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Ge H, Li S, Ma Q. Validation of a checklist to facilitate serious illness conversations in adult emergency in China: a single-centre pilot study. BMC Emerg Med 2024; 24:144. [PMID: 39112958 PMCID: PMC11304814 DOI: 10.1186/s12873-024-01065-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Advances in emergency and critical care have improved outcomes, but gaps in communication and decision-making persist, especially in the emergency department (ED), prompting the development of a checklist to aid in serious illness conversations (SIC) in China. METHODS This was a single-centre prospective interventional study on the quality improvement of SIC for life-sustaining treatment (LST). The study recruited patients consecutively for both its observational baseline and interventional stages until its conclusion. Eligible participants were adults over 18 years old admitted to the Emergency Intensive Care Unit (EICU) of a tertiary teaching hospital, possessing full decisional capacity or having a legal proxy. Exclusions were made for pregnant women, patients deceased upon arrival, those who refused participation, and individuals with incomplete data for analysis. First, a two-round Delphi process was organized to identify major elements and generate a standard process through a checklist. Subsequently, the efficacy of SIC in adult patients admitted to the EICU was compared using the Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS) score before (baseline group) and after (intervention group) implementing the checklist. RESULTS The study participants presented with the most common comorbidities, such as diabetes, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, moderate-to-severe renal disease, congestive heart failure, and chronic pulmonary disease. The median Charlson Index did not differ between the baseline and intervention cohorts. The median length of hospital stay was 11.0 days, and 82.9% of patients survived until hospital discharge. The total DCS score was lower in the intervention group than in the baseline group. Three subscales, including the informed, values clarity, and support subscales, demonstrated significant differences between the intervention and baseline groups. Fewer intervention group patients agreed with and changed their minds about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compared to the baseline group. CONCLUSION The use of a SIC checklist in the EICU reduced the DCS score by increasing medical information disclosure, patient value awareness, and decision-making support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxia Ge
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, No. 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District 100191, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shu Li
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, No. 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District 100191, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qingbian Ma
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, No. 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District 100191, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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Serra S, Spampinato MD, Riccardi A, Guarino M, Fabbri A, Orsi L, De Iaco F. Pain Management at the End of Life in the Emergency Department: A Narrative Review of the Literature and a Practical Clinical Approach. J Clin Med 2023; 12:4357. [PMID: 37445392 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12134357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Access to pain management is a fundamental human right for all people, including those who are at the end of life (EOL). In end-stage patients, severe and uncontrolled pain is a common cause of admission to the emergency department (ED), and its treatment is challenging due to its complex, often multifactorial genesis. The aim of this narrative review was to identify the available literature on the management of severe EOL pain in the ED. The MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases were searched from inception to 1 April 2023 including randomised controlled trials, observational studies, systemic or narrative reviews, case reports, and guidelines on the management of EOL pain in the ED. A total of 532 articles were identified, and 9 articles were included (5 narrative reviews, 2 retrospective studies, and 2 prospective studies). Included studies were heterogeneous on the scales used and recommended for pain assessment and the recommended treatments. No study provided evidence for a better approach for EOL patients with pain in the ED. We provide a narrative summary of the findings and a review of the management of EOL pain in clinical practice, including (i) the identification of the EOL patients and unmet palliative care needs, (ii) a multidimensional, patient-centred assessment of the type and severity of pain, (iii) a multidisciplinary approach to the management of end-of-life pain, including an overview of non-pharmacological and pharmacological techniques; and (iv) the management of special situations, including rapid acute deterioration of chronic pain, breakthrough pain, and sedative palliation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sossio Serra
- Emergency Department, Maurizio Bufalini Hospital, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | | | | | - Mario Guarino
- UOC MEU Ospedale CTO-AORN dei Colli Napoli, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Andrea Fabbri
