Browsing by Subject "Emergency department"

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    Clinical prediction scale approach derived from a retrospective study to reduce the number of urgent, low-value cranial CT scans
    (Springer, 2024-07-26) Plasencia Martínez, Juana María; Otón González, Elena; Sánchez Canales, Marta; Ortiz Mayoral, Herminia; Cotillo Ramos, Estefanía; Casado‑Alarcón, Nuria Isabel; Ballesta Ruiz, Mónica; Villaverde González, Ramón; García Santos, José María; Ciencias Sociosanitarias; Facultades de la UMU::Facultad de Enfermería
    Purpose: Fifty percent of cranial CT scans performed achieve no benefit and entail risks. Our aim is to determine the yield of non-traumatic urgent cranial-CT and develop a pretest clinical probability scale approach. Methods: Adult patients seen in our emergency department between 2017–2021 and referred for urgent cranial-CT for non-traumatic reasons were retrospectively recruited and randomly selected. Presenting complaint (PC), demographic variables, Relevant radiological findings (RRF) on the urgent cranial-CT and Relevant clinical-radiological findings (RCRF: admission need or RRF detection on the urgent cranial-CT or cranial CT/MRI in the following three months) were recruited. Results: We recruited 702 patients, with median age 62 [47–76] years, 363 (51.7%) females. RCRF were observed in 404 (57.55%); of these, 352 (50.1%) required admission. RRF were detected in 190 (27.06%): 36 acute ischemic and 27 acute hemorrhagic lesions, 115 masses, 9 edema, and 27 hydrocephalus. Predictive PC for urgent cranial-CT were motor, speech, sensory deficits, sudden alteration of mental status, epileptic seizure, cognitive impairment, neurological symptoms in cancer patients, acute headache without a prior history and with meningeal signs; nausea, vomiting, or hypertensive crisis; visual deficits, and dizziness. This algorithm provided sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value (NPV, 95%CI in brackets) of 92.1% (89–94.5%), 27.5% (22.5–33.0%), 63.3% (59.2–67.2%), and 71.9% (62.7–80.0%), to diagnose RCRF, and 97.4% (93.4–99.1%), 21.3% (17.8–25.1%), 31.5% (27.7–35.4%), and 95.6% (90.1–98.6%), to diagnose RRF. In patients not requiring admission (n = 350), the NPV for RRF was 98.8% (93.6–100%); the negative likelihood ratio 0.08 (0.01–0.57), and sensitivity remained at 97.8% (82.2–99.9%). Applying it would have avoided performing 85/350 urgent cranial-CT (24.29%). To find one RRF, we would have gone from performing 7.8 (350/45) to 5.9 (265/45) CTs, failing to diagnose 1/45 (2.2%) RRF. Conclusions: This proposed clinical scale could potentially decrease 24% of urgent cranial-CT.
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    The communication skills and quality perceived in an emergency department: the patient's perspective
    (Wiley, 2020-03-11) Orcajada Muñoz, Irene; Amo Setien, Francisco José; Díaz Agea, José Luis; Hernández Ruipérez, Tomás; Adánez Martínez, María de Gracia; Leal Costa, César; Medicina
    Aim: To examine the influence of health care provider's communication skills on the quality of care perceived by Emergency Department patients. Background: Communication between patients and health care providers in the context of Emergency Department is challenging and can potentially have a negative impact on the quality of care perceived by patients. Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in the Emergency Department at the University Clinical Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca of Murcia, Spain. Method: Data were collected from 6 to 9 June 2016. Different instruments were used to evaluate the perception of patients on the communication skills and quality of care at the Emergency Department. Results. The sample was composed of 200 patients, with an average age of 44.1 (SD = 18.3), of which 106 (53%) were men. The multiple linear regression analysis showed the association between communication skills (respect, problem solving, and nonverbal communication) and age with the quality of care perceived by the patients. Conclusions: We found that the communication skills of the health care providers were explanatory variables of the quality of care perceived in an Emergency Department.