Temporal trends in critical care utilization and outcomes in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.

Historically, the prognosis of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HCT) recipients who require intensive care unit (ICU) admission has been poor. We aimed to describe the epidemiological trends of ICU utilization and outcomes in allo-HCT patients. We conducted a retrospective cohort study including adults (≥ 18) undergoing allo-HCT between 01/01/2005 and 31/12/2020 at Mayo Clinic, Rochester. Temporal trends in outcomes were assessed by robust linear regression modelling. Risk factors for hospital mortality were chosen a priori and assessed with multivariable logistic regression modelling. Of 1,249 subjects, there were 486 ICU admissions among 287 individuals. Although older patients underwent allo-HCT (1.64 [95% CI: 1.11 to 2.45] years per year; P = 0.025), there was no change in ICU utilization over time (P = 0.91). The ICU and hospital mortality rates were 19.2% (55/287) and 28.2% (81/287), respectively. There was a decline in ICU mortality (-0.38% [95% CI: -0.70 to -0.06%] per year; P = 0.035). The 1-year post-HCT mortality for those requiring ICU admission was 56.1% (161/287), with no significant difference over time, versus 15.8% (141/891, 71 missing) among those who did not. The frequency and duration of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) declined. In multivariable analyses, higher serum lactate, higher sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores, acute respiratory distress (ARDS), and need for IMV were associated with greater odds of hospital mortality. Over time, rates of ICU utilization have remained stable, despite increasing patient age. Several trends suggest improvement in outcomes, notably lower ICU mortality and frequency of IMV. However, long-term survival remains unchanged. Further work is needed to improve long-term outcomes in this population.

Ambulance Traffic Crashes in Japan: Characteristics of Casualties and Efforts to Improve Ambulance Safety.

BACKGROUND: An ambulance traffic crash not only leads to injuries among emergency medical service (EMS) professionals but also injures patients or their companions during transportation. We aimed to describe the incidence of ambulance crashes, seating location, seatbelt use for casualties (ie, both fatal and nonfatal injuries), ambulance safety efforts, and to identify factors affecting the number of ambulance crashes in Japan. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide survey of all fire departments in Japan. The survey queried each fire department about the number of ambulance crashes between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2019, the number of casualties, their locations, and seatbelt usage. Additionally, the survey collected information on fire department characteristics, including the number of ambulance dispatches, and their safety efforts including emergency vehicle operation training and seatbelt policies. We used regression methods including a zero-inflated negative binomial model to identify factors associated with the number of crashes. RESULTS: Among the 726 fire departments in Japan, 553 (76.2%) responded to the survey, reporting a total of 11,901,210 ambulance dispatches with 1,659 ambulance crashes (13.9 for every 100,000 ambulance dispatches) that resulted in a total of 130 casualties during the 3-year study period (1.1 in every 100,000 dispatches). Among the rear cabin occupants, seatbelt use was limited for both EMS professionals (n = 3/29, 10.3%) and patients/companions (n = 3/26, 11.5%). Only 46.7% of the fire departments had an internal policy regarding seatbelt use. About three-fourths of fire departments (76.3%) conducted emergency vehicle operation training internally. The output of the regression model revealed that fire departments that conduct internal emergency vehicle operation training had fewer ambulance crashes compared to those that do not (odds of being an excessive zero -2.20, 95% CI: -3.6 to -0.8). CONCLUSION: Two-thirds of fire departments experienced at least one crash during the study period. The majority of rear cabin occupants who were injured in ambulance crashes were not wearing a seatbelt. Although efforts to ascertain seatbelt compliance were limited, Japanese fire departments have attempted a variety of methods to reduce ambulance crashes including internal emergency vehicle operation training, which was associated with fewer ambulance crashes.

Driving Ambulances Safely: Findings of Ten Years of Japanese Ambulance Crash Data.

