Use of the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale for poor outcome prediction among emergency department patients with suspected infection

Objective@#The Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) is a triage tool for patients in the emergency department (ED). This study aimed to evaluate the ability of the KTAS to predict poor outcomes in South Korean ED patients with a suspected infection. We also compared the effectiveness of KTAS with that of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) and Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) in predicting poor outcomes. @*Methods@#We conducted a single-center retrospective study that included adult patients with a suspected infection who were admitted to the ED between January 2019 and December 2019. Patients who received a prescription for antibiotics and associated culture tests in the ED were considered to have an infection. Poor outcomes were evaluated by in-hospital mortality, general ward admission, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate and compare KTAS, NEWS, and MEWS. @*Results@#Of the 4,127 patients in the study, in-hospital mortality was reported in 154 (3.7%) patients. The median KTAS was lower in the non-survivors than in the survivors (2.51 vs. 3.35). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the KTAS was associated with in-hospital mortality, ward admission, and ICU admission. The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) values for predicting in-hospital mortality associated with the KTAS, NEWS, and MEWS were 0.776 (95% confidence interval, 0.747-0.803), 0.829 (0.759-0.811) and 0.739 (0.694-0.786), respectively. @*Conclusion@#Our results showed that the KTAS was associated with in-hospital mortality, ward admissions, and ICU admissions among ED patients with a suspected infection. Thus, KTAS may be reliable in predicting a poor outcome in ED patients with a suspected infection.

In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: Patient Characteristics and Factors Influencing Survival and Neurologic Outcomes

Objective@#We aimed to determine the characteristics of in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) patients, as well as the factors influencing survival to discharge and good neurologic outcome. @*Methods@#We examined patients who experienced IHCA from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2013, in Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital. They were divided into a survival group and non-survival group. The patient characteristics, including age, sex, comorbid disease, arrest time, arrest location, witnessed arrest, monitoring, arrest cause, arrest rhythm, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) duration, were compared between the groups. Moreover, we assessed the factors associated with survival to discharge and good neurologic outcomes by using multivariate logistic regression analysis. @*Results@#In total, 453 patients of IHCA were observed. The comorbidities in the survival group included neurologic disease (P < 0.001), arrhythmia (P = 0.001), and myocardial infarction (P = 0.032), pneumonia (P = 0.016). Other characteristics included cardiac arrest at daytime (P = 0.032), cardiogenic arrest cause (P = 0.019), and CPR duration < 15 minutes (P < 0.001). The factors associated with survival to discharge included comorbid neurologic disease (odds ratio [OR], 2.191; P = 0.031), arrhythmia (OR, 3.027; P = 0.009), pneumonia (OR, 3.243; P = 0.002), and CPR duration < 15 minutes (OR, 9.638; P < 0.001). The factors influencing good neurologic outcomes included age < 65 years (OR, 3.158; P = 0.007), comorbid disease as arrhythmia (OR, 4.921; P = 0.001), pneumonia (OR, 4.551; P = 0.001), hypotension (OR, 4.264; P = 0.021), and CPR duration < 15 minutes (OR, 6.652; P = 0.001). @*Conclusion@#The factors influencing survival to discharge and good neurologic outcomes among IHCA patients included comorbidities, arrest cause, and CPR duration.

A Systematic Review of Virtual Reality Treatment Program on Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder / 정신간호학회지

Purpose@#The aims of this systematic review were to identify the study protocol of Virtual Reality Therapy (VRT) and review the effect of VRT among patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). @*Methods@#This review followed the guideline of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). A systematic literature search was conducted using 12 electronic databases including gray literature with no limit of publication year. Search terms included relevant terms regarding “PTSD”, “trauma”, and “VRT”. Among 265 studies extracted through PRISMA, 20 studies were selected and evaluated for quality assessment using the Risk of Bias tool of Cochrane’s collaboration. @*Results@#The majority of the literature focused on combat veterans and war situations (95%).Usually, each session usually took 60~120 minutes of VRT in 10~20 sessions for 5~10 weeks. The VRT equipment and contents were individually designed considering patients’ traumatic experiences. Most of the studies reported the positive effects associated to reduced levels of PTSD (80%) and related symptoms, such as, depression (45%) and anxiety (25%). @*Conclusion@#Based on our findings, further studies are required to evaluate VRT in people with PTSD, after improving study design and standardizing protocols.

