Incidence and Risk Factors for Intensive Care Unit-related Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans and Civilians

RATIONALE

The incidence and risk factors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to the intensive care unit (ICU) experience have not been reported in a mixed veteran and civilian cohort.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the incidence and risk factors for ICU-related PTSD in veterans and civilians.

METHODS

This is a prospective, observational, multicenter cohort enrolling adult survivors of critical illness after respiratory failure and/or shock from three Veterans Affairs and one civilian hospital. After classifying those with/without preexisting PTSD (i.e., PTSD before hospitalization), we then assessed all subjects for ICU-related PTSD at 3 and 12 months post hospitalization.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Of 255 survivors, 181 and 160 subjects were assessed for ICU-related PTSD at 3- and 12-month follow-up, respectively. A high probability of ICU-related PTSD was found in up to 10% of patients at either follow-up time point, whether assessed by PTSD Checklist Event-Specific Version (score ≥ 50) or item mapping using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV). In the multivariable regression, preexisting PTSD was independently associated with ICU-related PTSD at both 3 and 12 months (P < 0.001), as was preexisting depression (P < 0.03), but veteran status was not a consistent independent risk factor for ICU-related PTSD (3-month P = 0.01, 12-month P = 0.48).

CONCLUSIONS

This study found around 1 in 10 ICU survivors experienced ICU-related PTSD (i.e., PTSD anchored to their critical illness) in the year after hospitalization. Preexisting PTSD and depression were strongly associated with ICU-related PTSD.

An analysis from the Quality Outcomes Database, Part 1. Disability, quality of life, and pain outcomes following lumbar spine surgery: predicting likely individual patient outcomes for shared decision-making

OBJECTIVE Quality and outcomes registry platforms lie at the center of many emerging evidence-driven reform models. Specifically, clinical registry data are progressively informing health care decision-making. In this analysis, the authors used data from a national prospective outcomes registry (the Quality Outcomes Database) to develop a predictive model for 12-month postoperative pain, disability, and quality of life (QOL) in patients undergoing elective lumbar spine surgery. METHODS Included in this analysis were 7618 patients who had completed 12 months of follow-up. The authors prospectively assessed baseline and 12-month patient-reported outcomes (PROs) via telephone interviews. The PROs assessed were those ascertained using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), EQ-5D, and numeric rating scale (NRS) for back pain (BP) and leg pain (LP). Variables analyzed for the predictive model included age, gender, body mass index, race, education level, history of prior surgery, smoking status, comorbid conditions, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, symptom duration, indication for surgery, number of levels surgically treated, history of fusion surgery, surgical approach, receipt of workers' compensation, liability insurance, insurance status, and ambulatory ability. To create a predictive model, each 12-month PRO was treated as an ordinal dependent variable and a separate proportional-odds ordinal logistic regression model was fitted for each PRO. RESULTS There was a significant improvement in all PROs (p < 0.0001) at 12 months following lumbar spine surgery. The most important predictors of overall disability, QOL, and pain outcomes following lumbar spine surgery were employment status, baseline NRS-BP scores, psychological distress, baseline ODI scores, level of education, workers' compensation status, symptom duration, race, baseline NRS-LP scores, ASA score, age, predominant symptom, smoking status, and insurance status. The prediction discrimination of the 4 separate novel predictive models was good, with a c-index of 0.69 for ODI, 0.69 for EQ-5D, 0.67 for NRS-BP, and 0.64 for NRS-LP (i.e., good concordance between predicted outcomes and observed outcomes). CONCLUSIONS This study found that preoperative patient-specific factors derived from a prospective national outcomes registry significantly influence PRO measures of treatment effectiveness at 12 months after lumbar surgery. Novel predictive models constructed with these data hold the potential to improve surgical effectiveness and the overall value of spine surgery by optimizing patient selection and identifying important modifiable factors before a surgery even takes place. Furthermore, these models can advance patient-focused care when used as shared decision-making tools during preoperative patient counseling.

