Emergency medicine
Vikas Bhatia; Suzanne Koshi; Varun Bansal; Uma Debi; Lokesh Singh; Manavjit Singh Sandhu
Volume 8, Issue 1 , January 2022, , Pages 13-18
Abstract
Objective: Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) is the investigation of choice in trauma patients. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the pattern, severity and association of abdominal injuries based on imaging at a high-volume tertiary trauma care centre. Methods: Retrospective ...
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Objective: Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) is the investigation of choice in trauma patients. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the pattern, severity and association of abdominal injuries based on imaging at a high-volume tertiary trauma care centre. Methods: Retrospective evaluation of the CT records of patients over a period of 5 years was done at our institute. A total of 1519 patients who had undergone contrast-enhanced abdominal CT at a 64-slice Multidetector CT for abdominal trauma were included in this study. Inclusion criteria were: 1) History of blunt abdominal trauma, 2) Patients who had undergone a biphasic CECT abdomen scan. Exclusion criteria were: 1) Patients with penetrating injury, 2) Patients with incomplete data set/records. Results: Liver was the most common injured organ in both adult (38.8%) and paediatric population (40.9%). Significant higher incidence of mesenteric injury, bladder injury, spinal and rib fractures were seen in adult patients. Significant association of anorectal injuries (P=0.003) and bladder/urethral injuries with pelvic fractures was also seen (P <0.001). Conclusion: Our study provided important insights about the pattern, severity and association between the various abdominal injuries based on imaging findings in a large patient population. Larger studies with incorporation of clinical outcome in such patients can help in formulating appropriate management strategies.
Emergency Medical Services
Alireza Ala; Farzad Rahmani; Reza Aslzad; Zahra Parsian
Volume 4, Issue 1 , January 2018, , Pages 14-17
Abstract
Objective: On account of the widespread use of nuclear energy in different fields, nuclear accidents and disasters have been on a rise. Thus, it is crucial for medical staff especially emergency department personnel to be aware of the nature of these accidents. This study was designed to evaluate the ...
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Objective: On account of the widespread use of nuclear energy in different fields, nuclear accidents and disasters have been on a rise. Thus, it is crucial for medical staff especially emergency department personnel to be aware of the nature of these accidents. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of training on the knowledge of physicians and nurses regarding nuclear disasters. Methods: This pre-and post-intervention study was conducted on 97 emergency department personnel including physicians and nurses of educational hospitals in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Educational classes and training about nuclear disasters and managing these events were held. A standard questionnaire was used to evaluate the knowledge before and after training, and the effect of education on personnel’s knowledge. Results: Our participants included 41 males and 56 females. The mean age was 32.88 years. The mean score of participants before and after the class was 4.03 ± 1.54 and 7.93 ± 1.55 respectively; which showed a statistically significant difference (P < 0.001). Among medical staff, physicians had better knowledge compared with the other group. Conclusion: This study showed that the knowledge of medical staff about nuclear disasters is low and educational classes are necessary to increase their knowledge.
Emergency medicine
Bita Abbasi; Masoud Pezeshki-Rad; Mozhdeh Amini; Mahdi Foroughian; Maryam Sahebari; Sirous Nekooei; Reza Akhvan
Volume 6, Issue 1 , January 2020, , Pages 18-22
Abstract
Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the clinical symptoms and sonographic characteristics of femoral trochlear cartilage in patients with knee joint osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 94 patients with painful primary knee OA according to the American ...
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Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the clinical symptoms and sonographic characteristics of femoral trochlear cartilage in patients with knee joint osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 94 patients with painful primary knee OA according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria with a visual analog scale pain score of 30 mm or more. Clinical features were evaluated by a rheumatologist according to the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) criteria, and a radiologist performed ultrasonography within a week. The thickness and echogenicity grade of three cartilage regions were evaluated. Other findings such as meniscal extrusion, effusion, and Baker’s cyst were recorded. Results: The average age of patients was 60 years. The linear regression model showed a significant association of grades II and III trochlear cartilage injury with the pain index, physical activity, and WOMAC overall index. However, there was no significant association between the trochlear cartilage thickness in these three regions and the WOMAC indexes (including pain, physical activity, and the overall index). There was also no significant association between Baker’s cyst and the WOMAC indexes, but a significant association was found between meniscal extrusion and the WOMAC index (P≤0.001). Conclusion: According to our study, the echogenicity grade determined by ultrasonography of femoral trochlear cartilage affects the clinical symptoms of patients including pain. These findings indicate the role of this diagnostic device in understanding changes due to the disease, and it can help physicians focus on the pathology in order to control clinical symptoms in patients.
Emergency medicine
Navid Kalani; Masoud Tavasolian; Khaterh Dehghani; Seyed Reza Mousavi; Erfan Ghanbarzadeh; Masihallah Shakeri; Elahe Rahmanian; Poorya Aryanpoor; Naser Hatami; Zhila Rahmanian; Samaneh Abiri
Volume 9, Issue 1 , January 2023, , Pages 19-24
Abstract
Objective: The goal of our study was to determine the prognostic value of CURB-65,Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), pneumonia severity index (PSI), MuLBSTA,and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II upon admission inpatients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19, as well ...
