Potential Utility of C-reactive Protein for Tuberculosis Risk Stratification Among Patients With Non-Meningitic Symptoms at HIV Diagnosis in Low- and Middle-income Countries.

Background: The World Health Organization recommends initiating same-day antiretroviral therapy (ART) while tuberculosis (TB) testing is under way for patients with non-meningitic symptoms at HIV diagnosis, though safety data are limited. C-reactive protein (CRP) testing may improve TB risk stratification in this population. Methods: In this baseline analysis of 498 adults (>18 years) with TB symptoms at HIV diagnosis who were enrolled in a trial of rapid ART initiation in Haiti, we describe test characteristics of varying CRP thresholds in the diagnosis of TB. We also assessed predictors of high CRP as a continuous variable using generalized linear models. Results: Eighty-seven (17.5%) participants were diagnosed with baseline TB. The median CRP was 33.0 mg/L (interquartile range: 5.1, 85.5) in those with TB, and 2.6 mg/L (interquartile range: 0.8, 11.7) in those without TB. As the CRP threshold increased from ≥1 mg/L to ≥10 mg/L, the positive predictive value for TB increased from 22.4% to 35.4% and negative predictive value decreased from 96.9% to 92.3%. With CRP thresholds varying from <1 to <10 mg/L, a range from 25.5% to 64.9% of the cohort would have been eligible for same-day ART and 0.8% to 5.0% would have untreated TB at ART initiation. Conclusions: CRP concentrations can be used to improve TB risk stratification, facilitating same-day decisions about ART initiation. Depending on the CRP threshold, one-quarter to two-thirds of patients could be eligible for same-day ART, with a reduction of 3- to 20-fold in the proportion with untreated TB, compared with a strategy of same-day ART while awaiting TB test results.

Immediate initiation of antiretroviral treatment: knowledge, attitudes, and practices among clinic staff in New York City.

BACKGROUND: Immediate initiation of antiretroviral treatment (iART) is a proven intervention that significantly decreases time to viral suppression and increases patient retention. iART involves starting medication as early as possible, often after a reactive rapid HIV test or re-engagement in care, although it does not have a universal definition. We aimed to understand iART from an implementation science perspective in a wide range of New York City (NYC) clinics providing HIV primary care, including staff knowledge, attitudes, and practices, as well as clinic barriers and facilitators to iART. METHODS: We used a mixed-methods, convergent study design, with a quantitative survey and in-depth interview (IDI), to understand individual-level knowledge, attitudes, and practices, as well as clinic-level barriers and facilitators to iART. We recruited at least one medical and non-medical staff member from a diverse purposive sample of 30 NYC clinics. In quantitative analyses, we used separate binomial logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). In qualitative analyses, we used codebooks created by thematic analyses structured using a Framework Model to develop descriptive analytic memos. RESULTS: Recruited staff completed 46 surveys and 17 IDIs. We found high levels of awareness of the viral suppression and retention in care benefits of iART. Survey respondents more commonly reported medication starts within three to four days of a reactive rapid HIV test rather than same-day initiation. Among survey respondents, compared to medical staff, non-medical staff were more likely to agree that medication should only be initiated after receiving confirmatory HIV test results (OR: 0.2, 95% CI: 0.06-0.8). Additionally, survey respondents from clinics serving a majority people of color were less likely to report iART on the same day as a reactive rapid HIV test (OR: 0.2, 95% CI: 0.02-1.0, p-value < 0.5). IDI results elucidated barriers to implementation, including perceived patient readiness, which potentially leads to added disparities in iART access. CONCLUSION: iART has proven benefits and support for its implementation among HIV clinic staff. Our findings indicate that barriers to expanding iART access may be overcome if implementation resources are allocated strategically, which can further progress towards health equity.

Rapid antiretroviral treatment start seems as vital and cost-effective strategy in Central and Eastern Europe.

