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Attending Physicians (attending + physician)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	96%

Selected Abstracts

Resource Use and Survival of Patients Hospitalized With Congestive Heart Failure: Differences in Care by Specialty of the Attending Physician

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, Issue 2 2000
David Tepper MD Editor
No abstract is available for this article. [source]

Patient perceptions of professionalism: implications for residency education

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 1 2009
Michael N Wiggins
Objectives, The purpose of this study was three-fold: to identify which behavioural, communicative and personal presentation characteristics most closely represent patients' views of professionalism; to determine whether patients perceive resident doctors as displaying these characteristics, and to explore whether or not resident doctor professional behaviour creates an impression of clinical competence to the degree where patients perceive a decreased need for Attending Physician involvement. Methods, We carried out a descriptive, cross-sectional study at an academic centre. An anonymous, voluntary four-question survey with multiple items was administered to all adult patients or the parents of paediatric patients attending an ophthalmology clinic who were seen by a resident doctor followed by an Attending Physician. Results, A total of 133 of 148 (90%) surveys were returned. All the itemised characteristics of professionalism were reported to be important or very important to the majority of participants. The most important were: ,Pays attention to my concerns' (90%); ,Is compassionate' (83%), and ,Speaks in terms that I can understand' (83%). Although 85% of respondents reported that resident doctors demonstrated all the characteristics of professionalism listed on the survey, 83% of participants stated that it was important or very important that residents have Attending Physician involvement. Conclusions, Patient-centred components of professionalism, such as communication skills and compassion, are more important to patients than social behaviours, such as appearance and acknowledgement of family members. Resident doctors are perceived to display a high level of professionalism during patient care. Patients clearly desire direct resident doctor supervision by an Attending Physician. [source]

Attending and Resident Satisfaction with Feedback in the Emergency Department

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2009
Lalena M Yarris MD
Abstract Objectives:, Effective feedback is critical to medical education. Little is known about emergency medicine (EM) attending and resident physician perceptions of feedback. The focus of this study was to examine perceptions of the educational feedback that attending physicians give to residents in the clinical environment of the emergency department (ED). The authors compared attending and resident satisfaction with real-time feedback and hypothesized that the two groups would report different overall satisfaction with the feedback they currently give and receive in the ED. Methods:, This observational study surveyed attending and resident physicians at 17 EM residency programs through web-based surveys. The primary outcome was overall satisfaction with feedback in the ED, ranked on a 10-point scale. Additional survey items addressed specific aspects of feedback. Responses were compared using a linear generalized estimating equation (GEE) model for overall satisfaction, a logistic GEE model for dichotomized responses, and an ordinal logistic GEE model for ordinal responses. Results:, Three hundred seventy-three of 525 (71%) attending physicians and 356 of 596 (60%) residents completed the survey. Attending physicians were more satisfied with overall feedback (mean score 5.97 vs. 5.29, p < 0.001) and with timeliness of feedback (odds ratio [OR] = 1.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.23 to 2.00; p < 0.001) than residents. Attending physicians were also more likely to rate the quality of feedback as very good or excellent for positive feedback, constructive feedback, feedback on procedures, documentation, management of ED flow, and evidence-based decision-making. Attending physicians reported time constraints as the top obstacle to giving feedback and were more likely than residents to report that feedback is usually attending initiated (OR = 7.09, 95% CI = 3.53 to 14.31; p < 0.001). Conclusions:, Attending physician satisfaction with the quality, timeliness, and frequency of feedback given is higher than resident physician satisfaction with feedback received. Attending and resident physicians have differing perceptions of who initiates feedback and how long it takes to provide effective feedback. Knowledge of these differences in perceptions about feedback may be used to direct future educational efforts to improve feedback in the ED. [source]

Role of Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography for Preoperative Cardiac Risk Assessment Before Major Vascular Surgery: A Diagnostic Tool Comes of Age

ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2000
DON POLDERMANS M.D.
Background: Cardiac complications are a major cause for perioperative mortality and morbidity Also, the presence and severity of underlying coronary artery disease (CAD) determine long-ten prognosis after successful surgery. Aim: This overview evaluates the additional value ofdobutamir, stress echocardiography (DSE) to common clinical cardiac risk factors and other noninvasii cardiac imaging modalities for perioperative and late cardiac prognosis. Results: DSE provides tl attending physician with preoperative prognostic information for perioperative and long-ten prognosis for cardiac events. It also enables the selection of high risk patients for evaluation i cardiac risk reduction therapies. Conclusions: DSE is a useful tool for preoperative cardiac ris evaluation in addition to common clinical cardiac risk factors. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Vo ume 17, January 2000) [source]

The Impact of the Demand for Clinical Productivity on Student Teaching in Academic Emergency Departments

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2004
Todd J. Berger MD
Objective: Because many emergency medicine (EM) attending physicians believe the time demands of clinical productivity limit their ability to effectively teach medical students in the emergency department (ED), the purpose of this study was to determine if there is an inverse relationship between clinical productivity and teaching evaluations. Methods: The authors conducted a prospective, observational, double-blind study. They asked senior medical students enrolled in their EM clerkship to evaluate each EM attending physician who precepted them at three academic EDs. After each shift, students anonymously evaluated 10 characteristics of clinical teaching by their supervising attending physician. Each attending physician's clinical productivity was measured by calculating their total relative value units per hour (RVUs/hr) during the nine-month study interval. The authors compared the total RVUs/hr for each attending physician to the medians of their teaching evaluation scores at each ED using a Spearman rank correlation test. Results: Seventy of 92 students returned surveys, evaluating 580 shifts taught by 53 EM attending physicians. Each attending physician received an average of 11 evaluations (median score, 5 of 6) and generated a mean of 5.68 RVUs/hr during the study period. The correlation between evaluation median scores and RVUs/hr was ,0.08 (p = 0.44). Conclusions: The authors found no statistically significant relationship between clinical productivity and teaching evaluations. While many EM attending physicians perceive patient care responsibilities to be too time consuming to allow them to be good teachers, the authors found that a subset of our more productive attending physicians are also highly rated teachers. Determining what characteristics distinguish faculty who are both clinically productive and highly rated teachers should help drive objectives for faculty development programs. [source]

Topical tacrolimus in the treatment of perianal Crohn's disease: Exploratory randomized controlled trial

INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES, Issue 3 2007
Ailsa L. Hart PhD
Abstract Background The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of topical tacrolimus in treating perianal Crohn's disease. Methods Nineteen patients, stratified into 7 with ulcerating, and 12 with fistulizing, perianal Crohn's disease were randomized to topical tacrolimus 1 mg/g (1 g ointment twice a day [bid]) or placebo for 12 weeks. Sixteen patients had been on, or were currently taking, azathioprine/6-MP, and 6 had received infliximab. The primary outcome in ulcerating disease was global improvement in perianal/anal lesions, as assessed by the attending physician; for fistulas, it was reduction of ,50% of actively draining fistulas on 2 consecutive visits. Blood tacrolimus levels and adverse events were assessed. Results Three of 4 patients treated with topical tacrolimus for ulcerating disease improved compared with none of 3 in the placebo group. Complete healing was not achieved. In fistulizing disease, topical tacrolimus was not beneficial. Two tacrolimus-treated patients developed perianal abscesses, 1 after improvement in fistula drainage. Adverse events were otherwise infrequent and mild. Whole blood tacrolimus levels were detectable in only 2 patients and were low. Conclusions These preliminary data suggest that topical tacrolimus is effective and safe in the treatment of perianal or anal ulcerating Crohn's disease. This therapy is unlikely to be beneficial in fistulizing perianal Crohn's disease, although a larger study is required to confirm this. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2006) [source]

The ALLHAT Study Revisited: Do Newer Data From This Trial and Others Indicate Changes in Treatment Guidelines?

