Assessment of the impact on time to complete medical record using an electronic medical record versus a paper record on emergency department patients: a study.

BACKGROUND: Electronic medical records are becoming an integral part of healthcare delivery. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to compare paper documentation versus electronic medical record for non-traumatic chest pain to determine differences in time for physicians to complete medical records using paper versus electronic mediums. We also assessed physician satisfaction with the electronic format. METHODS: We conducted this before-after study in a single large tertiary care academic emergency department. In the 'Before Period', stopwatches determined the time for paper medical recording. In the 'After Period', a template-based electronic medical record was introduced and the time for electronic recording was measured. The time to record in the before and after periods were compared using a two-sided t test. We surveyed physicians to assess satisfaction. RESULTS: We enrolled 100 non-traumatic patients with chest pain in the before period and 73 in the after period. The documentation time was longer using electronic charting, (9.6±5.9 min vs 6.1±2.5 min; p<0.001). 18 of 20 physicians participating in the after period completed surveys. Physicians were not satisfied with the electronic patient recording for non-traumatic chest pain. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study that we are aware of which compared paper versus electronic medical records in the emergency department. Electronic recording took longer than paper records. Physicians were not satisfied using this electronic record. Given the time pressures on emergency physicians, a solution to minimise the charting time using electronic medical records must be found before widespread uptake of electronic charting will be possible.

Clinical decision rules to rule out subarachnoid hemorrhage for acute headache.

IMPORTANCE: Three clinical decision rules were previously derived to identify patients with headache requiring investigations to rule out subarachnoid hemorrhage. OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy, reliability, acceptability, and potential refinement (ie, to improve sensitivity or specificity) of these rules in a new cohort of patients with headache. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Multicenter cohort study conducted at 10 university-affiliated Canadian tertiary care emergency departments from April 2006 to July 2010. Enrolled patients were 2131 adults with a headache peaking within 1 hour and no neurologic deficits. Physicians completed data forms after assessing eligible patients prior to investigations. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Subarachnoid hemorrhage, defined as (1) subarachnoid blood on computed tomography scan; (2) xanthochromia in cerebrospinal fluid; or (3) red blood cells in the final tube of cerebrospinal fluid, with positive angiography findings. RESULTS: Of the 2131 enrolled patients, 132 (6.2%) had subarachnoid hemorrhage. The decision rule including any of age 40 years or older, neck pain or stiffness, witnessed loss of consciousness, or onset during exertion had 98.5% (95% CI, 94.6%-99.6%) sensitivity and 27.5% (95% CI, 25.6%-29.5%) specificity for subarachnoid hemorrhage. Adding "thunderclap headache" (ie, instantly peaking pain) and "limited neck flexion on examination" resulted in the Ottawa SAH Rule, with 100% (95% CI, 97.2%-100.0%) sensitivity and 15.3% (95% CI, 13.8%-16.9%) specificity. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among patients presenting to the emergency department with acute nontraumatic headache that reached maximal intensity within 1 hour and who had normal neurologic examination findings, the Ottawa SAH Rule was highly sensitive for identifying subarachnoid hemorrhage. These findings apply only to patients with these specific clinical characteristics and require additional evaluation in implementation studies before the rule is applied in routine clinical care.

Is this subarachnoid hemorrhage significant? A National Survey of Neurosurgeons.

