Decreased patient discharges on weekends part 3: what do the leaders tell us?

BACKGROUND: Emergency department (ED) crowding is a significant challenge to providing safe and quality care to patients. We know that hospital and ED crowding is exacerbated on Mondays because fewer in-patients are discharged on the weekend. We evaluated barriers and potential solutions to improve in-patient flow and diminished weekend discharges, in hopes of decreasing the severe ED crowding observed on Mondays. METHODS: In this observational study, we conducted interviews of (a) leaders at The Ottawa Hospital, a major academic health sciences centre (nursing, allied health, physicians), and (b) leaders of community facilities (long-term care and chronic hospital) that receive patients from the hospital, and (c) home care. Each interview was conducted individually and addressed perceived barriers to the discharge of hospital in-patients on weekends as well as potential solutions. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted whereby themes were organized into a summary table of barriers and solutions. RESULTS: We interviewed 40 leaders including 30 nursing, physician, and allied health leaders from the hospital as well as 10 senior personnel from community facilities and home care. Many barriers to weekend discharges were identified, highlighting that this problem is complex with many interdependent internal and external factors. Fortunately, many specific potential solutions were suggested, in immediate, short-term and long-term time horizons. While many solutions require additional resources, others require a culture change whereby hospital and community stakeholders recognize that services must be provided consistently, seven days a week. INTERPRETATION: We have identified the complex and interdependent barriers to weekend discharges of in-patients. There are numerous specific opportunities for hospital staff and services, physicians, and community facilities to provide the same patient care on weekends as on weekdays. This will lead to improved patient flow and safety, and to decreased ED crowding on Mondays.

ABSTRAIT: CONTEXTE: Le surpeuplement des services d'urgence (SU) est un défi important pour fournir des soins sécuritaires et de qualité aux patients. Nous savons que le surpeuplement des hôpitaux et des urgences est exacerbé le lundi parce que moins de patients hospitalisés reçoivent leur congé le week-end. Nous avons évalué les obstacles et les solutions potentielles pour améliorer le flux de patients hospitalisés et diminuer les congés de fin de semaine, dans l'espoir de réduire le surpeuplement sévère observé le lundi. MéTHODES: Dans cette étude observationnelle, nous avons interviewé (a) des dirigeants de l'Hôpital d'Ottawa, un important centre universitaire des sciences de la santé (soins infirmiers, soins paramédicaux, médecins), et (b) des dirigeants d'établissements communautaires (soins de longue durée et hôpitaux de soins chroniques) qui reçoivent des patients de l'hôpital et (c) des soins à domicile. Chaque entrevue a été menée individuellement et a abordé les obstacles perçus au congé des patients hospitalisés le week-end ainsi que les solutions potentielles. Une analyse thématique inductive a été menée, dans le cadre de laquelle les thèmes ont été organisés en un tableau récapitulatif des obstacles et des solutions RéSULTATS: Nous avons interviewé 40 dirigeants, dont 30 chefs de file des soins infirmiers, des médecins et des professions paramédicales de l'hôpital, ainsi que 10 cadres supérieurs d'établissements communautaires et de soins à domicile. De nombreux obstacles aux congés de fin de semaine ont été cernés, ce qui souligne que ce problème est complexe et qu'il comporte de nombreux facteurs internes et externes interdépendants. Heureusement, de nombreuses solutions potentielles spécifiques ont été proposées, à court terme et à long terme. Bien que de nombreuses solutions exigent des ressources supplémentaires, d'autres exigent un changement de culture par lequel les intervenants hospitaliers et communautaires reconnaissent que les services doivent être fournis de façon uniforme, sept jours par semaine. INTERPRéTATION: Nous avons identifié les obstacles complexes et interdépendants aux sorties de fin de semaine des patients hospitalisés. Il existe de nombreuses possibilités précises pour le personnel et les services hospitaliers, les médecins et les établissements communautaires d'offrir les mêmes soins aux patients les fins de semaine que les jours de semaine. Cela permettra d'améliorer la circulation et la sécurité des patients, et de réduire le surpeuplement des urgences le lundi.

Emergency physician gender and head computed tomography orders for older adults who have fallen.

OBJECTIVE: Physicians vary in their computed tomography (CT) scan usage. It remains unclear how physician gender relates to clinical practice or patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the association between physician gender and decision to order head CT scans for older emergency patients who had fallen. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a prospective observational cohort study conducted in 11 hospital emergency departments (EDs) in Canada and the United States. The primary study enrolled patients who were 65 years and older who presented to the ED after a fall. The analysis evaluated treating physician gender adjusted for multiple clinical variables. Primary analysis used a hierarchical logistic regression model to evaluate the association between treating physician gender and the patient receiving a head CT scan. Secondary analysis reported the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for diagnosing intracranial bleeding by physician gender. RESULTS: There were 3663 patients and 256 physicians included in the primary analysis. In the adjusted analysis, women physicians were no more likely to order a head CT than men (OR 1.26, 95% confidence interval 0.98-1.61). In the secondary analysis of 2294 patients who received a head CT, physician gender was not associated with finding a clinically important intracranial bleed. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant association between physician gender and ordering head CT scans for older emergency patients who had fallen. For patients where CT scans were ordered, there was no significant relationship between physician gender and the diagnosis of clinically important intracranial bleeding.

Incidence and outcomes of emergency department patients requiring emergency general surgery: a 5-year retrospective cohort study.

AIMS: Patients undergoing emergency general surgery are at high risk of complications and death. Our objectives were to estimate the incidence of emergency general surgery in a Swiss University Hospital, to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing such procedures, and to study the impact of age on clinical outcomes. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients who visited the emergency department (ED) of Geneva University Hospitals between January 2015 and December 2019. Routinely collected data were extracted from electronic medical records. The primary outcome was the incidence of emergency general surgery among patients visiting the emergency department, defined as general surgery within three days of emergency department admission. We also assessed demographic characteristics, mortality, intensive care unit admission and patient disposition. Multivariable log-binomial regression was used to study the associations of age with intensive care unit (ICU) admission, one-year mortality and dependence at discharge. Age was modelled as a continuous variable using restricted cubic splines and we compared older patients (75th percentile) with younger patients (25th percentile). RESULTS: Between January 2015 and December 2019, a total of 310,914 emergency department visits met our inclusion criteria. Among them, 3592 patients underwent emergency general surgery within 3 days of emergency department admission, yielding an annual incidence of 116 events per 10,000 emergency department visits (95% CI: 112-119), with a higher incidence in females and young patients. Overall, 5.3% of patients were admitted to ICU, 7.8% were dependent on rehabilitation or assisted living at discharge and 4.8% were dead after one year. Older patients had a higher risk of ICU admission (adjusted risk ratio (aRR) 2.9 [1.5-5.4]), dependence at discharge (aRR 15.3 [5.5-42.4]) and one-year mortality (aRR 5.4 [2.2-13.4]). CONCLUSION: Emergency department visits resulting in emergency general surgery are frequent, but their incidence decreases with patient age. Mortality, ICU admission and dependence at discharge following emergency general surgery are more frequent in older patients. Taking into account the increased risk for older patients, a shared process is appropriate for making more informed decisions about their options for care.

