Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Emergency Medical Service Utilisation, and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Volume-An Australian Perspective.

BACKGROUND: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) admissions and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) volume declined during periods of COVID-19 lockdown internationally in 2020. The effect of lockdown on emergency medical service (EMS) utilisation, and PCI volume during the initial phase of the pandemic in Australia has not been well described. METHOD: We analysed data from the Victorian Cardiac Outcomes Registry (VCOR), a state-wide PCI registry, linked with the Ambulance Victoria EMS registry. PCI volume, 30-day major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE; composite of mortality, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, unplanned revascularisation, and stroke), and EMS utilisation were compared over four time periods: lockdown (26 Mar 2020-12 May 2020); pre-lockdown (26 Feb 2020-25 Mar 2020); post-lockdown (13 May 2020-10 Jul 2020); and the year prior (26 Mar 2019-12 May 2019). Interrupted time series analysis was performed to assess PCI trends within and between consecutive periods. RESULTS: The EMS utilisation for ACS during lockdown was higher compared with other periods: lockdown 39.4% vs pre-lockdown 29.7%; vs post-lockdown 33.6%; vs year prior 27.1%; all p<0.01. Median daily PCI cases were similar: 31 (IQR 10, 38) during lockdown; 39 (15, 49) pre-lockdown; 39.5 (11, 44) post-lockdown; and, 42 (10, 49) the year prior; all p>0.05. Median door-to-procedure time for ACS indication during lockdown was shorter at 3 hours (1.2, 20.6) vs pre-lockdown 3.9 (1.7, 21); vs post-lockdown 3.5 (1.5, 21.26); and, the year prior 3.5 (1.5, 23.7); all p<0.05. Lockdown period was associated with lower odds for 30-day MACCE compared to pre-lockdown (odds ratio [OR] 0.55 [0.33-0.93]; p=0.026); post-lockdown (OR 0.66; [0.40-1.06]; p=0.087); and the year prior (OR 0.55 [0.33-0.93]; p=0.026). CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to international trends, EMS utilisation for ACS increased during lockdown but PCI volumes remained similar throughout the initial stages of the pandemic in Victoria, with no observed adverse effect on 30-day MACCE during lockdown. These data suggest that the public health response in Victoria was not associated with poorer quality cardiovascular care in patients receiving PCI.

Retrieval transfusion protocol in New South Wales, Australia: A retrospective review of the first 5 years.

BACKGROUND: Ambulance service blood transfusion is an area of rapid development. In New South Wales, Australia, the blood products carried by ambulance medical teams are often the first available to patients with critical bleeding. In addition to the blood products routinely carried by these teams, the Service created and implemented a method of initiating large-volume, mixed-product transfusions using existing blood banks: the Retrieval Transfusion Procedure (RTP). This article describes the trends and characteristics of New South Wales Ambulance RTP activations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective database review examines the patient records for all RTP activations. Key areas of investigation include logistics, product requests, population demographics, etiologies, physiology, mission timings, and transfusions. RESULTS: Ambulance medical teams attended 27 531 missions in the reviewed period, 1573 patients received transfusion, and there were 138 RTP activations. Blood products were sourced from 40 banks and transported by police (46.7%), ambulance (27.1%), and helicopter (13.0%) to refueling stops (39.2%), prehospital scenes (24.2%) and hospitals (15.8%). The median time engaged on each mission was 189 minutes for metropolitan and 222 minutes for rural locations. Seventy-eight patients were transfused with RTP blood products; 83.3% were traumas, of which 63.1% were motor vehicle collisions. Up to 18 units of blood products were administered before hospital arrival. There was significant (P < .001) improvement in the mean shock index of transfused patients between the first and final observations recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Ambulance service extended blood product transfusion is logistically achievable and facilitates emergency transfusions throughout the state with minimal additional infrastructure.

