In adults aged ≥65 y with head injuries, use of warfarin, but not DOACs, was associated with delayed ICH.

SOURCE CITATION: Liu S, McLeod SL, Atzema CL, et al. Delayed intracranial hemorrhage after head injury among elderly patients on anticoagulation seen in the emergency department. CJEM. 2022;24:853-61. 36242733.

Electrocardiographic measures of repolarization heterogeneity are not predictive for Torsades de Pointes among undifferentiated patients with prolonged QTc: A case control study.

INTRODUCTION: Torsades de Pointes (TdP) is a potentially lethal polymorphic ventricular tachydysrhythmia associated with and caused by prolonged myocardial repolarization. However, prediction of TdP is challenging. We sought to determine if electrocardiographic myocardial repolarization heterogeneity is necessary and predictive of TdP. METHODS: We performed a case control study of TdP at a large urban hospital. We identified cases based on a hospital center electrocardiogram (ECG) database search for tracings from 1/2005 to 6/2019 with heart rate corrected QT (QTc) > 500, QRS < 120, and heart rate (HR) < 60, and a subsequent natural language search of electronic health records for the terms: TdP, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, sudden cardiac death, and relevant variants. Controls were drawn in a 2:1 ratio to cases from a similar pool of ECGs, and matching for QTc, heart rate, sex, and age. We abstracted historical, laboratory, and ECG data using detailed written instructions and an electronic database. We included a second blinded data abstractor to test data abstraction and manual ECG measurement reliability. We used General Electric (GE) QT Guard software for automated repolarization measurements. We compared groups using unpaired statistics. RESULTS: We included 75 cases and 150 controls. The number of current QTc prolonging medications and serum electrolytes were substantially the same between the two groups. We found no significant difference in measures of QT or T wave repolarization heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: Electrocardiographic repolarization heterogeneity is not greater in otherwise unselected patients with QTc prolongation who suffer TdP and does not appear predictive of TdP. However, previous observations suggest specific repolarization characteristics may be useful for defined patient subgroups at risk for TdP.

Delirium, confusion, or altered mental status as a risk for abnormal head CT in older adults in the emergency department: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Altered mental status (including delirium) is a common presentations among older adults to the emergency department (ED). We aimed to report the association between altered mental status in older ED patients and acute abnormal findings on head computed tomogram (CT). METHODS: A systematic review was conducted using Ovid Medline, Embase, Clinicaltrials.gov, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central from conception to April 8th, 2021. We included citations if they described patients aged 65 years or older who received head imaging at the time of ED assessment, and reported whether patients had delirium, confusion, or altered mental status. Screening, data extraction, and bias assessment were performed in duplicate. We estimated the odds ratios (OR) for abnormal neuroimaging in patients with altered mental status. RESULTS: The search strategy identified 3031 unique citations, of which two studies reporting on 909 patients with delirium, confusion or altered mental status were included. No identified study formally assessed for delirium. The OR for abnormal head CT findings in patients with delirium, confusion or altered mental status was 0.35 (95% CI 0.031 to 3.97) compared to patients without delirium, confusion or altered mental status. CONCLUSION: We did not find a statistically significant association between delirium, confusion or altered mental status and abnormal head CT findings in older ED patients.

Increased ventricular ectopy precedes Torsades de Pointes in patients with prolonged QT.

