Advanced Journal of Emergency medicine
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Waiting Time for Specialist Consultation and Visit Requested in the Emergency Department; a Cross-Sectional Study
Get PDFIntroduction: Waiting time in the hospital directly affects the quality of healthcare providing centers. One of the waiting times in hospital is the time spent waiting for receiving various consultations and visits requested by emergency medicine specialists from specialist services. Objective: The present study was designed and performed to assess the waiting times for receiving specialist visits and consultations requested in the emergency department based on the corresponding service in a referral hospital in Isfahan, Iran. Method: In the present cross-sectional study, patients presenting to emergency department of Dr. Shariati Hospital, Isfahan, Iran, from October 2017 to March 2018, who were in need of visit or consultation from other specialist services based on the opinion of the emergency medicine specialist, were studied. By attending the patients’ bedside, the researcher filled out a checklist consisting of demographic data and waiting time of the patients and other probable related factors. Finally, raw data were entered to the computer and after correction of errors were statistically analyzed via SPSS software. Results: Overall, 400 patients with the mean age of 53.3 ± 24.3 years were included in the study, 58.8% of which were male. Mean waiting time for receiving a visit or consultation among the studied patients was 242.0 ± 202.4 (min: 5 and max: 1200) minutes. Mean waiting time for a visit or consultation did not significantly correlate with the corresponding physician being resident or on-call. However, it showed a statistically significant correlation with triage level (p = 0.013), work shift (p = 0.000), type of service requested/the specialist service asked for a consultation or visit (p = 0.049), and the consultation or visit being emergent or non-emergent (p = 0.000). In addition, emergent visits or consultations by on-call physicians had been performed significantly faster than those by resident physicians; while non-emergent visits or consultations by resident physicians had been performed significantly faster than those by on-call physicians (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that patients with triage level 2, emergent visit of consultation and a visit or consultation request in the morning or evening shift wait a shorter time for receiving the visit or consultation. In addition, neurosurgery, nephrology, and pediatrics services had the shortest waiting times, while gastroenterology, gynecology, and infectious disease services had the longest waiting times for giving the visit or consultation requested from them
Sample Size Calculation Guide - Part 4: How to Calculate the Sample Size for a Diagnostic Test Accuracy Study based on Sensitivity, Specificity, and the Area Under the ROC Curve
Get PDFIn the previous educational articles, we explained how to calculate the sample size for a rate or a single proportion (part 1), for an independent cohort study (part 2), and for an independent case-control study (part 3). In this article, we will explain how to calculate the sample size for a diagnostic test accuracy study based on sensitivity, specificity, or the area under the ROC curve
Auto-amputation of an Entire Foot with Ankle in a Diabetic Patient
Get PDFA 62-year-old male came to emergency department (ED) with a complaint of “separation of foot” during sleep at night. He noticed he lost his foot while getting up from bed to go to toilet at midnight. Upon arrival in ED, his blood pressure was 218/96 mmHg and random blood sugar 556mg/dl. The patient had large ketone bodies in urine. He was a known case of diabetes and hypertension for many years. He was on homeopathic medications for his diabetes, hypertension and diabetic foot. He refused any form of invasive treatment and hospitalization. The patient was adamant on not getting admitted and wanted to continue his homeopathic medications as before. He only wanted his leg stump covered with a dressing after which he was discharged
Point-of-care Hemoglobin Measurement in Comparison with Hematology Analyzer: A Cross-sectional Study in Emergency Department
