scholarly journals P089: Does the use of ultrasound improve diagnosis during simulated trauma scenarios?

CJEM ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (S1) ◽  
pp. S108
Author(s):  
D. McLean ◽  
L. Hewitson ◽  
D. Lewis ◽  
J. Fraser ◽  
J. Mekwan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Diagnostic Performance ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Correct Diagnosis ◽  
Primary Diagnosis ◽  
Point Of Care Ultrasound ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Diagnostic Capabilities ◽  
Attending Physicians ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Point of care ultrasound (US) is a key adjunct in the management of trauma patients, in the form of the extended focused assessment with sonography in trauma (E-FAST) scan. This study assessed the impact of adding an edus2 ultrasound simulator on the diagnostic capabilities of resident and attending physicians participating in simulated trauma scenarios. Methods: 12 residents and 20 attending physicians participated in 114 trauma simulations utilizing a Laerdal 3G mannequin. Participants generated a ranked differential diagnosis list after a standard assessment, and again after completing a simulated US scan for each scenario. We compared reports to determine if US improved diagnostic performance over a physical exam alone. Standard statistical tests (χ2 and Student t tests) were performed. The research team was independent of the edus2 designers. Results: Primary diagnosis improved significantly from 53 (46%) to 97 (85%) correct diagnoses with the addition of simulated US (χ2=37.7, 1df; p=<0.0001). Of the 61 scenarios where an incorrect top ranked diagnosis was given, 51 (84%) improved following US. Participants were assigned a score from 1 to 5 based on where the correct diagnosis was ranked, with a 5 indicating a correct primary diagnosis. Median scores significantly increased from 3.8 (IQR 3, 4.9) to 5 (IQR 4.7, 5; W=219, p<0.0001).Participants were significantly more confident in their diagnoses after using the US simulator, as shown by the increase in their mean confidence in the correct diagnosis from 53.1% (SD 22.8) to 83.5% (SD 19.1; t=9.0; p<0.0001)Additionally, participants significantly narrowed their differential diagnosis lists from an initial medium count of 3.5 (IQR 2.9, 4.4) possible diagnoses to 2.4 (IQR 1.9, 3; W=-378, p<0.0001) following US. The performance of residents was compared to that of attending physicians for each of the above analyses. No differences in performance were detected. Conclusion: This study showed that the addition of ultrasound to simulated trauma scenarios improved the diagnostic capabilities of resident and attending physicians. Specifically, participants improved in diagnostic accuracy, diagnostic confidence, and diagnostic precision. Additionally, we have shown that the edus2 simulator can be integrated into high fidelity simulation in a way that improves diagnostic performance.

scholarly journals ULTRASIM: Ultrasound in trauma simulation

CJEM ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-128
Author(s):  
Devon McLean ◽  
Leanne Hewitson ◽  
Paul Atkinson ◽  
David Lewis ◽  
Jacqueline Fraser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Diagnostic Performance ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Primary Diagnosis ◽  
High Fidelity ◽  
Ultrasound Simulation ◽  
Diagnosis Accuracy ◽  
Diagnostic Capabilities ◽  
Ultrasound Simulator ◽  
Attending Physicians

ABSTRACTObjectiveThis study sought to assess the effectiveness of ultrasound simulation as a component of high-fidelity trauma simulation, in training diagnostic capabilities of resident and attending physicians participating in simulated trauma scenarios.MethodsTwelve residents and 20 attending physicians participated in 114 trauma simulations. Participants generated a ranked differential diagnosis list after a physical exam and subsequently after a simulated extended focused assessment with sonography for trauma (E-FAST) ultrasound scan. We compared reports to determine whether the addition of ultrasound improved diagnostic performance.ResultsThe primary diagnosis accuracy improved significantly with the addition of simulated ultrasound (p<0.0001). Median diagnostic ranking scores also improved (p<0.0001). Further, participants reported a higher confidence in their diagnoses (p<0.0001) and narrowed their differential diagnosis list (p<0.0001).ConclusionWe demonstrated that a low-cost ultrasound simulator can be successfully integrated into trauma simulations, resulting in an associated improvement in measures of diagnostic accuracy, confidence, and precision for participating resident and attending physicians.

