Intelligent emergency service system based on wireless sensor and actuator networks

An intelligent emergency service（ IES） system is designed for indoor environments based on a wireless sensor and actuator network（ WSAN） composed of a gateway, sensor nodes, and a multi-robot system（ MRS）. If the MRS receives accident alarm information, the group of robots will navigate to the accident sites and provide corresponding emergency services.According to the characteristics of the MRS, a distributed consensus formation protocol is designed, which can assure that the multiple robots arrive at the accident site in a specified formation. The prototype emergency service system was designed and implemented, and some relevant simulations and experiments were carried out. The results showthat the MRS can successfully provide emergency lighting and failure node replacement services when accidents happen. The effectiveness of the algorithm and the feasibility of the system are verified.

Prototype for Integrating Internet of Things and Emergency Service in an IP Multimedia Subsystem for Wireless Body Area Networks

In recent years, the application of the Internet of Things （IoT） has become an emerging business. The most important concept of next-generation network for providing a common global IT platform is combining seamless networks and networked things, objects or sensors. Also, wireless body area networks （WBANs） are becoming mature with the widespread usage of the IoT. In order to support WBAN, the platform, scenario and emergency service are necessary due to the sensors in WBAN being related to wearer＆#39;s life. The sensors on the body detect a lot of information about bioinformatics and medical signals, such as heartbeat and blood. Thus, the integration of IoT and network communication in daily life is important. However, there is not only a lack of common fabric for integrating IoT with current Internet and but also no emergency call process in the current network communication envi-ronment. To overcome such situations, the prototype of integrating IoT and emergency call process is discussed. A simulated boot-strap platform to provide the discussion of open challenges and solutions for deploying IoT in Internet and the emergency commu-nication system are analyzed by using a service of 3GPP IP multimedia subsystem. Finally, the prototype for supporting WBAN with emergence service is also addressed and the performance results are useful to service providers and network operators that they can estimate their migration to IoT by referring to this experience and experiment results. Furthermore, the queuing model used to achieve the performance of emergency service in IMS and the delay time of the proposed model is analyzed.

Emergency service results of central venous catheters:Single center,1042 patients,10-year experience

BACKGROUND Central venous catheterization is currently an important procedure in critical care.Central catheterization has important advantages in many clinical situations.It can also lead to different complications such as infection,hemorrhage,and thrombosis.It is important to investigate critically ill patients undergoing catheterization.AIM To evaluate the characteristics,such as hospitalization,demographic characteristics,post-catheterization complications,and mortality relationships,of patients in whom a central venous catheter was placed in the emergency room.METHODS A total of 1042 patients over the age of 18 who presented to the emergency department between January 2005 and December 2015 were analyzed retrospectively.The patients were divided into three groups,jugular,subclavian,and femoral,according to the area where the catheter was inserted.Complications related to catheterization were determined as pneumothorax,guidewire problems,bleeding,catheter site infection,arterial intervention,and sepsis.Considering the treatment follow-up of the patients,three groups were formed as outpatient treatment,hospitalization,and death.RESULTS The mean age of the patients was 60.99±19.85 years;423(40.6%)of them were women.Hospitalization time was 11.89±16.38 d.There was a significant correlation between the inserted catheters with gender(P=0.009)and hospitalization time(P=0.040).Also,blood glucose,blood urea nitrogen,creatinine,and serum potassium values among the biochemical values of the patients who were catheterized were significant.A significant association was observed in the analysis of patients with complications that develop according to the catheter region(P=0.001)and the outcome stage(P=0.001).In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of hospitalization time and mortality area under curve was 0.575,the 95%confidence interval was 0.496-0.653,the sensitivity was 71%,and the specificity was 89%(P=0.040).CONCLUSION Catheter location and length of stay are important risk factors for catheter-borne infections.Because the risk of infection was lower than other catheters,jugular catheters should be preferred at entry points,and preventive measures should be taken by monitoring patients closely to reduce hospitalization infections.

