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Sørensen MC, Søvsø MB, Christensen EF, Lindskou TA. Critically deviating vital signs among patients with non-specific diagnoses-A register-based historic cohort study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293762. [PMID: 37910584 PMCID: PMC10619789 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One third of ambulance patients receive non-specific diagnoses in hospital. Mortality is 3-4%, however due to the high patient volume this group accounts for 20% of all deaths at day 30. Non-specific diagnoses do not provide much information on causes for death. Vital signs at first contact with ambulance personnel can act as a proxy for the patient's condition. Thus, we aimed to describe the prevalence of abnormal vital signs, as determined by a modified NEWS2, in ambulance patients who received a non-specific hospital diagnosis. Secondly, we examined the association between vital signs, NEWS2 scores, type of non-specific diagnosis, and mortality among these patients. METHODS Register-based historic cohort study of ambulance patients aged 16+ in the North Denmark Region during 2012-2016, who received a non-specific diagnosis (ICD-10 chapters R or Z) at hospital. We used NEWS2 scores to determine if first vital signs were normal or deviating (including critical). Mortality was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier estimator. Association between vital signs and mortality was evaluated by logistic regression. RESULTS We included 41,539 patients, 20.9% (N = 8,691) had normal vital signs, 16.3% (N = 6,766) had incomplete vital sign registration, 62.8% (N = 26,082) had deviating vital signs, and of these 6.8% (N = 1,779) were critical. If vital signs were incompletely registered or deviating, mortality was higher compared to normal vital signs. Patients with critical vital signs displayed the highest crude 48-hour and 30-day mortality (7.0% (5.9-8.3) and 13.4% (11.9-15.1)). Adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidity did not change that pattern. Across all vital sign groups, despite severity, the most frequent diagnosis assigned was Z039 observation for suspected disease or condition unspecified. CONCLUSIONS Most ambulance patients with non-specific diagnoses had normal or non-critical deviating vital signs and low mortality. Around 4% had critical vital signs and high mortality, not explained by age or comorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia Carøe Sørensen
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Erika Frischknecht Christensen
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Emergency and Trauma Care, Clinic of Internal and Emergency Medicine, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Tim Alex Lindskou
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
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Lindskou TA, Ward LM, Søvsø MB, Mogensen ML, Christensen EF. Prehospital Early Warning Scores to Predict Mortality in Patients Using Ambulances. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2328128. [PMID: 37556138 PMCID: PMC10413164 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.28128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Early warning scores (EWSs) are designed for in-hospital use but are widely used in the prehospital field, especially in select groups of patients potentially at high risk. To be useful for paramedics in daily prehospital clinical practice, evaluations are needed of the predictive value of EWSs based on first measured vital signs on scene in large cohorts covering unselected patients using ambulance services. OBJECTIVE To validate EWSs' ability to predict mortality and intensive care unit (ICU) stay in an unselected cohort of adult patients who used ambulances. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This prognostic study conducted a validation based on a cohort of adult patients (aged ≥18 years) who used ambulances in the North Denmark Region from July 1, 2016, to December 31, 2020. EWSs (National Early Warning Score 2 [NEWS2], modified NEWS score without temperature [mNEWS], Quick Sepsis Related Organ Failure Assessment [qSOFA], Rapid Emergency Triage and Treatment System [RETTS], and Danish Emergency Process Triage [DEPT]) were calculated using first vital signs measured by ambulance personnel. Data were analyzed from September 2022 through May 2023. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was 30-day-mortality. Secondary outcomes were 1-day-mortality and ICU admission. Discrimination was assessed using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and area under the precision recall curve (AUPRC). RESULTS There were 107 569 unique patients (52 650 females [48.9%]; median [IQR] age, 65 [45-77] years) from the entire cohort of 219 323 patients who used ambulance services, among whom 119 992 patients (54.7%) had called the Danish national emergency number. NEWS2, mNEWS, RETTS, and DEPT performed similarly concerning 30-day mortality (AUROC range, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.66-0.68] for DEPT to 0.68 [95% CI, 0.68-0.69] for mNEWS), while qSOFA had lower performance (AUROC, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.59-0.60]; P vs other scores < .001). All EWSs had low AUPRCs, ranging from 0.09 (95% CI, 0.09-0.09) for qSOFA to 0.14 (95% CI, 0.13-0.14) for mNEWS.. Concerning 1-day mortality and ICU admission NEWS2, mNEWS, RETTS, and DEPT performed similarly, with AUROCs ranging from 0.72 (95% CI, 0.71-0.73) for RETTS to 0.75 (95% CI, 0.74-0.76) for DEPT in 1-day mortality and 0.66 (95% CI, 0.65-0.67) for RETTS to 0.68 (95% CI, 0.67-0.69) for mNEWS in ICU admission, and all EWSs had low AUPRCs. These ranged from 0.02 (95% CI, 0.02-0.03) for qSOFA to 0.04 (95% CI, 0.04-0.04) for DEPT in 1-day mortality and 0.03 (95% CI, 0.03-0.03) for qSOFA to 0.05 (95% CI, 0.04-0.05) for DEPT in ICU admission. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study found that EWSs in daily clinical use in emergency medical settings performed moderately in the prehospital field among unselected patients who used ambulances when assessed based on initial measurements of vital signs. These findings suggest the need of appropriate triage and early identification of patients at low and high risk with new and better EWSs also suitable for prehospital use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Alex Lindskou
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University Hospital and Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University Hospital and Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Emergency Medical Services, North Denmark Region, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - Erika Frischknecht Christensen
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University Hospital and Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Emergency Medical Services, North Denmark Region, Aalborg, Denmark
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3
