Temporal Trends in the Use of Computed Tomographic Pulmonary Angiography for Suspected Pulmonary Embolism in the Emergency Department : A Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Recently, validated clinical decision rules have been developed that avoid unnecessary use of computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) in the emergency department (ED). OBJECTIVE: To measure any resulting change in CTPA use for suspected PE. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: 26 European EDs in 6 countries. PATIENTS: Patients with CTPA performed for suspected PE in the ED during the first 7 days of each odd month between January 2015 and December 2019. MEASUREMENTS: The primary end points were the CTPAs done for suspected PE in the ED and the number of PEs diagnosed in the ED each year adjusted to an annual census of 100 000 ED visits. Temporal trends were estimated using generalized linear mixed regression models. RESULTS: 8970 CTPAs were included (median age, 63 years; 56% female). Statistically significant temporal trends for more frequent use of CTPA (836 per 100 000 ED visits in 2015 vs. 1112 in 2019; P < 0.001), more diagnosed PEs (138 per 100 000 in 2015 vs. 164 in 2019; P = 0.028), a higher proportion of low-risk PEs (annual percent change [APC], 13.8% [95% CI, 2.6% to 30.1%]) with more ambulatory management (APC, 19.3% [CI, 4.1% to 45.1%]), and a lower proportion of intensive care unit admissions (APC, -8.9% [CI, -17.1% to -0.3%]) were observed. LIMITATION: Data were limited to 7 days every 2 months. CONCLUSION: Despite the recent validation of clinical decision rules to limit the use of CTPA, an increase in the CTPA rate along with more diagnosed PEs and especially low-risk PEs were instead observed. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: None specific for this study.

Development and validation of a community acquired sepsis-worsening score in the adult emergency department: a prospective cohort: the CASC score.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a leading cause of death and serious illness that requires early recognition and therapeutic management to improve survival. The quick-SOFA score helps in its recognition, but its diagnostic performance is insufficient. To develop a score that can rapidly identify a community acquired septic situation at risk of clinical complications in patients consulting the emergency department (ED). METHODS: We conducted a monocentric, prospective cohort study in the emergency department of a university hospital between March 2016 and August 2018 (NCT03280992). All patients admitted to the emergency department for a suspicion of a community-acquired infection were included. Predictor variables of progression to septic shock or death within the first 90 days were selected using backward stepwise multivariable logistic regression to develop a clinical score. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to determine the discriminating power of the area under the curve (AUC). We also determined the threshold of our score that optimized the performance required for a sepsis-worsening score. We have compared our score with the NEWS-2 and qSOFA scores. RESULTS: Among the 21,826 patients admitted to the ED, 796 patients were suspected of having community-acquired infection and 461 met the sepsis criteria; therefore, these patients were included in the analysis. The median [interquartile range] age was 72 [54-84] years, 248 (54%) were males, and 244 (53%) had respiratory symptoms. The clinical score ranged from 0 to 90 and included 8 variables with an area under the ROC curve of 0.85 (confidence interval [CI] 95% 0.81-0.89). A cut-off of 26 yields a sensitivity of 88% (CI 95% 0.79-0.93), a specificity of 62% (CI 95% 57-67), and a negative predictive value of 95% (CI 95% 91-97). The area under the ROC curve for our score was 0.85 (95% CI, 0.81-0.89) versus 0.73 (95% CI, 0.68-0.78) for qSOFA and 0.66 (95% CI, 0.60-0.72) for NEWS-2. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides an accurate clinical score for identifying septic patients consulting the ED early at risk of worsening disease. This score could be implemented at admission.

A national population-based study of patients, bystanders and contextual factors associated with resuscitation in witnessed cardiac arrest: insight from the french RéAC registry.

