Drawing attention? Going through judgments regarding child and adolescent suicide attempts in emergency rooms from a professional perspective

OBJECTIVE

To understand the perceptions of the multidisciplinary team of an emergency department regarding the care of children and adolescents who have attempted suicide.

METHOD

An exploratory-descriptive, qualitative study, in light of the Symbolic Interactionism theoretical framework. Thirteen professionals from the multidisciplinary team from two emergency rooms (children and adults) of a secondary hospital in São Paulo participated. Data were collected between August and September 2018 using semi-structured interviews, analyzed using thematic content analysis complemented by the IRAMUTEQ® software.

RESULTS

Two central categories emerged: Multidisciplinary team perceptions regarding attempted suicide care; and Multidisciplinary team perceptions regarding the possibilities for improving attempted suicide care. From these, professional perceptions of care, risk factors, emotional reactions, limitations of emergency rooms and strategies for improving practice were observed.

CONCLUSION

Professionals perceived suicide attempt care from a biomedical and reductionist perspective, with an approach marked by stigma, judgment and lack of preparation.

IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE EMERGENCY SURGICAL TREATMENT OF COLORECTAL CANCER

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract and the third most common type of cancer worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic, during the years 2020 and 2022, increased the difficulties in offering adequate early diagnosis and treatment to CRC patients worldwide. During this period, it was only possible to treat patients who evolved with complications, mainly intestinal obstruction and perforation.

AIMS

To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the treatment of patients with CRC.

METHODS

A review of data from a total of 112 patients undergoing emergency surgical treatment due to complications of CRC was carried out. Of these, 78 patients underwent emergency surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020/2021), and 34 were treated before the pandemic (2018/2019). Ethnic aspects, clinical symptoms, laboratory tests, histopathological variables, intra and postoperative complications, and 90-day postoperative follow-up were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Between the years 2018 and 2019, 79.4% (27/34) of patients had intestinal obstruction, while 20.6% (7/34) had intestinal perforation. During the period of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020/2021), 1.3% (1/78) of patients underwent surgery due to gastrointestinal bleeding, 6.4% (5/78) due to intestinal perforation, and 92.3% (72/78) due to intestinal obstruction. No statistically significant differences were recorded between the two groups in ethnic aspects, laboratory tests, type of complications, number of lymph nodes resected, compromised lymph nodes, TNM staging, pre or intraoperative complications, length of stay, readmission, or mortality rate. When considering postoperative tumor staging, among patients operated on in 2018/2019, 44.1% were classified as stage III and 38.2% as stage IV, while during the pandemic period, 28.2% presented stage III and 51.3% stage IV, also without a statistically significant difference between the two periods. Patients operated on during the pandemic had higher rates of vascular, lymphatic and perineural invasion.

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the rate of complications related to CRC when comparing patients treated before and during the pandemic. Furthermore, it had a negative impact on histopathological variables, causing worse oncological prognoses in patients undergoing emergency surgery.

Repercussions of the Emergency neurological life support on scientific literature: a bibliometric study

BACKGROUND

 In 2012, the Neurocritical Care Society launched a compilation of protocols regarding the core issues that should be addressed within the first hours of neurological emergencies - the Emergency neurological life support (ENLS).

OBJECTIVE

 We aim to evaluate this repercussion through a bibliometric analysis.

METHODS

 We searched Scopus on October 2022 for articles mentioning ENLS. The following variables were obtained: number of citations; number of citations per year; number of publications per year; year of publication; research type; research subtype; country of corresponding author and its income category and world region; journal of publication and its 5-year impact factor (IF); and section where ENLS appeared.

RESULTS

 After applying eligibility criteria, we retrieved 421 articles, published from 2012 to 2022. The mean number of citations per article was 17.46 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 8.20-26.72), while the mean number of citations per year per article was 4.05 (95% CI = 2.50-5.61). The mean destiny journal 5-year IF was 5.141 (95% CI = 4.189-6.093). The majority of articles were secondary research (57.48%; n = 242/421) of which most were narrative reviews (71.90%; n = 174/242). High-Income countries were the most prominent (80.05%; n = 337/421 articles). There were no papers from low-income countries. There were no trials or systematic reviews from middle-income countries.

CONCLUSION

 Although still low, the number of publications mentioning ENLS is increasing. Articles were mainly published in journals of intensive care medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, and emergency medicine. Most articles were published by authors from high-income countries. The majority of papers were secondary research, with narrative review as the most frequent subtype.

Workshop on pediatric trauma care: low-cost simulation

OBJECTIVE

to assess nursing students' and nurses' knowledge, satisfaction and self-confidence after a theoretical workshop on emergency care for traumatized children and clinical simulation.

