Impact of Local Tailoring on Acute Stroke Care in 21 Disparate Emergency Departments: A Prospective Stepped Wedge Type III Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Study.

BACKGROUND: Faster delivery of tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) results in better health outcomes for eligible patients with stroke. Standardization of stroke protocols in emergency departments (EDs) has been difficult, especially in nonstroke centers. We measured the effectiveness of a centrally led implementation strategy with local site tailoring to sustain adherence to an acute stroke protocol to improve door-to-needle (DTN) times across disparate EDs in a multihospital health system. METHODS: Prospective, type III hybrid effectiveness-implementation cohort study measuring performance at 21 EDs in Utah and Idaho (stroke centers [4]/nonstroke centers [17]) from January 2018 to February 2020 using a nonrandomized stepped-wedge design, monthly repeated site measures and multilevel hierarchical modeling. Each site received the implementation strategies in 1 of 6 steps providing control and intervention data. Co-primary outcomes were percentage of DTN times ≤60 minutes and median DTN time. Secondary outcomes included percentage of door-to-activation of neurological consult times ≤10 minutes and clinical effectiveness outcomes. Results were stratified between stroke and nonstroke centers. RESULTS: A total of 855 474 ED patient encounters occurred with 5325 code stroke activations (median age, 69 [IQR, 56-79] years; 51.8% female patients]. Percentage of door-to-activation times ≤10 minutes increased from 47.5% to 59.9% (adjusted odds ratio, 1.93 [95% CI, 1.40-2.67]). A total of 615 patients received tPA of ≤3 hours from symptom onset (median age, 71 [IQR, 58-80] years; 49.6% female patients). The percentage of DTN times ≤60 minutes increased from 72.5% to 86.1% (adjusted odds ratio, 3.38, [95% CI, 1.47-7.78]; stroke centers (77.4%-90.0%); nonstroke centers [59.3%-72.1%]). Median DTN time declined from 46 to 38 minutes (adjusted median difference, -9.68 [95% CI, -17.17 to -2.20]; stroke centers [41-35 minutes]; nonstroke centers [55-52 minutes]). No differences were observed in clinical effectiveness outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: A centrally led implementation strategy with local site tailoring led to faster delivery of tPA across disparate EDs in a multihospital system with no change in clinical effectiveness outcomes including rates of complication. Disparities in performance persisted between stroke and nonstroke centers.

Urgencias hospitalarias por consumo de alcohol en tiempos de la COVID-19 en la Costa del Sol / Hospital emergencies due to alcohol consumption in times of COVID-19 on the Costa del Sol (Spain)

Fundamentos: el consumo de alcohol es un problema de salud pública que impacta en la esfera de la salud, tanto como a nivel social y económico. Fueron objetivos del presente estudio describir las características de las urgencias hospitalarias relacionadas con consumo de alcohol (rca) en una zona de alto turismo lúdico, y las implicaciones de la pandemia de la covid-19 en dicha actividad .Métodos: se realizó un estudio transversal descriptivo de periodo de la actividad de urgencias rca en el área hospitalaria costa del sol durante los años 2019 a 2021. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo estratificado según el periodo de la pandemia de la covid-19, incluyendo el cálculo de la incidencia de urgencias rca atendidas diariamente. Se realizó análisis descriptivo evaluando diferencias entre los tres periodos mediante el test de ji-cuadrado para variables cualitativas, y el test de kruskal-wallis para las cuantitativas. Resultados: en el periodo de estudio se registraron 479.204 urgencias hospitalarias, de las cuales el 0,51% se identificaron como urgencia rca, con un promedio de 2,2 diarias. Dicha cifra osciló entre 2,7 urgencias diarias en periodo de normalidad, 1 durante el confinamiento y 2,1 en periodo de nueva normalidad. La tasa de urgencias rca del periodo evaluado fue de 16,5 por cada 10.000 habitantes/año. Conclusiones: las personas atendidas por consumo de alcohol de nuestra serie tienen un perfil habitual en cuanto a edad (adulto) y sexo (varones), aunque con un peso relativamente elevado de pacientes extranjeros. Las restricciones por el confinamiento durante la pandemia por la covid-19 tienen un impacto positivo en la atención urgente de pacientes rca, aunque correlacionado con un descenso generalizado de la actividad asistencial no relacionada con la covid-19.(AU)

Background: alcohol consumption is a public health problem that impacts the health, social and economic spheres. The objec-tives of this study were to describe the characteristics of alcohol-related emergencies (ari) in an area of high recreational tourism, and the implications of the covid-19 pandemic on this activity. Methods: a descriptive cross-sectional study of the period of ari emergency activity in the costa del sol hospital area during the years 2019-2021 was carried out. A stratified descriptive analysis was performed according to the covid-19 pandemic period, including the calculation of the incidence of ari emergencies attended daily. Descriptive analysis was performed evaluating differences between the three periods using the chi-square test for qualitative variables, and the kruskal-wallis test for quantitative variables. Results: during the study period, 479,204 hospital emergencies were recorded, of which 0.51% were identified as ari emergen-cies, with an average of 2.2 per day. This figure ranged from 2.7 emergencies per day during normality, 1 during confinement and 2.1 during new normality. The rate of ari emergencies for the period evaluated was 16.5 per 10,000 inhabitants/year. Conclusions: the patients treated for alcohol consumption in our series have a typical profile in terms of age (adult) and sex (male), although with a high relative weight of foreign patients. Restrictions due to confinement during the covid-19 pandemic have a positive impact on the emergency care of ari patients, although correlated with a generalised decrease in non-covid-19 related care activity.(AU)

