bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
LO94: Evaluation of stroke and bleeding outcomes among patients managed in the emergency department for newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation
Authors: Niaz S. , Kirwan C. , Clayton N. , Mercuri M. , de Wit K. 
Published: May 2020

Introduction: Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia seen in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). AF increases the risk of ischemic stroke which can be mitigated by anticoagulant prescription. National guidelines advise that emergency physicians initiate anticoagulation when AF is first diagnosed. We aimed to evaluate the 90-day incidence of stroke and major bleeding among emergency patients discharged home with a new diagnosis of AF. Methods: This was a health records review of patients diagnosed with AF in two EDs. We included patients ≥ age 18, with a new diagnosis of AF who were discharged from the ED, between 1st May 2014 and 1st May 2017. Using a structure review we collected data on CHADS65 and CHADS2 scores, contraindications to direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) prescription and initiation of anticoagulation in the ED. Patient charts were reviewed for the diagnosis of stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), ischemic gut, ischemic limb or other systemic embolism within 90 days of the index ED presentation. We extracted data on major bleeding events within 90 days, defined by the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis criteria. All data were extracted in duplicate for validation. Results: We identified 399 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria, median age 68 (IQR 57-79), 213 (53%) male. 11 patients were already prescribed an anticoagulant for another indication and 19 had a contraindication to prescription of a DOAC. 48/299 (16%) CHADS65 positive patients were initiated on an anticoagulant, 3 of whom had a contra-indication to initiation of anticoagulation in the ED (1 dual antiplatelet therapy, 2 liver cirrhosis). 1/100 CHADS65 negative patients was initiated on anticoagulation. The median CHADS2 score was 1 (IQR 0-2). Among the 49 patients initiated on anticoagulation, 3 patients had a stroke/TIA within 90 days, 6.1% (95% CI; 2.1-16.5%). There were no bleeding events 0.0% (95% CI; 0.0-7.3%). Among the 350 patients who were not initiated on anticoagulation in the ED, 4 patients had a stroke/TIA 1.1% (95% CI; 1.1-2.9%) within 90 days and 2 patients had a major bleeding event. Conclusion: Prescription of anticoagulation for new diagnoses of AF was under-utilized in these EDs. The 90-day stroke/TIA rate was high, even among those given an anticoagulant prescription in the ED. No patient had an anticoagulant-associated bleeding event.
MP05: Validation of the Canadian clinical practice guideline clinical decision aid for acute aortic syndrome
Authors: Paige B. , Maeng A. , Savage D. , Ohle R. , MA MBBCh 
Published: May 2020

Introduction: Acute aortic syndrome (AAS) is a rare clinical syndrome with a high mortality encompassing acute aortic dissection, intramural hematoma and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer. Up to 38% of cases are misdiagnosed on first presentation. There is a large variation in use of computed tomography to rule out AAS. The Canadian clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis of AAS was developed in order to reduce the frequency of misdiagnoses. As part of the guideline, a clinical decision aid was developed to facilitate clinician decision-making based on practice recommendations. Our objective was to validate the sensitivity of this clinical decision aid. Methods: Our validation cohort was recruited from a retrospective review of all cases of AAS diagnosed at three tertiary care emergency departments and one cardiac referral center from 2002-2019. Inclusion criteria: >18 years old, non-traumatic, symptoms <14 days and AAS confirmed on computed tomography, transesophageal echocardiography, intraoperatively or postmortem. The clinical decision aid assigns an overall score of 0-7 based on high risk pain features, risk factors, physical examination and clinical suspicion. Sensitivity with 95% confidence intervals are reported. Based on a national survey, a miss rate of <1% was predefined for the validation threshold. Results: Data was collected from 2002-2019 yielding 222 cases of AAS (mean age of 65 (SD 14.1) and 66.7% male). Kappa for data abstraction was 0.9. Of the 222 cases of AAS (type A = 125, type B = 95, IMH = 2), 35 (15.7%) were missed on initial assessment. Patients were risk stratified into low (score = 0, 2 (0.9%)) moderate (score = 1, 42 (18.9%)) and high risk (score ≥2,178 (80.2%)) groups. A score ≥1 had a sensitivity of 99.1% (95% CI 96.8-99.9%) in the detection of AAS. The clinical decision aid missed 0.9% (95% CI 0.3-3%) of cases. Conclusion: The Canadian clinical practice guideline's AAS clinical decision aid is a highly sensitive tool that uses readily available clinical information. Although the miss rate was <1%, the 95% confidence intervals crossed the predefined threshold. Further validation is needed in a larger population to ensure the miss rate is below an acceptable level.
MP14: Quantification of head-neck motion in trauma patients in the emergency department under spinal motion restriction: a prospective observational study
Authors: Kulas M. , Brueton-Campbell L. , Weldon E. , McDonald N. , Pryce R. 
Published: May 2020