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPERTENSION, Issue 5 2007
Marvin Moser MD
Following a hypertension symposium in Washington, DC, in November 2006, a panel was convened to discuss new data from the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT) and to revisit the significance of this trial in the management of hypertension. Based on these data and information from other trials, the expert panel also addressed the questions, "Is it time for a new Joint National Committee report?" and "Should the 2003 hypertension treatment recommendations be updated or are they still valid?" The panel was moderated by Marvin Moser, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. On the panel were Suzanne Oparil, MD, Professor of Medicine at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and President of the American Society of Hypertension (ASH); William Cushman, MD, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Medicine at the University of Tennessee in Memphis and attending physician at the Washington, DC, VA Medical Center; and Vasilios Papademetriou, MD, Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and attending physician at the Washington, DC, VA Medical Center. This expert panel discussion was supported by Pfizer Inc and each author received an honorarium from Pfizer Inc for time and effort spent participating in the discussion and reviewing the transcript for important intellectual content prior to publication. The authors maintained full control of the discussion and the resulting content of this article; Pfizer had no input in the choice of topic, speakers, or content. (Please note that Dr Oparil's comments herein do not represent the official opinion of ASH.) [source]

Accuracy and reliability of continuous blood glucose monitor in post-surgical patients

ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2009
K. YAMASHITA
Background: The STG-22Ô is the only continuous blood glucose monitoring system currently available. The aim of this study is to determine the accuracy and reliability of the STG-22Ô for continuously monitoring blood glucose level in post-surgical patients. Methods: Fifty patients scheduled for routine surgery were studied in surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital. After admission to the ICU, the STG-22Ô was connected to the patients. An attending physician obtained blood samples from a radial arterial catheter. Blood glucose level was measured using the ABLÔ800FLEX immediately after blood collection at 0, 4, 8, and 16 h post-admission to the ICU (total of 200 blood glucose values). Results: The correlation coefficient (R2) was 0.96. In the Clarke error grid, 100% of the paired measurements were in the clinically acceptable zone A and B. The Bland and Altman analysis showed that bias±limits of agreement (percent error) were 0.04(0.7)±0.35(6.3) mmol (mg/dl) (7%), ,0.11(,2)±1.22(22) (15%) and ,0.33(,6)±1.28(23) (10%) in hypoglycemia (<70(3.89) mmol (mg/dl), normoglycemia (3.89(70),10(180) mmol (mg/dl), and hyperglycemia (>10(180) mmol (mg/dl), respectively. Conclusions: The STG-22Ô can be used for measuring blood glucose level continuously and measurement results are consistent with intermittent measurement (percentage error within 15%). Therefore, the STG-22Ô is a useful device for monitoring in blood glucose level in the ICU for 16 h. [source]

Diagnostic evaluation of developmental delay/mental retardation: An overview

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS, Issue 1 2003
Agatino Battaglia
Abstract Mental retardation (MR) is one of the few clinically important disorders for which the etiopathogenesis is still poorly understood. It is a condition of great concern for public health and society. MR is currently defined as a significant impairment of cognitive and adaptive functions, with onset before age 18 years. It may become evident during infancy or early childhood as developmental delay (DD), but it is best diagnosed during the school years. MR is estimated to occur in 1,10% of the population, and research on its etiology has always been a challenge in medicine. The etiopathogenesis encompasses so many different entities that the attending physician can sometimes feel a "virtual panic," starting a wide-range diagnostic evaluation. The Consensus Conference of the American College of Medical Genetics has recently established guidelines regarding the evaluation of patients with MR [Curry et al., 1997], emphasizing the high diagnostic utility of cytogenetic studies and neuroimaging in certain clinical settings. However, since then there has been substantial progress in molecular cytogenetics and neuroimaging techniques, the use of which has allowed recognition and definition of new disorders, thus increasing the diagnostic yield. This review will focus on the most appropriate investigations shown to be, at present, necessary to define the etiology of DD/MR, in the context of recommendations for the clinical evaluation of the patient with undiagnosed MR. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Bedside Ultrasound Diagnosis of Clavicle Fractures in the Pediatric Emergency Department