BACKGROUND: Previously all subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients were admitted, whereas now patients with angiography may be discharged. OBJECTIVE: To survey neurosurgeons to determine current practice and what constitutes a clinically significant subarachnoid hemorrhage. METHODS: We surveyed all neurosurgeons listed in the Canadian Medical Directory. We used a modified Dillman technique with up to five mailed surveys plus a pre-notification letter. Neurosurgeons rated the significance of 13 scenarios of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Scenarios varied from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage to patients with isolated xanthochromia in cerebrospinal fluid. Each scenario was rated for clinical significance using a 5-point scale [1(always) to 5(never)]. RESULTS: Of the 224 surveyed, 115 neurosurgeons responded. Scenarios with aneurysms requiring intervention, arteriovenous malformations, death or any surgical intervention all had median responses of 1 (IQR 1, 1). Scenarios having xanthochromia and few red blood cells in cerebrospinal fluid with negative computerized tomogram (CT) and angiography had median responses of 3 (IQR 1, 4). Scenarios with perimesencephalic pattern on CT with negative angiography had median of 3 (IQR 2, 4). Scenarios where patient is discharged from the emergency department had median of 4 (IQR 3, 5). CONCLUSION: Subarachnoid hemorrhages due to aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations causing death or requiring surgical intervention are always clinically significant. Other types of nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhages had inconsistent ratings for clinical significance. These survey results highlight the need for further discussions to standardize the diagnosis of what constitutes a clinically significant subarachnoid hemorrhage and what care should be afforded to these patients.

Survey of emergency physicians' requirements for a clinical decision rule for acute respiratory illnesses in three countries.

UNLABELLED: ABSTRACTObjective:There are currently no widely used guidelines to determine which older patients with acute respiratory conditions require hospital admission. This study assessed the need for clinical decision rules to help determine whether hospital admission is required for patients over 50 years for three common respiratory conditions: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure (HF), and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). DESIGN: Postal survey. SETTING: Emergency physicians (EPs) from the United States, Canada, and Australasia. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample of EPs from the United States, Canada, and Australasia. INTERVENTIONS: A modified Dillman technique with a prenotification letter and up to three postal surveys. MAIN OUTCOMES: EP opinions regarding the need for and willingness to use clinical decision rules for emergency department (ED) patients over 50 years with COPD, HF, or CAP to predict hospital admission. We assessed the required sensitivity of each rule for return ED visit or death within 14 days. RESULTS: A total of 801 responses from 1,493 surveys were received, with response rates of 55%, 60%, and 46% for Australasia, Canada, and the United States, respectively. Over 90% of EPs reported that they would consider using clinical decision rules for HF, CAP, and COPD. The median required sensitivity for death within 14 days was 97 to 98% for all conditions. CONCLUSIONS: EPs are likely to adopt highly sensitive clinical decision rules to predict the need for hospital admission for patients over 50 years with COPD, HF, or CAP.

How do we manage emergency department patients diagnosed with transient ischemic attack?

INTRODUCTION: Multiple studies have demonstrated low rates of antithrombotic use, low neuroimaging rates, and high subsequent risk of stroke at 90 days following an emergency department (ED) diagnosis of transient ischemic attack (TIA). This study assessed the use of antithrombotic medications, neuroimaging, and subsequent 90-day stroke rate for patients in a more recent cohort of ED patients discharged home with TIA. METHODS: We conducted a 1-year historical cohort study of all patients discharged with a TIA at a tertiary care ED (census 60,000 visits/year), which was one of the four sites participating in one of the aforementioned studies. Data were extracted from paper and electronic records onto standardized data extraction forms. Clinical findings, medications, and tests were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 211 patients were enrolled in the study. The patients had the following characteristics: the mean age was 71.2 years (SD 13.8 years), 56.9% were female, 53.1% had a history of hypertension, 26.5% had a history of ischemic heart disease, and 17.1% had a previous stroke. The most frequent neurologic deficit was unilateral weakness (53.6%), and most deficits lasted for more than 60 minutes (71.6%). Antithrombotic medications were used for 96.7% of patients at ED discharge. Neuroimaging was conducted in 94.3% of patients while in the ED. Our cohort had a 90-day stroke rate of 1.9%. CONCLUSION: This study established that most TIA patients receive neuroimaging in the ED and are started on or maintained on antithrombotic agents. Clinicians are encouraged to ensure that electrocardiography is done routinely and to involve Neurology in follow-up care.