BACKGROUND: In out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), bystander initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) increases the chance of return of spontaneous circulation and survival with a favourable neurological status. Socioeconomic disparities have been highlighted in OHCA field. In areas with the lowest average socioeconomic status, OHCA incidence increased, and bystander CPR decreased. Evaluations were performed on restricted geographical area, and European evaluation is lacking. We aimed to analyse, at a national level, the impact of area-level social deprivation on the initiation of CPR in case of a witnessed OHCA. METHODS: We included all witnessed OHCA cases with age over 18 years from July 2011 to July 2018 form the OHCA French national registry. We excluded OHCA occurred in front of rescue teams or in nursing home, and patients with incomplete address or partial geocoding. We collected data from context, bystander and patient. The area-level social deprivation was estimated by the French version of the European Deprivation Index (in quintile) associated with the place where OHCA occurred. We assessed the associations between Utstein variables and social deprivation level using a mixed-effect logit model with bystander-initiated CPR. RESULTS: We included 23,979 witnessed OHCA of which 12,299 (51%) had a bystander-initiated CPR. More than one third of the OHCA (8,326 (35%)) occurred in an area from the highest quintile of social deprivation. The higher the area-level deprivation, the less the proportion of bystander-initiated CPR (56% in Quintile 1 versus 48% in Quintile 5). The In the multivariable analysis, bystander less often began CPR in areas with the highest deprivation level, compared to those with the lowest deprivation level (OR=0.69, IC95%: 0.63-0.75). CONCLUSIONS: The level of social deprivation of the area where OHCA occurred was associated with bystander-initiated CPR. It decreased in the more deprived areas although these areas also concentrate more younger patients.

Prognosis of cirrhotic patients admitted to Emergency Departments: A multicenter study.

OBJECTIVES: Life threatening complications can occur at any stage of cirrhosis progression. There are few studies on the prognosis of cirrhotic patients managed in an Emergency Department (ED) although management of patients will occur in the ED. The objective of our study was to determine the risk factors for mortality in cirrhotic patients who visited to the ED. METHODS: All cirrhotic patients attending ED in three different university hospitals of Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris between January 2014 and June 2015 were identified by a retrospective analysis of digital records and included in the study. The primary end-point was 30-day mortality in all cirrhotic patients who visited the ED. RESULTS: A total of 609 ED visits were analyzed among 224 patients: 115 (51%) presented a cirrhosis of alcoholic origin, 43 (19%) were caused by Hepatitis C, 28 (13%) of mixed origin (viral and alcoholic), 17 (8%) were caused by Hepatitis B and 21 (9%) of other origins. Fifty-five (25%) of these patients died within 30 days of their initial presentation to the ED. In multivariate analysis, the age (Odds Ratio: 1.04 [1.01-1.07]), cirrhosis associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (OR: 3.07 [1.37-6.91]), serum creatinine at admission (OR: 1.01 [1.01-1.02]), serum bilirubin at admission (OR: 1.01 [1.01-1.02]) and health impairment (OR: 2.57 [1.28-5.16]) were associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The mortality rate of cirrhotic patients attending an ED was high. The prognosis of cirrhotic patients admitted to the ED depended on the severity of the liver and other organ dysfunction. The presence of a hepatocellular carcinoma on admission was also a risk factor for death.

Factors affecting medical file documentation during telephone triage at an emergency call centre: a cross-sectional study of out-of-hours home visits by general practitioners in France.

BACKGROUND: In France, general practitioners (GPs) perform out-of-hours home visits (OOH-HVs) after physician-led telephone triage at the emergency call centre. The quality of a systematic physician-led triage has not been determined in France and may affect the efficiency of the OOH-HV process. The objectives of this study were first, to evaluate the quality of reporting in the electronic patient's file after such triage and second, to analyse the factors associated with altered reporting. METHODS: Cross-sectional study in a French urban emergency call centre (district of Paris area) from January to December 2015. For a random selection of 30 days, data were collected from electronic medical files that ended with an OOH-HV decision. Missing key quality criteria (medical interrogation, diagnostic hypothesis or ruled-out severity criteria) were analysed by univariate then multivariate logistic regression, adjusted on patient, temporal and organizational data. RESULTS: Among 10,284 OOH-HVs performed in 2015, 748 medical files were selected. Reasons for the encounter were digestive tract symptoms (22%), fever (19%), ear nose and throat symptoms, and cardiovascular and respiratory problems (6% each). Medical interrogation was not reported in 2% of files (n = 16/748) and a diagnostic hypothesis in 58% (n = 432/748); ruled-out severity criteria were not reported in 60% (n = 449/748). On multivariate analysis, altered reporting was related to the work overload of triage assistants (number of incoming calls, call duration, telephone occupation rate; p < 0.03). CONCLUSION: In the electronic files of patients requiring an OOH-HV by a GP in a French urban area, quality in medical reporting appeared to depend on organizational factors only, especially the triage assistants-related work factors. Corrective measures are needed to ensure good quality of triage and care.

