Emergency Medicine Commons^™

Using The 4m Model To Screen Geriatric Patients In The Emergency Department, Martinus Megalla, Roopa Avula, Christopher Manners, Portia Chinnery, Lindsey Perrella, Douglas Finefrock

Journal of Geriatric Emergency Medicine

Several models of specialized geriatric care in the Emergency Department (ED) have been developed since the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) began accrediting geriatric EDs in 2018. There is considerable variability in terms of both design and efficacy in regard to screening older patients in the ED and determining proper interventions The John A. Hartford Foundation and Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) have developed the 4M Model for Creating Age-Friendly Health Systems which aims to provide high quality care to older patients by addressing four critical elements: Mentation, Mobility, Medication, What Matters. This article describes a screening tool for …

“I’M Not Staying In The Hospital Tonight”: How Emergency Departments Can Leverage Health And Social Services At Home To Support Care Transitions For Older Patients, Emily Franzosa, Ula Hwang, Maya Genovesi, Orna Intrator, Thomas Edes, Michael Malone

Journal of Geriatric Emergency Medicine

When hospital admission is less than desirable and sending a patient home alone feels unsafe, connecting patients to health and social services at home are a valuable third option for emergency providers. Coordinating home support services from the ED is effective care delivery and aligns with health systems’ goals of decreasing avoidable admissions, and developing capacity to assess and refer patients to home support from the ED is part of good emergency care. Change also doesn’t have to happen overnight. Taking small steps now to improve older patients' transitions to home can help EDs build toward high-quality, patient-centered care for …

Bedside Index (Bisap) V/S Ranson Scores In Predicting Mortality And Severity In Patients With Acute Pancreatitis, Nazir Najeeb Kapadia, Emaduddin Siddiqui

Department of Emergency Medicine

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis in comparison with Ranson scores in predicting mortalities and severities in patients with acute pancreatitis.
Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Emergency Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from July 1, 2017, to January 1, 2018, and comprised patients who presented with acute pancreatitis. The bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis score was applied in the emergency department and the patients were followed up in ward/intensive care unit where Ranson scores were calculated within the following 48 hours. Both the …

Concurrent Primary Cardiac Tumors In A High-Risk Patient Presenting With Tamponade., Jay V Gopal, Lauren Crowley, Shawn M Quinn, Timothy S Misselbeck, Joseph B Zackary

Department of Emergency Medicine

Primary cardiac tumors are rare, particularly in the elderly population. The patient described in this report presented with symptoms of dyspnea on exertion, leg swelling, and weight gain and was found to have two histologically distinct cardiac masses: atrial myxoma with concurrent aortic fibroelastoma. Given her history of cirrhosis and end-stage renal disease, the patient was a poor surgical candidate but opted for excision of both masses. The patient eventually succumbed to her cirrhosis six weeks after presentation. In this report, we advocate for further research into medical management for the unique presentation of concurrent primary cardiac tumors in high-operative-risk …

Syndrome Of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion And Lead Toxicity In A Child With Sickle Cell Disease And Pica., Akshay Gupta Do, Alexandra Amaducci Do, Andrew L. Koons, John D. Lindmark, Gillian A. Beauchamp Md

Department of Emergency Medicine

We describe the presentation and management of a three-year-old child with a history of pica, vitamin D deficiency, and sickle cell disease, who was admitted for pyelonephritis, and found to have elevated blood lead level (BLL) of 103.7 µg/dL, and who subsequently developed altered mental status and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). In consultation with Medical Toxicology, the patient was chelated with calcium disodium edetate (EDTA) and British Anti Lewisite (BAL). The patient's hyponatremia was managed with hypertonic saline infusion. The patient's encephalopathy improved throughout her hospital course, and she was discharged on hospital day 8. Following five …

Red Blood Cell Transfusion In Critically-Ill Children And Its Association With Outcome, Hafsa Sohail, Shah Ali Ahmed, Parveen Usman, Farah Khalid, Anwar Ul Haque, Qalab Abbas

Department of Emergency Medicine

Objective: To determine the indications and threshold of haemoglobin levels for packed red blood cell transfusion and its association with outcomes in a paediatric intensive care setting.
Methods: The retrospective study was conducted in the paediatric intensive care unit of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised medical records of all inpatients with age between 1 month and 16 years who received packed red blood cell transfusions between January and December 2017. Data was retrieved from the hospital database and was analyzed using SPSS 22.
Results: Of the 147 subjects with a mean age of 67.89±65.8 months, 76(51.7%) were …

Assessment Of Emergency Medicine Resident Performance In A Pediatric In Situ Simulation Using Multi-Source Feedback., Michael C Nguyen, Nicole C Elliott, Diane P Begany, Katie M Best, Matthew D Cook, Michael R Jong, Zachary M Matuzsan, Louis A Morolla, Suzanne S Partington, Bryan G Kane