BACKGROUND: It is essential to deliver specialist human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care with maximum effectiveness, but also minimum time delay. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether rapid linkage to care defined as starting combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) on the day of the first visit at the HIV clinic is a costeffective approach. METHODS: In the analysis, Markov's lifetime model presented in our previous study was implemented. The inputs used in the model were updated in the terms of costs, life expectancy, and patient characteristics. For the analysis we used information from the previous model about the additional costs of treatment and qualityadjusted life years (QALYs) lost in the life horizon for people newly infected with HIV. The number of newly infected persons was estimated based on available data. RESULTS: Input data was available for 344 men having sex with men (MSM) who registered in the HIV specialist care between 2016 and 2017. The estimated QALY loss due to lack of rapid treatment initiation, where the viral load is not (was) taken into account, equals 0·018 (0·022), 0·039 (0·047), 0·131 (0·158) respectively in low, medium and high risk transmission groups. Rapid cART initiation was dominant regardless of the chosen scenarios. CONCLUSIONS: Cost-effectiveness analysis considering the HIV transmission indicates that the rapid initiation of HIV treatment is a cost-effective and potentially cost-saving approach to improve HIV care and reduce HIV transmission in Central and Eastern Europe.

Rapid treatments for depression: Endocannabinoid system as a therapeutic target.

Current first-line treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD), i.e., antidepressant drugs and psychotherapy, show delayed onset of therapeutic effect as late as 2-3 weeks or more. In the clinic, the speed of beginning of the actions of antidepressant drugs or other interventions is vital for many reasons. Late-onset means that depression, its related disability, and the potential danger of suicide remain a threat for some patients. There are some rapid-acting antidepressant interventions, such as sleep deprivation, ketamine, acute exercise, which induce a significant response, ranging from a few hours to maximally one week, and most of them share a common characteristic that is the activation of the endocannabinoid (eCB) system. Activation of this system, i.e., augmentation of eCB signaling, appears to have anti-depressant-like actions. This article puts the idea forward that the activation of eCB signaling represents a critical mechanism of rapid-acting therapeutic interventions in MDD, and this system might contribute to the development of novel rapid-acting treatments for MDD.

Simple triage and rapid treatment protocol for emergency department mass casualty incident victim triage.

OBJECTIVE: Triage plays an essential role in emergency medical care. It is crucial to adopt appropriate triage in a mass casualty incident (MCI) when resources are limited. The simple triage and rapid treatment (START) protocol is commonly used worldwide; however, the effectiveness of the START protocol for emergency department (ED) triage is unclear. This study aimed to examine the accuracy of START for the ED triage of victims following a MCI. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of victims who presented to our ED during a MCI response after a train crash. The ED nurses applied the START protocol upon patient arrival, and we used a consensus-based standard to determine the outcome-based categories of these same patients. We compared the START protocol and outcome-based categories. In addition, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of START in terms of predicting surgery and ED disposition were determined. RESULTS: This study enrolled 47 patients (predominantly women, 68.1%; median age: 39.0years). Most victims were triaged into the START minor category (61.7%) and discharged from the ED (68.1%). Twenty-nine patients had matched START and outcome-based categories, whereas 2 patients were over-triaged and 16 patients were under-triaged. Additionally, the START system had acceptable AUC and sensitivities for predicting surgery and ED disposition (AUC/sensitivity/specificity for surgery: 0.850/100%/69.1%; AUC/sensitivity/specificity for admission: 0.917/93.3%/87.5%; AUC/sensitivity/specificity for intensive care unit (ICU)/ED death: 0.994/100%/97.8%). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated poor agreement between START categories, as determined in the ED, and the consensus-based standard categories. However, the START protocol was acceptable in terms of identifying emergent patients (100% sensitivity for the immediate and deceased categories) and predicting ED disposition (surgery, admission, and ICU/ED mortality). Although START is not perfect, our findings suggest that it could be used for the ED triage of trauma-related MCI victims.

Rapid Treatment Initiation for Hepatitis C Virus Infection: Potential Benefits, Current Limitations, and Real-World Examples.

