RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to investigate the analgesic efficacy of nebulized ketamine in managing acute moderate-to-severe musculoskeletal pain in older emergency department (ED) patients compared with intravenous (IV) morphine. METHODS: This was a non-inferiority, double-blind, randomized controlled trial conducted at a single medical centre. The patients aged 65 and older, who presented at the ED musculoskeletal pain within 7 days and had a pain score of 5 or more on an 11-point numeric rating scale (NRS), were included in the study. The outcomes were a comparison of the NRS reduction between nebulized ketamine and IV morphine 30 minutes after treatment, incidence of adverse events and rate of rescue therapy. RESULTS: The final study included 92 individuals, divided equally into two groups. At 30 minutes, the difference in mean NRS between the nebulized ketamine and IV morphine groups was insignificant (5.2 versus 5.7). The comparative mean difference in the NRS change from baseline between nebulized ketamine and IV morphine [-1.96 (95% confidence interval-CI: -2.45 to -1.46) and -2.15 (95% CI: -2.64 to -1.66) = 0.2 (95% CI: -0.49 to 0.89)] did not exceed the non-inferiority margin of 1.3. The rate of rescue therapy did not differ between the groups. The morphine group had considerably higher incidence of nausea than the control group (zero patients in the ketamine group versus eight patients (17.4%) in the morphine group; P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Nebulized ketamine has non-inferior analgesic efficacy compared with IV morphine for acute musculoskeletal pain in older persons, with fewer adverse effects.
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Ketamina , Dolor Musculoesquelético , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Humanos , Analgésicos , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital , Ketamina/efectos adversos , Morfina/efectos adversos , Dolor Musculoesquelético/diagnóstico , Dolor Musculoesquelético/tratamiento farmacológico , Método Doble CiegoRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Frailty is associated with adverse outcomes among patients attending emergency departments (EDs). While multiple frailty screens are available, little is known about which variables are important to incorporate and how best to facilitate accurate, yet prompt ED screening. To understand the core requirements of frailty screening in ED, we conducted an international, modified, electronic two-round Delphi consensus study. METHODS: A two-round electronic Delphi involving 37 participants from 10 countries was undertaken. Statements were generated from a prior systematic review examining frailty screening instruments in ED (logistic, psychometric and clinimetric properties). Reflexive thematic analysis generated a list of 56 statements for Round 1 (August-September 2021). Four main themes identified were: (i) principles of frailty screening, (ii) practicalities and logistics, (iii) frailty domains and (iv) frailty risk factors. RESULTS: In Round 1, 13/56 statements (23%) were accepted. Following feedback, 22 new statements were created and 35 were re-circulated in Round 2 (October 2021). Of these, 19 (54%) were finally accepted. It was agreed that ideal frailty screens should be short (<5 min), multidimensional and well-calibrated across the spectrum of frailty, reflecting baseline status 2-4 weeks before presentation. Screening should ideally be routine, prompt (<4 h after arrival) and completed at first contact in ED. Functional ability, mobility, cognition, medication use and social factors were identified as the most important variables to include. CONCLUSIONS: Although a clear consensus was reached on important requirements of frailty screening in ED, and variables to include in an ideal screen, more research is required to operationalise screening in clinical practice.
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Consenso , Técnica Delphi , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital , Anciano Frágil , Fragilidad , Evaluación Geriátrica , Humanos , Fragilidad/diagnóstico , Anciano , Evaluación Geriátrica/métodos , Masculino , Femenino , Tamizaje Masivo/métodos , Tamizaje Masivo/normas , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Factores de RiesgoRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Dehydration is associated with morbidity, and many factors affect dehydration in older adults including age and medication use. This study determined the prevalence of hypertonic dehydration (HD) and factors affecting HD in older adults and developed a risk score (a set of consistent weights that assign a numerical value to each risk factor) which is potentially useful in predicting HD among community-dwelling Thai older adults. METHODS: Data were obtained from a cohort study of community-dwelling older adults aged ≥60 years in Bangkok, Thailand, between October 1, 2019, and September 30, 2021. Current HD was defined as a serum osmolality >300 mOsm/kg. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with current and impending HD. The risk score for current HD was developed based on the final multiple logistic regression model. RESULTS: A total of 704 participants were included in the final analysis. In this study, 59 (8.4%) participants had current HD and 152 (21.6%) had impending HD. We identified three risk factors for HD in older adults: age ≥75 years (adjusted odds ratio [aORs] 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-3.46), underlying diabetes mellitus (aORs 3.07, 95% CI: 1.77-5.31), and use of ß-blocker medication (aORs 1.98, 95% CI: 1.04-3.78). The increasing risks of current HD with increasing risk scores were 7.4% for a score of 1, 13.8% for a score of 2, 19.8% for a score of 3, and 32.8% for a score of 4. CONCLUSION: One-third of the older adults in this study had current or impending HD. We identified risk factors for HD and created a risk score for HD in one group of community-dwelling older adults. Older adults with risk scores of 1-4 were at 7.4%-32.8% risk for current HD. The clinical utility of this risk score requires further study and external validation.
