Physician Management and CT Ordering in the Emergency Department for Primary Headaches.

OBJECTIVE: Management of primary headache (PHA) varies across emergency departments (ED), yet there is widespread agreement that computed tomography (CT) scans are overused. This study assessed emergency physicians' (EPs) PHA management and their attitudes towards head CT ordering. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was undertaken with EPs from one Canadian center. Drivers of physicians' perceptions regarding the appropriateness of CT ordering for patients with PHA were explored. RESULTS: A total of 73 EPs (70% males; 48% with <10 years of practice) participated in the study. Most EPs (88%) did not order investigations for moderate-severe primary headaches; however, CT was the common investigation (47%) for headaches that did not improve. Computed tomography ordering was frequently motivated by the need for specialist consultation (64%) or admission (64%). A small proportion (27%) believed patients usually/frequently expected a scan. Nearly half of EPs (48%) identified patient imaging expectations/requests as a barrier to reducing CT ordering. Emergency physicians with CCFP (EM) certification were less likely to perceive CT ordering for patients with PHA as appropriate. Conversely, those who identified the possibility of missing a condition as a major barrier to limiting their CT use were more likely to perceive CT ordering for patients with PHA as appropriate. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency physicians reported consistency and evidence-based medical management. They highlighted the complexities of limiting CT ordering and both their level of training and their perceived barriers for limiting CT ordering seem to be influencing their attitudes. Further studies could elucidate these and other factors influencing their practice.

A prospective study of patients with low back pain attending a Canadian emergency department: Why they came and what happened?

Low back pain is a common presentation to emergency departments, but the reasons why people choose to attend the emergency department have not been explored. We aimed to fill this gap with this study to understand why persons with low back pain choose to attend the emergency department. Between July 4, 2017 and October 1, 2018, consecutive patients with a complaint of low back pain presenting to the University of Alberta Hospital emergency department were screened. Those enrolled completed a 13-item questionnaire to assess reasons and expectations related to their presentation. Demographics, acuity and disposition were obtained electronically. Factors associated with admission were examined in a logistic regression model. After screening 812 patients, 209 participants met the study criteria. The most common Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale score was 3 (73.2%). Overall, 37 (17.7%) received at least one consultation, 89.0% of participants were discharged home, 9.6% were admitted and 1.4% were transferred. Participants had a median pain intensity of 8/10 and a median daily functioning of 3/10. When asked, 64.6% attended for pain control while 44.5% stated ease of access. Most participants expected to obtain pain medication (67%) and advice (56%). Few attended because of cost savings (3.8%). After adjustment, only advanced age and ambulance arrival were significantly associated with admission. In conclusion, most low back pain patients came to the emergency department for pain control yet few were admitted and the majority did not receive a consultation. Timely alternatives for management of low back pain in the emergency department appear needed, yet are lacking.

Comparison of characteristics and management of emergency department presentations between patients with met and unmet palliative care needs.

INTRODUCTION: This study examined emergency department (ED) presentations of patients with end of life (EOL) conditions and patients having met and unmet palliative care needs were compared. METHODS: Presentations for EOL conditions were prospectively identified and screened for palliative care needs. Descriptive data were reported as proportions, means or medians. Bi-variable analysis for dichotomous and continuous variables were performed by chi-squared and T-tests (p≤0.01), respectively. A multivariable logistic regression model identified factors associated with having unmet palliative needs and reported adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Overall, 663 presentations for EOL conditions were identified; 518 (78%) involved patients with unmet palliative care needs. Presentations by patients with unmet palliative needs were more likely to involve consultations (80% vs. 67%, p = 0.001) and result in hospitalization (69% vs. 51%, p<0.001) compared to patients whose palliative needs were met. Patients with unmet palliative care needs were more likely to have previous ED visits (73% unmet vs. 48% met; p<0.001). While medication, procedures, investigations and imaging ordering were high across all patients with EOL conditions, there were no significant differences between the groups. Consultations with palliative specialists in the ED (6% unmet vs. 1% met) and following discharge (29% unmet vs. 18% met) were similarly uncommon. Patients having two or more EOL conditions (aOR = 2.41; 95% CI: 1.16, 5.00), requiring hospitalization (aOR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.30, 2.87), and dying during the ED visit (aOR = 2.15; 95% CI: 1.02, 4.53) were strongly associated with having unmet palliative care needs. CONCLUSIONS: Most ED presentations for EOL conditions were made by patients with unmet palliative care needs, who were significantly more likely to require consultation, hospitalization, and to die. Referrals to palliative care services during and after the ED visit were infrequent, indicating important opportunities to promote these services.