Delirium in the Emergency Department and Its Extension into Hospitalization (DELINEATE) Study: Effect on 6-month Function and Cognition

BACKGROUND

The natural course and clinical significance of delirium in the emergency department (ED) is unclear.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to (1) describe the extent to which delirium in the ED persists into hospitalization (ED delirium duration) and (2) determine how ED delirium duration is associated with 6-month functional status and cognition.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Tertiary care, academic medical center.

PARTICIPANTS

ED patients ≥65 years old who were admitted to the hospital.

MEASUREMENTS

The modified Brief Confusion Assessment Method was used to ascertain delirium in the ED and hospital. Premorbid and 6-month function were determined using the Older American Resources and Services Activities of Daily Living (OARS ADL) questionnaire which ranged from 0 (completely dependent) to 28 (completely dependent). Premorbid and 6-month cognition were determined using the short form Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) which ranged from 1 to 5 (severe dementia). Multiple linear regression was performed to determine if ED delirium duration was associated with 6-month function and cognition adjusted for baseline OARS ADL and IQCODE, and other confounders.

RESULTS

A total of 228 older ED patients were enrolled. Of the 105 patients who were delirious in the ED, 81 (77.1%) patients' delirium persisted into hospitalization. For every ED delirium duration day, the 6-month OARS ADL decreased by 0.63 points (95% CI: -1.01 to -0.24), indicating poorer function. For every ED delirium duration day, the 6-month IQCODE increased 0.06 points (95% CI: 0.01-0.10) indicating poorer cognition.

CONCLUSIONS

Delirium in the ED is not a transient event and frequently persists into hospitalization. Longer ED delirium duration is associated with an incremental worsening of 6-month functional and cognitive outcomes.

Exploring Delirium's Heterogeneity: Association Between Arousal Subtypes at Initial Presentation and 6-Month Mortality in Older Emergency Department Patients

OBJECTIVES

To determine how delirium subtyped by level of arousal at initial presentation affects 6-month mortality.

DESIGN

This was a preplanned secondary analysis of two prospective cohort studies.

SETTING

Academic tertiary care emergency department (ED).

PARTICIPANTS

1,084 ED patients who were 65 years old or older.

MEASUREMENTS

At the time of enrollment, trained research personnel performed the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit and the Richmond Agitation Sedation Score to determine delirium and level of arousal, respectively. Patients were categorized as having no delirium, delirium with normal arousal, delirium with decreased arousal, or delirium with increased arousal. Death was ascertained by medical record review and the Social Security Death Index. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to analyze the association between delirium arousal subtypes and 6-month mortality.

RESULTS

Delirium with normal arousal was the only subtype that was significantly associated with increased 6-month mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3-7.4) compared with the no delirium group after adjusting for confounders. The HRs for delirium with decreased and increased arousal were 1.4 (95% CI: 0.9-2.1) and 1.3 (95% CI: 0.3-5.4), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Delirious ED patients with normal arousal at initial presentation had a threefold increased hazard of death within 6 months compared with patients without delirium. There was a trend towards increased hazard of death in delirious ED patients with decreased arousal, but this relationship did not reach statistical significance. These data suggest that subtyping delirium by arousal may have prognostic value but requires confirmation with a larger study.

Performance of Emergency Department Screening Criteria for an Early ECG to Identify ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Background

Timely diagnosis of ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the emergency department (ED) is made solely by ECG. Obtaining this test within 10 minutes of ED arrival is critical to achieving the best outcomes. We investigated variability in the timely identification of STEMI across institutions and whether performance variation was associated with the ED characteristics, the comprehensiveness of screening criteria, and the STEMI screening processes.