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Deshidratación , Vida Independiente , Humanos , Anciano , Deshidratación/epidemiología , Estudios de Cohortes , Prevalencia , Tailandia/epidemiología , Factores de RiesgoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Palliative care is a form of medical care designed to enhance the quality of life of patients with life-threatening conditions. This study was conducted to compare the accuracy of predicted survival the 1 and 3-month survival rate of Broad and narrow criteria, Surprise questions (SQ), and Palliative Care and Rapid Emergency Screening (P-CaRES) after admission to the emergency department (ED). METHODS: This prospective cohort study was conducted at an urban teaching hospital in Thailand. Patients aged ≥ 65 years admitted to the ED were classified according to their emergency severity index (ESI) (Level: 1-3). We collected data on SQ, P-CaRES, and broad and narrow criteria. A survival data of participants were collected at 1 and 3 months after admission to the ED. The survival rate was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests. RESULTS: A total of 269 patients completed the study. P-CaRES positive and P-CaRES negative patients had 1-month survival rates of 81% and 94.8%, respectively (P = 0.37), and at 3-month survival rates of 70.7% and 90.1%, respectively (P < 0.001). SQ (not surprised) had a 1-month survival rate of 79.3%, while SQ (surprised) had a 97% survival rate (P = 0.01), and SQ (not surprised) had a 75.4% survival rate at 3-months, while SQ (surprised) had a 96.3% survival rate (P = 0.01). Broad and narrow criteria that were positive and negative had 1-month survival rates of 88.1% and 92.5%, respectively (P = 0.71), while those that were positive and negative had 3-month survival rates of 78.6% and 87.2%, respectively (P = 0.19). The hazard ratio (HR) of SQ (not surprised) at 1 month was 3.22( 95%CI:1.16-8.89). The HR at 3 months of P-CaRES (positive) was 3.31 with a 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.74 - 6.27, while the HR for SQ (not surprise) was 7.33, 95% CI: 3.03-19.79; however, broad and narrow criteria had an HR of 1.78, 95% CI:0.84-3.77. CONCLUSIONS: Among older adults who visited the ED, the SQ were good prognosis tools for predicting 1 and 3-month survival, and P-CaRES were good prognostic tools for predicting 3-month survival.
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Cuidados Paliativos , Calidad de Vida , Humanos , Anciano , Estudios Prospectivos , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital , Pronóstico , Hospitales de EnseñanzaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: ketamine has potential advantages over morphine for musculoskeletal pain relief. The aim of this study was to compare the analgesic efficacy and safety of intranasal (IN) ketamine to intravenous (IV) morphine for older adults with musculoskeletal pain in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: this was a non-inferiority, double-blind, randomised controlled trial of ED patients aged of 65 and older presenting with acute moderate to severe musculoskeletal pain defined as a score ≥5 on an 11-point numeric rating scale (NRS). Patients were randomly assigned to receive IN ketamine or IV morphine. The primary outcome was comparative reduction of NRS pain scores between ketamine and morphine groups at 30 min post-treatment. Secondary outcomes were incidence of adverse events and requirement for rescue therapy. RESULTS: seventy-four patients were eligible for analysis (37 in the IN ketamine and 37 in the IV morphine group). Mean pain score at 30 min did not differ significantly between IN ketamine and IV morphine groups (6.03 versus 5.81). Similarly, the difference in mean NRS change from baseline between IN ketamine and IV morphine groups [(-2.14, 95% CI: -2.79 to -1.48) and (-0.81, 95% CI: -2.36 to -1.26) = -0.32, 95% CI: -1.17 to -0.52] did not reach the non-inferiority margin of 1.3. Adverse events and incidence of rescue therapy also did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: intranasal ketamine can provide a non-inferior analgesic effect compared to intravenous morphine for acute musculoskeletal pain in older adults with mild adverse effects and low incidence of rescue analgesic treatment.