Introduction: This was a prospective observational study involving a convenience sample of low-risk trauma patients presenting to a Level 1 Trauma Centre under spinal motion restriction (SMR). To our knowledge no prior studies have objectively measured head-neck (H-N) motion in trauma patients with suspected spine injuries during emergency department (ED) care. The goal was to establish the feasibility of deploying non-invasive motion sensors on trauma patients in the ED and to provide initial estimates for H-N kinematics under SMR during different phases of treatment. Methods: Low-risk adult patients treated by Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service who sustained non-life threatening trauma with the potential for spine injury were eligible for inclusion. Participants received usual pre-hospital care; application of spine board and/or cervical collar, as determined by local practice protocol. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) were placed on participant's forehead, sternum and stretcher upon arrival to the ED. Data was collected during three phases of care: patient handling (log rolls, transfers, clothing removal); stretcher movement (to imaging, etc); stretcher stationary. IMUs were removed upon disposition decision by the attending physician. IMUs yielded data on H-N motion in terms of linear acceleration (resultant) and angular displacement (rotation + flexion-extension + side-flexion = total). Peak (M +/- SE) displacements and accelerations are reported, with comparisons across treatment phases using repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Eleven patients were enrolled in the study (age: 49 +/- 16 years; Injury Severity Score 13.4 +/- 9.9; female = 2). Substantial H-N motion was observed during ED care. Total H-N displacement (28.6 +/- 3.6 deg) and acceleration (7.8 +/- 1.0 m/s2) were higher during patient handling compared to stretcher moving (13.0 +/- 2.5 deg; 4.6 +/- 0.9 m/s2; p < .05) but not while the stretcher was stationary (18.9 +/- 3.4 deg; 5.4 +/- 1.2 m/s2; p > .06). Similar differences were detected for side-flexion and flexion-extension (p < .05), with peak displacements of 11.4+/-1.5 deg and 14.6 +/- 2.2 deg during patient handling, respectively. Conclusion: IMU use on trauma patients safely described H-N motion kinematics in a small sample of patients with different spectrums of illness during their care in the ED. Future studies utilizing IMUs could inform ED spine motion restriction protocols and compare movement of patients in specific subsets (intoxicated, spinal tenderness, injury severity etc.).
MP17: Evaluation of a national competency-based assessment system in emergency medicine: A CanDREAM study
Authors: Thoma B. , Hall A. , Clark K. , Meshkat N. , Cheung W. , Desaulniers P. , ffrench C. , Meiwald A. , Meyers C. , Patocka C. , Beatty L. , Chan T. 
Published: May 2020