The Emergency Medicine Physician Workforce: Projections for 2030.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The goals of this study were to determine the current and projected supply in 2030 of contributors to emergency care, including emergency residency-trained and board-certified physicians, other physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. In addition, this study was designed to determine the current and projected demand for residency-trained, board-certified emergency physicians. METHODS: To forecast future workforce supply and demand, sources of existing data were used, assumptions based on past and potential future trends were determined, and a sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine how the final forecast would be subject to variance in the baseline inputs and assumptions. Methods included: (1) estimates of the baseline workforce supply of physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants; (2) estimates of future changes in the raw numbers of persons entering and leaving that workforce; (3) estimates of the productivity of the workforce; and (4) estimates of the demand for emergency care services. The methodology assumes supply equals demand in the base year and estimates the change between the base year and 2030; it then compares supply and demand in 2030 under different scenarios. RESULTS: The task force consensus was that the most likely future scenario is described by: 2% annual graduate medical education growth, 3% annual emergency physician attrition, 20% encounters seen by a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, and 11% increase in emergency department visits relative to 2018. This scenario would result in a surplus of 7,845 emergency physicians in 2030. CONCLUSION: The specialty of emergency medicine is facing the likely oversupply of emergency physicians in 2030. The factors leading to this include the increasing supply of and changing demand for emergency physicians. An organized, collective approach to a balanced workforce by the specialty of emergency medicine is imperative.

Impact of the SARS-COV-2 Pandemic on the Endovascular Treatment of Acute Stroke - an Italian Single-Center Experience.

OBJECTIVES: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic greatly influenced the overall quality of healthcare. The purpose of this study was to compare the time variables for acute stroke treatment and evaluate differences in the pre-hospital and in-hospital care before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, as well as between the first and second waves. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Observational and retrospective study from an Italian hospital, including patients who underwent thrombectomy between January 1st 2019 and December 31st 2020. RESULTS: Out of a total of 594 patients, 301 were treated in 2019 and 293 in 2020. The majority observed in 2019 came from spoke centers (67,1%), while in 2020 more than half (52%, p < 0.01) were evaluated at the hospital's emergency room directly (ER-NCGH). When compared to 2019, time metrics were globally increased in 2020, particularly in the ER-NCGH groups during the period of the first wave (N = 24 and N = 56, respectively): "Onset-to-door":50,5 vs 88,5, p < 0,01; "Arrival in Neuroradiology - groin":13 vs 25, p < 0,01; "Door-to-groin":118 vs 143,5, p = 0,02; "Onset-to-groin":180 vs 244,5, p < 0,01; "Groin-to-recanalization": 41 vs 49,5, p = 0,03. When comparing ER-NCGH groups between the first (N = 56) and second (N = 49) waves, there was an overall improvement in times, namely in the "Door-to-CT" (47,5 vs 37, p < 0,01), "Arrival in Neuroradiology - groin" (25 vs 20, p = 0,03) and "Onset-to-groin" (244,5 vs 227,5, p = 0,02). CONCLUSIONS: During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, treatment for stroke patients was delayed, particularly during the first wave. Reallocation of resources and the shutting down of spoke centers may have played a determinant role.

Thalassemia in the emergency department: special considerations for a rare disease.

Thalassemia is characterized by a defect in the synthesis of one or more of the globin subunits of hemoglobin. This defect results in imbalance in the α/ß-globin chain ratio, ineffective erythropoiesis, chronic hemolytic anemia, and iron overload. With advances in diagnosis, treatment, and transfusion support, the prognosis of patients with thalassemia has improved over the past few decades. An increasing number of patients with thalassemia is living with long-term complications, including cardiomyopathy, chronic liver disease, endocrinopathy, and infections. In this paper, we review common complications that bring the patient with thalassemia to urgent or emergent medical attention. We also discuss the aspects of emergency care that are most relevant while caring for the patient with thalassemia in the emergency department.

Prevention and control mechanism for coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic at the primary level: perspective from China.

