Is intensive blood pressure (BP) treatment (systolic BP target 110-139 mm Hg) better than standard antihypertensive treatment (systolic BP target 140-179 mm Hg) in reducing mortality and disability in patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)?

Qureshi AI, Palesch YY, Barsan WG, et al. Intensive blood-pressure lowering in patients with acute cerebral hemorrhage. N Engl J Med 2016;375(11):1033-43.

To determine the therapeutic benefit of intensive BP treatment compared to standard BP treatment in reducing death and disability after 3 months of follow-up among patients with ICH treated within 4.5 hours from onset of symptoms.

To collect and synthesize the literature describing the use of real-time video-based technologies to provide support in the care of patients presenting to emergency departments.

Six electronic databases were searched, including Medline, CINAHL, Embase, the Cochrane Database, DARE, and PubMed for all publications since the earliest date available in each database to February 2016.

Selected articles were full text articles addressing the use of telemedicine to support patient care in pre-hospital or emergency department settings. The search yielded 2976 articles for review with 11 studies eligible for inclusion after application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A scoping review of the selected articles was performed to better understand the different systems in place around the world and the current state of evidence supporting telemedicine use in the emergency department.

Telemedicine support for emergency department physicians is an application with significant potential but is still lacking evidence supporting improved patient outcomes. Advances in technology, combined with more attractive price-points have resulted in widespread interest and implementation around the world. Applications of this technology that are currently being studied include support for minor treatment centres, patient transfer decision-making, management of acutely ill patients and scheduled teleconsultations.

The Ottawa Ankle Rules (OAR) are a clinical decision tool used to minimize unnecessary radiographs in ankle and foot injuries. The OAR are a reliable tool to exclude fractures in children over 5 years of age when applied by physicians. Limited data support its use by other health care workers in children. Our objective was to determine the accuracy of the OAR when applied by non-physician providers (NPP).

Children aged 5 to 17 years presenting with an acute ankle or foot injury were enrolled. Phase 1 captured baseline data on x-ray use in 106 patients. NPPs were then educated on the usage of the OAR and completed an OAR learning module. In phase 2, NPPs applied the OAR to 184 included patients.

The sensitivity of the foot rule, as applied by NPP’s, was 100% (56-100% CI) and the specificity was 17% (9-29% CI) for clinically significant fractures. The sensitivity of the ankle portion of the rule, as applied by NPP’s, was 88% (47-99 CI) and the specificity was 31% (23-40% CI) for clinically significant fractures. The only clinically significant fracture missed by NPP’s was detected on physician assessment. Inter-observer agreement was κ=0.24 for the ankle rule and κ=0.49 for the foot rule.

The sensitivity of the OAR when applied by NPP’s was very good. More training and practice using the OAR would likely improve NPP’s inter-observer reliability. Our data suggest the OAR may be a useful tool for NPP’s to apply prior to physician assessment.

In the fast pace of the Emergency Department (ED), clinicians are in need of tailored screening tools to detect seniors who are at risk of adverse outcomes. We aimed to explore the usefulness of the Bergman-Paris Question (BPQ) to expose potential undetected geriatric syndromes in community-living seniors presenting to the ED.

This is a planned sub-study of the INDEED multicentre prospective cohort study, including independent or semi-independent seniors (≥65 years old) admitted to hospital after an ED stay ≥8 hours and who were not delirious. Patients were assessed using validated screening tests for 3 geriatric syndromes: cognitive and functional impairment, and frailty. The BPQ was asked upon availability of a relative at enrolment. BPQ’s sensitivity and specificity analyses were used to ascertain outcomes.

A response to the BPQ was available for 171 patients (47% of the main study’s cohort). Of this number, 75.4% were positive (suggesting impairment), and 24.6% were negative. To detect one of the three geriatric syndromes, the BPQ had a sensitivity of 85.4% (95% CI [76.3, 92.0]) and a specificity of 35.4% (95% CI [25.1, 46.7]). Similar results were obtained for each separate outcome. Odds ratio demonstrated a higher risk of presence of geriatric syndromes.

The Bergman-Paris Question could be an ED screening tool for possible geriatric syndrome. A positive BPQ should prompt the need of further investigations and a negative BPQ possibly warrants no further action. More research is needed to validate the usefulness of the BPQ for day-to-day geriatric screening by ED professionals or geriatricians.

In 2011, Canada had a foreign-born population of approximately 6,775,800. They represented 20.6% of the total population. Immigrants possess characteristics that reduce the use of primary care. This is thought to be, in part, due to a lower education level, employment, and better health status. Our objective was to assess whether, in an immigrant population without a primary care physician, similar socioeconomic factors would also reduce the likelihood of using the emergency department compared to a non-immigrant population without primary care.