OBJECTIVE: Torsades de Pointes (TdP) is a potentially lethal ventricular tachydysrhythmia. Prolonged heartrate corrected QT interval (QTc) predicts TdP; however, with poor specificity. We performed this study to identify other predictors of TdP among patients with prolonged QTc. METHODS: We performed a retrospective case control study with 2:1 matching at an urban academic hospital. We searched our hospital electrocardiogram (ECG) database for tracings with heartrate ≤ 60, QTc ≥ 500, and QRS < 120, followed by a natural language search for electronic records with "Torsades," "polymorphic VT," or similar to identify TdP cases from 2005 to 19. We identified controls from a similar ECG database search matching for QTc, heartrate, age, and sex. We compared cardiologic and historical factors, medications, laboratory values, and ECG measurements including ectopy using univariate statistics. For those cases with saved telemetry strips that included preceding beats or TdP onset, we compared ectopy and TdP onset characteristics between the ECG and telemetry strips using mixed linear modeling. RESULTS: Seventy-five cases including 50 with telemetry strips and 150 controls were included. Historical, pharmacologic, laboratory, and cardiologic testing results were similar between cases and controls. The proportion of telemetry tracings with premature ventricular contractions (PVC's) preceding TdP was 0.78 compared to 0.16 for case ECG's (difference 0.62(95%CI 0.44-0.75)) and 0.10 for control ECGs (difference 0.68(95%CI 0.56-0.80)). Average telemetry heartrate was 72 and QTc 549 immediately preceding TdP, similar to the ECG values. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical factors don't differentiate patients with long QTc who develop TdP, however, an increase in PVC's in patients with prolonged QTc may usefully predict imminent TdP.

Reach and Adoption of a Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation Program in the United States.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to describe the reach and adoption of Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) program and care processes instituted at accredited geriatric emergency departments (EDs). METHODS: We analyzed a cross-section of a cohort of US EDs that received GEDA from May 2018 to March 2021. We obtained data from the American College of Emergency Physicians and publicly available sources. Data included GEDA level, geographic location, urban/rural designation, and care processes instituted. Frequencies and proportions and median and interquartile ranges were used to summarize categorical and continuous data, respectively. RESULTS: Over the study period, 225 US geriatric ED accreditations were issued and included in our analysis-14 Level 1, 21 Level 2, and 190 Level 3 geriatric EDs; 5 geriatric EDs reapplied and received higher-level accreditation after initial accreditation at a lower level. Only 9 geriatric EDs were in rural regions. There was significant heterogeneity in protocols enacted at geriatric EDs; minimizing urinary catheter use and fall prevention were the most common. CONCLUSION: There has been rapid growth in geriatric EDs, driven by Level 3 accreditation. Most geriatric EDs are in urban areas, indicating the potential need for expansion beyond these areas. Future research evaluating the impact of GEDA on health care utilization and patient-oriented outcomes is needed.

A pilot study examining the use of ultrasound to measure sarcopenia, frailty and fall in older patients.

INTRODUCTION: The importance of this study is to devise an efficient tool for assessing frailty in the ED. The goals of this study are 1) to correlate ultrasonographic (US) measurements of muscle thickness in older ED patients with frailty and 2) to correlate US-measured sarcopenia with falls, subsequent hospitalizations and ED revisits. METHODS: Participants were conveniently sampled from a single ED in this prospective cohort pilot study of patients aged 65 or older. Participants completed a Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illness and Loss of Weight (FRAIL) scale assessment and US measurements of their upper arm muscles, quadricep muscles, and abdominal wall muscles thickness. We conducted one-month follow-up phone calls to assess for falls, ED revisits, and subsequent hospital visits. RESULTS: We enrolled 43 patients (mean age of 78.5). Ultrasound measurements of the three muscle groups were not significantly different between frail and non-frail groups. Frail participants had greater bicep asymmetry (a difference of 0.47 cm vs 0.24 cm, p < .01). A predictive logistic regression model using average quadriceps thickness and biceps asymmetry was found to identify frail patients (AUC of 0.816). Participants with subsequent falls had smaller quadriceps (1.18 cm smaller, p < .01). Subsequently hospitalized patients were found to have smaller quadriceps muscles (0.54 cm smaller, p = .03) and abdominal wall muscles (0.25 cm smaller, p = .01). CONCLUSION: US measurements of sarcopenia in older patients had mild to moderate associations with frailty, falls and subsequent hospitalizations. Further investigation is needed to confirm these findings.

