial ECGs did not indicate ischemia and serial hsTns were normal. Subsequent cardiac catheterization confirmed 99 % stenosis in the patient's left main and left anterior descending arteries, necessitating coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Conclusion: MCG offers a rapid, painless, non-invasive, radiation free assessment for patients presenting with acute chest pain. Integrating MCG into ED workflows has the potential to improve throughput, reduce the need for subsequent patient observation or inpatient admission, and minimize or eliminate the need for other more expensive non-invasive cardiac testing. MCG avoids some of the problems associated with other methods for diagnosing ischemia. MCG does not involve radiation or the use of pharmacologic agents which have a risk for allergic reactions and anaphylaxis, or the need for an intravenous line. Stress tests are frequently contraindicated or unable to be performed in patients on various medications, may require patient cooperation and in the case of exercise stress tests, the patient's capability to exercise. MCG requires no special patient preparation.

National cost savings, operational and safety benefits from use of magnetocardiography in the assessment of emergency department chest pain patients.

Study objectives: Patients frequently present to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain requiring further risk stratification. Traditional cardiac diagnostics such as stress testing may expose patients to ionizing radiation, may not be readily available, may take significant time for testing and interpretation, and adds cost to the workup. Magnetocardiography (MCG) is an alternative approach to assess candidates more quickly and efficiently than routine downstream testing. Design: We created and ran 1000 trials of a Monte Carlo simulation. Using this simulation, we modeled the national annual impact by averting further cardiac diagnostics. Setting: All EDs in the United States. Participants: All ED adult patients with chest pain. Interventions: Simulated use of MCG to reduce avoidable downstream cardiac diagnostics. Main outcome measures: Our primary outcome was to estimate the impact of an MCG-first strategy on the annual national cost savings among eligible patients in the ED. Our secondary outcomes were the estimated reduction in short-stay hospitalizations, cancer cases, and cancer deaths due to radiation exposure. Results: An MCG-first strategy was estimated to save a mean (±SD) of $574 million (±$175 million) by avoiding 555,000 (±93,000) downstream cardiac diagnostic tests. This resulted in a national annual cumulative decrease of 500,000 (±84,000) hospitalizations, 7,600,000 (±1,500,000) bed hours, 409 (±110) new cancer diagnoses, and 210 (±56) new cancer deaths due to radiation exposure from avoidable cardiac diagnostics. Conclusions: If adopted widely and used consistently, an MCG-first strategy among eligible patients could yield substantial benefits by averting avoidable cardiac diagnostic testing.

Open-Label Randomized Trial of Early Clinical Outcomes of Ceftaroline Fosamil Versus Vancomycin for the Treatment of Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections at Risk of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

INTRODUCTION: Acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSIs) remain among the most common infectious processes seen in the clinical setting. For patients with complicated ABSSSIs deemed to require intravenous antibiotics, vancomycin remains the mainstay therapy. Ceftaroline has been shown to be non-inferior to vancomycin and may result in faster resolution of signs of infection. METHODS: Multicenter, prospective, open-label, randomized trial of ceftaroline versus vancomycin for the treatment of adult patients admitted for management of ABSSSIs from April 2012 to May 2016; 166 patients in the clinically evaluable (CE) group were needed to determine a 20% difference in primary outcome of clinical response at day 2 or 3 of antibiotics. Clinical response was defined as cessation of spread of lesion and improvement in systemic signs/symptoms of infection. A secondary outcome was a ≥ 20% reduction in lesion size at day 2 or 3 of antibiotics. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-four patients were enrolled in the intention-to-treat (ITT) group and 108 were CE. Among CE patients, 54 were randomized to ceftaroline and 54 to vancomycin. Baseline characteristics were similar except patients in the ceftaroline arm were older and had a non-significantly higher degree of comorbidities (median Charlson score 2 vs. 4, respectively). Cellulitis was the most common type of ABSSSI (85.2% vs. 79.6%, respectively). Rapid diagnostic testing of available cultures (n = 55) demonstrated high agreement with clinical microbiology for identification of Staphylococcus aureus (100%) and MRSA (100%). There was no significant difference in primary outcome of day 2 or 3 clinical response (50.0% vs. 51.9%). CONCLUSION: Early clinical response between vancomycin- and ceftaroline-treated ABSSSIs was similar. Patients with ABSSSIs rarely remained hospitalized for > 2-3 days, thus limiting our ability to critically assess clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT02582203. FUNDING: Allergan plc.

