scholarly journals P139: The impact of a pancreatitis admission algorithm on emergency department length of stay in a tertiary care academic hospital

CJEM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (S1) ◽  
pp. S114-S115
Author(s):  
A. Albina ◽  
F. Kegel ◽  
F. Dankoff ◽  
G. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Physician Satisfaction ◽  
Academic Hospital ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Potential Applicability ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Algorithm Implementation ◽  
The Impact

Background: Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is associated with a broad spectrum of poor medical outcomes, including medical errors, mortality, higher rates of leaving without being seen, and reduced patient and physician satisfaction. The largest contributor to overcrowding is access block – the inability of admitted patients to access in-patient beds from the ED. One component to addressing access block involves streamlining the decision process to rapidly determine which hospital service will admit the patient. Aim Statement: As of Sep 2011, admission algorithms at our institution were supported and formalised. The pancreatitis algorithm clarified whether general surgery or internal medicine would admit ED patients with pancreatitis. We hypothesize that this prior uncertainty delayed the admission decision and prolonged ED length of stay (LOS) for patients with pancreatitis. Our project evaluates whether implementing a pancreatitis admission algorithm at our institution reduced ED time to disposition (TTD) and LOS. Measures & Design: A retrospective review was conducted in a tertiary care academic hospital in Montreal for all adult ED patients diagnosed with pancreatitis from Apr 2010 to Mar 2014. The data was used to plot separate run charts for ED TTD and LOS. Serial measurements of each outcome were used to monitor change and evaluate for special cause variation. The mean ED LOS and TTD before and after algorithm implementation were also compared using the Student's t test. Evaluation/Results: Over four years, a total of 365 ED patients were diagnosed with pancreatitis and 287 (79%) were admitted. The mean ED LOS for patients with pancreatitis decreased following the implementation of an admission algorithm (1616 vs. 1418 mins, p = 0.05). The mean ED TTD was also reduced (1171 vs. 899 mins, p = 0.0006). A non-random signal of change was suggested by a shift above the median prior to algorithm implementation and one below the median following. Discussion/Impact: This project demonstrates that in a busy tertiary care academic hospital, an admission algorithm helped reduce ED TTD and LOS for patients with pancreatitis. This proves especially valuable when considering the potential applicability of such algorithms to other disease processes, such as gastrointestinal bleeding and congestive heart failure, among others. Future studies demonstrating this external applicability, and the impact of such decision algorithms on physician decision fatigue and within non-academic institutions, proves warranted.

scholarly journals Effect of COVID-19 outbreak on emergency department attendances in an Italian academic hospital

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Poletto ◽  
G Perri ◽  
F Malacarne ◽  
B Bianchet ◽  
A Doimo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Initial Phase ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Academic Hospital ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Critical Patients

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease was discovered during the 2019 outbreak in Mainland China and the first cases were reported in Italy on February 21, 2020. This study evaluates the emergency department (ED) attendances of an academic hospital in northern Italy before and after media reported the news of the first infected patients in Italy. Methods Adult attendances in ED in February 2020 were analysed dividing the period into 4 weeks (days 1-7, 8-14, 15-21, 22-28) compared with the same periods in 2019. The visits were analysed separately according to the Italian colour code of triage: white (non-critical), green (low-critical), yellow (medium critical), red (life-threatening). The mean weekly number of attendances was compared with t-test. Results February 2020 total ED attendances compared with February 2019 were 4865 vs 5029 (-3.3%), of which white codes were 834 vs 762 (+9.4%), green 2450 vs 2580 (-5.0%), yellow 1427 vs 1536 (-7.1%), red 154 vs 151 (+2.0%). February 2020 weekly mean ED attendances compared with February 2019 had statistically significant difference only in the fourth week (days 22-28) for green codes (75 vs 92, p = 0.007) and yellow codes (41 vs 52, p = 0.047), not for white (27 vs 26, p = 0.760) and red codes (5 vs 5, p = 0.817). The first three weeks of February 2020 compared with 2019 showed no statistically significant difference in weekly mean ED attendances. Conclusions There was a significant reduction of green and yellow codes attendances at ED in the fourth week of February 2020, corresponding to the initial phase of Italian COVID-19 outbreak. The fear of contracting SARS-CoV-2 by attending the ED probably acted as a significant deterrent in visits, especially for low and medium critical patients. Additional data are required to better understand the phenomenon, including the behaviour of non-critical attendances. Key messages A reduction of green and yellow codes attendances was reported during initial phase of COVID-19 outbreak in an Italian academic hospital. Fear of contracting COVID-19 infection in a hospital setting could impact on emergency department attendances.