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Objective: The goal of our study was to determine the prognostic value of CURB-65,Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), pneumonia severity index (PSI), MuLBSTA,and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II upon admission inpatients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19, as well as the prediction cut-off valuefor death regarding these parameters.Methods: This observational retrospective study was performed in COVID-19 triagein Peymaniyeh hospital in Jahrom in 2021. In order to calculate SOFA, APACHE II, PSI,MuLBSTA, and CURB-65, data were collected from patients who were selected by availablesampling method from PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients. Thirty-day mortality wasassessed as the primary outcome. ROC analysis was conducted using the STATA software toevaluate the prognostic value of the scoring systems. DeLong test was utilized to compareAUC of scores using a web based tool.Results:Ninety-two patients were included in this study with the mean age of 51.02±17.81years (male to female ratio was 1:1). SOFA had an AUC of 0.656 (P=0.130), but other indiceshad statistically significant values of AUC. Based on the comparison of the AUCs, SOFAwas the worst scoring system in COVID-19 as it had significantly lower AUC than PSI andAPACHE II (P<0.05); while its comparison with MULBSTA and CURB65 was not statisticallysignificant (P>0.05).Conclusion: It seems that APACHE II and PSI are the best prognostic factors in our studywith no statistical difference compared together (P>0.05). The sensitivity of APACHE II andPSI was 0.857 with the specificity of 0.927 and 0.976, respectively. The optimal cut-off pointwas 13 and 50 for APACHE II and PSI, respectively
Emergency medicine
Mojtaba Samimi; Arash Safaie; Mehran Sotoodehnia; Fatemeh Rasooli; Atefeh Abdollahi
Volume 7, Issue 1 , January 2021, , Pages 22-27
Abstract
Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the role of an emergency nurse coordinator (ENC) in improving patient satisfaction at the emergency department (ED) in Tehran, Iran.Methods: This was an interventional study in the field of ED management. This study was undertaken in the ED of Sina hospital ...
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Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the role of an emergency nurse coordinator (ENC) in improving patient satisfaction at the emergency department (ED) in Tehran, Iran.Methods: This was an interventional study in the field of ED management. This study was undertaken in the ED of Sina hospital in Tehran, Iran, during March 2018 until April 2019. An ENC was assigned to the ED on even days and during the next week. Also, the presence of the ENC was switched to odd days and so on. Patient satisfaction was evaluated by a questionnaire. In order to analyze data, independent T-test was used to assess the mean difference in satisfaction scores. In addition, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) test was utilized to assess the difference in satisfaction scores after considering age, sex and triage level as confounding variables. Results: Finally, 315 and 291 patients were allocated to the intervention (patients with ENC) and control groups (patients without ENC), respectively. The total satisfaction rate in the intervention and control groups was 63.9% and 59.3%, respectively. The mean score of total satisfaction in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group [115.1 (SD = 20.0) vs 106.8 (SD = 22.3); P < 0.001]. The ANCOVA analysis showed that age, sex and triage level were not confounding factors affecting the satisfaction score.Conclusion: This study showed that the presence of the ENC in the ED can increase patient satisfaction, especially in domains related to “diagnostic and therapeutic services”, “cleanliness”, “cost and discharge information”, “ethical and privacy issues”, “admission, discharge and management services”.
Emergency medicine
Mohammad Reza Amiresmaili; Mahmood Nekooi Moghadam; Amin Saberi Nia; Rahil Ghorbani Nia
Volume 1, Issue 1 , January 2015, , Pages 23-27
Abstract
Objective: Emergency department is the most important part of a hospital and it seems that 24-hour presence of emergency medicine specialist can be effective in improving the performance of this ward. Therefore, the present study was performed with the aim of studying the effect of 24-hour presence of ...
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Objective: Emergency department is the most important part of a hospital and it seems that 24-hour presence of emergency medicine specialist can be effective in improving the performance of this ward. Therefore, the present study was performed with the aim of studying the effect of 24-hour presence of emergency medicine specialists in the emergency department of Shahid Bahonar hospital, Kerman/Iran.
Methods: In this mixed methods study, data collection was done through studying various related documents and semi-structured interview. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis.
Results: The presence of emergency medicine specialists resulted in a decrease in waiting time, hospital’s revenue growth, increase in number of requested laboratory tests, improvement of decision-making for patients and decrease of first 24-hour mortality rate. Economic benefits, improvement of the quality of services and emergency department management were among qualitative results of the present study.
Conclusion: In whole, 24-hour presence of emergency medicine specialists in the emergency department of Kerman Shahid Bahonar hospital has been effective in improving the performance and quality of services.
Clinical Toxicology
Mohammad Rafiqul Islam; Sarmistha Biswas; Syed Zakir Hossain; Nafizul Islam; Gourab Dewan; Mohammad Robed Amin
Volume 5, Issue 1 , January 2019, , Pages 23-28
Abstract
Objective: Acute poisoning is a common cause of hospital admission in Bangladesh. But, risk factors and characteristics of victims of different modes of poisoning have not been evaluated for possible intervention strategies. So, in this study we aimed to describe the pattern of acute poisoning in central ...
