Psychopathy in the Medical Emergency Department

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 482-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen D. Benning ◽  
Stephany M. Molina ◽  
Emily A. Dowgwillo ◽  
Christopher J. Patrick ◽  
Karen F. Miller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Medical Emergency ◽  
City Hospital ◽  
Psychological Disturbance ◽  
Waiting Room ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Federal Inmates ◽  
Average Alcohol ◽  
Psychiatric Conditions ◽  
University Undergraduates

Psychopathy is a personality disorder representing an admixture of a fearless and dominant temperament with an impulsive and antisocial orientation. A sample of 1,026 participants in the waiting room of the medical emergency department of a city hospital exhibited levels of fearless dominance similar to university undergraduates and federal inmates; their levels of impulsive antisociality fell between those of federal and state inmates. Both psychopathy factors were correlated with male gender, younger age, and more frequent average alcohol consumption. Fearless dominance was associated with agentic success (e.g., being employed, higher household income), fewer psychological problems, and less use of psychotropic medications, including anxiolytics. Impulsive antisociality was negatively related to both agentic and communal (e.g., ever being married) success and positively correlated with substance use and self-reported bipolar, ADHD, and psychotic psychiatric conditions. Further, only impulsive antisociality was associated with presenting to the emergency department for physical injury or psychological disturbance.

The Waiting Room Assessment to Virtual Emergency Department pathway: Initiating video-based telemedicine in the pediatric emergency department

2021 ◽  
pp. 1357633X2110440
Author(s):  
Esli Osmanlliu ◽  
Isabelle Gagnon ◽  
Saskia Weber ◽  
Chi Quan Bach ◽  
Jennifer Turnbull ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
Clinical Pathways ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Pediatric Emergency Department ◽  
Pilot Phase ◽  
Waiting Room ◽  
Hospital Pediatric

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented pediatric emergency departments with unique challenges, resulting in a heightened demand for adapted clinical pathways. In response to this need, the Montreal Children's Hospital pediatric emergency department introduced the WAVE (Waiting Room Assessment to Virtual Emergency Department) pathway, a video-based telemedicine pathway for selected non-critical patients, aiming to reduce safety issues related to emergency department overcrowding, while providing timely care to all children presenting and registering at our emergency department. The objective of the WAVE pilot phase was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of telemedicine in our pediatric emergency department, which was previously unfamiliar with this mode of care delivery. During the six-week, three-evening per week deployment, we conducted 18 five-hour telemedicine shifts. In total, 27 patients participated in the WAVE pathway. Results from this pilot phase met four of five a priori feasibility and acceptability criteria. Overall, participating families were satisfied with this novel care pathway and reported no disruptive technological barriers.

scholarly journals The association between abnormal vital sign groups and undesirable patient outcomes

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 137-145
Author(s):  
Marina Lee ◽  
David McD Taylor ◽  
Antony Ugoni
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Vital Sign ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Medical Emergency Team ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Medical Emergency ◽  
Emergency Team ◽  
Abnormal Vital Sign

