Evaluation of the Blood Urea Nitrogen-to-Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Ratio in Predicting Mortality in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department with Heart Failure Symptoms.

Heart failure is a clinical syndrome. In this study, the significance of the blood urea nitrogen-to-left ventricular ejection fraction (BUNLVEF) ratio in predicting short-term mortality in patients with heart failure symptoms was evaluated. This retrospectively designed study was conducted by evaluating the records of patients with a history of heart failure who presented to the emergency department with heart failure symptoms and signs from 01 January 2018 to 01 January 2020. One hundred and seventy-three patients were included in the sample within the last six months presented to the emergency department with the symptoms of acute heart failure. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and the BUNLVEF ratio had a significant relationship with mortality (p=0.004 and <0.010, respectively). In patients with a known history of heart failure presenting to the emergency department with heart failure symptoms, it would be more appropriate to evaluate poor outcomes with the BUNLVEF ratio rather than the LVEF or BUN value alone. Key Words: Blood urea nitrogen, Prognosis, Left ventricular dysfunction.

Diagnostic Value of Lateral Ankle Radiography in Achilles Tendon Rupture.

INTRODUCTION: Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) is a common sports injury, but approximately 20% of acute ATR cases are misdiagnosed as ankle sprains at first presentation. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of lateral ankle radiography in the diagnosis of acute ATR. METHODS: This was a retrospective case-control study in which the lateral ankle radiographs of patients who presented to the emergency department between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019 were examined. The study included a total of 154 patients with acute ATR, who underwent lateral ankle radiography at the presentation and were surgically or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed to have ATR in our hospital. The lateral ankle radiographs of the patients were examined by 2 clinicians blinded to clinical data for the following 3 findings: Kager's fat pad sign, tibio-first metatarsal angle, and tibiocalcaneal angle. The same procedure was repeated for 308 controls who underwent lateral ankle radiography and were diagnosed with ankle sprain. RESULTS: Kager's fat pad sign was detected in 133 (86.4%) of the 154 patients with ATR and 26 (8.4%) of the 308 patients in the control group. The Kager's fat pad sign, tibio-first metatarsal angle, and tibiocalcaneal angle sensitivity values for the diagnosis of ATR were 86.4%, 61.7%, and 65.6%, respectively, and their specificity values were 91.6%, 78.9%, and 56.2%, respectively. Interobserver reliability was determined to be good for all 3 radiographic findings. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should be particularly aware of Kager's fat pad sign when examining lateral ankle radiographs for ankle injury. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Level IV: Case control study.

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Emergency Department Presentations with Mushroom Poisoning: A Report from Turkey.

Background In this study, we investigated the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on emergency department admissions with mushroom poisoning in a tertiary hospital in Turkey. Materials and Methods This study was conducted as a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the data of patients admitted to the emergency department between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020. The patients diagnosed with the International Classification of Diseases-10 code T62.0 concerning the toxic effect of ingested mushrooms were identified through the computerized medical and laboratory record system of the hospital. The patients' demographic data, presentation seasons, laboratory findings, emergency department outcomes, and mortality due to mushroom poisoning were obtained. To reveal the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on emergency department presentations with mushroom poisoning, the means of the pre-pandemic period (2018-2019) and the pandemic period (2020) were compared. Results The data of a total of 171 patients were included in the final analysis. The number of patients diagnosed with the toxic effect of ingested mushrooms was 96 in 2018, 61 in 2019, and 14 in 2020. There was a 5.6-fold decrease during pandemic period in the number of patients presenting to the emergency department with mushroom poisoning. Conclusion The decrease in mushroom poisoning cases may be related to the changes in the eating habits of individuals during the pandemic and our study being conducted in a metropolitan city. We recommend that multicenter studies be performed to verify the data obtained from our study and increase their generalizability.

Characteristics of School Injuries Presenting to the Emergency Department.

