Using the Boston Syncope Observation Management Pathway to Reduce Hospital Admission and Adverse Outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: In an age of increasing scrutiny of each hospital admission, emergency department (ED) observation has been identified as a low-cost alternative. Prior studies have shown admission rates for syncope in the United States to be as high as 70%. However, the safety and utility of substituting ED observation unit (EDOU) syncope management has not been well studied. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of EDOU for the management of patients presenting to the ED with syncope and its efficacy in reducing hospital admissions. METHODS: This was a prospective before-and-after cohort study of consecutive patients presenting with syncope who were seen in an urban ED and were either admitted to the hospital, discharged, or placed in the EDOU. We first performed an observation study of syncope management and then implemented an ED observation-based management pathway. We identified critical interventions and 30-day outcomes. We compared proportions of admissions and adverse events rates with a chi-squared or Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: In the "before" phase, 570 patients were enrolled, with 334 (59%) admitted and 27 (5%) placed in the EDOU; 3% of patients discharged from the ED had critical interventions within 30 days and 10% returned. After the management pathway was introduced, 489 patients were enrolled; 34% (p<0.001) of pathway patients were admitted while 20% were placed in the EDOU; 3% (p=0.99) of discharged patients had critical interventions at 30 days and 3% returned (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: A focused syncope management pathway effectively reduces hospital admissions and adverse events following discharge and returns to the ED.

Chest computed tomography imaging utility for radiographically occult rib fractures in elderly fall-injured patients.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies demonstrate an association between rib fractures and morbidity and mortality in trauma. This relationship in low-mechanism injuries, such as ground-level fall, is less clearly defined. Furthermore, computed tomography (CT) has increased sensitivity for rib fractures compared with chest x-ray (CXR); its utility in elderly fall patients is unknown. We sought to determine whether CT-diagnosed rib fractures in elderly fall patients with a normal CXR were associated with increased in-hospital resource utilization or mortality. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of emergency department patients presenting over a 3-year period. INCLUSION CRITERIA: age, 65 years or older; chief complaint, including mechanical fall; and both CXR and CT obtained. We quantified rib fractures on CXR and CT and reported operating characteristics for both. Outcomes of interest included hospital admission/length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit (ICU) admission/LOS, endotracheal intubation, tube thoracostomy, locoregional anesthesia, pneumonia, in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: We identified 330 patients, mean age was 84 years (±SD, 9.4 years); 269 (82%) of 330 were admitted. There were 96 (29%) patients with CT-diagnosed rib fracture, 56 (17%) by CT only. Compared with CT, CXR had a sensitivity of 40% (95% confidence interval, 30-50%) and specificity of 99% (95% confidence interval, 97-100%) for rib fracture. A median of two additional radiographically occult rib fractures were identified on CT. Despite an increased hospital admission rate (91% vs. 78%) p = 0.02, there was no difference between patients with and without radiographically occult (CT+ CXR-) rib fracture(s) for: median LOS (4; interquartile range (IQR) 2-7 vs 4, IQR 2-8); p = 0.92), ICU admission (28% vs. 27%) p = 0.62, median ICU LOS (2, IQR 1-8 vs 3, IQR 1-5) p = 0.54, or in-hospital mortality (10.3% vs. 7.3%) p = 0.45. CONCLUSION: Among elderly fall patients, CT-identified rib fractures were associated with increased hospital admissions. However, there was no difference in procedural interventions, ICU admission, hospital/ICU LOS or mortality for patients with and without radiographically occult fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic, level III.

A Novel Implementation of Magnetic Levitation to Quantify Leukocyte Size, Morphology, and Magnetic Properties to Identify Patients With Sepsis.

BACKGROUND: We have developed a novel, easily implementable methodology using magnetic levitation to quantify circulating leukocyte size, morphology, and magnetic properties, which may help in rapid, bedside screening for sepsis. OBJECTIVE: Our objectives were to describe our methodological approach to leukocyte assessment, and to perform a pilot investigation to test the ability of magnetic levitation to identify and quantify changes in leukocyte size, shape, density, and/or paramagnetic properties in healthy controls and septic patients. METHODS: This prospective, observational cohort study was performed in a 56,000/y visit emergency department (ED) and affiliated outpatient phlebotomy laboratory. Inclusion criteria were admittance to the hospital with suspected or confirmed infection for the septic group, and we enrolled the controls from ED/outpatient patients without infection or acute illness. The bench-top experiments were performed using magnetic levitation to visualize the leukocytes. We primary sought to compare septic patients with noninfected controls and secondary to assess the association with sepsis severity. Our covariates were area, length, width, roundness, and standard deviation (SD) of levitation height. We used unpaired t test and area under the curve (AUC) for the assessment of accuracy in distinguishing between septic and control patients. RESULTS: We enrolled 39 noninfected controls and 22 septic patients. Our analyses of septic patients compared with controls showed: mean cell area in pixels (px) 562 ±â€Š111 vs. 410 ±â€Š45, P < 0.0001, AUC = 0.89 (0.80-0.98); length (px), 29 ±â€Š2.5 vs. 25 ±â€Š1.9, P < 0.0001, AUC = 0.90 (0.83-0.98); and width (px), 27 ±â€Š2.4 vs. 23 ±â€Š1.5, P < 0.0001, AUC = 0.92 (0.84-0.99). Cell roundness: 2.1 ±â€Š1.0 vs. 2.2 ±â€Š1.2, P = 0.8, AUC = 0.51. SD of the levitation height (px) was 72 ±â€Š25 vs. 47 ±â€Š16, P < 0.001, AUC = 0.80 (0.67-0.93). CONCLUSIONS: Septic patients had circulating leukocytes with especially increased size parameters, which distinguished sepsis from noninfected patients with promising high accuracy. This portal-device compatible technology shows promise as a potential bedside diagnostic.

Plantaris rupture: a mimic of deep venous thrombosis.

BACKGROUND: The differential diagnosis of non-traumatic lower extremity pain and swelling runs the gamut from simple musculoskeletal injury to a possibly life-threatening deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Although evaluation and management are often guided by physical examination and history, a diagnostic study is often required. Institutional factors surrounding diagnostic imaging often lead physicians to empirically treat these patients for DVT with a plan for definitive diagnosis at a later time. OBJECTIVES: We discuss plantaris tendon rupture, the ability of the clinician to differentiate DVT from musculoskeletal injury, and the risks of anticoagulation in the setting of an undifferentiated, painful, swollen lower extremity. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 57-year-old transgendered woman who presented with left lower extremity pain and swelling and was found to have a rare cause of tennis leg: plantaris tendon rupture. CONCLUSIONS: Frequently, clinical examination and history are insufficient to distinguish DVT from musculoskeletal injury. In these instances, anticoagulation carries a risk of compartment syndrome and hemorrhage with uncertain benefit to the patient. A definitive diagnosis should be sought before initiation of anticoagulation of the swollen, painful lower extremity.