Assessment of physician compliance to the CAEP 2021 Atrial Fibrillation Best Practices Checklist for rate and rhythm control in the emergency department.

OBJECTIVES: Acute atrial fibrillation and flutter (AF/AFL) are common arrhythmias treated in the emergency department (ED). The 2021 CAEP Best Practices Checklist provides clear recommendations for management of patients with acute AF/AFL. This study aimed to evaluate physician compliance to Checklist recommendations for risk assessment and ED management of AF/AFL. METHODS: This health records review assessed the management of adult patients presenting to two tertiary care EDs for management of acute AF/AFL from January to August, 2022. All ECGs demonstrating AF/AFL with a heart rate greater than 100 were compiled to capture primary and secondary causes. All visits were assessed for rate and rhythm control management, adverse events, return to ED, and safety criteria. Study physicians classified safety criteria from the Checklist into high and moderate concerns. The primary outcome was the proportion of cases with safety concerns and adverse events occurring during management in the ED. Data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. RESULTS: We included 429 patients with a mean age of 67.7 years and 57.1% male. ED management included rate control (20.4%), electrical (40.1%), and pharmacological (20.1%) cardioversion. Adverse events occurred in 9.5% of cases: 12.5% in rate control, 13.4% in electrical cardioversion, and 6.9% in pharmacologic cardioversion. Overall, 7.9% of cases had management safety concerns. Moderate safety concerns occurred in 4.9% of cases including failure to attain recommended heart rate at time of discharge (3.9%). Severe concerns were identified in 3.0% of cases including failure to cardiovert unstable patients (1.2%). The 30-day return-to-ED rate was 16.5% secondary to AF/AFL. CONCLUSION: ED management of AF/AFL was consistent with the CAEP Checklist and was safe overall. Opportunities for optimizing care include attaining recommended targets during rate control, avoidance of calcium channel and beta blockers in patients with systolic dysfunction, and earlier cardioversion for clinically unstable patients.

ABSTRAIT: OBJECTIFS: La fibrillation auriculaire aiguë et le flutter (FA/FAT) sont des arythmies courantes traitées aux urgences (SU). La liste de vérification des pratiques exemplaires 2021 du CAEP fournit des recommandations claires pour la prise en charge des patients atteints de FA/FAT aiguës. Cette étude visait à évaluer la conformité des médecins aux recommandations de la liste de contrôle pour l'évaluation des risques et la gestion de la FA/FAT. MéTHODES: Cet examen des dossiers de santé a évalué la prise en charge des patients adultes qui se sont présentés à deux urgences de soins tertiaires pour la prise en charge des FA/FAT aiguës de janvier à août 2022. Tous les ECG démontrant une FA/FAT avec une fréquence cardiaque supérieure à 100 ont été compilés pour capturer les causes primaires et secondaires. Toutes les visites ont été évaluées pour la gestion du contrôle des taux et du rythme, les événements indésirables, le retour à l'urgence et les critères de sécurité. Les médecins de l'étude ont classé les critères d'innocuité de la liste de contrôle en préoccupations élevées et modérées. Le résultat principal était la proportion de cas présentant des préoccupations en matière de sécurité et des événements indésirables survenant pendant la prise en charge à l'urgence. Les données ont été analysées à l'aide de statistiques descriptives simples. RéSULTATS: Nous avons inclus 429 patients avec un âge moyen de 67.7 ans et 57.1% d'hommes. La prise en charge de l'urgence comprenait une cardioversion contrôlée (20.4 %), électrique (40.1 %) et pharmacologique (20.1 %). Des événements indésirables se sont produits dans 9.5% des cas : 12.5% dans le contrôle du taux, 13.4% dans la cardioversion électrique et 6.9% dans la cardioversion pharmacologique. Dans l'ensemble, 7.9 % des cas concernaient la sécurité de la direction. Des problèmes de sécurité modérés sont survenus dans 4.9 % des cas, y compris l'incapacité d'atteindre la fréquence cardiaque recommandée au moment du congé (3.9 %). Des préoccupations graves ont été identifiées dans 3.0 % des cas, y compris l'échec à cardiovert patients instables (1.2 %). Le taux de retour aux urgences après 30 jours était de 16,5 % secondaire aux FA/FAT. CONCLUSION: La gestion de l'AF/AFL par le DG était conforme à la liste de vérification du CAEP et était sécuritaire dans l'ensemble. Les possibilités d'optimisation des soins comprennent l'atteinte des cibles recommandées lors du contrôle des taux, l'évitement du canal calcique et des bêtabloquants chez les patients présentant une dysfonction systolique et une cardioversion antérieure pour les patients cliniquement instables.

How well do ED physician practices align with the CAEP acute atrial fibrillation checklist for stroke prevention and disposition?