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Dolor Agudo , Ketamina , Dolor Musculoesquelético , Dolor Agudo/inducido químicamente , Dolor Agudo/diagnóstico , Dolor Agudo/tratamiento farmacológico , Anciano , Analgésicos/efectos adversos , Analgésicos Opioides/efectos adversos , Método Doble Ciego , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital , Humanos , Ketamina/efectos adversos , Morfina/efectos adversos , Dolor Musculoesquelético/inducido químicamente , Dolor Musculoesquelético/diagnóstico , Dolor Musculoesquelético/tratamiento farmacológico , Dimensión del Dolor , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors for sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia among urban community-dwelling adults in Thailand, using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS-2019) criteria. METHODS: This cross-sectional study comprising 892 older adults aged > 60 years analyzed data from a cohort study (Bangkok Falls study; 2019-2021). The appendicular skeletal muscle mass was evaluated using the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) method. Physical performance and muscle strength were evaluated using the five-time sit-to-stand and handgrip strength tests, respectively. Logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with sarcopenia. RESULTS: The prevalence rates of sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia were 22.2% and 9.4%, respectively. Age ≥ 70 years (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 2.40; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.67-3.45), body mass index (BMI) of < 18.5 kg/m2 (aOR, 8.79; 95% CI, 4.44-17.39), Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) score of < 24 (aOR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.24-2.48), and a six-item cognitive screening test score of ≥ 8 (aOR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.08-12.15) were associated with sarcopenia. Likewise, age ≥ 70 years, BMI < 18.5 kg/m2, and an MNA score of < 24 predicted severe sarcopenia. CONCLUSION: One-third of the urban community-dwelling older Thai adults had sarcopenia or severe sarcopenia. The age ≥ 70 years, low BMI, and inadequate nutrition increased the risk of both sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia while impaired cognitive functions predicted only sarcopenia in this population.
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Sarcopenia , Anciano , Estudios de Cohortes , Estudios Transversales , Evaluación Geriátrica/métodos , Fuerza de la Mano , Humanos , Vida Independiente , Prevalencia , Factores de Riesgo , Sarcopenia/diagnóstico , Sarcopenia/epidemiología , Tailandia/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
STUDY OBJECTIVE: Falls are a major cause of mortality and morbidity in adults aged 65 years and older and a common chief complaint in the emergency department (ED). However, the rate of missed opportunities to diagnose and intervene in modifiable fall-risk factors in the ED is unknown. We hypothesize that although ED providers (defined as ED attendings, residents, and advanced care providers) excel at assessing and ruling out injury, they miss the opportunity to identify a large portion of the modifiable risk factors that contribute to a patient's fall. Our objective is to quantify the number of missed opportunities to identify and reduce fall-risk factors in older adult ED patients presenting after a fall. METHODS: This secondary analysis used data from a prospective cohort study of older patients at a single academic urban ED. The original study investigated the standard ED evaluation after a fall in older adults. All patients in the original study had a falls evaluation conducted at their ED visit by trained research assistants; this served as the standard fall evaluation. We reviewed the charts of study patients and identified modifiable fall-risk factors. We then determined the number of missed opportunities to intervene in these risk factors during the ED encounter; the primary outcome was the percentage of missed opportunities to identify risk factors in older ED patients who fell. RESULTS: We found that of the 400 patient charts reviewed, 349 patients had a modifiable risk factor for falling. Of those patients with known modifiable risk factors, the ED team missed identifying the factors in 335 patients (96%). The most commonly missed fall-risk factors were visual acuity (147/154; 96%) and the use of high-risk medications (245/259;95%). Gait abnormalities had the lowest rates of missed modifiable risk factors, at 56% of patients (109/196). When a modifiable risk factor was identified and intervened in, it was most commonly done in the ED observation unit by a physician or physical therapist, and often consisted of an outpatient referral or primary care physician follow-up. CONCLUSION: Providers frequently fail to identify and intervene in modifiable fall-risk factors in older adult patients presenting to the ED after a fall; this is a missed opportunity. Addressing the risk factors that contributed to the fall during a fall-related ED visit may minimize fall risk and promote safer mobility.