Get PDFIntroduction: Point-of-care hemoglobin testing devices can help emergency physicians to make their clinical decisions in a timelier manner. They can also improve the patient care process by decreasing the length of stay and costs. Although different devices are available now, their diagnostic accuracy remains still uncertain. Objective: This study compares the results of hemoglobin levels measured by a point-of-care hemoglobin testing device and central lab auto-analyzer. Methods: Hemoglobin level was measured both by a point-of-care device (Mission® Plus Hb) and the central laboratory auto-analyzer (Sysmex KX-21N™) in medical cases presenting to emergency department (ED) and requiring hemoglobin (Hb)/hematocrit (Hct) level measurement. The agreement of Hb and Hct between the two methods was assessed based on intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Bland-Altman analysis and the Mountain plots. Also, time gap between point-of-care testing and preparation of central lab results was measured. Results: Hb and Hct were measured in 86 cases mostly presented because of gastrointestinal bleeding. We found a good agreement between the two methods for hemoglobin (ICC=0.985) and hematocrit levels (ICC=0.991). The bias was 0.09 and 95% limits of agreement (LoA) were -0.89 to 1.07 for Hb level. Mean of time delay between point-of-care testing and preparation of central lab results was 207.31 minutes (SD=93.66) and this delay was clinically significant (p=0.001). Conclusion: Point-of-care measurement of Hb level provides proper quantitative results in ED patients. It significantly decreases laboratory turnaround time and may be used to improve the patient throughput by decreasing the length of stay in most clinical settings
Characteristics of Adolescent Patients Admitted to the Emergency Department due to Attempted Suicide by Poisoning; a Brief Report
Get PDFIntroduction: In the background of the increased suicide rate in the second decade of life, analysis of the characteristics of poisoning-related attempted suicide in adolescents and evaluation of the differences from adults may form an important basis for establishing measures to prevent deaths from poisoning. Objective: We aimed to investigate the types of toxic substances ingested for attempted suicide by poisoning in adolescents admitted to the emergency department (ED). Method: This cross-sectional study retrospectively analyzed and investigated the medical records of patients aged 13 or older, admitted to the ED of a tertiary medical institute over a period of 3 years, for attempted suicide by poisoning. Results: The psychiatric diagnoses among patients in the adolescent group included depression (75.8%), bipolar disorder (12.5%), and panic disorder (12.5%). In terms of the type of drug used for poisoning, antidepressants or anti-psychotics and sleeping pills were the most commonly used in the adolescent (43 subjects, 45.2%) and adult (286 subjects, 37.6%) groups, respectively. Conclusion: As there is a higher chance of poisoning by easily accessible drugs, the emergency physician needs to investigate any preceding diagnoses of psychiatric or medical illnesses in the adolescent patients attempting suicide with unknown drugs
Bidirectional Ventricular Tachycardia in a Women with Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Case Report
Get PDFIntroduction: Bidirectional ventricular tachycardia (BVT) is a rare arrhythmia characterized by QRS complexes with an axis in the frontal plane alternating polarity in the precordial leads and right bundle branch block (RBBB) morphology. To the best of our knowledge, there is no previous report in dilated cardiomyopathy or in the context of a probable peripartum cardiomyopathy. Case Presentation: A 26-year-old, 9-month female patient, with no significant past medical history (the patient denies medication intake, herbs like aconite, trouble during delivery, any heart issues or family history of sudden death or cardiomyopathies) who presents to the emergency room due to 11 days of dyspnea, exacerbated by daily activities, orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. She presented with ventricular bigeminy and systolic dysfunction with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <20%. The patient later developed a stable ventricular tachycardia (VT) treated with amiodarone, which resulted in hemodynamic instability and BVT rhythm with VT paroxysms. Without the possibility of ablation, the use of high dose beta blockers and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator resulted in the same rhythm with a lower heart rate, better NYHA functional class, and less episodes of VTs. Conclusion: BVT is a rare type of tachycardia that can be present in dilated cardiomyopathy. In the absence of ablation capabilities, decreasing the heart rate with beta-blockers may reduce the rate of paroxysmal VTs
A Letter on “The Current Status of Genes and Genetic Testing in Emergency Medicine: A Narrative Review”
Get PDFOn August 25, 2019, you published an article titled “The Current Status of Genes and Genetic Testing in Emergency Medicine: A Narrative Review”. I recently read the article and want to both commend the authors for including information on Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (vEDS) and expand upon the information provided. Thank you for publishing this article
Iranian Emergency Medical Service Response in Disaster; Report of three Earthquakes