After the 2003 SARS epidemic, China started constructing a primary-level emergency response system and focused on strengthening and implementation of policies, resource allocation. After 17 years of restructuring, China's primary-level response capabilities towards public health emergencies have greatly improved. During the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic, primary-level administrative and medical personnel, social organisations, volunteers, etc. have played a significant role in providing professional services utilising the primary-level emergency response system of 17 years. However, China's organisations did not learn their lesson from the SARS epidemic, and certain problems are exposed in the system. By analysing the experience and shortcomings of China's disease prevention and control system at the primary level, we can focus on the development of disease control systems for major epidemics in the future.

Health-related quality of life and the burden of prolonged seizures in noninstitutionalized children with epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide information on the burden of illness and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children with epilepsy who experience prolonged acute convulsive seizures (PACS) in the community setting, and to investigate factors that may predict poor HRQoL in this population. METHODS: Noninstitutionalized children (aged 3-16 years) who had experienced at least one PACS within the past year and had currently prescribed PACS rescue medication were enrolled in a cross-sectional study in Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom (Practices in Emergency and Rescue medication For Epilepsy managed with Community-administered Therapy 3 [PERFECT-3]). Clinicians, parents/guardians, and patients completed web-based questionnaires regarding clinical characteristics, PACS frequency, and day-to-day impairment. Patients' HRQoL was rated by clinicians, parents/guardians, and patients themselves using the 5-dimension EuroQol questionnaire (EQ-5D) and summarized as a utility score. Potential predictors of poor HRQoL were tested in individual univariate generalized linear models and a global multivariable model. RESULTS: Enrolled children (N = 286) had experienced 1-400 PACS (median: 4) in the past year. Clinicians reported that 216/281 patients (76.9%) had learning disabilities of varying severity. Mean EQ-5D utility scores rated by clinicians (n = 279), parents (n = 277), and patients (n = 85) were 0.52 (standard deviation: 0.41), 0.51 (0.39), and 0.74 (0.29), respectively. Increasing PACS frequency, increasing severity of learning disability, and specialist school attendance were significantly associated with decreasing EQ-5D utility score. In the multivariable model, having learning disabilities was the best predictor of poor HRQoL. SIGNIFICANCE: Health-related quality of life was very poor in many children with epilepsy whose PACS were managed with rescue medication in the community, with learning disability being the most powerful predictor of patients' HRQoL. Mean EQ-5D utility scores were lower (worse) than published values for many other chronic disorders, indicating that optimal treatment should involve helping children and their families to manage learning disabilities and day-to-day impairments, in addition to preventing seizures.

Temporal Trends in the Incidence, Characteristics, and Outcomes of Hanging-Related Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe temporal trends in the incidence, characteristics, and outcomes of hanging-related out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Method: A retrospective study of all hanging-related OHCA in Victoria, Australia, between 2000 and 2017 was conducted. Trends in incidence, characteristics, and outcomes were assessed using linear regression and a non-parametric test for trend, as appropriate. Predictors of survival to hospital discharge were identified using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Between 2000 and 2017, emergency medical services (EMS)-attended 3,891 cases of hanging-related OHCA, of which 876 cases (23%) received an attempted resuscitation. The overall incidence rate of EMS-attended cases was 3.8 cases per 100,000 person-years increasing from 2.3 cases per 100,000 person-years in 2000 to 4.7 cases in 2017 (p for trend <0.001). Incidence rates increased approximately two-fold in young adults (18-44 years) and three-fold in middle aged adults (45-64 years). Despite improvement in the rate of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (from 49% in 2000-2005 to 75% in 2012-2017), the survival to hospital discharge rate remained unchanged (3% overall). Among adult survivors with 12-month follow-up (n = 10), five patients responded to telephone interviews. Of those, three (60%) reported severe functional disability. Five patients responded to telephone interviews, of which 3 patients reported severe functional disability. An initial shockable rhythm (OR 23.17, 95% CI: 5.75, 93.36) or pulseless electrical activity (OR 13.14, 95% CI: 4.79, 36.03) were associated with survival. Conclusion: The incidence of hanging-related OHCA doubled over the 18 year period with no change to survival rates. New preventative strategies are needed to reduce the community burden of these events.