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Accidentes por Caídas/prevención & control , Accidentes por Caídas/estadística & datos numéricos , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital/estadística & datos numéricos , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Femenino , Trastornos Neurológicos de la Marcha/diagnóstico , Evaluación Geriátrica/métodos , Evaluación Geriátrica/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Hipotensión Ortostática/complicaciones , Hipotensión Ortostática/diagnóstico , Masculino , Evaluación de Resultado en la Atención de Salud , Enfermedades del Sistema Nervioso Periférico/complicaciones , Enfermedades del Sistema Nervioso Periférico/diagnóstico , Polifarmacia , Estudios Prospectivos , Medición de Riesgo , Factores de Riesgo , Baja Visión/complicaciones , Agudeza Visual/fisiologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of infectious diseases and risk factors for one-year mortality in elderly emergency department (ED) patients. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of patients aged 65 and over who visited the ED of one urban teaching hospital in Bangkok, Thailand and who were diagnosed with infectious diseases between 1 January 2016 and 30 June 2016. RESULTS: There were 463 elderly patients who visited ED with infectious diseases, accounting for 14.5% (463/3,196) of all elderly patients' visits. The most common diseases diagnosed by emergency physicians (EPs) were pneumonia [151 (32.6%) patients] followed by pyelonephritis [107 (23.1%) patients] and intestinal infection [53 (11.4%) patients]. Moreover, 286 (61.8%) patients were admitted during the study period. The in-hospital mortality rate was 22.7%. 181 (39.1%) patients died within 1 year. Our multivariate analysis showed that age 85 years and older [odds ratio (OR) = 1.89; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.36-2.63], Charlson Co-morbidity Index score ≥ 5 (OR = 3.51; 95% CI2.14-5.77), lactate ≥4 mmol/l (OR = 2.66;95% CI 1.32-5.38), quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score ≥ 2 (OR = 5.46; 95% CI 2.94-10.12), and platelet count < 100,000 cells/mm3 (OR = 3.19; 95% CI 1.15-8.83) were associated with 1-year mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In one middle-income country, infectious diseases account for 14.5% of elderly ED patients. Almost two-thirds of patients presenting to ED with infection are admitted to hospital. One-third of elderly ED patients with infection died within 1 year. Age ≥ 85 years, Charlson Co-morbidity Index score ≥ 5, lactate ≥4 mmol/l, qSOFA score ≥ 2, and platelet count < 100,000 cells/mm3 predicted 1-year mortality rate.
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Enfermedades Transmisibles/mortalidad , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital/estadística & datos numéricos , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Enfermedades Transmisibles/economía , Enfermedades Transmisibles/epidemiología , Femenino , Mortalidad Hospitalaria , Hospitalización , Humanos , Renta , Masculino , Oportunidad Relativa , Pacientes/estadística & datos numéricos , Prevalencia , Curva ROC , Estudios Retrospectivos , Factores de Riesgo , Tailandia/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: In disaster situations, the elderly are considered to be a particularly vulnerable population. Preparedness is the key to reduce post-disaster damage. There is limited research in middle-income countries on how well elderly emergency department (ED) patients are prepared for disaster situations. The objective of this study was to determine the attitudes and behavior of elderly ED patients toward disaster preparedness. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional face-to-face survey at one urban teaching hospital in Bangkok, Thailand between August 1st and September 30th, 2016. Patients aged 60 and older who presented to the ED were included to this study. We excluded patients who had severe dementia [defined as Short Portable Mental State Questionnaires (SPMSQ) > 8], were unable to speak Thai, had severe trauma and/or needed immediate resuscitation. The survey instruction was adapted from previous disaster surveys. This study was approved by the Vajira Institutional Review Board (IRB). RESULTS: A total of 243 patients were enrolled. Most of them were female [154 patients (63.4%)]. The median age was 72 [Interquartile range (IQR) 66-81] years and the most common underlying diseases were hypertension [148 patients (60.9%)] and diabetes [108 patients (44.4%)]. The majority of patients [172 patients (72.4%)] reported that they had had some teaching about disaster knowledge from a healthcare provider and had experienced a disaster [138 patients (56.8%)]. While 175/197 (81.8%) patients who had underlying diseases reported that they had a medication supply for disaster situations, only 61 (25.1%) patients had an emergency toolbox for disasters. Most patients (159, 65.4%) did not know the emergency telephone number, and 133 (54.7%) patients reported transportation limitations. CONCLUSIONS: While most Thai elderly ED patients reported having a medication supply for disaster situations, many lacked comprehensive plans for a disaster situation. Work needs to be done to improve the quality of preparedness in disaster situations among elderly patients. Future research should focus on preparedness knowledge regarding evacuation, and shelter/residence for older patients.