Sensitivity of computed tomography performed within six hours of onset of headache for diagnosis of subarachnoid haemorrhage: prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the sensitivity of modern third generation computed tomography in emergency patients being evaluated for possible subarachnoid haemorrhage, especially when carried out within six hours of headache onset. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: 11 tertiary care emergency departments across Canada, 2000-9. PARTICIPANTS: Neurologically intact adults with a new acute headache peaking in intensity within one hour of onset in whom a computed tomography was ordered by the treating physician to rule out subarachnoid haemorrhage. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subarachnoid haemorrhage was defined by any of subarachnoid blood on computed tomography, xanthochromia in cerebrospinal fluid, or any red blood cells in final tube of cerebrospinal fluid collected with positive results on cerebral angiography. RESULTS: Of the 3132 patients enrolled (mean age 45.1, 2571 (82.1%) with worst headache ever), 240 had subarachnoid haemorrhage (7.7%). The sensitivity of computed tomography overall for subarachnoid haemorrhage was 92.9% (95% confidence interval 89.0% to 95.5%), the specificity was 100% (99.9% to 100%), the negative predictive value was 99.4% (99.1% to 99.6%), and the positive predictive value was 100% (98.3% to 100%). For the 953 patients scanned within six hours of headache onset, all 121 patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage were identified by computed tomography, yielding a sensitivity of 100% (97.0% to 100.0%), specificity of 100% (99.5% to 100%), negative predictive value of 100% (99.5% to 100%), and positive predictive value of 100% (96.9% to 100%). CONCLUSION: Modern third generation computed tomography is extremely sensitive in identifying subarachnoid haemorrhage when it is carried out within six hours of headache onset and interpreted by a qualified radiologist.

Prospective validation of the ABCD2 score for patients in the emergency department with transient ischemic attack.

BACKGROUND: The ABCD2 score (Age, Blood pressure, Clinical features, Duration of symptoms and Diabetes) is used to identify patients having a transient ischemic attack who are at high risk for imminent stroke. However, despite its widespread implementation, the ABCD2 score has not yet been prospectively validated. We assessed the accuracy of the ABCD2 score for predicting stroke at 7 (primary outcome) and 90 days. METHODS: This prospective cohort study enrolled adults from eight Canadian emergency departments who had received a diagnosis of transient ischemic attack. Physicians completed data forms with the ABCD2 score before disposition. The outcome criterion, stroke, was established by a treating neurologist or by an Adjudication Committee. We calculated the sensitivity and specificity for predicting stroke 7 and 90 days after visiting the emergency department using the original "high-risk" cutpoint of an ABCD2 score of more than 5, and the American Heart Association recommendation of a score of more than 2. RESULTS: We enrolled 2056 patients (mean age 68.0 yr, 1046 (50.9%) women) who had a rate of stroke of 1.8% at 7 days and 3.2% at 90 days. An ABCD2 score of more than 5 had a sensitivity of 31.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 19.1-47.5) for stroke at 7 days and 29.2% (95% CI 19.6-41.2) for stroke at 90 days. An ABCD2 score of more than 2 resulted in sensitivity of 94.7% (95% CI 82.7-98.5) for stroke at 7 days with a specificity of 12.5% (95% CI 11.2-14.1). The accuracy of the ABCD2 score as calculated by either the enrolling physician (area under the curve 0.56; 95% CI 0.47-0.65) or the coordinating centre (area under the curve 0.65; 95% CI 0.57-0.73) was poor. INTERPRETATION: This multicentre prospective study involving patients in emergency departments with transient ischemic attack found the ABCD2 score to be inaccurate, at any cut-point, as a predictor of imminent stroke. Furthermore, the ABCD2 score of more than 2 that is recommended by the American Heart Association is nonspecific.