Background School injuries account for approximately one-fifth of pediatric injuries. We aimed to investigate the frequency and severity of school injuries among school-aged children and determine clinical diagnoses and surgery requirement data. Methods In this prospective study, children who were admitted to the emergency department due to school accidents over a 5-month period were included. Demographics, activity during trauma, mechanism of trauma, nature, severity, emergency department outcomes, and surgery requirement were evaluated. Results The study included a total of 504 school-aged children, of whom 327 (64.9%) were male and 177 (35.1%) were female. Of the children, 426 (84.5%) had no evidence of injury or minor injury, while 78 (15.5%) had moderate or severe injury. There was a statistically significant difference between these two groups in terms of gender ( p = 0.031). Of the 78 children with moderate or severe injuries, 45 had extremity fractures, 18 had lacerations, 5 had maxillofacial injuries, 4 had cerebral contusion, 1 had lung contusion, and 1 had cervical soft-tissue damage. Two patients with fractures and two with eyelid lacerations were treated surgically, and four patients with brain contusion were hospitalized for a close follow-up. Conclusion This study revealed that the most common moderate or severe injuries in school accidents referred to emergency department were distal radius fractures and lacerations.

Predictive Ability of the MEWS, REMS, and RAPS in Geriatric Patients With SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the ability of the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), Rapid Emergency Medicine Score (REMS), and Rapid Acute Physiology Score (RAPS) to predict 30-d mortality in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection aged 65 y and over. METHODS: This prospective, single-center, observational study was carried out with 122 volunteers aged 65 y and over with patients confirmed to have SARS-CoV-2 infection according to the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, who presented to the emergency department between March 1, 2020, and May 1, 2020. Demographic data, comorbidities, vital parameters, hematological parameters, and MEWS, REMS, and RAPS values of the patients were recorded prospectively. RESULTS: Among the 122 patients included in the study, the median age was 71 (25th-75th quartile: 67-79) y. The rate of 30-d mortality was 10.7% for the study cohort. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values for MEWS, RAPS, and REMS were 0.512 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.420-0.604; P = 0.910), 0.500 (95% CI: 0.408-0.592; P = 0.996), and 0.675 (95% CI: 0.585-0.757; P = 0.014), respectively. The odds ratios of MEWS (≥2), RAPS (>2), and REMS (>5) for 30-d mortality were 0.374 (95% CI: 0.089-1.568; P = 0.179), 1.696 (95% CI: 0.090-31.815; P = 0.724), and 1.008 (95% CI: 0.257-3.948; P = 0.991), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: REMS, RAPS, and MEWS do not seem to be useful in predicting 30-d mortality in geriatric patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection presenting to the emergency department.

Diagnostic performance of thorax CT in mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients: The importance of atypical CT findings.

OBJECTIVE: Computed tomography of the thorax (Thorax CT) is frequently used to diagnose viral pneumonia in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients, but its diagnostic performance in mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients is still unclear. Assessing the diagnostic performance of thorax CT in mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients was the purpose of our study. METHODS: Mildly symptomatic and clinically stable, suspected COVID-19 patients scanned with Thorax CTs between March 11, 2020, and April 13, 2020, were included in this study. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, positive and negative predictive values, and the respective accuracies were calculated for diagnostic purposes. RESULTS: Among the 1119 patients enrolled in our study, abnormal thorax CT scans were 527 out of which 363/527 (68.9%) had typical CT features for COVID-19. According to analysis of typical COVID findings, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, negative predictive value, and the accuracy of Thorax CTs with were 51.45%, 86.07%, 78.24%, 64.55%, and 68.99%, respectively. When typical CT findings and atypical CT findings were combined for the statistical analysis, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy observed 68.84%, 74%, and 71.49%. CONCLUSION: Diagnosing pneumonia can be challenging in mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients since the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction test results, when compared with symptoms are not always evident. According to our study, thorax CT sensitivity was higher when atypical COVID-19 CT findings were included compared to those with typical COVID-19 CT findings alone. Our study which included the largest number of patients among all other similar studies indicates that not only typical but also atypical CT findings should be considered for an accured diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia.

