Exploring the complex interactions of baseline patient factors to improve nursing triage of acute coronary syndrome.

Emergency department (ED) nurses need to identify patients with potential acute coronary syndrome (ACS) rapidly because treatment delay could impact patient outcomes. Aims of this secondary analysis were to identify key patient factors that could be available at initial ED nurse triage that predict ACS. Consecutive patients with chest pain who called 9-1-1, received a 12-lead electrocardiogram in the prehospital setting, and were transported via emergency medical service were included in the study. A total of 750 patients were recruited. The sample had an average age of 59 years old, was 57% male, and 40% Black. One hundred and fifteen patients were diagnosed with ACS. Older age, non-Caucasian race, and faster respiratory rate were independent predictors of ACS. There was an interaction between heart rate by Type II diabetes receiving insulin in the context of ACS. Type II diabetics requiring insulin for better glycemic control manifested a faster heart rate. By identifying patient factors at ED nurse triage that could be predictive of ACS, accuracy rates of triage may improve, thus impacting patient outcomes.

Association between Manchester Triage System discriminators and nursing diagnoses. / Associações entre discriminadores do Sistema de Triagem de Manchester e diagnósticos de enfermagem.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the association between Manchester Triage System flowchart discriminators and nursing diagnoses in adult patients classified as clinical priority I (emergency) and II (very urgent). METHOD: Cross-sectional study conducted in an emergency department in southern Brazil between April and August 2014. The sample included 219 patients. Data were collected from online patient medical records and data analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test or the chi-square test. RESULTS: 16 discriminators and 14 nursing diagnoses were identified. Associations were found between seven discriminators and five problem-focused nursing diagnoses, including the discriminator Cardiac pain and the diagnosis Acute pain. Three discriminators were associated with four risk nursing diagnoses, among these Acute neurological deficit with the diagnosis Risk of ineffective cerebral tissue perfusion. CONCLUSION: Significant associations were found between Manchester Triage System discriminators and the nursing diagnoses most frequently established in the emergency department.

Distress in My Chest: The Approach to a Student Presenting With "Chest Pain".

Occasionally, students present with chest pain in the school setting. Therefore, it is important to develop a differential diagnosis for chest pain, to initiate stabilization of the student with life-threatening symptoms, and to triage these students to an appropriate level of care (back to the classroom, home with their guardian with follow up at their primary healthcare provider's office, or directly to the closest emergency department via emergency medical services). This article describes the initial assessment and management of a student presenting with chest pain.

Chest Pain: If It Is Not the Heart, What Is It?

Noncardiac chest pain is an angina-type discomfort without indication of ischemia. Diagnosis can be difficult because of its heterogeneous nature. Classification varies by specialty; gastroenterology uses the terminology gastroesophageal reflux disease related versus non-gastroesophageal reflux disease related. Other disciplines recognize noncardiac chest pain etiologies as having gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, psychiatric, or pulmonary/other as underlying etiologies. Diagnostics yield a specific cause for effective treatment, which is aimed at the underlying etiology, but it is not always possible. Some patients with noncardiac chest pain have comorbidities and ongoing pain that lead to decreased quality of life and continued health care use.

[Advanced nurse triage for emergency department]. / Le triage infirmier avancé aux Urgences.

To cope with overcrowding, a consequence of their constant growth, emergency departments have implemented operational strategies based on triage systems. Despite its interest, nurse triage has been limited by several hindrances, and new strategies are emerging. Among those, advanced nurse triage, allowing a nurse to initiate the diagnostic process just after categorization of the patient, seems to be promising. A study on advanced nurse triage for patients presenting with chest pain has been conducted in the emergency department of the CHU of Liège. The encouraging results obtained following this new system demonstrate a reduction of the delay to management of patients, and a reduction of the total length of stay in the emergency unit mainly during overcrowding periods. Advanced nurse triage, in addition to a conventional triage during overcrowding periods, improves management of patients in terms of time and reduces the total time spent in the emergency department.

