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Hamilton MP, Bellolio F, Jeffery MM, Bower SM, Palmer AK, Tung EE, Mullan AF, Carpenter CR, Oliveira J E Silva L. Risk of falls is associated with 30-day mortality among older adults in the emergency department. Am J Emerg Med 2024; 79:122-126. [PMID: 38422753 PMCID: PMC11016374 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2024.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Falls in older adults correlate with heightened morbidity and mortality. Assessing fall risk in the emergency department (ED) not only aids in identifying candidates for prevention interventions but may also offer insights into overall mortality risk. We sought to examine the link between fall risk and 30-day mortality in older ED adults. METHODS Observational cohort study of adults aged ≥ 75years who presented to an academic ED and who were assessed for fall risk using the Memorial Emergency Department Fall Risk Assessment Tool (MEDFRAT), a validated, ED-specific screening tool. The fall risk was classified as low (0-2 points), moderate (3-4 points), or high (≥5) risk. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. RESULTS A total of 941 patients whose fall risk was assessed in the ED were included in the study. Median age was 83.7 years; 45.6% were male, 75.6% lived in private residences, and 62.7% were admitted. Mortality at 30 days among the high fall risk group was four times that of the low fall risk group (11.8% vs 3.1%; HR 4.00, 95% CI 2.18 to 7.34, p < 0.001). Moderate fall risk individuals had nearly double the mortality rate of the low-risk group (6.0% vs 3.1%), but the difference was not statistically significant (HR 1.98, 95% CI 0.91 to 4.32, p = 0.087). CONCLUSION ED fall risk assessments are linked to 30-day mortality. Screening may facilitate the stratification of older adults at risk for health deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fernanda Bellolio
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Community Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care, Section of Senior Services and Geriatric Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Division of Health Care Delivery Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
| | - Molly M Jeffery
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Division of Health Care Delivery Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Susan M Bower
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Department of Nursing, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Allyson K Palmer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Community Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care, Section of Senior Services and Geriatric Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Hospital Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ericka E Tung
- Department of Medicine, Division of Community Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care, Section of Senior Services and Geriatric Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Aidan F Mullan
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Division of Biostatistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Christopher R Carpenter
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Community Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care, Section of Senior Services and Geriatric Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Lucas Oliveira J E Silva
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Department of Emergency Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Filiatreault S, Kreindler SA, Grimshaw JM, Chochinov A, Doupe MB. Developing a set of emergency department performance measures to evaluate delirium care quality for older adults: a modified e-Delphi study. BMC Emerg Med 2024; 24:28. [PMID: 38360551 PMCID: PMC10868025 DOI: 10.1186/s12873-024-00947-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Older adults are at high risk of developing delirium in the emergency department (ED); however, it is under-recognized in routine clinical care. Lack of detection and treatment is associated with poor outcomes, such as mortality. Performance measures (PMs) are needed to identify variations in quality care to help guide improvement strategies. The purpose of this study is to gain consensus on a set of quality statements and PMs that can be used to evaluate delirium care quality for older ED patients. METHODS A 3-round modified e-Delphi study was conducted with ED clinical experts. In each round, participants rated quality statements according to the concepts of importance and actionability, then their associated PMs according to the concept of necessity (1-9 Likert scales), with the ability to comment on each. Consensus and stability were evaluated using a priori criteria using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data was examined to identify themes within and across quality statements and PMs, which went through a participant validation exercise in the final round. RESULTS Twenty-two experts participated, 95.5% were from west or central Canada. From 10 quality statements and 24 PMs, consensus was achieved for six quality statements and 22 PMs. Qualitative data supported justification for including three quality statements and one PM that achieved consensus slightly below a priori criteria. Three overarching themes emerged from the qualitative data related to quality statement actionability. Nine quality statements, nine structure PMs, and 14 process PMs are included in the final set, addressing four areas of delirium care: screening, diagnosis, risk reduction and management. CONCLUSION Results provide a set of quality statements and PMs that are important, actionable, and necessary to a diverse group of clinical experts. To our knowledge, this is the first known study to develop a de novo set of guideline-based quality statements and PMs to evaluate the quality of delirium care older adults receive in the ED setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Filiatreault
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 750 Bannatyne Ave, Winnipeg, MB, R3E0W2, Canada.