[Hospital emergencies due to alcohol consumption in times of COVID-19 on the Costa del Sol (Spain)]. / Urgencias hospitalarias por consumo de alcohol en tiempos de la COVID-19 en la Costa del Sol.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol consumption is a Public Health problem that impacts the health, social and economic spheres. The objectives of this study were to describe the characteristics of alcohol-related emergencies (ARI) in an area of high recreational tourism, and the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on this activity. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study of the period of ARI emergency activity in the Costa del Sol Hospital Area during the years 2019-2021 was carried out. A stratified descriptive analysis was performed according to the COVID-19 pandemic period, including the calculation of the incidence of ARI emergencies attended daily. Descriptive analysis was performed evaluating differences between the three periods using the Chi-Square test for qualitative variables, and the Kruskal-Wallis test for quantitative variables. RESULTS: During the study period, 479,204 hospital emergencies were recorded, of which 0.51% were identified as ARI emergencies, with an average of 2.2 per day. This figure ranged from 2.7 emergencies per day during Normality, 1 during Confinement and 2.1 during new normality. The rate of ARI emergencies for the period evaluated was 16.5 per 10,000 inhabitants/year. CONCLUSIONS: The patients treated for alcohol consumption in our series have a typical profile in terms of age (adult) and sex (male), although with a high relative weight of foreign patients. Restrictions due to confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic have a positive impact on the emergency care of ARI patients, although correlated with a generalised decrease in non-COVID-19 related care activity.

OBJECTIVE: El consumo de alcohol es un problema de Salud Pública que impacta en la esfera de la salud, tanto como a nivel social y económico. Fueron objetivos del presente estudio describir las características de las Urgencias hospitalarias relacionadas con consumo de alcohol (RCA) en una zona de alto turismo lúdico, y las implicaciones de la pandemia de la COVID-19 en dicha actividad. METHODS: Se realizó un estudio transversal descriptivo de periodo de la actividad de Urgencias RCA en el Área Hospitalaria Costa del Sol durante los años 2019 a 2021. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo estratificado según el periodo de la pandemia de la COVID-19, incluyendo el cálculo de la incidencia de Urgencias RCA atendidas diariamente. Se realizó análisis descriptivo evaluando diferencias entre los tres periodos mediante el test de Ji-Cuadrado para variables cualitativas, y el test de Kruskal-Wallis para las cuantitativas. RESULTS: En el periodo de estudio se registraron 479.204 Urgencias hospitalarias, de las cuales el 0,51% se identificaron como urgencia RCA, con un promedio de 2,2 diarias. Dicha cifra osciló entre 2,7 urgencias diarias en periodo de Normalidad, 1 durante el Confinamiento y 2,1 en periodo de nueva normalidad. La tasa de Urgencias RCA del periodo evaluado fue de 16,5 por cada 10.000 habitantes/año. CONCLUSIONS: Las personas atendidas por consumo de alcohol de nuestra serie tienen un perfil habitual en cuanto a edad (adulto) y sexo (varones), aunque con un peso relativamente elevado de pacientes extranjeros. Las restricciones por el confinamiento durante la pandemia por la COVID-19 tienen un impacto positivo en la atención urgente de pacientes RCA, aunque correlacionado con un descenso generalizado de la actividad asistencial no relacionada con la COVID-19.

Prognostic value of early warning scores in patients presenting to the emergency department with exacerbation of COPD.

OBJECTIVE: Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is a condition that frequently presents to the emergency department (ED) and its prognosis is not very well understood. Risk tools that can be used rapidly in the ED are needed to predict the prognosis of these patients. METHODS: This study comprised a retrospective cohort of AECOPD patients presenting to a single center between 2015 and 2022. The prognostic accuracy of several clinical early warning scoring systems, Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), National Early Warning Score (NEWS), NEWS­2, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) and the quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), were compared. The outcome variable was determined as one-month mortality. RESULTS: Of the 598 patients, 63 (10.5%) had died within 1 month after presenting to the ED. Patients who died had more often congestive heart failure, altered mental status, and admission to intensive care, and they were older. Although the MEWS, NEWS, NEWS­2, and qSOFA scores of those who died were higher than those who survived, there was no difference between the SIRS scores of these two groups. The score with the highest positive likelihood ratio for mortality estimation was qSOFA (8.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.7-19.6). The negative likelihood ratios of the scores were similar, the NEWS score had a negative likelihood ratio of 0.4 (95% CI 0.2-0.8) with the highest negative predictive value of 96.0%. CONCLUSION: In AECOPD patients, most of the early warning scores that are frequently used in the ED were found to have a moderate ability to exclude mortality and a low ability to predict mortality.