Confronté au problème de surpopulation, conséquence de leur fréquentation sans cesse croissante, les services d'urgence ont mis en place des stratégies opérationnelles basées sur des filières de soins organisées au départ de systèmes de triage des patients. Pareils outils ont démontré leur intérêt, mais s'avèrent aujourd'hui insuffisants, raison pour laquelle de nouvelles stratégies voient le jour. L'une d'elles, le triage infirmier avancé, permettant à un infirmier d'initier la démarche diagnostique juste après la catégorisation du patient, semble être une promesse d'avenir. Une étude portant sur un triage infirmier avancé pour les patients se présentant pour une douleur thoracique a été menée récemment au CHU de Liège. Les résultats encourageants de cette étude révèlent un gain de temps dans la prise en charge des patients en faveur de ce nouveau système et une durée totale de séjour aux urgences réduite, principalement en période de surpopulation. Il se confirme donc que le triage infirmier avancé, couplé à un triage classique, particulièrement en période de surpopulation, améliore la prise en charge des patients en termes de temps et réduit le temps total de séjour aux urgences, tout en garantissant la qualité, combattant, par là, la surpopulation.

Deciphering chest pain in women.

The causes of chest pain range from benign sources such as muscle strain to life-threatening diagnoses such as aortic dissection and myocardial infarction. The likelihood and presentations of disorders causing chest pain are different between women and men. This article highlights important features in determining a correct diagnosis.

A Multidisciplinary Self-Directed Learning Module Improves Knowledge of a Quality Improvement Instrument: The HEART Pathway.

We created and tested an educational intervention to support implementation of an institution wide QI project (the HEART Pathway) designed to improve care for patients with acute chest pain. Although online learning modules have been shown effective in imparting knowledge regarding QI projects, it is unknown whether these modules are effective across specialties and healthcare professions. Participants, including nurses, advanced practice clinicians, house staff and attending physicians (N = 486), were enrolled into an online, self-directed learning course exploring the key concepts of the HEART Pathway. The module was completed by 97% of enrollees (469/486) and 90% passed on the first attempt (422/469). Out of 469 learners, 323 completed the pretest, learning module and posttest in the correct order. Mean test scores across learners improved significantly from 74% to 89% from the pretest to the posttest. Following the intervention, the HEART Pathway was used for 88% of patients presenting to our institution with acute chest pain. Our data demonstrate that this online, self-directed learning module can improve knowledge of the HEART Pathway across specialties-paving the way for more efficient and informed care for acute chest pain patients.

Factors that influence care priority for chest pain patients using the manchester triage system.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To analyse crucial factors for determining care priority for patients with acute myocardial infarction based on the Manchester Triage System. BACKGROUND: Triage is the first potentially critical step in the care of myocardial infarction patients. However, there are still very few studies on the factors interfering in the lack of care priority for these patients, impacting their treatment and prognosis. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study with 217 patients in the emergency department of a Brazilian hospital. METHODS: Data were collected from patients' records with a primary diagnosis of myocardial infarction, from March 2014-February 2015. Patients were divided into two groups for statistical analysis: high priority (immediate and very urgent) and low priority (urgent, standard and nonurgent). RESULTS: Most of the patients were male, with a mean age of 62.1 years, with a prevalence of high blood pressure and smoking as risk factors. Lower care priority level was assigned to 116 (53.4%) patients. Sixty-four (29.5%) patients had ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction, and 29 (45.3%) of these patients were assigned lower care priority level. Coughing, abdominal pain, onset of symptoms over 24 hr ago and pain of mild to moderate intensity were clinical predictors associated with lower care priority level. Sweating and high blood pressure were associated with high care priority level. Lower care priority level was associated with increased door-to-electrocardiogram and door-to-troponin times. There was no significant difference between the two groups for door-to-needle and door-to-balloon times. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the patients with myocardial infarction were classified as low care priority, showing triage failure either due to symptom variability or need for professional qualification in clinical data collection and interpretation. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The results may support clinical evaluation, bringing chest pain assessment into focus.