Introduction: To determine the association between both abnormal individual vital signs and abnormal vital sign groups in the emergency department, and undesirable patient outcomes: hospital admission, medical emergency team calls and death. Method: We undertook a prospective cohort study in a tertiary referral emergency department (February–May 2015). Vital signs were collected prospectively in the emergency department and undesirable outcomes from the medical records. The primary outcomes were undesirable outcomes for individual vital signs (multivariate logistic regression) and vital sign groups (univariate analyses). Results: Data from 1438 patients were analysed. Admission was associated with tachycardia, tachypnoea, fever, ≥1 abnormal vital sign on admission to the emergency department, ≥1 abnormal vital sign at any time in the emergency department, a persistently abnormal vital sign, and vital signs consistent with both sepsis (tachycardia/hypotension/abnormal temperature) and pneumonia (tachypnoea/fever) (p < 0.05). Medical emergency team calls were associated with tachycardia, tachypnoea, ≥1 abnormal vital sign on admission (odds ratio: 2.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.4–3.8), ≥2 abnormal vital signs at any time (odds ratio: 2.4, 95% confidence interval: 1.2–4.7), and a persistently abnormal vital sign (odds ratio: 2.7, 95% confidence interval: 1.6–4.6). Death was associated with Glasgow Coma Score ≤13 (odds ratio: 6.3, 95% confidence interval: 2.5–16.0), ≥1 abnormal vital sign on admission (odds ratio: 2.6, 95% confidence interval: 1.2–5.6), ≥2 abnormal vital signs at any time (odds ratio: 6.4, 95% confidence interval: 1.4–29.5), a persistently abnormal vital sign (odds ratio: 4.3, 95% confidence interval: 2.0–9.0), and vital signs consistent with pneumonia (odds ratio: 5.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.9–14.8). Conclusion: Abnormal vital sign groups are generally superior to individual vital signs in predicting undesirable outcomes. They could inform best practice management, emergency department disposition, and communication with the patient and family.

Use of medical emergency call data as a marker of quality of emergency department care in the post-National Emergency Access Target era

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 607
Author(s):  
Lorraine Westacott ◽  
Judy Graves ◽  
Mohsina Khatun ◽  
John Burke
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Patient Safety ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Emergency Admission ◽  
Emergency Call ◽  
Medical Emergency ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Model Of Care ◽  
Emergency Calls

Objectives Any new model of care should always be accompanied by rigorous monitoring to ensure that there are no negative consequences, especially any that impact upon patient safety. In 2013, ‘THERMoSTAT’ (Two- Hour Evaluation and Referral Model for Shorter Turnaround Times), an emergency department model of care developed by Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital staff was launched to gain efficiencies and improve hospital National Emergency Access Target (NEAT) compliance. The aim of this study was to trial the use of medical emergency call data as a novel marker of the quality of care delivered by our emergency department. Methods Incidence of medical emergency calls for hospital emergency admission patients for the 2 years pre- and 1 year post-THERMoSTAT were compared after standardising for overall hospital activity. Results During the study period, hospital activity increased 10%, and the emergency department experienced a total of 222 645 presentations, 68 000 (30.5%) of which converted into an admission. THERMoSTAT improved NEAT compliance by 17% (from 57.7% to 74.9%) with no change in any patient-safety indicators. A total of 8432 medical emergency calls were made on 5930 patients, 2831 of whom were emergency admissions. After adjusting for hospital activity, there was no change in the average number of patients per week who triggered a medical emergency call after the introduction of THERMoSTAT. These results were reproduced when data was analysed for: total number of inpatients triggering calls; emergency admission patients; and emergency admission patients within the first 24 h or first 4 h of admission. Conclusions This is the first report to investigate the correlation between inpatient medical emergency call incidence and emergency department model of care. Medical emergency call data showed significant promise as a measure of morbidity and as a more direct, objective, simple, quantitative and meaningful measure of patient safety. What is known about the topic? It is well established that extended emergency department lengths of stay are associated with poorer patient outcomes. The corollary of this is not always true however; shorter emergency department length of stay does not automatically translate into better care. Although the underlying philosophy of NEAT is to enhance patient care, there is a risk of negative consequences if NEAT is seen as an end in itself. Many of the commonly used emergency department key performance indicators focus on the timeliness of care and there is a scarcity of easily quantifiable markers that reliably reflect the quality of that care. What does this paper add? This study builds on the concept of medical emergency call incidence as a marker of safety and quality. It explores the utility of using the number of medical emergency calls made in the first few hours of an emergency admission as an indicator of the quality of care delivered by the emergency department. This is significant because it introduces a measure that has a focus that embraces more than the timeliness of care only. What are the implications for practitioners? If medical emergency call incidence in early emergency admissions can be proven to accurately reflect emergency department quality of care then it would provide an easily monitored, objective, quantitative and prompt measure that evaluates dimensions other than timeliness.