OBJECTIVES: Acute atrial fibrillation (AF)/flutter (AFL) is a common emergency department (ED) presentation. In 2021, an updated version of CAEP's Acute AF/AFL Best Practices Checklist was published, seeking to guide management. We assessed the alignment with and safety of application of the Checklist, regarding stroke prevention and disposition. METHODS: This health records review included adults presenting to two tertiary care academic EDs between January and August 2022 with a diagnosis of acute AF/AFL. Patients were excluded if their initial heart rate was < 100 or if they were hospitalized. Data extracted included: demographics, CHADS-65 score, clinical characteristics, ED treatment and disposition, and outpatient prescriptions and referrals. Our primary outcome was the proportion of patient encounters with one or more identified safety issues. Each case was assessed according to seven predetermined criteria from elements of the CAEP Checklist and either deemed "safe" or to contain one or more safety issues. We used descriptive statistics with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: 358 patients met inclusion criteria. The mean age was 66.9 years, 59.2% were male and 77.4% patients had at least one of the CHADS-65 criteria. 169 (47.2%) were not already on anticoagulation and 99 (27.6%) were discharged home with a new prescription for anticoagulation. The primary outcome was identified in 6.4% (95% CI 4.3-9.5) of encounters, representing 28 safety issues in 23 individuals. The safety concerns included: failure to prescribe anticoagulation when indicated (n = 6), inappropriate dosing of a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) (n = 2), inappropriate prescription of rate or rhythm control medication (n = 9), and failure to recommend appropriately timed follow-up for new rate control medication (n = 11). CONCLUSIONS: There was a very high level of ED physician alignment with CAEP's Best Practices Checklist regarding disposition and stroke prevention. There are opportunities to further improve care with respect to recommendation of anticoagulation and reducing inappropriate prescriptions of rate or rhythm medications.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: La fibrillation auriculaire aiguë (FA)/flutter (FAT) est une présentation courante aux urgences (SU). En 2021, une version mise à jour de la liste de vérification des pratiques exemplaires en matière de FA/FAT aiguë du CAEP a été publiée, dans le but de guider la direction. Nous avons évalué l'harmonisation et la sécurité de l'application de la liste de contrôle en ce qui concerne la prévention et la disposition des AVC. MéTHODES: Cet examen des dossiers de santé comprenait des adultes qui se sont présentés à deux urgences universitaires de soins tertiaires entre janvier et août 2022 avec un diagnostic d'AF/AFL aigu. Les patients étaient exclus si leur fréquence cardiaque initiale était inférieure à 100 ou s'ils étaient hospitalisés. Les données extraites comprenaient les données démographiques, le score CHADS-65, les caractéristiques cliniques, le traitement et la disposition des urgences, ainsi que les prescriptions et les références ambulatoires. Notre résultat principal était la proportion de patients qui rencontraient un ou plusieurs problèmes de sécurité identifiés. Chaque cas a été évalué selon sept critères prédéterminés à partir des éléments de la liste de vérification du PPVE et jugé « sécuritaire ¼ ou comportant un ou plusieurs problèmes de sécurité. Nous avons utilisé des statistiques descriptives avec des intervalles de confiance de 95 %. RéSULTATS: 358 patients répondaient aux critères d'inclusion. L'âge moyen était de 66.9 ans, 59.2% étaient des hommes et 77.4% des patients avaient au moins un des critères CHADS-65. 169 (47.2%) n'étaient pas déjà sous anticoagulation et 99 (27.6%) ont été renvoyés à la maison avec une nouvelle prescription d'anticoagulation. Le critère de jugement principal a été identifié dans 6.4 % (IC à 95 % 4.3­9.5) des rencontres, ce qui représente 28 problèmes d'innocuité chez 23 personnes. Parmi les préoccupations en matière d'innocuité, mentionnons l'omission de prescrire un anticoagulant lorsque cela est indiqué (n = 6), l'administration inappropriée d'un anticoagulant oral direct (n = 2), la prescription inappropriée d'un médicament pour contrôler le rythme ou le rythme (n = 9), et l'omission de recommander un suivi bien chronométré vers le haut pour le nouveau médicament de contrôle de taux (n = 11). CONCLUSIONS: Il y avait un très haut niveau d'harmonisation des médecins de l'urgence avec la liste de vérification des pratiques exemplaires de l'ACMU en ce qui concerne la disposition et la prévention des accidents vasculaires cérébraux. Il est possible d'améliorer davantage les soins en ce qui concerne la recommandation d'anticoagulation et de réduire les prescriptions inappropriées de médicaments à taux ou à rythme.

RAFF-5 Study to Improve the Quality and Safety of Care for Patients Seen in the Emergency Department With Acute Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter.

BACKGROUND: We sought to improve the immediate and subsequent care of emergency department (ED) patients with acute atrial fibrillation (AF) and flutter (AFL) by implementing the principles of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians AF/AFL Best Practices Checklist. METHODS: This cohort study included 3 periods: before (7 months), intervention introduction (1 month), and after (7 months), and was conducted at a major academic centre. We included patients who presented with an episode of acute AF or AFL and used multiple strategies to support ED adoption of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians checklist. We developed new cardiology rapid-access follow-up processes. The main outcomes were unsafe and suboptimal treatments in the ED. RESULTS: We included 1108 patient visits, with 559 in the before and 549 in the after period. In a comparison of the periods, there was an increase in use of chemical cardioversion (20.6% vs 25.0%; absolute difference [AD], 4.4%) and in electrical cardioversion (39.2% vs 51.2%; AD, 12.0%). More patients were discharged with sinus rhythm restored (66.9% vs 75.0%; AD, 8.1%). The proportion seen in a follow-up cardiology clinic increased from 24.2% to 39.9% (AD, 15.7%) and the mean time until seen decreased substantially (103.3 vs 49.0 days; AD, -54.3 days). There were very few unsafe cases (0.4% vs 0.7%) and, although there was an increase in suboptimal care (19.5% vs 23.1%), overall patient outcomes were excellent. CONCLUSIONS: We successfully improved the care for ED patients with acute AF/AFL and achieved more frequent and more rapid cardiology follow-up. Although cases of unsafe management were uncommon and patient outcomes were excellent, there are opportunities for physicians to improve their care of acute AF/AFL patients. GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT05468281.

Comparison of peer-assisted learning with expert-led learning in medical school ultrasound education: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Teaching point-of-care ultrasonography (PoCUS) to medical students is resource intensive. Peer-assisted learning, where the teacher can be a medical student, may be a feasible alternative to expert-led learning. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare the PoCUS performance assessments of medical students receiving peer-assisted vs expert-led learning. METHODS: This study was submitted to PROSPERO (CRD42023383915) and reported with PRISMA guidelines. MEDLINE, Embase, ERIC, Education Source, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from inception to November 2022. Inclusion criteria were studies comparing peer-assisted vs expert-led PoCUS teaching for undergraduate medical students. The primary outcome was performance assessment of PoCUS skills. Two reviewers independently screened citations and extracted data. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials was used to assess study quality. Studies were included in the meta-analysis if mean performance assessment scores with standard deviations and sample sizes were available. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the accuracy score of practical knowledge test for each group. A meta-regression evaluated difference in mean scores. RESULTS: The search yielded 2890 citations; 1417 unique citations remained after removing duplicates. Nine randomized-controlled studies conducted in Germany, USA, and Israel, with 593 participants, were included in the meta-analysis. The included studies assessed teaching of abdominal, cardiac, thoracic, musculoskeletal, and ocular PoCUS skills. Most studies had some risk-of-bias concerns. The estimate accuracy score after weighting is 0.56 (95% CI [0.47, 0.65]) for peer-assisted learning and 0.59 (95% CI [0.49, 0.69]) for expert-led learning. The regression coefficient estimate is 0.0281 (95% CI [- 0.1121, 0.1683]); P value is 0.69. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis found that peer-assisted learning was a reasonable alternative to expert-led learning for teaching PoCUS skills to medical students.