scholarly journals Admission Decisions Made by Emergency Physicians Can Reduce the Emergency Department Length of Stay for Medical Patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Yuri Choi ◽  
Jinwoo Jeong ◽  
Byoung-Gwon Kim
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Policy Change ◽  
Control Period ◽  
Medical Patients ◽  
Emergency Physicians ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Admission Decisions ◽  
The Impact

Background. Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a worldwide problem that poses a threat to patient safety by causing treatment delays and increasing mortality. Consultations are common and important in the emergency medicine profession and are associated with longer ED length of stay (LOS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of admission decisions by emergency physicians without consultations on the ED LOS and other quality indicators. Methods. The study was a retrospective observational study comparing the ED LOS of patients admitted to the internal medicine (IM) department before and after the policy change regarding admission decisions that was implemented in October 2016. During and after the policy change, emergency physicians decided how to arrange for and treat medical patients by processing their admission and providing follow-up care without consultations. The ED LOS and other indicators of patients admitted to the IM department were compared between the study period (January to June 2017) and the control period (January to June 2016). Results. The median ED LOS of patients admitted to the IM department decreased from 673 (IQR: 347–1,369) minutes in the control period to 237 (IQR: 166–364) minutes in the study period. There were no significant differences in the interdepartmental transfer rate or in-hospital mortality between the two periods. Conclusions. The admission decisions regarding medical patients made by emergency physicians without specialty consultations reduced the ED LOS without a significant negative effect on mortality or hospital LOS.

scholarly journals Impact of a specialist service in the Emergency Department on admission, length of stay and readmission of patients presenting with falls, syncope and dizziness

QJM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Jusmanova ◽  
C Rice ◽  
R Bourke ◽  
A Lavan ◽  
C G McMahon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Admission Rate ◽  
Readmission Rates ◽  
Specialist Service ◽  
Admission Rates ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Bed Days ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

Summary Background Up to half of patients presenting with falls, syncope or dizziness are admitted to hospital. Many are discharged without a clear diagnosis for their index episode, however, and therefore a relatively high risk of readmission. Aim To examine the impact of ED-FASS (Emergency Department Falls and Syncope Service) a dedicated specialist service embedded within an ED, seeing patients of all ages with falls, syncope and dizziness. Design Pre- and post-cohort study. Methods Admission rates, length of stay (LOS) and readmission at 3 months were examined for all patients presenting with a fall, syncope or dizziness from April to July 2018 (pre-ED-FASS) inclusive and compared to April to July 2019 inclusive (post-ED-FASS). Results There was a significantly lower admission rate for patients presenting in 2019 compared to 2018 [27% (453/1676) vs. 34% (548/1620); X2 = 18.0; P < 0.001], with a 20% reduction in admissions. The mean LOS for patients admitted in 2018 was 20.7 [95% confidence interval (CI) 17.4–24.0] days compared to 18.2 (95% CI 14.6–21.9) days in 2019 (t = 0.98; P = 0.3294). This accounts for 11 344 bed days in the 2018 study period, and 8299 bed days used after ED-FASS. There was also a significant reduction in readmission rates within 3 months of index presentation, from 21% (109/1620) to 16% (68/1676) (X2 = 4.68; P = 0.030). Conclusion This study highlights the significant potential benefits of embedding dedicated multidisciplinary services at the hospital front door in terms of early specialist assessment and directing appropriate patients to effective ambulatory care pathways.

scholarly journals Impact of Age, Sex and Route of Administration on Adverse Events after Opioid Treatment in the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Study