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 7 2010
Keith P. Cross MD
ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:687,693 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Abstract Objectives:, Clavicle fractures are among the most common orthopedic injuries in children. Diagnosis typically involves radiographs, which expose children to radiation and may consume significant time and resources. Our objective was to determine if bedside emergency department (ED) ultrasound (US) is an accurate alternative to radiography. Methods:, This was a prospective study of bedside US for diagnosing clavicle fractures. A convenience sample of children ages 1,18 years with shoulder injuries requiring radiographs was enrolled. Bedside US imaging and an unblinded interpretation were completed by a pediatric emergency physician (EP) prior to radiographs. A second interpreter, a pediatric EP attending physician with extensive US experience, determined a final interpretation of the US images at a later date. This final interpretation was blinded to both clinical and radiography outcomes. The reference standard was an attending radiologist's interpretation of radiographs. The primary outcome was the accuracy of the blinded US interpretation for detecting clavicle fractures compared to the reference standard. Secondary outcome measures included the interrater reliability of the unblinded bedside and the blinded physicians' interpretations and the FACES pain scores (range, 0,5) for US and radiograph imaging. Results:, One-hundred patients were included in the study, of whom 43 had clavicle fractures by radiography. The final US interpretation had 95% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI] = 83% to 99%) and 96% specificity (95% CI = 87% to 99%), and overall accuracy was 96%, with 96 congruent readings. Positive and negative predictive values (PPVs and NPVs, respectively) were 95% (95% CI = 83% to 99%) and 96% (95% CI = 87% to 99%), respectively. Interrater reliability (kappa) was 0.74 (95% CI = 0.60 to 0.88). FACES pain scores were available for the 86 subjects who were at least 5 years old. Pain scores were similar during US and radiography. Conclusions:, Compared to radiographs, bedside US can accurately diagnose pediatric clavicle fractures. US causes no more discomfort than radiography when detecting clavicle fractures. Given US's advantage of no radiation, pediatric EPs should consider this application. [source]

Neuroimaging for Pediatric Head Trauma: Do Patient and Hospital Characteristics Influence Who Gets Imaged?

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 7 2010
Rebekah Mannix MD
ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:694,700 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Abstract Objectives:, The objective was to identify patient, provider, and hospital characteristics associated with the use of neuroimaging in the evaluation of head trauma in children. Methods:, This was a cross-sectional study of children (,19 years of age) with head injuries from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) collected by the National Center for Health Statistics. NHAMCS collects data on approximately 25,000 visits annually to 600 randomly selected hospital emergency and outpatient departments. This study examined visits to U.S. emergency departments (EDs) between 2002 and 2006. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze characteristics associated with neuroimaging in children with head injuries. Results:, There were 50,835 pediatric visits in the 5-year sample, of which 1,256 (2.5%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.2% to 2.7%) were for head injury. Among these, 39% (95% CI = 34% to 43%) underwent evaluation with neuroimaging. In multivariable analyses, factors associated with neuroimaging included white race (odds ratio [OR] = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.02 to 2.1), older age (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.1 to 1.5), presentation to a general hospital (vs. a pediatric hospital, OR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.1 to 5.3), more emergent triage status (OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.1 to 1.8), admission or transfer (OR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.4 to 5.3), and treatment by an attending physician (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.1 to 3.7). The effect of race was mitigated at the pediatric hospitals compared to at the general hospitals (p < 0.001). Conclusions:, In this study, patient race, age, and hospital-specific characteristics were associated with the frequency of neuroimaging in the evaluation of children with closed head injuries. Based on these results, focusing quality improvement initiatives on physicians at general hospitals may be an effective approach to decreasing rates of neuroimaging after pediatric head trauma. [source]

Intramuscular immunoglobulin for recalcitrant suppurative diseases of the skin: a retrospective review of 63 cases

BRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
B. Goo
Summary Background, Intramuscular human immunoglobulin (HIG) may provide a therapeutic option as an independent or combined treatment for recalcitrant suppurative skin diseases such as hidradenitis suppurativa, folliculitis decalvans, or chronic recurrent furunculosis or folliculitis. Objectives, To define the efficacy and safety of intramuscular HIG for chronic and recalcitrant suppurative skin diseases. Methods, Patients who had received HIG for hidradenitis suppurativa, folliculitis decalvans, furunculosis or folliculitis at Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea, between January 2000 and May 2005 were identified from medical/pharmacy records. All records were analysed retrospectively. Results, Sixty-three patients were identified. After treatment, 37 patients (59%) showed overall improvement and were rated as having an ,excellent response' or ,good response' by the attending physician. No improvement or worsening was seen in only three patients (5%). A period without new lesions (PWNL) was achieved in 46 patients (73%). The number of times HIG was administered to achieve PWNL ranged from 1 to 12 (mean ± SD 2·15 ± 1·69). There was no significant difference in the rating score between the independent intramuscular HIG and the combined treatment groups. Pain at the injection site was the major side-effect, which led to the discontinuation of treatment in five patients. No other significant systemic side-effects were observed. Conclusions, Our results demonstrate that intramuscular HIG may be used for the treatment of recalcitrant suppurative skin diseases as an independent or combined treatment. [source]