OBJECTIVE: Rules and regulations for ambulance operations differ across countries and regions, however, little is known about ambulance crashes outside of the United States. Japan is unique in several aspects, for example, routine use of lights and sirens during response and transport regardless of the urgency of the case and low speed limits for ambulances. The aim of this study was to describe the incidence and characteristics of ambulance crashes in Japan. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis (ITARDA) that include all traffic crashes resulting in injury or death in Japan. The study included all ambulance crashes from 2009 to 2018. We compared crashes that occurred during emergency operations with lights and sirens (i.e., when responding to a call or transporting a patient) to those that occurred during non-emergency operations without lights or sirens. We also used data on total number of ambulance dispatches from the Japanese Fire and Disaster Management Agency to calculate ambulance crash risk. RESULTS: During the 10-year period, we identified a total of 486 ambulance crashes out of 59,208,761 ambulance dispatches (0.82 in every 100,000 dispatches or one crash for every 121,829 dispatches) that included two fatal crashes. Among all ambulance crashes, 142 (29.2%) occurred during emergency operations. The incidence of ambulance crashes decreased significantly over the 10-year period. Ambulance crashes at an intersection occurred more frequently during emergency operations than during non-emergency operations (72.5% vs. 58.1%; 14.4% difference, 95% CI 5.0-22.9). CONCLUSIONS: Ambulance crashes occurred infrequently in Japan with crash rates much lower than previously reported crash rates in the United States. Ambulance crashes during emergency operations occurred more frequently at intersections compared to non-emergency operations. Further investigation of the low Japanese ambulance crash rates could provide opportunities to improve ambulance safety in other countries.

Screening for Excessive Alcohol Consumption in Emergency Departments: A Nationwide Assessment of Emergency Department Physicians.

OBJECTIVE: To assess current screening practices for excessive alcohol consumption, as well as perceived barriers, perceptions, and attitudes toward performing this screening among emergency department (ED) physicians. DESIGN: A brief online assessment of screening practices for excessive drinking was disseminated electronically to a representative panel of ED physicians from November 2016 to January 2017. Descriptive statistics were calculated on the frequency of alcohol screening, factors affecting screening, and attitudes toward screening. SETTING: An online assessment was sent to a national panel of ED physicians. PARTICIPANTS: A panel of ED physicians who volunteered to be part of the American College of Emergency Physicians Emergency Medicine Practice Research Network survey panel. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The primary outcome measures were the percentage of respondents who reported screening for excessive alcohol consumption and the percentage of respondents using a validated excessive alcohol consumption screening tool. RESULTS: Of the 347 ED physicians evaluated (38.6% response rate), approximately 16% reported "always/usually," 70% "sometimes," and 14% "never" screening adult patients (≥18 years) for excessive alcohol use. Less than 20% of the respondents who screened for excessive drinking used a recommended screening tool. Only 10.5% of all respondents (15.4% "always," 9.5% "sometimes" screened) received an electronic health record (EHR) reminder to screen for excessive alcohol use. Key barriers to screening included limited time (66.2%) and treatment options for patients with drinking problems (43.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Only 1 in 6 ED physicians consistently screened their patients for excessive drinking. Increased use of EHR reminders and other systems interventions (eg, electronic screening and brief intervention) could help improve the delivery of screening and follow-up services for excessive drinkers in EDs.

