Alerts as Coordination Mechanisms

In this study, we explore how clinical decision support features can be designed to aid teams in caring for patients during time-critical medical emergencies. We interviewed 12 clinicians with experience in leading pediatric trauma resuscitations to elicit design requirements for decision support alerts and how these alerts should be designed for teams with shared leadership. Based on the interview data, we identified three types of decision support alerts: reminders to perform tasks, alerts to changes in patient status, and suggestions for interventions. We also found that clinicians perceived alerts in this setting as coordination mechanisms and that some alert preferences were associated with leader experience levels. From these findings, we contribute three perspectives on how alerts can aid coordination and discuss implications for designing decision support alerts for shared leadership in time-critical medical processes.

ML-Enabled Informed Intervention for Crowdsourcing-Based Optimization of Medical Resources

It is said that every adversity presents the opportunity to grow. The current pandemic is a lesson to all healthcare infrastructure stakeholders to look at existing setups with an open mind. This chapter's proposed solution offers technology assistance to manage patient data effectively and extends the hospital data management system's capability to predict the upcoming need for healthcare resources. Further, the authors intend to supplement the proposed solution with crowdsourcing to meet hospital demand and supply for unprecedented medical emergencies. The proposed approach would demonstrate its need in the current pandemic scenario and prepare the healthcare infrastructure with a more streamlined and cooperative approach than before.

Perspectives of Dental Practitioners Regarding Their Readiness for Medical Emergencies: A Study in Saudi Arabia

Background: Training dental practitioners on emergency preparedness and response is essential for the successful management of medical emergencies. Objectives: To assess the perceptions of dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia about their readiness to manage medical emergencies in the dental practices. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among dental practitioners working in 52 dental centers in Saudi Arabia. Questionnaires mainly gathered data on the measures taken by dental practitioners to prevent medical emergencies, BLS certification, availability of essential drugs and equipment, and perceptions of dental practitioners regarding the adequacy of their training for medical emergencies. Results: Of the total 270 participants, the majority reported that they take medical history (94%), perform visual inspection (90%), consult with patients’ physician when needed (89%), and modify treatment plan as necessary (94%). However, only 19% of them routinely take baseline vital signs for their patients and 52.6% have valid BLS certification. Only 29.6% and 16.3% of dental practitioners have reported that they have all essential drugs and equipment, respectively. Conclusion: The preventive measures for medical emergency appears to be deficient because most dental practitioners are not routinely taking baseline vital signs for their patients. This important issue is combined with shortage of BLS certification among dental practitioners and inadequate availability of all medical emergency drugs and equipment in dental practices.

Nursing Home’s Measures during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Critical Reflection

This study examined the pandemic measures taken by nursing leaders to cope with COVID-19 at a nursing home in Singapore. The pandemic has affected over 215 countries, sparking a series of containment and pandemic measures by governments and healthcare organizations worldwide. Long-term care facilities are especially vulnerable to the pandemic, but little has been reported about the nursing homes’ measures in handling the pandemic. The present study used Morley’s (2014) three-stage critical reflection method to review meeting minutes, organizational emails, and government advisories on the COVID-19 pandemic measures undertaken by nursing leaders at a nursing home in Singapore between January and June 2020. The pandemic measures were broadly classified into four groups: (1) infection surveillance and containment measures; (2) ensuring continuity in clinical care and operational support; (3) resource and administrative coordination; and (4) staff training and development. Nurses have played a vital role in the fight against COVID-19 by ensuring continuity in patient care and demonstrating clinical leadership in pandemic efforts. This study proposes a useful nursing pandemic structure that outlines a set of functions and measures required for handling a pandemic and that can be applied to various medical emergencies and contingencies.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with anticonvulsants

Background and Objetives: Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are considered as a continuum of the same process. TEN or Lyell Syndrome is the most severe form. Both entities involve an acute mucocutaneous blistering reaction associated with systemic inflammation. Materials and Methods: We present a case of a young woman who developed TEN following concomitant treatment with valproate, lamotrigine, and phenobarbital. Despite the extensive mucocutaneous detachment (over 90%), prognostic evaluation was favorable (SCORTEN score 2; probability of survival 88%), and this patient evolved satisfactorily. Five days after admission, valproate was reinitiated without any subsequent adverse reaction. Results: Causality evaluation identified both lamotrigine and phenobarbital as “very probable” (ALDEN score = 6) causes and valproate as “very unlikely” (ALDEN score = 0) cause of TEN. Conclusions: SJS and TEN are true life-threatening medical emergencies. This case emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and treatment, including the discontinuation of the causative agent, which can be lifesaving.

Assessing medical emergencies

Rebecca Silver explains the ABCDE approach of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the dental practice

Patient Safety in a Box: Implementation and Evaluation of the Emergency Box in Geriatric and Parkinson Patients

In an industrial society, the proportion of geriatric people increases with rising age. These people are likely to use polypharmacy and experience medical emergencies. However, their emergency care can be complicated by unclear comorbidities and medication. The aim of this prospective interventional study was to assess the demand for a drug safety tool in clinical practice and to analyze whether the emergency box can improve acute care in a geriatric cohort. Therefore, emergency room (ER) doctors in a German tertiary hospital recorded the number of geriatric patients lacking medical information and its impact on diagnostics/treatment. Furthermore, the emergency box was distributed to patients on the neurological ward and their current drug safety concepts were assessed. After 6 months, we evaluated in a follow-up whether the tool was helpful in emergency cases. Our study revealed that 27.4% (n = 28) of the patients came to the ER without their medical information, which caused a relevant delay or possible severe complications in 11.8% (n = 12). The emergency box was perceived as easily manageable and 87.9% (n = 109) of the participants wanted to keep it after the study. Subjectively, participants benefitted in emergencies. In conclusion, the emergency box is a cheap tool that is easy to use. It can save valuable time in emergencies and increases the safety of geriatric patients.