Outcomes of Children Admitted to a Pediatric Observation Unit With a Psychiatric Comanagement Model.

This cohort study describes outcomes of children requiring admission for mental health emergencies who receive psychiatric cotreatment in a pediatric observation unit.

Comparison of Length of Stay Between Children Admitted to an Observation Versus Inpatient Unit.

OBJECTIVES: Many children who require hospitalization are ideal candidates for care in pediatric observation units (POUs) rather than inpatient pediatric units. Differences in outcomes between children cared for in these 2 practice settings have not been thoroughly evaluated. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, children aged 0 to 18 years admitted to a POU at a community hospital or inpatient unit at a children's hospital were enrolled if they met specific clinical criteria. Information regarding the current illness, medical history, and hospital course was collected. Hospital length of stay (LOS) was analyzed as the primary outcome; secondary outcomes included conversion to inpatient care for the POU group and return to pediatric emergency department within 7 days. Subgroup analysis was conducted on children presenting with respiratory illnesses. Propensity scores were used as a predictor in the final model. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-one admissions, 92 to POU and 89 to an inpatient unit, were analyzed. Mean LOS was 24.4 hours (95% confidence interval [CI], 21.7-27.1) for observation and 43.2 hours (95% CI, 37.8-48.6) for inpatient (P < 0.01). Among the 126 children admitted for respiratory illnesses, the mean LOS was 32.3 hours (95% CI, 26.0-38.6) for observation and 48.1 hours (95% CI, 42.2-54.0) for inpatient (P < 0.01). Survival analysis demonstrated a 1.61 (95% CI, 1.07-2.42) fold shorter time to discharge among children admitted to observation compared with inpatient (P = 0.02) and a 1.70 (95% CI, 1.07-2.71) fold shorter time to discharge from observation compared with inpatient for respiratory illnesses (P = 0.03). Within 7 days of discharge, 2 (2%) patients from the observation group and 1 (1%) from the inpatient group returned to the pediatric emergency department. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that POU may provide the means toward efficient care for children in community settings with illnesses requiring brief hospitalizations. Future work including prospective investigations is needed to ascertain the generalizability of these findings.

The Mount Sinai Interdisciplinary Approach to Perioperative Care Improved the Patient Experience for Transgender Individuals.

Purpose: Although medical care for transgender and gender nonbinary (TGNB) individuals is rapidly expanding, numerous gaps in the organization of quality care for TGNB individuals remain. In 2018, the Mount Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery (CTMS) expanded its unified care approach to integrate services with an interdisciplinary inpatient team for surgical patients as part of the program. The inpatient team connected with the existing interdisciplinary ambulatory team with all pertinent medical and psychosocial information shared between the teams. The format enabled the hospital team to better prepare in advance of a patient's arrival and facilitated discharge planning as well. We sought to assess patient satisfaction with inpatient care after implementation of the interdisciplinary operation. Methods: The standard Press Ganey survey tool used by the Mount Sinai Health System to measure patient satisfaction with care was queried before and after implementation of the interdisciplinary inpatient care team. Results: Patient ratings of inpatient care rose dramatically. Relative to other institutions nationally, Press Ganey scores rose into the 98th or 99th percentiles across all domains. The new scores represented a rise of 25% for communication with nurses, 3% for hospital environment, 25% for care transition, and 100% for willingness to recommend. The discharge information score represented a 30-fold improvement. Conclusion: An interdisciplinary inpatient health care team can significantly improve patient satisfaction for TGNB patients. Such an approach might be considered for other TGNB health care programs along with health care delivery in other areas of medicine.

Real-Time Investigation of a Large Nosocomial Influenza A Outbreak Informed by Genomic Epidemiology.