Extraglottic Airway Device Misplacement: A Novel Classification System and Findings in Postmortem Computed Tomography.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Extraglottic airway devices are frequently used during cardiac arrest resuscitations and for failed intubation attempts. Recent literature suggests that many extraglottic airway devices are misplaced. The aim of this study is to create a classification system for extraglottic airway device misplacement and describe its frequency in a cohort of decedents who died with an extraglottic airway device in situ. METHODS: We assembled a cohort of all decedents who died with an extraglottic airway device in situ and underwent postmortem computed tomographic (CT) imaging at the state medical examiner's office during a 6-year period, using retrospective data. An expert panel developed a novel extraglottic airway device misplacement classification system. We then applied the schema in reviewing postmortem CT for extraglottic airway device position and potential complications. RESULTS: We identified 341 eligible decedents. The median age was 47.0 years (interquartile range 32 to 59 years). Out-of-hospital personnel placed extraglottic airway devices in 265 patients (77.7%) who subsequently died out of hospital; the remainder died inhospital. The classification system consisted of 6 components: depth, size, rotation, device kinking, mechanical blockage of ventilation opening, and injury. Under the system, extraglottic airway devices were found to be misplaced in 49 cases (14.4%), including 5 (1.5%) that resulted in severe injuries. CONCLUSION: We created a novel extraglottic airway device misplacement classification system. Misplacement occurred in greater than 14% of cases. Severe traumatic complications occurred rarely. Quality improvement activities should include review of extraglottic airway device placement when CT images are available and use the classification system to describe misplacements.

CT imaging of extraglottic airway device-pictorial review.

Compared to intubation with a cuffed endotracheal tube, extraglottic airway devices (EGDs), such as laryngeal mask airways, are considered less definitive ventilation conduit devices and are therefore often exchanged via endotracheal intubation (ETI) prior to obtaining CT images. With more widespread use and growing comfort among providers, reports have now described use of EGDs for up to 24 h including cases for which clinicians obtained CT scans with an EGD in situ. The term EGD encompasses a wide variety of devices with more complex structure and CT appearance compared to ETI. All EGDs are typically placed without direct visualization and require less training and time for insertion compared to ETI. While blind insertion generally results in functional positioning, numerous studies have reported misplacements of EGDs identified by CT in the emergency department or post-mortem. A CT-based classification system has recently been suggested to categorize these misplacements in six dimensions: depth, size, rotation, device kinking, mechanical blockage of the ventilation opening(s), and injury from EGD placement. Identifying the type of EGD and its correct placement is critically important both to provide prompt feedback to clinicians and prevent inappropriate medicolegal problems. In this review, we introduce the main types of EGDs, demonstrate their appearance on CT images, and describe examples of misplacements.

Will the "Fixes" Fall Flat? Prospects for Quality Measures and Payment Incentives to Control Healthcare Spending.

Payment systems in the US healthcare system have rewarded physicians for services and attempted to control healthcare spending, with rewards and penalties based upon projected goals for future spending. The incorporation of quality goals and alternatives to fee-for-service was introduced to replace the previous system of rewards and penalties. We describe the history of the US healthcare payment system, focusing on Medicare and the efforts to control spending through the Sustainable Growth Rate. We describe the latest evolution of the payment system, which emphasizes quality measurement and alternative payment models. We conclude with suggestions for how to influence physician behavior through education and payment reform so that their behavior aligns with alternative care models to control spending in the future.

The effects of bystander interventions for foreign body airway obstruction on survival and neurological outcomes: Findings of the MOCHI registry.

INTRODUCTION: Foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO) is a life-threatening condition. We aimed to quantify the impact of bystander FBAO interventions on survival and neurological outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a Japan-wide prospective, multi-center, observational study including all FBAO patients who presented to the Emergency Department from April 2020 to March 2023. Information on bystander FBAO interventions was collected through interviews with emergency medical services personnel. Primary outcomes included 1-month survival and favorable neurologic outcome defined as Cerebral Performance Category 1 or 2. We performed a multivariable logistic regression and a Cox proportional hazards modeling to adjust for confounders. RESULTS: We analyzed a total of 407 patients in the registry who had the median age of 82 years old (IQR 73-88). The FBAO incidents were often witnessed (86.5%, n = 352/407) and the witnesses intervened in just over half of the cases (54.5%, n = 192/352). The incidents frequently occurred at home (54.3%, n = 221/407) and nursing home (21.6%, n = 88/407). Common first interventions included suction (24.8%, n = 101/407) and back blow (20.9%, n = 85/407). The overall success rate of bystander interventions was 48.4% (n = 93/192). About half (48.2%, n = 196/407) survived to 1-month and 23.8% patients (n = 97/407) had a favorable neurological outcome. Adjusting for pre-specified confounders, bystander interventions were independently associated with survival (hazard ratio, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.39-0.77) and a favorable neurological outcome (adjusted OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.23-3.95). CONCLUSION: Bystander interventions were independently associated with survival and favorable neurological outcome, however, they were performed only in the half of patients.