| | - Sara A Kreindler
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 750 Bannatyne Ave, Winnipeg, MB, R3E0W2, Canada
| | - Jeremy M Grimshaw
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, K1H8L6, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Alecs Chochinov
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 750 Bannatyne Ave, Winnipeg, MB, R3E0W2, Canada
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 750 Bannatyne Ave, Winnipeg, MB, R3E0W2, Canada
| | - Malcolm B Doupe
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 750 Bannatyne Ave, Winnipeg, MB, R3E0W2, Canada
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 750 Bannatyne Ave, Winnipeg, MB, R3E0W2, Canada
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Savioli G, Ceresa IF, Bressan MA, Bavestrello Piccini G, Novelli V, Cutti S, Ricevuti G, Esposito C, Longhitano Y, Piccioni A, Boudi Z, Venturi A, Fuschi D, Voza A, Leo R, Bellou A, Oddone E. Geriatric Population Triage: The Risk of Real-Life Over- and Under-Triage in an Overcrowded ED: 4- and 5-Level Triage Systems Compared: The CREONTE (Crowding and R E Organization National TriagE) Study. J Pers Med 2024; 14:195. [PMID: 38392628 PMCID: PMC10890089 DOI: 10.3390/jpm14020195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Elderly patients, when they present to the emergency department (ED) or are admitted to the hospital, are at higher risk of adverse outcomes such as higher mortality and longer hospital stays. This is mainly due to their age and their increased fragility. In order to minimize this already increased risk, adequate triage is of foremost importance for fragile geriatric (>75 years old) patients who present to the ED. The admissions of elderly patients from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020 were examined, taking into consideration the presence of two different triage systems, a 4-level (4LT) and a 5-level (5LT) triage system. This study analyzes the difference in wait times and under- (UT) and over-triage (OT) in geriatric and general populations with two different triage models. Another outcome of this study was the analysis of the impact of crowding and its variables on the triage system during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 423,257 ED presentations were included. An increase in admissions of geriatric, more fragile, and seriously ill individuals was observed, and a progressive increase in crowding was simultaneously detected. Geriatric patients, when presenting to the emergency department, are subject to the problems of UT and OT in both a 4LT system and a 5LT system. Several indicators and variables of crowding increased, with a net increase in throughput and output factors, notably the length of stay (LOS), exit block, boarding, and processing times. This in turn led to an increase in wait times and an increase in UT in the geriatric population. It has indeed been shown that an increase in crowding results in an increased risk of UT, and this is especially true for 4LT compared to 5LT systems. When observing the pandemic period, an increase in admissions of older and more serious patients was observed. However, in the pandemic period, a general reduction in waiting times was observed, as well as an increase in crowding indices and intrahospital mortality. This study demonstrates how introducing a 5LT system enables better flow and patient care in an ED. Avoiding UT of geriatric patients, however, remains a challenge in EDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Savioli
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Surgery, IRCCS Fondanzione Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Iride Francesca Ceresa
- Emergency Department, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta Bressan
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Surgery, IRCCS Fondanzione Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Viola Novelli
- Medical Direction, IRCCS Fondanzione Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Sara Cutti
- Medical Direction, IRCCS Fondanzione Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Ciro Esposito
- Nephrology and Dialysis Unit, ICS Maugeri, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Yaroslava Longhitano
- Residency Program in Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Piccioni
- Emergency Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Zoubir Boudi
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Dr Sulaiman Alhabib Hospital, Dubai 2542, United Arab Emirates
| | - Alessandro Venturi
- Department of Political and Social Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Bureau of the Presidency, IRCCS Fondanzione Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Damiano Fuschi
- Department of Italian and Supranational Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Voza
- Emergency Department, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Leo
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Abdelouahab Bellou
- Global Network on Emergency Medicine, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Institute of Sciences in Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Enrico Oddone
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Occupational Medicine Unit (UOOML), ICS Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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Bonfichi A, Ceresa IF, Piccioni A, Zanza C, Longhitano Y, Boudi Z, Esposito C, Savioli G. A Lethal Combination of Delirium and Overcrowding in the Emergency Department. J Clin Med 2023; 12:6587. [PMID: 37892725 PMCID: PMC10607343 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12206587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Delirium is a common public health concern that significantly impacts older patients admitted to the Emergency Department (ED). This condition is linked to adverse outcomes such as reduced long-term functionality, higher mortality rates, extended hospital stays, and increased medical costs. The identification of risk factors is crucial for the early recognition and management of delirium in ED patients. Aging, cognitive decline, polypharmacy, and sensory impairment are some of the most common general risk factors described in the literature. Although validated delirium assessment tools already exist, they are not practical for the fast-paced ED environment because of their extended evaluation period or specialized training request. Moreover, clear guidance is needed to select the most suitable tool for detecting delirium, balancing between the accuracy and the swiftness required in an overcrowded, high-stress, and understaffed healthcare setting. This narrative review aims to analyze the updated literature on delirium risk factors in older ED patients and focuses on the methods for better screening, managing, and treating this condition in the ED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Bonfichi
- Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Iride Francesca Ceresa
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Humanitas University-Research Hospital, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (I.F.C.); (Y.L.)
| | - Andrea Piccioni
- Department of Emergency, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, 00168 Roma, Italy;
| | - Christian Zanza
- Italian Society of Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine (SIS-118), 74121 Taranto, Italy;
| | - Yaroslava Longhitano
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Humanitas University-Research Hospital, 20089 Rozzano, Italy; (I.F.C.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Zoubir Boudi
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Dr Sulaiman Alhabib Hospital, Dubai 2542, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Ciro Esposito
- Nephrology and Dialysis Unit, ICS Maugeri, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Gabriele Savioli
- Emergency Medicine and Surgery, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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