Changing the stroke network during pandemic scenarios does not affect the management of patients with a positive Cincinnati prehospital stroke scale.

INTRODUCTION: Time plays a crucial role in the management of stroke, and changing the prehospital emergency network, altering the HUB and spoke relationship in pandemic scenarios, might have an impact on time to fibrinolysis or thrombectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the time-dependent stroke emergency network in Lombardy region (Italy) by comparing 2019 with 2020 and early 2021. Three parameters were investigated: (i) time of arrival of the first vehicle at the scene, (ii) overall duration of missions, and (iii) number of patients transported by emergency vehicles. METHODS: Data analysis process conducted using the SAS-AREU portal (SAS Institute, USA). RESULTS: The number of patients with a positive CPSS was similar among the different pandemic waves. Mission duration increased from a mean time (SD) of 52.9 (16.1) min in 2019 to 64.1 (19.7) in 2020 and 55.0 (16.8) in 2021. Time to first vehicle on scene increased to 15.7 (8.4) min in 2020 and 16.0 (7.0) in 2021 compared to 2019, 13.6 (7.2) (P < 0.05). The number of hospital with available stroke units decreased from 46 in 2019 to 10 during the first pandemic wave. CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic forced changes in the clinical mission of many hospitals by reducing the number of stroke units. Despite this, the organization of the emergency system allowed to identify strategic hospitals and thus avoid excessive transport time. The result was an adequate time for fibrinolysis/thrombectomy, in agreement with the guidelines. Coordinated management in emergency situations makes it possible to maintain service quality standards, despite the unfavorable scenario.

Transthoracic impedance variability to assess quality of chest compression in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: Chest compression is a lifesaving intervention in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), but the optimal metrics to assess its quality have yet to be identified. The objective of this study was to investigate whether a new parameter, that is, the variability of the chest compression-generated transthoracic impedance (TTI), namely ImpCC , which measures the consistency of the chest compression maneuver, relates to resuscitation outcome. METHODS: This multicenter observational, retrospective study included OHCAs with shockable rhythm. ImpCC variability was evaluated with the power spectral density analysis of the TTI. Multivariate regression model was used to examine the impact of ImpCC variability on defibrillation success. Secondary outcome measures were return of spontaneous circulation and survival. RESULTS: Among 835 treated OHCAs, 680 met inclusion criteria and 565 matched long-term outcomes. ImpCC was significantly higher in patients with unsuccessful defibrillation compared to those with successful defibrillation (p = .0002). Lower ImpCC variability was associated with successful defibrillation with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.993 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.989-0.998, p = .003), while the standard chest compression fraction (CCF) was not associated (OR 1.008 [95 % CI, 0.992-1.026, p = .33]). Neither ImpCC nor CCF was associated with long-term outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In this population, consistency of chest compression maneuver, measured by variability in TTI, was an independent predictor of defibrillation outcome. ImpCC may be a useful novel metrics for improving quality of care in OHCA.

Detecting early signals of COVID-19 outbreaks in 2020 in small areas by monitoring healthcare utilisation databases: first lessons learned from the Italian Alert_CoV project.

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, large-scale diagnostic testing and contact tracing have proven insufficient to promptly monitor the spread of infections.AimTo develop and retrospectively evaluate a system identifying aberrations in the use of selected healthcare services to timely detect COVID-19 outbreaks in small areas.MethodsData were retrieved from the healthcare utilisation (HCU) databases of the Lombardy Region, Italy. We identified eight services suggesting a respiratory infection (syndromic proxies). Count time series reporting the weekly occurrence of each proxy from 2015 to 2020 were generated considering small administrative areas (i.e. census units of Cremona and Mantua provinces). The ability to uncover aberrations during 2020 was tested for two algorithms: the improved Farrington algorithm and the generalised likelihood ratio-based procedure for negative binomial counts. To evaluate these algorithms' performance in detecting outbreaks earlier than the standard surveillance, confirmed outbreaks, defined according to the weekly number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, were used as reference. Performances were assessed separately for the first and second semester of the year. Proxies positively impacting performance were identified.ResultsWe estimated that 70% of outbreaks could be detected early using the proposed approach, with a corresponding false positive rate of ca 20%. Performance did not substantially differ either between algorithms or semesters. The best proxies included emergency calls for respiratory or infectious disease causes and emergency room visits.ConclusionImplementing HCU-based monitoring systems in small areas deserves further investigations as it could facilitate the containment of COVID-19 and other unknown infectious diseases in the future.