Situation analysis model of hospital emergency department promotion in Iran: A cross-sectional study.

Background and Aim: The present study was conducted to develop a situation analysis model for Iran's hospitals' emergency departments (EDs). Methods: The current research was a descriptive cross-sectional applied study in three stages. The studies were reviewed in various library resources and valid sites in the first stage. In the second stage, the analysis model of the ED in Iran was presented. In the third stage, the model was validated based on the Delphi technique, and the final model was presented. Results: The final situation analysis model of ED in Iran was approved in four main aspects, including goals, internal factors, external factors, and organizations and institutions participating in the situation analysis, and its implementation schedule was approved by 90% of experts. Conclusion: Considering the importance of situation analysis in developing a strategic plan and improving the quality of health services in the ED of hospitals, implementing a coherent situation analysis model that includes all aspects leading to improving the ED quality and analyzing the internal and external factors is vital.

Differences in the Patterns of Care Between Emergency Department Visits with and Without a Physician.

BACKGROUND: A variety of clinicians practice in emergency departments (EDs). Although most ED patients prefer seeing physicians, a subset sees no physician. OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine the factors that predict when an ED patient is seen by at least one physician and compared the practice patterns of patient visits seen by at least one physician compared with those seen by no physician. METHODS: We used 11 years of cross-sectional data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and focused on the sample of ED patient visits seen by at least one physician and those seen by no physician. We used bivariate statistics to compare characteristics between samples and used multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify the factors that predicted being seen by a physician. Finally, we compared the practice patterns of patient visits seen by at least one physician compared with those seen by no physician. RESULTS: Approximately 10% of the sample was not seen by any physician. Patients seen by at least one physician had, on average, 0.8 more diagnostic services ordered/provided and 0.1 more procedures provided compared with patients who were not seen by any physician. Patients seen by at least one physician had longer visits by 29.4 min, on average, and had increased odds of being hospitalized (adjusted odds ratio 3.9, 95% confidence interval 2.9-5.2). CONCLUSIONS: A variety of patient and hospital characteristics influenced whether ED patients were seen by physicians. Diagnostic services, procedures, visit length, and hospital admission differed by physician presence. Findings have implications for ED practice and future research.

COVID-19 Pandemic: Analysis of Health Effects on Emergency Service Nursing Workers via a Qualitative Approach.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, longstanding issues involving nursing work, which has always involved significant risks of illness and infection, were intensified. It is necessary to acknowledge the risks and nurses' perceptions about the risks qualitatively during the period of the health crisis. The aim of this study was to examine the health repercussions perceived by nursing workers in emergency services during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. This was a qualitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study. The settings of the study were emergency services with a national scope; the participants were nursing workers. Data were collected via face-to-face virtual calling interviews and analyzed via a content analysis technique, which was supported by IRAMUTEQ software. The formation of textual classes pointed in three thematic directions, from which three categories emerged: nursing workers' exposure, due to a lack of protective equipment, to the risk of being contaminated with, falling ill from, and transmitting the COVID-19 virus; changes in work environments, processes, and relations in response to the pandemic; and physical, mental, and psychosocial alterations perceived by emergency service nursing workers. The exposure to the virus, risk of contamination, and changes in the work environment and relations all resulted in health repercussions, which were perceived as physical, mental, and psychosocial alterations that were described as dietary disturbances, physical fatigue, burnout, increased smoking, anxiety, sleep alterations, fear, exhaustion, stress, social isolation, loneliness, distancing from relatives, and social stigma.

Implementation of advanced triage in the Emergency Department of high complexity public hospital: Research protocol.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of advanced nurse triage based on the quality of care outcomes of patients attending the Emergency Department of a high-complexity hospital. To analyse the concept of advanced triage and the essential elements of the construct. DESIGN: Mixed longitudinal study, divided into 4 steps; which will include an initial qualitative step, two observational studies and finally, a quasi-experimental study. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05230108. METHODS: Step 1 will consist of a concept analysis. Step 2 will include a mapping of advanced practice protocol terminologies. Step 3 will analyse the opinion of health professionals on advanced triage. In step 4: in the retrospective phase (n = 1095), sociodemographic and clinical variables and quality indicators such as waiting time will be analysed. After that, in the prospective phase (n = 547), advanced triage will be implemented and the two cohorts will be compared. The whole study will be carried out from January 2022 to January 2024. DISCUSSION: Patients classified as low complexity at triage are more vulnerable to emergency department overcrowding. The implementation of advanced triage would make it possible to respond to patient needs by offering equitable and quality healthcare, facilitating accessibility, safety and humanization of the emergency department.

Spot urinary sodium as a prognostic marker for mortality in patients with acute decompensated heart failure / Sodio urinario como factor pronóstico para mortalidad en pacientes con falla cardiaca aguda descompensada.