Role of Student Nurse in the Prehospital Medical Teams Responding to the Scene of A Terrorist Attack in France.

BACKGROUND: The terrorist attacks in Paris and in Saint-Denis in November 2015 were unprecedented events involving various human and material resources. These events question the role of nurse students in prehospital teams. PURPOSE: To investigate nursing students' preference about whether they wished to participate in the prehospital care during a terrorist attack. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted with student nurses, from two nursing schools in the Greater Paris area. They completed an anonymous survey assessing the desire to be called to help the mobile intensive care units (MICU) or another ward; whether their presence should be mandatory, and the feelings associated with their experience. The responses were collected with a visual analogue scale and could range from 1 (yes, very much) to 10 (no, not at all). A Chi-square test was performed for qualitative variables and a Mann-Whitney test for quantitative variables. FINDINGS: Among 225 students, 205 (91%) responded, 133 (65%) were women. When on duty, 169 (82%) would have preferred to accompany the MICU team, compared with 31 (15%) who would have preferred not to go. Overall, 146 students (71%) considered that this presence should be optional. Only gender was significantly associated with the choice to accompany the MICU team (W = 87% vs. M = 13%; p = .002). Students expressed a moderate feeling of frustration and fear. DISCUSSION: Students would prefer to assist the MICU team responding to the scene of a terrorist attack but feel this choice should be optional. A discussion in nursing schools and universities should be considered for the implementation of a "systematic" procedure to ensure the student's willingness to participate in such interventions.

[Impact of extreme temperatures on primary care requirement in France: the CHAUFOS Study (2010-2018).] / Impact des températures extrêmes sur la demande de soins primaires en France : l'étude CHAFO (2010-2018).

INTRODUCTION: The health impact of cold and hot waves is major. Nevertheless, the respective impact of extreme high and low temperatures remains controversial. METHOD: The daily number of (1) patients managed by SAMU 93 dispatching centre – primary care requirement indicator, (2) Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) interventions – patient severity indicator and (3) number of deaths have been recorded. Daily minimum and maximum temperatures were recorded from 2010 to 2018. The analysis covered the 10 warmest and coldest days of each year (2 × 70 days), and the 30 warmest and coldest days of the total period (2 × 30 days). RESULTS: Over 2,702 days, 1,513,070 patients, 89,478 MICU interventions and 7,350 deaths were analysed. Median temperature: 16.0[10.4-21.6]°C.The coldest days were associated with a significant increase in patients managed (665[609-764] vs 538[474-619]; P < 0.001), MICU interventions (35[32-39] vs 33 [28-38]; P = 0.006) and deaths (3[2-5] vs 2[1-4]; P = 0.0008) considering the 10 days of extreme temperatures in each year and a significant increase in patients managed 615[580-698] vs 542[475-627]; P < 0.001) considering the 30-day extreme of the period.The hottest days were associated with a significant decrease in patients managed (484[443-549] vs 538[474-619]; P < 0.001), MICU interventions (31[25-37] vs 33[28-38]; P = 0.006) and deaths (2[1-3] vs 2[1-4]; P = 0.0008) considering the 10 extreme days of each year and a significant decrease in patients managed (536[479-576] vs 542[475-627]; P < 0.001) considering the 30 extreme days of the period. CONCLUSION: Primary care requirement, number of severe patients and mortality increased significantly with extreme low of temperature.

Optimal timing of an invasive strategy in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome: a meta-analysis of randomised trials.

BACKGROUND: A routine invasive strategy is recommended for patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS). However, optimal timing of invasive strategy is less clearly defined. Individual clinical trials were underpowered to detect a mortality benefit; we therefore did a meta-analysis to assess the effect of timing on mortality. METHODS: We identified randomised controlled trials comparing an early versus a delayed invasive strategy in patients presenting with NSTE-ACS by searching MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Embase. We included trials that reported all-cause mortality at least 30 days after in-hospital randomisation and for which the trial investigators agreed to collaborate (ie, providing individual patient data or standardised tabulated data). We pooled hazard ratios (HRs) using random-effects models. This meta-analysis is registered at PROSPERO (CRD42015018988). FINDINGS: We included eight trials (n=5324 patients) with a median follow-up of 180 days (IQR 180-360). Overall, there was no significant mortality reduction in the early invasive group compared with the delayed invasive group HR 0·81, 95% CI 0·64-1·03; p=0·0879). In pre-specified analyses of high-risk patients, we found lower mortality with an early invasive strategy in patients with elevated cardiac biomarkers at baseline (HR 0·761, 95% CI 0·581-0·996), diabetes (0·67, 0·45-0·99), a GRACE risk score more than 140 (0·70, 0·52-0·95), and aged 75 years older (0·65, 0·46-0·93), although tests for interaction were inconclusive. INTERPRETATION: An early invasive strategy does not reduce mortality compared with a delayed invasive strategy in all patients with NSTE-ACS. However, an early invasive strategy might reduce mortality in high-risk patients. FUNDING: None.

