Characteristics of Patients Who Return to the Emergency Department After an Observation Unit Assessment.

Introduction: Emergency Department observation units (EDOU) transition patients from the emergency department (ED) to dedicated areas where they can receive continuous monitoring. Understanding patient return visits after EDOU discharge is important for optimizing healthcare. The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between demographic and clinical features and the likelihood of returning to the ED within 30 days following their initial assessment in the EDOU. Methods: This retrospective, observational cohort study of adult EDOU subjects was conducted between February 1, 2018 - January 31, 2023. Adult patients evaluated in the EDOU and returned to the ED within 30 days were identified. Subjects were compared to those assessed in the EDOU but did not return to the ED within 30 days. The analysis took into account multiple visits by the same subject and made adjustments for variables including gender, ethnicity, insurance status, primary diagnosis, and disposition, using a generalized linear mixed model. Results: A total of 14,910 EDOU encounters were analyzed and 2,252 (15%) patients returned to the ED within 30 days. The analysis took into account several variables demonstrated a significant association with the likelihood of returning to the ED within 30 days. These included gender (p=0.0002), ethnicity (p=0.005), race (p=0.0004), insurance status (p<0.0001), primary diagnosis (p<0.0001), and disposition (p<0.001). Emergency severity index and length of stay were not associated with returning. Conclusions: Understanding these factors may guide interventions, enhance EDOU care, and reduce resource strain. Further research should explore these associations and long-term intervention impacts for improved outcomes.

Utilization of a multidisciplinary hospital-based approach to reduce readmission rates.

Background: Hospital readmissions remain a significant and pressing issue in our healthcare system. In 2010, the Affordable Care Act helped establish the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, which incentivized reducing readmission rates by instituting penalties. Hospital readmission, specifically unplanned, refers to a patient returning to the hospital shortly after discharge due to the same or a related medical condition, signaling potential issues in initial care, discharge processes, or post-hospitalization management. For this study, we defined readmission as a return to the hospital within 30 days. In 2018, Staten Island University Hospital started a multidisciplinary and coordinated initiative to reduce patient readmissions. The approach involved the departments of emergency medicine, medicine, cardiology, case management, nursing, pharmacy, and transitional care management. This study aimed to determine if this approach reduced 30-day readmissions. Methods: This case-control retrospective study reviewed electronic health records between January 2018 and November 2019. Readmission rates within 30 days of index discharge were compared between patients who received transitional care management before and after establishing a multidisciplinary communication of transitional care. Readmission rates were unadjusted and adjusted for patient demographics and predisposed risk for readmission and compared across demographics and select clinical characteristics. Results: A total of 772 patients were included in the analyses; 323 were in the control group (41.8%), and 449 were in the intervention group (58.2%). After the hospital adopted the workflow for multidisciplinary communication of transitional care, there was 45.2% less adjusted incidence of readmission, or approximately seven fewer overall readmissions per 100 patients (16.4% readmission vs 9.0% readmission; incident rate ratio, 0.55; 95% CI: 0.34-0.88). Conclusions: Multidisciplinary communication approaches led by emergency medicine can help reduce readmissions significantly. Adopting a structured communication workflow can enhance co-managing patients with a high risk of readmission between the emergency department and hospital medicine teams.

Femoral Nerve Blocks versus Standard Pain Control for Hip Fractures: A Retrospective Comparative Analysis.

Introduction: Pain control for hip fractures is often achieved via intravenous opioids. However, opioids can have dangerous adverse effects, including respiratory depression and delirium. Peripheral nerve blockade is an alternative option for pain control, which reduces the need for opioid analgesia. The purpose of this study was to compare the use of femoral nerve blocks versus standard pain control for patients with hip fractures. Methods: This retrospective study included adult patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with isolated hip fractures between April 2021 and September 2022. The intervention group included all patients who received a femoral nerve block during this time. An equivalent number of patients who received standard pain control during that period were randomly selected to represent the control group. The primary outcome was pre-operative opioid requirement, assessed by morphine milligram equivalents (MME). Results: During the study period, 90 patients were identified in each treatment group. Mean pre-operative MME was 10.3 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.4-13.2 MME) for the intervention group and 14.0 (95% CI: 10.2-17.8) for the control group (P=0.13). Patients who received a femoral nerve block also had shorter time from ED triage to hospital discharge (7.2 days, 95% CI: 6.2-8.0 days) than patients who received standard care (8.6 days, 95% CI: 7.2-10.0 days). Still, this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.09). Conclusions: Femoral nerve blockade is a safe and effective alternative to opioids for pain control in patients with hip fractures.

