Seventy-two-hour antibiotic retrieval from the ED: a randomized controlled trial of discharge instructional modality.

BACKGROUND: Limited health literacy is a risk factor for poor outcomes in numerous health care settings. Little is known about the impact of instructional modality and health literacy on adherence to emergency department (ED) discharge instructions. PURPOSE: To examine the impact of instructional modality on 72-hour antibiotic retrieval among ED patients prescribed outpatient antibiotics for infections. METHODS: English-speaking ED patients diagnosed as having acute infections and prescribed outpatient antibiotics were randomized to standard discharge instructions, standard instructions plus text-messaged instructions, or standard instructions plus voicemailed instructions targeting ED prescriptions. Health literacy was determined by validated instrument. Seventy-two-hour antibiotic retrieval, 30-day report of prescription completion, and discharge instructional modality preference were assessed. RESULTS: Nearly one-quarter of the 2521 participants demonstrated low health literacy. Low health literacy predicted decreased 72-hour antibiotic retrieval (χ(2) = 9.56, P=.008). No significant association with antibiotic retrieval was noted across the 3 treatment groups (χ(2) = 5.112, P=.078). However, patients randomized to the text message group retrieved antibiotic prescriptions within 72 hours more frequently than did those randomized to the voicemail treatment group (χ(2) = 4.345, P=.037), and patients with low health literacy randomized to voicemailed instructions retrieved their antibiotic prescriptions less frequently than did those randomized to standard of care instructions (χ(2) = 5.526, P=.019). Reported instructional modality preferences were inconsistent with the primary findings of the study. CONCLUSIONS: Discharge instructional modality impacts antibiotic retrieval in patients with low health literacy. Preference for discharge instructional modality varies by degree of health literacy, but does not predict which modality will optimize 72-hour antibiotic retrieval.

Feasibility of bedside thoracic ultrasound in the helicopter emergency medical services setting.

INTRODUCTION: Bedside thoracic ultrasound has been shown to be a valuable diagnostic tool in the emergency department. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of bedside thoracic ultrasound in the prehospital HEMS setting. SETTING: Air ambulance helicopters during patient transportation. METHODS: This was a prospective pilot study. 71 consecutive, nonpregnant patients over 18 years old were enrolled. While in flight, providers completed limited bedside thoracic ultrasounds with the patient supine and recorded their interpretation of the presence or absence of the ultrasonographic sliding lung sign on a closed data-set instrument. RESULTS: 41 (58%) of the eligible patients had a recorded thoracic ultrasound acquired in flight. The level of agreement in image interpretation between the flight crew and expert reviewer was substantial (Kappa 0.67, CI 0.44-0.90). The reviewer rated 54% of all images as "good" in quality. The most common reason cited for not completing the ultrasound was lack of enough provider time or space limitations within the aircraft cabin. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that, with limited training, bedside thoracic ultrasound image acquisition and interpretation for the sliding lung sign in the HEMS setting is feasible.

Pyogenic Flexor Tenosynovitis by Point-of-care Ultrasound in the Emergency Department.

INTRODUCTION: Pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis (PFT) is difficult to diagnose on clinical grounds alone as many patients requiring an operation do not have all four of Kanavel's signs. Previous studies have shown that hypoechoic fluid surrounding the flexor tendon on ultrasound is associated with this diagnosis. We sought to determine if emergency physicians (EPs) could recognize this finding in patients with suspected flexor tenosynovitis using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). METHODS: We present a retrospective case series of seven patients suspected of PFT who had hypoechoic fluid surrounding the tendon on POCUS performed by the treating EP. We report on the patient characteristics, history of trauma by puncture wound, number of Kanavel's signs, treatment course, and operative findings. RESULTS: We identified seven patients suspected to have flexor tenosynovitis by the emergency department attending physician who had anechoic or hypoechoic fluid surrounding the flexor tendon on real-time POCUS examination. Patients ranged in age from 16 - 51 years. All were male. All patients had at least two of Kanavel's signs on examination. Five of seven (71%) patients had history of recent trauma to the affected hand. Four of seven (57%) were managed in the operating room. One of seven (14%) had incision and drainage at the bedside, and the remaining two (28%) were managed non-operatively and successfully with antibiotics alone. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that EPs can recognize the finding of hypoechoic or anechoic fluid surrounding the flexor tendon on POCUS.

Producing a successful PeRLs video.

Academic Emergency Medicine publishes selected peer-reviewed videos that present state-of-the-art research, practice, and evidence in the field of emergency medicine. These videos are referred to as peer-reviewed lectures (PeRLs). This commentary reviews considerations for creating, filming, and producing high-quality PeRLs videos.

High fidelity case-based simulation debriefing: everything you need to know.

In this 30-minute talk, the authors take an in-depth look at how to debrief high-fidelity case-based simulation sessions, including discussion on debriefing theory, goals, approaches, and structure, as well as ways to create a supportive and safe learning environment, resulting in successful small group learning and self-reflection. Emphasis is placed on the "debriefing with good judgment" approach. Video clips of sample debriefing attempts, highlighting the "dos and don'ts" of simulation debriefing, are included. The goal of this talk is to provide you with the necessary tools and information to develop a successful and effective debriefing approach. There is a bibliography and a quick reference guide in Data Supplements S1 and S2 (available as supporting information in the online version of this paper).

The Millennial Generation and "the lecture".

This lecture can be viewed in its entirety online by visiting http://vimeo.com/24148123.

Cricothyrotomy technique using gum elastic bougie is faster than standard technique: a study of emergency medicine residents and medical students in an animal lab.

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to compare time to completion, failure rate, and subjective difficulty of a new cricothyrotomy technique to the standard technique. The new bougie-assisted cricothyrotomy technique (BACT) is similar to the rapid four-step technique (RFST), but a bougie and endotracheal tube are inserted rather than a Shiley tracheostomy tube. METHODS: This was a randomized controlled trail conducted on domestic sheep. During a 3-month period inexperienced residents or students were randomized to perform cricothyrotomy on anesthetized sheep using either the standard technique or the BACT. Operators were trained with an educational video before the procedure. Time to successful cricothyrotomy was recorded. The resident or student was then asked to rate the difficulty of the procedure on a five-point scale from 1 (very easy) to 5 (very difficult). RESULTS: Twenty-one residents and students were included in the study: 11 in the standard group and 10 in the BACT group. Compared to the standard technique, the BACT was significantly faster with a median time of 67 seconds (interquartile range [IQR] = 55-82) versus 149 seconds (IQR = 111-201) for the standard technique (p = 0.002). The BACT was also rated easier to perform (median = 2, IQR = 1-3) than the standard technique (median = 3, IQR = 2-4; p = 0.04). The failure rate was 1/10 for the BACT compared to 3/11 for the standard method (p = NS). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the BACT is faster than the standard technique and has a similar failure rate when performed by inexperienced providers on anesthetized sheep.

Prinzmetal variant angina associated with multiple sclerosis.

We report the case of a young woman with an acute coronary syndrome in the setting of a multiple sclerosis exacerbation. A connection between the 2, possibly caused by spinal cord pathology, is suggested.