Evaluation of a Portable Blood Gas Analyzer for Prehospital Triage in Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Instrument Validation Study.

BACKGROUND: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Symptoms are mostly aspecific, making it hard to identify, and its diagnosis is usually made through blood gas analysis. However, the bulkiness of gas analyzers prevents them from being used at the scene of the incident, thereby leading to the unnecessary transport and admission of many patients. While multiple-wavelength pulse oximeters have been developed to discriminate carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) from oxyhemoglobin, their reliability is debatable, particularly in the hostile prehospital environment. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this pilot study was to assess whether the Avoximeter 4000, a transportable blood gas analyzer, could be considered for prehospital triage. METHODS: This was a monocentric, prospective, pilot evaluation study. Blood samples were analyzed sequentially with 2 devices: the Avoximeter 4000 (experimental), which performs direct measurements on blood samples of about 50 µL by analyzing light absorption at 5 different wavelengths; and the ABL827 FLEX (control), which measures COHb levels through an optical system composed of a 128-wavelength spectrophotometer. The blood samples belonged to 2 different cohorts: the first (clinical cohort) was obtained in an emergency department and consisted of 68 samples drawn from patients admitted for reasons other than CO poisoning. These samples were used to determine whether the Avoximeter 4000 could properly exclude the diagnosis. The second (forensic) cohort was derived from the regional forensic center, which provided 12 samples from documented CO poisoning. RESULTS: The mean COHb level in the clinical cohort was 1.7% (SD 1.8%; median 1.2%, IQR 0.7%-1.9%) with the ABL827 FLEX versus 3.5% (SD 2.3%; median 3.1%, IQR 2.2%-4.1%) with the Avoximeter 4000. Therefore, the Avoximeter 4000 overestimated COHb levels by a mean difference of 1.8% (95% CI 1.5%-2.1%). The consistency of COHb readings by the Avoximeter 4000 was excellent, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.97 (95% CI 0.93-0.99) when the same blood sample was analyzed repeatedly. Using prespecified cutoffs (5% in nonsmokers and 10% in smokers), 3 patients (4%) had high COHb levels according to the Avoximeter 4000, while their values were within the normal range according to the ABL827 FLEX. Therefore, the specificity of the Avoximeter 4000 in this cohort was 95.6% (95% CI 87%-98.6%), and the overtriage rate would have been 4.4% (95% CI 1.4%-13%). Regarding the forensic samples, 10 of 12 (83%) samples were positive with both devices, while the 2 remaining samples were negative with both devices. CONCLUSIONS: The limited difference in COHb level measurements between the Avoximeter 4000 and the control device, which erred on the side of safety, and the relatively low overtriage rate warrant further exploration of this device as a prehospital triage tool.

The Impact of Three Communication Channels on the Dissemination of a Serious Game Designed to Enhance COVID-19 Prevention.

Infection prevention interventions can only be effective if they are both well known and easily accessible. A randomized controlled trial showed that a serious game, "Escape COVID-19", was significantly more effective at improving the intention of adopting adequate infection prevention behavior than regular guidelines among long-term care facility employees. However, less than a fifth of all potential participants were finally recruited in this study. To determine whether a specific communication intervention was more effective than another, we carried out a retrospective analysis of account creation data over a six-month period. During the first period (53 days), information about the serious game was disseminated by a part-time worker. The second period (15 days) corresponded to a press release, while the third period (15 days) reflected an official communication from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. A total of 3995 accounts were created during the study period. Most accounts were created by health care workers (2699/3995, 67.6%). Median daily account creation was highest during the press release period (25; Q1:Q3 9:172) and lowest during the official communication period (6; Q1:Q3 4:20). The association between communication intervention and account creation was statistically significant both when considering the overall population (p = 0.013) and when only analyzing health care workers (p = 0.036).

Frailty assessment in emergency medicine using the Clinical Frailty Scale: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is a common condition present in older Emergency Department (ED) patients that is associated with poor health outcomes. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is a tool that measures frailty on a scale from 1 (very fit) to 9 (terminally ill). The goal of this scoping review was to describe current use of the CFS in emergency medicine and to identify gaps in research. METHODS: We performed a systemic literature search to identify original research that used the CFS in emergency medicine. Several databases were searched from January 2005 to July 2021. Two independent reviewers completed screening, full text review and data abstraction, with a focus on study characteristics, CFS assessment (evaluators, timing and purpose), study outcomes and statistical methods. RESULTS: A total of 4818 unique citations were identified; 34 studies were included in the final analysis. Among them, 76% were published after 2018, mainly in Europe or North America (79%). Only two assessed CFS in the pre-hospital setting. The nine-point scale was used in 74% of the studies, and patient consent was required in 69% of them. The main reason to use CFS was as a main exposure (44%), a potential predictor (15%) or an outcome (15%). The most frequently studied outcomes were mortality and hospital admission. CONCLUSION: The use of CFS in emergency medicine research is drastically increasing. However, the reporting is not optimal and should be more standardized. Studies evaluating the impact of frailty assessment in the ED are needed. REGISTRATION: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/W2F8N.

The Importance of Acknowledging an Intermediate Category of Airway Management Devices in the Prehospital Setting.

Prehospital airway devices are often classified as either basic or advanced, with this latter category including both supraglottic airway (SGA) devices and instruments designed to perform endotracheal intubation (ETI). Therefore, many authors analyze the impact of SGA and ETI devices jointly. There are however fundamental differences between these instruments. Indeed, adequate airway protection can only be achieved through ETI, and SGA devices all have relatively low leak pressures which might compromise both oxygenation and ventilation when lung compliance is decreased. In addition, there is increasing evidence that SGA devices reduce carotid blood flow in case of cardiac arrest. Nevertheless, SGA devices might be particularly useful in the prehospital setting where many providers are not experienced enough to safely perform ETI. Compared to basic airway management (bag-valve-mask) devices, SGA devices enable better oxygenation, decrease the odds of aspiration, and allow for more reliable capnometric measurement by virtue of their enhanced airtightness. For all these reasons, we strongly believe that SGA devices should be categorized as "intermediate airway management devices" and be systematically analyzed separately from devices designed to perform ETI.

Association between mortality and frailty in emergency general surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this review was to determine the association between frailty and mortality among adults ≥ 65 years old undergoing emergency general surgery (EGS). METHODS: This systematic review followed the PRISMA guidelines (CRD42020172482 on PROSPERO). A search in MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was conducted from inception to March 5, 2020. Studies with patients ≥ 65 years undergoing EGS were included. The primary exposure was frailty, measured using the Clinical Frailty Scale or the Modified Frailty Index. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes were 90-day and 1-year mortality, length of stay, complications, change in level of care at discharge, and loss of independence. Two independent reviewers screened articles and extracted data. Risk of bias was assessed according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. A meta-analysis was performed for 30-day mortality using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Our search yielded 847 articles and six cohort studies were included in the systematic review. There were 1289 patients, 283 being frail. The pooled OR from meta-analysis for frail compared to non-frail patients was 2.91 (95% CI 2.00, 4.23) for 30-day mortality. Frailty was associated with increased odds of all secondary outcomes. CONCLUSION: Frailty is significantly associated with worse outcomes after emergency general surgery in adults ≥ 65 years of age. The Clinical Frailty Scale could be used to improve preoperative risk assessment for patients and shared decision-making between patients and healthcare providers. REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020172482 (PROSPERO).