Improvement of Procedure Documentation Compliance With the Implementation of a Visual Aid.

BACKGROUND: Emergency department (ED) providers face increasing task burdens and requirements related to documentation and paperwork. To decrease the mental task burden for providers, our institution developed an infographic that illustrates which forms are necessary for complete documentation of nonemergent invasive procedures. OBJECTIVES: Our study aims to analyze the effect of a nonelectronic health record-based infographic, paired with direct feedback, on compliance with nonemergent invasive procedure documentation performed in the ED. METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational study of all procedure documentation performed in the ED with a pre-/post-test design. The study included two 8-month study periods, 1 year apart. The preimplementation period used for comparison was January 1, 2019-August 31, 2019, and the postimplementation period was January 1, 2020-August 31, 2020. All invasive procedures that required documentation in addition to a procedure note were included in the study. The primary outcome was the percentage of compliance with documentation requirements. RESULTS: During the pre- and postimplementation study periods, 486 and 405 charts with nonemergent procedures were identified, respectively. In the preimplementation period, 278 (57%) procedures were compliant with all documentation, vs. the postimplementation period, where 287 (71%) procedures were compliant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Implementing an invasive procedure documentation infographic and direct feedback improved overall documentation compliance for nonemergent invasive procedures.

A Strange Twist.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 16-year-old female presented to the emergency department with acute onset of right lower quadrant abdominal pain for several hours. The patient was afebrile and physical examination was notable for isolated tenderness in the right lower quadrant. Ultrasound and computed tomography demonstrated an adnexal cystic structure. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging was ordered to better characterize the pathology. DISCUSSION: Isolated fallopian tube torsion is an uncommon entity requiring prompt surgical intervention. Recognition and appropriate management are essential.

Distribution of Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis and Implications for Limited Compression Ultrasound Examinations.

BACKGROUND: Limited compression bedside ultrasonography (LCUS) including two-point, three-point, and extended compression examinations have become increasingly popular among emergency physicians to assess for lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT). OBJECTIVE: Our objective in this study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of lower extremity DVT in sites identified by complete duplex ultrasonography (CDUS) that may potentially be missed using limited compression ultrasonography techniques. METHODS: This was a retrospective, multicenter study conducted at 12 hospitals within the Northwell Health system over a span of 4 years. Study participants (emergency department patients) underwent CDUS to assess for possible DVT. Images were reviewed and interpreted by radiologists and vascular surgeons at each of the participating institutions. RESULTS: A total of 42,487 CDUS examinations were performed, of which 3383 were positive for DVT. DVTs were deemed to be acute in 2664 (79%) and chronic in the remaining 21% on the basis of comparison with previous studies and appearance of the vein. Of the acute DVTs, 136 (5.1%) were confined to the common femoral vein, 116 (4.4%) to the femoral vein, 8 (0.3%) to deep femoral vein, 213 (8.0%) to popliteal vein, and 934 (35.1) to calf veins alone. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, a significant number of DVTs were identified in sites that may have been potentially missed on LCUS examinations, thereby supporting the use of complete duplex ultrasonography when available.

Characteristics and Demographics of Patients Requiring Emergent Air Medical.