Get PDF Introduction: The earthquake is one of the most natural catastrophic crises that can cause a lot of casualties. Considering an earthquake-prone country, Iran is ranked as one of the world's most dangerous countries. Objective: In this article, we describe the actions taken by emergency medical service (EMS) after the earthquake in Kermanshah, Varzaghan, and Bam and compared the strengths and weaknesses of the emergency response program and the limitations and challenges of this system in dealing with these major crises. Method: This study is a cross-sectional study that compares some of the information and findings related to three earthquakes that occurred in Iran, including Bam, Varzaghan and Sarpol-e-Zahab earthquakes. The data reported in the present article is descriptive and is based on various independent sources such as National Emergency Operation Center, Local Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the EMS of the country, the World Health Organization, the United Nations, the statistics website, the Forensic Data website, the International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering, conferences and personal interviews. To ensure the credibility of the information, the authors reported data that had been verified by two or more sources. Results: The characteristics of the geographic area of the 3 earthquakes has been described. Post-earthquake response activities were described in details in subheadings including rapid warning and response, surge capacity plan, rapid response teams, emergency medical teams, increasing the capacity of health facilities, increasing transfer capacity, and handling, transportation and distribution of injuries. Conclusion: In the recent earthquake, had been occurred in Sarpol-e-Zahab, the health response of the country was largely satisfactory. The existence of structures such as EOC at various levels, the unified incident command system, emergency operations plan, and Medical Care Monitoring Center are among the most important reasons for satisfactory performance
Intravenous Acetaminophen vs. Ketorolac in Terms of Pain Management in Prehospital Emergency Services: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Get PDFIntroduction: Although pain management in EDs has been fully addressed in clinical trials, prehospital settings have rarely been investigated. Objective: The present study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of intravenous acetaminophen with that of ketorolac in pre-hospital pain control. Method: This randomized clinical trial (RCT) was performed at a prehospital setting during EMS missions in Tehran, Iran. The eligible candidates comprised all patients over the age of 7 years with a complaint of moderate to severe pain. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups, one receiving 30 mg of intravenous (IV) ketorolac and the other 1 g of IV acetaminophen. The pain intensity was measured using a visual analog scale (VAS) before administering the analgesic and upon admission to the ED. Results: The present study was conducted on 150 patients aged 8-81 years with a mean age of 40.4 ± 17.7, including 84 (56%) males. The mean reduction in the pain score was 14.9±8.6 in the acetaminophen group and 16.0±8.8 in the ketorolac group. Univariate analyses suggested no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of delta pain score (pain reduction) (P=0.429). Conclusion: Based on the obtained findings, both ketorolac and acetaminophen could be administered for pain management in prehospital settings in both traumatic and non-traumatic patients in case their contraindications are considered
Minimum Number of Required Sessions for Attaining Basic Skills in Laparoscopic Surgery by General Surgery Residents; an Experimental Report
Get PDFIntroduction: Training is the primary route of attaining required skills among residents in general surgery. Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the minimum number of required sessions for attaining basic skills in laparoscopic surgery in a skill-lab among surgical residents. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Imam-Khomeini Hospital during 2012. A total of 20 surgical residents were enrolled. There were 45–60 mins sessions weekly, which included the following seven elementary skills: first knot tie, second knot tie, peg exchange, peg drop, rope pass, needle pass, and paper cut. These skills were evaluated weekly, and qualitative evaluations were done every 2 weeks. Results: Mean age of the 20 surgical residents was 32.2 ± 4.7 years, and 55.6% of them were males. The median session counts were as follows: six sessions for first knot tie, six sessions for second knot tie, three sessions for peg exchange, eight sessions for needle pass, and five sessions for paper cut. Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, it may be concluded that relatively five sessions are required for acquiring basic skills in laparoscopic surgery by surgical residents