Revisit, Subsequent Hospitalization, Recurrent Fall, and Death Within 6 Months After a Fall Among Elderly Emergency Department Patients.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We seek to describe the risk during 6 months and specific risk factors for recurrent falls, emergency department (ED) revisits, subsequent hospitalizations, and death within 6 months after a fall-related ED presentation. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort of elderly fall patients who presented to the ED from one urban teaching hospital. We included patients aged 65 years and older who had an ED fall visit in 2012. We examined the frequency and risk factors of adverse events (composite of recurrent falls, ED revisits, subsequent hospitalization, and death, selected a priori) at 6 months. RESULTS: Our study included 350 older adults. Adverse events steadily increased, from 7.7% at 7 days, 21.4% at 30 days, and 50.3% at 6 months. Within 6 months, 22.6% of patients had at least one recurrent fall, 42.6% revisited the ED, 31.1% had subsequent hospitalizations, and 2.6% died. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, psychological or sedative drug use predicted recurrent falls, ED revisits, subsequent hospitalizations, and adverse events. CONCLUSION: More than half of fall patients had an adverse event within 6 months of presenting to the ED after a fall. The risk during 6 months of these adverse events increased with psychological or sedative drug use. Larger future studies should confirm this association and investigate methods to minimize recurrent falls through management of such medications.

Serious conditions for ED elderly fall patients: a secondary analysis of the Basel Non-Specific Complaints study.

OBJECTIVE: Falls among older adults are a public health problem and are multifactorial. We sought to determine whether falls predict more serious conditions in older adult patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with a "nonspecific complaint" (NSC). A secondary objective was to examine what factors predicted serious conditions among older adult patients with a fall. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of a prospective delayed-type cross-sectional diagnostic study that included a 30-day follow-up. We included patients 65 years and older who presented to the ED from May 2007 and July 2011 with a NSC and had an Emergency Severity Index score of 2 or 3. We then compared the serious conditions among older adults who presented to the ED with a fall with those who did not fall in a cohort of patients with NSC. RESULTS: We had 1111 patients enrolled in our study; 518 (47%) of them had fallen. We found that 310 (60%) of elderly fall patients vs 349 (59%) of nonfall patients had a 30-day serious condition (P=.74). In multiple logistic regression analysis, falls did not predict serious conditions or 30-day mortality among all NSC patients. Among fall patients, male sex, diuretic use, and generalized weakness predicted serious conditions. CONCLUSION: Fall patients share many features with nonfall NSC patient. However, falls did not increase the risk of serious conditions. Falls in the elderly could be considered under the broader entity of NSC.

The prevalence, risk factors and short-term outcomes of delirium in Thai elderly emergency department patients.

BACKGROUND: We sought to determine the prevalence of delirium in a Thai emergency department (ED). The secondary objective was to identify risk factors and short-term outcomes in delirious elderly ED patients. METHODS: This was a prospective cross-sectional study in the ED of an urban tertiary care hospital. Patients aged ≥65 years who presented to the ED were included. We excluded patients who had severe dementia, were not responsive to verbal stimuli, had severe trauma and were blind, deaf, aphasic or unable to speak Thai. Delirium was determined using the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit. We collected 30-day mortality rate, hospital length of stay and revisit rate as short-term outcomes. RESULTS: We had a final sample size of 232 patients; 27 (12%) were delirious in the ED, of which 16 (59%) were not recognised to be delirious by the emergency physician. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed dementia (adjusted OR (AOR) 13.1; 95% CI 2.9 to 59.6), auditory impairment (AOR 4.8; 95% CI 1.6 to 13.8) and ED diagnosis of metabolic derangement (AOR 6.5; 95% CI 1.6 to 26.8) were associated with delirium in the ED. Delirium was associated with a higher mortality rate than those without delirium (15% vs 2%, p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: In one middle-income country, elderly ED patients were delirious >10% of the time. Delirium was underdiagnosed and was associated with an increased 30-day mortality rate. Delirium screening needs to be improved, potentially focusing on high-risk patients.