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Nielsen VML, Søvsø MB, Kløjgård TA, Skals RG, Corfield AR, Bender L, Lossius HM, Mikkelsen S, Christensen EF. Prehospital vital sign monitoring in paediatric patients: an interregional study of educational interventions. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 2023; 31:4. [PMID: 36639802 PMCID: PMC9839956 DOI: 10.1186/s13049-023-01067-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prehospital vital sign documentation in paediatric patients is incomplete, especially in patients ≤ 2 years. The aim of the study was to increase vital sign registration in paediatric patients through specific educational initiatives. METHODS Prospective quasi-experimental study with interrupted time-series design in the North Denmark and South Denmark regions. The study consecutively included all children aged < 18 years attended by the emergency medical service (EMS) from 1 July 2019 to 31 December 2021. Specific educational initiatives were conducted only in the North Denmark EMS and included video learning and classroom training based on the European Paediatric Advanced Life Support principles. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who had their respiratory rate, peripheral capillary oxygen saturation, heart rate and level of consciousness recorded at least twice. We used a binomial regression model stratified by age groups to compare proportions of the primary outcome in the pre- and post-intervention periods in each region. RESULTS In North Denmark, 7551 patients were included, while 15,585 patients from South Denmark were used as a reference. Virtually all of the North Denmark EMS providers completed the video learning (98.7%). The total study population involved patients aged ≤ 2 months (5.5%), 3-11 months (7.4%), 1-2 years (18.8%), 3-7 years (16.2%) and ≥ 8 years (52.1%). In the intervention region, the primary outcome increased from the pre- to the post-intervention period from 35.3% to 40.5% [95% CI for difference 3.0;7.4]. There were large variations in between age groups with increases from 18.8% to 27.4% [95% CI for difference 5.3;12.0] among patients aged ≤ 2 years, from 33.5% to 43.7% [95% CI for difference 4.9;15.5] among patients aged 3-7 years and an insignificant increase among patients aged ≥ 8 years (from 46.4% to 47.9% [95% CI for difference - 1.7;4.7]). In the region without the specific educational interventions, proportions were steady for all age groups throughout the entire study period. CONCLUSIONS Mandatory educational initiatives for EMS providers were associated with an increase in the extent of vital sign registration in paediatric patients ≤ 7 years. Incomplete vital registration was associated with, but not limited to non-urgent cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vibe Maria Laden Nielsen
- grid.5117.20000 0001 0742 471XCentre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- grid.5117.20000 0001 0742 471XCentre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark ,grid.425870.cPrehospital Emergency Services, Aalborg, North Denmark Region Denmark
| | - Torben Anders Kløjgård
- grid.5117.20000 0001 0742 471XCentre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Regitze Gyldenholm Skals
- grid.27530.330000 0004 0646 7349Unit of Clinical Biostatistics, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Alasdair Ross Corfield
- grid.8756.c0000 0001 2193 314XNational Health Service Greater Glasgow and Clyde, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Lars Bender
- grid.27530.330000 0004 0646 7349Paediatric Department, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Hans Morten Lossius
- grid.18883.3a0000 0001 2299 9255Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Søren Mikkelsen
- grid.7143.10000 0004 0512 5013The Prehospital Research Unit, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Region of Southern Denmark Denmark
| | - Erika Frischknecht Christensen
- grid.5117.20000 0001 0742 471XCentre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark ,grid.425870.cPrehospital Emergency Services, Aalborg, North Denmark Region Denmark
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Lindskou TA, Andersen PJ, Christensen EF, Søvsø MB. More emergency patients presenting with chest pain. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283454. [PMID: 36952460 PMCID: PMC10035919 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Throughout recent years the demand for prehospital emergency care has increased significantly. Non-traumatic chest pain is one of the most frequent complaints. Our aim was to investigate the trend in frequency of the most urgent ambulance patients with chest pain, subsequent acute myocardial infarction (AMI) diagnoses, and 48-hour and 30-day mortality of both groups. METHODS Population-based historic cohort study in the North Denmark Region during 2012-2018 including chest pain patients transported to hospital by highest urgency level ambulance following a 1-1-2 emergency call. Primary diagnoses (ICD-10) were retrieved from the regional Patient Administrative System, and descriptive statistics (distribution, frequency) performed. We evaluated time trends using linear regression, and mortality (48 hours and 30 days) was assessed by the Kaplan Meier estimator. RESULTS We included 18,971 chest pain patients, 33.9% (n = 6,430) were diagnosed with"Diseases of the circulatory system" followed by the non-specific R- (n = 5,288, 27.8%) and Z-diagnoses (n = 3,634; 19.2%). AMI was diagnosed in 1,967 patients (10.4%), most were non-ST-elevation AMI (39.7%). Frequency of chest pain patients and AMI increased 255 and 22 patients per year respectively, whereas the AMI proportion remained statistically stable, with a tendency towards a decrease in the last years. Mortality at 48 hours and day 30 in chest pain patients was 0.7% (95% CI 0.5% to 0.8%) and 2.4% (95% CI 2.1% to 2.6%). CONCLUSIONS The frequency of chest pain patients brought to hospital during 2012-2018 increased. One-tenth were diagnosed with AMI, and the proportion of AMI patients was stable. Almost 1 in of 4 high urgency level ambulances was sent to chest pain patients. Only 1 of 10 patients with chest pain had AMI, and overall mortality was low. Thus, monitoring the number of chest pain patients and AMI diagnoses should be considered to evaluate ambulance utilisation and triage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Alex Lindskou
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - Erika Frischknecht Christensen
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
- Clinic of Internal and Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency and Trauma Care, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
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Ibsen S, Dam-Huus KB, Nickel CH, Christensen EF, Søvsø MB. Diagnoses and mortality among prehospital emergency patients calling 112 with unclear problems: a population-based cohort study from Denmark. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 2022; 30:70. [PMID: 36503609 PMCID: PMC9743502 DOI: 10.1186/s13049-022-01052-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients calling for an emergency ambulance and assessed as presenting with 'unclear problem' account for a considerable part of all emergency calls. Previous studies have demonstrated that these patients are at increased risk for unfavourable outcomes. A deeper insight into the underlying diagnoses and outcomes is essential to improve prehospital treatment. We aimed to investigate which of these diagnoses contributed most to the total burden of diseases in terms of numbers of deaths together with 1- and 30-day mortality. METHODS A historic regional population-based observational cohort study from the years 2016 to 2018. Diagnoses were classified according to the World Health Organisation ICD-10 System (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th edition). The ICD-10 chapters, R ('symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified)' and Z ('factors influencing health status and contact with health services") were combined and designated "non-specific diagnoses". Poisson regression with robust variance estimation was used to estimate proportions of mortality in percentages with 95% confidence intervals, crude and adjusted for age, sex and comorbidities. RESULTS Diagnoses were widespread among the ICD-10 chapters, and the most were 'non-specific diagnoses' (40.4%), 'circulatory diseases' (9.6%), 'injuries and poisonings' (9.4%) and 'respiratory diseases' (6.9%). The diagnoses contributing most to the total burden of deaths (n = 554) within 30 days were 'circulatory diseases' (n = 148, 26%) followed by 'non-specific diagnoses' (n = 88, 16%) 'respiratory diseases' (n = 85, 15%), 'infections' (n = 54, 10%) and 'digestive disease' (n = 39, 7%). Overall mortality was 2.3% (1-day) and 7.1% (30-days). The risk of mortality was highly associated with age. CONCLUSION This study found that almost half of the patients brought to the hospital after calling 112 with an 'unclear problem' were discharged with a 'non-specific diagnosis' which might seem trivial but should be explored more as these contributed the second-highest to the total number of deaths after 30 days only exceeded by 'circulatory diseases'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stine Ibsen