Methods and Results

We examined STEMI screening performance in 7 EDs, with the missed case rate (MCR) as our primary end point. The MCR is the proportion of primarily screened ED patients diagnosed with STEMI who did not receive an ECG within 15 minutes of ED arrival. STEMI was defined by hospital discharge diagnosis. Relationships between the MCR and ED characteristics, screening criteria, and STEMI screening processes were assessed, along with differences in door‐to‐ECG times for captured versus missed patients. The overall MCR for all 7 EDs was 12.8%. The lowest and highest MCRs were 3.4% and 32.6%, respectively. The mean difference in door‐to‐ECG times for captured and missed patients was 31 minutes, with a range of 14 to 80 minutes of additional myocardial ischemia time for missed cases. The prevalence of primarily screened ED STEMIs was 0.09%. EDs with the greatest informedness (sensitivity+specificity−1) demonstrated superior performance across all other screening measures.

Conclusions

The 29.2% difference in MCRs between the highest and lowest performing EDs demonstrates room for improving timely STEMI identification among primarily screened ED patients. The MCR and informedness can be used to compare screening across EDs and to understand variable performance.

Critical Illness Brain Injury

A growing body of literature has shown that survivors of critical illness often struggle with cognitive impairment that persists months to years after hospital discharge. We describe the epidemiology of this form of cognitive impairment-which we refer to as critical illness brain injury-and review the history and maturation of the investigation of this previously unrecognized, yet common problem. We then review the characteristics of critical illness brain injury, which can vary in severity and typically affects multiple domains of cognition. Finally, we examine known risk factors for critical illness brain injury and, based on these data, suggest approaches to patient management.

Role of Health Insurance Status in Interfacility Transfers of Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Lack of health insurance is associated with interfacility transfer from emergency departments for several nonemergent conditions, but its association with transfers for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), which requires timely definitive care for optimal outcomes, is unknown. Our objective was to determine whether insurance status is a predictor of interfacility transfer for emergency department visits with STEMI. We analyzed data from the 2006 to 2011 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample examining all emergency department visits for patients age 18 years and older with a diagnosis of STEMI and a disposition of interfacility transfer or hospitalization at the same institution. For emergency department visits with STEMI, our multivariate logistic regression model included emergency department disposition status (interfacility transfer vs hospitalization at the same institution) as the primary outcome, and insurance status (none vs any [including Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance]) as the primary exposure. We found that among 1,377,827 emergency department STEMI visits, including 249,294 (18.1%) transfers, patients without health insurance (adjusted odds ratio 1.6, 95% CI 1.5 to 1.7) were more likely to be transferred than those with insurance. Lack of health insurance status was also an independent risk factor for transfer compared with each subcategory of health insurance, including Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance. In conclusion, among patients presenting to United States emergency departments with STEMI, lack of insurance was an independent predictor of interfacility transfer. In conclusion, because interfacility transfer is associated with longer delays to definitive STEMI therapy than treatment at the same facility, lack of health insurance may lead to important health disparities among patients with STEMI.

Inadequacy of 3-month Oswestry Disability Index outcome for assessing individual longer-term patient experience after lumbar spine surgery