Department of Emergency Medicine

Introduction Multi-source feedback (MSF) is an evaluation method mandated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The Queen's Simulation Assessment Tool (QSAT) has been validated as being able to distinguish between resident performances in a simulation setting. The QSAT has also been demonstrated to have excellent MSF agreement when used in an adult simulation performed in a simulation lab. Using the QSAT, this study sought to determine the degree of agreement of MSF in a single pediatric (Peds) simulation case conducted in situ in a Peds emergency department (ED). Methods This Institutional Review Board-approved study was conducted in …

Management Of Peritonsillar Abscess Within A Local Emergency Department: A Quality Analysis Study., Briana K Ortega, Spencer Short, Bryan G. Kane Md, Robert M. Dedio Md

Department of Emergency Medicine

OBJECTIVE: Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is the most common deep space infection of the head and neck, affecting thousands of people annually with high treatment costs. The purpose of this project was to determine how in-network emergency departments (EDs) adhere to generally accepted guidelines regarding diagnosis and management of potential PTAs.

METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective chart review to identify patients with PTA in five EDs in one year. Information pertaining to diagnostic tests, treatment, and airway status was also collected. Descriptive analysis was used to assess if EDs were consistent with generally accepted guidelines.

RESULTS: Six hundred twenty-one patient …

Bridging The Gaps: Individual And Community Level Risk Factors For Non-Lethal Firearm Injuries In The U.S., Alexander Hanisak, Mark Cipolle Md

Research Scholars

No abstract provided.

Feasible And Effective Use Of A Simulation-Based Curriculum For Post-Graduate Emergency Medicine Trainees In India To Improve Learner Self-Efficacy, Knowledge, And Skills., T Ahluwalia, S Toy, C Gutierrez, K Boggs, K Douglass

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Pediatric emergency medicine training is in its infancy in India. Simulation provides an educational avenue to equip trainees with the skills to improve pediatric care. We hypothesized that a simulation-based curriculum can improve Indian post-graduate emergency medicine (EM) trainees' self-efficacy, knowledge, and skills in pediatric care.

METHODS: We designed a simulation-based curriculum for management of common pediatric emergencies including sepsis, trauma, and respiratory illness and pediatric-specific procedures including vascular access and airway skills. Training included didactics, procedural skill stations, and simulation. Measures included a self-efficacy survey, knowledge test, skills checklist, and follow-up survey. Results were analyzed using the Wilcoxon …

The Relationship Between Vitamin C Or Thiamine Levels And Outcomes For Severe Sepsis Patients Admitted To The Icu., Nandan Prasad, Anne V. Grossestreuer, Nuala J. Meyer, Sarah M. Perman, Mark E. Mikkelsen, Judd Hollander, David F. Gaieski

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Preliminary data have produced conflicting results regarding whether initial vitamin C levels in patients with severe sepsis correlate with mortality outcomes. We hypothesized that low plasma ascorbic acid or thiamine levels in severe sepsis patients admitted from the Emergency Department (ED) to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) would be associated with increased mortality and an increased incidence of shock. Retrospective analysis of a prospective database of severe sepsis patients admitted to the ICU at an urban, academic medical center. Ascorbic acid and thiamine levels were analyzed in relation to survivors vs. non-survivors and shock vs. non-shock patients. 235 patients were …

Pre-Operative Fluid Resuscitation In The Emergency General Surgery Septic Patient: Does It Really Matter?, Benjamin Moran, Erin Major, Joseph A Kufera, Samuel A Tisherman, Jose Diaz

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: Emergency general surgery (EGS) patients presenting with sepsis remain a challenge. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommends a 30 mL/kg fluid bolus in these patients, but recent studies suggest an association between large volume crystalloid resuscitation and increased mortality. The optimal amount of pre-operative fluid resuscitation prior to source control in patients with intra-abdominal sepsis is unknown. This study aims to determine if increasing volume of resuscitation prior to surgical source control is associated with worsening outcomes.

METHODS: We conducted an 8-year retrospective chart review of EGS patients undergoing surgery for abdominal sepsis within 24 h of admission. Patients in …

Developing Standardized Patient-Based Cases For Communication Training: Lessons Learned From Training Residents To Communicate Diagnostic Uncertainty., Dimitrios Papanagnou, Matthew R Klein, Xiao Chi Zhang, Kenzie A Cameron, Amanda Doty, Danielle M Mccarthy, Kristin L. Rising, David H Salzman

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Health professions education has benefitted from standardized patient (SP) programs to develop and refine communication and interpersonal skills in trainees. Effective case design is essential to ensure an SP encounter successfully meets learning objectives that are focused on communication skills. Creative, well-designed case scenarios offer learners the opportunity to engage in complex patient encounters, while challenging them to address the personal and emotional contexts in which their patients are situated. Therefore, prior to considering the practical execution of the patient encounter, educators will first need a clear and structured strategy for writing, organizing, and developing cases. The authors reflect on …