Myocardial Infarction Secondary to Blunt Chest Trauma.

Myocardial infarction (MI) following blunt chest trauma is rare, but potentially fatal. We treated a young patient for acute MI after falling chest-first on ice while playing hockey. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was performed after percutaneous stenting attempts were unsuccessful. By reviewing the related literature, we found 179 cases, the majority of which affected young males following road accidents. Left anterior descending artery was most frequently affected followed by right coronary artery particularly in their proximal thirds. Prior to the advent of emergent angioplasty for MI, conservative management was frequently pursued, whereas subsequently both stenting and CABG were performed as initial therapy. Several cases required CABG after the failure of stenting attempts. Trauma-associated MI is uncommon but should be suspected to be properly diagnosed and managed; the potential need for CABG requires that a cardiac surgeon be informed at the time of angiography to avoid possible delay in revascularization.

Painless Aortic Dissection.

Painless aortic dissection (PAoD) has been previously linked to poor outcomes. We recently encountered a case of a patient with PAoD presenting with dyspnea; the clue to diagnosis was the presence of a loud aortic diastolic murmur. A systematic review of the literature revealed 86 other cases, 62% of which occurred in men with a mean age of 65 years. Left-sided neurologic deficits were the most common presentation, followed by dyspnea and bilateral lower extremity deficits. Pulse asymmetry was found in 53% of patients, as 29% had right-left asymmetry and 24% had upper-lower asymmetry. Cumulatively, 88% of the cases were type A dissection and 51% of the patients died. Erroneous application of fibrinolysis and anticoagulation occurred in multiple instances. PAoD is rare but potentially fatal; a high index of suspicion and a thorough cardiovascular examination are needed to establish the diagnosis before applying possible harmful interventions such as fibrinolysis, vasodilation or anticoagulation.

Decreasing troponin turnaround time in the emergency department using the central laboratory: A process improvement study.

OBJECTIVES: To implement collaborative process improvement measures to reduce emergency department (ED) troponin turnaround time (TAT) to less than 60min using central laboratory. DESIGN AND METHODS: This was an observational, retrospective data study. A multidisciplinary team from the ED and laboratory identified opportunities and developed a new workflow model. Process changes were implemented in ED patient triage, staffing, lab collection and processing. Data collected included TAT of door-to-order, order-to-collect, collect-to-received, received-to-result, door-to-result, ED length of stay, and hemolysis rate before (January-August, 2011) and after (September 2011-June 2013) process improvement. RESULTS: After process improvement and implementation of the new workflow model, decreased median TAT (in min) was seen in door-to-order (54 [IQR43] vs. 11 [IQR20]), order-to-collect (15 [IQR 23] vs. 10 [IQR12]), collect-to-received (6 [IQR8] vs. 5 [IQR5]), received-to-result (30 [IQR12] vs. 24 [IQR11]), and overall door-to-result (117 [IQR60] vs. 60 [IQR40]). A troponin TAT of <60min was realized beginning in May 2012 (59 [IQR39]). Hemolysis rates decreased (14.63±0.74 vs. 3.36±1.99, p<0.0001), as did ED length of stay (5.87±2.73h vs. 5.15±2.34h, p<0.0001). Conclusion Troponin TAT of <60min using a central laboratory was achieved with collaboration between the ED and the laboratory; additional findings include a decreased ED length of stay.