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Desastres , Urgencias Médicas , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital/estadística & datos numéricos , Conocimientos, Actitudes y Práctica en Salud , Factores de Edad , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Hospitales de Enseñanza , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Factores Socioeconómicos , TailandiaRESUMEN
STUDY OBJECTIVE: We seek to describe the risk during 6 months and specific risk factors for recurrent falls, emergency department (ED) revisits, subsequent hospitalizations, and death within 6 months after a fall-related ED presentation. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort of elderly fall patients who presented to the ED from one urban teaching hospital. We included patients aged 65 years and older who had an ED fall visit in 2012. We examined the frequency and risk factors of adverse events (composite of recurrent falls, ED revisits, subsequent hospitalization, and death, selected a priori) at 6 months. RESULTS: Our study included 350 older adults. Adverse events steadily increased, from 7.7% at 7 days, 21.4% at 30 days, and 50.3% at 6 months. Within 6 months, 22.6% of patients had at least one recurrent fall, 42.6% revisited the ED, 31.1% had subsequent hospitalizations, and 2.6% died. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, psychological or sedative drug use predicted recurrent falls, ED revisits, subsequent hospitalizations, and adverse events. CONCLUSION: More than half of fall patients had an adverse event within 6 months of presenting to the ED after a fall. The risk during 6 months of these adverse events increased with psychological or sedative drug use. Larger future studies should confirm this association and investigate methods to minimize recurrent falls through management of such medications.
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Accidentes por Caídas/mortalidad , Demencia/complicaciones , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/complicaciones , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital/estadística & datos numéricos , Trastornos Neurológicos de la Marcha/complicaciones , Evaluación Geriátrica , Hipnóticos y Sedantes/efectos adversos , Readmisión del Paciente/estadística & datos numéricos , Accidentes por Caídas/estadística & datos numéricos , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Comorbilidad , Demencia/mortalidad , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/mortalidad , Femenino , Trastornos Neurológicos de la Marcha/mortalidad , Humanos , Masculino , Prevalencia , Estudios Retrospectivos , Medición de Riesgo , Estados Unidos/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Falls among older adults are a public health problem and are multifactorial. We sought to determine whether falls predict more serious conditions in older adult patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with a "nonspecific complaint" (NSC). A secondary objective was to examine what factors predicted serious conditions among older adult patients with a fall. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of a prospective delayed-type cross-sectional diagnostic study that included a 30-day follow-up. We included patients 65 years and older who presented to the ED from May 2007 and July 2011 with a NSC and had an Emergency Severity Index score of 2 or 3. We then compared the serious conditions among older adults who presented to the ED with a fall with those who did not fall in a cohort of patients with NSC. RESULTS: We had 1111 patients enrolled in our study; 518 (47%) of them had fallen. We found that 310 (60%) of elderly fall patients vs 349 (59%) of nonfall patients had a 30-day serious condition (P=.74). In multiple logistic regression analysis, falls did not predict serious conditions or 30-day mortality among all NSC patients. Among fall patients, male sex, diuretic use, and generalized weakness predicted serious conditions. CONCLUSION: Fall patients share many features with nonfall NSC patient. However, falls did not increase the risk of serious conditions. Falls in the elderly could be considered under the broader entity of NSC.
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Accidentes por Caídas/estadística & datos numéricos , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital , Evaluación Geriátrica , Debilidad Muscular/diagnóstico , Cooperación del Paciente , Medición de Riesgo/métodos , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Humanos , Incidencia , Masculino , Debilidad Muscular/epidemiología , Estudios Prospectivos , Factores de Riesgo , Suiza/epidemiología , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: The term mechanical falls is commonly used in the emergency department (ED), yet its definition and clinical implications are not established. It may be used to attribute falls to extrinsic factors in the environment exonerating clinicians from conducting a thorough assessment of the fall's underlying intrinsic causes. We conducted this study to determine how clinicians assess "mechanical" and "nonmechanical" falls; we explored conditions, fall evaluation, and outcomes associated with these diagnoses. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of a retrospective study at 1 urban ED. Data were obtained from medical records of patients aged 65 years and older who presented to the ED for a fall. We compared the associated conditions/causes, the ED fall evaluation, mortality, ED revisits, subsequent hospitalizations, and recurrent falls between the 2 terms. RESULTS: We had a sample size of 350 patients: 218 (62.3%) with "mechanical falls" and 132 (37.7%) with nonmechanical falls. There was little difference among associated conditions between the 2 fall labels other than mechanical falls had more associated environmental causes but fewer syncope causes. However, more than a quarter of nonmechanical falls had associated environmental factors as well. Similarly, there was little difference in the fall evaluation, ED revisit rates, recurrent falls, subsequent hospitalizations, and death between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: The term mechanical fall is unclear, inconsistently used, and not associated with a discrete fall evaluation and does not predict outcomes. We propose eliminating the term because it inaccurately implies that a benign etiology for an older person's fall exists.