Introduction. Urinary sodium has been proposed as a prognostic marker and indicator of the diuretic response in patients with heart failure. However, study results are heterogeneous. Objective. To evaluate the spot urinary sodium level as a risk factor for mortality in patients with decompensated heart failure. Materials and methods. We conducted a case-control study nested in a prospective cohort of patients with decompensated heart failure. The primary outcome was mortality at 180 days. The risk factors associated with mortality were evaluated through a bivariate analysis. Differences in clinical variables between groups with urinary sodium greater than or lesser than 70 mEq/L were analyzed. Results. The study included 79 patients; 15 died at 180 days. Their mean age was 68.9 years (SD=± 13.8); 30 were women (38%), and 15 (18.9%) had urinary sodium <70 mEq/L. In the bivariate analysis, a significant association was found between mortality and past medical history of hospitalizations, SBP<90 mm Hg, the use of inotropes, and urinary sodium <70 mEq/L. Regarding clinical characteristics, patients with low urinary sodium level in the last year were hospitalized more frequently with hyponatremia and hypotension at admission. Conclusion. Patients with urinary sodium <70 mEq/L had more severe signs. In a bivariate analysis, urinary sodium was associated with mortality at 180 days.

Introducción. En los pacientes con falla cardíaca, el sodio urinario se ha propuesto como marcador de gravedad y resistencia a los diuréticos, pero los resultados de los estudios reportados son heterogéneos. Objetivo. Evaluar el sodio en orina ocasional como factor pronóstico de mortalidad en pacientes con falla cardiaca descompensada. Materiales y métodos. Se realizó un análisis anidado de casos y controles de una cohorte prospectiva de falla cardíaca descompensada. El desenlace primario fue mortalidad a los 180 días. Se hizo un análisis bivariado para evaluar las variables que se asocian con la mortalidad. Se analizaron las diferencias de las variables clínicas entre los grupos con sodio urinario mayor o menor de 70 mEq/L. Resultados. Se incluyeron 79 pacientes de los cuales 15 fallecieron a los 180 días. La edad promedio fue de 68,9 años (DE: ±13,8), 30 eran mujeres (38 %). Quince pacientes (18,9 %) tuvieron un sodio en orina inferior a 70 mEq/L. En el análisis bivariado se encontró una asociación significativa de la mortalidad con las hospitalizaciones, la presión arterial sistólica inferior a 90 mm Hg, el uso de inotrópicos y el sodio urinario inferior a 70 mEq/L. Los pacientes con sodio urinario bajo habían estado hospitalizados con mayor frecuencia en el último año, tenían menores valores de sodio sérico y presión arterial al ingreso. Conclusión. Los pacientes con sodio urinario inferior a 70 mEq/L tienen características de mayor gravedad. En el análisis bivariado, el sodio urinario se asoció con mortalidad a los 180 días.

Shorter laboratory turnaround time is associated with shorter emergency department length of stay: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: A longer emergency department length of stay (EDLOS) is associated with poor outcomes. Shortening EDLOS is difficult, due to its multifactorial nature. A potential way to improve EDLOS is through shorter turnaround times for diagnostic testing. This study aimed to investigate whether a shorter laboratory turnaround time (TAT) and time to testing (TTT) were associated with a shorter EDLOS. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed, including all visits to the emergency department (ED) of an academic teaching hospital from 2017 to 2020 during which a standardized panel of laboratory tests had been ordered. TTT was calculated as the time from arrival in the ED to the ordering of laboratory testing. TAT was calculated as the time from test ordering to the reporting of the results, and was divided into a clinical and a laboratory stage. The outcome was EDLOS in minutes. The effect of TTT and TAT on EDLOS was estimated through a linear regression model. RESULTS: In total, 23,718 ED visits were included in the analysis. Median EDLOS was 199.0 minutes (interquartile range [IQR] 146.0-268.0). Median TTT was 7.0 minutes (IQR 2.0-12.0) and median TAT was 51.1 minutes (IQR 41.1-65.0). Both TTT and TAT were positively associated with EDLOS. The laboratory stage comprised a median of 69% (IQR 59-78%) of total TAT. CONCLUSION: Longer TTT and TAT are independently associated with longer EDLOS. As the laboratory stage predominantly determines TAT, it provides a promising target for interventions to reduce EDLOS and ED crowding.

Validity of the classification of emergency service requests related to suicidal behavior / Validez de la clasificación de las demandas por conducta suicida a un servicio de emergencias

Abstract Introduction Suicide attempts are the most predictive risk factor for suicide deaths. Most people who attempt suicide receive care from out-of-hospital Emergency Services (OES), where these requests are managed and classified. Objective Validate the Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) classification for the detection of suicidal behavior requests. Method A descriptive, cross-sectional study of requests to the ECC of Málaga (Spain) during 2013 and 2014 was conducted. To classify the requests, the authors considered the ECC categorization when answering the call and the clinical assessment of the healthcare professional when attending the person who had made the call at the scene, which was considered the reference standard. To analyze the validity of the ECC classification system, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) were calculated. Results The total number of requests for medical assistance analyzed was 112,599. The validity indicators of the classification system for suicidal behavior were sensitivity = 44.78%, specificity = 99.34%, PPV = 46.91% and NPV = 99.28%. Discussion and conclusion The ECC classification system has a lower capacity to detect the presence of suicidal behavior and a higher capacity to identify its absence in the requests received. OES provide key information on suicidal behavior requests as they can be one of the first places people with this problem go to. It would therefore be extremely useful to improve the classification systems for requests related to suicidal behavior.