The science for rapid treatment initiation for hepatitis C virus infection is in place. Easy and quick diagnostic tools can provide results within an hour. Necessary assessment before treatment initiation is now minimal and manageable. Treatment has a low dose burden and high tolerability. Although the critical components for rapid treatment are accessible, certain barriers prevent wider utilization, including insurance restrictions and delays in the health care system. Rapid treatment initiation can improve linkage to care by addressing many barriers to care at once, which is essential for achieving a care plateau. Young people with low health care engagement, finitely engaged people (eg, those who are incarcerated), or people with high-risk injection drug behavior, and thereby high risk for transmission of hepatitis C virus, can benefit the most from rapid treatment. Several innovative care models have demonstrated the potential for rapid treatment initiation by overcoming barriers to care with rapid diagnostic testing, decentralization, and simplification. Expanding these models is likely to be an important component for the elimination of hepatitis C virus infection. This article reviews the current motivation for rapid treatment initiation for hepatitis C virus infection and published literature describing rapid treatment initiation models.

Morphological and functional cardiac consequences of rapid hypertension treatment: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH) in uncontrolled hypertension is an independent predictor of mortality, though its regression with treatment improves outcomes. Retrospective data suggest that early control of hypertension provides a prognostic advantage and this strategy is included in the 2018 European guidelines, which recommend treating grade II/III hypertension to target blood pressure (BP) within 3 months. The earliest LVH regression to date was demonstrated by echocardiography at 24 weeks. The effect of a rapid guideline-based treatment protocol on LV remodelling, with very early BP control by 18 weeks remains controversial and previously unreported. We aimed to determine whether such rapid hypertension treatment is associated with improvements in LV structure and function through paired cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) scanning at baseline and 18 weeks, utilising CMR mass and feature tracking analysis. METHODS: We recruited participants with never-treated grade II/III hypertension, initiating a guideline-based treatment protocol which aimed to achieve BP control within 18 weeks. CMR and feature tracking were used to assess myocardial morphology and function immediately before and after treatment. RESULTS: We acquired complete pre- and 18-week post-treatment data for 41 participants. During the interval, LV mass index reduced significantly (43.5 ± 9.8 to 37.6 ± 8.3 g/m2, p < 0.001) following treatment, accompanied by reductions in LV ejection fraction (65.6 ± 6.8 to 63.4 ± 7.1%, p = 0.03), global radial strain (46.1 ± 9.7 to 39.1 ± 10.9, p < 0.001), mid-circumferential strain (- 20.8 ± 4.9 to - 19.1 ± 3.7, p = 0.02), apical circumferential strain (- 26.0 ± 5.3 to - 23.4 ± 4.2, p = 0.003) and apical rotation (9.8 ± 5.0 to 7.5 ± 4.5, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: LVH regresses following just 18 weeks of intensive antihypertensive treatment in subjects with newly-diagnosed grade II/III hypertension. This is accompanied by potentially advantageous functional changes within the myocardium and supports the hypothesis that rapid treatment of hypertension could improve clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN registry number: 57475376 (assigned 25/06/2015).

Rapid Detection of Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Clinical Samples Using a Novel Tabletop Platform: Protocol for a Prospective Clinical Study.

BACKGROUND: The lack of accurate and efficient diagnostic devices for extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) makes it a severe threat to global public health. A prospective clinical study in an intended-use cohort was designed to evaluate the Akonni Biosystems XDR-TB TruArray and lateral flow cell (XDR-LFC) to address this gap in tuberculosis diagnostics. OBJECTIVE: This paper presents the protocol for a study that aims to document the conceptualization and design of this evaluation method for early dissemination while data collection and analysis are ongoing. METHODS: The clinical study was conducted in three phases. The first phase was to observe changes in bacterial load and culture positivity in patient sputa over time and better understand the diversity of prospective clinical samples. The second phase was to prospectively collect clinical samples for sensitivity and specificity testing of the Akonni Biosystems XDR-LFC device. Lastly, the third phase was to explore the anti-TB drug concentrations in serum throughout the drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment. RESULTS: The methodology described includes the study design, laboratory sample handling, data collection, and the protection elements of human subjects of this clinical study to evaluate a potential new XDR-TB diagnostic device. A total of 664 participants were enrolled across the three phases. The implemented complex systems facilitated a thorough clinical data collection for an objective evaluation of the device. The study is closed to recruitment. The follow-up data collection and analysis are in progress. CONCLUSIONS: This paper outlined a prospective cohort study protocol to evaluate a rapid XDR-TB detection device, which may be informative for other researchers with similar goals. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/26748.