RéSUMé: INTRODUCTION: L'enseignement de l'échographie au point d'intervention (PoCUS) aux étudiants en médecine nécessite des ressources importantes. L'apprentissage assisté par les pairs, où l'enseignant peut être un étudiant en médecine, peut être une alternative possible à l'apprentissage dirigé par des experts. L'objectif de cette revue systématique et de cette méta-analyse était de comparer les évaluations de performance PoCUS d'étudiants en médecine bénéficiant d'un apprentissage assisté par des pairs par rapport à un apprentissage dirigé par des experts. MéTHODES: Cette étude a été soumise à PROSPERO (CRD42023383915) et rapportée selon les directives PRISMA. MEDLINE, Embase, ERIC, Education Source, Scopus et Web of Science ont été recherchés depuis leur création jusqu'en novembre 2022. Les critères d'inclusion étaient les études comparant l'enseignement du PoCUS assisté par des pairs à celui dirigé par des experts pour les étudiants en médecine de premier cycle. Le principal résultat était l'évaluation du rendement des compétences PoCUS. Deux évaluateurs ont indépendamment examiné les citations et extrait les données. L'outil Cochrane d'évaluation du risque de biais pour les essais randomisés a été utilisé pour évaluer la qualité des études. Les études ont été incluses dans la méta-analyse si les scores moyens d'évaluation des performances avec les écarts types et la taille des échantillons étaient disponibles. Une méta-analyse à effets aléatoires a été réalisée pour estimer le score de précision du test de connaissances pratiques pour chaque groupe. Une méta-régression a évalué la différence dans les scores moyens. RéSULTATS: La recherche a donné lieu à 2890 citations ; 1417 citations uniques ont été conservées après suppression des doublons. Neuf études contrôlées randomisées menées en Allemagne, aux États-Unis et en Israël, avec 593 participants, ont été incluses dans la méta-analyse. Les études incluses ont évalué l'enseignement des compétences PoCUS abdominales, cardiaques, thoraciques, musculo-squelettiques et oculaires. La plupart des études présentaient des risques de biais. Le score de précision estimé après pondération est de 0,56 (IC à 95 % : [0,47, 0,65]) pour l'apprentissage assisté par les pairs et de 0,59 (IC à 95 % : [0,49, 0,69]) pour l'apprentissage dirigé par des experts. L'estimation du coefficient de régression est de 0,0281 (IC à 95 % : [-0,1121, 0,1683]) ; la valeur P est de 0,69. CONCLUSION: Cette méta-analyse a montré que l'apprentissage assisté par les pairs était une alternative raisonnable à l'apprentissage dirigé par des experts pour enseigner les compétences PoCUS aux étudiants en médecine.

Core requirements of frailty screening in the emergency department: an international Delphi consensus study.

INTRODUCTION: Frailty is associated with adverse outcomes among patients attending emergency departments (EDs). While multiple frailty screens are available, little is known about which variables are important to incorporate and how best to facilitate accurate, yet prompt ED screening. To understand the core requirements of frailty screening in ED, we conducted an international, modified, electronic two-round Delphi consensus study. METHODS: A two-round electronic Delphi involving 37 participants from 10 countries was undertaken. Statements were generated from a prior systematic review examining frailty screening instruments in ED (logistic, psychometric and clinimetric properties). Reflexive thematic analysis generated a list of 56 statements for Round 1 (August-September 2021). Four main themes identified were: (i) principles of frailty screening, (ii) practicalities and logistics, (iii) frailty domains and (iv) frailty risk factors. RESULTS: In Round 1, 13/56 statements (23%) were accepted. Following feedback, 22 new statements were created and 35 were re-circulated in Round 2 (October 2021). Of these, 19 (54%) were finally accepted. It was agreed that ideal frailty screens should be short (<5 min), multidimensional and well-calibrated across the spectrum of frailty, reflecting baseline status 2-4 weeks before presentation. Screening should ideally be routine, prompt (<4 h after arrival) and completed at first contact in ED. Functional ability, mobility, cognition, medication use and social factors were identified as the most important variables to include. CONCLUSIONS: Although a clear consensus was reached on important requirements of frailty screening in ED, and variables to include in an ideal screen, more research is required to operationalise screening in clinical practice.

Modern management of acute atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter.

This clinical review is intended to assist emergency physicians manage patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with acute/recent-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) or flutter (AFL). This article is based primarily on the 2021 Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) Acute Atrial Fibrillation/Flutter Best Practices Checklist. We encourage readers to download the open access CAEP Checklist article (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43678-021-00167-y) and the free smartphone app (CAEP Atrial Fibrillation Guide). We focus on four key elements of ED care: assessment and risk stratification, rate and rhythm control, short-term and long-term stroke prevention, and disposition and follow-up. It is important to determine if AF/AFL with rapid ventricular response is a primary arrhythmia or secondary to medical causes. While it is unusual for patients with primary AF to be unstable, urgent cardioversion is occasionally required. The criteria for when cardioversion is safe have recently changed and it is essential that physicians are well versed in them. When rhythm control is not safe, provide effective and safe IV rate control. When rhythm control is safe, either pharmacological or electrical cardioversion acceptable, per patient and physician preference. Rapid ventricular pre-excitation (Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome) usually, but not always, requires urgent electrical cardioversion. ED physicians should prescribe oral anticoagulants at discharge if indicated. No specific direct oral anticoagulant is preferred, and references should be freely consulted for optimal dosing. Hospital admission is rarely required for acute AF/AFL patients, who should be given good discharge instructions.

Hypotension and respiratory events related to electrical cardioversion for atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter in the emergency department.

INTRODUCTION: Electrical cardioversion for atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter (AF/AFL) is common in the ED. Our previous work showed that hypotension and respiratory events were important adverse events that occurred in patients undergoing electrical cardioversion for AF/AFL. The purpose of this study was to examine if (1) beta-blockers or calcium channel blocker use prior to ECV were associated with hypotension and (2) medications used for procedural sedation were associated with respiratory events. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of pooled study data from four previous multicentred studies on AF/AFL. We conducted a multivariable logistic regression to examine predictors of hypotension and respiratory adverse events. RESULTS: There were 1736 patients who received ECV. A hypotensive event occurred in 62 (3.6%) patients. There was no significant difference in the odds of a hypotensive event in patients who received a beta-blocker or calcium channel blocker in the ED compared to no rate control. Procedural sedation with fentanyl (OR 2.01 95% CI 1.15-3.51) and home beta-blocker use (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.14-3.21) were significantly associated with hypotensive events. A respiratory event occurred in 179 (10.3%) patients. Older age (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.30- 3.15) and receiving midazolam for procedural sedation were found to be significantly associated with respiratory events (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.02-3.88). CONCLUSION: Beta-blocker or calcium channel blocker use prior to ECV for AF/AFL was not associated with hypotension. However, sedation with fentanyl and home beta-blocker use was associated with hypotension. The use of midazolam for procedural sedation was significantly associated with respiratory events.

