Medical Specialties Commons^™

Detection Of Unknown Pregnancy With Complications Using Point-Of-Care Ultrasound., Allison N Kayne, Julie A Fritzges, Michelle W. Huang Md, Elizabeth M. Evans Do

Department of Emergency Medicine

Eclampsia, a condition diagnosed in pre-eclamptic patients who experience seizures, can lead to maternal and fetal death if not treated early. The present case discusses the clinical management of an 18-year-old female who presented to the emergency department (ED) after a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. A physical examination revealed that she was also hypertensive. Based on these symptoms which required urgency due to the patient's instability, and the suspicion that the patient could be pregnant, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) was performed. In this case, a POCUS was a faster more accessible modality than a urine or serum human chorionic gonadotropin test. Although …

Socio-Demographic And Trauma-Related Predictors Of Ptsd Within 8 Weeks Of A Motor Vehicle Collision In The Aurora Study, Ronald C Kessler, Kerry J Ressler, Stacey L House, Francesca L Beaudoin, Xinming An, Jennifer S Stevens, Donglin Zeng, Thomas C Neylan, Sarah D Linnstaedt, Laura T Germine, Paul I Musey, Phyllis L Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Alan B Storrow, Christopher W Jones, Brittany E Punches, Elizabeth M Datner, Kamran Mohiuddin, Nina T Gentile, Meghan E Mcgrath, Sanne J Van Rooij, Lauren A Hudak, John P Haran, David A Peak, Robert M Domeier, Claire Pearson, Leon D Sanchez, Niels K Rathlev, William F Peacock, Steven E Bruce, Mark W Miller, Jutta Joormann, Deanna M Barch, Diego A Pizzagalli, John F Sheridan, Jordan W Smoller, Thaddeus W W Pace, Steven E Harte, James M Elliott, Nathaniel G Harnett, Lauren A M Lebois, Irving Hwang, Nancy A Sampson, Karestan C Koenen, Samuel A Mclean

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

This is the initial report of results from the AURORA multisite longitudinal study of adverse post-traumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae (APNS) among participants seeking emergency department (ED) treatment in the aftermath of a traumatic life experience. We focus on n = 666 participants presenting to EDs following a motor vehicle collision (MVC) and examine associations of participant socio-demographic and participant-reported MVC characteristics with 8-week posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) adjusting for pre-MVC PTSD and mediated by peritraumatic symptoms and 2-week acute stress disorder (ASD). Peritraumatic Symptoms, ASD, and PTSD were assessed with self-report scales. Eight-week PTSD prevalence was relatively high (42.0%) and positively …

Clinical Characteristics And Laboratory Biomarkers For Patients With Suspected Covid-19 Infection Within Hca Healthcare, Scott Gutovitz, Justin Hanson, Christian Vandever, Dietrich Jehle

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

The coronavirus infection (COVID-19), also known as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), caused significant illness and a worldwide pandemic beginning in 2020. Early case reports showed common patient characteristics, clinical variables and laboratory values in these patients. We compared a large population of American COVID-19 patients to see if they had similar findings to these smaller reports. In addition, we examined our population to identify any differences between mild or severe COVID-19 infections.

Methods

We retrospectively accessed a de-identified, multi-hospital database managed by HCA Healthcare to identify all adult emergency department (ED) patients that were tested …

Emergency Department - Community Partnership To Coordinate Older Adults Falls Prevention Programs, Suzanne Ryer, Ann Gallo, Adam Perry, Michael Malone

Journal of Geriatric Emergency Medicine

Abstract

Falls and injurious falls are common causes for emergency department visits in older adults. Prior literature describing ED care of older adults has focused on the patients' injuries and their ED care. There is a gap in the literature describing community- based falls prevention strategies and interventions deployed by community organizations, beyond health systems. We identified variation in approaches to older adults among paramedic programs from one community to the next within Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. We also noted no organized falls prevention program spanning all communities, emergency departments and health systems in the county. We describe the implementation of …

Applying A Mixed-Method Approach To Improve On-The-Job Learning And Job Satisfaction In A Cohort Of Interns At A University Hospital, Amna Subhan Butt, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, M Asghar Ali, Farah Naz Qamar, Irum Qamar Khan, Swaleha Tariq, Syeda Amrah Hashmi, Quratulain Hafeez, Muhammed Tariq

