Emergency Medicine Commons^™

Access To Primary Care Among Emergency Department Patients, Megan Hanna, Nicholas Seitz, Steven Repas, Michael Harrington, David L. House, Tiffany Le, Derek Sorensen, Catherine Marco

Medical Student Research Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Primary care is an essential component of a robust healthcare system by promoting preventative medicine and health education. This study assessed the percentage of Emergency Department (ED) patients with access to primary care and barriers to primary care.

Consent For Emergency Treatment: Demographic Variables And Relationship To Patient Comprehension, Ashwatha Thenappan

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: One of the most important pillars of patient autonomy is informed consent for medical treatment. This study was undertaken to measure patient recall and understanding of consent for treatment among ED patients. Methods: This prospective survey study was conducted at Miami Valley Hospital, an Urban Level 1 Trauma Center. Trained research assistants obtained verbal consent in private patient treatment rooms. Data were collected from the electronic medical record and from a survey questionnaire. Results: A total of 293 patients consented to participate (95% participation rate). The majority of participants stated that they had signed a consent document (N …

Signing Your Life Away? Emergency Department Patient Recall And Understanding Of Ed Consent For Treatment Based On Triage Level, Daniel Ross

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: The determine the correlation between patient recall and understanding of Emergency Department (ED) consent for treatment and patient triage level. Methods: This was a prospective study based on demographical and triage data collected from patient charts, in combination with patient responses to the consent for treatment survey. Results: Of the 293 that participated in the study, the mean age was 52, with 122 (41.6%) males and 171 (58.4%) females. 179 (61.5%) identified as white/Caucasian and 100 (34.4%) identified as African-American. Most patients, 210 (72.4%), arrived by walk-in and the rest, 80 (27.6%), were by ambulance. Participants with lower triage …

Pneumomediastinum Following Endotracheal Intubation, Aroh Ribadiya

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

EP, an 81-year-old female with a history of multiple metastases presented to the Emergency Department (ED) for shortness of breath. She developed respiratory failure requiring endotracheal intubation. She was successfully intubated, treated with etomidate, succinylcholine, propofol, fentanyl, and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A follow up chest CT at 2 hours demonstrated an incidental finding of pneumomediastinum.

The Perils Of Recreational Marijuana Use: Relationships With Mental Health Among Emergency Department Patients, Catherine A. Marco, John Paul Detherage Iii, Ashley Lafountain, Megan Hanna, Justin Anderson, Rachel Rhee, Jacqueline Ziegman, Dennis Mann

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

Abstract Introduction Marijuana is a commonly used drug in the United States. Many states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. The effects of marijuana on mental health are unknown. Methods In this prospective survey study, eligible participants included ED patients age 18 and older, who had ever used recreational marijuana. A survey instrument was developed, piloted, and revised. Data collected included reasons for marijuana use, marijuana's perceived effectiveness, and history of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Results Among 303 participants (86% response rate), the median age of first marijuana use was 16 ([IQR 14, 19], …

Predictors Of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation In Geriatric Trauma Patients, Catherine A. Marco, Jennifer Lynde, Blake Nelson, Joshua Madden, Adam Schaefer, Claire Hardman, Mary Mccarthy

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

Geriatric patients (age >65) comprise a growing segment of the trauma population. New-onset atrial fibrillation may occur after injury, complicating clinical management and resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. This study was undertaken to identify clinical and demographic factors associated with new-onset atrial fibrillation among geriatric trauma patients . Methods: In this case control study, eligible participants included admitted trauma patients age 65 and older who developed new-onset atrial fibrillation during the hospitalization. Controls were admitted trauma patients who were matched for age and injury severity score, who did not develop atrial fibrillation. We evaluated the associations between new-onset atrial …

Mandatory And Permissive Reporting Laws: Obligations, Challenges, Moral Dilemmas, And Opportunities, Joel M. Geiderman, Catherine A. Marco

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

The duty to report certain conditions to public health or law enforcement authorities is one that falls on all physicians and other health care workers as part of their duty to protect the public from harm. In an open society, others, such as teachers, clergy, police officers, or simply neighbors, share the responsibility of protecting individuals at risk, often by reporting them to authorities. The emergency physician and others in the emergency department are uniquely positioned to identify people at risk or who pose a risk, and to report them as required or allowed under the law. In some circumstances, …

Refusal Of Care In The Emergency Department: Self-Reported Reasons For Leaving Without Completing Treatment, Brenden Drerup

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: Emergency department (ED) patients may choose to leave prior to physician evaluation, elope during treatment, or leave against medical advice during treatment. This study was performed to identify the reasons why patients left the ED before completing treatment. Methods: This prospective study was conducted at Miami Valley Hospital, an urban level 1 trauma center. This study identified ED patients who left before completing treatment, including those who left without being seen (LWBS), eloped during treatment, or left against medical advice (AMA), from September to December of 2018. This project included a chart review and a prospective patient telephone survey. …

Marijuana Use And Mental Health Among Emergency Department Patients, Megan Hanna

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Background: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the U.S. with an increasing number of users in recent years.