OBJECTIVE Prospective longitudinal outcomes registries are at the center of evidence-driven health care reform. Obtaining real-world outcomes data at 12 months can be costly and challenging. In the present study, the authors analyzed whether 3-month outcome measurements sufficiently represent 12-month outcomes for patients with degenerative lumbar disease undergoing surgery. METHODS Data from 3073 patients undergoing elective spine surgery for degenerative lumbar disease were entered into a prospective multicenter registry (N(2)QOD). Baseline, 3-month, and 12-month follow-up Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores were recorded. The absolute differences between actual 12- and 3-month ODI scores was evaluated. Additionally, the authors analyzed the absolute difference between actual 12-month ODI scores and a model-predicted 12-month ODI score (the model used patients' baseline characteristics and actual 3-month scores). The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for ODI of 12.8 points and the substantial clinical benefit (SCB) for ODI of 18.8 points were used based on the previously published values. The concordance rate of achieving MCID and SCB for ODI at 3-and 12-months was computed. RESULTS The 3-month ODI scores differed from 12-month scores by an absolute difference of 11.9 ± 10.8, and predictive modeling estimations of 12-month ODI scores differed from actual 12-month scores by a mean (± SD) of 10.7 ± 9.0 points (p = 0.001). Sixty-four percent of patients (n = 1982) achieved an MCID for ODI at 3 months in comparison with 67% of patients (n = 2088) by 12 months; 51% (n = 1731) and 61% (n = 1860) of patients achieved SCB for ODI at 3 months and 12 months, respectively. Almost 20% of patients had ODI scores that varied at least 20 points (the point span of an ODI functional category) between actual 3- and 12-month values. In the aggregate analysis of achieving MCID, 77% of patients were concordant and 23% were discordant in achieving or not achieving MCID at 3 and 12 months. The discordance rates of achieving or not achieving MCID for ODI were in the range of 19% to 27% for all diagnoses and treatments (decompression with and without fusion). The positive and negative predictive value of 3-months ODI to predict 12-month ODI was 86% and 60% for MCID and 82% and 67% for SCB. CONCLUSIONS Based on their findings, the authors conclude the following: 1) Predictive methods for functional outcome based on early patient experience (i.e., baseline and/or 3-month data) should be used to help evaluate the effectiveness of procedures in patient populations, rather than serving as a proxy for long-term individual patient experience. 2) Prospective longitudinal registries need to span at least 12 months to determine the effectiveness of spine care at the individual patient and practitioner level.

Patient Stratification Using Electronic Health Records from a Chronic Disease Management Program

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study is to devise a machine learning framework to assist care coordination programs in prognostic stratification to design and deliver personalized care plans and to allocate financial and medical resources effectively.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study is based on a de-identified cohort of 2,521 hypertension patients from a chronic care coordination program at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Patients were modeled as vectors of features derived from electronic health records (EHRs) over a six-year period. We applied a stepwise regression to identify risk factors associated with a decrease in mean arterial pressure of at least 2 mmHg after program enrollment. The resulting features were subsequently validated via a logistic regression classifier. Finally, risk factors were applied to group the patients through model-based clustering.

RESULTS

We identified a set of predictive features that consisted of a mix of demographic, medication, and diagnostic concepts. Logistic regression over these features yielded an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.71 (95% CI: [0.67, 0.76]). Based on these features, four clinically meaningful groups are identified through clustering - two of which represented patients with more severe disease profiles, while the remaining represented patients with mild disease profiles.

DISCUSSION

Patients with hypertension can exhibit significant variation in their blood pressure control status and responsiveness to therapy. Yet this work shows that a clustering analysis can generate more homogeneous patient groups, which may aid clinicians in designing and implementing customized care programs.

CONCLUSION

The study shows that predictive modeling and clustering using EHR data can be beneficial for providing a systematic, generalized approach for care providers to tailor their management approach based upon patient-level factors.

Refractory primary medication nonadherence: Prevalence and predictors after pharmacist counseling at hospital discharge

Successful secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease relies on medication therapy; thus, minimizing nonadherence is a focus for improving patient outcomes. Receipt of discharge medication counseling has been associated with improved drug knowledge and adherence. We evaluated the prevalence and predictors of postdischarge primary nonadherence (not filling new prescriptions) in patients who received discharge medication counseling by a pharmacist (ie, refractory to intervention) as part of a randomized controlled trial. Of 341 patients, 9.4% of patients did not fill all prescriptions after discharge. Patients who were living alone were more likely to not fill their medications compared to those who were married or cohabitating (odds ratio [OR]: 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-4.8, P = 0.047). Patients who were discharged with greater than 10 medications were also more likely to demonstrate primary nonadherence (OR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.05-4.98, P = 0.036). Patients with lower income were less likely to fill prescriptions in univariate analysis (P = 0.04) but not multivariable analysis. Our study demonstrates that among patients hospitalized for acute cardiovascular events, primary medication nonadherence persisted despite discharge medication counseling. Targeted or multimodal approaches that address patient-specific barriers, such as cost, social isolation, and polypharmacy, in addition to discharge counseling, may further facilitate adherence.