Psychological Complaints at Psychological Emergency Service Associated with Referral to Extended Screening in a Psychology School Clinic

The Psychological Emergency Service(PES)at psychology school clinics is an unscheduled and free psychological service to meet urgent demands.From this service,some patients whose complaints require more time for clinical work are referred to the Extended Screening(ES),a modality composed of six extra appointments.This study aims to analyze the sociodemographic profile of patients seen on PES in a Brazilian Psychology School Clinic,and to identify the demands that motivated referral to the ES,for better qualification of the care offered.This is a descriptive analysis research,carried out based on data from the medical records of 46 patients who went through the PES and were referred to the ES at the institution,between the years 2019 and 2021.Sociodemographic data were collected and,from the session reports,a content analysis of the thematic analysis modality was performed to identify the complaints.The participants’age ranged from 18 to 65 years,with a mean of 32.28 years(sd=10.95).There was a predominance of female participants(71.74%),that completed High School(39.14%)and had an income from one to two Brazilian minimum wages(32.61%).The most frequent complaints were depressive symptoms(56.52%)and difficulties in interpersonal relationships(32.61%).The results obtained,besides allowing the survey of the social and demographic profile of the clientele of the PES at the Psychology School Clinic,and demonstrating its social relevance by providing free psychological care,also show to be of great importance for the definition of more accurate criteria for referral to the ES of patients seen on PES.

Anticipation and Response: Emergency Services in Severe Weather Situations in Germany

Communicating meteorological uncertainty allows earlier provision of information on possible future events. The desired benefit is to enable the end-user to start with preparatory protective actions at an earlier time based on the end-user's own risk assessment and decision threshold. The presented results of an interview study,conducted with 27 members of German civil protection authorities, show that developments in meteorology and weather forecasting do not necessarily fit the current practices of German emergency services. These practices are mostly carried out based on alarms and ground truth in a superficial reactive manner, rather than on anticipation based on prognoses or forecasts. Emergency managers cope with uncertainty by collecting, comparing, and blending different information about an uncertain event and its uncertain outcomes within the situation assessment to validate the information. Emergency managers struggle most with an increase of emergency calls and missions due to the impacts of severe weather. Because of the additional expenditures, the weather event makes it even harder for them to fulfill their core duties. These findings support the need for impact-based warnings.

Facilitators of and barriers to emergency medical service use by acute ischemic stroke patients: A retrospective survey

Objective: The objective of the study was to identify facilitators and barriers to emergency medical service use among acute ischemic stroke patients in Korea.Methods: This paper presents a secondary analysis of a retrospective survey that collected data from questionnaires and medical records.Among 233 acute ischemic stroke patients enrolled in a large-scale study,160 patients who had arrived at a hospital within 72 h after symptom onset were included in the data analysis.Results: Users of emergency medical services needed a shorter time than non-users to arrive at hospital (140 min vs.625 min.,p =0.001) and were more likely to arrive at hospital within 3 h of symptom onset (51.9% vs.31.5%,p =0.013).For those who first contacted emergency medical service,the facilitators of emergency medical service use were the presence of hemiparesis (p =0.003),bilateral paralysis (p =0.040),and loss of balance (p =0.021).The predominant barrier was the failure to recognize the urgency of symptoms (p 0.006).Conclusions: The use of emergency medical services reduced prehospital delay and increased the likelihood of patient arrival at hospital within 3 h.Given that experiencing typical stroke symptoms was a facilitator of emergency medical service use yet failure to recognize the urgency of symptoms was a barrier,public awareness should be raised as regards stroke symptoms and the benefits of using emergency medical services.