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Objective: Acute poisoning is a common cause of hospital admission in Bangladesh. But, risk factors and characteristics of victims of different modes of poisoning have not been evaluated for possible intervention strategies. So, in this study we aimed to describe the pattern of acute poisoning in central Bangladesh as well as identifying risk factors for various mode of poisoning.Methods: A prospective observational study was undertaken in Dhaka Medical College Hospital in 2015. Consenting adult acute poisoning victims were included as study subjects. A pretested structured case record form was used to systematically record the cases. The poisoning cases were defined by clinical toxidrome (sympathomimetic, antimuscarinic, opioids, cholinergic, sedative, etc) during acute presentation with suspected poisoning and groups accordingly. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis and statistical tests including mean ± standard division (SD), percentage, t test and chi-square were used accordingly.Results: Total poisoning cases were 1155. Suicidal (62.25%, n = 719), commuter poisoning (24.16%, n = 279) and accidental poisoning (12.38%, n = 143) were main types of poisoning. Risk factors of suicidal poisoning were young females of 11 to 30 years, married, housewives and students (P < 0.0001). Stressful relationship was the commonest reason of suicidal poisoning. Pesticides and sedatives were frequently chosen for easy availability. Commuter poisoning was common in males and urban areas (P < 0.0001). Accidental poisoning was more in males and rural areas (P < 0.0001) and snake envenomation was the main cause.Conclusion: Poisoning burden is high in central Bangladesh. Identified risk factors will help develop poisoning prevention strategies.
Emergency medicine
Shiva Salmasi; Navideh Robai; Hanieh Ebrahimi Bakhtavar; Farzad Rahmani; Farnaz Rahmani
Volume 3, Issue 1 , January 2017, , Pages 26-29
Abstract
Objective: According to the definition of World Health Organization (WHO), attempting suicide is an act that a person intentionally and without others’ interference shows an abnormal behavior (such as harming themselves or eating a drug higher than treatment dose) and his objective is realizing ...
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Objective: According to the definition of World Health Organization (WHO), attempting suicide is an act that a person intentionally and without others’ interference shows an abnormal behavior (such as harming themselves or eating a drug higher than treatment dose) and his objective is realizing his expected changes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the demographic characteristics of married women with suicidal attempt and a variety of methods used to suicide among them who referred to the emergency department of Sina hospital in Tabriz.
Methods: In a cross-sectional study 472 married female patients with suicide attempt who referred to the emergency department of Sina hospital in Tabriz in 2014 entered the study and relevant information was collected. Obtained information was analyzed using SPSS version 17.0.
Results: Findings showed that the most frequent method of suicide was drug use (99.8%). A significant relationship was found between the type of drug used and seasons of the year. The majority of the population (90.5%) lived in urban areas and based on statistical analyses, a significant relationship was found between residency and type of drug used.
Conclusion: According to the results of this study it can be concluded that drug use is the most frequent method of suicide that is done with a higher frequency in summer. Thus, rational prescription of drugs by physicians can be considered as one of the factors that can prevent suicide.
Emergency medicine
Samad Shams Vahdati; Kavous Shahsavari Nia; Sarvin Dalil; Paria Habibollahi; Behzad Yousefi
Volume 3, Issue 2 , July 2017, , Pages 46-48
Abstract
Objective: Trauma is a disease of modern societies and one of the reasons for the deaths of all ages in those societies. It is estimated that each year about 8.5 million people worldwide lose their lives as a result of trauma. Among the types of injuries around the world, road accidents are more common. ...
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Objective: Trauma is a disease of modern societies and one of the reasons for the deaths of all ages in those societies. It is estimated that each year about 8.5 million people worldwide lose their lives as a result of trauma. Among the types of injuries around the world, road accidents are more common. We conducted this study to compare types of trauma in different seasons in patients referred to Imam Reza hospital trauma center in 2013. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all trauma patients admitted to Trauma Emergency Department of Imam Reza hospital in Tabriz entered the study. As this study did not focus on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, we used epidemiological data from history and physical examination as a source. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were used for data analysis. All data were analyzed using SPSS version 15.0. Results: Of all 23 876 patients, 18 044 patients (75.6%) were male and 5832 (24.4%) were female. The prevalence of majority of trauma cases was 11.2% (2671) and occurred in September. Traffic accidents were the most common cause of trauma in patients with a prevalence of 33.9% (8095). Head injury had a prevalence of 38.6%. We did not find any correlation between age of patients, gender, type of injuries and the affected limb. Conclusion: Findings showed that trauma is more prevalent among males and younger people. Thus, proper planning and stringent traffic rules can reduce accident rate.
Critical Care
Maryam Ziaee; Amirhossein Mirafzal
Volume 2, Issue 2 , July 2016, , Pages 50-54
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the association of base deficit (BD) with mortality in traumatized children, and to assess this association in a subgroup of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: In this cross-sectional study performed prospectively on a convenience sample of patients ...
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Objective: To evaluate the association of base deficit (BD) with mortality in traumatized children, and to assess this association in a subgroup of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: In this cross-sectional study performed prospectively on a convenience sample of patients under 16 years of age with trauma presenting to an academic level ІІ trauma center, we obtained venous BD values initially and followed the patients for in-hospital mortality. Initial vital signs were measured and injury severity score (ISS), randomized trauma score (RTS), and pediatric trauma score (PTS) were calculated. Results: A total of 102 patients were included, with 48 patients diagnosed with TBI. Nine patients (8.8%) died during admission, of which 6 were diagnosed with TBI. Based on the univariate analysis, BD was associated with mortality in the whole group (P = 0.01), but not in the TBI subgroup (P = 0.08). In multivariable analysis, RTS was the only variable independently associated with mortality (P = 0.001, odds ratio [OR] = 0.197). Linear regression model showed that BD was predictive of ISS, RTS, and PTS. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve showed a cutoff point of -7 mmol/L for BD, below which there is a 12 fold increased risk for mortality. Conclusion: BD is a useful parameter in mortality prediction in pediatric trauma like in adult age group, but this predictive role in TBI patients is not supported by our results.