Engaging patients and primary care providers in the design of novel opinion leader based interventions for acute asthma in the emergency department: a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Multifaceted interventions driven by the needs of patients and providers can help move evidence into practice more rapidly. This study engaged both patients and primary care providers (PCPs) to help design novel opinion leader (OL)-based interventions for patients with acute asthma seen in emergency departments (EDs). METHODS: A mixed methods design was employed. In phase I, we invited convenience samples of patients with asthma presenting to the ED and PCPs to participate in a survey. Perceptions with respect to: a) an ideal OL-profile for asthma guidance; and b) content, style and delivery methods of OL-based interventions in acute asthma directed from the ED were collected. In phase II, we conducted focus groups to further explore preferences and expectations for such interventions with attention to barriers and facilitators for implementation. RESULTS: Overall, 54 patients completed the survey; 39% preferred receiving guidance from a respirologist, 44% during their ED visit and 56% through individual discussions. In addition, 55% expressed interest in having PCP follow-up within a week of ED discharge. A respirologist was identified as the ideal OL-profile by 59% of the 39 responding PCPs. All expressed interest in receiving notification of their patients' ED presentation, most within a week and including diagnosis and ED/post ED-treatment. Personalized, guideline-based, recommendations were considered to be the ideal content by the majority; 39% requested this guidance through a pamphlet faxed to their offices. In the focus groups, patients and PCPs recognized the importance of health professional liaisons in transitions in care; patient anxiety and PCP time constraints were identified as potential barriers for ED-educational information uptake and proper post-ED follow-up, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Engaging patients and PCPs yielded actionable information to tailor OL-based multifaceted interventions for acute asthma in the ED. We identified potential facilitators for the implementation of such interventions (e.g., patient interaction with alternative health care professionals who could facilitate transitions in asthma care between the ED and the primary care setting), and for the provision of post discharge self-management education (e.g., consideration of the first week of ED discharge as a practical time frame for this intervention). Prioritization of identified barriers (e.g., lack of PCP involvement) could be addressed by the identification of potential early adopters in practice environments (e.g., clinicians with special interest in asthma).

Choosing Wisely Canada®: Five tests, procedures and treatments to question in Emergency Medicine.

OBJECTIVES: Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) is an initiative to encourage patient-physician discussions about the appropriate, evidence based use of medical tests, procedures and treatments. We present the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians' (CAEP) top five list of recommendations, and the process undertaken to generate them. METHODS: The CAEP Expert Working Group (EWG) generated a candidate list of 52 tests, procedures, and treatments in emergency medicine whose value to care was questioned. This list was distributed to CAEP committee chairs, revised, and then divided and randomly allocated to 107 Canadian emergency physicians (EWG nominated) who voted on each item based on: action-ability, effectiveness, safety, economic burden, and frequency of use. The EWG discussed the items with the highest votes, and generated the recommendations by consensus. RESULTS: The top five CAEP CWC recommendations are: 1) Don't order CT head scans in adults and children who have suffered minor head injuries (unless positive for a validated head injury clinical decision rule); 2) Don't prescribe antibiotics in adults with bronchitis/asthma and children with bronchiolitis; 3) Don't order lumbosacral spinal imaging in patients with non-traumatic low back pain who have no red flags/pathologic indicators; 4) Don't order neck radiographs in patients who have a negative examination using the Canadian C-spine rules; and 5) Don't prescribe antibiotics after incision and drainage of uncomplicated skin abscesses unless extensive cellulitis exists. CONCLUSIONS: The CWC recommendations for emergency medicine were selected using a mixed methods approach. This top 5 list was released at the CAEP Conference in June 2015 and should form the basis for future implementation efforts.

Emergency Department Use: Influence of Connection to a Family Physician on ED Use and Attempts to Avoid Presentation.

Some low-acuity emergency department (ED) presentations are potentially avoidable with improved primary care access. The majority of ED patients (74.4%) in this study had a family physician, but the frequency of visits varied substantially. The variable frequency of patients' visits to these providers calls into question the validity of linkage assumptions. Several sociodemographic factors were associated with having a family physician, including female sex, being married/common law, race (Caucasian), being employed over the previous 12 months and having received a flu shot in the past year. These factors need to be explored further.

Low-acuity presentations to the emergency department in Canada: exploring the alternative attempts to avoid presentation.