Community Engagement Studios: A Structured Approach to Obtaining Meaningful Input From Stakeholders to Inform Research

PROBLEM

Engaging communities in research increases its relevance and may speed the translation of discoveries into improved health outcomes. Many researchers lack training to effectively engage stakeholders, whereas academic institutions lack infrastructure to support community engagement.

APPROACH

In 2009, the Meharry-Vanderbilt Community-Engaged Research Core began testing new approaches for community engagement, which led to the development of the Community Engagement Studio (CE Studio). This structured program facilitates project-specific input from community and patient stakeholders to enhance research design, implementation, and dissemination. Developers used a team approach to recruit and train stakeholders, prepare researchers to engage with stakeholders, and facilitate an in-person meeting with both.

OUTCOMES

The research core has implemented 28 CE Studios that engaged 152 community stakeholders. Participating researchers, representing a broad range of faculty ranks and disciplines, reported that input from stakeholders was valuable and that the CE Studio helped determine project feasibility and enhanced research design and implementation. Stakeholders found the CE Studio to be an acceptable method of engagement and reported a better understanding of research in general. A tool kit was developed to replicate this model and to disseminate this approach.

NEXT STEPS

The research core will collect data to better understand the impact of CE Studios on research proposal submissions, funding, research outcomes, patient and stakeholder engagement in projects, and dissemination of results. They will also collect data to determine whether CE Studios increase patient-centered approaches in research and whether stakeholders who participate have more trust and willingness to participate in research.

The Diagnostic Performance of the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale for Detecting Delirium in Older Emergency Department Patients

OBJECTIVES

Delirium is frequently missed in older emergency department (ED) patients. Brief (<2 minutes) delirium assessments have been validated for the ED, but some ED health care providers may consider them to be cumbersome. The Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS) is an observational scale that quantifies level of consciousness and takes less than 10 seconds to perform. The authors sought to explore the diagnostic accuracy of the RASS for delirium in older ED patients.

METHODS

This was a preplanned analysis of a prospective observational study designed to validate brief delirium assessments for the ED. The study was conducted at an academic ED and enrolled patients who were 65 years or older. Patients who were non-English-speaking, deaf, blind, comatose or had end-stage dementia were excluded. A research assistant (RA) and a physician performed the RASS at the time of enrollment. Within 3 hours, a consultation-liaison psychiatrist performed his or her comprehensive reference standard assessment for delirium using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria. Sensitivities, specificities, and likelihood ratios with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

RESULTS

Of 406 enrolled patients, 50 (12.3%) had delirium diagnosed by the consult-liaison psychiatrist reference rater. When performed by the RA, a RASS other than 0 (RASS > 0 or < 0) was 84.0% sensitive (95% CI = 73.8% to 94.2%) and 87.6% specific (95% CI = 84.2% to 91.1%) for delirium. When performed by physician, a RASS other than 0 was 82.0% sensitive (95% CI = 71.4% to 92.6%) and 85.1% specific (95% CI = 81.4% to 88.8%) for delirium. Using a RASS > +1 or < -1 as the cutoff, the specificity improved to approximately 99% for both raters at the expense of sensitivity; the sensitivities were 22.0% (95% CI = 10.5% to 33.5%) and 16.0% (95% CI = 5.8% to 25.2%) in the RAs and physician raters, respectively. The positive likelihood ratio was 19.6 (95% CI = 6.5 to 59.1) when performed by the RA and 57.0 (95% CI = 7.3 to 445.9) when performed by the physician, indicating that a RASS > +1 or < -1 strongly increased the likelihood of delirium. The weighted kappa was 0.63, indicating moderate interobserver reliability.

CONCLUSIONS

In older ED patients, a RASS other than 0 has very good sensitivity and specificity for delirium as diagnosed by a psychiatrist. A RASS > +1 or < -1 is nearly diagnostic for delirium, given the very high positive likelihood ratio.