Background: As integrated health systems become more common, interfacility patient transfers will increase and air transport programs will be prioritized. Understanding characteristics of patients triaged to air medical transport will assist with resource allocation and needs assessment. The objective of this study was to investigate the demographics and clinical characteristics of patients that presented to the emergency department (ED) and subsequently required emergent air medical interfacility transport. Methods: This was a retrospective, multicenter study conducted at eight hospitals within Northwell Health, the largest academic health system in New York state. The study was conducted between December 1, 2014, and July 31, 2020, and included patients who presented to an ED and subsequently required emergent air medical interfacility transport. Results: Overall, the median age was 37 years (IQR 4-66), and 231 (54%) subjects were males. The majority of subjects (59%) had no reported comorbidities, arrived by ambulance (52%), and were emergency severity index triage 2 (48%). Frequent indications for transfer were nontraumatic neurologic (37%), pulmonary or respiratory (13%), trauma (12%), and cardiovascular (12%). Most patients were not ventilated before transport (71%). The median time to call for transport at the sending institution was 2:42 hours (IQR 1:14-6:54), and the median length of stay was 4:12 (IQR 2:31-8:48). Most patients were subsequently admitted (96%) at the receiving institution to an intensive care unit (72%). Conclusions: This study describes patients' demographic and clinical characteristics who required emergent air medical transport. Helicopter transport is costly, and data from these patients may further help our understanding of who is transported by air and how important air transport is to the health system.

The Effect of an Iodinated Contrast Material Shortage on Ordering Patterns in the Emergency Department.

Introduction Iodinated contrast media (ICM) is essential to emergency department care in differentiating and delineating life-threatening pathologies. In May 2022, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, there was an unprecedented disruption in the manufacturing of iodinated contrast. The primary goal of this study was to describe the effects of an ICM shortage on the ordering patterns of emergency medicine physicians. Methods This was a retrospective, observational study with a pre-/post-test design. The study included two 28-day periods. All subjects who underwent a CT were included in the study. The subgroup of patients who underwent a repeat CT with ICM contrast within 1-24 hours was identified. Results During the pre- and post-implementation study periods, 4,574 and 3,973 CT studies were performed. The median length of stay (p=0.013) and time to first CT (p<0.001) both decreased during the post-implementation period. During the post-implementation period, more non-contrast CTs were ordered (p<0.001). During the post-implementation period, there was an increase in non-contrast studies followed by a repeat study with contrast (p=0.003). Conclusions A global ICM shortage resulted in a shift in the ordering patterns of Emergency Medicine (EM) physicians. More non-contrast CT scans were ordered. However, there was also an increase in repeat imaging with ICM material.

A Case Report of Delayed Presentation of a Carotid-Jugular Fistula Caused by Blunt Injury from an Arrow.

BACKGROUND: Acquired arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are most commonly caused by direct arterial trauma, with 90% of traumatic AVFs due to penetrating trauma. Post-traumatic common carotid artery-internal jugular vein fistulae are rare, with an incidence of 4% to 7% of all traumatic AVFs. CASE REPORT: We present a case of delayed presentation of a patient with shortness of breath, neck pain, and worsening right upper extremity paresthesias 10 days after a blunt injury to the neck by an arrow. He was subsequently found to have a common carotid artery-internal jugular vein fistula and a common carotid pseudoaneurysm on computed tomography angiography. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Post-traumatic common carotid-jugular AVFs are uncommon, especially in patients with delayed presentations and a blunt injury mechanism. If left untreated, AVFs may progress to high-output cardiac failure, atrial fibrillation, and embolization. Clinicians must be aware of this finding, given the potential for significant morbidity.

The Effect of a Nursing Hold Team on Patient Satisfaction for Admitted Patients Discharged Directly From the Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVES: Emergency departments (ED) across the United States face challenges related to patient volume, available capacity, and patient throughput. Patient satisfaction is adversely affected by crowding and lengthy boarding times. This study aimed to determine whether the implementation of a dedicated nursing hold team (NHT) would improve patient satisfaction scores for admitted patients discharged directly from the ED. METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational study with a pre-/post-test design. All admitted adult patients who returned a Press Ganey (PG) survey were included in the study. There were two twelve-month study periods before and after implementing an ED NHT. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients who gave top box scores for all questions in the Nursing Communication Domain. RESULTS: During the pre-implementation period, 108 patients (59%) gave an overall top box rating for the Nursing Communication Domain versus the post-implementation period, where 99 patients (66%) provided a top box rating (OR 1.375, p = 0.16). There was a trend toward increased satisfaction for individual categories. However, these differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a dedicated NHT showed an increase in the overall top box PG Nursing Communication Domain score and several of the individual domain questions. Future studies should examine other potential benefits from a dedicated NHT, such as the rate of adverse events and medication delays.