Communication of Vital Signs at Emergency Department Handoff: Opportunities for Improvement.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We describe the prevalence of vital sign communication errors during emergency department (ED) handoffs. Our secondary objective is to evaluate the association between handoff behaviors and ED crowding on vital sign handoff errors. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study of ED handoffs conducted at an urban academic hospital. We observed a prespecified convenience sample of ED shift rounds and included all patients whose care was subject to a handoff during ED shift change. The primary outcome was vital sign communication errors, defined as the failure to communicate an episode of medical-record-documented hypotension or hypoxia during ED shift rounds. Trained research assistants used a standardized data collection tool to collect data through direct observation and electronic health record abstraction. We report descriptive statistics and results of a logistic regression model constructed with generalized estimating equations to describe the association between handoff and rounds-level characteristics and handoff errors. RESULTS: We observed 1,163 patient handoffs during 130 ED shift rounds. Of 117 patients with episodes of hypotension and 156 patients with hypoxia, 66 (42%) and 116 (74%) were not communicated at rounds, respectively. One hundred sixty-six handoffs (14%) included a vital sign communication error of omission. In multivariate analysis, no handoff or rounds characteristic, including the ED occupancy rate, was associated with omission errors of vital sign communication. CONCLUSION: Providers omitted communication of patient hypotension or hypoxia in nearly 1 in 7 ED handoffs. These communication errors do not appear to be related to ED crowding or care interruptions.

Frequency of ED revisits and death among older adults after a fall.

INTRODUCTION: Falls among older adults (aged ≥65 years) are the leading cause of both injury deaths and emergency department (ED) visits for trauma. We examine the characteristics and prevalence of older adult ED fallers as well as the recurrent ED visit and mortality rate. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of a cohort of elderly fall patients who presented to the ED between 2005 and 2011 of 2 urban, level 1 trauma, teaching hospitals with approximately 80000 to 95000 annual visits. We examined the frequency of ED revisits and death at 3 days, 7 days, 30 days, and 1 year controlling for certain covariates. RESULTS: Our cohort included 21340 patients. The average age was 78.6 years. An increasing proportion of patients revisited the ED over the course of 1 year, ranging from 2% of patients at 3 days to 25% at 1 year. Death rates increased from 1.2% at 3 days to 15% at 1 year. A total of 10728 patients (50.2%) returned to the ED at some point during our 7-year study period, and 36% of patients had an ED revisit or death within 1 year. In multivariate logistic regression, male sex and comorbidities were associated with ED revisits and death. CONCLUSION: More than one-third of older adult ED fall patients had an ED revisit or died within 1 year. Falls are one of the geriatric syndromes that contribute to frequent ED revisits and death rates. Future research should determine whether falls increase the risk of such outcomes and how to prevent future fall and death.

Boarding is associated with higher rates of medication delays and adverse events but fewer laboratory-related delays.

BACKGROUND: Hospital crowding and emergency department (ED) boarding are large and growing problems. To date, there has been a paucity of information regarding the quality of care received by patients boarding in the ED compared with the care received by patients on an inpatient unit. We compared the rate of delays and adverse events at the event level that occur while boarding in the ED vs while on an inpatient unit. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of data from medical record review and administrative databases at 2 urban academic teaching hospitals from August 1, 2004, through January 31, 2005. We measured delayed repeat cardiac enzymes, delayed partial thromboplastin time level checks, delayed antibiotic administration, delayed administration of home medications, and adverse events. We compared the incidence of events during ED boarding vs while on an inpatient unit. RESULTS: Among 1431 patient medical records, we identified 1016 events. Emergency department boarding was associated with an increased risk of home medication delays (risk ratio [RR], 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-1.88), delayed antibiotic administration (RR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.72-3.52), and adverse events (RR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.15-4.72). On the contrary, ED boarding was associated with fewer delays in repeat cardiac enzymes (RR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.09-0.27) and delayed partial thromboplastin time checks (RR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.27-0.96). CONCLUSION: Compared with inpatient units, ED boarding was associated with more medication-related delays and adverse events but fewer laboratory-related delays. Until we can eliminate ED boarding, it is critical to identify areas for improvement.

Emergency Palliative Care: Early Assessment of an Older Adult With a Fall and Hip Fracture.