Emergency medicine
Mohammad Hasan Lotfi; Hossein Lashkardoost; Andishe Hamedi
Volume 5, Issue 2 , July 2019, , Pages 51-55
Abstract
Objective: The rate of road traffic accidents in Iran per capita and for the number of vehicles is much higher than the average in the world. The present study was conducted to investigate road traffic accidents in Yazd province during 2011-2015.Methods: The present study is a descriptive-analytic study ...
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Objective: The rate of road traffic accidents in Iran per capita and for the number of vehicles is much higher than the average in the world. The present study was conducted to investigate road traffic accidents in Yazd province during 2011-2015.Methods: The present study is a descriptive-analytic study in which data were obtained from data collection forms related to deaths from driving accidents of forensic medicine organizations. Data were entered into SPSS version 23. We calculated the frequency, percentage, and mean indices. We used Fisher exact test for data analysis.Results: In this research, 1437 individuals were studied. The number of deaths in men was three times more than women. Most fatal accidents occurred in the age group of 20-30 years. The most common accident which occurred during these years was the collision of vehicles with each other and in terms of the final cause of death, 1045 people died due to head injuries. In this study, we showed that the incidence decreased from 29.03 in 2011 to 22.03 in 2015.Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the most cases of fatal accidents occurred in the age group of 20-30 years, in people with elementary education and in the summer. Therefore, preventive action is necessary by raising awareness.
Hossein Alimohammadi; Papak Babaie; Hamid Reza Hatamabadi; Anita Sabzghabaei; Hojat Derakhshanfar; Farahnaz Bidari Zerehpoosh
Volume 1, Issue 2 , July 2015, , Pages 56-59
Abstract
Objective: Standardization of hospital emergency units is a major goal in developed countries to decrease the duration of patients stay in these units. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence of long-term staying in an emergency ward.
Methods: In the present 2-month cross-sectional ...
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Objective: Standardization of hospital emergency units is a major goal in developed countries to decrease the duration of patients stay in these units. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence of long-term staying in an emergency ward.
Methods: In the present 2-month cross-sectional study, patients referring to the emergency ward of Imam Hossein hospital were assessed. The patients’ demographic data, including age, the presenting symptoms and signs, reasons for delays, and the final outcome in relation to the location of hospitalization and discharge information were recorded. Data were reported as frequencies and percentages. The results were reported as means and standard deviations using SPSS version 20.
Results: Of 10087 patients admitted into the emergency ward during a 2-month period, 75 patients (0.7%) needed to stay and wait for more than 24 hours. The mean ± standard deviation of the patients’ ages was 62.5 ± 20.2 years, with 60% of the patients being over 60 years of age. The most common reason for overcrowding in the emergency ward was a lack of empty beds, with the need for ICU beds as the most important reason for bed deficiency in 59% of the cases. Nervous system problems were the most common reasons for referring to the emergency unit (41%) in patients under study. Finally, 81% of the patients were hospitalized, 10% died, 7% were discharged based on personal request and 1.3% were transferred to another hospital.
Conclusion: The prevalence of patients staying and waiting in the emergency ward for more than 24 hours was 0.7%. Lack of empty ICU beds was the most important reason for such delays; however, paraclinical problems had no role in these delays which were associated with the death of 10% of patients.
Emergency medicine
Payman Asadi; Vahid Monsef Kasmaei; Seyyed Mahdi Zia Ziabari; Shiva Bakian; Amir Noyani
Volume 6, Issue 2 , July 2020, , Pages 68-72
Abstract
Objective: Emergency medical services (EMS) is a critical component of health care system and the forefront of stroke care. The prominent role of EMS in stroke care is timely and accurate diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke and transfer of the patients to stroke centers. The present study aimed to assess ...
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Objective: Emergency medical services (EMS) is a critical component of health care system and the forefront of stroke care. The prominent role of EMS in stroke care is timely and accurate diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke and transfer of the patients to stroke centers. The present study aimed to assess the “awareness” and “attitude” of EMS personnel concerning prehospital stroke care based on American Stroke Association (ASA) guideline in Rasht town.Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study. The participants, consisted of all EMS personnel (n = 115) in Rasht town in 2012, entered the study based on census method. Awareness and attitude of EMS personnel toward prehospital stroke care were assessed using a questionnaire based on ASA guideline. The questionnaire had two sections. The first part contained demographic data and the second part had multiple choice items (Likert-type scale response anchors) to assess awareness and attitude of the personnel. The questionnaires were filled out by the personnel. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS software version 20. P-value less than 5% was considered significant.Results: Ninety people participated in this study. The average of age and working experience of participants were 36.84 ± 8.02 and 11.36 ± 5.71, respectively. Most of the participants had bachelor degree (n = 33, 36.7%) and majored in medical emergency (n = 43, 47.8%). Most of them were contract employees (47.8%). Mean scores of awareness and attitude of the personnel were 26.68 (the total number of score = 51) and 32.56 (the total number of score = 80), respectively.Conclusion: Findings revealed poor awareness and attitude of EMS personnel toward prehospital stroke care based on ASA guideline in
Emergency medicine
Hammoda Abu-Odah; Akram Abu Salah; Ali El-Khateeb; Khawla El-Nems
Volume 4, Issue 2 , July 2018, , Pages 77-81
Abstract
Objective: Patients’ satisfaction (PS) is recognized as an important emergency department service design and it has received a high interest and attention in the health management where many studies have focused on determining factors affecting PS in health-related circumstances. In this study, ...