Primary care workforce shortages and career recommendations from practicing clinicians

PURPOSE

The success of efforts to bolster the primary care workforce rests in part on how these clinicians view their professions and their willingness to recommend their careers to others. The authors sought to examine career and job satisfaction, perceptions of workforce shortages, and willingness to make career recommendations among primary care physicians (PCPs) and primary care nurse practitioners (PCNPs).

METHOD

In 2012, the authors mailed a national survey concerning the issues above to 1,914 randomly chosen clinicians found on national databases: 957 PCPs and 957 PCNPs.

RESULTS

A total of 972 eligible clinicians (505 PCPs, 467 PCNPs) returned the survey. Using standard opinion research procedures, the authors estimated there were approximately 1,589 eligible clinicians in their sample (response rate, 61.2%). PCNPs and PCPs were more likely to recommend a career as a PCNP than as a PCP, despite the perception among all clinicians of a serious shortage of PCPs nationally and in their own communities. This finding held among PCNPs who reported low workplace autonomy and among PCPs reporting that they were satisfied with their own careers.

CONCLUSIONS

Efforts to solve the primary care workforce shortage that ignore the significant dissatisfaction of PCPs with their own careers are unlikely to be successful. Simply adding training slots and increasing reimbursement rates will do little to solve the problem if PCPs continue to view their own careers as ones they cannot recommend to others.

Timeliness of interfacility transfer for ED patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVES

Most US hospitals lack primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) capabilities to treat patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) necessitating transfer to PCI-capable centers. Transferred patients rarely meet the 120-minute benchmark for timely reperfusion, and referring emergency departments (EDs) are a major source of preventable delays. We sought to use more granular data at transferring EDs to describe the variability in length of stay at referring EDs.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed a secondary data set used for quality improvement for patients with STEMI transferred to a single PCI center between 2008 and 2012. We conducted a descriptive analysis of the total time spent at each referring ED (door-in-door-out [DIDO] interval), periods that comprised DIDO (door to electrocardiogram [EKG], EKG-to-PCI activation, and PCI activation to exit), and the relationship of each period with overall time to reperfusion (medical contact-to-balloon [MCTB] interval).

RESULTS

We identified 41 EDs that transferred 620 patients between 2008 and 2012. Median MCTB was 135 minutes (interquartile range [IQR] 114,172). Median overall ED DIDO was 74 minutes (IQR 56,103) and was composed of door to EKG, 5 minutes (IQR 2,11); EKG-to-PCI activation, 18 minutes (IQR 7,37); and PCI activation to exit, 44 minutes (IQR 34,56). Door-in door-out accounted for the largest proportion (60%) of overall MCTB and had the largest variability (coefficient of variability, 1.37) of these intervals.

CONCLUSIONS

In this cohort of transferring EDs, we found high variability and substantial delays after EKG performance for patients with STEMI. Factors influencing ED decision making and transportation coordination after PCI activation are a potential target for intervention to improve the timeliness of reperfusion in patients with STEMI.

Survey of Infection Control Programs in a Large National Healthcare System

In light of consumers' and regulators' increasing focus on infection prevention, infection control practices and resources were surveyed at 134 hospitals owned by the Hospital Corporation of America. Infection control practices and resources varied substantially among hospitals, and many facilities reported difficulty acquiring the data they needed to report infection rates.

Impaired arousal at initial presentation predicts 6-month mortality: an analysis of 1084 acutely ill older patients

OBJECTIVES

Impaired arousal signifies underlying brain dysfunction, but its clinical significance outside the intensive care unit remains unclear. We sought to determine if impaired arousal at initial presentation was associated with higher 6-month mortality and if this relationship existed in the absence of delirium.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

An emergency department located within an academic, tertiary care hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1084 noncomatose patients who were aged 65 years or older.

MEASUREMENTS

The Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) is a 10-second arousal scale; a score of 0 indicates normal arousal. Cox proportional hazard regression was performed adjusting for patient characteristics, admission status, and psychoactive medication administration. To determine if impaired arousal in the absence of delirium was associated with 6-month mortality, Cox proportional hazard regression was performed in a subset of 406 patients who received a psychiatric assessment; the inverse weighted propensity score method was used to minimize residual confounding. Hazard ratios (HR) with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were reported.

