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Cai AG, Zocchi MS, Carlson JN, Bedolla J, Pines JM. Implementation of an emergency department back pain clinical management tool on the early diagnosis and testing of spinal epidural abscess. Acad Emerg Med 2023; 30:995-1001. [PMID: 37326026 DOI: 10.1111/acem.14765] [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: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare, catastrophic condition for which diagnostic delays are common. Our national group develops evidence-based guidelines, known as clinical management tools (CMT), to reduce high-risk misdiagnoses. We study whether implementation of our back pain CMT improved SEA diagnostic timeliness and testing rates in the emergency department (ED). METHODS We conducted a retrospective observational study before and after implementation of a nontraumatic back pain CMT for SEA in a national group. Outcomes included diagnostic timeliness and test utilization. We used regression analysis to compare differences before (January 2016-June 2017) and after (January 2018-December 2019) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) clustered by facility. We graphed monthly testing rates. RESULTS In 59 EDs, pre versus post periods included 141,273 (4.8%) versus 192,244 (4.5%) back pain visits and 188 versus 369 SEA visits, respectively. After implementation, SEA visits with prior related visits were unchanged (12.2% vs. 13.3%, difference +1.0%, 95% CI -4.5% to 6.5%). Mean number of days to diagnosis decreased but not significantly (15.2 days vs. 11.9 days, difference -3.3 days, 95% CI -7.1 to 0.6 days). Back pain visits receiving CT (13.7% vs. 21.1%, difference +7.3%, 95% CI 6.1% to 8.6%) and MRI (2.9% vs. 4.4%, difference +1.4%, 95% CI 1.0% to 1.9%) increased. Spine X-rays decreased (22.6% vs. 20.5%, difference 2.1%, 95% CI -4.3% to 0.1%). Back pain visits receiving erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive protein increased (1.9% vs. 3.5%, difference +1.6%, 95% CI 1.3% to 1.9%). CONCLUSIONS Back pain CMT implementation was associated with an increased rate of recommended imaging and laboratory testing in back pain. There was no associated reduction in the proportion of SEA cases with a related prior visit or time to SEA diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela G Cai
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- US Acute Care Solutions, Canton, Ohio, USA
| | - Mark S Zocchi
- Department of Health Policy, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jestin N Carlson
- US Acute Care Solutions, Canton, Ohio, USA
- Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John Bedolla
- US Acute Care Solutions, Canton, Ohio, USA
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Jesse M Pines
- US Acute Care Solutions, Canton, Ohio, USA
- Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Harrison J. A scoping review exploring the confidence of healthcare professionals in assessing all skin tones. Br Paramed J 2023; 8:18-28. [PMID: 37674918 PMCID: PMC10477824 DOI: 10.29045/14784726.2023.9.8.2.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Health inequalities and poorer outcomes have been identified for patients with dark skin tones. The reasons are multi-factorial, but may include delayed treatment due to a lack of recognition of early clinical signs of physiological deterioration. Within the medical literature there is a light skin tone bias, leading to healthcare professionals having insufficient knowledge regarding the assessment of patients with different skin tones, which may result in reduced confidence and create patient safety issues. The aim of this scoping review was to explore the confidence levels of healthcare professionals when assessing patients of different skin tones. Methods The methodology followed scoping review frameworks set out by Arksey and O'Malley (2005), the Joanna Briggs Institute (Peters et al., 2020) and the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) (Tricco et al., 2018). Searches for literature were performed between February and June 2022 using electronic databases EBSCO (Academic Search Complete, the Allied Complementary Medicine Database, e-journals, MEDLINE, CINAHL), British Nursing Index (ProQuest), Scopus, Web of Science, Zetoc, UpToDate, Google Scholar, NICE Evidence, ResearchGate, Opengrey and the British Association of Dermatologists. No date range was specified, expanders were left on and the findings were screened using inclusion and exclusion criteria. Included papers were synthesised using narrative synthesis. Results Thirteen papers were identified, and the extracted data charted by the paper's origin, sample size, profession and confidence levels. Our synthesis revealed reduced confidence in assessing, managing and diagnosing skin conditions in dark skin tones. A lack of training was cited by different health professionals, but undertaking tailored training and experiential learning increased confidence. Conclusions There is a safety issue for patients with dark skin tones, as healthcare professionals lack clinical confidence in managing and treating all ethnicities equally. Tangible diversity within healthcare training is required, supported by inclusive skin tone imagery and appropriate terminology within medical literature.