Implementation of an Immediate HIV Treatment Initiation Program in a Public/Academic Medical Center in the U.S. South: The Miami Test and Treat Rapid Response Program.

Test and Rapid Response Treatment (TRRT) linkage programs have demonstrated improved HIV suppression rates. This paper describes the design and implementation of the Miami TRRT initiative and its clinical impact. Assisted by a dedicated care navigator, patients receiving a reactive HIV rapid test at the Florida Department of Health STD Clinic were offered same-day HIV care at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center Adult HIV Outpatient Clinic. Patient retention and labs were tracked for 12 months. Of the 2337 individuals tested, 46 had a reactive HIV test; 41 (89%) consented to participate. For the 36 patients in continued care for a year, 33 (91.7%) achieved virological suppression (< 200 copies/mL) within 70 days of their reactive HIV rapid test; at 12 months, 35 (97.2%) remained suppressed, and mean CD4 T cell counts increased from 452 ± 266 to 597 ± 322 cells/mm3. The Miami TRRT initiative demonstrated that immediate linkage to care is feasible and improves retention and suppression in a public/academic medical center in the U.S. South.

Triage in Complex, Coordinated Terrorist Attacks.

INTRODUCTION: Terror attacks have increased in frequency, and tactics utilized have evolved. This creates significant challenges for first responders providing life-saving medical care in their immediate aftermath. The use of coordinated and multi-site attack modalities exacerbates these challenges. The use of triage is not well-validated in mass-casualty settings, and in the setting of intentional mass violence, new and innovative approaches are needed. METHODS: Literature sourced from gray and peer-reviewed sources was used to perform a comparative analysis on the application of triage during the 2011 Oslo/Utoya Island (Norway), 2015 Paris (France), and 2015 San Bernardino (California USA) terrorist attacks. A thematic narrative identifies strengths and weaknesses of current triage systems in the setting of complex, coordinated terrorist attacks (CCTAs). DISCUSSION: Triage systems were either not utilized, not available, or adapted and improvised to the tactical setting. The complexity of working with large numbers of patients, sensory deprived environments, high physiological stress, and dynamic threat profiles created significant barriers to the implementation of triage systems designed around flow charts, physiological variables, and the use of tags. Issues were identified around patient movement and "tactical triage." CONCLUSION: Current triage tools are inadequate for use in insecure environments, such as the response to CCTAs. Further research and validation are required for novel approaches that simplify tactical triage and support its effective application. Simple solutions exist in tactical triage, patient movement, and tag use, and should be considered as part of an overall triage system.

The Tsukui (Japan) Yamayuri-en Facility Stabbing Mass-Casualty Incident.

INTRODUCTION: In July 2016, a mass-casualty stabbing attack took place at a facility for disabled persons located in Sagamihara City (Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan). The attack resulted in 45 casualties, including 19 deaths. The study hospital dispatched physicians to the field and admitted multiple casualties. This report aimed to review the physicians' experiences and to provide insights for the formulation of response measures for similar incidents in the future. REPORT: This incident involved 30 emergency teams and 12 fire department teams, including those from neighboring fire departments. Five physicians from three medical institutions, including the study hospital, entered the field. The Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) method was used on the field. The final field triage category count was: 20 red, four yellow, two green, and 19 black tags. All the casualties (n = 26) except for the 19 black tag casualties were transported to one of six neighboring medical institutions.The median age of the transported casualties was 41 years (interquartile range [IQR] = 35.5 - 42.0). Three casualties (21.4%) were in hemorrhagic shock on arrival at the hospital. Twelve patients had multiple cervical stab wounds (median four wounds; IQR = 3.75 - 6.0). A total of 91.7% of these stab wounds were in mid-neck Zone II region. Of the 12 patients with cervical stab wounds, four (33.3%) required emergency surgery, and the rest were sutured on an out-patient basis. One patient had already been sutured on the field. All patients requiring emergency surgery had deep wounds, including those of the carotid vein, thyroid gland, nerves, and the trachea. Eight of the casualties were hospitalized at the study institution. Five of them were admitted to the intensive care unit. There were no deaths among the casualties transported to the hospitals. CONCLUSION: Regional core disaster medical hospitals must take on a central role, particularly in the case of local disasters. Horizontal communication and interactions should be reinforced by devising protocols and conducting joint training for effective inter-department collaborations on the field.Maruhashi, T, Takeuchi, I, Hattori, J, Kataoka, Y, Asari, Y. The Tsukui (Japan) Yamayuri-en facility stabbing mass-casualty incident. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2019;34(2):203-208.

