Drug-adverse related events in emergency department : Epidemiological,clinical profile and prognosis.

INTRODUCTION: Adverse-drug events (ADe) are frequent in emergency medicine and remain misdiagnosed depending on the clinical polymorphism and the underlying comorbidities. Older patients with multiple comorbidities and polypharmacy are more frequently affected and makes poor prognosis. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology of ADe in the emergency department (ED) visits and to identify the prognostic value mortality within 30 days. METHODS: Prospective, monocentric study. Patients were included if they met criteria of aADe. We evaluated severity and mortality at 30 days. Moreover, misuse and preventabilty were studied. RESULTS: We included 159 cases within 113,272 ED visits. Mean age = 64 ± 19 years, sex ratio =0.6.The average number of drugs was 4.5 ± 3. Polymedication was found in 54%. In 10 cases, the prescription contained twice the same molecule. A double ADe was found in 11 patients. We identified 55 cases of misuse, 94% of them were due to physician. An interaction was found in 23 patients. Improper prescription with age, renal function or presence of contra-indications was found in 46 patients. In 41% cases, ADR events were preventable. An ADR event was considered severe in 44% of cases and 30-Days mortality's rate was 9.4%. Drugs n (%): Anticoagulants 53(34,6); Antihypertensive 29(19); Antiarrhythmic 15(10). Multivariate analysis of mortality at day 30: Misuse and polyapthology were independent predictors; Respective Odds ratios: (OR: 2.6; 95% CI [1.25-5.38]; p=0,001) and (OR 2.31; 95% CI [1,16 - 4,61]; p=0,017). CONCLUSION: Drug-related ED visits are common in elderly. ADe is severe in 44% cases and preventable in 41%. Mortality rate was 9,4%. Misuse, polypharmacy and comorbidities were independent predictors of severity and mortality.

Compression stockings in ankle sprain: a multicenter randomized study.

OBJECTIVES: Ankle sprain is a frequently encountered traumatic injury in emergency departments and is associated with important health expenses. However, the appropriate care of this traumatic injury remains a matter of debate. We tested the hypothesis that compression stockings speed up recovery from ankle sprain. METHODS: Recent (<48 hours) cases of ankle sprain without other traumatic injury in patients aged between 18 and 55 years were included. Patients were randomly allocated to placebo Jersey or class II compression stockings (Venoflex; Thuasne, Levallois-Perret, France). The primary end point was the time to recovery of normal painless walking without requirement for analgesic drug. Secondary end points were time to return to sport activity, pain, analgesic consumption, and ankle edema (bimalleolar and midfoot circumferences). RESULTS: We randomized 126 patients and analyzed 117 patients (60 in the placebo group and 57 in the compression group). The median time to normal painless walking was not significantly decreased (P = .16). No significant differences were observed in pain, analgesic consumption, and bimalleloar and midfoot circumferences. No safety issue was reported. In the subgroup of patients with regular sport activity, the time to return to sport activity was shorter in patients treated with compression stockings (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Compression stockings failed to significantly modify the time to return to normal painless walking in ankle sprain. A beneficial effect was observed only in a subgroup of patients, as compression stockings significantly decreased the time to return to sport activity.

Morphine consumption is not modified in patients with severe pain and classified by the DN4 score as neuropathic.

Neuropathic pain has been poorly investigated in the emergency department, although it is known to be less sensitive to opioids than other forms of pain. We tested the hypothesis that morphine requirements are increased in patients having severe pain classified as neuropathic using the DN4 score. We included adult patients with acute severe pain (visual analog scale ≥ 70), assessed using the DN4 score, and treated with intravenous morphine titration (bolus of 2 or 3 mg [body weight >60 kg] with 5-minute intervals between each bolus). Pain relief was defined as a visual analog scale 30 or less. Patients were divided into 2 groups: control group (DN4 score <4) and neuropathic pain group (DN4 score ≥ 4). The main outcome was the total dose of morphine administered. Data are mean ± SD or median (interquartile range). Among the 239 patients included (mean age, 43+14 years), 35 patients (15%) had a DN4 score 4 or more. The main characteristics of the 2 groups were comparable. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in morphine dose (0.16+0.09 vs 0.17+0.11 mg/kg, P=.32), number of boluses administered (3.5 [3-5] vs 3 [3-6], P=.97), proportion of patients with pain relief (75 vs 83%, P=.39), or morphine-related adverse effects (11% vs 3%, P=.14). In conclusion, morphine consumption was not significantly modified in patients having severe pain classified as neuropathic using the DN4 score as compared with a control group, suggesting that specific detection of neuropathic pain may not be useful in the emergency department.

Unscheduled return visits to the emergency department: consequences for triage.

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to conduct a survey of unscheduled revisits (URs) to the emergency department (ED) within 8 days of a prior visit, to test the hypothesis that patients making these URs are disproportionately likely to suffer short-term mortality or manifest a need for any admission to the hospital (adverse events [AEs]) at the time of the UR, compared to patients triaged at the same level who did not have an unscheduled ED revisit within 8 days. METHODS: This was a 1-year retrospective study of patients with an UR to the ED of an urban, 1,600-bed tertiary care center and teaching hospital. The criteria for inclusion as an UR were: 1) making an emergency visit to our adult ED during 2008, without being admitted to our hospital nor being transferred to another hospital; and 2) subsequently making an UR to the same ED within 8 days following the first one. Patients who were contacted by members of our staff and specifically asked to make return visits to our ED (such as those who returned for wound care follow-up visits), and those who made more than five visits to our ED during 2008, were excluded. AEs were defined as death or hospitalization within 8 days of the second visit. RESULTS: During 2008, there were 946 patients with URs (2% of patients treated and released after the first ED visit), and 931 were analyzed (n = 15 missing values). Associated with the second visit, an AE was noted for 276 (30%) patients. Eight variables were significantly associated with AE: age ≥ 65 years, previously diagnosed cancer, previously diagnosed cardiac disease, previously diagnosed psychiatric disease, presence of a relative at the time of the UR, arrival with a letter from a general practitioner at the time of the UR, a higher level of severity assigned at triage for the UR than for the first ED visit, and having had blood sample analysis performed during the first visit. The median triage score for the UR was not significantly different from that group's median triage score for the first ED visit, whereas the proportion of admissions to the hospital (29%) or to the intensive care unit (ICU; 2%) was greater overall in the UR group than in the patients making their first ED visit. CONCLUSIONS: The authors observed that 2% of patients had an UR. This UR population was at greater risk of AE at the time of their URs compared to their initial visits, but the median triage nurse score was not significantly different between the first visit and the UR. This suggests that the triage score should be systematically upgraded for UR patients.