METHODS

a quasi-experimental study, carried out with nursing students and nurses residing at a public university in southern Brazil. A workshop on pediatric trauma care was created and a mannequin was created for simulations. A knowledge pre-test and post-test and the Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning instrument were applied to measure satisfaction and self-confidence in learning. For analysis, descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon test were used to compare means before and after intervention.

RESULTS

the difference between misses and hits was statistically significant (p<0.005), demonstrating an increase in participants' knowledge after the workshop. Satisfaction and self-confidence were demonstrated in the instrument's high scores.

CONCLUSIONS

the effectiveness of the workshop in teaching-learning emergency care for pediatric trauma was demonstrated.

Comparative analysis of the trauma care profile before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in a tertiary university hospital

OBJECTIVES

to evaluate the profile of emergency care of trauma patients at Hospital Universitário Evangélico Mackenzie (HUEM) during the period of restrictive measures due to COVID-19 (03/13/2021 to 04/05/2021), and compare to the same period at the beginning of the pandemic, in 2020, and before the pandemic, in 2019.

METHODS

quantitative and descriptive observational cross-sectional study. The final sample of 8,338 was analyzed in terms of date, gender, age and service responsible for providing care; the traumas were analyzed according to the etiology and conduct of the treatment and outcome.

RESULTS

there was a percentage increase in non-traumatic emergency care during the pandemic, and the medical clinic held a third of admissions in 2021. There was a reduction in trauma care, since in 2019 traumas were responsible for 44.9% of admissions and by 23.5% in 2021. There was a significant difference in the proportion between the attendance of men and women, and the percentage of men victims of trauma was higher than in the pre-pandemic periods. There was a reduction in absolute numbers, with statistical significance, in traffic accidents, falls from the same level, burns, general blunt trauma and sports and leisure trauma. The proportion of conservative treatments with hospital discharge reduced. There was a significant difference in the number of deaths, decreasing in 2020 but increasing in 2021.

CONCLUSION

there was a reduction in trauma care during the pandemic, but the profile remained the adult male victim of a traffic accident. More severe traumas were admitted, resulting in an increase in surgical treatment, hospitalizations and deaths.

Effect of implementing care protocols on acute ischemic stroke outcomes: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Implementing stroke care protocols has intended to provide better care quality, favor early functional recovery, and achieving long-term results for the rehabilitation of the patient.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the effect of implementing care protocols on the outcomes of acute ischemic stroke.

METHODS

Primary studies published from 2011 to 2020 and which met the following criteria were included: population should be people with acute ischemic stroke; studies should present results on the outcomes of using protocols in the therapeutic approach to acute ischemic stroke. The bibliographic search was carried out in June 2020 in 7 databases. The article selection was conducted by two independent reviewers and the results were narratively synthesized.

RESULTS

A total of 11,226 publications were retrieved in the databases, of which 30 were included in the study. After implementing the protocol, 70.8% of the publications found an increase in the rate of performing reperfusion therapy, such as thrombolysis and thrombectomy; 45.5% identified an improvement in the clinical prognosis of the patient; and 25.0% of the studies identified a decrease in the length of hospital stay. Out of 19 studies that addressed the rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, 2 (10.5%) identified a decrease. A decrease in mortality was mentioned in 3 (25.0%) articles out of 12 that evaluated this outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

We have identified the importance of implementing protocols in increasing the performance of reperfusion therapies, and a good functional outcome with improved prognosis after discharge. However, there is still a need to invest in reducing post-thrombolysis complications and mortality.

The Use of the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

BACKGROUND

A cardiopulmonary arrest is a critical event whose survival rate is related to the quality of resuscitation maneuvers combined with the use of technology. It is important to understand the perception of fatigue during this procedure, aiming to improve the effectiveness of compressions to increase the chances of survival.

OBJECTIVES

To apply the Borg rating of perceived exertion scale (Borg scale) to analyze the exertion perceived by nurses during cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers using a feedback device.

METHODS

Experimental study with a randomized distribution of nurses in a teaching hospital. Perceived exertion during simulated cardiopulmonary resuscitation with/without a feedback device was assessed using the Borg scale. The statistical significance level of 5% was adopted.

RESULTS

69 nurses working in critical and non-critical adult care units were included. Perceived exertion and heart rate were lower in the intervention group (p<0.001), influenced by the feedback device, with no significant difference between critical and non-critical units.