High risk clinical characteristics for subarachnoid haemorrhage in patients with acute headache: prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify high risk clinical characteristics for subarachnoid haemorrhage in neurologically intact patients with headache. DESIGN: Multicentre prospective cohort study over five years. SETTING: Six university affiliated tertiary care teaching hospitals in Canada. Data collected from November 2000 until November 2005. PARTICIPANTS: Neurologically intact adults with a non-traumatic headache peaking within an hour. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subarachnoid haemorrhage, as defined by any of subarachnoid haemorrhage on computed tomography of the head, xanthochromia in the cerebrospinal fluid, or red blood cells in the final sample of cerebrospinal fluid with positive results on angiography. Physicians completed data collection forms before investigations. RESULTS: In the 1999 patients enrolled there were 130 cases of subarachnoid haemorrhage. Mean (range) age was 43.4 (16-93), 1207 (60.4%) were women, and 1546 (78.5%) reported that it was the worst headache of their life. Thirteen of the variables collected on history and three on examination were reliable and associated with subarachnoid haemorrhage. We used recursive partitioning with different combinations of these variables to create three clinical decisions rules. All had 100% (95% confidence interval 97.1% to 100.0%) sensitivity with specificities from 28.4% to 38.8%. Use of any one of these rules would have lowered rates of investigation (computed tomography, lumbar puncture, or both) from the current 82.9% to between 63.7% and 73.5%. CONCLUSION: Clinical characteristics can be predictive for subarachnoid haemorrhage. Practical and sensitive clinical decision rules can be used in patients with a headache peaking within an hour. Further study of these proposed decision rules, including prospective validation, could allow clinicians to be more selective and accurate when investigating patients with headache.

Stratified, urgent care for transient ischemic attack results in low stroke rates.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a marker for early risk of stroke. No previous studies have assessed the use of urgent stroke prevention clinics for emergency department (ED) patients with TIA. We hypothesized that an ABCD2-based ED triaging tool for TIA with outpatient management would be associated with lower 90-day stroke rate than that predicted by ABCD2. METHODS: A cohort of prospectively identified patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of TIA seen in 2 tertiary-care EDs. These patients were divided into 3 strata based on their ACBD2 score, and triage targets were set for each stratum. All patients received the same standard of care in the Stroke Clinic regardless of their risk score. Primary outcome was stroke by 90 days of index TIA. Secondary outcomes were subsequent TIA, myocardial infarction, or death. RESULTS: One-thousand ninety-three patients met the inclusion criteria; 982 patients completed 90-day follow-up and comprised the final cohort. After stratification, 32%, 49%, and 19% of patients were categorized as low-, moderate-, or high-risk, respectively. The overall 90-day risk of stroke in all patients was 3.2%, compared with the ABCD2-predicted risk of 9.2%. Only 1.6% of patients with TIA/minor stroke were admitted from the ED. The risk of subsequent TIA, myocardial infarction, or death by 90 days was 5.5%, 0.1%, and 1.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Outpatient care in a rapid-access stroke prevention clinic using the ABCD2 score for triage resulted in a low 90-day stroke rate for patients in the ED with TIA. Benefit occurred without requiring admission for most patients.

Association of the Ottawa Aggressive Protocol with rapid discharge of emergency department patients with recent-onset atrial fibrillation or flutter.