Pre-hospital modified shock index for prediction of massive transfusion and mortality in trauma patients.

BACKGROUND: Modified shock index (MSI) is a useful predictor in trauma patients. However, the value of prehospital MSI (preMSI) in trauma patients is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of preMSI in predicting massive transfusion (MT) and hospital mortality among trauma patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational, single-center study. Patients presenting consecutively to the trauma center between January 2016 and December 2017, were included. The predictive ability of both prehospital shock index (preSI) and preMSI for MT and hospital mortality was assessed by calculating the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs). RESULTS: A total of 1007 patients were included. Seventy-eight (7.7%) patients received MT, and 30 (3.0%) patients died within 24 h of admission to the trauma center. The AUROCs for predicting MT with preSI and preMSI were 0.773 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.746-0.798) and 0.765 (95% CI, 0.738-0.791), respectively. The AUROCs for predicting 24-hour mortality with preSI and preMSI were 0.584 (95% CI, 0.553-0.615) and 0.581 (95% CI, 0.550-0.612), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PreSI and preMSI showed moderate accuracy in predicting MT. PreMSI did not have higher predictive power than preSI. Additionally, in predicting hospital mortality, preMSI was not superior to preSI.

Complications of cricothyroidotomy versus tracheostomy in emergency surgical airway management: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Airway guidelines recommend an emergency surgical airway as a potential life-saving treatment in a "Can't Intubate, Can't Oxygenate" (CICO) situation. Surgical airways can be achieved either through a cricothyroidotomy or tracheostomy. The current literature has limited data regarding complications of cricothyroidotomy and tracheostomy in an emergency situation. The objective of this systematic review is to analyze complications following cricothyroidotomy and tracheostomy in airway emergencies. METHODS: This synthesis of literature was exempt from ethics approval. Eight databases were searched from inception to October 2018, using a comprehensive search strategy. Studies were included if they were randomized controlled trials or observational studies reporting complications following emergency surgical airway. Complications were classified as minor (evolving to spontaneous remission or not requiring intervention or not persisting chronically), major (requiring intervention or persisting chronically), early (from the start of the procedure up to 7 days) and late (beyond 7 days of the procedure). RESULTS: We retrieved 2659 references from our search criteria. Following the removal of duplicates, title and abstract review, 33 articles were selected for full-text reading. Twenty-one articles were finally included in the systematic review. We found no differences in minor, major or early complications between the two techniques. However, late complications were significantly more frequent in the tracheostomy group [OR (95% CI) 0.21 (0.20-0.22), p < 0.0001]. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that cricothyroidotomies performed in emergent situations resulted in fewer late complications than tracheostomies. This finding supports the recommendations from the latest Difficult Airway Society (DAS) guidelines regarding using cricothyroidotomy as the technique of choice for emergency surgical airway. However, emergency cricothyroidotomies should be converted to tracheostomies in a timely fashion as there is insufficient evidence to suggest that emergency cricothyrotomies are long term airways.

Examining the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act: impact on telemedicine for neurotrauma.

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) protects patient access to emergency medical treatment regardless of insurance or socioeconomic status. A significant result of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the rapid acceleration in the adoption of telemedicine services across many facets of healthcare. However, very little literature exists regarding the use of telemedicine in the context of EMTALA. This work aimed to evaluate the potential to expand the usage of telemedicine services for neurotrauma to reduce transfer rates, minimize movement of patients across borders, and alleviate the burden on tertiary care hospitals involved in the care of patients with COVID-19 during a global pandemic. In this paper, the authors outline EMTALA provisions, provide examples of EMTALA violations involving neurosurgical care, and propose guidelines for the creation of telemedicine protocols between referring and consulting institutions.

Who receives naloxone from emergency medical services? Characteristics of calls and recent trends.