Effect on efficiency and cost-effectiveness when an observation unit is managed as a closed unit vs an open unit.

OBJECTIVE: To compare efficiency and cost-effectiveness of an observation unit (OU) when managed as a closed unit vs an open unit. METHODS: This observational, retrospective study of a 30-bed OU compared three time periods: Nov 2007 to Aug 2008 (period 1), Nov 2008 to Aug 2009 (period 2) and Nov 2010 to Aug 2011 (period 3). The OU was managed and staffed by non-emergency department physicians as an open unit during period 1, and a closed unit by emergency department physicians during periods 2 and 3. RESULTS: OU volume was greatest in period 3 (1 vs 3, 95% CI -235.8 to -127.9; 2 vs 3, 95% CI -191.9 to -84.095%). Periods 2 and 3 had shorter lengths of stay for discharged (1 vs 2, 95% CI -6.6 to 1.7; 1 vs 3, 95% CI -8.1 to -3.1) and admitted (1 vs 2, 95% CI -11.4 to -8.6; 1 vs 3, 95% CI -11.8 to -9.0) patients, less admission rates (P < .001), and less 30-day all cause admission rates after discharge (P < .0001). Cost was less during periods 2 and 3 for direct (1 vs 2, 95% CI -392.5 to -305.9; 1 vs 3, 95% CI -471.4 to -388.4), indirect (1 vs 2, 95% CI -249.5 to - 199.8; 1 vs 3, 95% CI -187 to-139.4) and total cost (1 vs 2, 95% CI -640.7 to -507; 1 vs 3, 95% CI -657.2 to -529). CONCLUSION: The same OU was more efficient and cost-effective when managed as a closed unit vs an open unit.

Peripheral venous catheter care in the emergency department: education and feedback lead to marked improvements.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral venous catheters (PVCs) can be associated with serious complications. We evaluated the effect of education and feedback on processes related to PVC placement. METHODS: We implemented an educational intervention in a 72-bed Emergency Department (ED) over 12 months (4 periods, each a quarter). During preimplementation period, we evaluated PVC placement, condition, accurate documentation, and demonstration of aseptic steps for medication infusion. With implementation, ED nurses had formal education, with direct observations and feedback. For postimplementation periods 1 and 2, we continued direct observations and feedback, reducing the number of audits per week. RESULTS: Of 2,568 PVCs evaluated in the ED, accurate documentation on dressing improved from 83 of 803 (10.3%) preimplementation to 300 of 476 (63%) at the end of the study (P < .0001). Correct documentation in ED records improved from 498 of 803 (62%) preimplementation to 409 of 476 (85.9%) at the end of study (P < .0001). We observed 273 attempts to place PVC; of them, 220 (80.6%) were completed. The overall compliance with the procedure steps was very poor preimplementation (n = 3/63, 4.8%) and improved in implementation (n = 17/55, 30.9%) and postimplementation periods 1 (n = 19/60, 31.7%) and 2 (n = 14/42, 33.3%, P < .0001). ED health care workers showed significant improvement in knowledge with education. CONCLUSION: Education and real-time feedback to ED health care workers are associated with an increased and sustained compliance with processes to reduce the risk of infection from PVCs.

Ethical considerations for emergency care providers during pandemic influenza--ready or not...

When an infectious pandemic occurs in the United States, emergency care providers (ECPs) will be on the frontlines caring for infected, potentially infected, and non-infected patients. Logistically, the current emergency care system is not ready for a pandemic, but are the providers ethically ready? Some of the most difficult and challenging issues that will be raised during a pandemic will be ethical in nature. An ECP likely will be confronted with ethical values and value conflicts underlying restriction of liberty, duty to care, and resource allocation. This report summarizes the ethical concerns and challenges that ECPs face during an infectious pandemic, and raises ethical questions that may arise related to the role of an ECP as a healthcare provider and stakeholder.