Section of Gastroenterology

Introduction: Job satisfaction is vital for the optimal functioning of medical practitioners. Herein, we report our experience of restructuring the internship program by identifying the gaps, developing, implementing strategies to overcome gaps and sharing the results of the pre-implementation and post-implementation audit, as an example for establishing a system for improving intern's work-based learning and satisfaction in a university hospital setting.
Methods: Using Kern's six-step instructional model, a prospective mixed-method study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital. In phase 1 (2013) gaps were identified by evaluating various aspects of the internship program. Strategies were developed and implemented to overcome …

Helmet Wearing Saves The Cost Of Motorcycle Head Injuries: A Case Study From Karachi, Pakistan, Asrar Ali, Muhammad Ashar Malik, Uzma Rahim Khan, Umerdad Khudadad, Ahmed Raheem Buksh, Adnan A. Hyder

Department of Emergency Medicine

Purpose: To estimate the difference in healthcare cost of head injuries among motorcycle helmet users and non-users.
Methods: Motorcycle crash victims with head injuries that were brought to a public, tertiary care emergency room in Karachi were studied through a descriptive cross-sectional design. A standard questionnaire was used to collect data on demographics, injury pattern, helmeting practice, length of hospital stay, out-of-pocket payments (OOPs), and healthcare service utilization at the facility to estimate total healthcare and other costs applying micro-costing methods during the hospitalization period.
Results: A total of 323 motorcyclists involved in crash were brought to a public tertiary …

The Discrepancy Between Admission And Discharge Diagnoses: Underlying Factors And Potential Clinical Outcomes In A Low Socioeconomic Country, Samar Fatima, Sara Shamim, Amna Subhan Butt, Safia Awan, Simra Riffat, Muhammed Tariq

Section of Internal Medicine

Objective: The discrepancy between admission and discharge diagnosis can lead to possible adverse patient outcomes. There are gaps in integrated studies, and less is understood about its characteristics and effects. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the frequency, characteristics, and outcomes of diagnostic discrepancies at admission and discharge.
Design and data sources: This retrospective study reviewed the admitting and discharge diagnoses of adult patients admitted at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Internal Medicine Department between October 2018 and February 2019. The frequency and outcomes of discrepancies in patient diagnoses were noted among Emergency Department (ED) physician versus admitting physician, …

A Novel Approach To Explore Safety-I And Safety-Ii Perspectives In In Situ Simulations-The Structured What If Functional Resonance Analysis Methodology., Ralph James Mackinnon, Karin Pukk-Härenstam, Christopher S. Kennedy, Erik Hollnagel, David Slater

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: With ever increasingly complex healthcare settings, technology enhanced simulation (TES) is well positioned to explore all perspectives to enhance patient safety and patient outcomes. Analysis from a Safety-II stance requires identification of human adjustments in daily work that are key to maintaining safety. The aim of this paper is to describe an approach to explore the consequences of human variability from a Safety-II perspective and describe the added value of this to TES.

METHODS: The reader is guided through a novel application of functional resonance analysis methodology (FRAM), a method to analyse how a system or activity is affected …

Blind Taste Testing: A Case Study Of An Emergency Room Rn With Covid-19 Anosmia & Hypogeusia (Loss Of Taste & Smell), Marietta Sperry, Kimberly Kohlieber

2021 Providence Nurse Research Conference

Background: Anosmia, or the loss of taste and smell, is an important symptom for nurses to screen for among patients, as this can result in a poor appetite which impairs healing. In the early stages of the COVID19 pandemic, anosmia was not a known symptom indicative of infection with the virus. Yet, one Registered Nurse who was working in an Emergency Room received a positive COVID test following a workplace exposure to the virus while wearing personal protective equipment, and began to complain of anosmia shortly thereafter. Because the anosmia persisted, his spouse conducted blind taste test on him …

The Necessity Of Human Factors Training In Emergency Medicine Residency: A Road Less Travelled, Abdul Ahad Chhotani, Shahan Waheed

Department of Emergency Medicine

No abstract provided.