Introduction: In 2018, Canadian postgraduate specialist Emergency Medicine (EM) programs began implementing a competency-based medical education (CBME) assessment system. To support improvement of this assessment program, we sought to evaluate its short-term educational outcomes nationally and within individual programs. Methods: Program-level data from the 2018 resident cohort were amalgamated and analyzed. The number of Entrustable Professional Activity (EPA) assessments (overall and for each EPA) and the timing of resident promotion through program stages was compared between programs and to the guidelines provided by the national EM specialty committee. Total EPA observations from each program were correlated with the number of EM and pediatric EM rotations. Results: Data from 15 of 17 (88.2%) EM programs containing 9,842 EPA observations from 68 of the 77 (88.3%) Canadian EM specialist residents in the 2018 cohort were analyzed. The average number of EPAs observed per resident in each program varied from 92.5 to 229.6 and correlated strongly with the number of blocks spent on EM and pediatric EM (r = 0.83, p < 0.001). Relative to the guidelines outlined by the specialty committee, residents were promoted later than expected and with fewer EPA observations than suggested. Conclusion: We present a new approach to the amalgamation of national and program-level assessment data. There was demonstrable variation in both EPA-based assessment numbers and promotion timelines between programs and with national guidelines. This evaluation data will inform the revision of local programs and national guidelines and serve as a starting point for further reaching outcome evaluation. This process could be replicated by other national assessment programs.
MP22: Using galvanic skin response to identify resuscitation expertise in a pulmonary embolism simulation exercise
Authors: Belyea A. , Cofie N. , Dalgarno N. , Bruder E. 
Published: May 2020

Introduction: As physicians gain expertise in clinical settings, they are able to handle progressively more information, in both complexity and magnitude, as an organized schema. Expert physicians then, will be more likely to function with less cognitive load —the amount of mental effort someone exerts within their short-term working memory. Expert physicians will also retain more working memory capacity to process information during medical emergencies than novice physicians. While a physician's ability to process medical information may have implications for handling medical emergencies, there is a paucity of empirical research examining the link between physicians’ expertise and biometric measures of cognitive load. Using galvanic skin response (GSR) as a surrogate measure of cognitive load, we assess whether average cognitive load differs significantly between expert and novice physicians in a pulmonary embolism simulation exercise. Methods: We analyzed GSR data (n = 39) from a 10-minute simulated pulmonary embolism exercise among 18 faculty physicians and 21 residents. Cluster and factor analyses were used to identify novice, intermediate, advanced, and expert physicians with based on participants’ GRS scores. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze group differences. Descriptive statistical techniques were also used to describe the distribution of GRS expertise by participants’ level of training. Results: Contrary to expectation, we found more than two groups of resuscitation expertise in the simulation exercise. Respectively, we identified 7.7% and 20.5% of participants as novice and expert physicians. About 36% of participants were classified as intermediate (35.9%) physicians while another 36% were classified as having an advanced (35.9%) expertise in resuscitation. All the novice physicians identified were found to be PGY1 and PGY2 resident residents. A third (33.3%) of faculty physicians and 9.5% of residents were identified as experts. As expected, average GSR score for experts (x¯ = 0.60μS, SD = 0.26) was significantly (F = 137.6, p < 0.001) lower than the average GSR for novices (x¯ = 5.55μS, SD = 0.99), intermediate (x¯ = 2.84 μS, SD = 0.40), and advanced (x¯ = 1.57 μS, SD = 0.28) physicians. Conclusion: GSR measures of cognitive load may be used to identify resuscitation expertise in managing pulmonary embolism and related medical conditions through simulation exercises.
MP23: Mixed methods analysis of an automated e-mail audit and feedback intervention for fostering emergency physician reflection
Authors: Kennedy W. , Andruchow D. , Dowling S. , Lonergan K. , Rich T. , Patocka C. 
Published: May 2020