Impact of Visual Art on Patient Behavior in the Emergency Department Waiting Room

2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 172-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Upali Nanda ◽  
Cheryl Chanaud ◽  
Michael Nelson ◽  
Xi Zhu ◽  
Robyn Bajema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Visual Art ◽  
Waiting Room ◽  
Patient Behavior

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of emergency department cardiac arrest publications

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Cardiac Arrest ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Research Direction ◽  
Medical Emergency ◽  
Aggregated Data ◽  
Academic Publications ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency with a poor prognosis. Patient characteristics and outcomes are associated with location and are traditionally categorized into out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) or in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA). Increasing evidence has revealed that cardiac arrest occurring in the emergency department is distinct from OHCA or IHCA in other locations in hospitals, but most academic publications combine these populations and apply the knowledge arising from OHCA or IHCA to patients with emergency department cardiac arrest (EDCA). The aim of this study was to identify the research direction of EDCA in the past 20 years and to analyze the characteristics and content of academic publications. We searched the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for eligible articles until May 30, 2021. Two independent reviewers extracted data by using a customized form to record crucial information, and any conflicts between the two reviewers were resolved through discussion with another independent reviewer. The aggregated data underwent a scoping review and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. In total, 52 original articles investigating EDCA were included; only 15 articles simply focused on EDCA, while other articles involved OHCA or IHCA simultaneously. There were 3 articles discussing the relationship of overcrowdedness and EDCA, 12 articles for prediction and risk factors associated with EDCA, 15 articles for epidemiology and prognosis, and 22 articles for specific diagnostic or resuscitation skills with regard to EDCA. Studies focusing on EDCA are increasing but still scarce. Applying the knowledge arising from OHCA or IHCA to EDCA is questionable, and research focused on EDCA is necessary. ED overcrowdedness-associated EDCA and prediction models for EDCA are essential topics that need further investigation.

SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Among Healthcare Workers by Job Function and Work Location in a New York Inner-City Hospital

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Murli U Purswani ◽  
Jessica Bucciarelli ◽  
Jose Tiburcio ◽  
Shamuel M Yagudayev ◽  
Georgia H Connell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
New York ◽  
Inner City ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Administrative Staff ◽  
City Hospital ◽  
Antibody Testing ◽  
Pharmacy Staff ◽  
Work Location ◽  
Job Function

OBJECTIVE: To describe the seroprevalence and risk for SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers (HCWs) by job function and work location following the pandemic’s first wave in New York City (NYC). METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted between May 18 and June 26, 2020, during which HCWs at a large inner-city teaching hospital in NYC received voluntary antibody testing. The main outcome was presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies indicating previous infection. Seroprevalence and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for seropositivity by type and location of work were calculated using logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Of 2,749 HCWs tested, 831 tested positive, yielding a crude seroprevalence of 30.2% (95% CI, 29%-32%). Seroprevalence ranged from 11.1% for pharmacy staff to 44.0% for nonclinical HCWs comprised of patient transporters and housekeeping and security staff, with 37.5% for nurses and 20.9% for administrative staff. Compared to administrative staff, aORs (95% CIs) for seropositivity were 2.54 (1.64-3.94) for nurses; 2.51 (1.42-4.43) for nonclinical HCWs; between 1.70 and 1.83 for allied HCWs such as patient care technicians, social workers, registration clerks and therapists; and 0.80 (0.50-1.29) for physicians. Compared to office locations, aORs for the emergency department and inpatient units were 2.27 (1.53-3.37) and 1.48 (1.14-1.92), respectively. CONCLUSION: One-third of hospital-based HCWs were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 by the end of the first wave in NYC. Seroprevalence differed by job function and work location, with the highest estimated risk for nurses and the emergency department, respectively. These findings support current nationwide policy prioritizing HCWs for receipt of newly authorized COVID-19 vaccines.