Five Domains of a Conceptual Framework of Continuing Professional Development.

ABSTRACT: Continuing professional development (CPD) for health professionals involves efforts at improving health of individuals and the population through educational activities of health professionals who previously attained a recognized level of acceptable proficiency (licensure). However, those educational activities have inconsistently improved health care outcomes of patients. We suggest a conceptual change of emphasis in designing CPD to better align it with the goals of improving health care value for patients through the dynamic incorporation of five distinct domains to be included in learning activities. We identify these domains as: (1) identifying, appraising, and learning new information [New Knowledge]; (2) ongoing practicing of newly or previously acquired skills to maintain expertise [New Skills and Maintenance]; (3) sharing and transfer of new learning for the health care team which changes their practice [Teams]; (4) analyzing data to identify problems and drive change resulting in improvements in the health care system and patient outcomes [Quality Improvement]; and (5) promoting population health and prevention of disease [Prevention]. We describe how these five domains can be integrated into a comprehensive conceptual framework of CPD, supported by appropriate learning theories that align with the goals of the health care delivery system. Drawing on these distinct but interrelated areas of CPD will help organizers and directors of learning events to develop their activities to meet the goals of learners and the health care system.

Food choking incidents in the hospital: Incidents, characteristics, effectiveness of interventions, and mortality and morbidity outcomes.

AIM: Foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO) due to food can occur wherever people eat, including in hospitals. We characterized in-hospital FBAO incidents and their outcomes. METHODS: We searched the Japan Council for Quality Health Care nationwide in-hospital adverse events database for relevant events from 1,549 institutions. We included all patients with FBAO incidents due to food in the hospital from January 2010 to June 2021 and collected data on the characteristics, interventions, and outcomes. FBAO from non-food materials were excluded. Our primary outcomes were mortality and morbidity from FBAO incidents. RESULTS: We identified 300 patients who had a FBAO incident from food. The most common age group was 80-89 years old (32.3%, n = 97/300). One-half (50.0%, n = 150/300) were witnessed events. Suction was the most common first intervention (31.3%, n = 94/300) and resulted in successful removal of foreign body in 17.0% of cases (n = 16/94). Back blows (16.0%, n = 48/300) and abdominal thrusts (8.1%, n = 24/300) were less frequently performed as the first intervention and the success rates were 10.4% (n = 5/48) and 20.8% (n = 5/24), respectively. About one-third of the patients (31%, n = 93/300) died and 26.7% (n = 80/300) had a high potential of residual disability from these incidents. CONCLUSION: FBAO from food in the hospital is an uncommon but life-threatening event. The majority of patients who suffered from in-hospital FBAO incidents did not receive effective interventions initially and many of them died or suffered residual disability.