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Objective: Patients’ satisfaction (PS) is recognized as an important emergency department service design and it has received a high interest and attention in the health management where many studies have focused on determining factors affecting PS in health-related circumstances. In this study, we aimed to examine PS in emergency department (ED) of the European Gaza Hospital (EGH) in the Gaza Strip (GS).Methods: A descriptive-analytical cross sectional study was performed at ED-EGH between March, 15 and June 20, 2015. Press Ganey questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection. For each patient, a self-administered questionnaire including 22 questions was filled based on a Likert scale. Results were analyzed using SPSS version 22.Results: Overall, 200 respondents were included in the study. About 73% of respondents were satisfied with overall medical services. The term of nurses’ concern provided to patients elicited the highest score (83.1%), followed by physicians’ concern with patients (72.0%) and communication skills with patients (71.4%), while the lowest score was reported in waiting time and security staff. Furthermore, our findings show an association between PS and level of education, gender differences, living area, and work shifts.Conclusion: The study results conclude that areas of medical and nursing care, respects of staff, physical comfort and waiting time ED-EGH is highly acceptable and offer in appropriate manners.
Emergency medicine
Arash Amirrafiei; Seyyed Mahdi Zia Ziabari; Fatemeh Haghshenas-Bakerdar; Ehsan Kazemnejad-Leili; Payman Asadi
Volume 7, Issue 2 , July 2021, , Pages 101-105
Abstract
Objective: Evaluating the abilities of emergency medical services (EMS) staff who are in the frontline of the diseases could be an excellent reflection of the accuracy of curriculum both before and after graduation. This study was done to determine the clinical competencies of Guilan EMS staff in responding ...
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Objective: Evaluating the abilities of emergency medical services (EMS) staff who are in the frontline of the diseases could be an excellent reflection of the accuracy of curriculum both before and after graduation. This study was done to determine the clinical competencies of Guilan EMS staff in responding to emergency conditions using Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Methods: In this descriptive study, 70 EMS staff from selected Emergency Centres in Guilan were recruited. Data were collected using a questionnaire and a checklist which included 9 different skills. Validity of the checklist was assessed by obtaining the opinions of 10 experts. The content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) of the checklist were 0.7 and 0.8, respectively. The reliability of the checklist was obtained using the test-retest method (r=0.89). In order to collect data, observations were done using the designated checklist. Data were analysed using SPSS software version 22 and descriptive statistical tests. Results: Findings showed that 56.3% of the paramedics got good scores for trauma competency but the mean scores for two competencies of spinal cord immobilization and vehicle extrication were low, indicating major skills problem. There was a statistically significant relationship between education (P=0.02) and work experience (P=0.03) as well as clinical skills in confronting trauma. Conclusion: Although the EMS staff had an acceptable range of performance in most of the skills, it seems that there is a need for training of performance-based competencies in which paramedics had a poor performance.
Emergency medicine
Rahul Chaurasia; Naveen Akhtar; Subramanian Arulselvi; Vedanand Arya; Sulekha Karjee
Volume 8, Issue 2 , July 2022, , Pages 104-109
Abstract
Objective: Type and crossmatch (TC) policy is the most common approach for pretransfusion compatibility testing prior to issue of blood for transfusion. As it involvesreserving of the blood units (usually up to 72 hours) prior to issue or un-reserving, it can leadto excessive blood cross matching, inventory ...
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Objective: Type and crossmatch (TC) policy is the most common approach for pretransfusion compatibility testing prior to issue of blood for transfusion. As it involvesreserving of the blood units (usually up to 72 hours) prior to issue or un-reserving, it can leadto excessive blood cross matching, inventory management problems, undue workload,blood outdating and reagent wastage. Type and screen (TS) policy is an alternativeapproach without the need to cross match and reserve blood units prior to issue. The aimof the current study was to retrospectively assess the impact of the implementation of TSpolicy for pre-transfusion compatibility testing on blood transfusion services at an urbanlevel Ι trauma center.Methods: The study was done in two phases in the Department of Transfusion Medicineat Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Center AIIMS, New Delhi, India. Transfusion data wascollected and compared during two phases: initial phase (Oct 2016-Mar 2017) of TC policyand second phase (Apr 2017-Sept 2017) of TS policy.Results: TS policy resulted in the reduction of C:T ratio from 5.3 to 1.9. Transfusionprobability increased to 29.5% during TS policy from 23.6% during TC policy. Issuable stockindex (ISI) also showed reduction from 12.5 to 11.4 after TS policy. Wastage as percentageof issue (WAPI) was reduced from 2.3% (TC) to 1.3% (TS). TS policy also led to reductionin expenses incurred on pre-transfusion compatibility testing by 35%. No hemolytictransfusion reaction was reported during the study.Conclusion: TS policy was found to be a safe and an efficient alternative approach to TCpolicy for pre-transfusion compatibility at our center. We recommend the implementationof TS policy, but each center should first assess its feasibility based on patient population,blood bank resources and staff knowledge
Emergency medicine
Maryam Eshghi; Farzad Rahmani; Behjat Derakhti; Fariba Abdollahi; Shahrad Tajoddini
Volume 2, Issue 1 , January 2016, , Pages 15-20
Abstract
Objective: Patient satisfaction is one of the most important indicators for measuring the quality of emergency services and health care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the patients’ satisfaction in the emergency department (ED) of Sina hospital. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional ...