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Davis J, Sanchez LD, Jarman AF, Macias-Konstantopoulos W, Newberry J, Patel S, Hess E, Burner E. 2022 consensus conference on diversity, equity, and inclusion: Developing an emergency medicine research agenda for addressing racism through health care research. Acad Emerg Med 2023; 30:731-741. [PMID: 37078910 PMCID: PMC10467350 DOI: 10.1111/acem.14742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Racism in emergency medicine (EM) health care research is pervasive but often underrecognized. To understand the current state of research on racism in EM health care research, we developed a consensus working group on this topic, which concluded a year of work with a consensus-building session as part of the overall Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) consensus conference on diversity, equity, and inclusion: "Developing a Research Agenda for Addressing Racism in Emergency Medicine," held on May 10, 2022. In this article, we report the development, details of preconference methods and preliminary results, and the final consensus of the Healthcare Research Working Group. Preconference work based on literature review and expert opinion identified 13 potential priority research questions that were refined through an iterative process to a list of 10. During the conference, the subgroup used consensus methodology and a "consensus dollar" (contingent valuation) approach to prioritize research questions. The subgroup identified three research gaps: remedies for racial bias and systematic racism, biases and heuristics in clinical care, and racism in study design, and we derived a list of six high-priority research questions for our specialty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Davis
- University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita, Kansas, USA
| | - Leon D Sanchez
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Angela F Jarman
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | | | - Jennifer Newberry
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Shama Patel
- Department of Emergency Medicine University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Erik Hess
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Elizabeth Burner
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Kek School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Gilmore CM, Lee GC, Schmidt S, Frei CR. Antibiotic prescribing by age, sex, race, and ethnicity for patients admitted to the hospital with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) in the All of Us database. J Clin Transl Sci 2023; 7:e132. [PMID: 37396811 PMCID: PMC10308426 DOI: 10.1017/cts.2023.567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose To assess the proportion of inpatients who received guideline-concordant antibiotics for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) in special populations of the All of Us database. Background CABP contributes significantly to healthcare burden worldwide. The American Thoracic Society and Infectious Disease Society of America jointly published guidelines for the treatment of CABP. Guideline-concordant antibiotics for CABP are associated with better patient and cost outcomes. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with pneumonia (n = 1608; SNOMED 233604007) from 10/1/2018 to 1/01/22 in the All of Us database. Cases were excluded for treatment setting other than inpatient, prior (within 90 days) pneumonia, receipt of intravenous antibiotics, respiratory isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and/or other non-community-acquired types of pneumonia. Patients were grouped based on patient age, sex, race, and ethnicity. The proportion of patients on guideline-concordant therapy was compared within groups using chi-square statistics. Significant associations were assessed using multivariate logistic regression models. Results A total of 1608 cases were included, and 45% of these patients received guideline-concordant antibiotics. Non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients vs. Black patients were associated with a 36% higher likelihood for receiving guideline-concordant antibiotics (adjusted OR, 1.36; 95% CI 1.02-1.81), whereas NHW vs. Hispanic patients were associated with a 34% lower likelihood for receiving guideline-concordant antibiotics (aOR 0.66; 0.48-0.91). Conclusion Black patients with CABP in the All of Us database were less likely to receive guideline-concordant antibiotics, and Hispanic patients were more likely to receive guideline-concordant antibiotics, than NHW patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corbyn M. Gilmore
- Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Grace C. Lee
- Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, San Antonio, TX, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Susanne Schmidt
- Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Christopher R. Frei
- Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, San Antonio, TX, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, USA
- University Hospital, San Antonio, TX, USA