Specialist Advice Support for Management of Severe Hereditary Angioedema Attacks: A Multicenter Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Hereditary angioedema is a rare disease associated with unpredictable, recurrent attacks of potentially life-threatening edema. Management of severe attacks is currently suboptimal because emergency medical teams are often unaware of new specific treatments. The objective of this trial is to test whether a dedicated national telephone care-management strategy would reduce resource use during severe hereditary angioedema attacks. METHODS: We conducted a cluster-randomized multicenter prospective trial of patients with a documented diagnosis of hereditary angioedema (type I, II or FXII hereditary angioedema). Participants were enrolled between March 2013 and June 2014 at 8 participating reference centers. The randomized units were the reference centers (clusters). Patients in the intervention arm were given a national free telephone number to call in the event of a severe attack. Emergency physicians in the SOS-hereditary angiœdema (SOS-HAE) call center were trained to advise or prescribe specific treatments. The primary outcome was number of admissions for angioedema attacks. Economic evaluation was also performed. RESULTS: We included 100 patients in the SOS-HAE group and 100 in the control group. During the 2 years, there were 2,368 hereditary angioedema attacks among 169 patients (85%). Mean number of hospital admissions per patient in the 2-year period was significantly greater in the usual-practice group (mean 0.16 [range 0 to 2] versus 0.03 [range 0 to 1]); patient risk difference was significant: -0.13 (95% confidence interval -0.22 to -0.04; P=.02). Probabilistic sensitivity graphic analysis indicated a trend toward increased quality-adjusted life-years in the SOS-HAE group. CONCLUSION: A national dedicated call center for management of severe hereditary angioedema attacks is associated with a decrease in hospital admissions and may be cost-effective if facilities and staff are available to deliver the intervention alongside existing services.

Effect of Bag-Mask Ventilation vs Endotracheal Intubation During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on Neurological Outcome After Out-of-Hospital Cardiorespiratory Arrest: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Bag-mask ventilation (BMV) is a less complex technique than endotracheal intubation (ETI) for airway management during the advanced cardiac life support phase of cardiopulmonary resuscitation of patients with out-of-hospital cardiorespiratory arrest. It has been reported as superior in terms of survival. Objectives: To assess noninferiority of BMV vs ETI for advanced airway management with regard to survival with favorable neurological function at day 28. Design, Settings, and Participants: Multicenter randomized clinical trial comparing BMV with ETI in 2043 patients with out-of-hospital cardiorespiratory arrest in France and Belgium. Enrollment occurred from March 9, 2015, to January 2, 2017, and follow-up ended January 26, 2017. Intervention: Participants were randomized to initial airway management with BMV (n = 1020) or ETI (n = 1023). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was favorable neurological outcome at 28 days defined as cerebral performance category 1 or 2. A noninferiority margin of 1% was chosen. Secondary end points included rate of survival to hospital admission, rate of survival at day 28, rate of return of spontaneous circulation, and ETI and BMV difficulty or failure. Results: Among 2043 patients who were randomized (mean age, 64.7 years; 665 women [32%]), 2040 (99.8%) completed the trial. In the intention-to-treat population, favorable functional survival at day 28 was 44 of 1018 patients (4.3%) in the BMV group and 43 of 1022 patients (4.2%) in the ETI group (difference, 0.11% [1-sided 97.5% CI, -1.64% to infinity]; P for noninferiority = .11). Survival to hospital admission (294/1018 [28.9%] in the BMV group vs 333/1022 [32.6%] in the ETI group; difference, -3.7% [95% CI, -7.7% to 0.3%]) and global survival at day 28 (55/1018 [5.4%] in the BMV group vs 54/1022 [5.3%] in the ETI group; difference, 0.1% [95% CI, -1.8% to 2.1%]) were not significantly different. Complications included difficult airway management (186/1027 [18.1%] in the BMV group vs 134/996 [13.4%] in the ETI group; difference, 4.7% [95% CI, 1.5% to 7.9%]; P = .004), failure (69/1028 [6.7%] in the BMV group vs 21/996 [2.1%] in the ETI group; difference, 4.6% [95% CI, 2.8% to 6.4%]; P < .001), and regurgitation of gastric content (156/1027 [15.2%] in the BMV group vs 75/999 [7.5%] in the ETI group; difference, 7.7% [95% CI, 4.9% to 10.4%]; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with out-of-hospital cardiorespiratory arrest, the use of BMV compared with ETI failed to demonstrate noninferiority or inferiority for survival with favorable 28-day neurological function, an inconclusive result. A determination of equivalence or superiority between these techniques requires further research. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02327026.