Detection of patients with COVID-19 by the emergency medical services in Lombardy through an operator-based interview and machine learning models.

BACKGROUND: The regional emergency medical service (EMS) in Lombardy (Italy) developed clinical algorithms based on operator-based interviews to detect patients with COVID-19 and refer them to the most appropriate hospitals. Machine learning (ML)-based models using additional clinical and geospatial epidemiological data may improve the identification of infected patients and guide EMS in detecting COVID-19 cases before confirmation with SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase PCR (rtPCR). METHODS: This was an observational, retrospective cohort study using data from October 2020 to July 2021 (training set) and October 2021 to December 2021 (validation set) from patients who underwent a SARS-CoV-2 rtPCR test within 7 days of an EMS call. The performance of an operator-based interview using close contact history and signs/symptoms of COVID-19 was assessed in the training set for its ability to determine which patients had an rtPCR in the 7 days before or after the call. The interview accuracy was compared with four supervised ML models to predict positivity for SARS-CoV-2 within 7 days using readily available prehospital data retrieved from both training and validation sets. RESULTS: The training set includes 264 976 patients, median age 74 (IQR 55-84). Test characteristics for the detection of COVID-19-positive patients of the operator-based interview were: sensitivity 85.5%, specificity 58.7%, positive predictive value (PPV) 37.5% and negative predictive value (NPV) 93.3%. Contact history, fever and cough showed the highest association with SARS-CoV-2 infection. In the validation set (103 336 patients, median age 73 (IQR 50-84)), the best-performing ML model had an AUC of 0.85 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.86), sensitivity 91.4% (95 CI% 0.91 to 0.92), specificity 44.2% (95% CI 0.44 to 0.45) and accuracy 85% (95% CI 0.84 to 0.85). PPV and NPV were 13.3% (95% CI 0.13 to 0.14) and 98.2% (95% CI 0.98 to 0.98), respectively. Contact history, fever, call geographical distribution and cough were the most important variables in determining the outcome. CONCLUSION: ML-based models might help EMS identify patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, and in guiding EMS allocation of hospital resources based on prespecified criteria.

Effectiveness of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation at the Workplace.

BACKGROUND: Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) is a medical emergency whose chances of survival can be increased by rapid Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and early use of Public Access Defibrillators (PAD). Basic Life Support (BLS) training became mandatory in Italy to spread knowledge of resuscitation maneuvers in the workplace. Basic Life Support (BLS) training became mandatory according to the DL 81/2008 law. To improve the level of cardioprotection in the workplace, the national law DL 116/2021 increased the number of places required to be provided with PADs. The study highlights the possibility of a Return to spontaneous circulation in OHCA in the workplace. METHODS: A multivariate logistic regression model was fitted to the data to extrapolate associations between ROSC and the dependent variables. The associations' robustness was evaluated through sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: The chance to receive CPR (OR 2.3; 95% CI:1.8-2.9), PAD (OR 7.2; 95% CI:4.9 - 10.7), and achieve Return to spontaneous circulation (ROSC) (crude OR 2.2; 95% CI:1.7-3.0, adjusted OR 1.6; 95% CI:1.2-2.2) is higher in the workplace compared to all other places. CONCLUSION: The workplace could be considered cardioprotective, although further research is necessary to understand the causes of missed CPRs and identify the best places to increase BLS and defibrillation training to help policymakers implement correct programming on the activation of PAD projects.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation missed by bystanders: Collateral damage of coronavirus disease 2019.