RESULTS

Patients with impaired arousal were 73% more likely to die within 6 months (HR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.21-2.49). Even in the absence of delirium, patients with an abnormal RASS were more likely to die within 6 months (HR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.10-4.41).

CONCLUSION

Impaired arousal at initial presentation is an independent predictor of death within 6 months in a diverse group of acutely ill older patients, even in the absence of delirium. Routine RASS assessment of arousal during clinical care may be warranted as it correlates with prognosis.

The nature and necessity of operational flexibility in the emergency department

Hospital-based emergency departments (EDs), given their high cost and major role in allocating care resources, are at the center of the debate about how to maximize value in delivering health care in the United States. To operate effectively and create value, EDs must be flexible, having the ability to rapidly adapt to the highly variable needs of patients. The concept of flexibility has not been well described in the ED literature. We introduce the concept, outline its potential benefits, and provide some illustrative examples to facilitate incorporating flexibility into ED management. We draw on operations research and organizational theory to identify and describe 5 forms of flexibility: physical, human resource, volume, behavioral, and conceptual. Each form of flexibility may be useful individually or in combination with other forms in improving ED performance and enhancing value. We also offer suggestions for measuring operational flexibility in the ED. A better understanding of operational flexibility and its application to the ED may help us move away from reactive approaches of managing variable demand to a more systematic approach. We also address the tension between cost and flexibility and outline how "partial flexibility" may help resolve some challenges. Applying concepts of flexibility from other disciplines may help clinicians and administrators think differently about their workflow and provide new insights into managing issues of cost, flow, and quality in the ED.

Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and functional disability in survivors of critical illness in the BRAIN-ICU study: a longitudinal cohort study

BACKGROUND

Critical illness is associated with cognitive impairment, but mental health and functional disabilities in survivors of intensive care are inadequately characterised. We aimed to assess associations of age and duration of delirium with mental health and functional disabilities in this group.

METHODS

In this prospective, multicentre cohort study, we enrolled patients with respiratory failure or shock who were undergoing treatment in medical or surgical ICUs in Nashville, TN, USA. We obtained data for baseline demographics and in-hospital variables, and assessed survivors at 3 months and 12 months with measures of depression (Beck Depression Inventory II), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Event Specific Version), and functional disability (activities of daily living scales, Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire, and Katz Activities of Daily Living Scale). We used linear and proportional odds logistic regression to assess the independent associations between age and duration of delirium with mental health and functional disabilities. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00392795.

FINDINGS

We enrolled 821 patients with a median age of 61 years (IQR 51-71), assessing 448 patients at 3 months and 382 patients at 12 months after discharge. At 3 months, 149 (37%) of 406 patients with available data reported at least mild depression, as did 116 (33%) of 347 patients at 12 months; this depression was mainly due to somatic rather than cognitive-affective symptoms. Depressive symptoms were common even among individuals without a history of depression (as reported by a proxy), occurring in 76 (30%) of 255 patients with data at 3 months and 62 (29%) of 217 individuals at 12 months. Only 7% of patients (27 of 415 at 3 months and 24 of 361 at 12 months) had symptoms consistent with post-traumatic distress disorder. Disabilities in basic activities of daily living (ADL) were present in 139 (32%) of 428 patients at 3 months and 102 (27%) of 374 at 12 months, as were disabilities in instrumental ADL in 108 (26%) of 422 individuals at 3 months and 87 (23%) of 372 at 12 months. Mental health and functional difficulties were prevalent in patients of all ages. Although old age was frequently associated with mental health problems and functional disabilities, we observed no consistent association between the presence of delirium and these outcomes.

INTERPRETATION

Poor mental health and functional disability is common in patients treated in intensive-care units. Depression is five times more common than is post-traumatic distress disorder after critical illness and is driven by somatic symptoms, suggesting approaches targeting physical rather than cognitive causes could benefit patients leaving critical care.