Telemedicine in Nursing Home Residents Requiring a Call to an Emergency Medical Communication Center.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the proportion of nursing home residents dispatched to an emergency department (ED) after a call to the emergency medical communication center (EMCC) according to the availability or nonavailability of telemedicine. DESIGN: This prospective, observational trial was conducted in the EMCC and 74 nursing homes in a French county. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: All nursing home residents who needed to contact the EMCC between June 2019 and April 2020 were included in the study. We excluded calls notifying the death of a resident, for completing data from a previous call, and for nursing home staff. METHODS: The primary outcome was the proportion of residents dispatched to an ED after their first call to the EMCC. The secondary outcomes were the proportion of second calls, proportion of residents dispatched to an ED after a second call, and proportion of death within 30 days. RESULTS: We included 3103 calls in the final analysis (355 from equipped nursing homes and 2748 from unequipped nursing homes). The proportion of patients dispatched to an ED after the first call was lower among telemedicine-equipped than among telemedicine-unequipped nursing homes (41% vs 50%; odds ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56-0.90). The proportion of a second call for the same purpose within 72 hours, proportion of dispatching to an ED at the second call, and proportion of deaths within 30 days were similar between the groups. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The use of telemedicine by nursing home residents requiring a call to the EMCC is associated with a reduction in the number of dispatches to an ED without any increase in the number of 72-hour callbacks or 30-day mortality rates.

Detecting cervical esophagus with ultrasound on healthy voluntaries: learning curve.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine the learning curve of tracheal-esophageal ultrasound by prehospital medical and paramedical staff. METHODS: A single-center prospective study was carried out at a French EMS (SAMU 92). Volunteer participants first received a short theoretical training through e-learning, followed by two separate hands-on workshops on healthy volunteers, spaced one to two months apart. Learners were timed to obtain the tracheal-esophageal ultrasound target image 10 consecutive times. The first workshop was intended to perform a learning curve, and the second was to assess unlearning. The secondary objectives were to compare performance by profession and by previous ultrasound experience. RESULTS: We included 32 participants with a mean age of 38 (± 10) years, consisting of 56% men. During the first workshop, the target image acquisition time was 20.4 [IQR: 10.6;41] seconds on the first try and 5.02 [3.72;7.5] seconds on the 10th (p < 0.0001). The image acquisition time during the second workshop was shorter compared to the first one (p = 0.016). In subgroup analyses, we found no significant difference between physicians and nurses (p = 0.055 at the first workshop and p = 0.164 at the second) or according to previous ultrasound experience (p = 0.054 at the first workshop and p = 0.176), counter to multivariate analysis (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: A short web-based learning completed by a hands-on workshop made it possible to obtain the ultrasound image in less than 10 s, regardless of the profession or previous experience in ultrasound.

Risk factors for failed first intubation attempt in an out-of-hospital setting: a multicenter prospective study.