Driving Miss Evers' Boys to the Historical Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis.

The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis (TSUS) intersects racial and research ethics discourse in medicine and public health. Miss Evers' Boys is a fictionalized play of the 40-year TSUS. In 2016, the Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences and the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC co-sponsored a reading of the play at the National Academy of Sciences Auditorium. Ethics instructors and students, who may use the play for research training and professional development, may lack awareness of a pattern of deviations from the TSUS historical record. This may compromise what instructors and students teach and learn, respectively. Historical analysis revealed that the playbill-handed to play patrons-had challenges in the core arguments about the TSUS, particularly the notion of "bad blood." A broad collection of documents from a variety of sources-documents concurrent with the TSUS-illustrated how the term, "bad blood" was used. Bad blood was syphilis and syphilis was bad blood. "Bad blood as syphilis," in post-hoc reviews, was suppressed and nullified. In another area, the focus on the denial of penicillin at the Birmingham Rapid Treatment Center (RTC)-an important scene in the play and the history of the TSUS-exposed conflicts with the historical record. The origin and the devices that developed this image also were disclosed. The article specifically exposed, unraveled, analyzed, and challenged other misinformation and paradigm-defining misconduct. The TSUS narrative requires correction by the responsible historical and ethical communities, changing what is taught about the TSUS and Miss Evers' Boys. This is critically important in academic research training and professional development. If left unchallenged, the faulty TSUS scholarship-coupled with Miss Evers' Boys-fuels and reinforces the incorrect standard narratives of the TSUS and their impact on the history of the TSUS. This is especially true regarding what the TSUS men were told about their diagnosis-bad blood and not syphilis-and the denial of "a hip shot of that penicillin" at the RTC.

Early treatment of acute promyelocytic leukaemia is accurately guided by the PML protein localisation pattern: real-life experience from a tertiary New Zealand centre.

Current guidelines recommend that a rapid test be used to assist diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL), but the choice of an assay is discretionary. PML immunofluorescence (PML IF) identifies the microparticulate pattern of the PML protein localisation, highly specific for APL. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical utility of PML IF in a real-life setting based on a retrospective records review for all patients who had PML IF performed in our centre between 2000 and 2017. Final analysis included 151 patients, 70 of whom had APL. PML IF was reported on average 3 days faster than cytogenetics. Compared with genetic results, PML IF showed sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 100%. PML IF accurately predicted APL in four APL cases with cryptic karyotype/FISH and excluded APL in 98% cases tested based on the suspicious immunophenotype alone, 21/28 of whom had mutated NPM1. Results of PML IF influenced decision to start ATRA in 25 (36%) APL patients and led to its termination in six non-APL patients. In conclusion, PML IF is a fast and reliable test that facilitates accurate treatment decisions when APL is suspected. This performance of PML IF remains hard to match in a real-life setting.

Rapid treatment of full-thickness skin loss using ovine tendon collagen type I scaffold with skin cells.