OBJECTIVE: There is no consensus on the optimal management of recent-onset episodes of atrial fibrillation or flutter. The approach to these conditions is particularly relevant in the current era of emergency department (ED) overcrowding. We sought to examine the effectiveness and safety of the Ottawa Aggressive Protocol to perform rapid cardioversion and discharge patients with these arrhythmias. METHODS: This cohort study enrolled consecutive patient visits to an adult university hospital ED for recent-onset atrial fibrillation or flutter managed with the Ottawa Aggressive Protocol. The protocol includes intravenous chemical cardioversion, electrical cardioversion if necessary and discharge home from the ED. RESULTS: A total of 660 patient visits were included, 95.2% involving atrial fibrillation and 4.9% involving atrial flutter. The mean age of patients enrolled was 64.5 years. In total, 96.8% were discharged home and, of those, 93.3% were in sinus rhythm. All patients were initially administered intravenous procainamide, with a 58.3% conversion rate. A total of 243 patients underwent subsequent electrical cardioversion with a 91.7% success rate. Adverse events occurred in 7.6% of cases: hypotension 6.7%, bradycardia 0.3% and 7-day relapse 8.6%. There were no cases of torsades de pointes, stroke or death. The median lengths of stay in the ED were as follows: 4.9 hours overall, 3.9 hours for those undergoing conversion with procainamide and 6.5 hours for those requiring electrical conversion. CONCLUSION: This is the largest study to date to evaluate the Ottawa Aggressive Protocol, a unique approach to cardioversion for ED patients with recent-onset episodes of atrial fibrillation and flutter. Our data demonstrate that the Ottawa Aggressive Protocol is effective, safe and rapid, and has the potential to significantly reduce hospital admissions and expedite ED care.

National survey of Canadian neurologists' current practice for transient ischemic attack and the need for a clinical decision rule.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Four percent to 10% of patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) have a stroke or die within 1 week of their diagnosis. This national survey examined Canadian neurologists' current practice for managing TIA, the need for a clinical decision rule to identify high-risk patients, and the required sensitivity of such a rule. METHODS: We surveyed 650 neurologists registered in a national physician directory. We used a modified Dillman technique with a prenotification letter and up to 5 survey attempts using a mailed letter. Neurologists were asked 33 questions about demographics, current management of adult patients with TIA, if a clinical decision rule is required to identify high-risk patients with TIA for impending stroke/death, and the required sensitivity of this rule. RESULTS: We had a response rate of 49.8% (324 of 650). Respondents were 78.3% male and had a mean age of 50.3 years. Of respondents, 49.2% (95% CI: 45.3% to 53.1%) reported using an existing clinical tool to risk-stratify patients. Overall, 95.0% (95% CI: 93.3% to 96.7%) reported they would consider using a sensitive, validated clinical decision rule for risk-stratifying patients with TIA. The median required sensitivity of a rule was 92% (interquartile range, 90 to 95). CONCLUSIONS: We found that Canadian neurologists would use a highly sensitive clinical decision rule to risk-stratify patients with TIA. The median required sensitivity of 92% is higher than the high risk category of any existing tool. Our results indicate a clinical decision rule to predict high-risk TIA needs to be more sensitive than the currently available rules.

Is the combination of negative computed tomography result and negative lumbar puncture result sufficient to rule out subarachnoid hemorrhage?

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Current clinical practice assumes a negative computed tomography (CT) head scan result and a negative lumbar puncture result together are adequate to rule out subarachnoid hemorrhage in patients with acute headache. Our objective is to determine the sensitivity of a negative CT result combined with a negative lumbar puncture result to exclude subarachnoid hemorrhage. METHODS: This prospective cohort study was conducted at 2 tertiary care emergency departments (EDs) during 3 years. We enrolled all patients who were older than 15 years, had a nontraumatic acute headache and normal neurologic examination result, and who had a CT head scan and a lumbar puncture if the CT result was negative (ie, no blood in the subarachnoid space). Patients were followed up with a structured telephone questionnaire 6 to 36 months after their ED visit and electronic hospital records review to ensure no missed subarachnoid hemorrhage. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios of the strategy of CT and then lumbar puncture for subarachnoid hemorrhage. RESULTS: Five hundred ninety-two patients were enrolled, including 61 with subarachnoid hemorrhage. The mean patient age was 43.6 years, with 59.1% female patients. All cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage were identified on initial CT or lumbar puncture. One patient without subarachnoid hemorrhage was subsequently diagnosed with cerebral aneurysm, requiring surgery. The strategy classified patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage with sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios (with 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) of 100% (95% CI 94% to 100%), 67% (95% CI 63% to 71%), 3.03 (95% CI 2.69 to 3.53), and 0. For diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage or aneurysm, these were 98% (95% CI 91% to 100%), 67% (95% CI 63% to 71%), 2.98 (95% CI 2.63 to 3.38), and 0.02 (95% CI 0.00 to 0.17), respectively. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the largest prospective study evaluating the accuracy of a strategy of CT and lumbar puncture to rule out subarachnoid hemorrhage in alert ED patients with an acute headache. This study validates clinical practice that a negative CT with a negative lumbar puncture is sufficient to rule out subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Emergency department use of intravenous procainamide for patients with acute atrial fibrillation or flutter.