Resumen Introducción Los intentos de suicidio constituyen el factor de riesgo más predictivo de todos los casos de suicidio consumado. La mayoría de las personas que intentan suicidarse reciben atención en los Servicios de Urgencias Extrahospitalarios (SUE) donde se gestionan y clasifican estas demandas. Objetivo Validar la clasificación del Centro Coordinador de Urgencias y Emergencias (CCUE) para detectar las demandas relacionadas con la conducta suicida. Método Se llevó a cabo un estudio descriptivo y transversal de las demandas al CCUE de Málaga (España) realizadas durante 2013 y 2014. Para su clasificación se tuvo en cuenta la categorización en el CCUE al responder la llamada y el juicio clínico del profesional sanitario cuando atiende al demandante in situ, considerando éste como patrón de referencia. Para evaluar la validez del sistema de clasificación se calcularon la sensibilidad, la especificidad y los valores predictivos positivo (VPP) y negativo (VPN). Resultados El total de demandas sanitarias analizadas fue de 112,599. Los indicadores de validez del sistema de clasificación para las demandas por conductas de suicidio fueron una sensibilidad = 44.78%, especificidad = 99.34%, VPP = 46.91% y VPN = 99.28%. Discusión y conclusión El sistema de clasificación del CCUE presenta una capacidad más baja para detectar presencia de conducta suicida comparada con una capacidad más alta para identificar su ausencia en las demandas recibidas. Los SUE aportan información relevante sobre las demandas por conducta suicida ya que pueden ser uno de los primeros lugares a los que acuden las personas con este problema. Por ello, sería de gran utilidad mejorar los sistemas de clasificación de las demandas por conducta suicida.

Emergency Department Overcrowding: Understanding the Factors to Find Corresponding Solutions.

It is certain and established that overcrowding represents one of the main problems that has been affecting global health and the functioning of the healthcare system in the last decades, and this is especially true for the emergency department (ED). Since 1980, overcrowding has been identified as one of the main factors limiting correct, timely, and efficient hospital care. The more recent COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the accentuation of this phenomenon, which was already well known and of international interest. Considering what would appear to be a trivial definition of overcrowding, it may seem simple for the reader to hypothesize solutions for what seems to be one of the most avoidable problems affecting the hospital system. However, proposing solutions to overcrowding, as well as their implementation, cannot be separated from a correct and precise definition of the issue, which must consider the main causes and aggravating factors. In light of the need of finding solutions that can put an end to hospital overcrowding, this review aims, through a review of the literature, to summarize the triggering factors, as well as the possible solutions that can be proposed.

Characteristics and retention of emergency department patients who left without being seen (LWBS).

A retrospective observational study was conducted for patients 18 years or older presenting to a Midwestern emergency department (ED) in the United States during February 2019-January 2020 to characterize associated subsequent care utilization in patients who left the ED without being seen. Patients were classified as left without being seen (LWBS) based on documented ED disposition. The healthcare system's records were reviewed for any associated utilizations within 3 weeks following the initial ED encounter. During the study period, 45,456 patients presented to the ED, with 2269 (5.0%) classified as LWBS. The median documented time until patients left the ED was 112 min. Of these patients, 1257 (55.4%) had a subsequent encounter within the health system within 3 weeks and 920 (73.2%) of these visits were determined to be related to the LWBS chief complaint. These visits included 67.5% of patients returning to ED or hospital, 27.5% to primary care or an urgent care clinic, and 5.0% to a specialty or other provider appointment. Of patients returning to ED, 78.1% did so within 72 h. Patients without a subsequent health system associated encounter tended to be younger, female, non-White, and present with possible lower-acuity chief complaints. At least one-half of LWBS patients sought care related to the concerns by a health system provider within 3 weeks of the initial encounter within the same system. The high prevalence of ED returns within a narrow turnaround window highlights a missed opportunity to provide services to these patients during their initial encounter.

Assessing resilience of hospitals to cyberattack.

OBJECTIVE: This paper investigates the impact on emergency hospital services from initiation through recovery of a ransomware attack affecting the emergency department, intensive care unit and supporting laboratory services. Recovery strategies of paying ransom to the attackers with follow-on restoration and in-house full system restoration from backup are compared. METHODS: A multi-unit, patient-based and resource-constrained discrete-event simulation model of a typical U.S. urban tertiary hospital is adapted to model the attack, its impacts, and tested recovery strategies. The model is used to quantify the hospital's resilience to cyberattack. Insights were gleaned from systematically designed numerical experiments. RESULTS: While paying the ransom was found to result in some short-term gains assuming the perpetrators actually provide the decryption key as promised, in the longer term, the results of this study suggest that paying the ransom does not pay off. Rather, paying the ransom, when considered at the end of the event when services are fully restored, precluded significantly more patients from receiving critically needed care. Also noted was a lag in recovery for the intensive care unit as compared with the emergency department. Such a lag must be considered in preparedness plans. CONCLUSION: Vulnerability to cyberattacks is a major challenge to the healthcare system. This paper provides a methodology for assessing the resilience of a hospital to cyberattacks and analyzing the effects of different response strategies. The model showed that paying the ransom resulted in short-term gains but did not pay off in the longer term.