The Impact of the Demand for Clinical Productivity on Student Teaching in Academic Emergency Departments

Emergency Medicine Crisis Resource Management (EMCRM): Pilot Study of a Simulation-based Crisis Management Course for Emergency Medicine

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 4 2003
Martin Reznek MD
Objectives: To determine participant perceptions of Emergency Medicine Crisis Resource Management (EMCRM), a simulation-based crisis management course for emergency medicine. Methods: EMCRM was created using Anesthesia Crisis Resource Management (ACRM) as a template. Thirteen residents participated in one of three pilot courses of EMCRM; following a didactic session on principles of human error and crisis management, the residents participated in simulated emergency department crisis scenarios and instructor-facilitated debriefing. The crisis simulations involved a computer-enhanced mannequin simulator and standardized patients. After finishing the course, study subjects completed a horizontal numerical scale survey (1 = worst rating to 5 = best rating) of their perceptions of EMCRM. Descriptive statistics were calculated to evaluate the data. Results: The study subjects found EMCRM to be enjoyable (4.9 ± 0.3) (mean ± SD) and reported that the knowledge gained from the course would be helpful in their practices (4.5 ± 0.6). The subjects believed that the simulation environment prompted realistic responses (4.6 ± 0.8) and that the scenarios were highly believable (4.8 ± 0.4). The participants reported that EMCRM was best suited for residents (4.9 ± 0.3) but could also benefit students and attending physicians. The subjects believed that the course should be repeated every 8.2 ± 3.3 months. Conclusions: The EMCRM participants rated the course very favorably and believed that the knowledge gained would be beneficial in their practices. The extremely positive response to EMCRM found in this pilot study suggests that this training modality may be valuable in training emergency medicine residents. [source]

Effect of hospitalist attending physicians on trainee educational experiences: A systematic review,

JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL MEDICINE, Issue 8 2009
Pradeep Natarajan MD
Abstract BACKGROUND: Trainees receive much of their inpatient education from hospitalists. PURPOSE: To characterize the effects of hospitalists on trainee education. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Database of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE), National Health Service (NHS) Economic Evaluation Database (EED), Health Technology Assessment (HTA), and the Cochrane Collaboration Database (last searched October 2008) databases using the term "hospitalist", and meeting abstracts from the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) (2002-2007), Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) (2001-2007), and Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) (2000-2007). STUDY SELECTION: Original English language research studies meeting all of the following: involvement of hospitalists; comparison to nonhospitalist attendings; evaluation of trainee knowledge, skills, or attitudes. 711 articles were reviewed, 32 retrieved, and 6 included; 7,062 meeting abstracts were reviewed, 9 retrieved, and 2 included. DATA EXTRACTION: Two authors reviewed articles to determine study eligibility. Three authors independently reviewed included articles to abstract data elements and classify study quality. DATA SYNTHESIS: Seven studies were quasirandomized one was a noncontemporaneous comparison. All citations only measured trainee attitudes. In all studies comparing hospitalists to nonhospitalists, trainees were more satisfied with hospitalists overall, and with other aspects of their teaching, but ratings were high for both groups. One of 2 studies that distinguished nonhospitalist general internists from specialists showed that trainees preferred hospitalists, but the other did not demonstrate a hospitalist advantage over general internists. CONCLUSIONS: Trainees are more satisfied with inpatient education from hospitalists. Whether the increased satisfaction translates to improved learning is unclear. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2009;4:490,498. © 2009 Society of Hospital Medicine. [source]

Randomized comparison of dry tablet insertion versus gel form of vaginal misoprostol for second trimester pregnancy termination

JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY RESEARCH (ELECTRONIC), Issue 2 2008
Saipin Pongsatha
Abstract Aim:, To compare the effectiveness of vaginal misoprostol between dry tablet insertion and gel form for second trimester pregnancy termination. Methods:, A non-blinded block randomized controlled trial was conducted on 148 pregnant women with live fetuses in the second trimester undergoing pregnancy termination. They were randomly allocated to receive vaginal misoprostol (400 ,g) either dry tablet insertion (n = 72) or gel form (n = 76). The same dose was then repeated every 3 h if adequate uterine contraction was not achieved until 48 h after the initiation of misoprostol. If abortion did not occur within this period, the treatment was considered a failure and other technique of termination was then given based on the decision of the attending physicians and the cervical status. Results:, The mean induction,abortion interval in group 1 (20.9 ± 12.3 h) was not significantly different from that in group 2 (17.7 ± 10.2 h). The mean total dose of misoprostol was also not significantly different between the two groups (group 1, 1556.9 ,g; group 2, 1350.9 ,g), but the adverse effects of misoprostol (chill and diarrhoea) were more common in the gel group. Conclusion:, Tablet insertion or gel form of vaginal misoprostol have similar effectiveness but the gel form was associated with more common adverse effects. [source]

The implementation and assessment of a comprehensive communication skills training curriculum for oncologists

PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 6 2010
Carma L. Bylund
Abstract Objective: The objective of this paper is to report the implementation and assessment of the Comskil Training Curriculum at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Method: Twenty-eight attending physicians and surgeons participated in communication skills training modules as part of a train-the-trainer program. Doctors were video recorded in clinical consultations with patients two times before training and two times after training, resulting in 112 video recordings for analysis. Recordings were coded using the Comskil Coding System. Results: Communication skills related to two of the six major skill sets, Establishing the Consultation Framework and Checking, increased following training. Limited changes emerged in three skill sets, while one skill set, Shared Decision Making, did not change. Doctors who attended more training modules had higher levels of change. Female participants demonstrated three skills more frequently than males post-training. Conclusions: The intervention produced significant communication skills uptake in a group of experienced attending clinicians, mediated by the amount of training. Future research should focus on the dose of training necessary to achieve skills uptake and the effect of skills training on patient outcomes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Attending and Resident Satisfaction with Feedback in the Emergency Department

A Method for Improving Arrival-to-electrocardiogram Time in Emergency Department Chest Pain Patients and the Effect on Door-to-balloon Time for ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 10 2009
Kevin M. Takakuwa MD
Abstract Objectives:, The objectives were to determine if an emergency department (ED) could improve the adherence to a door-to-electrocardiogram (ECG) time goal of 10 minutes or less for patients who presented to an ED with chest pain and the effect of this adherence on door-to-balloon (DTB) time for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) cardiac catheterization (cath) alert patients. Methods:, This was a planned 1-month before-and-after interventional study design for implementing a new process for obtaining ECGs in patients presenting to the study ED with chest pain. Prior to the change, patients were registered and triaged before an ECG was obtained. The new procedure required registration clerks to identify those with chest pain and directly overhead page or call a designated ECG technician. This technician had other ED duties, but prioritized performing ECGs and delivering them to attending physicians. A full registration process occurred after the clinical staff performed their initial assessment. The primary outcome was the total percentage of patients with chest pain who received an ECG within 10 minutes of ED arrival. The secondary outcome was DTB time for patients with STEMI who were emergently cath alerted. Data were analyzed using mean differences, 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and relative risk (RR) regression to adjust for possible confounders. Results:, A total of 719 patients were studied: 313 before and 405 after the intervention. The mean (±standard deviation [SD]) age was 50 (±16) years, 54% were women, 57% were African American, and 36% were white. Patients walked in 89% of the time; 11% arrived by ambulance. Thirty-nine percent were triaged as emergent and 61% as nonemergent. Patients presented during daytime 68% of the time, and 32% presented during the night. Before the intervention, 16% received an ECG at 10 minutes or less. After the intervention, 64% met the time requirement, for a mean difference of 47.3% (95% CI = 40.8% to 53.3%, p < 0.0001). Results were not affected by age, sex, race, mode of arrival, triage classification, or time of arrival. For patients with STEMI cath alerts, four were seen before and seven after the intervention. No patients before the intervention had ECG time within 10 minutes, and one of four had DTB time of <90 minutes. After the intervention, all seven patients had ECG time within 10 minutes; the three arriving during weekday hours when the cath team was on site had DTB times of <90 minutes, but the four arriving at night and on weekends when the cath team was off site had DTB times of >90 minutes. Conclusions:, The overall percentage of patients with a door-to-ECG time within 10 minutes improved without increasing staffing. An ECG was performed within 10 minutes of arrival for all patients who were STEMI cath alerted, but DTB time under 90 minutes was achieved only when the cath team was on site. [source]