Association of post-traumatic stress disorder and work performance: A survey from an emergency medical service, Karachi, Pakistan

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to explore the association between posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD) and work performance of emergency medical services personnel in Karachi, Pakistan.METHODS: Emergency medical service personnel were screened for potential PTSD using Impact of Event Scale-Revised(IES-R). Work performance was assessed on the basis of fi ve variables: number of late arrivals to work, number of days absent, number of days sick, adherence to protocol, and patient satisfaction over a period of 3 months. In order to model outcomes like the number of late arrivals to work, days absent and days late, negative binomial regression was applied, whereas logistic regression was applied for adherence to protocol and linear for patient satisfaction scores.RESULTS: Mean scores of PTSD were 24.0±12.2. No association was found between PTSD and work performance measures: number of late arrivals to work(RRadj 0.99; 0.98–1.00), days absent(RRadj 0.98; 0.96–0.99), days sick(RRadj 0.99; 0.98–1.00), adherence to protocol(ORadj 1.01; 0.99–1.04) and patient satisfaction(β 0.001%–0.03%) after adjusting for years of formal schooling, living status, coping mechanism, social support, working hours, years of experience and anxiety or depression.CONCLUSION: No statistically significant association was found between PTSD and work performance amongst EMS personnel in Karachi, Pakistan.

Overview of the Shenzhen Emergency Medical Service Call Pattern

BACKGROUND：In Shenzhen, the Emergency Medical Service （EMS） system has been in service since 1997. This study aims to examine the operation of Shenzhen 120 EMS center and to identify the reasons of calling EMS.BACKGROUND：In this retrospective quantitative descriptive study, the data from the Shenzhen 120 EMS registry in 2011 were analyzed.RESULTS：Shenzhen 120 EMS center is a communication command center. When the number of 120 are dialed, it is forwarded to the closest appropriate hospital for ambulance dispatch. In 2011, the Shenzhen 120 EMS center received 153 160 ambulance calls, with an average of 420 calls per day. Calling emergency services was mainly due to traffic accidents. Trauma and other acute diseases constituted a majority of ambulance transports. The adult patients aged 15-60 years are the principal users of EMS. There are no recognized ＇paramedic＇ doctors and nurses. The pre-hospital emergency service is under the operation of emergency departments of hospitals. Shenzhen at present does not have specialized pre-hospital training for doctors and nurses in posttrauma management. Moreover, specialized pre-hospital training, financial support, and public health education on proper use of EMS should be emphasized.CONCLUSION：The Shenzhen 120 EMS center has its own epidemiology characteristics. Traumatic injury and traffic accident are the main reasons for calling ambulance service. In-depth study emphasizing the distribution and characteristics of trauma patients is crucial to the future development of EMS.

The impact of prehospital blood sampling on the emergency department process of patients with chest pain:a pragmatic non-randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND:In patients with chest pain who arrive at the emergency department(ED)by ambulance,venous access is frequently established prehospital,and could be utilized to sample blood.Prehospital blood sampling may save time in the diagnostic process.In this study,the association of prehospital blood draw with blood sample arrival times,troponin turnaround times,and ED length of stay(LOS),number of blood sample mix-ups and blood sample quality were assessed.METHODS:The study was conducted from October 1,2019 to February 29,2020.In patients who were transported to the ED with acute chest pain with low suspicion for acute coronary syndrome(ACS),outcomes were compared between cases,in whom prehospital blood draw was performed,and controls,in whom blood was drawn at the ED.Regression analyses were used to assess the association of prehospital blood draw with the time intervals.RESULTS:Prehospital blood draw was performed in 100 patients.In 406 patients,blood draw was performed at the ED.Prehospital blood draw was independently associated with shorter blood sample arrival times,shorter troponin turnaround times and decreased LOS(P<0.001).No differences in the number of blood sample mix-ups and quality were observed(P>0.05).CONCLUSION:For patients with acute chest pain with low suspicion for ACS,prehospital blood sampling is associated with shorter time intervals,while there were no significant differences between the two groups in the validity of the blood samples.