Médicos e hiperutilizadores de baixo risco em emergências: implicações éticas / Physicians and low-risk frequent users in emergency services: ethical implications / Médicos e hiperfrecuentadores de bajo riesgo en urgencias: implicaciones éticas

Resumo É crescente a demanda de usuários com problemas de baixa complexidade clínica que procuram serviços hospitalares de urgência e emergência frequentemente. Essa hiperutilização dos serviços impõe dilemas éticos aos médicos e demais profissionais. O presente estudo analisa as implicações éticas do encontro entre médicos e usuários hiperutilizadores em uma unidade universitária. Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa desenvolvida por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com médicos e pacientes hiperutilizadores de baixo risco clínico e observação de campo etnográfica. Observou-se que os profissionais tendem a estigmatizar a demanda desses usuários. Já os usuários demonstram satisfação com os médicos, mas descontentamento com a atenção básica e especializada ambulatorial. Conclui-se que a hiperutilização gera conflitos ético-profissionais decorrentes sobretudo da estigmatização dos pacientes pelos médicos. Apesar disso, os hiperutilizadores se sentem satisfeitos com o atendimento, o que os motiva a continuar frequentando os serviços com frequência.

Abstract There is an increasing demand for Emergency Department (ED) services from frequent users with problems of low clinical complexity. The overuse of ED poses several ethical-professional dilemmas for physicians and other medical staff. The study analyzes the ethical implications that emerge from the relationship between physicians and low-risk frequent users in a university hospital. This is a qualitative research developed through semi-structured interviews with physicians and low-risk frequent users and ethnographic observation in the field. It was observed that medical staff tend to stigmatize the demand of frequent patients. They, on the other hand, are satisfied with the physicians but discontent with primary health care and specialized outpatient care. It is concluded that the overuse generates ethicalprofessional conflicts, especially due to the stigmatization of these users by physicians. Nevertheless, frequent users are satisfied with the service, which motivates them to continue using it often.

Resumen Existe una demanda creciente de usuarios con problemas de baja complejidad clínica que frecuentemente buscan servicios hospitalarios de urgencia y emergencia. El uso excesivo de SUH impone varios dilemas éticos a los servicios, médicos y otros profesionales. El estudio examina las implicaciones éticas que surgen del encuentro entre médicos y pacientes hiperfrecuentadores de bajo riesgo clínico en un SUH universitario. Es una investigación cualitativa desarrollada a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas con médicos y pacientes hiperfrecuentadores de bajo riesgo clínico y observación de campo del tipo etnográfico. Se observó que los médicos tienden a estigmatizar la demanda del hiperfrecuentador. Los pacientes, por otro lado, muestran satisfacción con los médicos y refuerzan el descontento con la atención básica de salud y los servicios ambulatorios especializados. Se concluye que el uso excesivo del SUH genera conflictos en el ejercicio ético-profesional, principalmente como resultado de la estigmatización de estos pacientes por parte de los médicos. A pesar de esto, los hiperfrecuentadores están satisfechos con el servicio, lo que los motiva a convertirse en grandes usuarios.

Validation of "Care of the Dying Evaluation" in Emergency Medicine (CODE-EM): pilot phase of end-of-life management protocol offered within emergency room (EMPOWER) study.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of patients who present to emergency departments are at their end-of-life phase and have significant palliative care needs such as in symptom control for pain and dyspnoea. Evaluating quality of care provided is imperative, yet there is no suitable tool validated in the emergency and Asian settings. We aim to examine the face and construct validity, and reliability of a newly developed questionnaire, Care of the Dying Evaluation - Emergency Medicine, for measuring the quality of end-of-life care in an Asian emergency context. METHODS: A mixed methods pilot study was conducted. Participants composed of the next-of-kin to thirty dying patients who presented to the emergency departments of three public hospitals in Singapore. Qualitative evaluation, using cognitive "think-aloud" interviews, and quantitative analysis were employed. Percentage agreement and κ statistic were measured to evaluate temporal stability of the questionnaire. Cronbach's α and item-total correlations were used to assess internal consistency within the constructs. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed for construct validity. RESULTS: All participants reported clear understanding of the questionnaire with no ambiguity; a minority felt the questions caused emotional distress (7/30, 23.3%). The questions showed moderate to good test-retest reliability. Internal consistencies within the constructs were good for "ENVIRONMENT" and "CARE", and moderate for "COMMUNICATION". Factor loadings range from 0.40 to 0.99. CONCLUSIONS: The Care of the Dying Evaluation - Emergency Medicine questionnaire may be valid and reliable for use in an Asian emergency setting. Our prospective multicentre study using this evaluation tool may provide more insight on the quality of care rendered to dying patients and identify areas for improvement. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03906747).

[Qualitative approach to the increase for care demand on self-referral in a hospital emergency department.] / Aproximación cualitativa al incremento de la demanda asistencial por propia iniciativa en un servicio de Urgencias Hospitalarias.