Test-retest reliability of multidimensional dyspnea profile recall ratings in the emergency department: a prospective, longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Dyspnea is among the most common reasons for emergency department (ED) visits by patients with cardiopulmonary disease who are commonly asked to recall the symptoms that prompted them to come to the ED. The reliability of recalled dyspnea has not been systematically investigated in ED patients. METHODS: Patients with chronic or acute cardiopulmonary conditions who came to the ED with dyspnea (N = 154) completed the Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile (MDP) several times during the visit and in a follow-up visit 4 to 6 weeks later (n = 68). The MDP has 12 items with numerical ratings of intensity, unpleasantness, sensory qualities, and emotions associated with how breathing felt when participants decided to come to the ED (recall MDP) or at the time of administration ("now" MDP). The recall MDP was administered twice in the ED and once during the follow-up visit. Principal components analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation was used to assess domain structure of the recall MDP. Internal consistency reliability was assessed with Cronbach's alpha. Test-retest reliability was assessed with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for absolute agreement for individual items and domains. RESULTS: PCA of the recall MDP was consistent with two domains (Immediate Perception, 7 items, Cronbach's alpha = .89 to .94; Emotional Response, 5 items; Cronbach's alpha = .81 to .85). Test-retest ICCs for the recall MDP during the ED visit ranged from .70 to .87 for individual items and were .93 and .94 for the Immediate Perception and Emotional Response domains. ICCs were much lower for the interval between the ED visit and follow-up, both for individual items (.28 to .66) and for the Immediate Perception and Emotional Response domains (.72 and .78, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: During an ED visit, recall MDP ratings of dyspnea at the time participants decided to seek care in the ED are reliable and sufficiently stable, both for individual items and the two domains, that a time lag between arrival and questionnaire administration does not critically affect recall of perceptual and emotional characteristics immediately prior to the visit. However, test-retest reliability of recall over a 4- to 6-week interval is poor for individual items and significantly attenuated for the two domains.

How Academic Medicine Can Amplify Truth Amid the Noise of Misinformation, Inaccuracies, and Lies.

Inaccurate statements and lies from public figures and political and government leaders have the power to exacerbate dangerous upheavals in our political, health care, and social environments. The widespread misinformation, inaccuracies, and lies about the COVID-19 pandemic (about the origin of the virus, the severity of illness, vaccination, and "cures," to name a few) illustrate the potentially disastrous consequences of false information. Academic medicine must recognize the dangers of such lies and inaccuracies, particularly those related to health, and must understand their sources in traditional and social media and how and why many in the public accept them. Academic health professionals have a unique responsibility to promote and defend the truth in medicine and science, help the public to understand the sources of inaccurate scientific information, and find ways to debunk falsehoods spread by politicians and media outlets. Inaccurate information and lies have threatened the health of the population, the function of health systems, and the training of the future health workforce. They must be combatted by truth telling through scholarly work, clinical activities, and educating health professions trainees at all levels. Academic medicine's institutions should also consider joining the communities they serve and their medical specialty organizations to engage in political advocacy whenever possible. Health professions journals have an important role in highlighting and clarifying important topics and sustaining conversations on them within the academic medicine community. Across all its missions and activities, academic medicine must do its best to combat today's poisonous misinformation, inaccuracies, and lies, and to enter the larger social and political struggles that will determine the health of society and the future.

What the COVID-19 Pandemic Can Teach Health Professionals About Continuing Professional Development.

The world's health care providers have realized that being agile in their thinking and growth in times of rapid change is paramount and that continuing education can be a key facet of the future of health care. As the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, educators at academic health centers are faced with a crucial question: How can continuing professional development (CPD) within teams and health systems be improved so that health care providers will be ready for the next disruption? How can new information about the next disruption be collected and disseminated so that interprofessional teams will be able to effectively and efficiently manage a new disease, new information, or new procedures and keep themselves safe? Unlike undergraduate and graduate/postgraduate education, CPD does not always have an identified educational home and has had uneven and limited innovation during the pandemic. In this commentary, the authors explore the barriers to change in this sector and propose 4 principles that may serve to guide a way forward: identifying a home for interprofessional continuing education at academic health centers, improving workplace-based learning, enhancing assessment for individuals within health care teams, and creating a culture of continuous learning that promotes population health.