Data regarding individuals ≥ 12 years of age from the Canadian Community Health Survey from 2007 to 2008 were analysed (n=134,073; response rate 93%). Our study population comprised 15,554 individuals identified without a primary care physician who had a regular place for medical care. The primary outcome was emergency department as a regular care access point. Socioeconomic variables included employment, health status, and education. Covariates included chronic health conditions, mobility, gender, age, and mental health. Weighted logistic regression models were constructed to evaluate the importance of individual risk factors.

The sample of 15,554 (immigrants n=1,767) consisted of 57.3% male and 42.7% female respondents from across Canada. Immigrants were less likely than Canadian-born respondents to use the emergency department as a regular access point for health care (odds ratio=0.48 [95% CI 0.40 – 0.57]). Adjusting for health, education, or employment had no effect on this reduced tendency (odds ratio=0.47 [95% CI 0.38 – 0.58]).

In a Canadian population without a primary care physician, immigrants are less likely to use the emergency department as a primary access point for care than Canadian-born respondents. However, this effect is independent of previously reported social and economic factors that impact use of primary care. Immigration status is an important but complex component of racial and ethnic disparity in the use of health care in Canada.

Delays in transfer of admitted patients boarded in the emergency department (ED) to an inpatient bed is a major driver of ED overcrowding. We sought to identify explanatory factors behind ED boarding as well as the impact of boarding on total inpatient length of stay (IP LOS) and inpatient mortality.

We conducted a retrospective single-centre observational study during the period between January 1 and December 31, 2015 at a very high volume community hospital. All patients admitted from the ED to Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery, and Critical Care were identified. The mean ED LOS and boarding time as well as patient-specific and institutional factors that were independently associated with prolonged ED LOS (≥24 hours) and prolonged boarding time (≥12 hours) were identified. Mean inpatient length of stay (IP LOS) and the odds of inpatient mortality were calculated for those patients with prolonged ED wait times.

There were 13,872 unique admissions during the study period. Patients admitted to the Medicine service exhibited significantly higher ED wait times than other services. Within Medicine patients, there was a statistically significant greater odds of prolonged ED wait times for patients who were older, had a greater comorbidity burden, and required more specialized inpatient care. Medicine patients with prolonged boarding times also experienced a mean of 0.9 days longer IP LOS even after adjusting for confounders.

Within our cohort, older, sicker patients and those patients requiring more resource-intensive inpatient care had the longest ED wait times. These prolonged wait times are associated with significantly increased IP LOS.

Dental trauma is a relatively common occurrence in childhood, with an impact exceeding that of periodontal diseases. It places a significant burden on the public health system because of its high frequency, impact on quality of life and consumption of resources.

To identify changing trends of dental injury in patients between 0-18 years of age in Canada and provide a detailed assessment of dental injury patterns in patients attending a large pediatric tertiary care hospital.

This retrospective study was carried out in two parts. Firstly, data from patients who presented to the emergency departments of the 15 Canadian hospitals involved in the Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) from 1st January 1990 to 31st December 2013 was collected. Secondly, at the Hospital for Sick Children, charts of patients identified from the aforementioned database from the years 2008, 2012 and 2015 were accessed for additional clinical data.

Based on CHIRPP data there appears to be an increasing incidence in dental injuries presenting to emergency departments nationally. Participation in sports and cycling contributed to the majority of dental injuries. The use of safety equipment such as helmets with a face-grill and mouth-guard was low.

Our study demonstrates a rising incidence of dental injuries in young patients. Most dental injuries occurred during sports and playground related activities. The low rate of use of safety equipment and playground safety measures suggests that Canadian Standards Association standards for playgrounds could be more effective if strengthened by mandatory legislation.

Return visits to the emergency department (RTED) for the same clinical complaint occur in 2.7% to 8.1% of children presenting to pediatric emergency departments (PEDs). Most studies examining RTEDs have focused solely on PEDs and do not capture children returning to other local emergency departments (EDs). Our objective was to measure the frequency and characterize the directional pattern of RTED to any of 18 EDs serving a large geographic area for children initially evaluated at a PED.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all visits to a referral centre PED between August 2012 and August 2013. We compared demographic variables between children with and without an RTED, measures of flow and disposition outcomes between the initial (index) visit and RTED, and between RTED to the original PED versus to other EDs in the community.

Among all PED visits, 7.6% had an RTED within 7 days, of which 13% were to a facility other than the original PED. Children with an RTED had higher acuity and longer length of stay on their index visit. They were also more likely to be admitted on a subsequent visit than the overall PED population. RTED to the original PED had a longer waiting time (WT), length of stay, and more frequently resulted in hospitalization than RTED to a general ED.

A significant proportion of RTED occur at a site other than where the original ED visit occurred. Examining RTED to and from only PEDs underestimates its burden on emergency health services.