RéSUMé: INTRODUCTION: La cardioversion électrique pour la fibrillation auriculaire / flutter auriculaire (AF / AFL) est fréquente aux urgences. Nos travaux précédents ont montré que l'hypotension et les événements respiratoires étaient des événements indésirables importants qui se sont produits chez les patients subissant une cardioversion électrique pour AF / AFL. Le but de cette étude était d'examiner si 1) les bêtabloquants ou les inhibiteurs calciques utilisés avant l'ECV étaient associés à l'hypotension et 2) les médicaments utilisés pour la sédation procédurale sont associés à des événements respiratoires. MéTHODES: Il s'agissait d'une analyse secondaire des données d'études regroupées de quatre études multicentriques précédentes sur l'AF/AFL. Nous avons effectué une régression logistique multivariée pour examiner les prédicteurs de l'hypotension et des événements indésirables respiratoires. RéSULTATS: Il y avait 1736 patients qui ont reçu ECV. Un événement hypotenseur s'est produit dans 62 (3,6%) patients. Il n'y avait pas de différence significative dans la probabilité d'un événement hypotenseur chez les patients qui ont reçu un bêtabloquant ou un inhibiteur calcique à l'urgence par rapport à aucun contrôle de taux. La sédation procédurale avec du fentanyl (RC 2,01 à 95 %, IC 1,15 à 3,51) et l'utilisation de bêtabloquants à domicile (RC 1,92, IC à 95 %, 1,14 à 3,21) étaient significativement associées à des événements hypotensifs. Un événement respiratoire est survenu chez 179 (10,3 %) patients. Un âge plus avancé (RC 2,02, IC à 95 % : 1,30 à 3,15) et la réception de midazolam pour sédation procédurale étaient significativement associés à des événements respiratoires (RC 1,99, IC à 95 % 1,02-3,88). CONCLUSIONS: L'utilisation d'un bêtabloquant ou d'un inhibiteur calcique avant l'ECV pour l'AF/AFL n'était pas associée à l'hypotension. Cependant, la sédation avec du fentanyl et l'utilisation de bêtabloquants à domicile étaient associées à l'hypotension. L'utilisation du midazolam pour la sédation procédurale était significativement associée aux événements respiratoires.

Derivation of the Falls Decision Rule to exclude intracranial bleeding without head CT in older adults who have fallen.

BACKGROUND: Ground-level falls are common among older adults and are the most frequent cause of traumatic intracranial bleeding. The aim of this study was to derive a clinical decision rule that safely excludes clinically important intracranial bleeding in older adults who present to the emergency department after a fall, without the need for a computed tomography (CT) scan of the head. METHODS: This prospective cohort study in 11 emergency departments in Canada and the United States enrolled patients aged 65 years or older who presented after falling from standing on level ground, off a chair or toilet seat, or out of bed. We collected data on 17 potential predictor variables. The primary outcome was the diagnosis of clinically important intracranial bleeding within 42 days of the index emergency department visit. An independent adjudication committee, blinded to baseline data, determined the primary outcome. We derived a clinical decision rule using logistic regression. RESULTS: The cohort included 4308 participants, with a median age of 83 years; 2770 (64%) were female, 1119 (26%) took anticoagulant medication and 1567 (36%) took antiplatelet medication. Of the participants, 139 (3.2%) received a diagnosis of clinically important intracranial bleeding. We developed a decision rule indicating that no head CT is required if there is no history of head injury on falling; no amnesia of the fall; no new abnormality on neurologic examination; and the Clinical Frailty Scale score is less than 5. Rule sensitivity was 98.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 94.9%-99.6%), specificity was 20.3% (95% CI 19.1%-21.5%) and negative predictive value was 99.8% (95% CI 99.2%-99.9%). INTERPRETATION: We derived a Falls Decision Rule, which requires external validation, followed by clinical impact assessment. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials. gov, no. NCT03745755.

Assessment of frailty by paramedics using the clinical frailty scale - an inter-rater reliability and accuracy study.

BACKGROUND: Frailty assessment by paramedics in the prehospital setting is understudied. The goals of this study were to assess the inter-rater reliability and accuracy of frailty assessment by paramedics using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study with paramedics exposed to 30 clinical vignettes created from real-life situations. There was no teaching intervention prior to the study and paramedics were only provided with the French version of the CFS (definitions and pictograms). The primary outcome was the inter-rater reliability of the assessment. The secondary outcome was the accuracy, compared with the expert-based assessment. Reliability was determined by calculating an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Accuracy was assessed through a mixed effects logistic regression model. A sensitivity analysis was carried out by considering that an assessment was still accurate if the score differed from no more than 1 level. RESULTS: A total of 56 paramedics completed the assessment. The overall assessment was found to have good inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.87 [95%CI 0.81-0.93]). The overall accuracy was moderate at 60.6% (95%CI 54.9-66.1) when considering the full scale. It was however much higher (94.8% [95%CI 92.0-96.7] when close assessments were considered as accurate. The only factor associated with accurate assessment was field experience. CONCLUSION: The assessment of frailty by paramedics was reliable in this vignette-based study. However, the accuracy deserved to be improved. Future research should focus on the clinical impact of these results and on the association of prehospital frailty assessment with patient outcomes. REGISTRATION: This study was registered on the Open Science Framework registries ( https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/VDUZY ).

Predictors of mortality among older major trauma patients.

BACKGROUND: Older trauma patients have a higher mortality yet are more likely to be under-triaged compared to younger patients. Studies have suggested that current trauma team activation criteria are suboptimal for older patients. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to describe trauma care delivered, patient outcomes, and to identify variables independently associated with mortality. METHODS: We performed a health records review from 2014 to 2020 of older (age ≥ 65 years) trauma patients presenting to a level one trauma centre with any of the following: injury severity score (ISS) > 12, and all trauma team activations or admission to the trauma ward. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included injury mechanism and trauma care delivered. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated with 30-day all-cause mortality. Multiple imputation was used to deal with missing data. RESULTS: We enrolled 1,380 patients (mean age 80 years, mean ISS 18); 26.8% had multimorbidity (≥ 2 chronic conditions) and 65.9% met criteria for polypharmacy (≥ 5 medications). The most common mechanism was fall from standing height (61.1%). Thirty-day all-cause mortality occurred in 239 (17.3%) patients. A Glasgow coma scale (GCS) < 15 (odds ratio [OR] = 5.55; 95% CI 3.73-8.24), ISS > 15 (OR = 3.75, 95% CI 2.35-6.01), age ≥ 85 years (OR = 2.04, 95% CI 1.29-3.22), anticoagulation with a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) or warfarin (OR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.08-2.35) and multimorbidity (OR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.06-2.22) were significantly associated with increased risk 30-day mortality (C-statistic = 0.82, 95% CI 0.79-0.85). Dementia (OR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.40-0.95) and time to CT scan > 60 min (OR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.34-0.74) were associated with decreased mortality risk. CONCLUSION: We identified five factors associated with increased 30-day mortality in older trauma patients: GCS < 15, ISS > 15, age ≥ 85 years, anticoagulation, and multimorbidity. These factors should be considered when developing modified trauma team activation criteria for older adults.