OBJECTIVE: In recent years, it has been seen that, despite the existence of emergency services in Primary Care, some users attend emergency services of their referral hospital on their own initiative. The objective of this study was to explore the causes of the increase in the Northern Health Management Area of Huelva (Spain) population's own initiative to attend hospital emergency services, to the detriment of the provision of emergency services by Primary Care. METHODS: A qualitative study based on the Grounded Theory by Glasser and Strauss was carried out on a sample of nineteen patients and sixteen physicians from the Northern Health Management Area of Huelva (Spain), divided into four focus groups. This method has four phases: data collection, data organisation, data analysis, and theory development. RESULTS: The qualitative analysis process of the four focus groups resulted in 104 codes or minimum units of information. The main causes of the increase in this own initiative were related to delays in medical appointments and complementary tests, mistrust in Primary Care physicians and greater trust in hospital specialists, ignorance regarding the offer of services, proximity to the hospital, and the closure of the Riotinto (Huelva) emergency point. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of accessibility to specialised care, geographic dispersion, mistrust due to deterioration of the physician-patient relationship, lack of health education among the population, and the culture of immediacy are the main causes of the increase in attending hospital emergency services on their own initiative identified in this population.

OBJETIVO: En los últimos años se ha apreciado que, pese a existir servicios de Urgencias en Atención Primaria, muchos usuarios acuden a los servicios de Urgencias de su hospital de referencia por iniciativa propia. El objetivo de este estudio fue explorar las causas del aumento de la iniciativa propia de la población del Área de Gestión Sanitaria Norte de Huelva (España) para acudir a los servicios de Urgencias Hospitalarias, en detrimento de la prestación de servicios de Urgencias por Atención Primaria. METODOS: Se realizó un estudio cualitativo basado en la Teoría Fundamentada de Glasser y Strauss sobre una muestra de diecinueve pacientes y dieciséis facultativos del Área de Gestión Sanitaria Norte de Huelva (España), divididos en cuatro grupos focales. Este método presenta cuatro fases: recogida de datos, organización de datos, análisis de datos y desarrollo de la teoría. RESULTADOS: El proceso de análisis cualitativo de los cuatro grupos focales ofreció como resultado 104 códigos o unidades mínimas de información. Las principales causas de aumento de la iniciativa propia estuvieron relacionadas con la demora en las citas médicas y en las pruebas complementarias, la desconfianza con el médico de Atención Primaria y por la mayor confianza en los especialistas del hospital, por el desconocimiento en la oferta de servicios, por la cercanía del hospital y por el cierre del punto de Urgencias de Riotinto (Huelva). CONCLUSIONES: La falta de accesibilidad a la asistencia especializada, la dispersión geográfica, la desconfianza por el deterioro de la relación médico-paciente, la falta educación sanitaria de la población y la cultura de la inmediatez son las principales causas del aumento de la iniciativa propia a acudir al servicio de Urgencias Hospitalarias.

Actividad y asistencia a la parada cardiorrespiratoria en un servicio extrahospitalario de emergencias durante la pandemia COVID-19 / Caseload and cardiopulmonary arrest management by an out-of-hospital emergency service during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objetivos. Conocer las consecuencias de la pandemia COVID-19 en la atención a la parada cardiorrespiratoria (PCR) extrahospitalaria con relación al inicio de las maniobras de resucitación cardiopulmonar (RCP) y su supervivencia. Valorar el impacto de la pandemia por COVID-19 en la actividad asistencial de un servicio de urgencias y emergencias extrahospitalarias en comparación con otros periodos sin enfermedad.Método. Estudio observacional prospectivo, basado en un registro continuo de PCR extrahospitalaria del SUMMA 112 de Madrid, durante el periodo del 1 de marzo al 30 de abril del 2020. Las variables se recogieron siguiendo las recomendaciones Utstein. Se utilizó el periodo de marzo-abril 2019 como control de comparación directa con el periodo de estudio y los periodos de enero-febrero de 2019 y de 2020 para conocer la variabilidad entre dichos años.Resultados. De las 313 PCR atendidas en marzo-abril de 2020, en 146 casos se realizó RCP avanzada. De los 87 pacientes catalogados COVID positivo, llegaron vivos al hospital 33. No se aplicaron maniobras de RCP avanzada en 167 ocasiones, identificando como causa más frecuente el tiempo de colapso excesivo. El 92,7% de las PCR sucedieron en domicilio. Comparado con otros periodos, hubo más llamadas al centro coordinador de urgencias en marzo-abril de 2020, si bien la movilización de recursos fue similar.Conclusiones. Durante la pandemia de COVID-19 hubo más mortalidad en la PCR extrahospitalaria, aumentando el porcentaje de PCR sin RCP avanzada, destacando como principal causa el tiempo de colapso excesivo. Sin embargo, aunque se incrementó significativamente la demanda telefónica, este servicio de emergencias extrahospitalarias no tuvo aumento en la movilización de los recursos móviles asistenciales. (AU)

