Implementation of an algorithm for chest imaging in blunt trauma decreases use of CT-scan: Resource management in a middle-income country.

PURPOSE: Due to the low sensitivity of chest radiography, chest CT-scan is usually recommended for the evaluation of high-risk blunt trauma patients. Considering the radiation exposure and costs accompanying routine CT-scan, the aim of this study was to design and implement an evidence-based institutional algorithm for selective chest imaging in high energy blunt trauma patients and evaluate its effect on patient outcome and resource utilization. METHODS: For this field trial, an institutional evidence-based algorithm for chest trauma imaging was designed according to existing data and expert panel. After final consent and ethic committee approval, the algorithm was integrated in the diagnostic flow sheet in the emergency department and patient data were collected from the pre- and post-implementation period. RESULTS: One-hundred and sixty-five patients before algorithm implementation and 158 patients after that were included. Chest CT-scan was requested for 93% of patients in the pre-implementation group and for 73% in the post-implementation group (P<0.001). Length of stay in hospital was slightly shorter in the post-implementation group (p = 0.036), however, duration of stay in emergency room and ICU, pulmonary complications and mortality showed no significant difference. CONCLUSION: Implementation of an algorithm for limiting chest CT-scan to a subgroup of patients with a higher risk of chest injuries can reduce radiation exposure and more useful distribution of resources without harming the patients. Each institution should use institutional guidelines and algorithms with respect to patient load, available resources and desired sensitivity for injury detection.

Waiting times in emergency department after using the emergency severity index triage tool.

BACKGROUND: Hospital emergency departments (EDs) are as barometers of the health care system. Crowded EDs threaten delivery of timely care. Prolonged ED wait times reduce the quality of care and increase adverse and sometimes irreversible events. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the patients' waiting time at Namazi and Shahid Faghihi hospitals in Shiraz, Iran. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in two phases from December 2012 to May 2013. First, the researcher attended the EDs of the two hospitals and recorded the information of 900 patients who entered the ED, including arrival time, level of triage, and time of first visit by physician. Then, among patients admitted to the ED units, 273 were followed and waiting times for the first physician order in the referral unit and the commencement of clinical interventions (defined as check time by the nurse) were recorded. RESULTS: The median waiting time from arrival to first visit by physician for the 900 patients included in the study was 8 (5-14) minutes [median (interquartile range)]. For the patients admitted to referral units, waiting time was 84 (43-145) minutes for the physician order and 85 (45-147) minutes for the commencement of first clinical intervention; 75% of the patients in triage level I, 84.6% in triage level II, and 95.6% in triage level III were visited within the target time limit. CONCLUSIONS: Waiting time for commencement of clinical action in patients admitted to the EDs was considerably high for patients with higher priorities; so, rapid care of critically ill patients, identified during the triage process, should be emphasized.

Use of the sonographic diameter of optic nerve sheath to estimate intracranial pressure.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: An increase in the intracranial pressure (ICP) might aggravate patient outcomes by inducing neurologic injuries. In patients with increased ICP the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) increases due to its close association with the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. The present study was an attempt to evaluate the efficacy of sonographic ONSD in estimating ICP of patients who are candidates for lumbar puncture (LP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this descriptive prospective study, the ONSD was measured before LP using an ultrasonography in 50 nontraumatized patients who were candidates for LP due to varies diagnoses. Immediately after the sonography, the ICP of each patient was measured by LP. Correlation tests were used to evaluate the relationship between ICP and the sonographic diameter of the optic nerve sheath. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to find the optimal cut-off point in order to diagnose ICP values higher than 20 cm H(2)O. RESULTS: The means of the ONSD were 5.17 ± 1.01 and 5.19 ± 1.06 mm on the left and right sides, respectively (P = .552). The mean ONSD for the patients with increased ICP and normal individuals were 6.66 ± 0.58 and 4.60 ± 0.41 mm, respectively (P < .001). This mean was significantly correlated with ICP values (P < .05; r = 0.88). The ONSD of greater than 5.5 mm predicted an ICP of ≥20 cm H(2)O with sensitivity and specificity of 100% (95% CI, 100-100) (P < .001). CONCLUSION: The sonographic diameter of the optic nerve sheath might be considered a strong and accurate predicting factor for increased intracranial pressure.