BACKGROUND: Nosocomial respiratory virus outbreaks represent serious public health challenges. Rapid and precise identification of cases and tracing of transmission chains is critical to end outbreaks and to inform prevention measures. METHODS: We combined conventional surveillance with influenza A virus (IAV) genome sequencing to identify and contain a large IAV outbreak in a metropolitan healthcare system. A total of 381 individuals, including 91 inpatients and 290 healthcare workers (HCWs), were included in the investigation. RESULTS: During a 12-day period in early 2019, infection preventionists identified 89 HCWs and 18 inpatients as cases of influenza-like illness (ILI), using an amended definition without the requirement for fever. Sequencing of IAV genomes from available nasopharyngeal specimens identified 66 individuals infected with a nearly identical strain of influenza A H1N1pdm09 (43 HCWs, 17 inpatients, and 6 with unspecified affiliation). All HCWs infected with the outbreak strain had received the seasonal influenza virus vaccination. Characterization of 5 representative outbreak viral isolates did not show antigenic drift. In conjunction with IAV genome sequencing, mining of electronic records pinpointed the origin of the outbreak as a single patient and a few interactions in the emergency department that occurred 1 day prior to the index ILI cluster. CONCLUSIONS: We used precision surveillance to delineate a large nosocomial IAV outbreak, mapping the source of the outbreak to a single patient rather than HCWs as initially assumed based on conventional epidemiology. These findings have important ramifications for more-effective prevention strategies to curb nosocomial respiratory virus outbreaks.

Factors associated with failure to follow-up at a medical clinic after an ED visit.

BACKGROUND: Although emergency department (ED) discharge is often based on the presumption of continued care, the reported compliance rate with follow-up appointments is low. STUDY OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study are to identify factors associated with missed follow-up appointments from the ED and to assess the ability of clinicians to predict which patients will follow-up. METHODS: Patients without insurance or an outpatient primary care provider (PCP) were given a follow-up clinic appointment before discharge. Information identifying potential follow-up barriers was collected, and the physician's perception of the likelihood of follow-up was recorded. Patients who missed their appointment were contacted via telephone and were offered a questionnaire and a rescheduled clinic appointment. RESULTS: A total of 125 patients with no PCP were enrolled. Sixty (48%; 95% confidence interval, 39-57) kept their scheduled appointment. Sex, distance from clinic, availability of transportation, or time since last nonemergent physician visit was associated with attendance to the follow-up visit. Clinicians were unable to predict which patients would follow-up. Contact by telephone was made in 48 (74%) of patients who failed to follow-up. Of the 14 patients willing to reschedule, none returned for follow-up. CONCLUSION: Among ED patients who lack a PCP and are given a clinic appointment from the ED, less than half keep the appointment. Moreover, clinicians are unable to predict which patients will follow up. This study highlights the difficulty in maintaining continuity of care in populations who are self-pay or have Medicaid and lack regular providers. This may have implications on discharge planning from the ED.

Oral and tympanic membrane temperatures are inaccurate to identify Fever in emergency department adults.

INTRODUCTION: Identifying fever can influence management of the emergency department (ED) patient, including diagnostic testing, treatment, and disposition. We set out to determine how well oral and tympanic membrane (TM) temperatures compared with rectal measurements. METHODS: A convenience sample of consecutively adult ED patients had oral, TM, and rectal temperatures performed within several minutes of each other. Descriptive statistics, Bland-Altman agreement matrices with 95% confidence interval (CI), and measures of test performance, including sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and interval likelihood ratios were performed. RESULTS: A total of 457 patients were enrolled with an average age of 64 years (standard deviation: 19 years). Mean temperatures were: oral (98.3°F), TM (99.6°F), and rectal (99.4°F). The mean difference in rectal and oral temperatures was 1.1°F, although there was considerable lack of agreement between oral and rectal temperatures, with the oral temperature as much as 2.91°F lower or 0.74°F higher than the rectal measurement (95% CI). Although the difference in mean temperature between right TM and rectal temperature was only 0.22°F, the right TM was lower than rectal by up to 1.61°F or greater by up to 2.05°F (95% CI). Test performance varied as the positive predictive value of the oral temperature was 97% and for tympanic temperature was 55% (relative to a rectal temperature of 100.4°F or higher). Comparative findings differed even at temperatures considered in the normal range; among patients with an oral temperature of 98.0 to 98.9, 38% (25/65) were found to have a rectal temperature of 100.4 or higher, while among patients with a TM of 98.0 to 98.9, only 7% (10/134) were found to have a rectal temperature of 100.4 or higher. CONCLUSION: The oral and tympanic temperature readings are not equivalent to rectal thermometry readings. Oral thermometry frequently underestimates the temperature relative to rectal readings, and TM values can either under- or overestimate the rectal temperature. The clinician needs to be aware of the varying relationship between oral, TM, and rectal temperatures when interpreting readings.