Associações entre discriminadores do Sistema de Triagem de Manchester e diagnósticos de enfermagem / Asociación entre el Sistema de Triage Manchester y el diagnóstico de enfermería / Association between Manchester Triage System discriminators and nursing diagnoses

Resumo OBJETIVO Analisar associações entre discriminadores do Sistema de Triagem de Manchester e Diagnósticos de Enfermagem em pacientes adultos, classificados com prioridade clínica I (emergência) e II (muito urgente). MÉTODO Estudo transversal realizado na unidade de emergência do sul do Brasil, entre abril e agosto de 2014. Amostra de 219 pacientes. Os dados foram coletados no prontuário online e analisados estatisticamente, com teste exato de Fisher ou qui-quadrado. RESULTADOS Encontrou-se 16 discriminadores e 14 diagnósticos de enfermagem. Houve associação entre sete discriminadores e cinco diagnósticos de enfermagem do tipo foco no problema, dentre Dor precordial ou cardíaca com o diagnóstico Dor aguda. Também houve associação entre três discriminadores com quatro diagnósticos de enfermagem de risco, dentre Déficit neurológico agudo com o diagnóstico Risco de perfusão tissular cerebral ineficaz. CONCLUSÃO Existem associações significativas entre discriminadores do Sistema de Triagem de Manchester e diagnósticos de enfermagem mais frequentemente estabelecidos na Unidade de Emergência.

Resumen OBJETIVO Analizar asociaciones entre los discernidores del Sistema Triaje de Manchester y los Diagnósticos de Enfermería en pacientes adultos con prioridad clínica I (emergencia) y II (muy urgente). MÉTODO Estudio transversal realizado en la unidad de emergencia del sur de Brasil, entre abril y agosto de 2014, con la muestra de 219 pacientes. La colecta de datos fue realizada en el prontuario online de los pacientes. El análisis estadístico fue realizado con el uso del Test Exacto de Fisher o chi-cuadrado. RESULTADOS Fue identificado el uso de 16 discernidores y 14 diagnósticos de enfermería. Hubo una asociación entre siete discernidores y cinco diagnósticos de enfermería del tipo foco en el problema, entre estos Dolor precordial o cardíaca y Dolor agudo. También hubo asociación entre tres discernidores y cuatro diagnósticos de enfermería de riesgo, entre estos Déficit neurológico agudo con el diagnóstico Riesgo de perfusión tisular cerebral ineficaz. CONCLUSIÓN Existen asociaciones significativas entre los discernidores del Sistema Triaje de Manchester y los diagnósticos de enfermería más frecuente establecidos en la Unidad de Emergencia.

Abstract OBJECTIVE To analyze the association between Manchester Triage System flowchart discriminators and nursing diagnoses in adult patients classified as clinical priority I (emergency) and II (very urgent). METHOD Cross-sectional study conducted in an emergency department in southern Brazil between April and August 2014. The sample included 219 patients. Data were collected from online patient medical records and data analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test or the chi-square test. RESULTS 16 discriminators and 14 nursing diagnoses were identified. Associations were found between seven discriminators and five problem-focused nursing diagnoses, including the discriminator Cardiac pain and the diagnosis Acute pain. Three discriminators were associated with four risk nursing diagnoses, among these Acute neurological deficit with the diagnosis Risk of ineffective cerebral tissue perfusion. CONCLUSION Significant associations were found between Manchester Triage System discriminators and the nursing diagnoses most frequently established in the emergency department.

Using health psychology techniques to manage chronic physical symptoms.

Chest pain and palpitations, non-malignant pain, breathlessness and fatigue often endure despite the receipt of appropriate nursing and medical care. This is distressing for patients, impacts on their quality of life and ability to function and is associated with high healthcare usage and costs. The cognitive behavioural approach offers nurses a model to understand how people's perceptions and beliefs and their emotional, behavioural and physiological reactions are linked. Common 'thinking errors' which can exacerbate symptom severity and impact are highlighted. Understanding of this model may help nurses to help patients cope better with their symptoms by helping them to come up with alternative more helpful beliefs and practices. Many Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services offer support to people with chronic physical symptoms and nurses are encouraged to sign post patients to them.

Developing and evaluating nurse led discharge in acute medicine.