Does the analgesic effect of intravenous ketorolac differ if given in doses of 10, 15, or 30 mg to patients presenting to the emergency department with acute pain?

Motov S, Yasavolian M, Likourezos A, et al. Comparison of intravenous ketorolac at three single-dose regimens for treating acute pain in the emergency department: a randomized controlled trial. Ann Emerg Med 2017;70(2):177-84.

What is the prevalence of Salter-Harris type I distal fibula fractures in children with lateral ankle injuries?

Boutis K, Plint A, Stimec J, et al. Radiograph-negative lateral ankle injuries in children occult growth plate fracture or sprain? JAMA Pediatr 2016;170(1):e154114.

Although death due to electrical injury and lightning are rare in children, these injuries are often preventable. Twenty years ago, most injuries occurred at home, precipitated by oral contact with electrical cords, contact with wall sockets and faulty electrical equipment. We sought to assess the epidemiology of electrical injuries in children presenting to Emergency Departments (EDs) that participate in the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP).

This study is a retrospective review of electrical and lightning injury data from CHIRPP. The study population included children and youth aged 0-19 presenting to participating CHIRPP EDs from 1997-2010. Age, sex, year, setting, circumstance and disposition were extracted. Variables were tested using Fisher’s exact test and simple linear regression.

The dataset included 1183 electrical injuries, with 84 (7%) resulting in hospitalization. Most events occurred at home in the 2-5 year age group and affected the hands. Since 1997 there has been a gradual decrease in the number of electrical injuries per year (p<0.01) and there is an annual surge in electrical injuries over the summer (p<0.01). Forty-six percent of injuries involved electrical outlets, 65% of injuries involved some sort of electrical equipment. Injuries due to lightning were rare (n=19). No deaths were recorded in the database.

Despite the decrease in the number of electrical injuries per year, a large portion of injuries still appear to be preventable. Further research should focus on effective injury prevention strategies.

Although older patients are a high-risk population in the emergency department (ED), little is known about those identified as “less acute” at triage. We aimed to describe the outcomes of patients ages 65 years and older who receive low acuity triage scores.

This health records review assessed ED patients who were ages 65 years and above or ages 40 to 55 years (controls) who received a Canadian Triage Acuity Scale score of 4 or 5. Data collected included patient demographics, ED management, disposition, and a return visit or hospital admission at 14 days. Data were analysed descriptively and chi-square testing performed. A pre-planned stratified analysis of patients ages 65 to 74, 75 to 84, and 85 and older was conducted.

Three hundred fifty older patients with a mean age of 76.5 years and 150 control patients were included. Most patients presented with musculoskeletal or skin complaints and were triaged to the ambulatory care area. Older patients were significantly more likely than controls to be admitted on the index visit (5.0% v. 0.3%, p=0.016) and on re-presentation (4.0% v. 0.7%, p=0.045). In a subgroup analysis, patients ages 85 years and above were most likely to be admitted (8.9%, p=0.003).

Older patients who present to the ED with issues labelled as “less acute” at triage are 16 times more likely to be admitted than younger controls. Patients ages 85 years and up are the primary drivers of this higher admission rate. Our study indicates that even “low acuity” elders presenting to the ED are at risk for re-presentation and admission within 14 days.

How often is pulmonary embolism (PE) found in patients admitted for syncope?

Prandoni P, Lensing A, Prins M, et al. Prevalence of pulmonary embolism among patients hospitalized for syncope (PESIT). N Engl J Med 2016;375:1524-31, doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1602172.

To determine the prevalence of PE in patients hospitalized for a first episode of syncope.

Early warning scores use vital signs to identify patients at risk of critical illness. The current study examines the Hamilton Early Warning Score (HEWS) at emergency department (ED) triage among patients who experienced a critical event during their hospitalization. HEWS was also evaluated as a predictor of sepsis.

The study population included admissions to two hospitals over a 6-month period. Cases experienced a critical event defined by unplanned intensive care unit admission, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or death. Controls were randomly selected from the database in a 2-to-1 ratio to match cases on the burden of comorbid illness. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate HEWS as a predictor of the likelihood of critical deterioration and sepsis.

The sample included 845 patients, of whom 270 experienced a critical event; 89 patients were excluded because of missing vitals. An ROC analysis indicated that HEWS at ED triage had poor discriminative ability for predicting the likelihood of experiencing a critical event 0.62 (95% CI 0.58-0.66). HEWS had a fair discriminative ability for meeting criteria for sepsis 0.77 (95% CI 0.72-0.82) and good discriminative ability for predicting the occurrence of a critical event among septic patients 0.82 (95% CI 0.75-0.90).

This study indicates that HEWS at ED triage has limited utility for identifying patients at risk of experiencing a critical event. However, HEWS may allow earlier identification of septic patients. Prospective studies are needed to further delineate the utility of the HEWS to identify septic patients in the ED.