Objective. To describe the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in patients with out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest. To compare the cardiopulmonary arrest caseload during the pandemic to the caseloads in other periods.Methods. Observational, prospective study based on the registry of out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest emergencies the SUMMA112 ambulance service responded to between March 1 and April 30, 2020, in the Spanish autonomous community of Madrid. The registry is a Utstein-style database. The period of March–April 2019 was the control period for direct comparison with the 2020 study period and with the January–February periods of 2019 and 2020.Results. The responders undertook advanced CPR in 146 of the 313 cardiopulmonary arrest cases registered during March-April, 2020. Of the 87 patients with COVID-19–positive tests, 33 reached the hospital alive. Advanced CPR was not applied in 167 cases; the most frequent reason was prolonged circulatory collapse. Most cases (92.7%) occurred in the home. The emergency dispatchers received more calls in March and April of 2020, but they sent out a similar number of ambulances.Conclusions. Mortality was higher in cases of cardiopulmonary arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic. The percentage of cases with no application of advanced CPR rose; the main reason was the amount of time between collapse and first response. Even though the number of emergency calls increased significantly, the SUMMA112 service did not dispatch more ambulances. (AU)

Caseload and cardiopulmonary arrest management by an out-of-hospital emergency service during the COVID-19 pandemic. / Actividad y asistencia a la parada cardiorrespiratoria en un servicio extrahospitalario de emergencias durante la pandemia COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in patients with out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest. To compare the cardiopulmonary arrest caseload during the pandemic to the caseloads in other periods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Observational, prospective study based on the registry of out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest emergencies the SUMMA112 ambulance service responded to between March 1 and April 30, 2020, in the Spanish autonomous community of Madrid. The registry is a Utstein-style database. The period of March-April 2019 was the control period for direct comparison with the 2020 study period and with the January-February periods of 2019 and 2020. RESULTS: The responders undertook advanced CPR in 146 of the 313 cardiopulmonary arrest cases registered during March-April, 2020. Of the 87 patients with COVID-19-positive tests, 33 reached the hospital alive. Advanced CPR was not applied in 167 cases; the most frequent reason was prolonged circulatory collapse. Most cases (92.7%) occurred in the home. The emergency dispatchers received more calls in March and April of 2020, but they sent out a similar number of ambulances. CONCLUSION: Mortality was higher in cases of cardiopulmonary arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic. The percentage of cases with no application of advanced CPR rose; the main reason was the amount of time between collapse and first response. Even though the number of emergency calls increased significantly, the SUMMA112 service did not dispatch more ambulances.

OBJETIVO: Conocer las consecuencias de la pandemia COVID-19 en la atención a la parada cardiorrespiratoria (PCR) extrahospitalaria con relación al inicio de las maniobras de resucitación cardiopulmonar (RCP) y su supervivencia. Valorar el impacto de la pandemia por COVID-19 en la actividad asistencial de un servicio de urgencias y emergencias extrahospitalarias en comparación con otros periodos sin enfermedad. METODO: Estudio observacional prospectivo, basado en un registro continuo de PCR extrahospitalaria del SUMMA 112 de Madrid, durante el periodo del 1 de marzo al 30 de abril del 2020. Las variables se recogieron siguiendo las recomendaciones Utstein. Se utilizó el periodo de marzo-abril 2019 como control de comparación directa con el periodo de estudio y los periodos de enero-febrero de 2019 y de 2020 para conocer la variabilidad entre dichos años. RESULTADOS: De las 313 PCR atendidas en marzo-abril de 2020, en 146 casos se realizó RCP avanzada. De los 87 pacientes catalogados COVID positivo, llegaron vivos al hospital 33. No se aplicaron maniobras de RCP avanzada en 167 ocasiones, identificando como causa más frecuente el tiempo de colapso excesivo. El 92,7% de las PCR sucedieron en domicilio. Comparado con otros periodos, hubo más llamadas al centro coordinador de urgencias en marzo-abril de 2020, si bien la movilización de recursos fue similar. CONCLUSIONES: Durante la pandemia de COVID-19 hubo más mortalidad en la PCR extrahospitalaria, aumentando el porcentaje de PCR sin RCP avanzada, estacando como principal causa el tiempo de colapso excesivo. Sin embargo, aunque se incrementó significativamente la demanda telefónica, este servicio de emergencias extrahospitalarias no tuvo aumento en la movilización de los recursos móviles asistenciales.

Covid-19: As a Fear Factor in Response to Stroke Code and Other Interventional Radiology Emergencies?

The COVID-19 coronavirus crisis has posed an international challenge for all health systems. The first patient registered in Spain with the COVID-19 coronavirus was known on January 31, and the state of alarm was declared on March 14, 2020. The advance of the infection worldwide has caused a modification of the usual pattern in hospital emergency responses. This study describes the incidence of emergencies in the interventional radiology section of the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital and analyzes whether the presence of COVID-19 caused a decrease in the number of patients treated especially for ischemic strokes. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of 236 patients treated at the interventional radiology on call between June 1, 2019 and May 10, 2020, at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital. No specific results were found that indicate a decrease in the incidence of urgent procedures, especially mechanical thrombectomies in patients with ischemic strokes performed by the interventional radiology team since the establishment of the alarm state by COVID-19 in Cantabria. Patients' fear of contracting COVID-19 infection in the hospital environment has not led to a decrease in urgent procedures, especially for ischemic strokes.