Background: With the rapid rise in opioid overdose-related deaths, state policy makers have expanded policies to increase the use of naloxone by emergency medical services (EMS). However, little is known about changes in EMS naloxone administration in the context of continued worsening of the opioid crisis and efforts to increase use of naloxone. This study examines trends in patient demographics and EMS response characteristics over time and by county urbanicity. Methods: We used data from the 2013-2016 National EMS Information System to examine trends in patient demographics and EMS response characteristics for 911-initiated incidents that resulted in EMS naloxone administration. We also assessed temporal, regional, and urban-rural variation in per capita rates of EMS naloxone administrations compared with per capita rates of opioid-related overdose deaths. Results: From 2013 to 2016, naloxone administrations increasingly involved young adults and occurred in public settings. Particularly in urban counties, there were modest but significant increases in the percentage of individuals who refused subsequent treatment, were treated and released, and received multiple administrations of naloxone before and after arrival of EMS personnel. Over the 4-year period, EMS naloxone administrations per capita increased at a faster rate than opioid-related overdose deaths across urban, suburban, and rural counties. Although national rates of naloxone administration were consistently higher in suburban counties, these trends varied across U.S. Census Regions, with the highest rates of suburban administration occurring in the South. Conclusions: Naloxone administration rates increased more quickly than opioid deaths across all levels of county urbanicity, but increases in the percentage of individuals requiring multiple doses and refusing subsequent care require further attention.

What is the inter-rater agreement of injury classification using the WHO minimum data set for emergency medical teams?

BACKGROUND: In 2017, the WHO produced its first minimum data set (MDS) for emergency medical team (EMT) daily reporting during the sudden-onset disasters (SODs), following expert consensus. The MDS was deliberately designed to be simple in order to improve the rate of data capture; however, it is new and untested. This study assesses the inter-rater agreement between practitioners when performing the injury aspect of coding within the WHO EMT MDS. METHODS: 25 clinical case vignettes were developed, reflecting potential injuries encountered in an SOD. These were presented online from April to July 2018 to practitioners who have experience of/training in managing patients in SODs The practitioners were from UK-Med's members, Australian Medical Assistance Team's Northern Territory members and New Zealand Medical Assistance Team members. Practitioners were asked to code injuries according to WHO EMT MDS case classifications. Randolph's kappa statistic for free-marginal multirater data was calculated for the whole dataset as well as subgroups to ascertain inter-rater agreement. RESULTS: 86 practitioners responded (20.6% response rate), giving >2000 individual case responses. Overall agreement was moderate at 67.9% with a kappa of 0.59 (95% CI 0.49 to 0.69). Despite subgroups of paramedics (kappa 0.63, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.72), doctors (kappa 0.61, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.69) and those with disaster experience (kappa 0.62, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.71) suggesting slightly higher agreement, their CIs (and those of other subgroups) suggest overall similar and moderate levels of practitioner agreement in classifying injuries according to the MDS categories. CONCLUSIONS: An inter-rater agreement of 0.59 is moderate, at best, however, it gives ministries of health some sense of how tightly they may interpret injury data derived from daily reports using WHO EMT MDS. Furthermore, this kappa is similar to established but more complex (thus more contextually impractical) injury scores. Similar studies, with weighting for injury likelihood using sample data from SODs would further refine the level of expected inter-rater agreement.

Code Stroke Patient Referral by Emergency Medical Services During the Public COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic caused public lockdowns around the world. We analyzed if the public lockdown altered the referral pattern of Code Stroke patients by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to our Comprehensive Stroke Center. METHODS: Retrospective single-center study at a Bavarian Comprehensive Stroke Center. Patients who were directly referred to our stroke unit by EMS between the 1st of January 2020 and the 19th of April 2020 were identified and number of referrals, clinical characteristics and treatment strategies were analyzed during the public lockdown and before. The public lockdown started on 21st of March and ended on 19th April 2020. RESULTS: In total 241 patients were referred to our center during the study period, i.e. 171 before and 70 during the lockdown. The absolute daily number of Code Stroke referrals and the portion of patients with stroke mimics remained stable. The portion of female stroke patients decreased (55% to 33%; p = 0.03), and stroke severity as measured by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (median 3 (IQR 0-7) versus 6 (IQR 1-15.5) points; p = 0.04) increased during the lockdown. There was no difference of daily numbers of patients receiving thrombolysis and thrombectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Referral of Code Stroke patients by EMS could be maintained sufficiently despite the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. However, patients' health care utilization of the EMS may have changed within the public lockdown. EMS remains a useful tool for Code Stroke patient referral during lockdowns, but public education about stroke is required prior to further lockdowns.