- grid.27530.330000 0004 0646 7349CPER - Centre of Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University Hospital and Institute for Clinical Medicine, Aalborg, Denmark ,grid.460790.c0000 0004 0634 4373Department of Physiotherapy, University College of Northern Denmark, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Karoline Bjerg Dam-Huus
- grid.27530.330000 0004 0646 7349CPER - Centre of Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University Hospital and Institute for Clinical Medicine, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Christian H. Nickel
- grid.410567.1Emergency Department, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Erika Frischknecht Christensen
- grid.27530.330000 0004 0646 7349CPER - Centre of Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University Hospital and Institute for Clinical Medicine, Aalborg, Denmark ,grid.27530.330000 0004 0646 7349Department of Emergency and Trauma Care, Centre for Internal Medicine and Emergency Care, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark ,grid.425870.cPrehospital Emergency Services, North Denmark Region, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- grid.27530.330000 0004 0646 7349CPER - Centre of Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University Hospital and Institute for Clinical Medicine, Aalborg, Denmark ,grid.425870.cPrehospital Emergency Services, North Denmark Region, Aalborg, Denmark
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Poulsen NR, Schougaard LMV, Søvsø MB, Leutscher PDC, Pedersen MK. Patient-reported outcome measures in the emergency department: a scoping review protocol. JBI Evid Synth 2021; 19:3102-3112. [PMID: 34054038 DOI: 10.11124/jbies-20-00532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this scoping review is to identify and characterize validated patient-reported outcome measures used to assess adult patients' health status in the emergency department to support clinical decision-making and to develop individual care and treatment plans. INTRODUCTION In recent years, the workload in emergency departments has increased and patient management is characterized by a fast pace. The accelerated approach may lead to unintentional negligence by health care professionals of patient-reported signs and symptoms in the emergency department. Thus, use of patient-reported outcome measures in the emergency department may improve health care professionals' attention to the needs and health status of patients. INCLUSION CRITERIA Studies assessing adult patients' health status in the emergency department using patient-reported outcome measures will be considered. The patient-reported outcome measures should be self-reported, assisted by a proxy, or administered through interviews. Only studies reporting on the measurement properties of patient-reported outcome measures will be included. Moreover, health-related information retrieved using patient-reported outcome measures should be applicable at an individual patient level. METHODS A systematic literature search will be performed primarily in the databases MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Both published and unpublished sources of information will be considered. Studies published from 2000 onwards in Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, and English will be included. Using the JBI methodology for scoping reviews, two reviewers will independently perform the study selection and data extraction. The results will be presented in a tabular form together with a narrative summary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ninna Rysholt Poulsen
- Centre for Clinical Research, North Denmark Regional Hospital, Hjoerring, Denmark.,Emergency Department, North Denmark Regional Hospital, Hjoerring, Denmark
| | | | - Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Denmark
| | - Peter Derek Christian Leutscher
- Centre for Clinical Research, North Denmark Regional Hospital, Hjoerring, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Denmark
| | - Mona Kyndi Pedersen
- Centre for Clinical Research, North Denmark Regional Hospital, Hjoerring, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Denmark
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Bogh SB, Fløjstrup M, Nissen SK, Hanson S, Bech M, Johnsen SP, Kristensen MR, Laugesen LE, Søndergaard J, Folkestad L, Christensen EF, Henriksen DP, Hsia RY, Graham CA, Lindskou TA, Byg KE, Søvsø MB, Laugesen H, Hallas P, Mikkelsen S, Olsen KR, Thygesen LC, Gamst-Jensen H, Brabrand M. Nationwide study on trends in unplanned hospital attendance and deaths during the 7 weeks after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark. BMJ Qual Saf 2021; 30:986-995. [PMID: 33952687 DOI: 10.1136/bmjqs-2020-012144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The impact of a pandemic on unplanned hospital attendance has not been extensively examined. The aim of this study is to report the nationwide consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on unplanned hospital attendances in Denmark for 7 weeks after a 'shelter at home' order was issued. METHODS We merged data from national registries (Civil Registration System and Patient Registry) to conduct a study of unplanned (excluding outpatient visits and elective surgery) hospital-based healthcare and mortality of all Danes. Using data for 7 weeks after the 'shelter at home' order, the incidence rate of unplanned hospital attendances per week in 2020 was compared with corresponding weeks in 2017-2019. The main outcome was hospital attendances per week as incidence rate ratios. Secondary outcomes were general population mortality and risk of death in-hospital, reported as weekly mortality rate ratios (MRRs). RESULTS From 2 438 286 attendances in the study period, overall unplanned attendances decreased by up to 21%; attendances excluding COVID-19 were reduced by 31%; non-psychiatric by 31% and psychiatric by 30%. Out of the five most common diagnoses expected to remain stable, only schizophrenia and myocardial infarction remained stable, while chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation, hip fracture and urinary tract infection fell significantly. The nationwide general population MRR rose in six of the recorded weeks, while MRR excluding patients who were COVID-19 positive only increased in two. CONCLUSION The COVID-19 pandemic and a governmental national 'shelter at home' order was associated with a marked reduction in unplanned hospital attendances with an increase in MRR for the general population in two of 7 weeks, despite exclusion of patients with COVID-19. The findings should be taken into consideration when planning for public information campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Søren Bie Bogh
- Odense Patient Exploratory Network (OPEN), University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Syddanmark, Denmark
| | - Marianne Fløjstrup
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sydvestjysk Sygehus Esbjerg, Esbjerg, Denmark.,Institute of Regional Health Research, Centre South West Jutland, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark
| | - Søren Kabell Nissen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sydvestjysk Sygehus Esbjerg, Esbjerg, Denmark.,Department of Regional Health Research, Syddansk Universitet, Odense, Syddanmark, Denmark
| | - Stine Hanson
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sydvestjysk Sygehus Esbjerg, Esbjerg, Denmark.,Department of Regional Health Research, Syddansk Universitet, Odense, Syddanmark, Denmark
| | - Mickael Bech
- Management & VIVE Health, VIVE - The Danish Center for Social Science Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren Paaske Johnsen
- Danish Center for Clinical Health Services Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | | | - Jens Søndergaard
- Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, Syddansk Universitet, Odense, Syddanmark, Denmark
| | - Lars Folkestad
- Department of Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Erika Frischknecht Christensen
- Clinic of Internal and Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency and Trauma Care, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.,CPER - Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - Renee Y Hsia
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Colin A Graham
- Accident and Emergency Medicine Academic Unit, Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong
| | - Tim Alex Lindskou
- CPER - Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Keld-Erik Byg
- The Rheumatology Research Unit and Department of Neurology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- CPER - Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Prehospital Emergency Services, North Denmark Region, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Henrik Laugesen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Holbæk Hospital, Holbæk, Denmark
| | - Peter Hallas
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Holbæk Hospital, Holbæk, Denmark
| | - Søren Mikkelsen
- The Prehospital Research Unit, Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Kim Rose Olsen
- Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, Syddansk Universitet, Odense, Syddanmark, Denmark.,Danish Center for Health Economics (DaCHE), Syddansk Universitet, Odense, Syddanmark, Denmark
| | - Lau Caspar Thygesen
- National Institute of Public Health, Syddansk Universitet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Mikkel Brabrand
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sydvestjysk Sygehus Esbjerg, Esbjerg, Denmark .,Department of Emergency Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
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Ibsen S, Lindskou TA, Nickel CH, Kløjgård T, Christensen EF, Søvsø MB. Which symptoms pose the highest risk in patients calling for an ambulance? A population-based cohort study from Denmark. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 2021; 29:59. [PMID: 33879211 PMCID: PMC8056716 DOI: 10.1186/s13049-021-00874-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emergency medical service patients are a vulnerable population and the risk of mortality is considerable. In Denmark, healthcare professionals receive 112-emergency calls and assess the main reason for calling. The main aim was to investigate which of these reasons, i.e. which symptoms or mechanism of injury, contributed to short-term risk of death. Secondary aim was to study 1-30 day-mortality for each symptom/ injury. METHODS Historic population-based cohort study of emergency medical service patients calling 112 in the North Denmark Region between 01.01.2016-31.12.2018. We defined 1-day mortality as death on the same or the following day. The frequency of each symptom and cumulative number of deaths on day 1 and 30 together with 1- and 30-day mortality for each symptom/mechanism of injury is presented in proportions. Poisson regression with robust variance estimation was used to estimate incident rates (IR) of mortality with 95% confidence intervals (CI), crude and age and sex adjusted, mortality rates on day 1 per 100,000 person-year in the population. RESULTS The five most frequent reasons for calling 112 were "chest pain" (15.9%), "unclear problem" (11.9%), "accidents" (11.2%), "possible stroke" (10.9%), and "breathing difficulties" (8.3%). Four of these contributed to the highest numbers of deaths: "breathing difficulties" (17.2%), "unclear problem" (13.2%), "possible stroke" (8.7%), and "chest pain" (4.7%), all exceeded by "unconscious adult - possible cardiac arrest" (25.3%). Age and sex adjusted IR of mortality per 100,000 person-year was 3.65 (CI 3.01-4.44) for "unconscious adult - possible cardiac arrest" followed by "breathing difficulties" (0.45, CI 0.37-0.54), "unclear problem"(0.30, CI 0.11-0.17), "possible stroke"(0.13, CI 0.11-0.17) and "chest pain"(0.07, CI 0.05-0.09). CONCLUSION In terms of risk of death on the same day and the day after the 112-call, "unconscious adult/possible cardiac arrest" was the most deadly symptom, about eight times more deadly than "breathing difficulties", 12 times more deadly than "unclear problem", 28 times more deadly than "possible stroke", and 52 times more deadly than "chest pain". "Breathing difficulties" and "unclear problem" as presented when calling 112 are among the top three contributing to short term deaths when calling 112, exceeding both stroke symptoms and chest pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stine Ibsen
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
| | - Tim Alex Lindskou
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Christian H Nickel
- Emergency Department, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Torben Kløjgård
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
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Jensen FB, Ladefoged KT, Lindskou TA, Søvsø MB, Christensen EF, Teli M. Understanding the Effect of Electronic Prehospital Medical Records in Ambulances: A Qualitative Observational Study in a Prehospital Setting. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:ijerph18052330. [PMID: 33673420 PMCID: PMC7967689 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Little is known of ambulance professionals’ work practices regarding the use of medical records, their communication with patients, before and during hand over to Emergency Departments (ED). An electronic Prehospital Medical Record (ePMR) has been implemented in all Danish ambulances since 2015. Our aim was to investigate the use of ePMR and whether it affected the ambulance professionals’ clinical practice. We performed a qualitative study with observations of ePMR use in ambulance runs in the North Denmark Region. Furthermore, informal interviews with ambulance professionals was performed. Analysis was accomplished with inspiration from grounded theory. Our main findings were: (1) the ePMR is an essential work tool which aided ambulance professionals with overview of data collection and facilitated a checklist for ED hand overs, (2) mobility and flexibility of the ePMR facilitated conversations and relations with the patients, and (3) in acute severe situations, the ePMR could not stand alone in hand over or communication with the ED. The ePMR affected the ambulance professionals’ work practice in various ways and utilization of ePMR while simultaneously treating patients in ambulances does not obstruct the relation with the patient. To this end, the ePMR appears feasible in collaboration across the prehospital setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederikke Bøgh Jensen
- Techno-Anthropology, Technical Faculty of IT and Design, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark;
- Correspondence:
| | | | - Tim Alex Lindskou
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark; (T.A.L.); (M.B.S.); (E.F.C.)
| | - Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark; (T.A.L.); (M.B.S.); (E.F.C.)
| | - Erika Frischknecht Christensen
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark; (T.A.L.); (M.B.S.); (E.F.C.)
| | - Maurizio Teli
- Department of Planning, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark;
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Nielsen VML, Kløjgård T, Bruun H, Søvsø MB, Christensen EF. Progression of vital signs during ambulance transport categorised by a paediatric triage model: a population-based historical cohort study. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e042401. [PMID: 33257494 PMCID: PMC7705491 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine the severity and progression of acute illness or injury in children using vital signs obtained during ambulance transport and categorised according to a paediatric triage model. DESIGN A population-based historical cohort study using data from prehospital patient medical records linked to a national civil registration database. SETTING Emergency medical services providing ground-level transport in a mixed urban-rural region with three hospitals in Denmark. PARTICIPANTS 25 039 events with patients aged <18 years attended by emergency medical services dispatched after a 1-1-2 emergency call during the years 2006-2018. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES Distribution of the first observed vital signs according to a paediatric triage model: heart rate, Glasgow Coma Score, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and oxygen treatment, and proportion of patients progressing to a triage score with a lower level of urgency during ambulance transport. RESULTS The proportion of patients with the first observed vital signs outside the normal age-specific range was as follows: 33.6% for heart rate, 15.3% for Glasgow Coma Score, 17.4% for respiratory rate and 37.4% for oxygen saturation regardless of oxygen treatment. The proportion of patients progressing to a triage score with a lower level of urgency during transport varied with age: 146/354 (41.2%) for age 0-2 months, 440/986 (44.6%) for age 3-11 months, 1278/3212 (39.8%) for age 1-2 years, 967/2814 (34.4%) for age 3-7 years and 4029/13 864 (29.1%) for age 8-17 years (p<0.001). One-day mortality was 3.05 deaths per 1000 patient-days (95% CI 2.43 to 3.83). CONCLUSIONS One third of the patients' condition progressed to a triage score with a lower level of urgency during ambulance transport. Vital sign documentation in paediatric patients was incomplete, and educational initiatives should be taken to increase documentation of vital signs, especially in patients aged ≤2 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vibe Maria Laden Nielsen
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Torben Kløjgård
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Henrik Bruun
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
- Prehospital Emergency Medical Services, North Denmark Region, Denmark
| | - Erika Frischknecht Christensen
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Emergency Department and Trauma Centre, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
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Søvsø MB, Bech BH, Christensen HC, Huibers L, Christensen EF, Christensen MB. Sociodemographic Characteristics Associated with Contacts to Emergency Medical Services and Out-of-Hours Primary Care: An Observational Study of 2.3 Million Citizens. Clin Epidemiol 2020; 12:393-401. [PMID: 32346313 PMCID: PMC7167262 DOI: 10.2147/clep.s243531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Out-of-hours (OOH) health care services are often divided into emergency medical services (EMS) and OOH primary care (OOH-PC). EMS and many OOH-PC use telephone triage, yet the patient still makes the initial choice of contacting a service and which service. Sociodemographic characteristics are associated with help-seeking. Yet, differences in characteristics for EMS and OOH-PC patients have not been investigated in any large-scale cohort studies. Such knowledge may contribute to organizing OOH services to match patient needs. Thus, in this study we aimed to explore which sociodemographic patient characteristics were associated with utilizing OOH health care and to explore which sociodemographic characteristics were associated with EMS or OOH-PC contact. Methods A population-based observational cohort study of inhabitants in two regions (North Denmark Region and Capital Region of Copenhagen) with or without contact to OOH services during 2016 was conducted. Associations between sociodemographic characteristics and OOH contacts (and EMS versus OOH-PC contact) were evaluated by regression analyses. Results We identified 619,857 patients with OOH contact. Female sex (IRR=1.16 (95% CI: 1.16-1.17)), non-western ethnicity (IRR=1.02 (95% CI: 1.01-1.02)), living alone (IRR=1.08 (95% CI: 1.08-1.09)), age groups ≥81 years (IRR=2.00 (95% CI: 1.98-2.02)) and 0-18 years (IRR=1.66 (95% CI: 1.66-1.67)) and low income (IRR=1.41 (95% CI: 1.40-1.42)) were more likely to contact OOH health care compared to males, Danish ethnicity, citizens cohabitating, age 31-65 years and high income. Disability pensioners more often contacted OOH care (IRR=1.79 (95% CI: 1.77-1.81) compared to employees. Old age (≥81 years) (OR=3.21 (95% CI: 3.13-3.30)), receiving cash benefits (OR=2.45 (95% CI: 2.36-2.54)), low income (OR=1.76 (95% CI: 1.72-1.81)) and living alone (OR=1.40 (95% CI: 1.37-1.42)) were all associated with EMS contacts rather than OOH-PC contacts. Conclusion Several sociodemographic factors were associated with contacting a health care service outside office hours and with contacting EMS rather than OOH-PC. Old age, low income, low education and low socioeconomic status were of greatest importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University and Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Bodil Hammer Bech