This study was performed to identify variables potentially associated with failure of the first intubation attempt in an out-of-hospital emergency setting, considering all aspects of tracheal intubation. This observational prospective multicenter study was performed over 17 months and involved 10 prehospital emergency medical units. After each tracheal intubation, the operator was required to provide information concerning operator and patient characteristics, as well as the environmental conditions during intubation, by completing a data collection form. The primary endpoint was failure of the first intubation attempt. During the study period, 1546 patients were analyzed, of whom 59% were in cardiac arrest; 486 intubations failed on the first attempt (31.4% [95% confidence interval = 30.2-32.6]). Multivariate analysis revealed that the following 7 of 28 factors were associated with an increased risk of a failed first intubation attempt: operator with fewer than 50 prior intubations (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8 [1.4-2.4]), small inter-incisor space (OR = 2.3 [1.7-3.2]), limited extension of the head (OR = 1.6 [1.1-2.1]), macroglossia (OR = 2.3 [1.6-3.2]), ear/nose/throat (ENT) tumor (OR = 4.4 [1.4-13.4]), cardiac arrest (OR = 1.8 [1.3-2.6]), and vomiting (OR = 1.7 [1.3-2.3]). The frequency of adverse events among non-cardiac arrest patients was 17.6%; it increased with each additional intubation attempt. The first intubation attempt failed in more than 30% of cases, and seven variables were associated with increased risk of failure. Most of these factors could not be predicted.

Relation between chest compression rate and depth: the ENFONCE Study.

INTRODUCTION: Chest compressions are the cornerstone of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The recent International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation guidelines recommend increasing the rate and the depth of chest compressions, to 100-120/min and 5-6 cm, based on theoretical arguments and observational studies. We hypothesized that an increased chest compressions rate could decrease chest compressions depth. METHODS: Operators were asked to perform continuous chest compressions on a mannequin. Chest compressions rate and depth were collected. The ratio of chest compressions compliance to the guidelines, that is rate 100-120/min and depth 5-6 cm, was calculated. RESULTS: In total 951 sequences of chest compressions were studied. Median chest compressions rate: 114 (104-130)/min. Median chest compressions depth: 4.5 (3.4-5.3) cm. Correlation between rate and depth: low (R2 = 0.12). Chest compressions in compliance with the recommended rate: 434 (46%). Rate >120/min in 285 (30%) cases and <100/min in 223 (23%) cases. Chest compressions in compliance with the recommended depth: 286 (30%). Depth >6 cm in 50 (5%) cases and <5 cm in 621 (65%) cases. Finally, chest compressions were in compliance with the guidelines for both rate and depth in 141 (15%) cases. The ratio of chest compressions in compliance with the recommended depth significantly decreased with the increase of the rate: 40% for a rate <100/min, 32% for a rate in the target (100-120/min) and 18% for a rate >100/min (P < 0.0001). DISCUSSION: The ratio of chest compressions in compliance with the recommended rate and depth was as low as 15%. The rate of chest compressions in compliance with the recommended depth significantly decreased when the chest compressions rate increased. To reach both recommended rate and depth seems illusive.

Efficacy of emergency medical center use of a protocol during telephone calls to give medical advice related to fever or gastroenteritis: a cluster randomized controlled trial. / Eficacia de un protocolo de asesoramiento médico telefónico formalizado para consultas por fiebre o gastroenteritis en centros de comunicación médica de emergencia. Ensayo clínico AMTF.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy of emergency medical center physicians' use of a protocol to guide their management of telephone consultations for fever and gastroenteritis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cluster randomized controlled trial. Participating centers were randomized to use the telephone protocol or provide usual telephone assistance. Six emergency centers in France included calls from patients needing advice on fever or gastroenteritis. Centers assigned to the protocol followed specific guidelines on managing the call and giving advice on treatment. Primary endpoints were the number of in-person visits and hospital admissions required within 15 days of the call. Secondary endpoints were patient satisfaction and costs. RESULTS: A total of 2498 calls were included. Use of the assigned protocol while attending 1234 calls was associated with a relative risk for hospitalization or an unscheduled in-person visit for care of 0.70 (95% CI, 0.58-0.85) versus usual practice. Ambulance use, admission to an intensive care unit, mortality, morbidity, and symptom improvement did not differ significantly between centers using the protocol and those following usual practice. Ninety percent of the patients were satisfied. The cost of care was €91 in centers applying the protocol and €150 in the other centers (P .01). CONCLUSION: Use of the protocol was associated with fewer unscheduled in-person visits for care and fewer hospital admissions. The protocol is safe and less costly than the centers' usual approaches to giving telephone advice.