The full-thickness skin wound is a common skin complication affecting millions of people worldwide. Delayed treatment of this condition causes the loss of skin function and integrity that could lead to the development of chronic wounds or even death. This study was aimed to develop a rapid wound treatment modality using ovine tendon collagen type I (OTC-I) bio-scaffold with or without noncultured skin cells. Genipin (GNP) and carbodiimide (EDC) were used to cross-link OTC-I scaffold to improve the mechanical strength of the bio-scaffold. The physicochemical, biomechanical, biodegradation, biocompatibility, and immunogenicity properties of OTC-I scaffolds were investigated. The efficacy of this treatment approach was evaluated in an in vivo skin wound model. The results demonstrated that GNP cross-linked OTC-I scaffold (OTC-I_GNP) had better physicochemical and mechanical properties compared with EDC cross-linked OTC-I scaffold (OTC-I_EDC) and noncross-link OTC-I scaffold (OTC-I_NC). OTC-I_GNP and OTC-I_NC demonstrated no toxic effect on cells as it promoted higher cell attachment and proliferation of both primary human epidermal keratinocytes and human dermal fibroblasts compared with OTC-I_EDC. Both OTC-I_GNP and OTC-I_NC exhibited spontaneous formation of bilayer structure in vitro. Immunogenic evaluation of OTC-I scaffolds, in vitro and in vivo, revealed no sign of immune response. Finally, implantation of OTC-I_NC and OTC-I_GNP scaffolds with noncultured skin cells demonstrated enhanced healing with superior skin maturity and microstructure features, resembling native skin in contrast to other treatment (without noncultured skin cells) and control group. The findings of this study, therefore, suggested that both OTC-I scaffolds with noncultured skin cells could be promising for the rapid treatment of full-thickness skin wound.

Hospitals' Preparedness to Treat Pediatric Patients During Mass Casualty Incidents.

OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the preparedness of hospitals to care for pediatric patients during a major incident in Japan. This study assessed the disaster preparedness of a children's hospital in Japan by using a disaster drill.Materials and MethodsWe performed a triage drill with all hospitalized patients. The triage tags and medical records were reviewed retrospectively. We determined the efficacy of triage education, the validity of the Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) method for children, and the potential need for evacuation through the disaster drill. RESULTS: This study highlights 3 important issues about the hospital's preparedness. First, it is difficult to promote disaster education for staff who are not well trained on handling disasters. Second, the START method is suitable for children older than 5 years, but it has a high rate of over-triaging among younger children. Third, approximately 40% of patients who are coded as immediate may require transportation resources in a hospital evacuation. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that disaster preparedness, such as educating hospital staff regarding disasters and establishing evacuation systems for a number of pediatric patients when a disaster happens, is essential for caring for hospitalized children during a mass casualty incident. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:429-432).

Intuitive versus Algorithmic Triage.

IntroductionThe most commonly used methods for triage in mass-casualty incidents (MCIs) rely upon providers to take exact counts of vital signs or other patient parameters. The acuity and volume of patients which can be present during an MCI makes this a time-consuming and potentially costly process.HypothesisThis study evaluates and compares the speed of the commonly used Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) triage method with that of an "intuitive triage" method which relies instead upon the abilities of an experienced first responder to determine the triage category of each victim based upon their overall first-impression assessment. The research team hypothesized that intuitive triage would be faster, without loss of accuracy in assigning triage categories. METHODS: Local adult volunteers were recruited for a staged MCI simulation (active-shooter scenario) utilizing local police, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), public services, and government leadership. Using these same volunteers, a cluster randomized simulation was completed comparing START and intuitive triage. Outcomes consisted of the time and accuracy between the two methods. RESULTS: The overall mean speed of the triage process was found to be significantly faster with intuitive triage (72.18 seconds) when compared to START (106.57 seconds). This effect was especially dramatic for Red (94.40 vs 138.83 seconds) and Yellow (55.99 vs 91.43 seconds) patients. There were 17 episodes of disagreement between intuitive triage and START, with no statistical difference in the incidence of over- and under-triage between the two groups in a head-to-head comparison. CONCLUSION: Significant time may be saved using the intuitive triage method. Comparing START and intuitive triage groups, there was a very high degree of agreement between triage categories. More prospective research is needed to validate these results. HartA, NammourE, MangoldsV, BroachJ. Intuitive versus algorithmic triage Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(4):355-361.