ABSTRAIT: CONTEXTE: Les patients traumatisés âgés ont une mortalité plus élevée, mais sont plus susceptibles d'être sous-triés que les patients plus jeunes. Des études ont suggéré que les critères actuels d'activation des équipes de traumatologie sont sous-optimaux pour les patients âgés. OBJECTIFS: L'objectif était de décrire les soins traumatologiques dispensés, les résultats pour les patients et d'identifier les variables associées indépendamment à la mortalité. MéTHODES: De 2014 à 2020, nous avons effectué un examen des dossiers médicaux de patients de plus de 65 ans qui ont subi un traumatisme et qui se sont présentés à un centre de traumatologie de niveau 1 avec l'un ou l'autre des éléments suivants: le score de gravité de la blessure (SSI) > 12, et toutes les activations de l'équipe de traumatologie ou l'admission au service de traumatologie. Le critère de jugement principal était la mortalité toutes causes confondues de 30 jours. Les critères de jugement secondaires comprenaient le mécanisme de blessure et les soins prodigués en cas de traumatisme. La régression logistique multivariée a été utilisée pour identifier les facteurs indépendamment associés à la mortalité toutes causes confondues sur 30 jours. L'imputation multiple a été utilisée pour traiter les données manquantes. RéSULTATS: Nous avons recruté 1380 patients (âge moyen 80 ans, SSI moyenne 18); 26.8% avaient une multimorbidité (2 maladies chroniques) et 65.9% répondaient aux critères de polypharmacie (5 médicaments). Le mécanisme le plus courant était la chute de la hauteur debout (61.1%). Une mortalité toutes causes confondues sur 30 jours est survenue chez 239 (17.3%) patients. Une échelle de coma de Glasgow (GCS) < 15 (rapport de cotes [OR] = 5.55; 95% CI 3.73­8.24), ISS > 15 (OR = 3.75, 95% CI 2.35­6.01), âge 85 ans (OR = 2.04, 95% CI 1.29­3.22), anticoagulation avec un anticoagulant oral direct (DOAC) ou la warfarine (RC = 1.59, IC à 95%, de 1,08 à 2.35) et la multimorbidité (RC = 1.53, IC à 95%, de 1.06 à 2.22) étaient significativement associées à un risque accru de mortalité à 30 jours (C-statistic = 0.82, IC à 95%, de 0.79 à 0.85). Démence (RC = 0.61, IC à 95%, 0.40 à 0.95) le temps de TDM > 60 min (OR = 0.50, IC à 95%, 0.34 à 0.74) était associé à une diminution du risque de mortalité.

Outcomes of acute heart failure patients managed in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Acute heart failure is a serious condition commonly seen in the emergency department (ED). The HEARTRISK6 Scale has been recently developed to identify the risk of poor outcomes but has not been tested. We sought to describe the management and outcomes of ED patients with acute heart failure and to evaluate the potential impact of the HEARTRISK6 Scale. METHODS: We conducted a health records review of 300 consecutive acute heart failure patients presenting to two tertiary care EDs. Two evaluators abstracted clinical variables, ED management and treatment details, and patient outcomes using the electronic health records platform (EPIC) and attending physicians verified the data. The primary outcome measure was a short-term serious outcome, as shown in Results. In addition, the HEARTRISK6 score was calculated retrospectively. RESULTS: We included 300 patients with mean age of 78.5 years, 51.0% male, 56.3% arrival by ambulance, and 67.0% admitted to hospital. 25.3% experienced a short-term serious outcome 1) after admission (N = 201): non-invasive ventilation 14.9%, intubation 1.5%, major cardiac procedure 5.0%, myocardial infarction 2.0%, death 8.5%; 2) after ED discharge (N = 99): return to ED 21.2%, death 4.0%. Those initially admitted experienced a much higher proportion of serious outcomes compared to those discharged (29.9% vs. 16.2%). A HEARTRISK6 Scale cut-point score of ≥ 1 would have had a sensitivity of 91.0%, specificity 24.5%, and negative likelihood ratio 0.37 for short-term serious outcomes and suggested hospital admission for 80.7% of cases. CONCLUSION: There was a large range of severity of illness of acute heart failure patients and a wide variety of treatments were administered in the ED. Both admitted and discharged patients experienced a high proportion of poor outcomes. The HEARTRISK6 Scale showed a high sensitivity for short-term serious outcomes but with the potential to increase hospital admissions. Further validation of the HEARTRISK6 Scale is required before routine clinical use.

RéSUMé: ARRIèRE-PLAN: L'insuffisance cardiaque aiguë est une affection grave couramment observée à l'urgence. L'échelle HEARTRISK6 a été mise au point récemment pour identifier le risque de mauvais résultats, mais n'a pas été testée. Nous avons cherché à décrire la prise en charge et les résultats des patients atteints d'insuffisance cardiaque aiguë et à évaluer l'impact potentiel de l'échelle HEARTRISK6. MéTHODES: Nous avons effectué un examen des dossiers de santé de 300 patients atteints d'insuffisance cardiaque aiguë consécutifs qui se présentaient à deux SU de soins tertiaires. Deux évaluateurs ont résumé les variables cliniques, les détails de la gestion et du traitement des SU et les résultats pour les patients à l'aide de la plateforme de dossiers de santé électroniques (EPIC). et les médecins traitants ont vérifié les données. La principale mesure des résultats était le résultat grave à court terme, comme le montrent les résultats. De plus, le score HEARTRISK6 a été calculé rétrospectivement. RéSULTATS: Nous avons inclus 300 patients âgés en moyenne de 78,5 ans, 51,0 % d'hommes, 56,3 % d'arrivées par ambulance et 67,0 % d'hospitalisations. 25,3 % ont connu un résultat grave à court terme 1) après l'admission (N=201) : ventilation non invasive 14,9 %, intubation 1,5 %, procédure cardiaque majeure 5,0 %, infarctus du myocarde 2,0 %, décès 8,5 %; 2) après le congé de l'urgence (N=99) : retour à l'urgence 21,2 %, décès 4,0 %. Les personnes admises au départ ont connu une proportion beaucoup plus élevée de résultats graves que les personnes libérées (29,9 % contre 16,2 %). Une note de seuil de 1 sur l'échelle HEARTRISK6 aurait eu une sensibilité de 91,0 %, une spécificité de 24,5 % et un ratio de probabilité négatif de 0,37 pour les résultats graves à court terme et une admission à l'hôpital suggérée pour 80,7 % des cas. CONCLUSION: Il y avait un large éventail de gravité de la maladie des patients atteints d'insuffisance cardiaque aiguë et une grande variété de traitements ont été administrés à l'urgence. Les patients admis et libérés ont connu une forte proportion de mauvais résultats. L'échelle HEARTRISK6 a montré une sensibilité élevée pour les résultats graves à court terme, mais avec le potentiel d'augmenter les admissions à l'hôpital. Une validation plus poussée de l'échelle HEARTRISK6 est nécessaire avant l'utilisation clinique de routine.