Emergency physician perceptions of patient safety risks.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Although national standards to address patient safety exist, their relevance to emergency department (ED) patient safety is unclear. We survey practicing emergency physicians to assess their perceptions of the relative importance of patient safety concerns and how these varied by urban/rural location and practice characteristics. METHODS: We developed and analyzed electronically collected survey data that assessed emergency physician perceptions of patient safety risks. American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) members rated 16 patient safety concerns with a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Of 2,507 emergency physician respondents, 1,114 (44%) practiced in urban, 1,056 (42%) in suburban, and 337 (13%) in rural settings. Crowding from inpatient boarding (mean Likert scale score 4.3), availability of specialty consultation (mean 4.1), and nursing shortages (mean 3.9) were the greatest concerns. Rural respondents ranked consultant availability (mean 4.3), lack of follow-up after ED care (mean 3.8), and nurse shortages (mean 3.8) as top concerns. Crowding was the greatest concern for suburban (mean 4.3) and urban emergency physicians (mean 4.5) but was ranked seventh by rural emergency physicians (mean 3.5). Crowding was perceived as a greater problem as hospital size, ED volume, and the percentage of patients who left without being seen increased, regardless of practice location. CONCLUSION: In this sample of practicing emergency physicians, rural emergency physicians' patient safety concerns differ from those of their urban/suburban counterparts. For urban/suburban emergency physicians, crowding is the greatest safety concern; for rural emergency physicians, consultant availability was the greatest concern. Emergency physicians' greatest concerns are not routinely measured and reported as part of national patient safety benchmarking programs.

Comparison of emergency physicians' and juris doctors' opinions on emergency department patient restraints usage.

OBJECTIVES: Emergency physicians (EPs) and Juris Doctors (JDs) often disagree on the correct use of restraints for emergency department (ED) patients. The objective of the study was to compare EPs and JDs propensity to restrain patients given various scenarios. The study hypothesis was that EPs and JDs would agree on when to restrain emergency patients. METHODS: This was a prospective cross-sectional study. Twenty-two EPs and 27 JDs were asked to complete the Video Assessment of Propensity to use Emergency Restraints Scale (VAPERS). The VAPERS scale consists of 17 scenarios utilizing actors who were videotaped to produce a scale. Results obtained include overall likelihood to restrain and likelihood to restrain specific subgroups of patients such as those who are a danger to themselves, a danger to others, medically unstable, trauma patients, altered patients, belligerent patients, agitated patients, calm patients, and patients with normal mental status. A two-way mixed model average intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to determine scale reliability. Unpaired t-tests with confidence intervals (CI) were used to compare the two professions on VAPERS results and on individual scenarios. RESULTS: Overall, EPs were more likely to restrain patients than JDs (46% vs 37%), although this did not reach statistical significance. The statistically significant EP-JD disagreement, with EPs more likely to restrain patients, occurred if the patients were calm. Common themes in the differences emerged from evaluation of the two groups' comments. CONCLUSIONS: EPs and JDs disagree on restraint use. These EP-JD differences were statistically significant in patients who were calm.

COVID-19: Lessons From the Disaster That Can Improve Health Professions Education.

COVID-19 has disrupted every aspect of the U.S. health care and health professions education systems, creating anxiety, suffering, and chaos and exposing many of the flaws in the nation's public health, medical education, and political systems. The pandemic has starkly revealed the need for a better public health infrastructure and a health system with incentives for population health and prevention of disease as well as outstanding personalized curative health. It has also provided opportunities for innovations in health care and has inspired courageous actions of residents, who have responded to the needs of their patients despite risk to themselves. In this Invited Commentary, the author shares lessons he learned from 3 earlier disasters and discusses needed changes in medical education, health care, and health policy that the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed. He encourages health professions educators to use the experiences of this pandemic to reexamine the current curricular emphasis on the bioscientific model of health and to broaden the educational approach to incorporate the behavioral, social, and environmental factors that influence health. Surveillance for disease, investment in disease and injury prevention, and disaster planning should be basic elements of health professions education. Incorporating innovations such as telemedicine, used under duress during the pandemic, could alter educational and clinical approaches to create something better for students, residents, and patients. He explains that journals such as Academic Medicine can provide rapid, curated, expert advice that can be an important counterweight to the misinformation that circulates during disasters. Such journals can also inform their readers about new training in skills needed to mitigate the ongoing effects of the disaster and prepare the workforce for future disasters.