START versus SALT Triage: Which is Preferred by the 21st Century Health Care Student?

IntroductionWhile the art and science of disaster triage continue to evolve, the education of the US health care student in matters pertaining to disaster preparedness and response remains stifled. Unfortunately, these students will be assuming major decision-making responsibilities regarding catastrophes that will be complicated by climate change, nuclear threats, global terrorism, and pandemics. Meanwhile, Sort, Assess, Life-Saving Interventions, Treatment, and/or Transport (SALT) triage is being advocated over the globally popular Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) algorithm for multiple reasons: (1) it's an all-hazard approach; (2) it has four medical interventions; and (3) it has an additional triage color for victims with non-survivable injuries.Hypothesis/ProblemAs present-day threats become more ominous and health care education emphasizes the needs of vulnerable populations and palliative care, the authors hypothesize that, when given a choice, health care students will prefer SALT triage. METHODS: A convenience sample of 218 interprofessional, disaster-naïve health care students received just-in-time, unbiased education on both START and SALT triage systems. Students then completed a survey asking them to decide which triage system they believe would be most effective in their community. RESULTS: A total of 123 health care students (56.4%) preferred SALT while 95 (43.6%) preferred START; however, only the physician assistant students showed a statistically significantly preference (28 versus six, respectively; P=.042). Interestingly, there was also a statistically significant difference in preference by gender (Chi-square=5.02; P=.025) of the observed distribution versus expected distribution in SALT and START. The females preferred SALT (61.0%) while the males preferred START (55.9%).Among those who preferred START, START being easier to learn was the most important reason cited. Among those who preferred SALT, the most important reason cited was that the number of patient triage categories seemed more logical, comprehensible, and consistent with traditional medical care. CONCLUSION: While SALT's preference among females and physician assistant students was based on the addition of medical interventions and the provision of palliative care, START's preference was related to expediency. Based on this research, incorporating disaster concepts into US health care students' curricula encourages thoughtful consideration among the future health care leaders about the most effective approach to triage care. It is critical that further research be completed to determine, without reservation, which triage system will not only save the most lives but provide the most humane care to victims.Fink BN, Rega PP, Sexton ME, Wishner C. START versus SALT triage: which is preferred by the 21st century health care student? Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(4):381-386.

Comparison of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology-Assisted Triage versus Standard Practice in Triaging Casualties by Paramedic Students in a Mass-Casualty Incident Scenario.

IntroductionThe proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has the potential to change the way medical incident commanders (ICs) respond to mass-casualty incidents (MCIs) in triaging victims. The aim of this study was to compare UAV technology to standard practice (SP) in triaging casualties at an MCI. METHODS: A randomized comparison study was conducted with 40 paramedic students from the Holland College Paramedicine Program (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada). Using a simulated motor vehicle collision (MVC) with moulaged casualties, iterations of 20 students were used for both a day and a night trial. Students were randomized to a UAV or a SP group. After a brief narrative, participants either entered the study environment or used UAV technology where total time to triage completion, GREEN casualty evacuation, time on scene, triage order, and accuracy were recorded. RESULTS: A statistical difference in the time to completion of 3.63 minutes (95% CI, 2.45 min-4.85 min; P=.002) during the day iteration and a difference of 3.49 minutes (95% CI, 2.08 min-6.06 min; P=.002) for the night trial with UAV groups was noted. There was no difference found in time to GREEN casualty evacuation, time on scene, or triage order. One-hundred-percent accuracy was noted between both groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the feasibility of using a UAV at an MCI. A non-clinical significant difference was noted in total time to completion between both groups. There was no increase in time on scene by using the UAV while demonstrating the feasibility of remotely triaging GREEN casualties prior to first responder arrival.Jain T, Sibley A, Stryhn H, Hubloue I.Comparison of unmanned aerial vehicle technologyassisted triage versus standard practice in triaging casualties by paramedic students in a mass-casualty incident scenario. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(4):375-380.

