Inpatient consultations with the vascular and endovascular surgery team at an academic tertiary hospital / Interconsultas realizadas pela equipe de cirurgia vascular e endovascular em um hospital universitário terciário

ABSTRACT Background Inpatient consultations are a fundamental component of practice in tertiary care centers. However, such consultations demand resources, generating a significant workload. Objectives To investigate the profile of inpatient consultations requested by other specialties and provided by the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery team at an academic tertiary hospital. Methods Prospective observational study. Results From May 2017 to May 2018, 223 consultations were provided, representing 2.2% of the workload. Most consultations were requested by Oncology (16.6%), Hematology (9.9%), Nephrology (9.0%), and Cardiology (6.3%). The leading reasons for inpatient consultation were: need for vascular access (51.1%) and requests to evaluate a vascular disease (48.9%). Acute venous diseases accounted for 19.3% of consultations, chronic arterial diseases for 14.8%, acute arterial diseases for 7.2%, diabetic feet for 5.4%, and chronic venous diseases accounted for 2.2%. Surgical treatment was performed in 57.0%, either conventional (43.9%) or endovascular (13.0%). Almost all (98.2%) patients' issues were resolved. Conclusions Inpatient consultations with the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery team in a tertiary academic hospital accounted for 2.2% of the team's entire workload. Most patients were elective and underwent low-complexity elective surgical procedures. There may be an opportunity to improve healthcare, redirecting these patients to the outpatient flow.

RESUMO Introdução Interconsultas são um componente fundamental da prática clínica em centros de atendimento terciários. No entanto, esse tipo de consulta requer recursos, resultando em uma alta carga de trabalho. Objetivo Investigar o perfil das interconsultas solicitadas por outros departamentos e realizadas pela equipe de Cirurgia Vascular e Endovascular em um hospital universitário terciário. Métodos Estudo observacional prospectivo. Resultados De maio de 2017 a maio de 2018, foram realizadas 223 consultas, correspondendo a 2,2% da carga de trabalho. A maioria das consultas foram solicitadas pelos departamentos de Oncologia (16,6%), Hematologia (9,9%), Nefrologia (9,0%) e Cardiologia (6,3%). As principais razões das interconsultas foram a necessidade de acesso vascular (51,1%) e de avaliação de doenças vasculares (48,9%). As doenças venosas agudas corresponderam a 19,3% das avaliações; as doenças arteriais crônicas, a 14,8%; as doenças arteriais agudas, a 7,2%; o pé diabético, a 5,4%; e as doenças venosas crônicas corresponderam a 2,2%. Foi realizado tratamento cirúrgico em 57,0% dos casos, tanto convencional (43,9%) quanto endovascular (13,0%). Foram resolvidos os problemas de quase todos os pacientes (98,2%). Conclusão As interconsultas realizadas pela equipe de Cirurgia Vascular e Endovascular em um hospital universitário terciário corresponderam a 2,2% da carga de trabalho total. A maioria dos pacientes eram eletivos e foram submetidos a procedimentos cirúrgicos eletivos de baixa complexidade. O redirecionamento desses pacientes para o atendimento ambulatorial poderia auxiliar na melhoria dos serviços de saúde.

Practical Considerations for Converting Operating Rooms and Post-anaesthesia Care Units into Intensive Care Units in the COVID-19 Pandemic - Experience from a Large Singapore Tertiary Hospital

COVID-19 has spread globally, infecting and killing millions of people worldwide. The use of operating rooms (ORs) and the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) for intensive care is part of surge response planning. We aim to describe and discuss some of the practical considerations involved in a large tertiary hospital in Singapore. Firstly, considerations for setting up a level III intensive care unit (ICU) include that of space, staff, supplies and standards. Secondly, oxygen supply of the entire hospital is a major determinant of the number of ventilators it can support, including those on non-invasive forms of oxygen therapy. Thirdly, air flows due to positive pressure systems within the OR complex need to be addressed. In addition, due to the worldwide shortage of ICU ventilators, the US Food and Drug Administration has granted temporary approval for the use of anaesthesia gas machines for patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Lastly, planning of logistics and staff deployment needs to be carefully considered during a crisis. Although OR and PACU are not designed for long-term care of critically ill patients, they may be adapted for ICU use with careful planning in the current pandemic.

Experiencia de atención en red entre Hospital del Salvador y tres unidades de Atención Primaria Oftalmológica: Un modelo de salud pública para mejorar la atención oftalmológica / A model of ophthalmological network care including primary care centers and a tertiary care hospital

Background: Primary care units of ophtalmology (UAPO) were incorporated in 2003 into the healthcare system of the Ministry of Health, in response to the high demand for hospital care. Three of these primary care units were incorporated to provide a network care with the ophthalmology service of a tertiary care hospital. Aim: To report the public health impact of networking. Material and Methods: A descriptive-prospective study was carried out analyzing all the healthcare attentions carried out between June and August 2016. An epidemiological characterization of the sample was made. We recorded: clinical diagnoses, decisions, resolution of the clinical problem at the primary care or referral to the hospital. Results: A total of 2,096 ophthalmologic attentions were carried out in the three UAPOs during the study period. The main diseases attended were disorders of refraction, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. The resolution index was 84% of attentions. Only 16% of attentions required referral and consisted mainly of cataracts (covered by a special health care system), diabetic retinopathy, capsulotomies, iridotomies, uveitis, pterygium and lacrimal duct obstruction. Conclusions: This model of care allowed an efficient management of the high demand for hospital referral. This is expressed in the high-resolution index and low derivation, resulting in a decrease in waiting lists at the tertiary level. This system should be implemented by other tertiary centers of our country.