Implementation of the Canadian syncope pathway: a pilot non-randomized stepped wedge trial.

BACKGROUND: We developed the Canadian Syncope Pathway (CSP) based on the Canadian Syncope Risk Score (CSRS) to aid emergency department (ED) syncope management. This pilot implementation study assessed patient inclusion, length of transition period, as well as process measures (engagement, reach, adoption, and fidelity) to prepare for multicenter implementation. METHODS: A non-randomized stepped wedge trial at two hospitals was conducted over a 7-month period. After 2-3 months in the control condition, the hospitals crossed over in a stepwise fashion to the intervention condition. Study participants were ED and non-ED physicians, or their delegates, and patients (aged ≥ 18 years) with syncope. We aimed to analyze patient characteristics, ED management including disposition decision, and CSRS recommendations application for all eligible patients during the intervention period. Our targets were 95% inclusion rate, 70% adoption (proportion of physicians who applied the pathway), 60% reach (intervention applied to eligible patients) and 70% fidelity (appropriate recommendations application) for all eligible patients. Clinical Trials registration NCT04790058. RESULTS: 1002 eligible patients (mean age 56.6 years; 51.0% males) were included: 349 patients during the control and 653 patients during the intervention period. Physician engagement varied from 39.7% to 97.1% for presentation at meetings. Process measures for the first month and the end of the intervention were: adoption 70.7% (58/82) and 84.4% (103/122), reach 67.5% (108/160) and 55.0% (359/653), fidelity among patients with physician data form completion 86.3% (88/102) and 88.3% (294/333), versus fidelity among all eligible patients 83.8% (134/160) and 83.3% (544/653) respectively with no significant differences in fidelity at one month and the end of the intervention period. CONCLUSION: In this pilot study, we achieved all prespecified benchmarks for proceeding to the multicenter CSP implementation except reach. Our results indicate a 1-month transition period will be adequate though regular reminders will be needed during full-scale implementation.

RéSUMé: CONTEXTE: Nous avons mis au point la Canadian Syncope Pathway (CSP) basée sur le Canadian Syncope Risk Score (CSRS) pour aider les services d'urgence à gérer la syncope. Cette étude pilote de mise en œuvre a évalué l'inclusion des patients, la durée de la période de transition, ainsi que les mesures de processus (engagement, portée, adoption et fidélité) pour se préparer à la mise en œuvre multicentrique MéTHODES: Un essai par étapes non randomisé dans deux hôpitaux a été mené sur une période de 7 mois. Après 2 à 3 mois dans l'état de contrôle, les hôpitaux sont passés progressivement à l'état d'intervention. Les participants à l'étude étaient des médecins du service de l'urgence et non du service de l'urgence, ou leurs délégués, et des patients (âgés de 18 ans) atteints de syncope. Nous avons cherché à analyser les caractéristiques des patients, la prise en charge des urgences, y compris la décision de disposition, et l'application des recommandations du CSRS pour tous les patients admissibles pendant la période d'intervention. Nos cibles étaient le taux d'inclusion de 95 %, l'adoption de 70 % (proportion de médecins qui ont appliqué la voie), la portée de 60 % (intervention appliquée aux patients admissibles) et la fidélité de 70 % (application des recommandations appropriées) pour tous les patients admissibles. Enregistrement des essais cliniques NCT04790058. RéSULTATS: 1002 patients éligibles (âge moyen 56,6 ans; 51,0% d'hommes) ont été inclus : 349 patients pendant le contrôle et 653 patients pendant la période d'intervention. La participation des médecins variait de 39,7 % à 97,1 % pour la présentation aux réunions. Les mesures du processus pour le premier mois et la fin de l'intervention étaient les suivantes : adoption 70,7 % (58/82) et 84,4 % (103/122), atteinte de 67,5 % (108/160) et 55,0 % (359/653), fidélité chez les patients ayant rempli le formulaire de données médicales 86,3 % (88/102) et 88,3 % (294/333), versus fidélité chez tous les patients admissibles 83,8 % (134/160) et 83,3 % (544/653) respectivement, sans différence significative de fidélité à un mois et à la fin de la période d'intervention. CONCLUSION: Dans cette étude pilote, nous avons atteint tous les points de repère prédéterminés pour procéder à la mise en œuvre du PSC multicentrique, sauf la portée. Nos résultats indiquent qu'une période de transition d'un mois sera adéquate, bien que des rappels réguliers seront nécessaires pendant la mise en œuvre à grande échelle.

A systematic review of sufentanil for the management of adults with acute pain in the emergency department and pre-hospital setting.

BACKGROUND: Pain is commonly encountered in the Emergency Department (ED) and pre-hospital setting and often requires opioid analgesia. We sought to synthesize the available evidence on the effectiveness of sufentanil for acute pain relief for adult patients in the pre-hospital or ED setting. METHODS: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Medline, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, and CINAHL were searched from inception to February 1, 2022. The grey literature was also searched. We included randomized controlled trials of adult patients with acute pain who were treated with sufentanil. Two reviewers independently completed screening, full text review, and data extraction. Primary outcome was reduction in pain. Secondary outcomes included adverse events, need for rescue analgesia, and patient and provider satisfaction. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. A meta-analysis was not performed due to heterogeneity. RESULTS: Of 1120 unique citations, four studies (3 ED and 1 pre-hospital) met full inclusion criteria (n = 467 participants). The overall quality of the included studies was high. Intranasal (IN) sufentanil was superior to placebo for pain relief at 30 min (difference 20.8%, 95% CI 4.0-36.2%, p = 0.01). Both IN (two studies) and IV sufentanil (one study) were comparable to IV morphine. Mild adverse events were common and there was a higher propensity for minor sedation in patients receiving sufentanil. There were no serious adverse events requiring advanced interventions. CONCLUSION: Sufentanil was comparable to IV morphine and was superior to placebo for rapid relief of acute pain in the ED setting. The safety profile of sufentanil is similar to IV morphine in this setting, with minimal concern for serious adverse events. The intranasal formulation may provide an alternative, rapid, non-parenteral route that could benefit our unique emergency department and pre-hospital patient population. Due to the overall small sample size of this review, larger studies are required to confirm safety.

Ninety-Day Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Recurrence in Patients Prescribed Anticoagulation in the Emergency Department With Atrial Fibrillation and a New Transient Ischemic Attack or Minor Stroke.