Collateral damage - Impact of a pandemic on stroke emergency services.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on stroke care is two-fold direct impact of the infection and indirect impact on non-COVID-19 diseases. Anecdotal evidence and clinical observation suggest that there is a decrease in the number of patients presenting with stroke during the pandemic. We aim to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the utilization of stroke emergency services on a single comprehensive stroke center (CSC). METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database and compared all emergency department (ED) encounters, acute stroke admissions (including TIA), and thrombectomy cases admitted in March 2017-2019 to patients admitted in March 2020 at a comprehensive stroke center. RESULTS: Number of total ED encounters (22%, p=0.005), acute ischemic strokes (40%, p=0.001), and TIAs (60%, p=0.163) decreased between March of 2017-2019 compared to March of 2020. The number of patients undergoing EVT in March 2020 was comparable to March 2017-2019 (p=0.430). CONCLUSION: A pandemic-related stay-at-home policy reduces the utilization of stroke emergency services at a CSC. This effect appears to be more prominent for ED encounters, all stroke admissions and TIAs, and less impactful for severe strokes. Given the relatively low prevalence of COVID-19 cases in our region, this decrement is likely related to healthcare seeking behavior rather than capacity saturation.

Barriers to ethical decision-making for pre-hospital care professionals.

BACKGROUND: Emergency care providers are frequently faces with situations in which they have to make decisions quickly in stressful situations. They face barriers to ethical decision-making and recognizing and finding solutions to these barriers helps them to make ethical decision. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify barriers of ethical decision-making in Iranian Emergency Medical Service personnel. METHODS: In this qualitative research, the participants (n = 15) were selected using the purposive sampling method, and the data were collected by deep and semi-structured interviews. Finally, the data are analyzed using the content analysis approach. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. The objectives of the study were explained to the participants and written consent was received from them. Also, participants were assured that necessary measures were taken to protect their anonymity and confidentiality. FINDINGS: The results of the analysis are classified in five main categories. It encompasses the following areas: perception of situation, patient-related factors, input and output imbalance, uncoordinated health system, and paradoxes. CONCLUSION: Emergency Medical Service personnel make ethical decisions every day. It is important that prehospital personnel know how to manage those decisions properly so that clients' moral rights are respected. Hence, by identifying the dimensions and obstacles of ethical decision-making in Emergency Medical Service personnel, it is possible to enhance the moral judgment and ethical accountability of the personnel and develop the strategies necessary for ethical decision-making in them.

A telehealth program to perform medical screening examinations.

The importance of a timely medical screening examination on ED throughput, efficiency, and patient safety cannot be underestimated. This article describes a telemedicine program based on the provider in triage model that uses physician assistants and NPs to improve patient door-to-diagnostic evaluation times in the ED.

Acute, non-COVID related medical admissions during the first wave of COVID-19: A retrospective comparison of changing patterns of disease.

COVID-19 may have altered the case-mix of non-COVID acute medical admissions. Retrospective analysis of acute medical admissions to University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, showed that medical admissions decreased in April 2020 compared to April 2019. The proportion of young adults, non-cardiac chest pain, musculoskeletal conditions and self-discharges decreased. The proportion of admissions due to alcohol misuse, psychiatric conditions, overdoses and falls increased. There were a higher number of patients admitted to ICU and greater inpatient mortality but not once COVID diagnoses were excluded. There was a significant change in hospitalised case-mix with conditions potentially reflecting social isolation increasing and diagnoses which rarely require hospital treatment, reducing. This analysis will help inform service planning.