scholarly journals LO22: Does point-of-care ultrasonography improve diagnostic accuracy in emergency department patients with undifferentiated hypotension? An international randomized controlled trial from the SHoC-ED investigators

CJEM ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (S1) ◽  
pp. S15
Author(s):  
P. Atkinson ◽  
M. Peach ◽  
S. Hunter ◽  
A. Kanji ◽  
L. Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiogenic Shock ◽  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Diagnostic Performance ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Point Of Care Ultrasound ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Significant Difference

Introduction: Point of care ultrasound has been reported to improve diagnosis in non-traumatic hypotensive ED patients. We compared diagnostic performance of physicians with and without PoCUS in undifferentiated hypotensive patients as part of an international prospective randomized controlled study. The primary outcome was diagnostic performance of PoCUS for cardiogenic vs. non-cardiogenic shock. Methods: SHoC-ED recruited hypotensive patients (SBP &lt; 100 mmHg or shock index &gt; 1) in 6 centres in Canada and South Africa. We describe previously unreported secondary outcomes relating to diagnostic accuracy. Patients were randomized to standard clinical assessment (No PoCUS) or PoCUS groups. PoCUS-trained physicians performed scans after initial assessment. Demographics, clinical details and findings were collected prospectively. Initial and secondary diagnoses including shock category were recorded at 0 and 60 minutes. Final diagnosis was determined by independent blinded chart review. Standard statistical tests were employed. Sample size was powered at 0.80 (α:0.05) for a moderate difference. Results: 273 patients were enrolled with follow-up for primary outcome completed for 270. Baseline demographics and perceived category of shock were similar between groups. 11% of patients were determined to have cardiogenic shock. PoCUS had a sensitivity of 80.0% (95% CI 54.8 to 93.0%), specificity 95.5% (90.0 to 98.1%), LR+ve 17.9 (7.34 to 43.8), LR-ve 0.21 (0.08 to 0.58), Diagnostic OR 85.6 (18.2 to 403.6) and accuracy 93.7% (88.0 to 97.2%) for cardiogenic shock. Standard assessment without PoCUS had a sensitivity of 91.7% (64.6 to 98.5%), specificity 93.8% (87.8 to 97.0%), LR+ve 14.8 (7.1 to 30.9), LR- of 0.09 (0.01 to 0.58), Diagnostic OR 166.6 (18.7 to 1481) and accuracy of 93.6% (87.8 to 97.2%). There was no significant difference in sensitivity (-11.7% (-37.8 to 18.3%)) or specificity (1.73% (-4.67 to 8.29%)). Diagnostic performance was also similar between other shock subcategories. Conclusion: As reported in other studies, PoCUS based assessment performed well diagnostically in undifferentiated hypotensive patients, especially as a rule-in test. However performance was similar to standard (non-PoCUS) assessment, which was excellent in this study.

Impact of a 4-hour Introductory eFAST Training Intervention Among Ultrasound-Naïve U.S. Military Medics