Background For patients with atrial fibrillation seen in the emergency department (ED) following a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke, the impact of initiating oral anticoagulation immediately rather than deferring the decision to outpatient follow-up is unknown. Methods and Results We conducted a planned secondary data analysis of a prospective cohort of 11 507 adults in 13 Canadian EDs between 2006 and 2018. Patients were eligible if they were aged 18 years or older, with a final diagnosis of TIA or minor stroke with previously documented or newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation. The primary outcome was subsequent stroke, recurrent TIA, or all-cause mortality within 90 days of the index TIA diagnosis. Secondary outcomes included stroke, recurrent TIA, or death and rates of major bleeding. Of 11 507 subjects with TIA/minor stroke, atrial fibrillation was identified in 11.2% (1286, mean age, 77.3 [SD 11.1] years, 52.4% male). Over half (699; 54.4%) were already taking anticoagulation, 89 (6.9%) were newly prescribed anticoagulation in the ED. By 90 days, 4.0% of the atrial fibrillation cohort had experienced a subsequent stroke, 6.5% subsequent TIA, and 2.6% died. Results of a multivariable logistic regression indicate no association between prescribed anticoagulation in the ED and these 90-day outcomes (composite odds ratio, 1.37 [95% CI, 0.74-2.52]). Major bleeding was found in 5 patients, none of whom were in the ED-initiated anticoagulation group. Conclusions Initiating oral anticoagulation in the ED following new TIA was not associated with lower recurrence rates of neurovascular events or all-cause mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation.

How Emergency Medicine Residents Have Conversations About Life-Sustaining Treatments in Critical Illness: A Qualitative Study Using Inductive Thematic Analysis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The inherent pressures of high-acuity, critical illness in the emergency department create a unique environment whereby acute goals-of-care discussions must be had with patients or substitute decision makers to rapidly decide between divergent treatment paths. Among university-affiliated hospitals, resident physicians are often conducting these highly consequential discussions. This study aimed to use qualitative methods to explore how emergency medicine residents make recommendations regarding life-sustaining treatments during acute goals-of-care discussions in critical illness. METHODS: Using qualitative methods, semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of emergency medicine residents in Canada from August to December 2021. Inductive thematic analysis of the interview transcripts was conducted using line-by-line coding, and key themes were identified through comparative analysis. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was reached. RESULTS: Seventeen emergency medicine residents from 9 Canadian universities were interviewed. Two factors guided residents' treatment recommendations (a duty to provide a recommendation and the balance between disease prognosis and patient values). Three factors influenced residents' comfort when making recommendations (time constraints, uncertainty, and moral distress). CONCLUSION: While conducting acute goals-of-care discussions with critically ill patients or their substitute decision makers in the emergency department, residents felt a sense of duty to provide a recommendation informed by an intersection between the patient's disease prognosis and the patient's values. Their comfort in making these recommendations was limited by time constraints, uncertainty, and moral distress. These factors are important for informing future educational strategies.

Agreement and prognostic accuracy of three ED vulnerability screeners: findings from a prospective multi-site cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the agreement between three emergency department (ED) vulnerability screeners, including the InterRAI ED Screener, ER2, and PRISMA-7. Our secondary objective was to evaluate the discriminative accuracy of screeners in predicting discharge home and extended ED lengths-of-stay (> 24 h). METHODS: We conducted a nested sub-group study using data from a prospective multi-site cohort study evaluating frailty in older ED patients presenting to four Quebec hospitals. Research nurses assessed patients consecutively with the three screeners. We employed Cohen's Kappa to determine agreement, with high-risk cut-offs of three and four for the PRISMA-7, six for the ER2, and five for the interRAI ED Screener. We used logistic regression to evaluate the discriminative accuracy of instruments, testing them in their dichotomous, full, and adjusted forms (adjusting for age, sex, and hospital academic status). RESULTS: We evaluated 1855 older ED patients across the four hospital sites. The mean age of our sample was 84 years. Agreement between the interRAI ED Screener and the ER2 was fair (K = 0.37; 95% CI 0.33-0.40); agreement between the PRISMA-7 and ER2 was also fair (K = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.36-0.43). Agreement between interRAI ED Screener and PRISMA-7 was poor (K = 0.19; 95% CI 0.16-0.22). Using a cut-off of four for PRISMA-7 improved agreement with the ER2 (K = 0.55; 95% CI 0.51-0.59) and the ED Screener (K = 0.32; 95% CI 0.2-0.36). When predicting discharge home, the concordance statistics among models were similar in their dichotomous (c = 0.57-0.61), full (c = 0.61-0.64), and adjusted forms (c = 0.63-0.65), and poor for all models when predicting extended length-of-stay. CONCLUSION: ED vulnerability scores from the three instruments had a fair agreement and were associated with important patient outcomes. The interRAI ED Screener best identifies older ED patients at greatest risk, while the PRISMA-7 and ER2 are more sensitive instruments.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: Évaluer la concordance entre trois outils de dépistage de la vulnérabilité des urgences, notamment l'InterRAI ED Screener, ER2 et PRISMA-7. Notre objectif secondaire était d'évaluer la précision discriminative des agents de dépistage dans la prédiction de la sortie à domicile et des durées de séjour prolongées à l'urgence (> 24 heures). MéTHODES: Nous avons mené une étude de sous-groupe emboîtée à partir des données d'une étude de cohorte prospective multi-sites évaluant la fragilité chez les patients plus âgés se présentant aux urgences de quatre hôpitaux québécois. Les infirmières de recherche ont évalué les patients consécutivement avec les trois dépisteurs. Nous avons utilisé le Kappa de Cohen pour déterminer la concordance, avec des seuils de risque élevé de trois et quatre pour le PRISMA-7, de six pour l'ER2 et de cinq pour l' interRAI ED Screener. Nous avons utilisé la régression logistique pour évaluer la précision discriminante des instruments, en les testant dans leur forme dichotomique, complète et ajustée (en ajustant pour l'âge, le sexe et le statut académique). RéSULTATS: Nous avons évalué 1 855 patients âgés aux urgences dans les quatre sites hospitaliers. L'âge moyen de notre échantillon était de 84 ans. La concordance entre l'interRAI ED Screener et l'ER2 était équitable (K =0,37 ; IC à 95 % =0,33-0,40) ; la concordance entre le PRISMA-7 et l'ER2 était également équitable (K = 0,39 ; IC à 95 % =0,36-0,43). La concordance entre interRAI ED Screener et PRISMA-7 était faible (K = 0,19 ; IC à 95 % = 0,16-0,22). L'utilisation d'un seuil de quatre pour PRISMA-7 a amélioré la concordance avec l'ER2 (K =0,55 ; IC à 95% =0,51-0,59) et l'ED Screener (K =0,32 ; IC à 95 % =0,2-0,36). En ce qui concerne la prédiction du retour à domicile, les statistiques de concordance entre les modèles étaient similaires dans leurs formes dichotomiques (c = 0,57-0,61), complètes (c =0,61-0,64) et ajustées (c =0,63-0,65), et faibles pour tous les modèles en ce qui concerne la prédiction de la durée de séjour prolongée. CONCLUSION: Les scores de vulnérabilité aux urgences des trois instruments concordaient assez bien et étaient associés à des résultats importants pour les patients.