Pediatric Sepsis-Development Of A Clinical Pathway For The Pediatric Emergency Department, Roslyn Lampkin-Smiley

Student Scholarly Projects

Globally, various researchers have suggested that sepsis is one of the most prominent causes of infant fatalities. Since 2004, countless guidelines have been developed to assist in the early identification and management of sepsis. The PICOT question that guided this project was: Does the implementation of a pediatric sepsis clinical pathway, compared with the standard protocol in emergency departments, decrease delays in treatment times of patients presenting with sepsis? Researchers have suggested that early recognition and interventions for septic patients can result in decreased mortality rates. A pediatric sepsis clinical pathway was implemented during this project. The pathway alerted staff …

Lncrna Nonhsat069381 And Nonhsat140844 Increase In Aging Human Blood, Regulating Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis., Jinyang Zhao, Xiaolong Lin, Haoxuan Sun, Donghui Zhao, Qin Ma, Wayne Bond Lau, Zichao Cheng, Fanqi Li, Jinghua Liu, Qian Fan

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Aging augments postischemic apoptosis via incomplete mechanisms. Our previous animal study suggests that in addition to proapoptotic effects, lncRNAs also exert antiapoptotic effects in cardiomyocytes. However, whether this unexpected phenomenon exists in humans is unknown. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between aging and apoptosis regulation in human blood samples and confirmed their role by utilizing the cardiomyocyte lines (AC16 cells). Human blood samples were collected from 20 pairs of older adult and young volunteers. Age-different apoptotic regulatory lncRNAs and miRNAs were identified by microarray and bioinformatics analysis. The results indicated that lncRNA (NONHSAT069381 and NONHSAT140844) and miRNA …

Risk Factors Of Fall-Related Emergency Department Visits By Fall Location Of Older Adults In The Us, Uma Kelekar, Debasree Das Gupta, Jewel Goodman Shepherd, Anupam S. Sule

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Introduction: Prior evidence indicates that predictors of older adult falls vary by indoor-outdoor location of the falls. While a subset of United States’ studies reports this finding using primary data from a single geographic area, other secondary analyses of falls across the country do not distinguish between the two fall locations. Consequently, evidence at the national level on risk factors specific to indoor vs outdoor falls is lacking.

Methods: Using the 2017 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) data, we conducted a multivariable analysis of fall-related emergency department (ED) visits disaggregated by indoor vs outdoor fall locations of adults 65 years …

Rabies Postexposure Prophylaxis In The United States: Opportunities To Improve Access, Coordination, And Delivery, Gavin T. Howington, Huy-Binh Nguyen, P. Brandon Bookstaver, Peter Akpunonu, Joshua T. Swan

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Data From Emergency Medicine Palliative Care Access (Empalla): A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing The Effectiveness Of Specialty Outpatient Versus Telephonic Palliative Care Of Older Adults With Advanced Illness Presenting To The Emergency Department., Abigail M. Schmucker, Mara Flannery, Jeanne Cho, Keith S. Goldfeld, Corita Grudzen, Empalla Investigators

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

BACKGROUND: The Emergency Medicine Palliative Care Access (EMPallA) trial is a large, multicenter, parallel, two-arm randomized controlled trial in emergency department (ED) patients comparing two models of palliative care: nurse-led telephonic case management and specialty, outpatient palliative care. This report aims to: 1) report baseline demographic and quality of life (QOL) data for the EMPallA cohort, 2) identify the association between illness type and baseline QOL while controlling for other factors, and 3) explore baseline relationships between illness type, symptom burden, and loneliness.

METHODS: Patients aged 50+ years with advanced cancer (metastatic solid tumor) or end-stage organ failure (New York …

Medical Schools Ignore The Nature Of Consciousness At Great Cost, Anoop Kumar

Journal of Wellness

The essential question of the relationship between consciousness and matter is ignored in medical school curricula, leading to a machine-like view of the human being that contributes to physician burnout and intellectual dissatisfaction. The evidence suggesting that the brain may not be the seat of consciousness is generally ignored to preserve the worldview of the primacy of matter. By investigating new frameworks detailing the nature of consciousness at different levels of hierarchy, we can bring intellectual rigor to a once opaque subject that supports a fundamental reality about our experience: We are human beings, not only human bodies.

Acute Urinary Retention: Should We Call It A Manifestation Of Appendicitis?, Sadaf Sheikh, Umair Javed, Muhammad Akbar Baig

Department of Emergency Medicine

Acute urinary retention (AUR) is a fairly common presentation in the elderly; but interesting to be noted in a healthy young individual as a manifestation of acute appendicitis. We present a case of a 32-year gentleman with decreased urine output with mild tenderness at the supra-pubic region; which was later on, shifted to the right iliac fossa. Computed tomography of the abdomen showed acute appendicitis. Emergency physicians are challenged to recognize the uncommon presentation of acute appendicitis and need to be reminded of this common complaint as a rare presentation of it. This case also stresses on the repeated abdominal …