Objective: This study was undertaken to identify common reasons for marijuana use and any relationship between its use and mental health among Emergency Department (ED) patients. Methods: A total of 303 ED patients participated from the Miami Valley Hospital Emergency Department. Eligible participants included those with any marijuana use. Subjects were administered a survey which identified age of first use, reasons for use, and presence of anxiety and depression …

The Verbal Numeric Pain Scale: Ed Patient Understanding And Perspectives, Bracey Bayonnet

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: The objective of this study is to identify patient self-reported pain scores and understanding and perspectives of the Verbal Numeric Pain Scale. Methods: In this prospective survey study, eligible participants were interviewed by research assistants. Data collected included ED patients self-reported pain scores, previous painful experiences, and their understanding of the Verbal Numeric Pain Scale,

Results: Among 164 participants (92% response rate), the mean triage pain score was 6.4 (95% CI 6.0-6.9). Many participants had experienced significant painful experiences in the past, including major surgery (N = 113), broken bone (N = 102), childbirth (N = 89) and kidney …

What Does Anxiety Look Like? Prevalence Among Ed Patients, Justin B. Anderson

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

The prevalence of mental illness in the US population is common, with an estimated value of 8%. The emergency department patient population is especially vulnerable to mental illness. Previous studies from 2012 and 2017 estimated the rate of undiagnosed mental illness in the Emergency Department (ED) at 41-42%.1,2 According to the studies, only a minority of these were identified by the physician.

DSM-5 defines the criteria for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) as “excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation), occurring more days than not for at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities (such as work or school …

Automobile Restraint Use Among Patients In Motor Vehicle Crashes: Factors Associated With Noncompliance, Ashley A. Brent

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Despite the 1968 U.S. law requiring that all vehicles have seat belts in every seat, many drivers and passengers choose not to use them. This is an important healthcare issue when the there is an estimated $917 billion spent annually on hospital services due to noncompliance with seat belt use.1 Previous literature has demonstrated that patients who are noncompliant with seatbelts are not only “more likely to use more hospital resources because they are more severely injured”, but also less likely to have health insurance, thus incurring more debt for the hospitals serving them¹. Conversely, restraint compliance has …

Cannabis Use And Association With Pain, Anxiety, And Depression Among Emergency Department Patients, John Detherage

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Introduction:

Cannabis use is increasing nationwide. Many states have legalized medical and recreational use of cannabis. This study was undertaken to identify any association between cannabis use and chronic pain among ED patients.

Methods:

This was a prospective survey study of Emergency Department (ED) patients at Miami Valley Hospital, a level 1 trauma center in Dayton, Ohio conducted during June – August 2018. The survey included data regarding the frequency of cannabis use, chronic pain, and current mental illness.

Results:

Three hundred and sixty patients participated in this study. The majority of respondents were white (55%) or African American (42%). …

Risk Factors For Pneumonia Following Rib Fractures, Brittany Bowers

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: Pneumonia is a known complication following rib fractures. The purpose of this study is to identify factors associated with the development of pneumonia following rib fractures. Methods: In this retrospective chart review, eligible participants included trauma patients with one or more rib fractures who were admitted to Miami Valley Hospital during 2012 through 2017. Variables studied included age, gender, injury severity score (ISS), mechanism of injury, smoking status, alcohol use, administration of influenza and pneumococcal vaccine, number and side of rib fracture(s), spirometer use, blood transfusion, and intravenous fluid administration.

Results: Among 78 cases and 74 controls, matched for …

Consent For Emergency Treatment: Emergency Department Patient Recall And Understanding, Ashley Lafountain

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Informed consent is an important ethical and legal requirement that underlies the concept of patient autonomy. This prospective survey study was conducted to assess patient recall and understanding of consent for treatment in adult emergency department (ED) patients at an urban level 1 trauma center with annual volume of 95,000, Miami Valley Hospital. Out of a total 293 patients, most individuals reported only receiving a verbal explanation of the consent document (45%) or not reading the document at all (36%). About half of the patients recalled consenting to treatment (N=144, 49%) and over one third of patients could not recall …

The Relationship Between Generalized Anxiety Disorder And Patient Age Among Emergency Department Patients, Mitchell Mcmurray

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and patient age in emergency department patients. The GAD-7 screening tool was used in an urban ED setting to survey patients about their anxiety, with a score of 8 or higher suggesting a diagnosis of GAD. Eligible participants included ED patients over the age of 18 with a painful condition ranging from 1-10 on the verbal numeric rating pain scale (VNRS). Participants were excluded if they were in distress and/or did not speak English. Of the 320 patients surveyed, the mean patient age was determined …

The Relationship Between Generalized Anxiety Disorder And Self-Reported Pain Scores Among Emergency Department Patients, Nicholas Seitz

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Anxiety is common among Emergency Department (ED) patients. Self-reported pain scores have been associated with a variety of physical and psychological factors. However, the relationship between pain and anxiety in ED patients has not been previously reported. This study aims to identify a relationship between self-reported pain scores and the diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder among ED patients.

