The Effect of an Iodinated Contrast Material Shortage on Ordering Patterns in the Emergency Department.

Introduction Iodinated contrast media (ICM) is essential to emergency department care in differentiating and delineating life-threatening pathologies. In May 2022, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, there was an unprecedented disruption in the manufacturing of iodinated contrast. The primary goal of this study was to describe the effects of an ICM shortage on the ordering patterns of emergency medicine physicians. Methods This was a retrospective, observational study with a pre-/post-test design. The study included two 28-day periods. All subjects who underwent a CT were included in the study. The subgroup of patients who underwent a repeat CT with ICM contrast within 1-24 hours was identified. Results During the pre- and post-implementation study periods, 4,574 and 3,973 CT studies were performed. The median length of stay (p=0.013) and time to first CT (p<0.001) both decreased during the post-implementation period. During the post-implementation period, more non-contrast CTs were ordered (p<0.001). During the post-implementation period, there was an increase in non-contrast studies followed by a repeat study with contrast (p=0.003). Conclusions A global ICM shortage resulted in a shift in the ordering patterns of Emergency Medicine (EM) physicians. More non-contrast CT scans were ordered. However, there was also an increase in repeat imaging with ICM material.

Development and Implementation of an Alternate Care Site During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction With the rampant spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the subsequent pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the need for medical resources has never been greater. In recent history, the deployment of surge medical facilities and their importance in improving the provision of crisis care became relevant. The primary objective of this study was to describe the development and implementation of an alternate care site (ACS) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This was a retrospective, single-center study that was conducted between April 7, 2020, and May 26, 2020, of adult patients from a primary facility admitted to an ACS, labeled Staten Island University Hospital East (SIUH-E). These select patients met specific inclusion criteria for SIUH-E before transfer. Results During the operational course of SIUH-E, 813 patients were screened and 203 patients were accepted for transfer. Of the patients admitted to SIUH-E, 120 (59%) were male. The mean age was 63 years (SD = 13.91). The mean length of stay was 3.93 days (SD = 3.94). Among discharged patients, 179 (88%) were discharged to home or another long-term facility, whereas 24 (12%) patients required a transfer back to the main campus. Conclusions In this study, we describe the development and implementation of an alternate care surge facility during the COVID-19 pandemic. SIUH-E played a vital role in effectively caring for select COVID-19 patients, which allowed the primary facilities to treat a greater volume of higher acuity patients. The combined efforts of the state and hospital were able to create and sustain a safe, practical alternative care facility.