The impact of a time target on older patients attending the emergency department

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. A2.1-A2
Author(s):  
Sue Mason
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Older Patient ◽  
Younger Patients ◽  
Patient Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionThe 4 h emergency standard for English acute trusts was introduced in 2003 and became full established by 2008 at 98% for all Emergency Department (ED) patients to be seen and discharged. This study examined the impact of the target for older patients attending departments.MethodsRoutine patient level data was received from 15 English EDs representing 774 095 individual patient attendances during May and June for 2003 to 2006. The data were used to determine the distribution of the total time spent in the EDs. Attendances were compared for older patients (65 years and above) with younger age groups.ResultsA total of 145 596 attendances were for patients aged 65+ years (18.9%). Across each year analysed, these older patients have a significantly longer median total time in the ED than those younger than 65 years (162 min vs 103 min, p<0.001). In addition, older patients are significantly more likely to leave the emergency department in the last 20 min prior to 4 h (12.4% vs 5.2% in those <65 years, p<0.001). This proportion is growing year on year in both the admitted and discharged categories of patients. Finally, older patients are significantly more likely to breach the 4-h than their younger counterparts (16.6% vs 6.3%, p<0.001).ConclusionsThere are some unintended consequences of introducing the 4 h target in UK emergency departments. While the target has reduced overall time in departments, the older patient appears to be disadvantaged relative to younger patients. Older patients are more likely to be ‘rushed through’ to other unmonitored areas of the hospital just prior to the target or to breach the target altogether. This finding calls in to question the benefits that the target is conveying for individual patients, and especially the most vulnerable in society.

Migraine

2020 ◽  
pp. 213-224
Author(s):  
Julio R Vieira ◽  
Richard B Lipton
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Migraine ◽  
Migraine With Aura ◽  
Cortical Spreading Depression ◽  
Migraine Without Aura ◽  
Spreading Depression ◽  
Headache Frequency ◽  
Motor Symptoms ◽  
Migraine Aura ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Psychiatric Conditions

This chapter examines migraine. The incidence of migraine varies depending on multiple aspects, including age, sex, and the presence of aura. At an earlier age (younger than age ten), migraine initially affects more boys than girls, with migraine with aura (MA) occurring at a younger age than migraine without aura (MO). Later in life, when puberty starts, this relationship changes and it becomes more common in women than men. Migraine aura are focal neurological symptoms that typically occur prior to the onset of a headache due to a phenomenon called cortical spreading depression. The prevalence of migraine with aura vary between visual, sensory, or motor symptoms. It can also present as diplopia, slurred speech, aphasia, dizziness, vertigo, and hemiparesis. Moreover, the prevalence of migraine varies according to headache frequency. The chapter then looks at chronic migraine and menstrual migraine. It also explores several comorbidities associated with migraine, including many neurologic, medical, and psychiatric conditions.

Feasibility of phenytoin as a paramedic-led second-line anti-epileptic drug

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 349-353
Author(s):  
Luke Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Medical Emergency ◽  
Convulsive Status Epilepticus ◽  
Second Line ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Anti Epileptic Drug ◽  
Health Community ◽  
Almost All

Background: Convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) is a medical emergency that is commonly encountered in the prehospital setting. In almost all prehospital settings, treatment is limited to benzodiazepines even though the standard of care in emergency departments includes second-line agents such as phenytoin. Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar using the search terms ‘phenytoin’, ‘seizure’ or ‘convulsive’ and ‘prehospital’, ‘EMS’ or ‘ambulance’ or ‘emergency department’. Five articles were analysed and a narrative review formed. Results: Phenytoin is an effective and commonly used second-line anti-epileptic agent but there is a distinct lack of evidence on prehospital phenytoin. Phasing the introduction of phenytoin into practice while simultaneously running a well-designed research trial could provide data for prehospital providers and the wider health community. Conclusion: Management of CSE will continue to present challenges to prehospital providers. Promoting the introduction of phenytoin to select patients, administered by advanced clinicians, could be an excellent opportunity to generate much-needed clinical data and potentially reduce morbidity and mortality in CSE.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document