Effectiveness of the rapid emergency medicine score and the rapid acute physiology score in prognosticating mortality in patients presenting to the emergency department with COVID-19 symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effectiveness of the Rapid Emergency Medicine Score and the Rapid Acute Physiology Score in identifying critical patients among those presenting to the emergency department with COVID-19 symptoms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective, observational, cohort study included patients with COVID-19 symptoms presenting to the emergency department over a two-month period. Demographics, clinical characteristics, and the data of all-cause mortality within 30 days after admission were noted, and the Rapid Emergency Medicine Score and the Rapid Acute Physiology Score were calculated by the researchers. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the discriminative ability of the scores. RESULTS: A total of 555 patients with a mean of age of 49.4 ± 16.8 years were included in the study. The rate of 30-day mortality was 3.9% for the whole study cohort, 7.2% for the patients with a positive rt-PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2, and 1.2% for those with a negative rt-PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2. In the group of patients with COVID-19 symptoms, according to the best Youden's index, the cut-off value for the Rapid Emergency Medicine Score was determined as 3.5 (sensitivity: 81.82%, specificity: 73.08%), and the area under curve (AUC) value was 0.840 (95% confidence interval 0.768-0.913). In the same group, according to the best Youden's index, the cut-off value for the Rapid Acute Physiology Score was 2.5 (sensitivity: 90.9%, specificity: 97.38%), and the AUC value was 0.519 (95% confidence interval 0.393-0.646). CONCLUSION: REMS is able to predict patients with COVID-19-like symptoms without positive rt-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 that are at a high-risk of 30-day mortality. Prospective multicenter cohort studies are needed to provide best scoring system for triage in pandemic clinics.

Characteristics of injuries among infants who fall from bed.

INTRODUCTION: Accidental falls are the most common causes of injury among infants. Due to their limited ability to move independently, falling from bed or other types of furniture (such as sofas or armchairs) is considered the most common reason for such injury. However, little is known about the frequency and types of injury associated with this type of fall among infants. This study aimed to determine the incidence and characteristics of injury among infants presented at emergency departments (ED) after falling from bed or similar furniture. METHODS: The retrospective analysis of infants under one year old presenting at ED after falling from bed (or similar furniture) was performed over a four-year period (2016-2019). Patient demographics, incidence and patterns of injury, outcomes, and ED resources use were evaluated as part of the study. RESULTS: In total, 1,439 infants were included in the study, of whom 782 (54.3%) were male and 657 (45.7%) female. The median age of the patients was 7 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 6-9 months). More than half the infants (n = 812, 56.4%) had minor injuries, such as abrasions, bruising, contusions, and lacerations. There were significant injuries for 135 (9.4%) infants. The most common fracture was skull fracture (n = 59, 4.1%), followed by proximal fracture of the upper extremities (n = 26, 1.8%). Six (0.4%) patients had radial head subluxation. Traumatic brain injury featured for 30 (2.1%) infants (intracranial hemorrhage/cerebral contusion). While the majority of patients (n = 1352, 94%) were discharged from ED, 86 (6%) infants were hospitalized, all due to head injuries. A neurosurgical intervention was performed with three (0.2% of all patients) of the hospitalized patients. CONCLUSION: Falling from bed causes skull fractures, traumatic brain injury, and long bone fractures among infants. Therefore, campaigns should be organized to raise awareness of these risks among parents and caregivers of infants. In addition, the use of safety equipment (such as bed rails) and creating a safe environment can help prevent significant injuries.

Prognostic importance of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in critically ill patients: short- and long-term outcomes.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The number of critically ill patients admitted to the emergency department increases daily. To decrease mortality, interventions and treatments should be conducted in a timely manner. It has been found that the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is related to mortality in some disease groups, such as acute coronary syndrome and pulmonary emboli. The effect of the NLR on mortality is unknown in critically ill patients who are admitted to the emergency department. Our aim in this study is to evaluate the effect of the NLR on mortality in critically ill patients. METHODS: This study was planned as a prospective, observational cohort study. Patients who were admitted to the emergency department because they were critically ill and required the intensive care unit were included in the study. Demographic characteristics, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment, Glasgow Coma Score, and NLR values were recorded upon emergency department admission. The patients were followed up for sepsis, ventilator-associated pneumonia, multiorgan failure, in-hospital mortality, and 6-month mortality. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range) age of the 373 patients was 74 (190) years, and 54.4% were men. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio values were divided into quartiles, as follows: less than 3.48, 3.48 to 6.73, 6.74-13.6, and more than 13.6. There was no difference among these 4 groups regarding demographic characteristics, APACHE II score, Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment score, Glasgow Coma Score, and length of hospital stay (P>.05). In the multivariable Cox regression model, in-hospital mortality and 6-month mortality NLR were hazard ratio (HR), 1.63 (1.110-2.415; P=.01) and HR, 1.58 (1.136-2.213; P=.007), respectively, and APACHE II scores were detected as independent indicators. CONCLUSION: The NLR is a simple, cheap, rapidly available, and independent indicator of short- and long-term mortalities. We suggest that the NLR can provide direction to emergency department physicians for interventions, particularly within a few hours after admission, in the critically ill patient group.