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Accidentes por Caídas/estadística & datos numéricos , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital , Ambiente , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Clasificación , Estudios de Cohortes , Femenino , Hospitales Urbanos , Humanos , Masculino , Estudios Retrospectivos , Factores de RiesgoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: We sought to determine the prevalence of delirium in a Thai emergency department (ED). The secondary objective was to identify risk factors and short-term outcomes in delirious elderly ED patients. METHODS: This was a prospective cross-sectional study in the ED of an urban tertiary care hospital. Patients aged ≥65â years who presented to the ED were included. We excluded patients who had severe dementia, were not responsive to verbal stimuli, had severe trauma and were blind, deaf, aphasic or unable to speak Thai. Delirium was determined using the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit. We collected 30-day mortality rate, hospital length of stay and revisit rate as short-term outcomes. RESULTS: We had a final sample size of 232 patients; 27 (12%) were delirious in the ED, of which 16 (59%) were not recognised to be delirious by the emergency physician. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed dementia (adjusted OR (AOR) 13.1; 95% CI 2.9 to 59.6), auditory impairment (AOR 4.8; 95% CI 1.6 to 13.8) and ED diagnosis of metabolic derangement (AOR 6.5; 95% CI 1.6 to 26.8) were associated with delirium in the ED. Delirium was associated with a higher mortality rate than those without delirium (15% vs 2%, p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: In one middle-income country, elderly ED patients were delirious >10% of the time. Delirium was underdiagnosed and was associated with an increased 30-day mortality rate. Delirium screening needs to be improved, potentially focusing on high-risk patients.
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Delirio/epidemiología , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital/estadística & datos numéricos , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Estudios Transversales , Delirio/diagnóstico , Delirio/etiología , Femenino , Evaluación Geriátrica/métodos , Humanos , Masculino , Tamizaje Masivo/métodos , Prevalencia , Estudios Prospectivos , Factores de Riesgo , Tailandia/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Hospital crowding and emergency department (ED) boarding are large and growing problems. To date, there has been a paucity of information regarding the quality of care received by patients boarding in the ED compared with the care received by patients on an inpatient unit. We compared the rate of delays and adverse events at the event level that occur while boarding in the ED vs while on an inpatient unit. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of data from medical record review and administrative databases at 2 urban academic teaching hospitals from August 1, 2004, through January 31, 2005. We measured delayed repeat cardiac enzymes, delayed partial thromboplastin time level checks, delayed antibiotic administration, delayed administration of home medications, and adverse events. We compared the incidence of events during ED boarding vs while on an inpatient unit. RESULTS: Among 1431 patient medical records, we identified 1016 events. Emergency department boarding was associated with an increased risk of home medication delays (risk ratio [RR], 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-1.88), delayed antibiotic administration (RR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.72-3.52), and adverse events (RR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.15-4.72). On the contrary, ED boarding was associated with fewer delays in repeat cardiac enzymes (RR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.09-0.27) and delayed partial thromboplastin time checks (RR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.27-0.96). CONCLUSION: Compared with inpatient units, ED boarding was associated with more medication-related delays and adverse events but fewer laboratory-related delays. Until we can eliminate ED boarding, it is critical to identify areas for improvement.
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Quimioterapia/normas , Efectos Colaterales y Reacciones Adversas Relacionados con Medicamentos/epidemiología , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital/estadística & datos numéricos , Laboratorios de Hospital/estadística & datos numéricos , Centros Médicos Académicos/estadística & datos numéricos , Anciano , Diagnóstico Tardío/estadística & datos numéricos , Pruebas Diagnósticas de Rutina/normas , Pruebas Diagnósticas de Rutina/estadística & datos numéricos , Femenino , Humanos , Laboratorios de Hospital/normas , Tiempo de Internación/estadística & datos numéricos , Masculino , Auditoría Médica , Tiempo de Tromboplastina Parcial , Calidad de la Atención de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
Purpose: This study aimed to determine the percentage of missed opportunities (MOs) to identify and treat older adults presenting with palliative care (PC) needs at one emergency department (ED). The secondary objective was to determine the rate of treatment interventions regardless of whether the patients received a PC plan as well as the direct cost of treatment. Patients and Methods: In this retrospective study, PC need was determined using broad and narrow criteria. The subjects comprised patients aged 65 or older who had out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and/or died in the ED (Group 1) or within 72 hours after ED disposition (Group 2) over a 3-year period (2016-2018). Overall, 17,414 older adults visited the ED, 60 died in the ED, and 400 died within 72 hours after ED disposition and admitted to in-hospital ward. In total, 200 patients were randomly selected; of these, 15 were excluded. Results: Of the remaining 185 patients enrolled, 161/185 (87%) met the PC criteria and 60/161 (37.3%) were missed opportunities for PC planning. Group 1, had thirty patients, and 8 of those 30 (27%) were missed opportunities for PC planning. Group 2, 131/161 (81.4%), died within 72 hours, and there were 52 missed opportunities (39.7%) of ED PC planning. By comorbidity (Group 2), providers considered PC planning most often for cancer patients (PC: 41.8%; missed opportunities: 15.4%; p = 0.001) and there were more missed opportunities for PC planning among those with ischemic heart disease (PC: 19.0%; missed opportunities: 36.5%; p = 0.025). Conclusion: Of the older adults who visited the ED, 87% merited palliative care; further, 37% of opportunities for PC planning were missed. Providers considered PC planning most often for cancer patients. Recognizing PC needs and initiating care in the ED can improve end-of-life quality for dying patients.