Self-Reported Use of Personal Protective Equipment during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in Emergency Medical Service Employees in Germany—A Survey

Background: Multicentric prospective cohort investigation survey conducted between 1st of March and 1st of April 2021on SARS-CoV-2 occupational risk for German Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel. Study Objectives: Primary: The objective is to take stock of the use and availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in German EMS, both at managerial and employee level, during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Secondary: Generate additional data on individual perceptions of risk of infection and occurrence of infections at respective places of service. Methods: Multicentric prospective cohort investigation survey conducted online at two levels of German EMS personnel—EMS managers and EMS employees, both medical and paramedical—with questions adapted slightly to fit the respective study population. Results: A total of 34 responses were received in the managerial group;a total of 2389 responses were received in the group of employees. Self-reported PPE adherence of EMS employees for confirmed SARS-CoV-2 positive patients: use of gloves (99.8%), FFP2 or FFP3 masks (99.8%), gowns or coveralls (99.1%), goggles (89.7%), face shields (24.0%), surgical masks (0.0%). Self-reported PPE adherence of EMS employees for suspected SARS-CoV-2 positive patients: gloves (98.8%), FFP2 or FFP3 masks (total: 99.4%), gowns or coveralls (total: 95.9%), goggles (85.6%), face shields (19.2%), surgical masks (0.2%). Conclusions: Findings included an overall improved self-reported adherence to PPE compared to studies that were conducted before the pandemic. Self-reported general adherence to PPE recommendations when attending to confirmed SARS-CoV-2 positive patients was good, with the exception of goggles. Self-reported adherence to PPE recommendations dropped when attending to suspected SARS-CoV-2 positive patients.

Satisfaction at Work and Suffering in Professional Psychic Service Mobile Service Emergency (SAMU)

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the level of professional satisfaction, to identify the presence of psychic suffering and their correlations in Emergency Medical Services professionals. Methods: The study is of the exploratory, census, descriptive, transversal type, with quantitative approach. It used three instruments: A sociodemographic questionnaire;the Professional Satisfaction Index—PSI;and the Self Report Questionnaire—SRQ-20. 200 professionals took part in the research (doctors, nurses, nursing technicians and conductors). Results: The data show that the majority of professionals are aged between 40 and 49 years old and that the largest quantity of women belong to the group of nurses. As to the PSI, the majority of professionals pointed out remuneration as the most important for satisfaction. In the overall satisfaction result, the physicians were those who had the highest level of satisfaction. Regarding the SRQ-20 scores, the group of nursing technicians and nurses had the highest prevalence for psychic suffering, with 44.56% and 43.48%. In the statistical analyses between each of the components of the professional satisfaction with the SRQ-20 scores, we verified statistically significant correlations when adopting (p Conclusions: It was concluded that the discontent of workers with remuneration and managerial issues are predominant for total dissatisfaction with work and dissatisfaction exerts a strong influence on the presence of suffering in these professionals.

Death and do-not-resuscitate order in the emergency department:A single-center three-year retrospective study in the Chinese mainland

BACKGROUND:Consenting to do-not-resuscitate(DNR)orders is an important and complex medical decision-making process in the treatment of patients at the end-of-life in emergency departments(EDs).The DNR decision in EDs has not been extensively studied,especially in the Chinese mainland.METHODS:This retrospective chart study of all deceased patients in the ED of a university hospital was conducted from January 2017 to December 2019.The patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were excluded.RESULTS:There were 214 patients’deaths in the ED in the three years.Among them,132 patients were included in this study,whereas 82 with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were excluded.There were 99(75.0%)patients’deaths after a DNR order medical decision,64(64.6%)patients signed the orders within 24 hours of the ED admission,68(68.7%)patients died within 24 hours after signing it,and 97(98.0%)patients had DNR signed by the family surrogates.Multivariate analysis showed that four independent factors infl uenced the family surrogates’decisions to sign the DNR orders:lack of referral(odds ratio[OR]0.157,95%confi dence interval[CI]0.047–0.529,P=0.003),ED length of stay(ED LOS)≥72 hours(OR 5.889,95%CI 1.290–26.885,P=0.022),acute myocardial infarction(AMI)(OR 0.017,95%CI 0.001–0.279,P=0.004),and tracheal intubation(OR 0.028,95%CI 0.007–0.120,P<0.001).CONCLUSIONS:In the Chinese mainland,the proportion of patients consenting for DNR order is lower than that of developed countries.The decision to sign DNR orders is mainly affected by referral,ED LOS,AMI,and trachea intubation.