Suspected heroin-related overdoses incidents in Cincinnati, Ohio: A spatiotemporal analysis.

BACKGROUND: Opioid misuse and deaths are increasing in the United States. In 2017, Ohio had the second highest overdose rates in the US, with the city of Cincinnati experiencing a 50% rise in opioid overdoses since 2015. Understanding the temporal and geographic variation in overdose emergencies may help guide public policy responses to the opioid epidemic. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We used a publicly available data set of suspected heroin-related emergency calls (n = 6,246) to map overdose incidents to 280 census block groups in Cincinnati between August 1, 2015, and January 30, 2019. We used a Bayesian space-time Poisson regression model to examine the relationship between demographic and environmental characteristics and the number of calls within block groups. Higher numbers of heroin-related incidents were found to be associated with features of the built environment, including the proportion of parks (relative risk [RR] = 2.233; 95% credible interval [CI]: [1.075-4.643]), commercial (RR = 13.200; 95% CI: [4.584-38.169]), manufacturing (RR = 4.775; 95% CI: [1.958-11.683]), and downtown development zones (RR = 11.362; 95% CI: [3.796-34.015]). The number of suspected heroin-related emergency calls was also positively associated with the proportion of male population, the population aged 35-49 years, and distance to pharmacies and was negatively associated with the proportion aged 18-24 years, the proportion of the population with a bachelor's degree or higher, median household income, the number of fast food restaurants, distance to hospitals, and distance to opioid treatment programs. Significant spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the risks of incidents remained after adjusting for covariates. Limitations of this study include lack of information about the nature of incidents after dispatch, which may differ from the initial classification of being related to heroin, and lack of information on local policy changes and interventions. CONCLUSIONS: We identified areas with high numbers of reported heroin-related incidents and features of the built environment and demographic characteristics that are associated with these events in the city of Cincinnati. Publicly available information about opiate overdoses, combined with data on spatiotemporal risk factors, may help municipalities plan, implement, and target harm-reduction measures. In the US, more work is necessary to improve data availability in other cities and states and the compatibility of data from different sources in order to adequately measure and monitor the risk of overdose and inform health policies.

An overview of positive cultures and clinical outcomes in septic patients: a sub-analysis of the Prehospital Antibiotics Against Sepsis (PHANTASi) trial.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis remains one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In approximately 30-50% of cases of suspected sepsis, no pathogen is isolated, disabling the clinician to treat the patient with targeted antimicrobial therapy. Studies investigating the differences in the patient outcomes between culture-positive and culture-negative sepsis patients have only been conducted in subgroups of sepsis patients and results are ambiguous. METHODS: This is a sub-analysis of the PHANTASi (Prehospital Antibiotics Against Sepsis trial), a randomized controlled trial that focused on the effect of prehospital antibiotics in sepsis patients. We evaluated the outcome of cultures from different sources and determined what the clinical implications of having a positive culture compared to negative cultures were for patient outcomes. Furthermore, we looked at the effect of antibiotics on culture outcomes. RESULTS: 1133 patients (42.6%) with culture-positive sepsis were identified, compared to 1526 (56.4%) patients with culture-negative sepsis. 28-day mortality (RR 1.43 [95% CI 1.11-1.83]) and 90-day mortality (RR 1.41 [95% CI 1.15-1.71]) were significantly higher in culture-positive patients compared to culture-negative patients. Culture-positive sepsis was also associated with ≥ 3 organ systems affected during the sepsis episode (RR 4.27 [95% CI 2.78-6.60]). Patients who received antibiotics at home more often had negative blood cultures (85.9% vs. 78%) than those who did not (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that culture-positive sepsis is associated with a higher mortality rate and culture-positive patients more often have multiple organ systems affected during the sepsis episode. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The PHANTASi trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01988428 . Date of registration: November 20, 2013.