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Objective: Given the aging population and growing burden of frailty, we conducted this scoping review to describe the available literature regarding the use and impact of frailty assessment tools in the assessment and care of emergency department (ED) patients older than 60 years. Methods: A search was made of the available literature using the Covidence system using various search terms. Inclusion criteria comprised peer-reviewed literature focusing on frailty screening tools used for a geriatric population (60+ years of age) presenting to EDs. An additional search of PubMed, EBSCO, and CINAHL for articles published in the last 5 years was conducted toward the end of the review process (January 2023) to search specifically for literature describing interventions for frailty, yielding additional articles for review. Exclusion criteria comprised articles focusing on an age category other than geriatric and care environments outside the emergency care setting. Results: A total of 135 articles were screened for inclusion and 48 duplicates were removed. Of the 87 remaining articles, 20 were deemed irrelevant, leaving 67 articles for full-text review. Twenty-eight were excluded for not meeting inclusion criteria, leaving 39 full-text studies. Use of frailty screening tools were reported in the triage, care, and discharge decision-making phases of the ED care trajectory, with varying reports of usefulness for clinical decision-making. Conclusion: The literature reports tools, scales, and instruments for identifying frailty in older patients at ED triage; multiple frailty scores or tools exist with varying levels of utilization. Interventions for frailty directed at the ED environment were scant. Further research is needed to determine the usefulness of frailty identification in the context of emergency care, the effects of care delivery interventions or educational initiatives for front-line medical professionals on patient-oriented outcomes, and to ensure these initiatives are acceptable for patients.
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Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the Hip Fracture Fast-Track (HFFT) protocol, designed specifically for older patients at our hospital, which commenced on January 1, 2022, on the management of emergency department (ED) pain in older adults with hip fractures. Patients and Methods: Retrospective pre- and post-study data from electronic health records (EHR) at our hospital, using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 codes S72.0, S72.1, S72.8, and S72.9, were utilized. The study included patients aged 65 years or older who presented to the ED with low-energy, non-pathologic isolated hip fractures or proximal femur fractures. The pre-HFFT period included patients from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021, and the post-HFFT period included patients from January 1, 2022, to October 31, 2023. Data were compared for the proportion of patients undergoing pain evaluation in the ED, before discharge, time to first analgesia, number of patients receiving pain relief in the ED, and the use of fascia iliaca compartment blocks (FICBs) and pericapsular nerve group blocks (PENGBs). Results: The final analysis involved 258 patients, with 116 in the pre-protocol group and 142 in the post-protocol group. The rate of analgesic use increased significantly in the post-HFFT group (78 [67.24%] vs 111 [78.17%], P = 0.049). The rate of pain score screening at triage increased from 51.72% before the HFFT protocol to 86.62% post-HFFT protocol (p < 0.001). Compared with the pre-HFFT protocol, the post-HFFT protocol exhibited a higher rate of FICB (0% vs 14.08%, p < 0.001) and PENGB (0% vs 5.63%, p = 0.009) administration. Conclusion: The HFFT protocol's implementation was associated with improved ED pain evaluation and analgesic administration in older adults with hip fractures. These findings indicate that tailored protocols, such as the HFFT, hold promise for enhancing emergency care for this vulnerable population.