Acute intoxication cases admitted to the emergency department of a university hospital

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to describe the clinical and socio-demographic aspects of acute poisoning in 2010 in Duzce City, Northwest Anatolian Region of Turkey.METHODS: Acute poisoning was due to the intentional ingestion of drugs in young and adult people(≥16), who were treated at the Emergency Service of Duzce University Medical Hospital, Turkey from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. In this retrospective and descriptive study, 95 patients were diagnosed with intoxications and 30 of them intentionally ingested drugs to commit suicide. Records of the patients diagnosed with intoxication were obtained from the Clinical Archive of the hospital. Their diagnoses were established according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. Codes X60-X84 of this classification were used to classify self-infringed drug injuries and drug poisoning.RESULTS: In this series, 35(36.8%) patients were male and 60 patients(63.2%) female. The male/female ratio was 1.0/1.7. The mean age of the patients was 33.1±14.2 years; 17(17.9%) patients were below 20 years old and 9(9.5%) were older than 50 years. Of these patients, 29(30.5%) were single, 7(7.4%) divorced or separated, and 59(62.1%) married. Their mean time for admission to the emergency service after the incident was 208±180(15–660) minutes. The mean time for admission to the emergency service for patients with food intoxication after the incident was 142±160 minutes, for those with drug intoxication 173±161 minutes, for those with carbon monoxide(CO) intoxication 315±209 minutes, and for those with undefined intoxication 289±166 minutes(P=0.005). Most of the intoxication cases occurred in winter(41.1%, 39 of 95 patients). Admissions to the emergency service were most common in December and April(21 and 16 of 95 patients, respectively). Sixty-five(68.4%) cases were involved in non-deliberate poisoning, whereas 30(31.6%) were involved in deliberate poisoning. Twenty-six of the 95 patients with acute poisonings had mortality risk at admission, however only one died from CO intoxication in the emergency service(1.1%). Suicide attempts were more common in females than in males(21 of 30 patients, 70%, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: In Duzce City of Turkey, most intoxication cases occurred in winter, especially in December. They had non-deliberate poisoning, but deliberate poisoning in suicide attempts was more common in females than in males.

Effects of a general practitioner cooperative co-located with an emergency department on patient throughput

BACKGROUND:In 2013 a General Practitioner Cooperative(GPC) was introduced at the Emergency Department(ED) of our hospital.One of the aims of this co-located GPC was to improve throughput of the remaining patients at the ED.To determine the change in patient flow,we assessed the number of self-referrals,redirection of self-referrals to the GPC and back to the ED,as well as ward and ICU admission rates and length of stay of the remaining ED population.METHODS:We conducted a four months' pre-post comparison before and after the implementation of a co-located GPC with an urban ED in the Netherlands.RESULTS:More than half of our ED patients were self-referrals.At triage,54.5%of these selfreferrals were redirected to the GPC.After assessment at the GPC,8.5%of them were referred back to the ED.The number of patients treated at the ED declined with 20.3%after the introduction of the GPC.In the remaining ED population,there was a significant increase of highly urgent patients(P<0.001),regular admissions(P<0.001),and ICU admissions(P<0.001).Despite the decline of the number of patients at the ED,the total length of stay of patients treated at the ED increased from 14 682 hours in the two months' control period to 14 962 hours in the two months' intervention period,a total increase of 270 hours in two months(P<0.001).CONCLUSION:Introduction of a GPC led to efficient redirection of self-referrals but failed to improve throughput of the remaining patients at the ED.