The Thanksgiving Turkey Tap: A New and Simple Model for Teaching Ultrasound-guided Thoracentesis

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2009
Derek Richardson
Thoracentesis is a critical procedure that every emergency physician must be able to perform comfortably. By introducing ultrasound technology to the procedure, we have the potential to redefine the standard of care for emergency department thoracentesis by effectively decreasing complication rates of this procedure. Ultrasound-guided thoracentesis has been shown to lead to fewer incidents of pneumothorax than the traditional technique; however, due to the complicated anatomy of the chest wall, this skill is difficult to teach without using living patient models. The NewYork-Presbyterian Emergency Medicine Residency Program has developed an effective model for teaching and practicing ultrasound-guided thoracentesis. The Presbyterian model uses a whole turkey with the cavity lined with a water-retaining plastic sheet, containing water and an air-filled balloon. Ultrasound can then be used to visualize the ribs, the underlying fluid, and the balloon representing lung space. By using a standard thoracentesis kit with our model, the complete procedure can be performed and techniques of positioning, entry point, and fluid collection can be demonstrated and practiced. This was performed for 50 medical students, residents, and attending physicians in late November 2008 for under $100. This simple model may be used to introduce new practitioners to thoracentesis, or to update experienced physicians on new techniques to decrease complication rates during procedures with an effective and inexpensive model. [source]

An assessment of urologists' training and knowledge of energy-based surgical devices

BJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2008
Daniel S. Lehman
OBJECTIVE To assess surgeons' training and current understanding of existing energy-based surgical instrumentation (ESI), we disseminated an online questionnaire to urology residents, fellows and attending urologists. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A two part 24-question survey was disseminated to 1000 urology residents, fellows and attending physicians. The first part of the questionnaire assessed the respondents' demographics and education about ESI; the second part evaluated the respondent's knowledge of surgical energy methods and ESI, and was stratified into nine basic- and six advanced-knowledge questions. RESULTS In all, 136 people (13.6%) viewed the survey and it was completed by 63 (6.3%). Respondents comprised 27 (43%) attending physicians, 14 (22%) minimally-invasive urology fellows and 22 (35%) urology residents. Among participants, 41 (64%) had received no formal didactic training on ESI, and a further 14% of respondents' didactic experience was limited to one lecture. Of the respondents, 70% said that monopolar energy was the mode most often used in surgery. Overall, the participants correctly answered 41% of the questions. Of the nine questions classified as ,basic' knowledge, respondents correctly answered 49%. Of the six questions classified as ,advanced' knowledge, 29% were answered correctly. The highest percentage score was obtained by the attending urologists, with a mean (range) score of 41 (29,86)%, followed by the fellows, with a mean score of 39.5 (29,57)%, and then the residents, at 34 (14,64)%. CONCLUSION Despite widespread and growing use of ESI, there is currently minimal formal training on energy modes and current energy devices being provided to urological surgeons. Both practising and training urologists have a limited understanding of surgical energy modes and of existing ESI. [source]