AIMS: To develop and evaluate nurse-led discharge criteria for a clinical decision unit in a large NHS Foundation Trust METHOD: Criteria for nurse led discharge were developed for patients presenting to hospital via the emergency department with chest pain, headache and deliberate self poisoning. Data on length of stay on CDU and readmission were collected for these patient groups during a 2 month period, during which the nurse-led criteria were introduced. Following introduction of the criteria a survey was conducted to evaluate staff opinions of the new system. RESULTS: A trend towards reduced length of stay was noted during the month after introduction of nurse-led discharge (18.26 hrs vs 20 hours p=0.582). Our staff survey indicated that the process was popular and has been continued since the study period. CONCLUSION: Nurse-led discharge using defined criteria is feasible and popular with staff in an acute medical setting.

A practical application of Katharine Kolcaba's comfort theory to cardiac patients.

Nursing approaches to care as based on Katharine Kolcaba's (2003) middle range nursing theory of comfort are discussed in reference to patients' suffering from symptoms related to the discomfort from cardiac syndromes. The specific intervention of "quiet time" is described for its potential use within this population as a comfort measure that addresses Kolcaba's four contexts of comfort: physical, psychospiritual, environmental and sociocultural. Without realizing it, many nurses may practice within Kolcaba's theoretical framework to promote patient comfort. Explicit applications of comfort theory can benefit nursing practice. Using comfort theory in research can provide evidence for quiet time intervention with cardiac patients.

Nurse-led Early Triage (NET) study of chest pain patients: a long term evaluation study of a service development aimed at improving the management of patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes.

BACKGROUND: Patients presenting with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) are at risk of early death. This may be reduced by timely assessment and treatment. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate if Nurse-led Early Triage (NET) in the coronary care unit (CCU) can improve time to assessment and management of NSTE-ACS patients. METHODS: Data on 79 consecutive chest pain patients admitted pre-NET to the acute admissions unit (AAU) and on 103 patients admitted in the first six months of the NET service in CCU, was re-examined and compared to subsequent data obtained on 92 patients admitted via NET five years later, in order to re-evaluate the service. RESULTS: NET resulted in significant improvements in: the number of patients with chest pain who had their 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) performed within 10 min of admission (94% vs 32%, p<0.001); the number of high-risk NSTE-ACS patients prescribed clopidogrel (72% vs 42%, p<0.01); and the number being managed in CCU (82% vs 34%, p<0.01). Comparison of the NET service at five years with the pre-NET service demonstrated measurable benefits were sustained (p<0.01) for the same comparative end points. There were no significant differences in these end-points of time to ECG, clopidogrel prescription nor management in CCU for high-risk patients between the NET groups at six months and five years, demonstrating that current triage is as effective as when first introduced. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the positive impact of nurse-led early triage for NSTE-ACS patients and that initial benefits have been sustained.

Effects of an integrated problem-based learning and simulation course for nursing students.

The adaptability of high-fidelity simulations to multiple learning strategies is an essential feature of their effective use, however, little is known about the effects of integration simulations with problem-based learning. The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of an integrated course with problem-based learning and simulation by evaluating college-based stress, student perceptions on their competence and small group learning, and comparing stress and student perceptions level by grade point average. One group post-test only design was employed with a cohort of 185 second year nursing students who were enrolled in a seven-block integrated circulo-respiratory course with problem-based learning and simulation. Nursing students evaluated their stress as moderate with the academic subdomain as the highest stressor. The students reported favorable student perceptions on competence and small group learning. Nursing students view problem-based learning with simulations-based learning favorably irrespective of their course grade. The results of this study indicate that integration of problem-based learning with simulation should be considered for broader application in nursing education.

[Assessment of non-traumatic chest pain in emergency room: comparison between heart score and triage assessment of an Italian hospital]. / La valutazione del dolore toracico non traumatico in pronto soccorso: confronto tra heart score e il triage di un ospedale italiano.

INTRODUCTION: Triage for non-traumatic chest pain is a difficult issue for nurses in Emergency Department. AIM: To compare sensibility and specificity of usual triage and HEART score. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in the Emergency Room of Città della Salute e della Scienza - Molinette Hospital of Turin (Italy). Data about triage of patients with non-traumatic chest pain were retrieved and HEART score was calculated by a nurse blind to the triage assessment. RESULTS: Data on 428 patients were collected. The assessment with the HEART score showed a significantly higher sensitivity and specificity, respect to usual triage (p-value for comparison: 0.01 and 0.0001, respectively). Moreover the HEART score better identified patients with delayed risk. CONCLUSIONS: HEART score can be considered a more effective tool for the assessment of patients with non-traumatic chest pain.