OBJECTIVE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic changed the time-dependent cardiac arrest network. This study aims to understand whether the rescue standards of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) were handled differently during pandemic compared to the previous year. METHODS: Data for the years 2019 and 2020 were provided by the records of the Lombardy office of the Regional Agency for Emergency and Urgency. We analysed where the cardiac arrest occurred, when CPR started and whether the bystanders used public access to defibrillation (PAD). RESULTS: During 2020, there was a reduction in CPRs performed by bystanders (odds ratio [OR] = 0.936 [95% confidence interval (CI95% ) 0.882-0.993], p = .029) and in the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) (OR = 0.621 [CI95% 0.563-0.685], p < .0001), while there was no significant reduction in the use of PAD. Analysing only March, the period of the first wave in Lombardy, the comparison shows a reduction in bystanders CPRs (OR = 0.727 [CI95% 0.602-0.877], p = .0008), use of PAD (OR = 0.441 [CI95% 0.272-0.716], p = .0009) and in ROSC (OR = 0.179 [CI95% 0.124-0.257], p < .0001). These phenomena could be influenced by the different settings in which the OHCAs occurred; in fact, those that occurred in public places with a mandatory PAD were strongly reduced (OR = 0.49 [CI95% , 0.44-0.55], p < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 had a profound impact on the time-dependant OHCA network. During the first pandemic wave, CPR and PAD used by bystanders decreased. The different contexts in which OHCAs occurred may partially explain these differences.

The Lombardy Emergency Medical System Faced with COVID-19: The Impact of Out-of-Hospital Outbreak.

OBJECTIVE: The Lombardy region was among the areas most affected by COVID-19 infection worldwide; the Lombardy Emergency Medical System (EMS) responded immediately to this emergency. We analyzed several critical aspects to understand what occurred in that region. METHODS: This retrospective study compares the events managed by the dispatch center and the characteristics of the patients transported to the hospital -age, sex, SpO2, deaths- managed by the EMS in Brescia and Bergamo provinces between March-April 2020 and March-April 2019. Ambulances' waiting time at the hospitals before discharging patients and the patients' severity at emergency department admission were also analyzed. RESULTS: EMS managed 37,340 events in March-April 2020, +51.5% versus 2019. "Breathing" or "Infective" events reported to the dispatch center increased more than ten-fold (OR 25.1, p < 0.0001) in March 2020 and two-fold in April 2020 compared to 2019 (OR 3, p < 0.0001). Deaths increased +246% (OR 1.7, p < 0.0001), and patients not transported to hospital +481% (OR 2.9, p < 0.0001) in March 2020 compared to 2019. In some hospitals, ambulances waited more than one hour before discharging the patients, and the emergency departments doubled the admission of critically ill patients. Transported patients for "Breathing" or "Infective" events were primarily males (OR 1.5, p < 0.0001). The patients had lower SpO2 in 2020 than in 2019 and they were younger. CONCLUSIONS: The Lombardy region experienced an unexpected outbreak in an extremely short timeframe and in a limited area. The EMS coped with this pandemic, covering an extremely higher number of requests, with a ten-fold increase in the number of events managed.

COVID-19 kills at home: the close relationship between the epidemic and the increase of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