A prediction model for large vessel occlusion in suspected stroke patients based on available prehospital information

Objective:Early and accurate identification of large vessel occlusion(LVO)acute ischemic stroke(AIS)patients is critically important for stroke management.Practicable scales with simple items can facilitate prehospital paramedics distinguishing LVO-AIS patients with high efficiency and help to avoid unnecessary and costly delays.The current study aims to develop a screening tool to predict AIS-LVO patients based on prehospital available data.Method:A total of 251 suspected stroke patients who were transported to the emergency department of our hospital via emergency medical services were consecutively enrolled from August,2020 to January,2022.Data including demographic information,medical history,clinical manifestations,and vital signs were collected.A multivariate logistic regression model was developed based on statistically significant variables selected from univariate analysis.Result:Forty-two patients(16.7%)were diagnosed as LVO-AIS based on imaging validation at admission.A comprehensive model was developed with past medical history factors such as atrial fibrillation and coronary heart disease,vital signs such as systolic blood pressure,and prominent symptoms and signs such as gaze palsy,facial paralysis,and dysarthria.The model showed better diagnostic performance in terms of area under the receiver operating characteristic curves(0.884,95%CI,0.830-0.939),which was higher than other common prehospital prediction scales such as the Face,Arm,Speech,Time test(FAST),the Field Assessment Stroke Triage for Emergency Destination(FAST-ED)scale,and the Gaze-Face-Arm-Speech-Time test(G-FAST).Calibration curve analysis,decision curve analysis,and clinical impact curve analysis further validated the reliability,net benefit,and potential clinical impact of the prediction model,respectively.Conclusion:We conducted a prediction model based on prehospital accessible factors including past history of atrial fibrillation and coronary heart disease,systolic blood pressure,and signs such as gaze palsy,facial palsy,and dysarthria.The prediction model showed good diagnostic power and accuracy for identification of the high-risk patients with LVO and may become an effective tool for the LVO recognition in prehospital settings.Future studies are warranted to refine and validate the model further in order to enhance the accuracy and objectivity of clinical judgments.

Trends and challenges of emergency and acute care in Chinese mainland:2005–2017

BACKGROUND:Emergency medical service system(EMSS)is essential in providing acute care services for health conditions.However,trends of emergency and acute care in China haven’t been studied systematically.METHODS:Relevant literature was carefully reviewed,including original and review articles,letters,government reports,yearbooks,both in Chinese and in English.Data on the number of emergency visits,physicians and beds in emergency departments(EDs),and the workforce of prehospital emergency care were summarized and analyzed from China Health and Family Planning Statistical Yearbooks(2006–2018).RESULTS:Over the past decade,the number of ED visits tripled from 51.9 million to 166.5 million;and utilization of pre-hospital emergency care increased from 3.2 million to 6.8 million.In response to rapid increases in demand,the number of licensed emergency physicians raised from 20,058 to 59,409;the beds’number increased from 10,783 to 42,367.For pre-hospital emergency care,the volume of health workforce increased from 3,687 to 8,671,with a 109%increase in the number of physicians from 1,774 to 3,712.However,overcrowding,the long length of stay in EDs,poor work environment,and work exhaustion were still the critical challenges faced by China’s EMSS.CONCLUSIONS:The number of emergency visits has grown with continual capability enhancement during the past decade.However,overcrowding,the long length of stay in EDs,poor work environment,and work exhaustion still need to be solved by China’s EMSS.These fi ndings and comparison with the USA could offer experiences and lessons to EMSS development worldwide,especially for developing countries.