This prospective patient survey study was conducted at Miami Valley Hospital, an urban ED in Dayton, Ohio. Eligible participants included ED patients age 18 or over, with a self-reported pain score ranging from 1-10 on the verbal numeric rating pain scale (VNRS). …

The 2016 Model Of The Clinical Practice Of Emergency Medicine, Francis L. Counselman, Kavita Babu, Mary Ann Edens, Diane L. Gorgas, Cherri Hobgood, Catherine A. Marco, Eric Katz, Kevin Rodgers, Leonard A. Stallings, Michael C. Wadman

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

Emergency medicine (EM) has a scientifically derived and commonly accepted description of the domain of its clinical practice. That document, “The Model of the Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine” (EM Model), was developed through the collaboration of six organizations: the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM), the administrative organization for the project, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD), the Emergency Medicine Residents' Association (EMRA), the Residency Review Committee for Emergency Medicine (RRC-EM), and the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). Development of the EM Model was based on an extensive practice …

Emergency Department Length Of Stay: Accuracy Of Patient Estimates, Brendan T. Parker, Catherine A. Marco

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction

Managing a patient’s expectations in the emergency department (ED) environment is challenging. Previous studies have identified several factors associated with ED patient satisfaction. Lengthy wait times have shown to be associated with dissatisfaction with ED care. Understanding that patients are inaccurate at their estimation of wait time, which could lead to lower satisfaction, provides administrators possible points of intervention to help improve accuracy of estimation and possibly satisfaction with the ED. This study was undertaken to examine the accuracy of patient estimates of time periods in an ED and identify factors associated with accuracy.

Method

In this prospective convenience …

Pain Scores Among Ed Patients: Correlation With Desire For Pain Medication, Catherine A. Marco, Megan Mcgervey, Joan Gekonde, Caitlin Martin

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: Pain has been identified as the most common reason for Emergency Department (ED) visits. The verbal numeric rating pain scale (VNRS) is commonly used to assess pain in the ED. This study was undertaken to determine whether VNRS pain scores correlate with desire for pain medication among ED patients.

Methods: In this prospective survey study, eligible patients included Emergency Department patients over 18 with painful conditions. The primary outcome measures included self-reported VNRS, ED diagnosis, number of ED visits and number of ED admissions within the past year, and the self-reported desire for pain medication.

Results: Among 482 participants …

End-Of-Life Issues In The Acute And Critically Ill Patient, Eric A. Savory, Catherine A. Marco

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

The challenges of end-of-life care require emergency physicians to utilize a multifaceted and dynamic skill set. Such skills include medical therapies to relieve pain and other symptoms near the end-of-life. Physicians must also demonstrate aptitude in comfort care, communication, cultural competency, and ethical principles. It is imperative that emergency physicians demonstrate a fundamental understanding of end-of-life issues in order to employ the versatile, multidisciplinary approach required to provide the highest quality end-of-life care for patients and their families.

Informed Consent For Medical Research: Case Studies, Catherine A. Marco

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

Informed consent for medical research is an essential, but challenging, process to assure the protection of the rights of potential research subjects. Numerous barriers to the informed consent process exist among patients, including impaired decisional capacity, impaired cognition, language barriers, illiteracy, insufficient time and communication, and numerous others. Because of the inherent vulnerability of patients, particular attention should be paid to addressing barriers to adequate informed consent, and steps should be taken to ensure adequate delivery of information, understanding of the study and its risks and benefits, and voluntariness of the informed consent.

Decisions At The End Of Life, Catherine A. Marco

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

As members of the Church, we believe that our Heavenly Father, in His divine judgment, chooses the appropriate time of death, the essential step and passageway to the next and more perfect life. Although medical technology has created many possibilities for increasing the quality and duration of life in many cases, its use must be appropriately and cautiously implemented. The role of medicine and technology should be to assist in providing cure and comfort to patients in need, rather than the artificial postponement of the natural process of dying.

Unchanged Maladies: Current Perspectives On Old Testament Diseases, Catherine A. Marco

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

As a physician reading the Old Testament this year, I often find myself speculating about some of the medical conditions referred to in the Old Testament. Although many disease entities have surely changed significantly over the past several thousand years, the human anatomy remains basically unchanged, thus rendering man susceptible to the same categories of disease in any day and age.

Coping With Unexpected Death, Catherine A. Marco

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

As physicians, we frequently encounter the task of notifying and supporting family members during critical situations. Perhaps the heaviest of burdens is the responsibility of informing family members and friends of the unexpected death of a loved one.