CONCLUSIONS

The Borg scale proved to be adequate for the proposed objectives. The feedback device contributed to lower exertion and heart rate reduction during resuscitation maneuvers. The low cost and ease of application favor its use during training and real-time resuscitation attempts to assess performance using a feedback device to reduce exertion and perception of fatigue. It allows reflection on the intervening factors and resources that can influence the quality of resuscitation attempts and the chances of survival.

Clinical-epidemiological changes in patients with non-traumatic acute abdomen during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

we intend to demonstrate the clinical alterations and the postoperative evolution in patients with acute abdomen non-traumatic in conservative or surgical treatment during the pandemic compared to a similar period in the last year.

METHOD

a single-center retrospective study, including patients who received clinical-surgical treatment at Hospital do Trabalhador diagnosed with acute abdomen between March and August 2020 and a similar period in 2019.Variables studied ranged from demographic data to indices of social isolation.

RESULTS

515 patients were included, 291 received treatment in a pre-pandemic period and 224 during. There was not statistical difference in relation to comorbidities (p=0.0685), time to diagnosis and seeking medical help. No statistical differences were observed in terms of days of hospitalization (p = 0.4738) and ICU need (p=0.2320). Regarding in-hospital deaths, there was statistical relevance in the age above 60 years (p=0.002) and there were more deaths during the pandemic period (p=0.032). However, when we analyze the factors associated with the number of days until diagnosis by a physician, there was no statistical difference.

CONCLUSION

the analyzed data showed that the pandemic period and age over 60 years were the variables that increased the odds ratio for the in-hospital death outcome. However, the length of stay, days in intensive care unit and postoperative surgical complications showed no significant difference.

Nonsexual violence against children and adolescents: a study in a Latin American tertiary and university hospital

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to assess interpersonal nonsexual violence against children and adolescents in a tertiary university hospital.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was performed in 240 patients under nonsexual violence situation for 15 consecutive years. Data analyses included demographic data, hospital referral site, type and author of nonsexual violence, legal referral, laboratorial and imaging examinations, and outcomes.

RESULTS

Nonsexual violence situation was diagnosed in 240 (0.1%) of 295,993 patients for 15 years: 148 (61.7%) in children and 92 (38.3%) in adolescents. Out of 240, the most frequent types of violence were negligence in 156 (65.0%), physical 62 (25.8%), psychological/emotional aggression 52 (21.7%), Munchausen by proxy syndrome 4 (1.7%), and bullying/cyberbullying in 3 (1.3%). Out of 123, the most common pediatric chronic conditions were chronic kidney disease 24 (19.5%), human immunodeficiency virus 14 (11.4%), prematurity 9 (7.3%), cerebral palsy 8 (6.5%), and asthma 8 (6.5%). Further comparison between children versus adolescent under nonsexual violence situation revealed significant difference between the hospital referral sites. The frequency of patients under violence referred from outpatient clinics was significantly reduced in children versus adolescents (27.7 vs. 62%), whereas emergency department was higher in the former group (57.4 vs. 25.0%; p<0.001). All types of violence situations and pediatric chronic conditions were similar in both groups (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Nonsexual violence against our pediatric population was rarely diagnosed in a tertiary hospital, mainly negligence, physical, and psychological/emotional aggression. Approximately two-thirds of violence diagnosis occurred in children, referred mainly by the emergency department. In contrast, approximately one-third of violence diagnosis occurred in adolescents, referred mostly by outpatient clinics.

Impact of surgical checklist and its completion on complications and mortality in urgent colorectal procedures

OBJECTIVE

to assess the impact of using a surgical checklist and its completion on complications such as surgical site infection (SSI), reoperation, readmission, and mortality in patients subjected to urgent colorectal procedures, as well as the reasons for non adherence to this instrument in this scenario, in a university hospital in Ottawa, Canada.

METHODS

this is a retrospective, epidemiological study. We collected data from an electronic database containing information on patients undergoing urgent colorectal operations, and analyzed the occurrence of SSI, reoperation, readmission, and death in a 30 day period, as well as the completion of the checklist. We conducted a descriptive statistical analysis and logistic regression.

RESULTS

we included 5,145 records, of which 5,083 (98.8%) had complete checklists. As for the outcomes evaluated, cases with complete checklists displayed higher SSI rate, 9.1% vs. 6.5% (p=0.466), lower reoperation rate, 5% vs.11.3% (p=0.023), lower readmission rates, 7.2% vs. 11.3% (p=0.209), and lower mortality, 3.0% vs. 6.5% (p=0.108) than cases with incomplete ones.

CONCLUSION

there was a high level of checklist completion and a larger number of the outcomes in the reduced percentage of incomplete checklists found, demonstrating the impact of its utilization on the safety of patients undergoing urgent operations.