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Objective: Patient satisfaction is one of the most important indicators for measuring the quality of emergency services and health care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the patients’ satisfaction in the emergency department (ED) of Sina hospital. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed during one month in Sina hospital in 2014. Data were collected by a questionnaire which its validity and reliability were confirmed in previous studies. The questionnaire consisted of 2 parts. Part 1 included the demographic characteristics and part 2 encompassed the scales of satisfactory. Data analysis was conducted by SPSS version 15. Results: Totally, 425 patients participated in this study. The mean age of patients was 41.6±17.6 years. The mean total score of patient satisfaction was 17.43±1.56. The maximum satisfaction was related to the knowledge of physicians and the minimum satisfaction was related to the remaining period in the ED. Additionally, there was a desirable satisfaction for nurses’ performances. In terms of satisfaction regarding the physical environment and the workflow of the ED, the results were moderate. There was a significant statistical difference regarding nurses and physicians behavior in the ED during different working shifts, vacation days, and workdays. Conclusion: Based on the results obtained, patients had good satisfaction for the received services in the ED. It is necessary to develop physical spaces and improve the workflow of patients in the ED.
Emergency medicine
Ali Reza Shafiee-Kandjani; Seyed Gholamreza Noorazar; Saeed Aslanabadi; Nasim Rashedi; Mehrnaz Dadkhah; Mohsen Jafarzadeh-Gharehziaaddin
Volume 4, Issue 1 , January 2018, , Pages 18-23
Abstract
Objective: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by persistent and impairing levels of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. Evidence shows that adolescents with ADHD are more exposed to trauma. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between ADHD symptom severity ...
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Objective: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by persistent and impairing levels of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. Evidence shows that adolescents with ADHD are more exposed to trauma. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between ADHD symptom severity and trauma severity. Methods: In this descriptive correlational study, the study population included traumatic adolescents aged 12-18 years referred to Shohada hospital in Tabriz, Iran in 2016. Among this population, 91 subjects were selected. In order to exclude subjects with other psychiatric disorders, a psychiatrist performed clinical interviews with them. In this regard, the short form of Conner’s Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scales Revised Edition (CBRS-R) and Pediatric Trauma Scale were used. For data analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient and independent t test were applied. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22. Results: There was a significant positive relationship between trauma severity and ADHD score, hyperactivity, and oppositional/Impulsivity (P < 0.01). Conversely, no statistical significance was observed between attention deficiency and trauma severity. The severity of trauma was higher among ADHD group than normal individuals. There were also correlations between socioeconomic status (SES) and oppositional/impulsive patients. In this regard, higher scores of oppositional/impulsivity were observed among patients with lower SES. Conclusion: Traumas have significant effects on economic and humanistic aspects of life in modern era. Our findings showed that there was a statistically significant relationship between hyperactivity-inattention and trauma intensity in adolescents. Therefore, to prevent traumatic events, ADHD screening at schools is suggested. By the same token, informing parents through mass media can help reduce the consequences of inattention/ hyperactivity disorder in the society.
Cardiology
elnaz vahidi; Maryam Beladi; Ahmad Abbasian; Amirhosein Jahanshir; Javad Seyedhosseini
Volume 8, Issue 1 , January 2022, , Pages 19-25
Abstract
Objective: Disposition in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is pivotal in an emergency department (ED). HEART score is a recent scoring system for finding primary endpoints in undetermined ACS. This study aimed at evaluating the predictive value of HEART score in ACS outcome and disposition.Methods: In this ...
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Objective: Disposition in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is pivotal in an emergency department (ED). HEART score is a recent scoring system for finding primary endpoints in undetermined ACS. This study aimed at evaluating the predictive value of HEART score in ACS outcome and disposition.Methods: In this prospective study, all patients with chest pain presentation compatible with our inclusion criteria referring to ED were enrolled during one year. Demographic data, triage level, hospital length of stay, admission ward, coronary angiography result, HEART score, thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) score, 1-month primary ACS endpoints and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were evaluated.Results: In our studied population (200 cases), 49 patients (24.5%) had at least one score for MACE. Comparing the prognostic values of TIMI vs HEART score in MACE revealed that the HEART had a larger AUC. The best cut-off point of HEART score in MACE prediction was calculated to be ≥5. There was a statistically significant relation between HEART score and hospital length of stay. The higher the HEART score, the more probability of patients being admitted to either hospital cardiac ward or coronary care unit (CCU). There was a significant relationship between the triage level and HEART score. Patients with higher HEART score had more acuity (lower triage level 1 or 2).Conclusion: HEART predicted MACE better than TIMI in low risk ACS. Patients with higher HEART score were more admitted to the hospital with longer hospital stay and patients with lower HEART score had higher triage level with less acuity.