AIMS: An increase in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) incidence has been reported in the very early phase of the COVID-19 epidemic, but a clear demonstration of a correlation between the increased incidence of OHCA and COVID-19 is missing so far. We aimed to verify whether there is an association between the OHCA difference compared with 2019 and the COVID-19 epidemic curve. METHODS AND RESULTS: We included all the consecutive OHCAs which occurred in the Provinces of Lodi, Cremona, Pavia, and Mantova in the 2 months following the first documented case of COVID-19 in the Lombardia Region and compared them with those which occurred in the same time frame in 2019. The cumulative incidence of COVID-19 from 21 February to 20 April 2020 in the study territory was 956 COVID-19/100 000 inhabitants and the cumulative incidence of OHCA was 21 cases/100 000 inhabitants, with a 52% increase as compared with 2019 (490 OHCAs in 2020 vs. 321 in 2019). A strong and statistically significant correlation was found between the difference in cumulative incidence of OHCA between 2020 and 2019 per 100 000 inhabitants and the COVID-19 cumulative incidence per 100 000 inhabitants both for the overall territory (ρ 0.87, P < 0.001) and for each province separately (Lodi: ρ 0.98, P < 0.001; Cremona: ρ 0.98, P < 0.001; Pavia: ρ 0.87, P < 0.001; Mantova: ρ 0.81, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The increase in OHCAs in 2020 is significantly correlated to the COVID-19 pandemic and is coupled with a reduction in short-term outcome. Government and local health authorities should seriously consider our results when planning healthcare strategies to face the epidemic, especially considering the expected recurrent outbreaks.

Prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Sardinia: A systematic cross-sectional multi-source survey.

BACKGROUND: Partial surveys in sub-regions of Sardinia have suggested a high prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) on the island, relative to other Mediterranean populations. We assessed the island-wide prevalence of MS and its detailed distribution in Sardinia. METHODS: The study population consisted of 5677 MS patients, 1735 men and 3942 women, living in Sardinia. Neurologists retrospectively examined electronic and paper-based records of patients with a diagnosis of MS. The data were then linked to the administrative health information systems. Crude, age-, and sex-specific prevalence estimates of disease were calculated. RESULTS: The overall age-adjusted MS prevalence was 330 per 100,000 (95% confidence interval (CI) 321-338) in individuals older than 15 years, 447 in women (95% CI 433-461), and 205 in men (95% CI 195-214). The prevalence was highest in the Ogliastra and Nuoro districts, respectively, 425 (95% CI 372-478) and 419 (95% CI 387-451), and lowest in the Olbia-Tempio district, 217 (95% CI 195-239). Most cases had relapsing-remitting MS (79.3%), 16.3% had secondary-progressive MS, and 4.4% had primary-progressive MS. CONCLUSION: These prevalence are among the highest reported so far worldwide. They provide estimates for comparative analyses in other populations and are essential for public health interventions.

[Accurate compiling of the hospital discharge records according to clinicians' perception: critical issues and perspectives]. / L'accurata compilazione delle schede di dimissione ospedaliera secondo la percezione dei medici: criticità e prospettive.

OBJECTIVES: to explore clinicians vision on hospital discharge records in order to identify useful elements to foster a more accurate compiling. DESIGN: qualitative research with phenomenological approach. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: participants were selected through purposive sampling among clinicians of two hospitals located in Sardinia; the sample included 76 people (32 medical directors and 44 doctors in training). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: identified codes for themes under investigation: vision of accurate compiling, difficulties, and proposals. RESULTS: collected data highlighted two prevailing visions, respectively focused on the importance of an accurate compiling and on the burden of such activity. The accurate compiling is hindered by the lack of motivation and training, by the limits of the registration system and the information technology, by the distortions induced by the prominent role of the hospital discharge records in the evaluation processes. Training, timely updating of the information system accompanied by a proper cross-cultural validation process, improvement of the computer system, and activation of support services could promote more accurate compiling. CONCLUSIONS: the implementation of services, unconnected with evaluation and control processes, dedicated to training and support in the compiling of the hospital discharge records and in the conduction of related epidemiological studies would facilitate the compliance to the compilation. Such services will make tangible the benefits obtainable from this registration system, increasing skills, motivation, ownership, and facilitating greater accuracy in compiling.

What If Nice Terrorist Attack Would Have Happened in Milan? Drawing a Disaster Plan for Mass Casualty Incidents Involving the Pediatric Population.