Streptococcal Pharyngitis: Delving Deeper Than The Throat, Sadaf Sheikh, Umair Javed, Muhammad Akbar Baig

Department of Emergency Medicine

Acute rhabdomyolysis and elevated transaminases during streptococcal pharyngitis are rare presentations. The proposed pathophysiological mechanisms include direct bacterial invasion and toxin generation. Physicians should be aware of the association between these infections and the above-mentioned complications to facilitate optimal treatment of these patients. We present the case of a 18-years-old gentleman with β-haemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis complicated by rhabdomyolysis and elevated liver function tests. Such high levels of creatine phosphokinase of 111856 IU/L and elevated liver function tests with aspartate aminotransferase (AST) of 1862 U/L and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) of 1003 U/L in streptococcal pharyngitis is rare to find in the …

Systematic Review On Epidemiology, Interventions And Management Of Noncommunicable Diseases In Acute And Emergency Care Settings In Kenya, Christine Ngaruiya, Annrita Kawira, Florence Mali, Faith Kambua, Beatrice Mwangi, Mbatha Wambua, Denise Hersey, Laventa Obare, Rebecca Leff, Benjamin Wachira

Emergency Medicine, East Africa

Introduction: Mortality and morbidity from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Africa are expected to worsen if the status quo is maintained. Emergency care settings act as a primary point of entry into the health system for a spectrum of NCD-related illnesses, however, there is a dearth of literature on this population. We conducted a systematic review assessing available evidence on epidemiology, interventions and management of NCDs in acute and emergency care settings in Kenya, the largest economy in East Africa and a medical hub for the continent.

Methods: All searches were run on July 15, 2015 and updated on December 11, …

Resuscitation Of Severe Accidental Hypothermia To Normal Neurologic Outcome With Use Of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation., Jamie Allen, Megan D Wardak, Rovinder S. Sandhu Md, Ahmed Nassar, Marna R. Greenberg Do, Mph, Facep

Department of Emergency Medicine

Accidental hypothermia is a condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. A 48-year-old male with a history of alcohol use disorder and optic neuropathy presented to the emergency department after being found unresponsive with an unknown downtime. One hundred four minutes passed from resuscitation, to pre-hospital discovery, until cannulation with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Here, a rare case of successful resuscitation of a profoundly hypothermic patient to normal neurologic outcome is presented.

Provider Use Of Risk Stratification Tools For Pe And Cta Ordering Practices, Christy Johnson, Do, Daniel I. Shpigel, Md, Nicole Caltabiano, Do, Benjamin Slovis, Md, Ma, Facep

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

Aims for Improvement

Quantify utilization of clinical decision tools, D-dimer and CTA-PE at TJUH and compare to benchmark and implement the logic seen in the adjacent QR code to an EPIC pop-up

Female With Intermittently Bleeding Abdominal Wall Mass., Evan Osterman, Rebecca Lisowski, Arthur Au

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Improving Identification Of Seniors At Risk Tool Adherence To Identify Emergency Department Readmissions In Older Adults, Joy Gao

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

The purpose of this evidence-based project (EBP) is to improve the emergency department (E.D.) staff adherence in completing the Identifying Seniors at Risk (ISAR) screening tool. The specific aim is to improve electronic health record (EHR) data collection to enhance the identification of older adults that are frequent utilizers of the E.D. at a local community hospital in Southern California. Based upon the most recent National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, patients ages 65 and older make up 32% of all E.D. admissions. These patients also represent 50% of the moderate to severely ill patients seen in the E.D. …

Impact Of Psychotropic Medications On Electrical Cardiac Conduction In The Emergency Department: A Best Practice Review, Juliann Hatt

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Abstract Background: The effects of psychotropic drugs on cardiac repolarization have increasingly gained attention in research and clinical practice over the last 2 decades. The absolute risk of cardiac arrhythmia, such as the polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, Torsades de Pointes (TdP), is low (14 per 10,000 patients/year) and sudden cardiac death as a consequence of all cardiac arrhythmias is less frequent (Braillon et al., 2017). TdP can occur at therapeutic doses of second-generation antipsychotics and antidepressants and with a corrected Q-T (QTc) interval >500 ms. Many psychotropic medications can delay cardiac repolarization thereby producing prolonged QTc in the electrocardiogram (ECG). Emergency …

Reiki For Recovery: Incorporating Japanese Health Practices To Increase Contemporary Resiliency In American Health, Leif Peterson

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Japanese health practice of Reiki attempts to maximize the latent ability of the human system to heal itself. The Reiki system, established over a century ago, combines multiple Asian health traditions, experimenting with practices that maximize the natural processes of the body to perform its own repairs. Reiki encourages healthy behaviors that balance the mind and body, return the human system to a lowered stress level, and allow for an optimal recovery state for the patient. This paper illustrates how this Japanese health-affirming method can be integrated and utilized within existing health and medical practices. An area that is …