OBJETIVO: Determinar la eficacia de un protocolo de asesoramiento médico telefónico formalizado (AMTF), realizado por un médico para consultas, para fiebre o gastroenteritis en centros de comunicación médica de emergencia. METODO: Ensayo clínico por conglomerado, controlado. Los pacientes fueron aleatorizados al grupo AMTF o al grupo de atención habitual. Participaron 6 centros de comunicación médica de emergencia franceses. Se incluyeron pacientes que solicitaban asistencia telefónica por fiebre o gastroenteritis. El grupo ATMF realizó recomendaciones protocolizadas sobre el manejo terapéutico. Se valoró el número de consultas presenciales o ingreso hospitalario durante los 15 días siguientes a la consulta. También se evaluó la satisfacción del paciente y el coste económico. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 2.498 llamadas. El grupo ATMF (n = 1.234) tuvo un riesgo relativo de 0,70 (CI 95% 0,58 a 0,85) de requerir un ingreso hospitalario o de realizar una consulta no programada durante el seguimiento. No hubo diferencias entre los dos grupos en cuanto al uso de ambulancia, el ingreso en cuidados intensivos, la mortalidad o morbilidad y la mejoría de los síntomas. La satisfacción de los pacientes fue del 90%. El coste total fue de 91 euros en el grupo de la ATMF y de 150 euros en el grupo de atención habitual (p 0,01). CONCLUSIONES: El grupo ATMF se asoció con una disminución de las consultas presenciales no programadas o del ingreso en el hospital. Este procedimiento es seguro y comporta un menor coste que la atención que se realiza habitualmente en la actualidad.

Interventional studies performed in emergency medical communication centres: systematic review.

We aimed to both quantitatively and qualitatively describe interventional research performed in emergency medical communication centres. We conducted a systematic review of articles published in MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science. Studies evaluating therapeutic or organizational interventions directed by call centres in the context of emergencies were included. Studies of call centre management for general practice or nonhealthcare agencies were excluded. We assessed general characteristics and methodological information for each study. Quality was evaluated by the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool or the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Among 3896 articles screened, we retained 59; 41 studies were randomized controlled trials (69%) and 18 (31%) were before-after studies; 41 (69%) took place in a single centre. For 33 (56%), 22 (37%) and 4 (7%) studies, the models used were simulation training, patient-based or experimental, respectively. The main topic was cardiac arrests (n = 45, 76%), with outcome measures of cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality and dispatch assistance. Among randomized controlled trials, risk of bias was unclear or high for selective reporting for 37 (90%) studies, low for blinding of outcomes for 34 (83%) and low for incomplete outcomes for 31 (76%). Regarding before-after studies, quality was high in 9 (50%) studies. Few interventional studies have been performed in call centres. Studies mainly involved simulation and focussed on cardiac arrest. The quality of studies needs improvement to allow for a better recognition and understanding of emergency medical call control.

Specific stretchers enhance rapid extraction by tactical medical support teams in mass casualty incidents.

OBJECTIVE: In mass casualty incidents where the threat is on-going, victim evacuation remains a challenge: fast extraction while respecting spinal immobilisation and haemorrhage control. Different devices can be used but their suitability has not been compared. METHODS: We conducted a simulation study comparing eight extraction devices with a randomisation of the order of testing. Five teams, consisting of four officers, evacuated a single victim in five steps: device's deployment, loading the victim, carrying the victim along a corridor, negotiating a corner passage and a descent by staircase. Primary outcome was the emergency extraction time, from deployment to the first obstacle. Secondary outcomes included ease of transport and victim's stability, rated from 1 (worst) to 10 (best). RESULTS: One hundred and sixty simulations were carried out. The median emergency extraction time was 16.7 [IQR: 11.6-24.9] seconds. The three speediest devices were the "firefighters' worn", "snogg" and "flexible tarp", taking 9.7 [8.1-11.0], 11.7 [10.9-15.4] and 12.2 [11.2-17.9] seconds respectively (p < 0.0001). Regarding the ease of transport, the three best-evaluated devices were the "firefighters' worn", "strap" and "flexible tarp" with 10 [9-10], 9 [8-9] and 8 [8-9] respectively (p < 0.0001). Considering stability reported by simulated victims, the three best-evaluated devices were the "inflated stretcher", "flexible tarp" and "firefighters' worn" with 8.0 [7.8-9.0], 8.0[7.0-8.0] and 6.5 [6.0-7.0] respectively. CONCLUSION: Devices were not equivalent in terms of extraction time and suitability criteria. For rapid extraction of victims from danger zones, the "firefighter's worn" and "flexible tarp", as very simple stretchers, seem to be the most appropriate devices.