In this segment of the emergency department (ED) palliative care case series, we present a patient who arrives to the ED after a fall resulting in a hip fracture. He is also found to have hypernatremia and an acute kidney injury and develops delirium while in the ED awaiting an inpatient bed. The ED-based integrated geriatric palliative care program is consulted and performs a multidimensional assessment. The geriatric palliative care clinician facilitates discussion with his daughter about surgical intervention based on the patient's goals and values, diagnoses delirium, and worsening depression, creates a plan for delirium and pain management, and accelerates postdischarge planning.

Risk factors and risk stratification approaches for delirium screening: A Geriatric Emergency Department Guidelines 2.0 systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: As part of the Geriatric Emergency Department (ED) Guidelines 2.0 project, we conducted a systematic review to find risk factors or risk stratification approaches that can be used to identify subsets of older adults who may benefit from targeted ED delirium screening. METHODS: An electronic search strategy was developed with a medical librarian, conducted in April 2021 and November 2022. Full-text studies of patients ≥65 years assessed for prevalent delirium in the ED were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the McMaster University Clarity Group tool. Outcomes measures pertained to the risk stratification method used. Due to heterogeneity of patient populations, risk stratification methods, and outcomes, a meta-analysis was not conducted. RESULTS: Our search yielded 1878 unique citations, of which 13 were included. Six studies developed a novel delirium risk score with or without evaluation of specific risk factors, six studies evaluated specific risk factors only, and one study evaluated an existing nondelirium risk score for association with delirium. The most common risk factor was history of dementia, with odds ratios ranging from 3.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-8.9) to 18.33 (95% CI 8.08-43.64). Other risk factors that were consistently associated with increased risk of delirium included older age, use of certain medications (such as antipsychotics, antidepressants, and opioids, among others), and functional impairments. Of the studies that developed novel risk scores, the reported area under the curve ranged from 0.77 to 0.90. Only two studies reported potential impact of the risk stratification tool on screening burden. CONCLUSIONS: There is significant heterogeneity, but results suggest that factors such as dementia, age over 75, and functional impairments should be used to identify older adults who are at highest risk for ED delirium. No studies evaluated implementation of a risk stratification method for delirium screening or evaluated patient-oriented outcomes.

Enhancing healthcare access for an older population: The age-friendly emergency department.

Healthcare systems face significant challenges in meeting the unique needs of older adults, particularly in the acute setting. Age-friendly healthcare is a comprehensive approach using the 4Ms framework-what matters, medications, mentation, and mobility-to ensure that healthcare settings are responsive to the needs of older patients. The Age-Friendly Emergency Department (AFED) is a crucial component of a holistic age-friendly health system. Our objective is to provide an overview of the AFED model, its core principles, and the benefits to older adults and healthcare clinicians. The AFED optimizes the delivery of emergency care by integrating age-specific considerations into various aspects of (1) ED physical infrastructure, (2) clinical care policies, and (3) care transitions. Physical infrastructure incorporates environmental modifications to enhance patient safety, including adequate lighting, nonslip flooring, and devices for sensory and ambulatory impairment. Clinical care policies address the physiological, cognitive, and psychosocial needs of older adults while preserving focus on emergency issues. Care transitions include communication and involving community partners and case management services. The AFED prioritizes collaboration between interdisciplinary team members (ED clinicians, geriatric specialists, nurses, physical/occupational therapists, and social workers). By adopting an age-friendly approach, EDs have the potential to improve patient-centered outcomes, reduce adverse events and hospitalizations, and enhance functional recovery. Moreover, healthcare clinicians benefit from the AFED model through increased satisfaction, multidisciplinary support, and enhanced training in geriatric care. Policymakers, healthcare administrators, and clinicians must collaborate to standardize guidelines, address barriers to AFEDs, and promote the adoption of age-friendly practices in the ED.

Frailty assessment tools in the emergency department: A geriatric emergency department guidelines 2.0 scoping review.