2020 ◽  
Vol 185 (5-6) ◽  
pp. e601-e608
Author(s):  
Jonathan D Monti ◽  
Michael D Perreault
Keyword(s):  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Resident Physician ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Training Intervention ◽  
Point Of Care Ultrasound ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Didactic Training ◽  
Combat Casualty ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Introduction Advances in the portability of ultrasound have allowed it to be increasingly employed at the point of care in austere settings. Battlefield constraints often limit the availability of medical officers throughout the operational environment, leading to increased interest in whether highly portable ultrasound devices can be employed by military medics to enhance their provision of combat casualty care. Data evaluating optimal training for effective medic employment of ultrasound is limited however. This prospective observational cohort study’s primary objective was to assess the impact of a 4-hour introductory training intervention on ultrasound-naïve military medic participants’ knowledge/performance of the eFAST application. Materials and Methods Conventional U.S. Army Medics, all naïve to ultrasound, were recruited from across JBLM. Volunteer participants underwent baseline eFAST knowledge assessment via a 50-question multiple-choice exam. Participants were then randomized to receive either conventional, expert-led classroom didactic training or didactic training via an online, asynchronously available platform. All participants then underwent expert-led, small group hands-on training and practice. Participants’ eFAST performance was then assessed with both live and phantom models, followed by a post-course knowledge exam. Concurrently, emergency medicine (EM) resident physician volunteers, serving as standard criterion for trained personnel, underwent the same OSCE assessments, followed by a written exam to assess their baseline eFAST knowledge. Primary outcome measures included (1) post-course knowledge improvement, (2) eFAST exam technical adequacy, and (3) eFAST exam OSCE score. Secondary outcome measures were time to exam completion and diagnostic accuracy rate for hemoperitoneum and hemopericardium. These outcome measures were then compared across medic cohorts and to those of the EM resident physician cohort. Results A total of 34 medics completed the study. After 4 hours of ultrasound training, overall eFAST knowledge among the 34 medics improved from a baseline mean of 27% on the pretest to 83% post-test. For eFAST exam performance, the medics scored an average of 20.8 out of a maximum of 22 points on the OSCE. There were no statistically significant differences between the medics who received asynchronous learning versus traditional classroom-based learning, and the medics demonstrated comparable performance to previously trained EM resident physicians. Conclusions A 4-hour introductory eFAST training intervention can effectively train conventional military medics to perform the eFAST exam. Online, asynchronously available platforms may effectively mitigate some of the resource requirement burden associated with point-of-care ultrasound training. Future studies evaluating medic eFAST performance on real-world battlefield trauma patients are needed. Skill and knowledge retention must also be assessed for this degradable skill to determine frequency of refresher training when not regularly performed.

The V617F JAK2 Mutation Is Very Uncommon in Idiopathic Erythrocytosis.

Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 1295-1295
Author(s):  
Bruno Cassinat ◽  
Nathalie Parquet ◽  
Jean-Jacques Kiladjian ◽  
Gerald Massonnet ◽  
Marie-Laurence Menot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Correct Diagnosis ◽  
Cell Mass ◽  
Red Cell ◽  
Normal Range ◽  
Jak2 Mutation ◽  
Taqman Probes ◽  
Red Cell Mass ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Idiopathic Erythrocytosis

Abstract The V617F JAK2 mutation is highly frequent in Polycythemia Vera (PV) patients. Indeed, we and others found the mutation in 70 to 90% of PV patients. However one of the most difficult differential diagnoses of PV is the idiopathic erythrocytosis (IE), as this diagnosis is based on negative criteria and exclusion of PV. However the differential diagnosis is of the utmost importance because IE is not considered as a clonal disease and should not transform to PV. Our centre is specialized in the diagnosis of myeloproliferative diseases, thus we have reviewed 22 cases with pure idiopathic erythrocytosis in the aim of defining the impact of V617F JAK2 mutation in this pathology. Median age of the patients was 46 (range: 29 to 67). Patients were diagnosed on the basis of an elevation of the hematocrit and a raised red cell mass without any identifiable cause of secondary erythrocytosis. PV diagnosis has been carefully excluded according to revised Pearson’s criteria. Median excess of red cell mass was +35% (range: +25% to +104%). Median hematocrit was 54% (range: 49% to 56%), median WBC (x109/L) was 6180 (range: 3500 – 8300) and median platelet count (x109/L) was 240 (range: 174 – 358). Serum Epo level was under or within the normal range in all patients except one case in whom an unexplained elevated level (x2 the upper normal limit) was found. Finally no splenomegaly was observed in these 22 patients. Because of the importance of a correct diagnosis distinguishing between PV and IE it was very important to test whether the JAK2 mutation could allow a correct classification. We have analysed DNA isolated from peripheral blood granulocytes. V617F JAK2 mutation was detected using a quantitative PCR and Taqman probes with a sensitivity of 2–4%. All of the 22 patients with IE were tested negative. This result confirms that IE is a distinct entity from PV, and also confirms the potential for the V617F JAK2 mutation detection to help in the differential diagnosis of erythrocytosis. Indeed, the presence of a JAK2 mutation in the context of erythrocytosis with increased red cell mass is highly specific of PV.