- Department of Public Health, Research Unit for Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Søvsø MB, Huibers L, Bech BH, Christensen HC, Christensen MB, Christensen EF. Acute care pathways for patients calling the out-of-hours services. BMC Health Serv Res 2020; 20:146. [PMID: 32106846 PMCID: PMC7045402 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-020-4994-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Western countries, patients with acute illness or injury out-of-hours (OOH) can call either emergency medical services (EMS) for emergencies or primary care services (OOH-PC) in less urgent situations. Callers initially choose which service to contact; whether this choice reflect the intended differences in urgency and severity is unknown. Hospital diagnoses and admission rates following an OOH service contact could elucidate this. We aimed to investigate and compare the prevalence of patient contacts, subsequent hospital contacts, and the age-related pattern of hospital diagnoses following an out-of-hours contact to EMS or OOH-PC services in Denmark. METHODS Population-based observational cohort study including patients from two Danish regions with contact to EMS or OOH-PC in 2016. Hospital contacts were defined as short (< 24 h) or admissions (≥24 h) on the date of OOH service contact. Both regions have EMS, whereas the North Denmark Region has a general practitioner cooperative (GPC) as OOH-PC service and the Capital Region of Copenhagen the Medical Helpline 1813 (MH-1813), together representing all Danish OOH service types. Calling an OOH service is mandatory prior to a hospital contact outside office hours. RESULTS OOH-PC handled 91% (1,107,297) of all contacts (1,219,963). Subsequent hospital contacts were most frequent for EMS contacts (46-54%) followed by MH-1813 (41%) and GPC contacts (9%). EMS had more admissions (52-56%) than OOH-PC. For both EMS and OOH-PC, short hospital contacts often concerned injuries (32-63%) and non-specific diagnoses (20-45%). The proportion of circulatory disease was almost twice as large following EMS (13-17%) compared to OOH-PC (7-9%) in admitted patients, whereas respiratory diseases (11-14%), injuries (15-22%) and non-specific symptoms (22-29%) were more equally distributed. Generally, admitted patients were older. CONCLUSIONS EMS contacts were fewer, but with a higher percentage of hospital contacts, admissions and prevalence of circulatory diseases compared to OOH-PC, perhaps indicating that patients more often contact EMS in case of severe disease. However, hospital diagnoses only elucidate severity of diseases to some extent, and other measures of severity could be considered in future studies. Moreover, the socio-demographic pattern of patients calling OOH needs exploration as this may play an important role in choice of entrance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
- Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Linda Huibers
- Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Bodil Hammer Bech
- Department of Public Health, Research Unit for Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | | | - Erika Frischknecht Christensen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
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Poulsen NR, Kløjgård TA, Lübcke K, Lindskou TA, Søvsø MB, Christensen EF. Completeness in the recording of vital signs in ambulances increases over time. Dan Med J 2020; 67:A07190421. [PMID: 32053487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In 2006, the North Denmark Region implemented the electronic prehospital patient medical record (PPR), amPHI, in the region's prehospital emergency medical service. In 2015, a new nationwide version was implemented. Our aim was to investigate the completeness and correctness of registrations of vital sign data in the PPR after the initial introduction and after the implementation of the new PPR version. METHODS This was a descriptive registry-based study including patients to whom an ambulance was dispatched after an emergency call in the North Denmark Region in the periods 2007-2014 and 2016-2017. We examined vital sign data defined as blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), respiratory rate (RR), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score and numeric rating scale (NRS) for pain.
We defined incorrect vital sign values according to clinical plausibility. We used a trend analysis and Pearson's χ2. RESULTS We included 253,169 PPRs. The proportion of PPR with registration of vital signs from 2007-2014 compared with 2016-2017 was BP: 73-86%, 81-82%; HR: 76-88%, 82-83%; SpO2: 72-85%, 82-83%; RR: 34-82%, 77-79%; GCS score: 54-92%, 81-84%; NRS for pain: 0-16%, 24-26%. The increase from 2007-2014 and 2016-2017 was significant as were the differences between 2014 and 2016. We found few defined outliers (0.5%). CONCLUSIONS The completeness of registration increased gradually but decreased slightly after implementation of the new version. A high completeness combined with few implausible outliers and concordance indicate correctness of the vital sign registrations. FUNDING none. TRIAL REGISTRATION Approval for the use of data was given by the medical director of the Emergency Medical Services, the North Denmark Region.