Improving Patient Experience And Staff Workflow During Ed To Inpatient Interfacility Transfers, Jonathan Nakagawa

Master's Projects and Capstones

ED overcrowding has been an issue for Facility X pre-COVID19 and has been exacerbated following the first shelter in place mandate around March 2020. Facility X had proposed to increase the amount of interfacility transfers (IFT) to mitigate overcrowding and, hopefully, improve patient outcomes. 2020 Census data had shown that patient satisfaction scores and Nurse Daily Engagement scores were down; leading Facility X to believe that there can be improvements made to the IFT workflow and communication. Patient interviews also revealed that not all patients were satisfied with how they were treated during the IFT process. This quality improvement project …

Nicotine Aggravates Vascular Adiponectin Resistance Via Ubiquitin-Mediated Adiponectin Receptor Degradation In Diabetic Apolipoprotein E Knockout Mouse, Jia Gao, Jianghong Fan, Zhijun Meng, Rui Wang, Caihong Liu, Jing Liu, Bin Liang, Jing Wang, Yaoli Xie, Jing Zhao, Rui Guo, Jianli Zhao, Xin-Liang Ma, Xiangying Jiao, Jimin Cao, Yajing Wang

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

There is limited and discordant evidence on the role of nicotine in diabetic vascular disease. Exacerbated endothelial cell dysregulation in smokers with diabetes is associated with the disrupted adipose function. Adipokines possess vascular protective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic properties. However, whether and how nicotine primes and aggravates diabetic vascular disorders remain uncertain. In this study, we evaluated the alteration of adiponectin (APN) level in high-fat diet (HFD) mice with nicotine (NIC) administration. The vascular pathophysiological response was evaluated with vascular ring assay. Confocal and co-immunoprecipitation analysis were applied to identify the signal interaction and transduction. These results indicated that the circulating …

A Multicenter Evaluation Of Viral Bloodstream Detections In Children Presenting To The Emergency Department With Suspected Systemic Infection., Christina A. Rostad, Neena Kanwar, Jumi Yi, Claudia R. Morris, Jennifer Dien Bard, Amy Leber, James Dunn, Kimberle C. Chapin, Anne J. Blaschke, Judy A. Daly, Leslie Hueschen, Matthew Jones, Elizabeth Ott, Jeffrey Bastar, Kevin M. Bourzac, Rangaraj Selvarangan

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Fever is a common symptom in children presenting to the Emergency Department (ED). We aimed to describe the epidemiology of systemic viral infections and their predictive values for excluding serious bacterial infections (SBIs), including bacteremia, meningitis and urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children presenting to the ED with suspected systemic infections.

METHODS: We enrolled children who presented to the ED with suspected systemic infections who had blood cultures obtained at seven healthcare facilities. Whole blood specimens were analyzed by an experimental multiplexed PCR test for 7 viruses. Demographic and laboratory results were abstracted.

RESULTS: Of the 1114 subjects enrolled, …

Models Of Care For Patients With Hypertension And Diabetes In Humanitarian Crises: A Systematic Review, Michael S Jaung, Ruth Willis, Piyu Sharma, Sigiriya Aebischer Perone, Signe Frederiksen, Claudia Truppa, Bayard Roberts, Pablo Perel, Karl Blanchet, Éimhín Ansbro

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Care for non-communicable diseases, including hypertension and diabetes (HTN/DM), is recognized as a growing challenge in humanitarian crises, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where most crises occur. There is little evidence to support humanitarian actors and governments in designing efficient, effective, and context-adapted models of care for HTN/DM in such settings. This article aimed to systematically review the evidence on models of care targeting people with HTN/DM affected by humanitarian crises in LMICs. A search of the MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health, Global Indexus Medicus, Web of Science, and EconLit bibliographic databases and grey literature sources was performed. Studies …

Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Assists In Rapid Diagnosis Of T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma In A Young Boy., Ceyda H Sablak, Rebecca M Dudley, Alexander Youngdahl, Kevin R Roth

Department of Emergency Medicine

T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-cell LBL) is an uncommon diagnosis for acute dyspnea in pediatric emergencies. This case details a 13-year-old boy presenting to the ED with dyspnea, who was diagnosed with T-cell LBL. It was a unique presentation in which there was no obvious mediastinal mass on the examination or primary imaging. As a safe and cost-effective modality for a patient that was too unstable to transfer to the radiology department for computed tomography, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) was useful in the patient's rapid assessment for suspected pericardial and pleural effusion. This case highlights the advantage of early utilization of POCUS …