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raoul Daoust ◽  
Jean Paquet ◽  
Gilles Lavigne ◽  
Éric Piette ◽  
Jean-Marc Chauny
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Respiration Rate ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Route Of Administration ◽  
Urban Hospital ◽  
Opioid Administration ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of opioids for acute pain relief in the emergency department (ED) is well recognized, but treatment with opioids is associated with adverse events ranging from minor discomforts to life-threatening events.OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of age, sex and route of administration on the incidence of adverse events due to opioid administration in the ED.METHODS: Real-time archived data were analyzed retrospectively in a tertiary care urban hospital. All consecutive patients (≥16 years of age) who were assigned to an ED bed and received an opioid between March 2008 and December 2012 were included. Adverse events were defined as: nausea/vomiting (minor); systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 90 mmHg, oxygen saturation (Sat) < 92% and respiration rate < 10 breaths/min (major) within 2 h of the first opioid doses.RESULTS: In the study period, 31,742 patients were treated with opioids. The mean (± SD) age was 55.8± 20.5 years, and 53% were female. The overall incidence of adverse events was 12.0% (95% CI 11.6% to 12.4%): 5.9% (95% CI 5.6% to 6.2%) experienced nausea/vomiting, 2.4% (95% CI 2.2% to 2.6%) SBP < 90 mmHg, 4.7% (95% CI 4.5% to 4.9%) Sat that dropped to < 92% and 0.09% respiration rate < 10 breaths/min. After controlling for confounding factors, these adverse events were associated with: female sex (more nausea/vomiting, more SBP < 90 mmHg, less Sat < 92%); age ≥65 years (less nausea/vomiting, more SBP < 90 mmHg, more Sat < 92%); and route of administration (intravenous > subcutaneous > oral).CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of adverse events associated with opioid administration in the ED is generally low and is associated with age, sex and route of administration.

scholarly journals Emergency Stay Duration of Patients in Emergency Department of A Tertiary Care Hospital in Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (222) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prashant Simkhada ◽  
Shradha Acharya ◽  
Roshan Lama ◽  
Sujata Dahal ◽  
Nita Lohola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Tertiary Care Hospital ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Duration Of Stay ◽  
The Mean

Introduction: Emergency department of a hospital is responsible for providing medical and surgical care to patients arriving at the hospital in need of immediate care. Emergency department is not staffed or equipped to provide prolonged care. Duration of stay in the Emergency department directly affects the quality of patient care. Longer length of stay is associated with Emergency department overcrowding, decline in patient care, increased mortality and decreased patients satisfaction. The main aim of this study is to find the mean stay duration of patients in the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital in Nepal.Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study which was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital from Jan 15,2019 to Jan 30, 2019. Ethical clearance was obtained from Kathmandu Medical College- Instutional Review Committee. The calculated sample size was 587. Consecutive sampling technique was used. The data thus obtained was entered in SPSS version 20 and necessary calculations were done. Results: The mean emergency stay duration was obtained to be 3.18 hours at 95% confidence interval (C.I  and standard deviation was 2.51 hours. Female had longer mean duration of stay (3.25 hours) compared to male (3.11 hours). The maximum length of stay was 15.3 hours. Most of the patients attending the emergency department were discharged right through the emergency department 398 ( 67.8%). Mean duration of stay was longest (5.06 hours) for the referral group. Conclusions: The mean stay duration in Emergency Department of tertiary care hospital in Nepal is getting shorter compared to similar study done previously.

scholarly journals Implications of transitioning to a resident night float system in neurosurgery: mortality, length of stay, and resident experience

2017 ◽  
Vol 126 (4) ◽  
pp. 1269-1277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew C. Davis ◽  
Elizabeth N. Kuhn ◽  
Bonita S. Agee ◽  
Robert A. Oster ◽  
James M. Markert
Keyword(s):  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
University Of Alabama ◽  
Night Float ◽  
Neurosurgical Patients ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Care Training ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