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Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital , Fracturas de Cadera , Manejo del Dolor , Humanos , Servicio de Urgencia en Hospital/estadística & datos numéricos , Anciano , Femenino , Masculino , Manejo del Dolor/métodos , Estudios Retrospectivos , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Dimensión del Dolor , Bloqueo Nervioso/métodos , Protocolos Clínicos , Analgésicos/uso terapéuticoRESUMEN
Introduction: Under-triage increases patients' risks for morbidity and mortality, whereas over-triage limits the resources available to sicker patients. This study aimed to determine the rates as well as associated factors of under-triage and over-triage in emergency department (ED), based on Emergency Severity Index (ESI) triage system. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, triage level of ED patients based on the ESI version 4, was studied during a 9-month period in 2019. Patients' ESI level, which were examined by triage nurses were reevaluated by 3 emergency physicians and the rate of correct, under-, and over-triage as well as their associated factors were analyzed. Results: 1000 cases of triage were evaluated. Triage was correct in 69.1% of cases. The rate of under-triage was 4.9%, and that of over-triage was 26.0%. Over-triage was significantly more common among patients aged 18-30 years than for those aged ≥65 years (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-2.81; p = 0.026); those with traumatic injuries (adjusted OR = 1.80; 95% CI: 1.29-2.52; p = 0.001); those arriving at the hospital during the evening shift (adjusted OR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.01-2.0; p = 0.046); patients who were hospitalized (adjusted OR = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.22-0.54; p < 0.001); and those with severe pain (adjusted OR = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.10-0.84; p = 0.023). Younger age was also significantly associated with under-triage. Patients aged 18-30 years were under-triaged more often than those aged ≥65 years (adjusted OR = 3.05; 95% CI: 1.16-8.00; p = 0.023). Conclusions: Over-triage was substantially more common than under-triage in Vajira Hospital. Factors associated with over-triage were younger age, traumatic injury, arrival time, hospital admission, and severe pain. Younger age was the only factor related to under-triage.
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Purpose: This study aimed to determine the validity of ultrasonographic measurement of the rectus femoris muscle (RFM) thickness as a screening tool for low appendicular muscle mass (ASM) to diagnose sarcopenia and to determine the cut-off point of RFM thickness in the Thai population. Patients and methods: We enrolled 857 community-dwelling adults aged 60 years and older who were diagnosed with sarcopenia using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia-2019 algorithm. The RFM thickness was measured using ultrasonography and compared with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) data. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were evaluated, and the area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) was used to determine the accuracy of the test. Results: A total of 857 participants were included in the study. Overall, when the cut-off values of RFM thickness of ≤1.1 cm were used for male and ≤1 cm for female, the highest sensitivity for sarcopenia diagnosis was 90.9% and specificity was 92.2%. The PPV was 76.6, and the NPV was the highest at 97.3. The highest sensitivity for the diagnosis of severe sarcopenia was 92.5% and specificity was 97.4%. The AUROC of the cut-off point of RFM thickness for the diagnosis of sarcopenia was 0.92 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89-0.94); for severe sarcopenia, it was 0.95 (95% CI, 0.92-0.98). Conclusion: Measuring RFM thickness using ultrasonography is a feasible and reliable screening test for sarcopenia, and the cut-off values of ≤1.1 cm for male and ≤1 cm for female showed the highest accuracy for confirming low ASM in the Thai population.
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Sarcopenia , Anciano , Femenino , Humanos , Vida Independiente , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Músculo Esquelético/fisiología , Músculo Cuádriceps/diagnóstico por imagen , Sarcopenia/diagnóstico por imagen , Sarcopenia/epidemiología , TailandiaRESUMEN
Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, older adults experienced high mortality rates, and their deaths were often preceded by sudden health deterioration and acute respiratory failure. This prompted older adults and their families to make rapid goals-of-care decisions. Objective: This study aimed at determining the prevalence of and factors associated with COVID-19-related do-not-attempt resuscitation (DNR) decisions among older adults. Design: This was a cross-sectional population-based survey. Setting: Well-looking active (mobile) community-dwelling adults aged ≥60 years and residing in the Bangkok district, Thailand, between April and May 2020, were included in this study. We excluded older adults who (1) were unable to speak Thai, (2) had severe cognitive impairment, or (3) were blind or deaf. We interviewed participants about their perceptions regarding end-of-life decisions in case they got infected with COVID-19 and experienced respiratory arrest. Results: We recruited 848 participants with a mean age of 70.5 (±6.74) years. When asked about their choice, 49.8% chose a DNR status, 44.5% chose full life support, and 5.8% were undecided. The three most common reasons provided by the DNR group for their choice were old age (54.9%), acceptance of death (15.6%), and fear of pain (8.5%). Conclusion: Almost half of the older Thai adults chose a DNR status for scenarios in which they were infected with COVID-19 and suffered from cardiac arrest during the pandemic period. Future studies should include an in-depth examination of participants' lifestyles, family life expectancy, and religious faith to understand their end-of-life decisions.