Objective: Given the aging population and growing burden of frailty, we conducted this scoping review to describe the available literature regarding the use and impact of frailty assessment tools in the assessment and care of emergency department (ED) patients older than 60 years. Methods: A search was made of the available literature using the Covidence system using various search terms. Inclusion criteria comprised peer-reviewed literature focusing on frailty screening tools used for a geriatric population (60+ years of age) presenting to EDs. An additional search of PubMed, EBSCO, and CINAHL for articles published in the last 5 years was conducted toward the end of the review process (January 2023) to search specifically for literature describing interventions for frailty, yielding additional articles for review. Exclusion criteria comprised articles focusing on an age category other than geriatric and care environments outside the emergency care setting. Results: A total of 135 articles were screened for inclusion and 48 duplicates were removed. Of the 87 remaining articles, 20 were deemed irrelevant, leaving 67 articles for full-text review. Twenty-eight were excluded for not meeting inclusion criteria, leaving 39 full-text studies. Use of frailty screening tools were reported in the triage, care, and discharge decision-making phases of the ED care trajectory, with varying reports of usefulness for clinical decision-making. Conclusion: The literature reports tools, scales, and instruments for identifying frailty in older patients at ED triage; multiple frailty scores or tools exist with varying levels of utilization. Interventions for frailty directed at the ED environment were scant. Further research is needed to determine the usefulness of frailty identification in the context of emergency care, the effects of care delivery interventions or educational initiatives for front-line medical professionals on patient-oriented outcomes, and to ensure these initiatives are acceptable for patients.

Emergency department communication with diverse caregivers and persons living with dementia: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Research to date has detailed numerous challenges in emergency department (ED) communication with persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their caregivers. However, little is known about communication experiences of individuals belonging to minoritized racial and ethnic groups, who are disproportionately impacted by dementia and less likely to be included in dementia research. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 29 caregivers of PLWD from two urban academic hospital EDs with distinct patient populations. The first site is an ED in the Northeast serving a majority White, English-speaking, and insured population. The second site is an ED in the South serving a majority Black and/or Hispanic, Spanish-speaking, and underinsured population. Interviews lasted an average of 25 min and were digitally recorded and transcribed. We used an inductive approach to analyze interview transcripts for dominant themes and compared themes between sites. RESULTS: Our sample included caregivers of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Caregivers cared for PLWD who spoke English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Vietnamese. We identified three themes. First, caregiver advocacy was central to experiences of ED communication, particularly when PLWD primarily spoke a non-English language. Second, routine care plans did not address what mattered most to participants and PLWD. Participants felt that care arose from protocols and did not address what mattered most to them. Third, White English-speaking caregivers in Site 1 more commonly expected ED staff to engage them in care decision-making than Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Middle Eastern caregivers in Site 2. CONCLUSION: Language barriers amplify the higher intensity care needed by PLWD in the ED. Strategies should be developed for communicating with PLWD and caregivers about what matters most in their ED care.

Differences in code status practice patterns among emergency clinicians working in Japan and the United States.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine self-reported code-status practice patterns among emergency clinicians from Japan and the U.S. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire was distributed to emergency clinicians from one academic medical center and four general hospitals in Japan and two academic medical centers in the U.S. The questionnaire was based on a hypothetical case involving a critically ill patient with end-stage lung cancer. The questionnaire items assessed whether respondent clinicians would be likely to pose questions to patients about their preferences for medical procedures and their values and goals. RESULTS: A total of 176 emergency clinicians from Japan and the U.S participated. After adjusting for participants' backgrounds, emergency clinicians in Japan were less likely to pose procedure-based questions than those in the U.S. Conversely, emergency clinicians in Japan showed a statistically higher likelihood of asking 10 out of 12 value-based questions. CONCLUSION: Significant differences were found between emergency clinicians in Japan and the U.S. in their reported practices on posing procedure-based and patient value-based questions. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Serious illness communication training based in the U.S. must be adapted to the Japanese context, considering the cultural characteristics and practical responsibilities of Japanese emergency clinicians.

Delirium detection in the emergency department: A diagnostic accuracy meta-analysis of history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and screening instruments.