OBJECTIVE: ED visits have been rising year on year worldwide. It has been suggested that some of these visits could be avoided if low-acuity patients had better primary care access. This study explored patients' efforts to avoid ED presentation and alternative care sought prior to presentation. METHODS: Consecutive adult patients presenting to three urban EDs in Edmonton, Canada, completed a questionnaire collecting demographics, actions attempted to avoid presentation and reasons for presentation. Survey data were cross-referenced to a minimal patient dataset containing ED and demographic information. RESULTS: A total of 1402 patients (66.5%) completed the survey. Although 89.3% of the patients felt that the ED was their best care option, the majority of patients (60.1%) sought alternative care or advice prior to presentation. Men, individuals who presented with injury only, and individuals with less than a high school education were all less likely to seek alternative care. Alternative care actions included visiting a physician (54.1%) or an alternative healthcare professional (eg, chiropractor, physiotherapist, etc; 21.2%), calling physician offices (47%) or the regional health information line (13%). Of those who called their physicians, the majority received advice to present to the ED (67.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Most low-acuity patients attempt to avoid ED presentation by seeking alternative care. This analysis identifies groups of individuals in the study region who are less likely to seek alternative care first and may benefit from targeted interventions/education. Other regions may wish to complete a similar profile to determine which patients are less likely to seek alternative care first.

Factors Associated with Failure of Non-invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation in a Critical Care Helicopter Emergency Medical Service.

INTRODUCTION: Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) is used to treat severe acute respiratory distress. Prehospital NIPPV has been associated with a reduction in both in-hospital mortality and the need for invasive ventilation. HYPOTHESIS/PROBLEM: The authors of this study examined factors associated with NIPPV failure and evaluated the impact of NIPPV on scene times in a critical care helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS). Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation failure was defined as the need for airway intervention or alternative means of ventilatory support. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of consecutive patients where NIPPV was completed in a critical care HEMS was conducted. Factors associated with NIPPV failure in univariate analyses and from published literature were included in a multivariable, logistic regression model. RESULTS: From a total of 44 patients, NIPPV failed in 14 (32%); a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)<15 at HEMS arrival was associated independently with NIPPV failure (adjusted odds ratio 13.9; 95% CI, 2.4-80.3; P=.003). Mean scene times were significantly longer in patients who failed NIPPV when compared with patients in whom NIPPV was successful (95 minutes vs 51 minutes; 39.4 minutes longer; 95% CI, 16.2-62.5; P=.001). CONCLUSION: Patients with a decreased level of consciousness were more likely to fail NIPPV. Furthermore, patients who failed NIPPV had significantly longer scene times. The benefits of NIPPV should be balanced against risks of long scene times by HEMS providers. Knowing risk factors of NIPPV failure could assist HEMS providers to make the safest decision for patients on whether to initiate NIPPV or proceed directly to endotracheal intubation prior to transport.

Management of acute exacerbation of COPD in rural Alberta emergency departments.

INTRODUCTION: Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common presentation to emergency departments (EDs); however, limited information exists about the management of this condition in nonurban locations. We sought to examine the diagnostic and treatment approaches for acute exacerbation of COPD in 3 rural EDs, and to determine levels of adherence to recommendations from the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) clinical practice guideline. METHODS: We conducted retrospective chart reviews to explore the management of patients who presented to 3 rural EDs for acute exacerbation of COPD in 2011. Data are reported as medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) and proportions. RESULTS: Over a 1-year period, 192 patients presented a total of 266 times with acute exacerbation of COPD. The median age was 68 (IQR 58-77) years, and 54.9% of the patients were women. Diagnostic testing included chest radiography in 65.0%, blood tests in 45.1%, electrocardiography in 33.5%, and arterial blood gas tests in 6.4%; only a few patients received pulmonary function testing. In the ED, 58.7% of patients were given a short-acting ß-agonist, 48.9% a short-acting anticholinergic, 27.4% corticosteroids and 19.9% antibiotics. Overall, short-acting ß-agonists (63.5%), anticholinergic agents (53.4%), corticosteroids (54.5%) and antibiotics (71.1%) were prescribed more commonly to discharged patients (p < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: We found a low to moderate level of adherence to the CTS clinical practice guideline for the management of acute exacerbation of COPD in these rural EDs. Moreover, we identified gaps in both diagnostic and therapeutic care.