Innovation Concept: Emergency physicians (EP) rarely receive timely, iterative feedback on clinical performance that aids their reflective practice. The Calgary zone ED recently implemented a novel email-based alert system wherein an EP is notified when a patient whose ED care they were involved in is admitted to hospital within 72-hours of discharge from an index ED visit. Our study sought to evaluate the general acceptability of this form of audit and feedback and determine whether it encourages practice reflection. Methods: This mixed methods realist evaluation consisted of two sequential phases. An initial quantitative phase used data from our electronic health record and a survey to examine the general features and acceptability of 72-hour readmission alerts sent from May 2017-2018. A subsequent qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews exploring the alert's role in greater depth. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analyzed using thematic and template analysis techniques. Results of both phases were used to guide construction of context-mechanism-outcome statements to refine our program theory. Curriculum, Tool, or Material: 4024 alerts were sent over a 1-year period, with each physician receiving approximately 17 alerts per year (Q1: 7, Q3: 25, IQR: 18). The top five CEDIS complaints on index presentations were abdominal pain, flank pain, shortness of breath, vomiting and/or nausea, and chest pain (cardiac features). The majority of re-admissions (78.6%) occurred within 48 hours after discharge. Immediate alert survey feedback provided by EP's noted that 52.65% (N = 471) of alerts were helpful. Thematic analysis of 17 semi-structured interviews suggests that the alert was generally acceptable to physicians, However, certain EPs were concerned that the alert impacted hire/fire decisions even when leadership didn't endorse this sentiment. Physicians who didn't believe alerts were involved in hire/fire decisions, described greater engagement in the reflective process. Conversely, physicians, who believed alerts were involved in hire/fire decisions, were more likely to defensively change their practice. Conclusion: Most EPs noted that timely notification of 72-hour readmissions made them more mindful of documenting discharge instructions. Our implementation of a 72- hour readmission alert was an acceptable format for audit and feedback and appeared to facilitate physician reflection under certain conditions.
MP32: Using physician practice reports and feedback sessions to reduce low value care in bronchiolitis
Authors: Dowling S. , Gjata I. , Solbak N. , Weaver C. , Smart K. , Buna R. , Stang A. 
Published: May 2020

Background: Despite strong evidence recommending supportive care as the mainstay of management for most infants with bronchiolitis, prior studies suggest that many of these patients receive low-value interventions. Providing clinicians with their practice reports and peer comparator data or an achievable benchmark of care (audit and feedback) has been shown to be an effective strategy to improve adherence to guidelines. Aim Statement: To decrease low-value care (use of any or all of chest radiographs, viral testing and salbutamol) in infants with bronchiolitis by delivering individual physician reports in addition to Group Facilitated Feedback Sessions (GFFS) to pediatric emergency physicians (PEPs). Measures & Design: Our cohort included 3,883 patients ≤12 months old that presented to two emergency departments with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis from April 1, 2013 to April 30, 2018. Using administrative data we captured baseline characteristics and interventions. Consenting PEPs received two audit and feedback (A&F) reports which included their individual and peer comparator data. Two multi-disciplinary GFFS (including inpatient pediatricians, nurse, learners and respiratory therapists) presented data and identified barriers and enablers of reducing low-value care. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who received any low-value intervention, and was analyzed using statistical process control charts. Process measures (consent to obtain report, attendance and evaluations from the feedback session) and balancing measures were also captured. Evaluation/Results: 78% of PEPs consented to receive their A&F reports. Patient baseline characteristics were similar in the baseline (n = 3109) and intervention period (n = 774). Following the baseline physician reports and the GFFS, low-value care decreased from 42.6% to 27.1% (absolute difference: -15.5%; 95% confidence interval (CI): -19.8% to -11.2%) and 78.9% to 64.4% (absolute difference: -14.5%; 95% CI: -21.9% to -7.2%) in patients who were not admitted and admitted, respectively. Balancing measures such as ICU admission (absolute difference: -0.6%; 95%CI: -5.7% to 4.4%) and ED revisit within 72 hours (absolute difference: -0.1%; 95% CI: -3.1% to 3.0% non-admitted patients, 1.0%; 95% CI: -1.2% to 3.2% admitted patients) were unchanged. Discussion/Impact: The combination of audit and feedback and a GFFS significantly reduced low-value care for pediatric patients with bronchiolitis by PEP's.
MP37: Emergency department boarding of admitted oncology patients receiving chemotherapy
Authors: Grewal K. , McLeod S. , Sutradhar R. , Krzyzanowska M. , Borgundvaag B. , Atzema C. 
Published: May 2020