Emergency medicine
Surendar Ravipragasam; Deepika Chandar; Vinay R Pandit
Volume 6, Issue 1 , January 2020, , Pages 23-27
Abstract
Objective: Survival-to-discharge rates following in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) patients remain significantly low. The use of initial documented cardiac rhythm as predictor of Survival-to-discharge is still unclear. This study aimed to assess whether the initial documented rhythm can be used as a ...
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Objective: Survival-to-discharge rates following in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) patients remain significantly low. The use of initial documented cardiac rhythm as predictor of Survival-to-discharge is still unclear. This study aimed to assess whether the initial documented rhythm can be used as a predictor of survival-to-discharge following IHCA in an emergency department of the tertiary care referral institute, south India. Methods: This observational study was conducted for six months from January to June 2017 among all patients above 12 years, with witnessed cardiac arrest after arrival at the emergency department. After obtaining informed consent from the patients’ caregivers, data of socio-demographic details, previous relevant medical history, initial documented rhythm, neurologic status and survival-to-discharge were collected and analyzed. Results: The mean age of participants was 50 ± 17.15 years. Of the 252 study participants, 77.4% had non-shockable and 22.6% had shockable rhythm as initial documented rhythm. The overall survival-to-discharge rate was 17.5% (n=44) in our study. The overall proportion of participants who survived to discharge after IHCA was higher among participants with shockable rhythm (16/57, 28%) in comparison to participants with non-shockable rhythm (28/195, 14.3%). These differences were found to be statistically significant. Among the patients with shockable rhythm, 61.1% had good cerebral performance. Conclusion: Survival-to-discharge rates after IHCA can be predicted based on the initial documented cardiac rhythm. Early identification of patients with impending cardiac arrest and providing prompt management of patients with cardiac arrest will improve the survival rates significantly
Emergency medicine
Zahra Rahim; Mehrdad MasoudifarI; Behzad Nazemroaya; Mehrdad Norouzi; Amirali Mousavi I
Volume 9, Issue 1 , January 2023, , Pages 25-31
Abstract
Objective: In general, spinal fusion surgery causes heavy bleeding. The purpose of thisstudy was to evaluate the use of two different doses of magnesium sulfate to control thebleeding in lumbar fusion surgery.Methods: This study was carried out as a randomized double-blinded clinical trial in 2020in ...
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Objective: In general, spinal fusion surgery causes heavy bleeding. The purpose of thisstudy was to evaluate the use of two different doses of magnesium sulfate to control thebleeding in lumbar fusion surgery.Methods: This study was carried out as a randomized double-blinded clinical trial in 2020in Al-Zahra hospital in Isfahan. The participants were 60 patients selected using inclusionand exclusion criteria and were randomly allocated into three groups. In the first group,50 mg/kg and in the second group, 40 mg/kg magnesium sulfate was infused. The thirdgroup received normal saline. From the beginning of anesthesia, heart rate, diastolic andsystolic blood pressure, respiratory rate and blood oxygen saturation percentage weremonitored and logged every 30 minutes during the operation and recovery. The volumeof bleeding during the operation was calculated by counting the number of gauzes usedand the amount of suctioned blood during the operation. Other required informationsuch as the duration of operation, duration of anesthesia, time of intubation and the timeperiod of hospitalization and recovery were determined and recorded in all patients. Weused independent t-test and repeated measure ANOVA tests to compare data betweendifferent time lines and also different groups. P value<0.05 was considered as significancethreshold. The collected data were analyzed by using SPSS software version 23.Results: The group receiving 50 mg/kg magnesium sulfate had a significantly lower systolicblood pressure compared to other groups within 15, 30 and 45 minutes after the injections(P=0.04 for all). The pulse rate was significantly lower in the 50 mg/kg magnesium sulfategroup compared to other groups within 15, 30 and 45 minutes after the injections (P<0.05for all). Patients that received 50 mg/kg magnesium sulfate had a lower duration of surgery(P=0.007), lower duration of anesthesia (P=0.007), lower bleeding volume (P<0.001),lower fluid intake (P=0.01) and also lower transfused blood (P=0.01). The surgeons alsohad a significantly higher satisfaction with these patients (P=0.001).Conclusion: Injection of 50 mg/kg magnesium sulfate had a correlation with reducedblood pressure as well as bleeding volume compared to 40 mg/kg magnesium sulfate.
Emergency medicine
Siamak Mousazadeh; Iraj Feizi; Khatereh Isazadeh
Volume 7, Issue 1 , January 2021, , Pages 28-31
Abstract
Objective: Inguinal hernia surgery is one of the most commonly used surgical procedures in the world. The aim of this study was to compare the recurrence and postoperative complications between a new mesh implant technique in the floor of the inguinal canal with limited tissue repair on it and Liechtenstein ...