OBJECTIVES: Acute atrial fibrillation and flutter are very common arrhythmias seen in emergency department (ED) patients, but there is no consensus for their optimal management. The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of intravenous (IV) procainamide for acute atrial fibrillation or flutter. METHODS: This health records review included a consecutive cohort of ED patients with acute-onset atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter who received IV procainamide at one university hospital ED during a five-year period. The standard clinical protocol involved IV infusion of 1 g of procainamide over 60 minutes, followed by electrical cardioversion if necessary. A trained observer extracted data from the original clinical records. Outcome measurements included conversion to sinus rhythm, adverse events, and relapse up to seven days. RESULTS: The 341 study patients had a mean age of 63.9 years (SD +/- 15.5 years), and 56.6% were male. The conversion rates were 52.2% (95% confidence interval = 47% to 58%) for 316 atrial fibrillation cases and 28.0% (95% confidence interval = 13% to 46%) for 25 atrial flutter cases. Mean dose given was 860.7 mg (SD +/- 231.2 mg), and median time to conversion was 55 minutes. Adverse events occurred in 34 cases (10.0%): hypotension, 8.5%; bradycardia, 0.6%; atrioventricular block, 0.6%; and ventricular tachycardia, 0.3%. There were no cases of torsades de pointes, cerebrovascular accident, or death. Most patients (94.4%) were discharged home, but 2.9% of patients returned with a recurrence of atrial fibrillation within seven days. CONCLUSIONS: This study of acute atrial fibrillation or flutter patients treated in the ED with IV procainamide suggests that this treatment is safe and effective in this setting. Procainamide should be prospectively compared with other ED strategies.

Should spectrophotometry be used to identify xanthochromia in the cerebrospinal fluid of alert patients suspected of having subarachnoid hemorrhage?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The absence of xanthochromia in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is often used to exclude subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Authorities advocate spectrophotometry to measure xanthochromia, but most North American hospitals use visual inspection. We studied the diagnostic accuracy of spectrophotometry for SAH, and its potential impact on current practice. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study comparing the diagnostic accuracy of tests. The study was set in 3 university-affiliated tertiary care emergency departments. We enrolled consecutive neurologically intact adults with nontraumatic headache undergoing lumbar puncture (LP) to rule out SAH. CSF was centrifuged, frozen and analyzed later in batch. SAH was defined by (1) subarachnoid blood on CT, (2) >5x10(6) red blood cells/L in the final CSF tube and positive angiography, or (3) visible xanthochromia in CSF and positive angiography. All subjects lacking a normal CT and LP were telephoned at 30 days. RESULTS: We enrolled 220 patients (mean age 42+/-16 years; CT rate 87.7%; angiography rate 5.9%). Two SAHs were identified: 1 with red blood cells without xanthochromia in the CSF and 1 with visibly xanthochromic CSF. The specificity of xanthochromia was 97% (95% CI: 92% to 99%) for visual inspection, but as low as 29% (95% CI: 23% to 35%) for 2 of the spectrophotometric definitions. Introducing spectrophotometry could lead to angiography in as many as 11% to 71% of patients undergoing LP. CONCLUSIONS: Spectrophotometric definitions of xanthochromia have only moderate to low specificity for SAH. Using spectrophotometry could increase angiography rates, thereby identifying more incidental aneurysms, increasing patient anxiety and exposing patients to unnecessary surgical or investigational complications without benefit.