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Søvsø MB, Christensen MB, Bech BH, Christensen HC, Christensen EF, Huibers L. Contacting out-of-hours primary care or emergency medical services for time-critical conditions - impact on patient outcomes. BMC Health Serv Res 2019; 19:813. [PMID: 31699103 PMCID: PMC6839230 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-019-4674-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Out-of-hours (OOH) healthcare services in Western countries are often differentiated into out-of-hours primary healthcare services (OOH-PC) and emergency medical services (EMS). Call waiting time, triage model and intended aims differ between these services. Consequently, the care pathway and outcome could vary based on the choice of entrance to the healthcare system. We aimed to investigate patient pathways and 1- and 1-30-day mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) stay and length of hospital stay for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke and sepsis in relation to the OOH service that was contacted prior to the hospital contact. METHODS Population-based observational cohort study during 2016 including adult patients from two Danish regions with an OOH service contact on the date of hospital contact. Patients <18 years were excluded. Data was retrieved from OOH service databases and national registries, linked by a unique personal identification number. Crude and adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed to assess mortality in relation to contacted OOH service with OOH-PC as the reference and cox regression analysis to assess risk of ICU stay. RESULTS We included 6826 patients. AMI and stroke patients more often contacted EMS (52.1 and 54.1%), whereas sepsis patients predominately called OOH-PC (66.9%). Less than 10% (all diagnoses) of patients contacted both OOH-PC & EMS. Stroke patients with EMS or OOH-PC & EMS contacts had higher likelihood of 1- and 1-30-day mortality, in particular 1-day (EMS: OR = 5.33, 95% CI: 2.82-10.08; OOH-PC & EMS: OR = 3.09, 95% CI: 1.06-9.01). Sepsis patients with EMS or OOH-PC & EMS contacts also had higher likelihood of 1-day mortality (EMS: OR = 2.22, 95% CI: 1.40-3.51; OOH-PC & EMS: OR = 2.86, 95% CI: 1.56-5.23) and 1-30-day mortality. Risk of ICU stay was only significantly higher for stroke patients contacting EMS (EMS: HR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.51-3.75). Stroke and sepsis patients with EMS contact had longer hospital stays. CONCLUSIONS More patients contacted OOH-PC than EMS. Sepsis and stroke patients contacting EMS solely or OOH-PC & EMS had higher likelihood of 1- and 1-30-day mortality during the subsequent hospital contact. Our results suggest that patients contacting EMS are more severely ill, however OOH-PC is still often used for time-critical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
- Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Bodil Hammer Bech
- Department of Public Health, Research Unit of Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Erika Frischknecht Christensen
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
- Emergency Medical Services, North Denmark Region, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Linda Huibers
- Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Lindskou TA, Mikkelsen S, Christensen EF, Hansen PA, Jørgensen G, Hendriksen OM, Kirkegaard H, Berlac PA, Søvsø MB. The Danish prehospital emergency healthcare system and research possibilities. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 2019; 27:100. [PMID: 31684982 PMCID: PMC6829955 DOI: 10.1186/s13049-019-0676-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergency medical healthcare system outside hospital varies greatly across the globe - even within the western world. Within the last ten years, the demand for emergency medical service systems has increased, and the Danish emergency medical service system has undergone major changes.Therefore, we aimed to provide an updated description of the current Danish prehospital medical healthcare system.Since 2007, Denmark has been divided into five regions each responsible for health services, including the prehospital services. Each region may contract their own ambulance service providers. The Danish emergency medical services in general include ambulances, rapid response vehicles, mobile emergency care units and helicopter emergency medical services. All calls to the national emergency number, 1-1-2, are answered by the police, or the Copenhagen fire brigade, and since 2011 forwarded to an Emergency Medical Coordination Centre when the call relates to medical issues. At the Emergency Medical Coordination Centre, healthcare personnel assess the situation guided by the Danish Index for Emergency Care and determine the level of urgency of the situation, while technical personnel dispatch the appropriate medical emergency vehicles. In Denmark, all healthcare services, including emergency medical services are publicly funded and free of charge. In addition to emergency calls, other medical services are available for less urgent health problems around the clock. Prehospital personnel have since 2015 utilized a nationwide electronic prehospital medical record. The use of this prehospital medical record combined with Denmark's extensive registries, linkable by the unique civil registration number, enables new and unique possibilities to do high quality prehospital research, with complete patient follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Alex Lindskou
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark.
| | - Søren Mikkelsen
- Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, J. B. Winsløws Vej 19, 5000, Odense, Denmark
| | - Erika Frischknecht Christensen
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Poul Anders Hansen
- Emergency Medical Services, North Denmark Region, Hjulmagervej 20, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Gitte Jørgensen
- The Prehospital Organisation, The Region of Southern Denmark, Damhaven 12, 7100, Vejle, Denmark
| | - Ole Mazur Hendriksen
- Prehospital Emergency Medical Services, Region Zealand, Fælledvej 1, 4200, Slagelse, Denmark
| | - Hans Kirkegaard
- Department of Research and Development, Emergency Medical Services, Olof Palmes Alle 34, 8200, Aarhus N, Central Denmark Region, Denmark
| | - Peter Anthony Berlac
- Copenhagen Emergency Medical Services, Telegrafvej 5, 2. stairway, 3. floor, 2750, Ballerup, Denmark
| | - Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark
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Søvsø MB, Kløjgaard TA, Hansen PA, Christensen EF. Repeated ambulance use is associated with chronic diseases - a population-based historic cohort study of patients' symptoms and diagnoses. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 2019; 27:46. [PMID: 30992042 PMCID: PMC6469091 DOI: 10.1186/s13049-019-0624-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is a growing demand for emergency medical services (EMS) and patients are repeatedly transported by ambulance services. For many patients, especially those with chronic disease, there may be better ways of delivering care. We examined the symptom at time of emergency call and the hospital diagnosis for those ambulance users who repeatedly received an ambulance. Methods Population-based historic cohort study of patients receiving an ambulance after an emergency call between 2011 and 2014: one-time users (i.e. one ambulance run in any 12 month period) were compared to two-time users (two runs in any 12 month period) and frequent users (>two runs). The presenting symptom according to the Danish Index for Emergency Care from the EMS calls and the hospital ICD-10 discharge diagnoses were obtained from patient records. Results We included 52 533 patients (65 932 emergency ambulance runs). Repeated users constituted 16% of the patients (two-time users 11% and frequent users 5%) and one third of all ambulance runs. The symptoms showing the largest increase in frequency with increasing ambulance use were breathing difficulty (N = 3 905–15% were frequent users); seizure (N = 2 437–10% were frequent users), chest pain (N = 7 616–17% were frequent users), and alcohol intoxication (N = 1 998–5% were frequent users). The hospital diagnoses with a corresponding increase were respiratory diseases (N = 4 381) - 13% were frequent users), mental disorders (predominately abuse of alcohol) (N = 3 087–10% were frequent users) and neurological diseases (predominately epilepsy) (N = 2 207–6% were frequent users). 5% of one-time users, 12% of two-time users and 16% of frequent users had a Charlson Comorbidity Index > = 3. Conclusion Repeated use of ambulance services was common and associated with chronic health problems such as chronic respiratory diseases, epilepsy, mental disorders with alcohol abuse and comorbidity. Alternative methods of caring for many of these patients should be considered. Trial registration None. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13049-019-0624-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark.