Urgent vs. planned peritoneal dialysis initiation: complications and outcomes in the first year of therapy

INTRODUCTION

Urgent-start peritoneal dialysis (US-PD) has been proposed as a safe modality of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with an indication for emergency dialysis initiation. We aimed to compare the characteristics, 30-day complications, and clinical outcomes of US-PD and planned peritoneal dialysis (Plan-PD) patients over the first year of therapy.

METHODS

This was a single-center retrospective study that included incident adult patients followed for up to one year. US-PD was considered when incident patients started therapy within 7 days after Tenckhoff catheter implantation. Plan-PD group consisted of patients who started therapy after the breaking period (15 days). Mechanical and infectious complications were compared 30 days from PD initiation. Hospitalization and technique failure during the first 12 months on PD were assessed by Kaplan-Meier curves and the determinants were calculated by Cox regression models.

RESULTS

All patients starting PD between October/2016 and November/2019 who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were analyzed. We evaluated 137 patients (70 in the US-PD x 67 Plan-PD). The main complications in the first 30 days were catheter tip migration (7.5% Plan-PD x 4.3% US-PD - p= 0.49) and leakage (4.5% Plan-PD x 5.7% US-PD - p=0.74). Most catheters were placed using the Seldinger technique. The main cause of dropout was death in US-PD patients (15.7%) and transfer to HD in Plan-PD patients (13.4%). The occurrence of complications in the first 30 days was the only risk factor for dropout (OR = 2.9; 95% CI 1.1-7.5, p = 0.03). Hospitalization rates and technique survival were similar in both groups.

CONCLUSION

The lack of significant differences in patients' outcomes between groups reinforces that PD is a safe and applicable dialysis method in patients who need immediate dialysis.

Management of acute appendicitis during the COVID-19 pandemic: Views of two Brazilian surgical societies

Acute appendicitis (AA) is a frequent cause of abdominal pain requiring surgical treatment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, surgical societies considered other therapeutic options due to uncertainties in the evolution of the disease. The purpose of this study is to assess the treatment of AA by members of two Brazilian surgical societies in this period. A common questionnaire was sent in 2020. There were 382 responses. Most surgeons had more than 15 years of profession (68.3%) and treated more than five cases per month (44.8%). About 72.5% would indicate chest CT to investigate COVID-19 in patients with AA. For those patients sustaining uncomplicated AA, without COVID-19, 60.2% would indicate laparoscopic appendectomy (VLA), followed by open appendectomy (OA) (31.7%) and non-operative management (NOM) (1.3%). For those with mild COVID-19, OA was suggested by 51.0%, followed by VLA (29.6%) and NOM (6.0%). For those with severe COVID-19, OA was proposed by 35.3%, followed by NOM (19.9%) and VLA (18.6%). For patients with periappendiceal abscesses, without COVID-19, VLA was suggested by 54.2%, followed by OA (33.2%) and NOM (4.4%). For those with mild COVID-19, OA was proposed in 49.5%, followed by VLA (29.3%) and NOM (8.9%). In those with severe COVID-19, OA was proposed in 36.6%, followed by NOM (25.1%) and VLA (17.3%). This information, based on two recognized Brazilian surgical societies, can help the surgeon to select the best approach individually.

Confirmatory factorial analysis of the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey in health professionals in emergency services

OBJECTIVE

to confirm the factorial validity of the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey version in a sample of health professionals from the emergency services.

METHOD

a quantitative, exploratory, descriptive and analytical study. Two hundred and eighty-two health professionals participated in the study. For data collection, a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory were used. The psychometric sensitivity for the MBI-HSS items was estimated by measures of central tendency, variability and the distribution shape. Internal consistency was estimated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the adequacy of the sample was verified using the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) index. As indexes for assessing the quality of fit of the model, the chi-square ratio by the degrees of freedom (χ2/DoF), the comparative fit index (CFI), the goodness of fit index (GFI), the Tucker Lewis index (TLI) and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) were considered. To test data fit, the maximum likelihood method was used.

RESULTS

the three-factor structure of the Maslach Burnout Inventory was confirmed. Items 9, 12, 15 and 16 had a factorial weight below what was considered appropriate and were removed from the model. The second order hierarchical model with the aforementioned modifications presented an adequate adjustment to the data and can be considered the best and most parsimonious model tested according to the information theory indexes. The internal consistency of the instrument's factors was recalculated considering the exclusion of the items and the three factors were considered adequate.

CONCLUSION

the results obtained show that the Maslach Burnout Inventory is a reliable and factorially valid instrument for measuring the burnout syndrome in emergency service professionals in Brazil.