15 Assessing the Clinical Reasoning Skills of Emergency Medicine Clerkship Students Using a Script Concordance Test

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2008
Aloysius Humbert
Fourth-year medical students in emergency medicine (EM) clerkships are evaluated by various methods. Multiple choice examinations are frequently used to supplement clinical evaluations. These are limited in their ability to evaluate students' clinical reasoning skills. The Script Concordance Test (SCT) is an innovative assessment method developed to evaluate clinical reasoning. The SCT consists of a series of clinical vignettes, each followed by a series of specific questions that present an additional piece of data (a lab result, a physical finding, etc.) to the student. The students then indicate how the additional data affect their thinking regarding a possible diagnosis, an investigational strategy, or a therapeutic intervention, using a 5 point Likert scale (-2,-1,0,+1,+2). SCT questions have no single correct answer; instead, students receive credit based upon the level of agreement between their answers and those of a panel of 10 to 20 expert physicians who take the test to derive the answer key. The SCT is easily administered. In other disciplines, the SCT has demonstrated the ability to differentiate between the clinical reasoning skills of experienced and novice clinicians. The clerkship directors developed an EM SCT using an expert panel of 10 EM attending physicians. For the 07-08 academic year, SCT questions have been incorporated into the EM clerkship end-of-rotation written examination. The EM SCT shows promise as a measure of a student's clinical reasoning ability. Future studies will assess in greater detail the performance and statistical properties of the SCT in the setting of the EM clerkship. [source]

Assessment of Teacher Interruptions on Learners during Oral Case Presentations

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2007
Glen Yang BA
Background:Studies have only recently begun to investigate the effects of interruptions on physicians in the emergency department (ED). Objectives:To determine the frequency and nature of interruptions by the training physician that occur when medical trainees do oral case presentations (OCPs) in the ED. Methods:This was an observational study. Learner OCPs to attending emergency physicians were observed in the ED of an urban Level 1 trauma center at a major teaching hospital. A single investigator followed attending physicians blinded to the study objective in a nonrandomized convenience sampling of all ED shifts, recording information regarding teacher interruptions during new patient presentations. Learners completed a brief questionnaire after each OCP. Results:A total of 196 OCPs were observed. The mean (±SD) duration of OCPs was 3.30 (±1.85) minutes, and the mean (±SD) number of interruptions was 0.75 (±0.60) per minute and 2.49 (±1.95) per OCP. The number of interruptions (per OCP) and duration of OCP varied by learner level of training, with more experienced learners giving shorter presentations and being interrupted less often. Frequency (per minute) of interruptions did not vary by learner level. In 40.3% of OCPs, attending physicians interrupted to give an assessment and/or a plan before the learner had done so, but 8.3% of interrupted learners believed that teacher interruptions were "disruptive" to their OCP. Conclusions:Attending emergency physicians frequently interrupt learners during new patient OCPs, with the number of interruptions varying by learner level of training. Teacher interruptions appear to have minimal, if any, detrimental effect on the perceived effectiveness of OCPs as a learning experience. [source]

The Effects of Clinical Workload on Teaching in the Emergency Department

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2007
Sean P. Kelly MD
Background:Academic emergency physicians have expressed concern that increased clinical workload and overcrowding adversely affect clinical teaching. Objectives:To evaluate the influence of clinical workload and attending physicians' teaching characteristics on clinical teaching in the emergency department (ED). Methods:This was a prospective observational study using learner satisfaction assessment tools to evaluate bedside teaching. On days when a research assistant was available, all ED residents and attending physicians were queried. A total of 335 resident surveys were administered over nine months (89% response). Clinical workload was measured by perception and patient volume. Teaching quality and characteristics were rated on ten-point scales. A linear mixed-effects model was used to obtain adjusted impact estimates of clinical workload and teaching attributes on teaching scores while controlling for individual attending physicians' teaching ability and residents' grading tendencies. Results:No clinical workload parameter had a significant effect on teaching scores: residents' workload perception (, estimate, 0.024; p = 0.55), attending physicians' workload perception (, estimate, ,0.05; p = 0.28), patient volume in patients per hour (, estimate, ,0.010; p = 0.36), and shift type (, estimate, ,0.19; p = 0.28). The individual attending physician effect was significant (p < 0.001) and adjusted in each case. In another model, the attending physicians' learning environment established (, estimate, 0.12; p = 0.005), clinical teaching skills (, estimate, 0.36; p < 0.001), willingness to teach (, estimate, 0.25; p < 0.001), and interpersonal skills (, estimate, 0.19; p < 0.001) affected teaching scores, but the attending physicians' availability to teach had no significant effect (, estimate, 0.007; p = 0.35). Conclusions:Clinical workload and attending physicians' availability had little effect on teaching scores. Attending physicians' clinical teaching skills, willingness to teach, interpersonal skills, and learning environment established were the important determinants of overall scores. Skilled instructors received higher scores, regardless of how busy they were. [source]