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Objective: Inguinal hernia surgery is one of the most commonly used surgical procedures in the world. The aim of this study was to compare the recurrence and postoperative complications between a new mesh implant technique in the floor of the inguinal canal with limited tissue repair on it and Liechtenstein technique for inguinal hernia repair.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, patients were studied by Liechtenstein technique and a new technique of insertion of mesh at the foam of the inguinal canal with a limited tissue repair on it. Data were collected by interview and we assessed the recurrence rate, urinary retention and post-operative pain. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24. Chi-square test and t test were used for quantitative data and P value less than 0.05 was considered significant.Results: The mean age of patients was 49.28 ± 15.84. The mean age and sex ratio between the two groups were similar. Recurrence was seen in 11 (1.83%) of all patients and the difference between the two groups was not significant. Of all patients, 28 (4.7%) had urinary retention after surgery and the difference between the two groups was significant (p=0.01). Of all patients, 91 (15.2%) had pain after three weeks and 29 (4.8%) had pain after six months.Conclusion: The results showed that the new method had less complications concerning post-operative pain and urinary retention in comparison with the Liechtenstein method as an acceptable method for inguinal hernia repair in future.
Cardiology
Samad Shams Vahdati; Neda Parnianfard; Sanaz Beigzali; Shahrad Tajoddini
Volume 1, Issue 1 , January 2015, , Pages 29-34
Abstract
Objective: Acute chest pain is an important and frequently occurring symptom in patients. Chest pain is often a sign of ischemic heart disease. Chest pain due to suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) is responsible for a large and ijncreasing number of hospital attendances and admissions. Current practice ...
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Objective: Acute chest pain is an important and frequently occurring symptom in patients. Chest pain is often a sign of ischemic heart disease. Chest pain due to suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) is responsible for a large and ijncreasing number of hospital attendances and admissions. Current practice for suspected ACS involves troponin testing 10–12 hours after symptom onset to diagnose Myocardial Infarction (MI). Patients with a negative troponin can be investigated further with Computed Tomographic Coronary Angiography (CTCA) or exercise Electrocardiography (ECG). A review of cardiac biomarkers as screening test in acute chest pain over 15 years was conducted. Separate searches were under taken for biomarkers. We Searched electronic databases up to 2004-2014, reviewed citation lists and contacted experts to identify diagnostic and prognostic studies comparing a relevant index test (biomarker, CTCA or exercise ECG) to the appropriate reference standard. We classified studies to two part early rise biomarkers, high sensitivity biomarkers.
Conclusion: Although presentation troponin has suboptimal sensitivity, measurement of a 10-hour troponin level is unlikely to be cost-effective in most scenarios compared with a high sensitivity presentation troponin. Measurement of cardiac troponin using a sensitive method was the best test for the early diagnosis of an Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI). Measurement of myoglobin or Creatine Kinase-MB (CK-MB) in addition to a sensitive troponin test is not recommended. Heart-type Fatty Acid-Binding Protein (H-FABP) shows promise as an early marker and requires further study.
Clinical Toxicology
Seyed Hesam Rahmani; Gholamreza Faridaalaee
Volume 5, Issue 1 , January 2019, , Pages 29-31
Abstract
Hypokalemic periodic paralysis is anautosomal dominantdisease characterized by muscle weakness or paralysis with a matching fall in blood potassium levels. Paralysis attacks often occur in adolescence and are induced by strenuous exercise followed by rest, high carbohydrateor high sodiummeal content, ...
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Hypokalemic periodic paralysis is anautosomal dominantdisease characterized by muscle weakness or paralysis with a matching fall in blood potassium levels. Paralysis attacks often occur in adolescence and are induced by strenuous exercise followed by rest, high carbohydrateor high sodiummeal content, sudden changes in temperature, and even excitement, noise, flashing lights and cold temperatures. Despite global daily use of intravenous and oral potassium in the treatment of patients, data about intravenous bolus potassium is rare. Here we report a 29-year-old man complaining of weakness in the upper and lower limbs. By initial diagnosis of periodic hypokalemic paralysis, potassium chloride was ordered by oral route. After a few minutes, we heard patient screaming in pain. He complained of severe acute pain in peripheral intravenous line, palpitation and dyspnea. We noticed that potassium chloride vial was infused directly via cubital vein in few minutes erroneously. Physical exam revealed sinus tachycardia and hypertension. We began hyperkalemia treatment immediately. With appropriate treatment,the patient was discharged with good condition after 12 hours of admission.
Critical Care
Akbar Fadaei Haghi; Rouya Shokri; Samad Shams Vahdati; Farid Eftekhar Milani; Shahrad Tajoddini
Volume 3, Issue 1 , January 2017, , Pages 30-31
Abstract
We report a 54-year-old woman with the history of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who was admitted to our hospital because of volume overload. Due to long-term use of peripheral veins and arteriovenous fistula (AVF) failure, central venous catheterization was the only choice for hemodialysis. She developed ...
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We report a 54-year-old woman with the history of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who was admitted to our hospital because of volume overload. Due to long-term use of peripheral veins and arteriovenous fistula (AVF) failure, central venous catheterization was the only choice for hemodialysis. She developed right upper extremiti’s pain and paresis during hemodialysis. A posteroanterior chest x-ray showed the catheter tip was accidently pushed from right internal jugular vein into right subclavian vein during hemodialysis by the dialysis center nurse. Therefore, we believe that the physician should be aware of any changes in the catheter size after insertion. And a chest x-ray should ensure the catheter’s correct position in any patient who develops complications.