A Systematic Review of Virtual Reality Treatment Program on Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder / 정신간호학회지

Purpose@#The aims of this systematic review were to identify the study protocol of Virtual Reality Therapy (VRT) and review the effect of VRT among patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). @*Methods@#This review followed the guideline of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). A systematic literature search was conducted using 12 electronic databases including gray literature with no limit of publication year. Search terms included relevant terms regarding “PTSD”, “trauma”, and “VRT”. Among 265 studies extracted through PRISMA, 20 studies were selected and evaluated for quality assessment using the Risk of Bias tool of Cochrane’s collaboration. @*Results@#The majority of the literature focused on combat veterans and war situations (95%).Usually, each session usually took 60~120 minutes of VRT in 10~20 sessions for 5~10 weeks. The VRT equipment and contents were individually designed considering patients’ traumatic experiences. Most of the studies reported the positive effects associated to reduced levels of PTSD (80%) and related symptoms, such as, depression (45%) and anxiety (25%). @*Conclusion@#Based on our findings, further studies are required to evaluate VRT in people with PTSD, after improving study design and standardizing protocols.

The Relationship between Extremity Injury Severity and Pain Intensity according to Age

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the injury severity and pain intensity according to age in patients with extremity injuries. METHODS: Adult patients with an extremity injury who visited the emergency department (ED) from June 1, 2016 to November 31, 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. The major injury was defined as structural damage below the muscle layer, such as muscle, ligament, and bone. Minor injury group and major injury group were separated according to this definition. The relationship of age and pain score assessed with the numerical rating scale (NRS) with the injury severity was analyzed. RESULTS: Of a total of 1,441 patients, the number of patients with a minor and major injury was 854 (59.3%) and 587 (40.7%), respectively. The proportion of patients aged 65 and older was 6.1% and 25.7% in the minor and major injury group, respectively. Age and NRS scale showed significantly positive associations with the injury severity (p < 0.001). In all NRS scores, the overall proportion of major injuries in the older age group was higher than that in the younger age group. Regardless of the younger ( < 65 years) or older (≥65 years) age group, the NRS score was positively related to the injury severity (young age group [odds ratio, 3.944]; older age group [odds ratio, 5.754]). CONCLUSION: The pain intensity is positively related to the severity of injury regardless of age. The pain intensity is the important factor of a patient assessment and treatment in the emergency department.

Validity of iPad for Remote Diagnosis of Rib Fracture

PURPOSE: In elderly and patients with underlying diseases, mortality rate is increased when compared to rib fractures which occurred in other patients. Because there is a shortage of emergency physicians or real-time consultation with radiologists in many countries, it is necessary to receive a formal image reading remotely from an expert. We suggested the use of iPad in X-ray reading and compared the diagnostic validity of iPad, which was highly portable, with that of liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor. METHODS: Fifty four X-ray cases of rib fracture and 54 cases without rib fracture were randomized and reviewed by 10 emergency physicians. A total of 108 cases were divided 1st to 54th and 55th to 108th. Two sessions were separated with a four-week interval. If the reviewer interpreted the 1st to 54th with iPad, they did 55th to 108th with LCD monitor. Reviewers reported the presence of rib fracture, the number of fractured ribs, and diagnostic confidence of 5-scale. RESULTS: The interobserver agreement among reviewers in LCD and iPad was 0.551, 0.524 in Fleiss-kappa value. The intraobserver agreement between tools for each reviewer was 0.410-0.859 (Mean=0.628+/-0.150). Reviewers showed sensitivity over 0.810 regardless of the tool; 0.810- 0.966 (Mean=0.879+/- 0.054) in LCD, 0.828-1.000 (Mean=0.898+/-0.052) in iPad. The specificity was 0.520- 0.860 (Mean=0.750+/-0.117) in LCD and 0.560-0.880 (Mean=0.708+/-0.111) in iPad. Therefore, remote consultation of X-ray by iPad with a specialist was possible with minimized temporal and spatial limits in the emergency room. CONCLUSION: In our study, there was no statistical difference in the diagnosis of rib fracture by X-ray via iPad or LCD. Therefore, remote consultation of X-ray by iPad with a specialist in the emergency room was possible, with temporal and spatial limits by iPad.

A Case of Amitraz Poisoning Initially Misdiagnosed as Acute Organophosphate Insecticide Poisoning

Amitraz is acaricidal and insecticidal pesticide used worldwide to control ticks and mites in plants and animals. Amitraz poisoning is characterized by clinical toxidrome such as central nervous system, respiratory depression, bradycardia, hypotension, hypothermia, and hyperglycemia. Toxic mechanism of amitraz is mainly alpha2-agonistic function and poisonings may occur by any route. Such clinical symptoms and signs of acute amitraz poisoning were possible to be thought as a toxidrome of acute organophosphate poisoning. We reported a 68-year-old woman that initially was misdiagnosed as acute organophosphate poisoning on the ground of symptoms and signs of mental change, respiratory depression, bradycardia, and hypotension. However, the serum level of pseudocholinesterase level at emergency room admission was within normal level and a vacant bottle of amitraz pesticide was founded around the yard of the patient. The patient was totally recovered from acute amitraz poisoning 2 days later after mechanical ventilation and conservative cares including atropine injection.