Focused Cardiac Ultrasound in Dyspnea of Unclear Etiology in the Emergency Department: Utility of the FLUID Score.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the utility of focused cardiac ultrasound to predict the length of stay in patients presenting to the emergency department with dyspnea of unclear etiology. METHODS: Patients with focused cardiac ultrasound examinations performed in the emergency department for dyspnea over a 34-month period were retrospectively identified. Patients were excluded if they had a prior diagnosis of heart failure, dialysis requirement, or an etiology of dyspnea unrelated to the volume status. Left ventricular function was categorized as normal or reduced, and the inferior vena cava was categorized as normal or increased volume. A fast limited ultrasound to investigate dyspnea (FLUID) score was calculated by adding 1 point for reduced left ventricular function and 1 point for increased volume, producing a score of 0, 1, or 2. RESULTS: There were 123 patients included. There was a significant correlation between the FLUID score and length of stay, with longer stays for higher scores (FLUID score 0, 7.4 hours median; FLUID score 1, 2.34 days; FLUID score 2, 5.56 days; analysis of variance P < .001). Of the other variables collected, only age, hypertension, diabetes, heart rate, and brain natriuretic peptide were significantly correlated with the length of stay. A multivariate analysis including those variables and the FLUID score showed that the FLUID score was the strongest independent predictor of the length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Focused cardiac ultrasound and calculation of a FLUID score for patients with undifferentiated dyspnea can be a powerful tool to predict the hospital length of stay.

Diagnostic Yield and Accuracy of Bedside Echocardiography in the Emergency Department in Hemodynamically Stable Patients.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine the diagnostic yield of focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) in hemodynamically stable patients in the emergency department and secondarily to confirm the accuracy of these studies when compared to formal echocardiography. METHODS: All hemodynamically stable adult patients who had an emergency physician-performed FOCUS examination completed over a 1-year period were identified using our electronic ultrasound database. Hemodynamic stability was defined as presenting systolic blood pressure higher than 90 mm Hg and not requiring any form of positive pressure ventilation. RESULTS: There were 1198 FOCUS examinations performed: 976 in hemodynamically stable patients who were included in our analysis. Twenty-seven percent of patients had new findings, including 154 (16%) new diagnoses of reduced left ventricular function, 105 (11%) new pericardial effusions, and 44 (5%) new diagnoses of RV dilatation. Dyspnea as an indication for the FOCUS examination was the strongest predictor of a positive study. Of patients included, 28% underwent formal echocardiography within 2 days and were analyzed for concordance with regard to left ventricular function and the presence of pericardial effusion. Of 270 studies, 208 were accurate, and 62 were inaccurate, for raw agreement of 77% (κ = 0.53). When stratified by sonographer experience, there was no impact on accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Focused cardiac ultrasound in the emergency department for hemodynamically stable patients revealed new findings in 27% of studies, with a modest correlation with formal echocardiography. In stable patients, FOCUS has the potential for rapid diagnosis of cardiac disease, particularly in patients with dyspnea.

Exploring Action Items to Address Resident Mistreatment through an Educational Workshop.

Mistreatment of trainees is common in the clinical learning environment. Resident mistreatment is less frequently tracked than medical student mistreatment, but data suggest mistreatment remains prevalent at the resident level. To address resident mistreatment, the authors developed an Educational Advance to engage emergency medicine residents and faculty in understanding and improving their learning environment. The authors designed a small-group session with the following goals: 1) Develop a shared understanding of mistreatment and its magnitude; 2) Recognize the prevalence of resident mistreatment data and identify the most common types of mistreatment; 3) Relate study findings to personal or institutional experiences; and 4) Generate strategies for combating mistreatment and strengthening the clinical learning environment at their home institutions. Design was a combination of presentation, small group discussion, and facilitated discussion. Results were presented to participants from a previously administered survey of resident mistreatment. Public humiliation and sexist remarks were the most commonly reported forms. Faculty were the most frequent perpetrators, followed by residents and nurses. A majority of respondents who experienced mistreatment did not report the incident. Session participants were then asked to brainstorm strategies to combat mistreatment. Participants rated the session as effective in raising awareness about resident mistreatment and helping departments develop methods to improve the learning environment. Action items proposed by the group included coaching residents about how to respond to mistreatment, displaying signage in support of a positive learning environment, zero tolerance for mistreatment, clear instructions for reporting, and intentionality training to improve behavior.