Criteria for Hyponatremic Overcorrection: Systematic Review and Cohort Study of Emergently Ill Patients.

BACKGROUND: Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disturbance amongst hospitalized patients. An overly rapid rate of correction of chronic hyponatremia is believed to increase the risk of poor clinical outcomes including osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS). There is disagreement in the literature regarding the definition of hyponatremic overcorrection. METHODS: We performed a systematic review of all English language studies to identify those that calculated sodium correction rate and classified patients' overcorrection status. We then identified all patients who presented to our hospital's emergency department between 2003 and 2015 with a corrected serum sodium ≤ 116 mmol/L. All methods from the systematic review for sodium correction rate calculation and overcorrection status were applied to this cohort. RESULTS: We identified 24 studies citing 9 distinct sodium correction rate methods and 14 criteria for overcorrection. Six hundred twenty-four patients presenting with severe hyponatremia (median initial value 113 mMol) were identified. Depending on the method used, the median sodium correction rates in our cohort ranged from 0.271 to 1.13 mmol/L per hour. The proportion of patients classified with overcorrection with the different criteria varied almost 11-fold, ranging from 8.5 to 89.9%. CONCLUSION: Published methods disagree regarding the calculation of sodium correction rates and the definition of hyponatremic overcorrection. This leads to wide variations in sodium correction rates and the prevalence of overcorrection in patient cohorts. Definitions based on ODS risk are needed.

Should emergentologists follow up on patients diagnosed with UTI having negative urine cultures? Implications for processing post-discharge laboratory results.

OBJECTIVES: After patients are discharged from the emergency department (ED), follow-up of test results focuses on abnormal values. In the elderly, non-specific symptoms can result in an incorrect diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI). This study compared the outcomes of patients discharged from the ED with a diagnosis of UTI based on urine culture results. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using linked health databases and chart review of a random sample of elderly patients (age > 65 years) discharged from the Ottawa Hospital ED between 2006 and 2014 with a diagnosis of UTI. Patients were categorized based on whether urine cultures were positive and bacterial sensitivity to prescribed antibiotics. Primary outcome was return to ED, admission to hospital, or death within 30 days. RESULTS: A total of 1001 patients were included in the study (401 culture-negative; 474 culture-positive antibiotic-sensitive; 126 culture positive antibiotic-insensitive). Patients were elderly (mean age 80 years, SD 7.6) with a high prevalence of dementia (18.0%). Almost a third of patients (n = 313, 31.3%) experienced an outcome. Compared to culture-positive antibiotic-sensitive patients, culture negative patients (adjOR 1.45, 95% CI 1.07-1.97) and culture-positive antibiotic-insensitive patients (adjOR 1.49, 95% CI 0.90-2.14) were significantly more likely to experience an outcome (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Patients discharged from the ED with a diagnosis of UTI have an increased risk of return to ED, urgent readmission or death if the uropathogen is insensitive to the prescribed antibiotic or if the culture is negative. Patients diagnosed with UTI with a negative culture may need further assessment.

Derivation and Validation of a Novel Risk Score to Predict Overcorrection of Severe Hyponatremia: The Severe Hyponatremia Overcorrection Risk (SHOR) Score.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Osmotic demyelination syndrome is the most concerning complication of severe hyponatremia, occurring with an overly rapid rate of serum sodium correction. There are limited clinical tools to aid in identifying individuals at high risk of overcorrection with severe hyponatremia. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: We identified all patients who presented to a tertiary-care hospital emergency department in Ottawa, Canada (catchment area 1.2 million) between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2015, with serum sodium (corrected for glucose levels) <116 mmol/L. Overcorrection was determined using 14 published criteria. Latent class analysis measured the independent association of baseline factors with a consensus overcorrection status on the basis of the 14 criteria, and was summarized as a risk score, which was validated in two cohorts. RESULTS: A total of 623 patients presented with severe hyponatremia (mean initial value 112 mmol/L; SD 3.2). The prevalence of no, unlikely, possible, and definite overcorrection was 72%, 4%, 10%, and 14%, respectively. Overcorrection was independently associated with decreased level of consciousness (2 points), vomiting (2 points), severe hypokalemia (1 point), hypotonic urine (4 points), volume overload (-5 points), chest tumor (-5 points), patient age (-1 point per decade, over 50 years), and initial sodium level (<110 mmol/L: 4 points; 110-111 mmol/L: 2 points; 112-113 mmol/L: 1 point). These points were summed to create the Severe Hyponatremic Overcorrection Risk (SHOR) score, which was significantly associated with overcorrection status (Spearman correlation 0.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.36 to 0.49) and was discriminating (average dichotomized c-statistic 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.73 to 0.81). The internal (n=119) and external (n=95) validation cohorts had significantly greater use of desmopressin, which was significantly associated with the SHOR score. The SHOR score was significantly associated with overcorrection status in the internal (P<0.001) but not external (P=0.39) validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: In patients presenting with severe hyponatremia, overcorrection was common and predictable using baseline information. Further external validation of the SHOR is required before generalized use.