| | - Torben Anders Kløjgaard
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - Erika Frischknecht Christensen
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark
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Lindskou TA, Pilgaard L, Søvsø MB, Kløjgård TA, Larsen TM, Jensen FB, Weinrich UM, Christensen EF. Symptom, diagnosis and mortality among respiratory emergency medical service patients. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213145. [PMID: 30817792 PMCID: PMC6395033 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Breathing difficulties and respiratory diseases have been under-reported in Emergency Medical Services research, despite these conditions being prevalent with substantial mortality. Our aim was two-fold; 1) to investigate the diagnostic pattern and mortality among EMS patients to whom an ambulance was dispatched due to difficulty breathing, and 2) to investigate the initial symptoms and mortality for EMS patients diagnosed with respiratory diseases in hospital. METHODS Population-based historic cohort study in the North Denmark Region 2012-2015. We included two patient groups; 1) patients calling the emergency number with breathing difficulty as main symptom, and 2) patients diagnosed with respiratory diseases in hospital following an emergency call. Main outcome was estimated 1- and 30-day mortality rates. RESULTS There were 3803 patients with the symptom breathing difficulty, nearly half were diagnosed with respiratory diseases 47.3%, followed by circulatory diseases 13.4%, and symptoms and signs 12.0%. The 1-day mortality rate was highest for circulatory diseases, then respiratory diseases and other factors. Over-all 30-day mortality was 13.2%, and the highest rate was for circulatory diseases (17.7%) then respiratory diseases and other factors. A total of 4014 patients were diagnosed with respiratory diseases, 44.8% had the symptom breathing difficulty, 13.4% unclear problems and 11.3%. chest pain/heart disease. 1-day mortality rates were highest for decreased consciousness, then breathing difficulties and unclear problem. Over-all 30-day mortality rates were 12.5%, the highest with symptoms of decreased consciousness (19.1%), then unclear problem and breathing difficulty. There was an overlap of 1797 patients between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS The over-all mortality rates alongside the distribution of symptoms and diagnoses, suggest the breathing difficulty patient group is complex and has severe health problems. These findings may be able to raise awareness towards the patient group, and thereby increase focus on diagnostics and treatment to improve the patient outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Alex Lindskou
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- * E-mail:
| | - Laura Pilgaard
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Torben Anders Kløjgård
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Thomas Mulvad Larsen
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Unit of Business Intelligence, North Denmark Region, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - Ulla Møller Weinrich
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
- The Pulmonary Research Center, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Erika Frischknecht Christensen
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Emergency Medical Services, North Denmark Region, Aalborg, Denmark
- Clinic for Internal and Emergency Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
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Søvsø MB, Hermansen SB, Færk E, Lindskou TA, Ludwig M, Møller JM, Jonciauskiene J, Christensen EF. Diagnosis and mortality of emergency department patients in the North Denmark region. BMC Health Serv Res 2018; 18:548. [PMID: 30001720 PMCID: PMC6044093 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-018-3361-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Emergency departments handle a large proportion of acute patients. In 2007, it was recommended centralizing the Danish healthcare system and establishing emergency departments as the main common entrance for emergency patients. Since this reorganization, few studies describing the emergency patient population in this new setting have been carried out and none describing diagnoses and mortality. Hence, we aimed to investigate diagnoses and 1- and 30-day mortality of patients in the emergency departments in the North Denmark Region during 2014–2016. Methods Population-based historic cohort study in the North Denmark Region (580,000 inhabitants) of patients with contact to emergency departments during 2014–2016. The study included patients who were referred by general practitioners (daytime and out-of-hours), by emergency medical services or who were self-referred. Primary diagnoses (ICD-10) were retrieved from the regional Patient Administrative System. For non-specific diagnoses (ICD-10 chapter ‘Symptoms and signs’ and ‘Other factors’), we searched the same hospital stay for a specific diagnosis and used this, if one was given. We performed descriptive analysis reporting distribution and frequency of diagnoses. Moreover, 1- and 30-day mortality rate estimates were performed using the Kaplan-Meier estimator. Results We included 290,590 patient contacts corresponding to 166 ED visits per 1000 inhabitants per year. The three most frequent ICD-10 chapters used were ‘Injuries and poisoning’ (38.3% n = 111,274), ‘Symptoms and signs’ (16.1% n = 46,852) and ‘Other factors’ (14.52% n = 42,195). Mortality at day 30 (95% confidence intervals) for these chapters were 0.86% (0.81–0.92), 3.95% (3.78–4.13) and 2.84% (2.69–3.00), respectively. The highest 30-day mortality were within chapters ‘Neoplasms’ (14.22% (12.07–16.72)), ‘Endocrine diseases’ (8.95% (8.21–9.75)) and ‘Respiratory diseases’ (8.44% (8.02–8.88)). Conclusions Patients in contact with the emergency department receive a wide range of diagnoses within all chapters of ICD-10, and one third of the diagnoses given are non-specific. Within the non-specific chapters, we found a 30-day mortality, surpassing several of the more organ specific ICD-10 chapters. Trial registration Observational study - no trial registration was performed. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-018-3361-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Breinholt Søvsø
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark.
| | - Sabina Bay Hermansen
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Emil Færk
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Tim Alex Lindskou
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Marc Ludwig
- Emergency Department Hjørring, North Denmark Regional Hospital, Hjørring, Denmark
| | - Jørn Munkhof Møller
- Emergency Department & Trauma Centre, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - Erika Frischknecht Christensen
- Centre for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Søndre Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
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