Terrorist attacks involving children raised concern regarding the preparedness to treat pediatric trauma patients during mass casualty incidents (MCIs). The purpose of this project was to assess the resources available in Milan to respond to MCIs as the 2016 Bastille Day attack in Nice. Literature and guidelines were reviewed and minimal standard requirements of care of pediatric trauma patients in MCIs were identified. The hospitals that took part in the study were asked to answer a survey regarding their resource availability. An overall surge capability of 40-44 pediatric trauma patients was identified, distributed based on age and severity, hospital resources, and expertise. The findings showed that adult and pediatric hospitals should work in synergy with pediatric trauma centers, or offer an alternative if there is none, and should be included in disaster plans for MCIs. Simulations exercises need to be carried out to evaluate and validate the results.

Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in the Paediatric Patient: An Observational Study in the Context of National Regulations.

Introduction: Cardiac arrest results in a high death rate if cardiopulmonary resuscitation and early defibrillation are not performed. Mortality is strongly linked to regulations, in terms of prevention and emergency-urgency system organization. In Italy, training of lay rescuers and the presence of defibrillators were recently made mandatory in schools. Our analysis aims to analyze Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) events in pediatric patients (under 18 years old), to understand the epidemiology of this phenomenon and provide helpful evidence for policy-making. Methods: A retrospective observational analysis was conducted on the emergency databases of Lombardy Region, considering all pediatric OHCAs managed between 1 January 2016, and 31 December 2019. The demographics of the patients and the logistics of the events were statistically analyzed. Results: The incidence in pediatric subjects is 4.5 (95% CI 3.6-5.6) per 100,000 of the population. School buildings and sports facilities have relatively few events (1.9% and 4.4%, respectively), while 39.4% of OHCAs are preventable, being due to violent accidents or trauma, mainly occurring on the streets (23.2%). Conclusions: Limiting violent events is necessary to reduce OHCA mortality in children. Raising awareness and giving practical training to citizens is a priority in general but specifically in schools.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes' determinants: an Italian retrospective cohort study based on Lombardia CARe.

This study on the Lombardia Cardiac Arrest Registry (Lombardia CARe,) the most complete nationwide out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) registry in Italy, aims at evaluating post-OHCA intra-hospital mortality risk according to patient's characteristics and emergency health service management (EMS), including level of care of first-admission hospital. Out of 12,581 patients included from 2015 to 2022, we considered 1382 OHCA patients admitted alive to hospital and survived more than 24 h. We estimated risk ratios (RRs) of intra-hospital mortality through log-binomial regression models adjusted by patients' and EMS characteristics. The study population consisted mainly of males (66.6%) most aged 60-69 years (24.7%) and 70-79 years (23.7%). Presenting rhythm was non-shockable in 49.9% of patients, EMS intervention time was less than 10 min for 30.3% of patients, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed for less than 15 min in 29.9%. Moreover, 61.6% of subjects (n = 852) died during hospital admission. Intra-hospital mortality is associated with non-shockable presenting rhythm (RR 1.27, 95% CI 1.19-1.35) and longer CPR time (RR 1.39, 95% CI 1.28-1.52 for 45 min or more). Patients who accessed to a secondary vs tertiary care hospital were more frequently older, with a non-shockable presenting rhythm and longer EMS intervention time. Non-shockable presenting rhythm accounts for 27% increased risk of intra-hospital death in OHCA patients, independently of first-access hospital level, thus demonstrating that patients' outcomes depend only by intrinsic OHCA characteristics and Health System's resources are utilised as efficiently as possible.

Spring, it's time to ROSC.