Fire Service Covid-19 Infection Prevention And Control Policy Comparison, Saaddedine Dichari

Theses & Dissertations

To date, there have been over 2.7 million deaths and more than 126 million cases attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic (JHU, 2021). This pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of daily life. Among those impacted are U.S. firefighters, as they provide many services beyond simply extinguishing structure fires and are frequently dual certified as emergency medical technicians. Many of the victims of this pandemic have relied on first responders to provide them with emergency medical care and hospital transport. When caring for these infected patients, firefighters have an increased risk of exposure and must be provided with adequate …

Robotripping: The Dangers Of Abusing Dextromethorphan, Tiffany Sin, James Espinosa, Dana Fichter

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Dextromethorphan (3-methoxy-N-methylmorphinan), also known as “DXM,” is a synthetically produced drug available in many over-the- counter (OTC) cough and cold medications as a centrally acting cough suppressant that binds to NMDA receptors. In a 2006 national survey of 50,000 students, 4, 5, and 7% of 8, 10, and 12th graders reported DXM abuse in the past year. In high doses, DXM can cause euphoria, hallucinations, dissociations, and distortion of cognition and perception. DXM abuse is also known as “Robotripping,” “Robodosing,” “Dexing,” “Tussin,” or “Triple Cs” because Robitussin® and Coricidin® Cough and Cold are most frequently abused. DXM has replaced codeine …

Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (Pres), Brittany Fera, Andrew Caravello

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a clinical and radiographic syndrome that describes certain neuroimaging findings in association with clinical symptoms such as headache, seizure, encephalopathy and vision changes. Classically, PRES is associated with poorly controlled hypertension, and patients present with elevated blood pressure in addition to their symptoms. Most importantly, imaging findings and symptoms are typically reversible, and are a separate entity from ischemic or hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accidents or autoimmune causes of similar symptoms, such as multiple sclerosis.

Syncope Or Seizure?, Joseph Heron, Kevin Dwyer

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Syncope is a common complaint in the emergency departments, accounting for 1-2% of visits, and can approach admission rates of a staggering 85%. The causes and conditions can be numerous, ranging from benign to life threatening. A good background history can go a long way in determining the etiology of the patient’s syncope. We describe a case of an elderly male who presented with a reported chief complaint of seizures, another syncope-mimic seen in the emergency department. He had a history of CAD, HTN, AAA, and osteoarthritis but no prior history of cardiac arrhythmia, MI, or structural heart disease. The …

Spontaneous Splenic Laceration Presenting As Stable Angina In The Ed, Lea Rowson, James Baird

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We present a case of a 62-year-old female who presented to the emergency department complaining of classic cardiac chest pain and was ultimately diagnosed with hemoperitoneum due to a splenic laceration sustained during recent colonoscopy. The signs and symptoms between these two diagnoses can be vaguely similar, and a missed diagnosis of either leads to increased morbidity and mortality. To make an appropriate diagnosis, a thorough history and physical examination is imperative. Observation of non-musculoskeletal left shoulder pain in addition to abdominal tenderness should lead the astute clinician down a different path towards diagnosis. Kehr’s sign is present in many …

Use Of Point Of Care Ultrasound In The Emergency Department For Diagnosis Of Femoral Pseudoaneurysm, Stephen Janssen, Jeffrey Gardecki, Giovanna Finocchio

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm after puncture or intervention of the femoral artery is a rare complication of arterial surgical intervention occurring in 0.05-0.50% of diagnostic and therapeutic catheterizations and can present weeks after initial presentation. Today we present a 57-year-old gentleman 3 months status post femoral artery stent who presented with swelling to his right groin. Point of care ultrasound was used to diagnose an actively bleeding pseudoaneurysm with hematoma that ultimately led to repeat stenting. This case shows how point of care ultrasound can expedite diagnosis and intervention and is a useful tool for the emergency physician at initial presentation.

Case Report: Covid-19 Associated Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Matthew Aharonov, Neelesh Parikh, James Espinosa, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We report a case of a 72-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with a complaint of generalized weakness. The patient was found to have ascending muscle weakness and subsequently diagnosed with Covid-19 related Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Our patient was negative for Campylobacter jejuni. It is noteworthy that the patient did not have fever, respiratory symptoms or loss of the sensation of taste.