Electronic medical record in cardiology: a 10-year Italian experience / Registros médicos eletrônicos em cardiologia: uma experiência italiana em 10 anos

SummaryObjectives:the aim of this study was to report a ten years experience in the electronic medical record (EMR) use. An estimated 80% of healthcare transactions are still paper-based.Methods:an EMR system was built at the end of 1998 in an Italian tertiary care center to achieve total integration among different human and instrumental sources, eliminating paper-based medical records. Physicians and nurses who used EMR system reported their opinions. In particular the hospital activity supported electronically, regarding 4,911 adult patients hospitalized in the 2004- 2008 period, was examined.Results:the final EMR product integrated multimedia document (text, images, signals). EMR presented for the most part advantages and was well adopted by the personnel. Appropriateness evaluation was also possible for some procedures. Some disadvantages were encountered, such as start-up costs, long time required to learn how to use the tool, little to no standardization between systems and the EMR technology.Conclusion:the EMR is a strategic goal for clinical system integration to allow a better health care quality. The advantages of the EMR overcome the disadvantages, yielding a positive return on investment to health care organization.

ResumoObjetivos:o objetivo deste estudo foi relatar uma experiência de 10 anos de utilização de registro médico eletrônico (EMR). Estima-se que 80% das transações na saúde ainda são feitas em papel.Métodos:um sistema de EMR foi implementado ao final de 1998, em um centro italiano de cuidados terciários, com o objetivo de alcançar uma total integração entre diferentes recursos humanos e instrumentais, eliminando registros médicos em papel. Médicos e enfermeiros que utilizaram o sistema EMR relataram suas opiniões. Foi analisada a atividade hospitalar amparada eletronicamente relacionada a 4.911 pacientes adultos hospitalizados, no período de 2004 a 2008.Resultados:o produto final do EMR integra documentos com recursos de multimídia (texto, imagens, sinais). O EMR apresentou predominantemente vantagens e foi bem adotado pelos profissinais. A avaliação de adequação também foi possível em alguns procedimentos. Algumas desvantagens foram encontradas, como os custos de instalação, longo período de aprendizado para uso, pouca ou nenhuma padronização entre os sistemas EMR. Conclusões: o EMR é um objetivo estratégico para a integração do sistema de clínica e para permitir uma melhor qualidade de cuidados de saúde. As vantagens do EMR superam as desvantagens, produzindo um retorno positivo desse investimento para a instituição de saúde.Conclusões:o EMR é um objetivo estratégico para a integração do sistema de clínica e para permitir uma melhor qualidade de cuidados de saúde. As vantagens do EMR superam as desvantagens, produzindo um retorno positivo desse investimento para a instituição de saúde.

Lineamientos generales del sistema de referencia y contrareferencia / General guidelines of the referral and counter-referral system

Contiene un listado de siglas y acrónimos, mayormente de departamentos/unidades del Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social. El documento hace la propuesta de esquematizar el SRCR [Sistema de Referencia y Contrarreferencia], puesto que: "En muchos países las urgencias hospitalarias se encuentran saturadas, en la mayoría por pacientes que no presentan afecciones que requieran atención hospitalaria urgente (2). Esto ha ocasionado que los hospitales sobrepasen su capacidad de respuesta, por el aumento en la demanda, ya sea por consulta externa o por emergencias menores, que pueden resolverse en los servicios del primero y segundo nivel de atención, teniendo en cuenta que el uso de los servicios sanitarios de Atención Primaria en Salud (APS) reduce las hospitalizaciones inadecuadas." Específicamente propone que: "El SRCR comprende todos los elementos que se necesitan para coordinar el envío de pacientes entre establecimientos de atención dentro de la red de servicios, de acuerdo con la complejidad del caso, la capacidad resolutiva, los recursos del establecimiento y la cartera de servicios. Establece que el proceso de referencia se debe realizar cuando la atención requerida por el paciente no está comprendida dentro de la cartera de servicios del establecimiento y/o no se cuenta con los recursos necesarios para su atención, debiéndose realizar el traslado hacia otro establecimiento de mayor o menor complejidad dependiendo del caso." El presente documento establece lineamientos de carácter general y obligatorio para las unidades médicas y es aplicable para todos los niveles de atención. Representa una guía para el traslado de pacientes, tanto al servicio que refiere como al que recibe, estableciendo la obligatoriedad de registrar y analizar la información de las referencias y contrarreerencias, datos que deben integrarse en la sala situacional de cada establecimiento de salud de los distintos niveles de atención, como parte de una red articulada de servicios de salud.