Comparison of Electronic Versus Manual Mass-Casualty Incident Triage.

IntroductionMass-casualty incidents (MCIs) easily overwhelm a health care facility's human and material resources through the extraordinary influx of casualties. Efficient and accurate triage of incoming casualties is a critical step in the hospital disaster response.Hypothesis/ProblemTraditionally, triage during MCIs has been manually performed using paper cards. This study investigated the use of electronic Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) triage as compared to the manual method. METHODS: This observational, crossover study was performed during a live MCI simulation at an urban, Canadian, Level 1 trauma center on May 26, 2016. Health care providers (two medical doctors [MDs], two paramedics [PMs], and two registered nurses [RNs]) each triaged a total of 30 simulated patients - 15 by manual (paper-based) and 15 by electronic (computer-based) START triage. Accuracy of triage categories and time of triage were analyzed. Post-simulation, patients and participating health care providers also completed a feedback form. RESULTS: There was no difference in accuracy of triage between the electronic and manual methods overall, 83% and 80% (P=1.0), between providers or between triage categories. On average, triage time using the manual method was estimated to be 8.4 seconds faster (P<.001) for PMs; and while small differences in triage times were observed for MDs and RNs, they were not significant. Data from the participant feedback survey showed that the electronic method was preferred by most health care providers. Patients had no preference for either method. However, patients perceived the computer-based method as "less personal" than the manual triage method, but they also perceived the former as "better organized." CONCLUSION: Hospital-based electronic START triage had the same accuracy as hospital-based manual START triage, regardless of triage provider type or acuity of patient presentations. Time of triage results suggest that speed may be related to provider familiarity with a modality rather than the modality itself. Finally, according to patient and provider perceptions, electronic triage is a feasible modality for hospital triage of mass casualties. Further studies are required to assess the performance of electronic hospital triage, in the context of a rapid surge of patients, and should consider additional efficiencies built in to electronic triage systems. This study presents a framework for assessing the accuracy, triage time, and feasibility of digital technologies in live simulation training or actual MCIs. BolducC, MaghrabyN, FokP, LuongTM, HomierV. Comparison of electronic versus manual mass-casualty incident triage. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(3):273-278.

Introduction of Pediatric Physiological and Anatomical Triage Score in Mass-Casualty Incident.

BACKGROUND: Triage has an important role in providing suitable care to the largest number of casualties in a disaster setting, but there are no secondary triage methods suitable for children. This study developed a new secondary triage method named the Pediatric Physiological and Anatomical Triage Score (PPATS) and compared its accuracy with current triage methods. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of pediatric patients under 16 years old transferred to an emergency center from 2014 to 2016 was performed. The PPATS categorized the patients, defined the intensive care unit (ICU)-indicated patients if the category was highest, and compared the accuracy of prediction of ICU-indicated patients among PPATS, Physiological and Anatomical Triage (PAT), and Triage Revised Trauma Score (TRTS). RESULTS: Among 137 patients, 24 (17.5%) were admitted to ICU. The median PPATS score of these patients was significantly higher than that of patients not admitted to ICU (11 [IQR: 9-13] versus three [IQR: 2-4]; P<.001). The optimal cut-off value of the PPTAS was six, yielding a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 95.8%, 86.7%, 60.5%, and 99.0%. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) was larger for PPTAS than for PAT or TRTS (0.95 [95% CI, 0.87-1.00] versus 0.65 [95% CI, 0.58-0.72]; P<.001 and 0.79 [95% CI, 0.69-0.89]; P=.003, respectively). Regression analysis showed a significant association between the PPATS and the predicted mortality rate (r2=0.139; P<.001), ventilation time (r2=0.320; P<.001), ICU stay (r2=0.362; P<.001), and hospital stay (r2=0.308; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy of PPATS was superior to other methods for secondary triage of children. Toida C , Muguruma T , Abe T , Shinohara M , Gakumazawa M , Yogo N , Shirasawa A , Morimura N . Introduction of pediatric physiological and anatomical triage score in mass-casualty incident. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(2):147-152.