INTRODUCTION: Les cas d'exacerbation aiguë de la maladie pulmonaire obstructive chronique (MPOC) sont fréquents à l'urgence. Pourtant, il existe peu d'information sur la prise en charge de cette maladie en dehors des centres urbains. Nous voulions examiner les méthodes de diagnostic et de traitement de la MPOC utilisées dans 3 services d'urgence en milieu rural et savoir dans quelle mesure les lignes directrices de la Société canadienne de thoracologie (SCT) sont respectées. MÉTHODES: Nous avons effectué une analyse rétrospective des dossiers pour examiner la prise en charge des patients s'étant présentés dans 3 services d'urgence en milieu rural en raison d'une exacerbation aiguë de la MPOC en 2011. Les données sont présentées en valeurs médianes et en intervalles interquartiles (II) et proportions. RÉSULTATS: Sur une période d'un an, 192 patients se sont présentés au total 266 fois pour exacerbation aiguë de la MPOC. L'âge médian était de 68 ans (II 58­77); 54,9 % des patients étaient des femmes. Les tests diagnostiques comprenaient des radiographies pulmonaires dans 65 % des cas, des analyses sanguines dans 45,1 % des cas, un électrocardiogramme dans 33,5 % des cas et une analyse des gaz artériels dans 6,4 % des cas; seuls quelques patients ont subi un test de la fonction pulmonaire. À l'urgence, 58,7 % des patients ont reçu un ß-2 agoniste à action rapide, 48,9 %, un anticholinergique à action rapide, 27,4 %, un corticostéroïde et 19,9 %, un antibiotique. Dans l'ensemble, les ß-2 agonistes à action rapide (63,5 %), les anticholinergiques (53,4 %), les corticostéroïdes (54,5 %) et les antibiotiques (71,1 %) étaient les agents prescrits le plus souvent aux patients recevant leur congé de l'hôpital (p < 0,05 pour tous). CONCLUSION: Nous avons observé que le degré d'observance des lignes directrices de la SCT variait de faible à moyen dans les services d'urgence en milieu rural. De plus, nous avons observé des lacunes autant en ce qui concerne les tests diagnostiques que les soins thérapeutiques.

Action plans in patients presenting to emergency departments with asthma exacerbations: Frequency of use and description of contents.

BACKGROUND: Although underused, written asthma action plans (AAPs) are associated with reduced numbers of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. OBJECTIVE: To describe the frequency of use and contents of any AAPs reported by patients presenting with exacerbations to three urban Canadian EDs. METHODS: Prospective data were collected through ED interview and chart review. Descriptive analyses used proportions and medians with interquartile range; multivariable logistic regression was used for the adjusted analyses. RESULTS: Among 176 enrolled patients, the median age was 27 years (interquartile range 23 to 39 years) and 97 (55%) were female. Few (n=42 [24%]) reported having AAPs at ED presentation and only six were written. Most (n=35 [75%]) patients with any AAP took action before the ED visit; none used a valid anti-inflammatory strategy. The first step of 27 plans was to increase asthma medication; no patients appropriately increased inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). In multivariable analyses, only the use of either ICS or ICS/long-acting ß-agonist combination agents (31% had AAPs versus 12% did not have AAPs (adjusted OR 3.0 [95% CI 1.14 to 8.07]) and asthma education (47% had AAPs versus 21% did not have AAPs, adjusted OR 3.2 [95% CI 1.13 to 9.19]) were independently associated with AAP possession. CONCLUSION: Possession of AAPs among patients presenting to the ED with acute asthma was low, and only one in 10 AAPs were written. Patients who reported having any AAP used ineffective strategies to abort or mitigate the severity of an ED visit. Increasing frequency of written AAPs and improving their contents holds immediate promise in improving outcomes related to asthma.

Pre-hospital management of anaphylaxis in one Canadian Urban Centre.

STUDY AIM: Anaphylaxis requires prompt recognition and management to improve patient outcomes. This study examined the diagnosis and treatment of anaphylactic reactions by the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in a Canadian urban centre. METHODS: Electronic patient care records (ePCRs), identifying allergy-related calls in the Edmonton-Zone for the year 2011, were retrospectively reviewed to confirm anaphylaxis diagnosis and record treatments. Data were abstracted and entered into the REDCap electronic platform. Descriptive and multivariable analyses were performed. Pre-hospital management included any care provided by paramedic personnel and/or first-aid treatment received prior to EMS arrival. RESULTS: From 481 identified allergy-related case records, 136 (28%) met guideline criteria for anaphylaxis. Seventy-six (56%) of these confirmed cases were deemed high acuity by medical dispatchers. Self-medication and bystander first-aid was recorded in 60 (44%) anaphylactic events; 34 (25%) received epinephrine. Paramedics administered epinephrine in an additional 49 cases (36%); only 7% received all three primary pre-hospital anaphylaxis treatments: epinephrine, corticosteroids, and antihistamines. Factors associated with pre-hospital epinephrine administration included: previous episode of anaphylaxis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=4.9, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.30, 19.21); administration of corticosteroids by bystanders or EMS personnel (aOR=3.8, 95% CI: 1.36, 10.65); and transport severity (aOR=3.2, 95% CI: 1.21, 8.36). CONCLUSION: Paramedics in this region demonstrated higher use of epinephrine than reported elsewhere; however, almost half of all patients meeting anaphylaxis criteria did not receive pre-hospital epinephrine. Instead, more patients received antihistamines. Efforts to improve adherence to anaphylaxis protocols and guidelines appear warranted.