FUNDING

National Institutes of Health AG027472 and the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System.

Feasibility and safety of early combined cognitive and physical therapy for critically ill medical and surgical patients: the Activity and Cognitive Therapy in ICU (ACT-ICU) trial

PURPOSE

Cognitive impairment after critical illness is common and debilitating. We developed a cognitive therapy program for critically ill patients and assessed the feasibility and safety of administering combined cognitive and physical therapy early during a critical illness.

METHODS

We randomized 87 medical and surgical ICU patients with respiratory failure and/or shock in a 1:1:2 manner to three groups: usual care, early once-daily physical therapy, or early once-daily physical therapy plus a novel, progressive, twice-daily cognitive therapy protocol. Cognitive therapy included orientation, memory, attention, and problem-solving exercises, and other activities. We assessed feasibility outcomes of the early cognitive plus physical therapy intervention. At 3 months, we also assessed cognitive, functional, and health-related quality of life outcomes. Data are presented as median (interquartile range) or frequency (%).

RESULTS

Early cognitive therapy was a delivered to 41/43 (95%) of cognitive plus physical therapy patients on 100% (92-100%) of study days beginning 1.0 (1.0-1.0) day following enrollment. Physical therapy was received by 17/22 (77%) of usual care patients, by 21/22 (95%) of physical therapy only patients, and 42/43 (98%) of cognitive plus physical therapy patients on 17% (10-26%), 67% (46-87%), and 75% (59-88%) of study days, respectively. Cognitive, functional, and health-related quality of life outcomes did not differ between groups at 3-month follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study demonstrates that early rehabilitation can be extended beyond physical therapy to include cognitive therapy. Future work to determine optimal patient selection, intensity of treatment, and benefits of cognitive therapy in the critically ill is needed.

Validation of the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit in older emergency department patients

OBJECTIVES

In the emergency department (ED), health care providers miss delirium approximately 75% of the time, because they do not routinely screen for this syndrome. The Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) is a brief (<1 minute) delirium assessment that may be feasible for use in the ED. The study objective was to determine its validity and reliability in older ED patients.

METHODS

In this prospective observational cohort study, patients aged 65 years or older were enrolled at an academic, tertiary care ED from July 2009 to February 2012. An emergency physician (EP) and research assistants (RAs) performed the CAM-ICU. The reference standard for delirium was a comprehensive (~30 minutes) psychiatrist assessment using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision criteria. All assessments were blinded to each other and were conducted within 3 hours. Sensitivities, specificities, and likelihood ratios were calculated for both the EP and the RAs using the psychiatrist's assessment as the reference standard. Kappa values between the EP and RAs were also calculated to measure reliability.

RESULTS

Of 406 patients enrolled, 50 (12.3%) had delirium. The median age was 73.5 years old (interquartile range [IQR] = 69 to 80 years), 202 (49.8%) were female, and 57 (14.0%) were nonwhite. The CAM-ICU's sensitivities were 72.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 58.3% to 82.5%) and 68.0% (95% CI = 54.2% to 79.2%) in the EP and RAs, respectively. The CAM-ICU's specificity was 98.6% (95% CI = 96.8% to 99.4%) for both raters. The negative likelihood ratios (LR-) were 0.28 (95% CI = 0.18 to 0.44) and 0.32 (95% CI = 0.22 to 0.49) in the EP and RAs, respectively. The positive likelihood ratios (LR+) were 51.3 (95% CI = 21.1 to 124.5) and 48.4 (95% CI = 19.9 to 118.0), respectively. The kappa between the EP and RAs was 0.92 (95% CI = 0.85 to 0.98), indicating excellent interobserver reliability.

CONCLUSIONS

In older ED patients, the CAM-ICU is highly specific, and a positive test is nearly diagnostic for delirium when used by both the EP and RAs. However, the CAM-ICU's sensitivity was modest, and a negative test decreased the likelihood of delirium by a small amount. The consequences of a false-negative CAM-ICU are unknown and deserve further study.