NICE guidelines for new chest pain: comparison of new and old services.

In 2000 the National Service Framework for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) prompted the development of rapid-access chest pain clinics (RACPCs). The aim of such clinics is to provide prompt assessment of chest pain to identify CAD with the use of an exercise tolerance test. In 2010, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommended using imaging studies based on CAD risk scoring and not an exercise tolerance test to exclude angina in patients with no previous history of known CAD. A comparison of the use of the 2010 NICE guidelines for the management of new-onset chest pain within a well-established exercise-based RACPC service is undocumented. The new recommendation moves the focus towards discharging low-risk patients, imaging studies/invasive procedure (angiogram) for the moderate-risk group and initiating anti-anginal treatment for the high-risk group. To phase the new recommendations into clinical practice in a district general hospital, the new guidelines were implemented in one out of three RACPC sessions per week. A retrospective assessment was carried out over a 4-month period to evaluate the new service implementation. A total of 160 patients attended the RACPC service, of which 56 (35%) were offered treatments according to the newer NICE guidelines and 104 (65%) were managed with the aim of exercising on the treadmill. This review gives an insight into the benefits of the new recommendations in practice, as well as highlighting some of the immediate limitations and barriers encountered.

Effectiveness of using the front door score to enhance the chest pain triage accuracy of emergency nurse triage decisions.

BACKGROUND: Nurses lack a standard tool to stratify the risk of chest pain in triage patients. The type of risk stratification may correspond to the type of acuity rating of the 5-level triage scale adopted by nurses for chest pain triage, based on the Front Door Score, simplified from the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Risk Score for unstable angina or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the ability of using the Front Door Score to enhance the accuracy of emergency nurse triage decisions for patients who present with chest pain. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. METHODS: A convenience sample of 200 subjects was obtained from an emergency department in Hong Kong. Data were collected via a questionnaire. The final physician diagnoses were used as the gold standard in justifying the appropriateness of the risk stratification of chest pain. The agreement rates among the final physician diagnoses, Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Risk Score for unstable angina or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, nurses using the triage scale, and nurses using the Front Door Score were computed using κ statistics. RESULTS: A significant substantial agreement was observed between the final physician diagnoses and nurses using the Front Door Score. In comparison, the agreement between the final physician diagnoses and nurses using the triage scale was poor. CONCLUSION: The chest pain triage reliability of nurses using the Front Door Score was found to be much more credible than that of nurses using the triage scale. A suggested conversion of the scales of Front Door Score was established. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The Front Door Score should be considered as a standard tool to enhance the chest pain triage accuracy of emergency nurse triage decisions.

The feasibility of nurse-led assessment in acute chest pain admissions by means of coronary computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) is a non-invasive imaging technique for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommend CCT for selected patients in the assessment of chest pain of recent onset. AIMS: To assess the feasibility and utility of CCT in a nurse-led, protocol-based assessment of chest pain. METHODS: Patients admitted over 4 months with suspected angina were assessed for eligibility for CCT by a specialist nurse. Eligibility was defined by: a likelihood of CAD < 90%, no features of acute coronary syndrome, no contra-indications to the scanning process, and the ability to give written consent. An age and sex-matched historical cohort (for whom CCT was unavailable) was compared with the CCT cohort with regard to the diagnosis or exclusion of CAD at 3 months post-discharge from hospital. RESULTS: Of 198 patients admitted, 98 were identified as eligible for CCT. Of these, 37 were recommended for alternative management on cardiologist review, 18 declined consent, 23 were unable to be scanned within 24 h prior to discharge and 14 underwent CCT. CAD was diagnosed or excluded in 14/14 patients undergoing CCT. CAD was diagnosed or excluded in 11/14 patients investigated without CCT, leaving 3/14 patients with no clear diagnosis. CONCLUSION: This study suggests nurses may be trained to assess patients for CCT within agreed protocols. In the UK it is likely these protocols will be based on NICE guidance. Despite potential diagnostic utility, CCT appears likely to form a small percentage of cardiac investigations undertaken.