- Emergency Department, AUSL Romagna, Presidio Ospedaliero Morgagni-Pierantoni, 47121 Forlì, Italy
| | - Luciano Orsi
- Palliative Care Physician and Scientific Director of "Rivista Italiane di Cure Palliative", 26013 Crema, Italy
| | - Fabio De Iaco
- Struttura Complessa di Medicina di Emergenza Urgenza Ospedale Maria Vittoria, ASL Città di Torino, 10144 Torino, Italy
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Huh JY, Matsuoka Y, Kinoshita H, Ikenoue T, Yamamoto Y, Ariyoshi K. Premorbid Clinical Frailty Score and 30-day mortality among older adults in the emergency department. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open 2022; 3:e12677. [PMID: 35224550 PMCID: PMC8847731 DOI: 10.1002/emp2.12677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The association between frailty and short-term prognosis has not been established in critically ill older adults presenting to the emergency department. We sought to examine the association between premorbid frailty and 30-day mortality in this patient population. METHODS This is a retrospective observational study on older adults aged over 75 who were triaged as Level 1 resuscitation with subsequent admissions to intermediate units or intensive care units (ICUs) in a single critical care center, from January to December 2019. We excluded patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest or those transferred from other hospitals. Frailty was evaluated by the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) from the patients' chart reviews. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality, and we examined the association between frailty scored on the CFS and 30-day mortality using a multivariable logistic regression model with CFS 1-4 as a reference. RESULTS A total of 544 patients, median age: 82 years (interquartile rang 78 to 87), were included in the study. Of these, 29% were in shock and 33% were in respiratory failure. The overall 30-day mortality was 15.1%. The adjusted risk difference (95% confidence interval [CI]) in mortality for CFS 5, CFS 6, and CFS 7-9 was 6.3% (-3.4 to 15.9), 11.2% (0.4 to 22.0), and 17.7% (5.3 to 30.1), respectively; and the adjusted risk ratio (95% CI) was 1.45 (0.87 to 2.41), 1.85 (1.13 to 3.03), and 2.44 (1.50 to 3.96), respectively. CONCLUSION The risk of 30-day mortality increased as frailty advanced in critically ill older adults. Given this high risk of short-term outcomes, ED clinicians should consider goals of care conversations carefully to avoid unwanted medical care for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Young Huh
- Department of Emergency MedicineKobe City Medical Center General HospitalKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Yoshinori Matsuoka
- Department of Emergency MedicineKobe City Medical Center General HospitalKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
- Department of Healthcare EpidemiologyGraduate School of Medicine and Public HealthKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Hiroki Kinoshita
- Department of Emergency MedicineKobe City Medical Center General HospitalKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Tatsuyoshi Ikenoue
- Department of Human Health ScienceGraduate School of MedicineKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Yosuke Yamamoto
- Department of Healthcare EpidemiologyGraduate School of Medicine and Public HealthKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Koichi Ariyoshi
- Department of Emergency MedicineKobe City Medical Center General HospitalKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
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Hsu HS, Wu TH, Lin CY, Lin CC, Chen TP, Lin WY. Enhanced home palliative care could reduce emergency department visits due to non-organic dyspnea among cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Palliat Care 2021; 20:42. [PMID: 33714277 PMCID: PMC7956106 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-021-00713-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Dyspnea is a common trigger of emergency department visits among terminally ill and cancer patients. Frequent emergency department (ED) visits at the end of life are an indicator of poor-quality care. We examined emergency department visit rates due to dyspnea symptoms among palliative patients under enhanced home palliative care. Methods Our home palliative care team is responsible for patient management by palliative care specialists, residents, home care nurses, social workers, and chaplains. We enhanced home palliative care visits from 5 days a week to 7 days a week, corresponding to one to two extra visits per week based on patient needs, to develop team-based medical services and formulate standard operating procedures for dyspnea care. Results Our team cared for a total of 762 patients who exhibited 512 ED visits, 178 of which were due to dyspnea (mean ± SD age, 70.4 ± 13.0 years; 49.4% male). Dyspnea (27.8%) was the most common reason recorded for ED visits, followed by pain (19.0%), GI symptoms (15.7%), and fever (15.3%). The analysis of Group A versus Group B revealed that the proportion of nonfamily workers (42.9% vs. 19.4%) and family members (57.1% vs. 80.6%) acting as caregivers differed significantly (P < 0.05). Compared to the ED visits of the Group A, the risk was decreased by 30.7% in the Group B (P < 0.05). Conclusions This study proves that enhanced home palliative care with two additional days per week and formulated standard operating procedures for dyspnea could significantly reduce the rate of ED visits due to non-organic dyspnea during the last 6 months of life. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-021-00713-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua-Shui Hsu