Perioperative interruption of direct oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently undergo invasive procedures that require temporary interruption of anticoagulation. There is little evidence to guide the perioperative interruption of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). METHODS: A systematic literature search including studies that evaluated the perioperative interruption of DOACs for non-emergent invasive procedures in patients with AF was performed. The primary outcomes of interest were the 30-day risk of thromboembolic events and major bleeding. Secondary outcomes of interest included the 30-day risk of minor bleeding and overall mortality. The systematic review protocol and search strategy were registered online (PROSPERO January 27th 2017:CRD42017056124). RESULTS: A total of 8 publications encompassing 14 446 patients and 17 107 periprocedural interruptions were included in our study. Our analysis revealed a pooled postoperative 30-day thromboembolic complication risk of 0.41% (95% CI 0.29- 0.54), and a pooled 30-day postoperative major bleeding risk of 1.81% (95% CI 0.84-3.13). Pooled 30-day postoperative risks of minor bleeding and overall mortality were 3.08% (95% CI 1.02-6.20) and 0.67% (95% CI 0.29-1.23), respectively. Meta-analysis of the included comparative studies did not reveal any significant differences in these postoperative outcomes following the perioperative interruption of DOACs or vitamin K antagonists. CONCLUSIONS: The perioperative interruption of DOACs in patients with AF was associated with 0.4% thromboembolic and 1.8% major bleeding events at 30 days post surgery. These findings seem reassuring, but require validation in large prospective management studies where pre-operative DOAC levels are measured and compared with clinical outcomes in this patient population.

Off-Road Vehicle Crash Risk during the Six Months after a Birthday.

BACKGROUND: Off-road vehicles are popular and thrilling for youth outside urban settings, yet sometimes result in a serious crash that requires emergency medical care. The relation between birthdays and the subsequent risk of an off-road vehicle crash is unknown. METHODS: We conducted a population-based before-and-after longitudinal analysis of youth who received emergency medical care in Ontario, Canada, due to an off-road vehicle crash between April 1, 2002, and March 31, 2014. We identified youth injured in an off-road vehicle crash through population-based health-care databases of individuals treated for medical emergencies. We included youth aged 19 years or younger, distinguishing juniors (age ≤ 15 years) from juveniles (age ≥ 16 years). RESULTS: A total 32,777 youths accounted for 35,202 emergencies due to off-road vehicle crashes within six months of their nearest birthday. Comparing the six months following a birthday to the six months prior to a birthday, crashes increased by about 2.7 events per 1000 juniors (18.3 vs 21.0, p < 0.0001). The difference equaled a 15% increase in relative risk (95% confidence interval 12 to 18). The increase extended for months following a birthday, was not observed for traffic crashes due to on-road vehicles, and was partially explained by a lack of helmet wearing. As expected, off-road crash risks did not change significantly following a birthday among juveniles (19.2 vs 19.8, p = 0.61). CONCLUSIONS: Off-road vehicle crashes leading to emergency medical care increase following a birthday in youth below age 16 years. An awareness of this association might inform public health messages, gift-giving practices, age-related parental permissions, and prevention by primary care physicians.

Maternal organ donation and acute injuries in surviving children.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to test whether maternal deceased organ donation is associated with rates of subsequent acute injuries among surviving children after their mother's death. METHODS: This is a longitudinal cohort analysis of children linked to mothers who died of a catastrophic brain event in Ontario, Canada, between April 1988 and March 2012. Surviving children were distinguished by whether their mother was an organ donor after death. The primary outcome was an acute injury event in surviving children during the year after their mother's death. RESULTS: Surviving children (n=454) had a total of 293 injury events during the year after their mother's death, equivalent to an average of 65 events per 100 children per year and a significant difference comparing children of mothers who were organ donors to children of mothers who were not organ donors (21 vs 82, P<.001). This difference in subsequent injury rates between groups was equal to a 76% relative reduction in risk (95% confidence interval, 62%-85%). CONCLUSIONS: Deceased organ donation was associated with a reduction in excess acute injuries among surviving children after their mother's death. An awareness of this positive association provides some reassurance about deceased organ donation programs.