Out-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a multi-factor disease. Many studies have correlated OHCA with a patient's lifestyle; unfortunately, less evidence highlights the correlation with meteorological factors. Methods: Analysis of 23959 OHCA rescue performed by the emergency medical system (EMS) of Lombardy Region, the most Italian populated region, in 2018 and 2019, the pre-pandemic era through a retrospective observational cohort study. The aim of the study consists on evaluating the probability of Return Of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) during months to highlight potential seasonal impact in ROSC achievement. In March and April, we highlight an increase of ROSC (OR: 1.20 95% CI 1.04-1.31; p < 0.001) compared to other months. During March and April, we highlight an increase of public access defibrillation (PAD) (3.5% vs 2.5%; p < 0.001), and a reduction of overage time of first vehicle on scene (11.5 vs 11.8; p < 0.001) and age of patient (73.5 vs 74.2; p < 0.01). Finally, we highlight a slight reduction of cancer patient (1.6% vs 1.1%; p = 0.01). We didn't register significant differences in the other variables analyzed as: onset place, sex, rescue team and the patient's death before the rescue arrive. We highlight a difference in ROSC probability during the first month of spring. We register few differences in patient characteristics and EMS rescue, though just PAD use and age clinically impact OHCA patients. In this study, we are unable to fully understand the modification of the probability of ROSC in these months. Even though four variables have a statistically significant difference, they can't fully explain this modification. Different variables like meteorological and seasonal factor must be considered. We propose more research on this item.

Social Illness Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Regional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has dramatically changed the epidemiology of several diseases. Much evidence on this has been published in the pandemic phase. In addition, many studies have shown that phenomena such as stress, substance abuse, and burnout increased in the general population during the lockdown. Unfortunately, few studies analyze the post-pandemic phase. STUDY OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate the trend of broad social problems, such as a diagnosis by the emergency department (ED), in the post-pandemic phase in the Lombardy (Italy) region. METHODS: The study is a retrospective observational cohort study. All admissions to emergency rooms in the Lombardy region registered in the Emergency Urgency OnLine (EUOL) portal made from January through June 2019 were analyzed, having as main causes: psychiatric disorders, self-harm, substance abuse, social disadvantage, and violence. All accesses in emergency rooms in the Lombardy region registered in the EUOL portal made from January 1, 2019 through June 30, 2019 were analyzed and compared with the same period in 2022. RESULTS: The study recorded an increase in the likelihood of events of self-harm (OR = 2.1; 95% CI, 1.8-2.6; P <.0001), substance abuse (OR = 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.3; P <.0001), violence by others (OR = 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.4; P <.0001), and social disadvantage (OR = 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4; P = .0045). The events are more concentrated in suburban areas (OR = 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.4; P <.001). CONCLUSION: The increase in diagnoses of these social problems in the ED is only the culmination of a phenomenon that hides an underlying rise in social illness. In the post-COVID-19 phase, there is a need to invest in community care and social illness prevention policies.

Heatwave Definition and Impact on Cardiovascular Health: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: We aimed to analyze recent literature on heat effects on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, focusing on the adopted heat definitions and their eventual impact on the results of the analysis. Methods: The search was performed on PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases: 54 articles, published between January 2018 and September 2022, were selected as relevant. Results: In total, 21 different combinations of criteria were found for defining heat, 12 of which were based on air temperature, while the others combined it with other meteorological factors. By a simulation study, we showed how such complex indices could result in different values at reference conditions depending on temperature. Heat thresholds, mostly set using percentile or absolute values of the index, were applied to compare the risk of a cardiovascular health event in heat days with the respective risk in non-heat days. The larger threshold's deviation from the mean annual temperature, as well as higher temperature thresholds within the same study location, led to stronger negative effects. Conclusion: To better analyze trends in the characteristics of heatwaves, and their impact on cardiovascular health, an international harmonization effort to define a common standard is recommendable.