INTRODUCTION: Geriatric emergency department (ED) guidelines emphasize timely identification of delirium. This article updates previous diagnostic accuracy systematic reviews of history, physical examination, laboratory testing, and ED screening instruments for the diagnosis of delirium as well as test-treatment thresholds for ED delirium screening. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of approaches to identify delirium. Studies were included if they described adults aged 60 or older evaluated in the ED setting with an index test for delirium compared with an acceptable criterion standard for delirium. Data were extracted and studies were reviewed for risk of bias. When appropriate, we conducted a meta-analysis and estimated delirium screening thresholds. RESULTS: Full-text review was performed on 55 studies and 27 were included in the current analysis. No studies were identified exploring the accuracy of findings on history or laboratory analysis. While two studies reported clinicians accurately rule in delirium, clinician gestalt is inadequate to rule out delirium. We report meta-analysis on three studies that quantified the accuracy of the 4 A's Test (4AT) to rule in (pooled positive likelihood ratio [LR+] 7.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.7-20.7) and rule out (pooled negative likelihood ratio [LR-] 0.18, 95% CI 0.09-0.34) delirium. We also conducted meta-analysis of two studies that quantified the accuracy of the Abbreviated Mental Test-4 (AMT-4) and found that the pooled LR+ (4.3, 95% CI 2.4-7.8) was lower than that observed for the 4AT, but the pooled LR- (0.22, 95% CI 0.05-1) was similar. Based on one study the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) is the superior instrument to rule in delirium. The calculated test threshold is 2% and the treatment threshold is 11%. CONCLUSIONS: The quantitative accuracy of history and physical examination to identify ED delirium is virtually unexplored. The 4AT has the largest quantity of ED-based research. Other screening instruments may more accurately rule in or rule out delirium. If the goal is to rule in delirium then the CAM-ICU or brief CAM or modified CAM for the ED are superior instruments, although the accuracy of these screening tools are based on single-center studies. To rule out delirium, the Delirium Triage Screen is superior based on one single-center study.

A protocol to determine the acceptability and feasibility of a pilot intervention emergency department virtual observation unit fall prevention program.

BACKGROUND: As a third of all community dwellers aged 65+ fall each year, falls are common reasons for older adults to present to an Emergency Department (ED). Although EDs should assess patients' multifactorial fall risks to prevent future fall-related injuries, this frequently does not occur. We describe our protocol to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of a pilot ED Virtual Observation Unit (VOU) Falls program. METHODS: To ensure standardized conduct and reporting, the Standard Protocol Items for Intervention Trials (SPIRIT) guidelines will be used. The VOU is a program where patients are sent home from the ED but are part of a virtual observation unit in that they can call on-call ED physicians while they are being treated for conditions such as cellulitis, congestive heart failure, or pneumonia. A paramedic conducts daily visits with the patient and facilitates a telemedicine consult with an ED physician. VOU nursing staff conduct daily assessments of patients via telemedicine. The ED VOU Falls program is one of the VOU pathways and is a multi-component fall prevention program for fall patients who present after an ED visit. The paramedic conducts a home safety evaluation, a Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). During the VOU visit, the ED physician conducts a telemedicine visit, while the paramedic is visiting the home, to review patients' fall-risk-increasing drugs and their TUG test. We will determine feasibility by calculating rates of patient enrollment refusal, and adherence to fall-risk prevention recommendations using information from 3-month follow-up telephone calls, as well as qualitative interviews with the paramedics. We will determine the acceptability of the ED VOU Falls program based on patient and provider surveys using a Likert scale. We will ask VOU nursing staff to report any safety issues encountered while the patient is in the ED VOU Falls program (e.g., tripping hazards). We will use the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables, Student's t-test for continuous variables, and Mann-Whitney for nonparametric data. We will review interview transcripts and generate codes. Codes will then be extracted and organized into concepts to generate an overall theme following grounded theory methods. This is a pilot study; hence, results cannot be extrapolated. However, a definite trial would be the next step in the future to determine if such a program could be implemented as part of fall prevention interventions. DISCUSSION: This study will provide insights into the feasibility and acceptability of a novel ED VOU Falls program with the aim of ultimately decreasing falls. In the future, such a program could be implemented as part of fall prevention interventions.