OBJECTIVE Many neurosurgical training programs have moved from a 24-hour resident call system to a night float system, but the impact on outcomes is unclear. Here, the authors compare length of stay (LOS) for neurosurgical patients admitted before and after initiation of a night float system at a tertiary care training hospital. METHODS The neurosurgical residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham transitioned from 24-hour call to a night float resident coverage system in July 2013. In this cohort study, all patients admitted to the neurosurgical service for 1 year before and 1 year after this transition were compared with respect to hospital and ICU LOSs, adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS A total of 4619 patients were included. In the initial bivariate analysis, night float was associated with increased ICU LOS (p = 0.032) and no change in overall LOS (p = 0.65). However, coincident with the transition to a night float system was an increased frequency of resident service transitions, which were highly associated with hospital LOS (p < 0.01) and ICU LOS (p < 0.01). After adjusting for resident service transitions, initiation of the night float system was associated with decreased hospital LOS (p = 0.047) and no change in ICU LOS (p = 0.35). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that a dedicated night float resident may improve night-to-night continuity of care and decrease hospital LOS, but caution must be exercised when initiation of night float results in increased resident service transitions.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Impact of the Electronic Health Record on Patient Flow in a Pediatric Emergency Department

2011 ◽  
Vol 02 (01) ◽  
pp. 39-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM Chamberlain ◽  
DJ Mathison
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Patient Flow ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Medical Provider ◽  
External Variables ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

Summary Background: There is little data on the effect of the EHR on emergency department (ED) efficiency. Objective: 1) to quantify the effect of the EHR on patient flow in an academic pediatric ED. 2) to analyze the effects of patient census, boarding time, staffing hours, and acuity on the mean daily ED length-of-stay (LOS) and triage-to-provider time. Methods: ED performance was compared before and after the implementation of an EHR in May 2008. Six month intervals were used with a 5 month period of adjustment between the pre- and post-EHR intervals. 34791 patient visits met inclusion criteria. Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the LOS and triage-to-provider time as influenced by internal and external variables affecting the ED. Results: Daily patient census increased by 5.8% (p<0.01) without a change in rate of ED admissions. Nursing and practitioner hours increased by 19.7% and 16.1%, respectively because of the increased census and a perceived slowing associated with the EHR. Following the implementation, LOS remained unchanged while triage-to-provider time increased by 5 minutes per patient (p<0.05). Factors that independently affected both LOS and triage-to-provider time included census, acuity, and practitioner hours (p<0.05). When controlling for these independent variables, the use of an EHR did not affect either outcome variable (p=0.251, 0.074 respectively). However, patient flow was worsened with the EHR during days of extremely high patient census. Conclusion: An ED-EHR was associated with a modest increase in time to see a medical provider but was not associated with a change in overall LOS. When controlling for factors including patient volume, acuity, and staffing, the EHR did not independently affect ED patient flow. The EHR may have a more profound impact on ED performance during periods of extremely high census.

scholarly journals LO54: A descriptive analysis of ED length of stay of admitted patients ‘boarded’ in the emergency department

CJEM ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (S1) ◽  
pp. S46
Author(s):  
L. Salehi ◽  
P. Phalpher ◽  
R. Valani
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Ed Overcrowding ◽  
Day Of The Week ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Previous studies have shown a link between Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding and worse clinical outcomes, increased risk of in-hospital mortality, higher costs, and longer times to treatment. Prolonged ED Length of Stay (LoS) of admitted patients awaiting a bed on in-patient units has been identified as a major driver of ED overcrowding. The purpose of this study is to provide a descriptive analysis of ED LoS among admitted patients, and determine the impact of prolonged ED LoS on total hospital in-patient length of stay (IP LoS). Methods: We conducted a single-site retrospective study for the period between January 1-December 31, 2015 at a very high volume community hospital. All patients aged ≥18 years admitted from the ED to acute in-patient Medicine units were identified. We carried out overall descriptive analysis (including analysis of day-of-the-week variability) on ED LoS. The mean total IP LoS for those patients with ED LoS&lt;12 hours, 12-24 hours, and ≥24 hours were calculated and analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests. Results: A total of 6,961 individuals were admitted to the medical units over the 12-month period. The median and mean ED LoS for admitted patients were 22.9 hrs (IQR: 13.9 hrs- 33.1 hrs) and 25.6 hrs respectively. Using ANOVA, there was a statistically significant difference in means of ED LoS as a function of the day of the week (p&lt;0.0001), with Mondays having the highest mean ED LoS (27.6 hrs), and Fridays having the lowest (23.1 hrs). The mean IP LoS for those with ED LoS&lt;12 hours, 12-24 hours, and ≥24 hours, were 6.8 days, 6.9 days, and 8.5 days respectively, with a statistically significant difference between group means (p&lt;0.0001). Multiple pairwise comparisons of group means showed a statistically significant (p&lt;0.05) difference between mean IP LOS of those with an EDLOS≥24 hours and those with an EDLOS&lt;24 hours. Conclusion: Preliminary results indicate that ED LoS≥24 hours among admitted patients was associated with an increase in total IP LoS.*In the next 1-2 months, we intend to explore the role of other independent variables (age, sex, comorbidity, isolation status, and telemetry) on total ED LoS, and its association with IP LoS.