Emergency Department waiting-time in the post pandemic era: new organizational models, a challenge for the future.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Covid-19 has profoundly changed the Emergency Department system in Lombardy, especially for the type of accesses and the number of diagnoses. Accordingly, the pre-hospital rescue system has undergone heavy changes, in particular regarding the times of rescue. Despite this, studies concerning the post-pandemic phase are lacking to understand whether the conditions of the emergency systems has resumed to the pre-pandemic period. The aim of the study is to evaluate the length of stay (LOS) phenomenon in the emergency departments (EDs) in the post-pandemic era. METHODS: a retrospective observational study was conducted, which analyzed the first six months of the years 2019, 2021 and 2022. The pandemic peak phase, corresponding to the first months of 2020, wasn't included. The investigated area included the provinces of Milan and Monza, a metropolitan area with 4 million inhabitants. RESULTS: The average time spent by patients in the ED increased by +3.8 hours in 2022 and by +1.3 hours in 2021 compared to 2019. The average time from ED access to hospitalization also increased by +4.8 hours in 2022 and +5.0 hours in 2021 compared to 2019. The percentage of time in ED recorded in a National Emergency Department Overcrowding Study (NEDOCS) in black code in 2022 reached 5.4% against 1.7% in 2021 and 0.5 % in 2019. CONCLUSIONS: data show an increase in the time spent in the EDs and an increase in the overcrowding, according to the NEDOCS index. New management models and a reorganization of EDs are needed as the workload has increased significantly.

Development and Validation of a New Tool to Improve the Accuracy of the Hospital Mass-Casualty Incident Response Plan Activation: The PEMAAF Score.

INTRODUCTION: Effective response to a mass-casualty incident (MCI) entails the activation of hospital MCI plans. Unfortunately, there are no tools available in the literature to support hospital responders in predicting the proper level of MCI plan activation. This manuscript describes the scientific-based approach used to develop, test, and validate the PEMAAF score (Proximity, Event, Multitude, Overcrowding, Temporary Ward Reduction Capacity, Time Shift Slot [Prossimità, Evento, Moltitudine, Affollamento, Accorpamento, Fascia Oraria], a tool able to predict the required level of hospital MCI plan activation and to facilitate a coordinated activation of a multi-hospital network. METHODS: Three study phases were performed within the Metropolitan City of Milan, Italy: (1) retrospective analysis of past MCI after action reports (AARs); (2) PEMAAF score development; and (3) PEMAAF score validation. The validation phase entailed a multi-step process including two retrospective analyses of past MCIs using the score, a focus group discussion (FGD), and a prospective simulation-based study. Sensitivity and specificity of the score were analyzed using a regression model, Spearman's Rho test, and receiver operating characteristic/ROC analysis curves. RESULTS: Results of the retrospective analysis and FGD were used to refine the PEMAAF score, which included six items-Proximity, Event, Multitude, Emergency Department (ED) Overcrowding, Temporary Ward Reduction Capacity, and Time Shift Slot-allowing for the identification of three priority levels (score of 5-6: green alert; score of 7-9: yellow alert; and score of 10-12: red alert). When prospectively analyzed, the PEMAAF score determined most frequent hospital MCI plan activation (>10) during night and holiday shifts, with a score of 11 being associated with a higher sensitivity system and a score of 12 with higher specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The PEMAAF score allowed for a balanced and adequately distributed response in case of MCI, prompting hospital MCI plan activation according to real needs, taking into consideration the whole hospital response network.

Management of possible stroke by laypeople in pre-hospital setting: who should we train?

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The pre-hospital management of a possible stroke is fundamental for the transport of patients to the correct HUB facility; thus, they must be transported to the Emergency Department (ED) by EMS vehicles. Our study aims to analyze the factors correlated with a higher probability of accessing the ED through the EMS in this event. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study. All accesses in the 120 EDs of the Lombardy region, with a diagnosis of discharge whose symptoms could resemble CPSS, were analyzed between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2019. RESULTS: We identified an increased probability of using the EMS vehicles of 0,05% (I.C. 95%: 0.04% - 0.06%; p<0.0001) for each additional year of age, considering patients aged 20 to 100 years and the percentage was significantly higher in the female population (58% vs 49%; p<0.001). Moreover, we calculated that the incidence of stroke was approximately 140 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. CONCLUSIONS: Only half of the citizens in the Lombardy region use the EMS in case of suspicion of stroke; further information campaigns are essential to educate citizens. Information strategies should be directed especially at men between 30 and 59 years old.