- School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Houston, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Jarman AF, Hwang AC, Schleimer JP, Fontenette RW, Mumma BE. Racial Disparities in Opioid Analgesia Administration Among Adult Emergency Department Patients with Abdominal Pain. West J Emerg Med 2022; 23:826-831. [PMID: 36409944 PMCID: PMC9683779 DOI: 10.5811/westjem.2022.8.55750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Racial disparities in pain management have been reported among emergency department (ED) patients. In this study we evaluated the association between patients' self-identified race/ethnicity and the administration of opioid analgesia among ED patients with abdominal pain, the most common chief complaint for ED presentations in the United States. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study of adult (age ≥18 years) patients who presented to the ED of a single center with abdominal pain from January 1, 2019-December 31, 2020. We collected demographic and clinical information, including patients' race and ethnicity, from the electronic health record. The primary outcome was the ED administration of any opioid analgesic (binary). Secondary outcomes included the administration of non-opioid analgesia (binary) and administration of any analgesia (binary). We used logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (OR) of the association between a patient's race/ethnicity and analgesia administration. Covariates included age, sex, initial pain score, Emergency Severity Index, and ED visits in the prior 30 days. Subgroup analyses were performed in non-pregnant patients, those who underwent any imaging study, were admitted to the hospital, and who underwent surgery within 24 hours of ED arrival. RESULTS We studied 7,367 patients: 45% (3,314) were non-Hispanic (NH) White; 28% (2,092) were Hispanic/Latinx; 19% (1,384) were NH Black, and 8% (577) were Asian. Overall, 44% (3,207) of patients received opioid analgesia. In multivariable regression models, non-White patients were less likely to receive opioid analgesia compared with White patients (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.65-0.83 for Hispanic/Latinx patients; OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.54-0.72 for Black patients; and OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.52-0.78 for Asian patients). Black patients were also less likely to receive non-opioid analgesia, and Black and Hispanic/Latinx patients were less likely than White patients to receive any analgesia. The associations were similar across subgroups; however, the association was attenuated among patients who underwent surgery within 24 hours of ED arrival. CONCLUSION Hispanic/Latinx, Black, and Asian patients were significantly less likely to receive opioid analgesia than White patients when presenting to the ED with abdominal pain. Black patients were also less likely than White patients to receive non-opioid analgesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela F. Jarman
- University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Davis, California
| | - Alexander C. Hwang
- University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Davis, California
- David Grant Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, California
| | - Julia P. Schleimer
- University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Violence Prevention Research Program, Department of Emergency Medicine, Davis, California
- University of California, Davis, University of California Firearm Violence Research Center, Davis, California
| | - Roderick W. Fontenette
- University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Davis, California
- David Grant Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, California
| | - Bryn E. Mumma
- University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Davis, California
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Corica B, Tartaglia F, D'Amico T, Romiti GF, Cangemi R. Sex and gender differences in community-acquired pneumonia. Intern Emerg Med 2022; 17:1575-1588. [PMID: 35852675 PMCID: PMC9294783 DOI: 10.1007/s11739-022-02999-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Awareness of the influence of sex ands gender on the natural history of several diseases is increasing. Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the most common acute respiratory disease, and it is associated with both morbidity and mortality across all age groups. Although a role for sex- and gender-based differences in the development and associated complications of CAP has been postulated, there is currently high uncertainty on the actual contribution of these factors in the epidemiology and clinical course of CAP. More evidence has been produced on the topic during the last decades, and sex- and gender-based differences have also been extensively studied in COVID-19 patients since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This review aims to provide an extensive outlook of the role of sex and gender in the epidemiology, pathogenesis, treatment, and outcomes of patients with CAP, and on the future research scenarios, with also a specific focus on COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernadette Corica
- Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza-University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00162, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Tartaglia
- Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza-University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00162, Rome, Italy
| | - Tania D'Amico
- Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza-University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00162, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulio Francesco Romiti
- Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza-University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00162, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Cangemi
- Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza-University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00162, Rome, Italy.
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