- Department of Family Medicine and Social Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Family Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Palliative Medicine, China Medicinal University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Hsien Wu
- Department of Family Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Yu Lin
- Department of Nursing, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Chun Lin
- Department of Family Medicine and Social Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Family Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Palliative Medicine, China Medicinal University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Po Chen
- Department of Family Medicine and Social Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Family Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Palliative Medicine, China Medicinal University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Yuan Lin
- Department of Family Medicine and Social Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. .,Department of Family Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. .,Department of Palliative Medicine, China Medicinal University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
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Savioli G, Ceresa IF, Novara E, Persiano T, Grulli F, Ricevuti G, Bressan MA, Oddone E. Brief intensive observation areas in the management of acute heart failure in elderly patients leading to high stabilisation rate and less admissions. JOURNAL OF GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS 2021. [DOI: 10.36150/2499-6564-446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Brooten JK, Buckenheimer AS, Hallmark JK, Grey CR, Cline DM, Breznau CJ, McQueen TS, Harris ZJ, Welsh D, Williamson JD, Gabbard JL. Risky Behavior: Hospital Transfers Associated with Early Mortality and Rates of Goals of Care Discussions. West J Emerg Med 2020; 21:935-942. [PMID: 32726267 PMCID: PMC7390558 DOI: 10.5811/westjem.2020.5.46067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Inter-hospital transfer (IHT) patients have higher in-hospital mortality, higher healthcare costs, and worse outcomes compared to non-transferred patients. Goals of care (GoC) discussions prior to transfer are necessary in patients at high risk for decline to ensure that the intended outcome of transfer is goal concordant. However, the frequency of these discussions is not well understood. This study was intended to assess the prevalence of GoC discussions in IHT patients with early mortality, defined as death within 72 hours of transfer, and prevalence of primary diagnoses associated with in-hospital mortality. Methods This was a retrospective study of IHT patients aged 18 and older who died within 72 hours of transfer to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center between October 1, 2016-October 2018. Documentation of GoC discussions within the electronic health record (EHR) prior to transfer was the primary outcome. We also assessed charts for primary diagnosis associated with in-hospital mortality, code status changes prior to death, in-hospital healthcare interventions, and frequency of palliative care consults. Results We included in this study a total of 298 patients, of whom only 10.1% had documented GoC discussion prior to transfer. Sepsis (29.9%), respiratory failure (28.2%), and cardiac arrest (27.5%) were the top three diagnoses associated with in-hospital mortality, and 73.2% of the patients transitioned to comfort measures prior to death. After transfer, 18.1% of patients had invasive procedures performed with 9.7% undergoing major surgery. Palliative care consultation occurred in only 4.4%. Conclusion The majority (89.9%) of IHT patients with early mortality did not have GoC discussion documented within EHR prior to transfer, although most transitioned to comfort measures prior to their deaths, highlighting that additional work is needed in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin K Brooten
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.,Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Alyssa S Buckenheimer
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Section on General Internal Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Joy K Hallmark
- University of North Carolina, Department of Emergency Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Carl R Grey
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - David M Cline
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Candace J Breznau
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Tyler S McQueen
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Zvi J Harris
- Wake Forest Graduate School of Arts and Science, Department of Biomedical Science, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - David Welsh
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Jeff D Williamson
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.,Wake Forest School of Medicine, Center for Health Care Innovation, Department of Internal Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Jennifer L Gabbard
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.,Wake Forest School of Medicine, Center for Health Care Innovation, Department of Internal Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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