Test characteristics of focused assessment of sonography for trauma for clinically significant abdominal free fluid in pediatric blunt abdominal trauma.

OBJECTIVES: Focused assessment of sonography in trauma (FAST) has been shown useful to detect clinically significant hemoperitoneum in adults, but not in children. The objectives were to determine test characteristics for clinically important intraperitoneal free fluid (FF) in pediatric blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) using computed tomography (CT) or surgery as criterion reference and, second, to determine the test characteristics of FAST to detect any amount of intraperitoneal FF as detected by CT. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study of consecutive children (0-17 years) who required trauma team activation for BAT and received either CT or laparotomy between 2004 and 2007. Experienced physicians performed and interpreted FAST. Clinically important FF was defined as moderate or greater amount of intraperitoneal FF per the radiologist CT report or surgery. RESULTS: The study enrolled 431 patients, excluded 74, and analyzed data on 357. For the first objective, 23 patients had significant hemoperitoneum (22 on CT and one at surgery). Twelve of the 23 had true-positive FAST (sensitivity = 52%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 31% to 73%). FAST was true negative in 321 of 334 (specificity = 96%; 95% CI = 93% to 98%). Twelve of 25 patients with positive FAST had significant FF on CT (positive predictive value [PPV] = 48%; 95% CI = 28% to 69%). Of 332 patients with negative FAST, 321 had no significant fluid on CT (negative predictive value [NPV] = 97%; 95% CI = 94% to 98%). Positive likelihood ratio (LR) for FF was 13.4 (95% CI = 6.9 to 26.0) while the negative LR was 0.50 (95% CI = 0.32 to 0.76). Accuracy was 93% (333 of 357, 95% CI = 90% to 96%). For the second objective, test characteristics were as follows: sensitivity = 20% (95% CI = 13% to 30%), specificity = 98% (95% CI = 95% to 99%), PPV = 76% (95% CI = 54% to 90%), NPV = 78% (95% CI = 73% to 82%), positive LR = 9.0 (95% CI = 3.7 to 21.8), negative LR = 0.81 (95% CI = 0.7 to 0.9), and accuracy = 78% (277 of 357, 95% CI = 73% to 82%). CONCLUSION: In this population of children with BAT, FAST has a low sensitivity for clinically important FF but has high specificity. A positive FAST suggests hemoperitoneum and abdominal injury, while a negative FAST aids little in decision-making.

Effect of a medical student emergency ultrasound clerkship on number of emergency department ultrasounds.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a medical student emergency ultrasound clerkship has an effect on the number of patients undergoing ultrasonography and the number of total scans in the emergency department. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, single-blinded study of scanning by emergency medicine residents and attendings with and without medical students. Rotating ultrasound medical students were assigned to work equally on all days of the week. We collected the number of patients scanned and the number of scans, as well as participation of resident and faculty. RESULTS: In seven months 2,186 scans were done on the 109 days with students and 707 scans on the 72 days without them. Data on 22 days was not recorded. A median of 13 patients per day were scanned with medical students (CI 12-15) versus seven (CI 6-9) when not. In addition, the median number of scans was 18 per day with medical students (CI 16-20) versus eight (CI 6-10) without them. CONCLUSION: There were significantly more patients scanned and scans done when ultrasound medical students were present.

Factors associated with complications in older adults with isolated blunt chest trauma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of adverse events in elderly trauma patients with isolated blunt thoracic trauma, and to identify variables associated with these adverse events. METHODS: We performed a chart review of 160 trauma patients age 65 and older with significant blunt thoracic trauma, drawn from an American College of Surgeons Level I Trauma Center registry. Patients with serious injury to other body areas were excluded to prevent confounding the cause of adverse events. Adverse events were defined as acute respiratory distress syndrome or pneumonia, unanticipated intubation, transfer to the intensive care unit for hypoxemia, or death. Data collected included history, physical examination, radiographic findings, length of hospital stay, and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Ninety-nine patients had isolated chest injury, while 61 others had other organ systems injured and were excluded. Sixteen patients developed adverse events [16.2% 95% confidence interval (CI) 9.5-24.9%], including two deaths. Adverse events were experienced by 19.2%, 6.1%, and 28.6% of those patients 65-74, 75-84, and >/=85 years old, respectively. The mean length of stay was 14.6 days in patients with an adverse event and 5.8 days in patients without. Post hoc analysis revealed that all 16 patients with an adverse event had one or more of the following: age >/=85, initial systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg, hemothorax, pneumothorax, three or more unilateral rib fractures, or pulmonary contusion (sensitivity 100%, CI 79.4-100%; specificity 38.6%, CI 28.1-49.9%). CONCLUSION: Adverse events from isolated thoracic trauma in elderly patients complicate 16% of our sample. These criteria were 100% sensitive and 38.5% specific for these adverse events. This study is a first step to identifying variables that might aid in identifying patients at high risk for serious adverse events.

Crowding and delivery of healthcare in emergency departments: the European perspective.

Emergency department (ED) crowding is a multifactorial problem, resulting in increased ED waiting times, decreased patient satisfaction and deleterious domino effects on the entire hospital. Although difficult to define and once limited to anecdotal evidence, crowding is receiving more attention as attempts are made to quantify the problem objectively. It is a worldwide phenomenon with regional influences, as exemplified when analyzing the problem in Europe compared to that of the United States. In both regions, an aging population, limited hospital resources, staff shortages and delayed ancillary services are key contributors; however, because the structure of healthcare differs from country to country, varying influences affect the issue of crowding. The approach to healthcare delivery as a right of all people, as opposed to a free market commodity, depends on governmental organization and appropriation of funds. Thus, public funding directly influences potential crowding factors, such as number of hospital beds, community care facilities, and staffing. Ultimately ED crowding is a universal problem with distinctly regional root causes; thus, any approach to address the problem must be tailored to regional influences.