scholarly journals P064: Effect of increased availability of pre-authorized radiological test ordering on CT scan utilization in the emergency department

CJEM ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (S1) ◽  
pp. S100-S100
Author(s):  
K. Huszarik ◽  
K. Wood ◽  
M. Columbus ◽  
A. Dukelow
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Ct Scan ◽  
Patient Flow ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Ct Scans ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Implementation Period ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Computed tomography (CT) scan utilization has increased dramatically over the past 25 years. This has sparked concern for potential overuse leading to unnecessary radiation exposure for patients and increased health care costs, without any improvement in health outcomes. In order to improve workflow through the Emergency Department (ED) at our institution, an existing pre-authorization policy during weekday business hours allows emergency physicians to order CT scans directly without the need for approval from a radiologist. This policy was recently expanded on September 28, 2015 to allow pre-authorized CT scan orders during weekday evening hours. The objective of our study is to evaluate the impact of increased availability of pre-authorized CT scan ordering on CT scan utilization and patient flow through the ED at two tertiary care hospitals in London, Ontario. Methods: This is a retrospective review comparing monthly CT scan utilization rates in the pre-implementation period from September 28, 2014 to February 28, 2015, to rates in the post-implementation period from September 28, 2015 to February 28, 2016. Length of stay parameters including time from physician initial assessment to CT scan order, completion, report and patient discharge will also be compared between the groups. Results: Results will be presented at CAEP 2016. No significant difference is expected in the monthly number of CT scans ordered per registered ED visits between the pre- and post-implementation groups. We also anticipate a significantly shorter average length of stay for patients receiving a CT scan in the post-implementation group. Conclusion: We expect there will be no significant increase in CT scan utilization with increased availability of pre-authorized CT scan ordering in our EDs. We also anticipated decreased patient length of stay leading to improved patient flow through the ED. Findings may offer support for organizations to safely implement or increase availability of pre-authorized CT scan orders to help improve patient flow and decrease costs in the ED.

scholarly journals Effects of Full-Moon Definition on Psychiatric Emergency Department Presentations

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Varinder S. Parmar ◽  
Ewa Talikowska-Szymczak ◽  
Emily Downs ◽  
Peter Szymczak ◽  
Erin Meiklejohn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Full Moon ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Lunar Cycle ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Tertiary Care Hospitals ◽  
The Impact

Objectives. The lunar cycle is believed to be related to psychiatric episodes and emergency department (ED) admissions. This belief is held by both mental health professionals and the general population. Previous studies analyzing the lunar effect have yielded inconsistent results. Methods. ED records from two tertiary care hospitals were used to assess the impact of three different definitions of the full-moon period, commonly found in the literature. The full-moon definitions used in this study were 6 hours before and 6 hours after the full moon (a 12-hour model); 12 hours before and 12 hours after the full moon (a 24-hour model); and 24 hours before and after the day of the full moon (a 3-day model). Results. Different significant results were found for each full-moon model. Significantly fewer patients with anxiety disorders presented during the 12-hour and 24-hour models; however, this was not true of the 3-day model. For the 24-hour model, significantly, more patients presented with a diagnosis of personality disorders. Patients also presented with more urgent triage scores during this period. In the 3-day model, no significant differences were found between the full-moon presentations and the non-full-moon presentations. Conclusions. The discrepancies in the findings of full moon studies may relate to different definitions of “full moon.” The definition of the “full moon” should be standardized for future research.

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