A 10-year-old child with acute torticollis due to polymicrobial deep neck infection

2022 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. e244331
Author(s):  
Alex Guri ◽  
Eric Scheier
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Correct Diagnosis ◽  
Point Of Care Ultrasound ◽  
Deep Neck Infection ◽  
Eikenella Corrodens ◽  
Neck Infection ◽  
Streptococcus Constellatus ◽  
Early Use

Torticollis in children can be a sign of a potentially dangerous disease; the correct diagnosis is not always obvious on history and physical examination. The use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) helps to limit the differential diagnosis and direct appropriate further laboratory and radiology-performed evaluation. We present a case of a 10-year-old child whose deep neck infection (DNI) was timely diagnosed in the paediatric emergency department by early use of POCUS and drained under POCUS guidance after admission to the hospital. The culture from the fluid grew Eikenella corrodens, Streptococcus constellatus and Prevotella buccae. This case demonstrates that DNIs occur in children with acute acquired torticollis, even without fever and demonstrates the importance of early use of POCUS in cases where DNI is a potential diagnosis. Moreover, this case emphasises the importance of microbiological identification of DNIs that can be the key to successful treatment.

scholarly journals The impact of ‘unofficial trauma’ on a Major Trauma Centre: A service evaluation of accident and emergency department trauma team activations

Trauma ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 278-284
Author(s):  
Alex Wright ◽  
Simon J Mercer ◽  
Ben Morton
Keyword(s):  
Road Traffic ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Penetrating Trauma ◽  
Trauma Centre ◽  
Research Network ◽  
Shop Floor ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Healthcare Provision ◽  
Major Trauma Centre ◽  
The Impact

Introduction Trauma remains a leading cause of death worldwide. In the UK, data for trauma patients are prospectively collected locally and collated by the Trauma Audit and Research Network. This study assesses and describes the subgroup of patients who triggered a trauma call but who subsequently did not meet criteria for Trauma Audit and Research Network. Methods A single centre, retrospective observational study of trauma calls between 1 June 2012 and 31 August 2018 was performed, determining which trauma calls had been submitted to Trauma Audit and Research Network by cross referencing with the submission database. Data were tested for normality (Shapiro–Wilk test) and appropriate statistical tests employed to determine differences between inclusion and non-inclusion groups. For categorical data, we used Chi-squared tests to examine for differences. Results There were 6529 trauma calls and over half (3837 (58.8%)) were not registered on Trauma Audit and Research Network. Patients excluded were significantly younger (mean 42.4 years SD 19.2) than those who met inclusion criteria (mean 50.3 years, SD 21.8), p < 0.001 and were significantly more likely to suffer from penetrating trauma (18.6% versus 8.2%, p < 0.001), the majority (77.8%, 553/713) caused by stabbings. Patients excluded were less likely to be involved in a road traffic accident (31.1% versus 35.3%, p < 0.001), less likely to have fallen downstairs (15.2% versus 18.7%, p < 0.001) and less likely to have fallen from a height > 2 m (8.1% versus 12.7%, p < 0.001). Discussion Patients who trigger a trauma call but who subsequently do not meet the criteria for Trauma Audit and Research Network inclusion place a significant burden on healthcare provision. To our knowledge this is the first investigation to specifically explore this group of at-risk patients. To enable medical planners a more accurate view of activity on the ‘shop floor’, particularly in reference to knife crime injuries we ask the question as to whether a separate database should now be held of trauma calls?