Fecal containment in bedridden patients: economic impact of 2 commercial bowel catheter systems.

BACKGROUND: Fecal contamination is a major challenge in patients in acute/critical care settings that is associated with increased cost of care and supplies and with development of pressure ulcers, incontinence dermatitis, skin and soft tissue infections, and urinary tract infections. OBJECTIVES: To assess the economic impact of fecal containment in bedridden patients using 2 different indwelling bowel catheters and to compare infection rates between groups. METHODS: A multicenter, observational study was done at 12 US sites (7 that use catheter A, 5 that use catheter B). Patients were followed from insertion of an indwelling bowel catheter system until the patient left the acute/critical care unit or until 29 days after enrollment, whichever came first. Demographic data, frequency of bedding/dressing changes, incidence of infection, and Braden scores (risk of pressure ulcers) were recorded. RESULTS: The study included 146 bedridden patients (76 with catheter A, 70 with catheter B) who had similar Braden scores at enrollment. The rate of bedding/dressing changes per day differed significantly between groups (1.20 for catheter A vs 1.71 for catheter B; P = .004). According to a formula that accounted for personnel resources and laundry cycle costs, catheter A cost $13.94 less per patient per day to use than did catheter B. Catheter A was less likely than was catheter B to be removed during the observational period (P = .03). Observed infection rates were low. CONCLUSION: Catheter A may be more cost-effective than catheter B because it requires fewer unscheduled linen changes per patient day.

Bilateral acute angle-closure glaucoma after bronchodilator therapy.

An 81-year-old female presented to her local emergency department (ED) with symptoms of bronchitis and was treated with nebulized bronchodilators. The patient subsequently developed progressive worsening of her vision and presented to our ED with bilateral visual loss. The patient was diagnosed with bilateral acute angle glaucoma, and despite aggressive medical and surgical intervention, the patient did not have her vision restored to normal.

Répondre aux besoins des adolescents: un guide à l'intention des prestataires des services de santé génésique / Meet the needs of adolescents: a guide for providers of reproductive health services

Les adolescents représentent des millions de personnes ignores des programmes de santé génésique. Malgré lês besoins enormes de cette population, les services d’information, de prévetion et de traitement sont le plus souvent rares et dispersés, voire inexistants. Ce guide s’adresse aux prestataires des services et aux agents de santé. Il les aidera à améliorer La prise em charge dês jeunes des deux sexes. Il est centre sur deux aspects essentiels de la santé génésique: a) La prévention des grossesses non désirées, b) La prévention des infections sexuellement transmissibles (IST) et notamment du VIH/SIDA. CE document pourra aussi servir d’outil pour la conception, l’amélioration et La mise em oeuvre de programmes de santé à l’attention des adolescents par: 1) les agents de santé (Dans ce document, les termes “agent de santé” et “prestataire de service” seront interchangeables.), 2) les employés des organisations non gouvernementales (ONG) offrant des services de santé aux jeunes, 3) les gestionnaires et les planificateurs des programmes, 4) les éducateurs de santé travaillant avec les jeunes. Les chapitres abordent les thèmes suivants: I) Examen des enormes besoins des adolescents em matière de santé génésique; II) Obstacles empêchant les jeunes de bénéficier des services nécessaires, notamment attitudes dês prestataires vis-à-vis de la sexualité des adolescents; III) Information récentes sur la prévention des grossesses et des IST, sur les services offerts après une grossesse et sur d’autres questions de santé génésique; IV) Lignes directrices relatives à um bon counseling des adolescents; V) Moyens d’une meilleure prise em charge des besoins em santé génésique dês jeunes des deux sexes

La planificación familiar reduce la mortalidad / Family planning reduce mortality

Menos embarazos no deseados significan menos muertos, por ello la planificación familiar es esencial para mejorar la salud materna. La planificación familiar puede ser un primer paso importante y eficaz en el esfuerzo por reducir las muertes maternas en las naciones en desarrollo. Además, al prevenir los embrazos no planificados y no deseados, la planificación familiar puede ayudar a disminuir el número de mujeres que arriesgan su vida al buscar un aborto de alto riesgo.