Prognostic value of the calling criteria in patients receiving a medical emergency team review.

AIM: To describe the reasons for medical emergency team (MET) activation, and to verify the association of the MET score with 30-day mortality. METHODS: This retrospective observational study took place in a 794-bed university-affiliated hospital. The population included all adult admissions reviewed by the MET during the period between January 2007 and June 2008. MET score was defined as the sum of each of the physiological triggers, and score zero was considered the calls made due to concern about the patient, without any physiological alteration. RESULTS: During the period of the study, 1051 calls were generated for 901 patients. Respiratory distress and hypotension accounted for most of MET calls. The triggers that showed an independent association with mortality were threatened airway, systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg, decrease in Glasgow Coma Scale score > or =2 points and respiratory frequency >36 breaths/min. Logistic regression analysis revealed MET score, age, medical patient, documented do not resuscitate orders and MET decision to transfer to the intensive care unit to be significant predictors of 30-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: MET score presents a strong association with 30-day mortality in patients seen on the ward.

Characteristics of acute asthma patients attended frequently compared with those attended only occasionally in an emergency department.

Asthma patients that depend on emergency department (ED) services are generally considered to have extremely poor disease control and prognosis. It is important to identify characteristics related to poor disease control and frequent visits to the ED to apply appropriate clinical management. This study comprised a cross-sectional survey of consecutive patients with asthma exacerbation (age > or = 12 years) presenting at the adult ED of a large, tertiary care, university-affiliated hospital over a 2-month period. The frequent visitors (FV) were defined by > or = 3 visits to the ED in the preceding year, and the occasional visitors (OV) by < or = 2 visits. Eighty-six patients (61 females and 25 males) were included in the study (mean age 38 +/- 18 years). Of these patients, 51.2% were FV and 48.8% were OV. Sixty-nine percent had annual income lower than A dollar 3000 and 66.3% had < or = 8 years of the formal education. Only 18.6% had used inhaled corticosteroids, 79.1% identified the asthma attack severity, 70.9% increased or initiated inhaled beta-agonist, 20.9% increased or initiated steroid therapy, and 55.8% had an asthma action plan for attack. The number of hospital admissions in past year (OR 4.3, P = .02), use of home nebulizer (OR 3.6, P = .05) and the lack of a written asthma action plan (OR 3.3, P = .03) were independently associated with frequent visits to the ED. We conclude that a substantial proportion of the patients that visit the ED are FV. These patients are more likely to have hospital admission in the past year, to use a home nebulizer, and to lack a written asthma action plan. They should be considered the most important target for asthma education.

Avaliação do atendimento da asma aguda em serviço de emergência de um hospital universitário / Assessment of acute asthma management in an emergency department at a teaching hospital

O aperfeiçoamento do atendimento a pacientes com asma aguda em serviço de urgência depende do reconhecimento de como realmente se trata a crise asmática na prática clínica. Objetivos: Avaliar padrão de atendimento da asma aguda no setor de adultos do departamento de emergência de um hospital universitário, utilizando como referência a conduta preconizada pelo III Consenso Brasileiro no Manejo da Asma. Pacientes e métodos: Estudo observacional conduzido durante um período de 3 meses, em 2001, no setor de adultos do departamento de emergência do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Os dados coletados incluíram uso de medidas objetivas para avaliar a gravidade da asma, exames solicitados, uso de terapêutica recomendada e uso de terapêutica não-recomendada. Resultados: Foram estudados um total de 108 casos de asma aguda. Destes, 4,6 por cento tiveram registro de pico de fluxo expiratório e 8,3 por cento tiveram registro de oximetria de pulso. Exames radiológicos foram realizados em 33,4 por cento dos atendimentos, hemograma em 11,1 por cento e outros exames laboratoriais em 9,3 por cento. Oxigenoterapia foi utilizada em 18,5 por cento dos pacientes, Beta-agonistas por nebulização em 100 por cento, corticosteróides em 82,4 por cento (corticosteróides via oral em apenas 8,3 por cento) e brometo de ipratrópio em 67,6 por cento. Metilxantinas foram utilizadas em 18,5 por cento dos casos (uso intravenoso em 11,1 por cento), Beta-agonistas subcutâneo em 1,9 por cento e antibióticos em 28,7 por cento. Conclusão: Este estudo identificou utilização subótima do pico de fluxo expiratório e da oximetria de pulso como medidas objetivas para avaliar a gravidade da crise asmática, e solicitação demasiada de exames radiológicos. Estes aspectos identificados serão utilizados como metas principais a serem corrigidas pela futura implantação de um protocolo assistencial para o manejo da asma aguda na sala de emergência.