Can conversation analytic findings help with differential diagnosis in routine seizure clinic interactions?

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Ekberg ◽  
Markus Reuber
Keyword(s):  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Correct Diagnosis ◽  
Diagnostic Errors ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Routine Clinical Setting ◽  
Choice Of Treatment ◽  
Transient Loss ◽  
Factual Content ◽  
Patient’S History ◽  
Linguistic Methods

There are many areas in medicine in which the diagnosis poses significant difficulties and depends essentially on the clinician’s ability to take and interpret the patient’s history. The differential diagnosis of transient loss of consciousness (TLOC) is one such example, in particular the distinction between epilepsy and ‘psychogenic’ non-epileptic seizures (NES) is often difficult. A correct diagnosis is crucial because it determines the choice of treatment. Diagnosis is typically reliant on patients’ (and witnesses’) descriptions; however, conventional methods of history-taking focusing on the factual content of these descriptions are associated with relatively high rates of diagnostic errors. The use of linguistic methods (particularly conversation analysis) in research settings has demonstrated that these approaches can provide hints likely to be useful in the differentiation of epileptic and non-epileptic seizures. This paper explores to what extent (and under which conditions) the findings of these previous studies could be transposed from a research into a routine clinical setting.

An influence of social isolation on the level of physical activity as well as on well-being and mental state of people during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic

2019 ◽  
Vol 129 (4) ◽  
pp. 127-131
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Parfin ◽  
Krystian Wdowiak ◽  
Marzena Furtak-Niczyporuk ◽  
Jolanta Herda
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Population Group ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIntroduction. The COVID-19 is the name of an infectious disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2). It was first diagnosed in December 2019 in patients in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The symptoms are dominated by features of respiratory tract infections, in some patients with a very severe course leading to respiratory failure and, in extreme cases to death. Due to the spread of the infection worldwide, the WHO declared a pandemic in March 2020.Aim. An investigation of the impact of social isolation introduced due to the coronavirus pandemic on selected aspects of life. The researchers focused on observing changes in habits related to physical activity and their connections with people’s subjective well-being and emotional state.Material and methods. The study was carried out within the international project of the group „IRG on COVID and exercise”. The research tool was a standardized questionnaire.Results. Based on the data collected and the analysis of the percentage results, it can be observed that the overwhelming majority of people taking up physical activity reported a better mood during the pandemic. However, statistical tests do not confirm these relationships due to the small sample size.Conclusions. Isolation favours physical activity. Future, in-depth studies, by enlarging the population group, are necessary to confirm the above observations.

Assessing the diagnostic capabilities of the app DemDx in an acute care setting (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cian Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Medical Student Education ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Junior Doctors ◽  
Doctor Who ◽  
Clinical Accuracy ◽  
Education Tool ◽  
Clinical Records ◽  
Diagnostic Capabilities

UNSTRUCTURED DemDx is a differential diagnosis app for students and junior doctors. Starting with a patient’s presenting complaint the app goes through a step-by-process through history, examination and investigation findings to an increasingly refined differential diagnosis list until a single most likely diagnosis is reached. The aim of this project was to assess the accuracy of DemDx in an Emergency Department (ED) setting. Anonymised clinical records for 100 patients were retrospectively obtained from the ED in Beth Israel, Boston, USA. This contained the differential diagnoses from the clerking doctor, who performed the initial assessment (D1). The discharge diagnosis was used as the gold standard diagnosis (D2). D1 agreed with D2 in 74.44% of cases while DemDx agreed with D2 in 85.56% of cases (p=0.0003716). When the first, and thus most likely, differential was taken from D1 and DemDx, they agreed with D2 in 20 and 18.8% of cases, respectively (p=0.1428). This demonstration of the clinical accuracy of the app highlights how it can be a useful medical student education tool.

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