Medical services for sports injuries and illnesses in the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games

BACKGROUND:Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games was the second Games held amid the COVID-19 pandemic.To a certain extent,it has altered the way sporting activities operate.There is a lack of knowledge on injury risk and illness occurrence in elite winter sport athletes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.This study aimed to describe the incidence of injuries and illnesses sustained during the XXIV Olympic Winter Games in Beijing from February 4 to 20,2022.METHODS:We recorded the daily number of injuries and illnesses among athletes reported by Beijing 2022 medical staff in the polyclinic,medical venues,and ambulance.We calculated injury and illness incidence as the number of injuries or illnesses occurring during competition or training,respectively,with incidence presented as injuries/illnesses per 100 athlete-days.RESULTS:In total,2,897 athletes from 91 nations experienced injury or illness.Beijing 2022 medical staff reported 326 injuries and 80 illnesses,equaling 11.3 injuries and 2.8 illnesses per 100 athletes over the 17-day period.Altogether,11%of the athletes incurred at least one injury and nearly 3%incurred at least one illness.The number of injured athletes was highest in the skating sports(n=104),followed by alpine skiing(n=53),ice track(n=37),freestyle skiing(n=36),and ice hockey(n=35),and was the lowest in the Nordic skiing disciplines(n=20).Of the 326 injuries,14(4.3%)led to an estimated absence from training or competition of more than 1 week.A total of 52 injured athletes were transferred to hospitals for further care.The number of athletes with illness(n=80)was the highest for skating(n=33)and Nordic skiing(n=22).A total of 50 illnesses(62.5%)were admitted to the department of dentistry/ophthalmology/otolaryngology,and the most common cause of illness was other causes,including preexisting illness and medicine(n=52,65%).CONCLUSION:Overall,11%of athletes incurred at least one injury during the Games,which is similar to the findings during the Olympic Winter Games in 2014 and 2018.Regarding illness,2%of athletes were affected,which is approximately one-third of the number affected in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

Significant factors associated with fatal outcome in emergency open surgery for perforated peptic ulcer

AIM:To evaluate the main factors associated with mortality in patients undergoing surgery for perforated peptic ulcer referred to an academic department of general surgery in a large southern Italian city. METHODS:One hundred and forty-nine consecutive patients (M:F ratio=110:39,mean age 52 yrs,range 16-95) with peptic ulcer disease were investigated for clinical history (including age,sex,previous history of peptic ulcer,associated diseases,delayed abdominal surgery,ulcer site,operation type,shock on admission,postoperative general complications, and intra-abdominal and/or wound infections),serum analyses and radiological findings. RESULTS:The overall mortality rate was 4.0%.Among all factors,an age above 65 years,one or more associated diseases,delayed abdominal surgery,shock on admission, postoperative abdominal complications and/or wound infections,were significantly associated (x^2) with increased mortality in patients undergoing surgery (0.0001<P<0.03). CONCLUSION:Factors such as concomitant diseases,shock on admission,delayed surgery,and postoperative abdominal and wound infections are significantly associated with fatal outcomes and need careful evaluation within the general workup of patients admitted for perforated peptic ulcer.

Is routine pregnancy test necessary in women of reproductive age admitted to the emergency department?

BACKGROUND:This study aimed to determine the necessity of pregnancy test in women of reproductive age admitted to emergency department(ED) in routine practice.METHODS:We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who presented to the ED between January 1,2006 and December 31,2010 and received a pregnancy test.RESULTS:The median age of 1 586 patients enrolled into the study was 27 years.Of these patients,19.55%had a positive result of pregnancy test.The most common complaint at admission was abdominal pain in 60.15%of the patients,and pregnancy test was prescribed.15.83%of the patients with abdominal pain had a positive result of pregnancy test.Of the patients,30.64%had nausea-vomiting at admission,and 11.52%had a positive result of pregnancy test.When other complaints were considered,the most commonly observed complaints were non-specific symptoms such as dizziness,malaise and respiratory problems.Of the patients,70.93%were not remembering the date of last menstruation,and 9.51%showed a positive result of pregnancy test.Urinary tract infection(UTI) was commonly diagnosed with an incidence of 17.65%,which was followed by nonspecific abdominal pain(NSAP)(16.77%) and gastrointestinal disorders such as gastritis and peptic ulcer(6.87%).Of the patients,88.40%were discharged from ED,and 11.60%were hospitalized.CONCLUSION:Pregnancy test should be given to women of reproductive age as a routine practice in ED in developing countries like Turkey.