Introduction: Emergency department (ED) boarding is associated with worse outcomes for critically ill patients. There have been mixed findings in other patient populations. The primary objective of this study was to examine predictors of prolonged ED boarding among cancer patients receiving chemotherapy who required hospital admission from the ED. Secondary objectives were to examine the association between prolonged ED boarding and in-hospital mortality, 30-day mortality, and hospital length of stay (LOS). Methods: Using administrative databases from Ontario, we identified adult (≥ 18 years) cancer patients who received chemotherapy within 30 days prior to a hospital admission from the ED between 2013 to 2017. ED boarding time was calculated as the time from the decision to admit the patient to when the patient physically left the ED. Prolonged ED boarding was defined as ≥ 8 hours. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine predictors of prolonged ED boarding and to determine if prolonged boarding was associated with mortality. Multivariable quantile regression was used to determine the association between prolonged boarding and hospital LOS. Results: 45,879 patients were included in the study. Median (interquartile range (IQR)) ED LOS of stay was 11.8 (7.0, 21.7) hours and median (IQR) ED boarding time was 4.2 (1.6, 14.2) hours. 17,053 (37.2%) patients had prolonged ED boarding. Severe ED crowding was the strongest predictor of prolonged ED boarding (odds ratio: 17.7, 95% CI: 15.0 to 20.9). Prolonged ED boarding was not associated with in-hospital mortality or 30-day mortality. Median hospital LOS was over 9 hours (p <0.0001) longer among patients with the longest ED boarding times. Conclusion: Severe ED crowding was associated with a significant increase in the odds of prolonged ED boarding. While our study demonstrated that prolonged boarding was not associated with increased mortality, further work is required to understand if ED boarding is associated with other adverse outcomes in this immunocompromised population.
MP47: Factors associated with preventable trauma death: a narrative review
Authors: Genois G. , Vlahovic I. , Moore L. , Beck B. , Blanchard P. , Émond M. , Mitra B. , Cameron P. , Nadeau A. , Mercier É. 
Published: May 2020

Introduction: Trauma care is highly complex and prone to medical errors. Accordingly, several studies have identified adverse events and conditions leading to potentially preventable or preventable deaths. Depending on the availability of specialized trauma care and the trauma system organization, between 10 and 30% of trauma-related deaths worldwide could be preventable if optimal care was promptly delivered. This narrative review aims to identify the main determinants and areas for improvements associated with potentially preventable trauma mortality. Methods: A literature review was performed using Medline, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from 1990 to a maximum of 6 months before submission for publication. Experimental or observational studies that have assessed determinants and areas for improvements that are associated with trauma death preventability were considered for inclusion. Two researchers independently selected eligible studies and extracted the relevant data. The main areas for improvements were classified using the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations patient event taxonomy. No statistical analyses were performed given the data heterogeneity. Results: From the 3647 individual titles obtained by the search strategy, a total of 37 studies were included. Each study included between 72 and 35311 trauma patients who had sustained mostly blunt trauma, frequently following a fall or a motor vehicle accident. Preventability assessment was performed for 17 to 2081 patients using either a single expert assessment (n = 2, 5,4%) or an expert panel review (n = 35, 94.6%). The definition of preventability and the taxonomy used varied greatly between the studies. The rate of potentially preventable or preventable death ranged from 2.4% to 76.5%. The most frequently reported areas for improvement were treatment delay, diagnosis accuracy to avoid missed or incorrect diagnosis and adverse events associated with the initial procedures performed. The risk of bias of the included studies was high for 32 studies because of the retrospective design and the panel review preventability assessment. Conclusion: Deaths occurring after a trauma remain often preventable. Included studies have used unstandardized definitions of a preventable death and various methodologies to perform the preventability assessment. The proportion of preventable or potentially preventable death reported in each study ranged from 2.4% to 76.5%. Delayed treatment, missed or incorrect initial diagnosis and adverse events following a procedure were commonly associated with preventable trauma deaths and could be targeted to develop quality improvement and monitoring projects.