Procedural sedation guidelines were established for a tertiary care pediatric emergency department (ED). We developed a pediatric procedural sedation course to disseminate these guidelines.

Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a sedation course in improving physicians' knowledge of pediatric procedural sedation practices and guidelines, relative to individual self-directed learning.

We recruited emergency staff physicians and fellows as well as fourth-year pediatric residents in a tertiary care pediatric ED to participate in a randomized, controlled, educational intervention. All consenting physicians received pediatric sedation educational material for individual study 2 weeks before a learning assessment. Participants were randomly assigned to one of 2 groups. The self-directed learning group (n = 24) completed a multiple-choice examination without receiving any formal teaching. The study group (n = 24) participated in a 4-hour formal multi-faceted sedation course before writing the multiple-choice examination.

The groups did not differ significantly in demographic characteristics or self-perceived knowledge of pediatric sedation. The formal teaching group's median examination score (83.3%; range 75.8%–96.5%) was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) than the median examination score of participants in the self-directed study group (73.3%, range 43.5%–86.6%).

The multifaceted sedation course was more effective in improving physician knowledge and understanding of sedation guidelines and practices than unstructured, self-directed learning.

Despite the frequency of acute asthma in the emergency department (ED) and the availability of guidelines, significant practice variation exists. Asthma care maps (ACMs) may standardize treatment. This study examined the use of an ACM to determine its effects on patient management in a regional hospital.

Patients aged 2 to 65 years who presented to the ED with a primary diagnosis of acute asthma were enrolled in a prospective study that took place 5 months before (pre) and 5 months after (post) ACM implementation. Research assistants using a standardized questionnaire abstracted data through direct patient interviews and then followed up at 2 weeks with a standardized telephone interview.

Overall, 71 pre patients and 70 post patients were enrolled. Characteristics in both groups were similar. The care map was used in 100% of the cases during the post period. The mean length of stay in the ED for the pre, compared with the post period, was similar (2 h 14 min v. 2 h 25 min; p = 0.60), as were admission rates (11% v. 9%; p = 0.59). Systemic corticosteroid use was similar (62% v. 57%; p = 0.56); however, the total number of β-agonists (2 v. 4 treatments; p = 0.002) and anticholinergics (1 v. 2 treatments; p < 0.001) administered in the ED was higher during the post period. Prescriptions for oral (73% v. 60%; p = 0.15) and inhaled (78% v. 78%; p = 0.98) corticosteroids at discharge remained the same. Relapse rates at follow-up were unchanged (29% v. 34%; p = 0.52).

This study provides evidence that implementation of an ACM increased acute bronchodilator use; however, prescribing preventive medications did not increase. Further research is required to evaluate other strategies to improve asthma care by emergency physicians.

Do not resuscitate (DNR) orders are commonly accepted in most health care settings, but are less widely recognized in the prehospital setting. We describe the implementation of and satisfaction with a prehospital DNR protocol that allows paramedics to honour verbal and non-standard written DNR requests.

This prospective observational study reviewed all cardiac arrests in southeastern Ontario between March 1, 2003 and September 31, 2005. Following a verbal or non-standard written DNR request, paramedics completed a questionnaire and a follow-up structured telephone interview was conducted with surrogate decision makers (SDMs).

There were 1890 cardiac arrests during the study period, of which 86 met our inclusion criteria. Paramedic surveys were available for 82 cases (95%), and surrogate decision makers (SDMs) were successfully contacted in 50 (58%) of them. Two SDMs declined to be interviewed. The mean patient age was 72.7 (standard deviation 13.8) years and 65% were male. Sixty-three (73%) of DNR requests were verbal, and 23 (27%) were written. The mean paramedic comfort was rated 4.9 on a 5-point Likert scale (with 5 being “very comfortable” ) (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.9–5.0). The mean SDM comfort was rated by paramedics as 4.9 (95% CI 4.8 –4.9). SDMs reported comfort in withholding CPR in 47 of 48 cases (98%), and with paramedic care in all cases. One SDM stated that although it was consistent with the patient's wishes, she was uncomfortable having to make the DNR request.

Satisfaction with this novel prehospital DNR protocol was uniformly high among paramedic and SDM respondents. It appears that such a protocol is feasible and acceptable for the prehospital setting. Our conclusions are limited by a small sample size, the lack of a comparison group, and limited follow-up.

There is a paucity of population-based research on health service utilization related to penetrating trauma in Canada, even though such trauma can result in serious injury or death, and gunshot wounds have been labelled the “the new public health issue.” Complete epidemiologic data, including emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations, for penetrating trauma is not available. The objective of this paper is to describe the epidemiology of ED visits for firearm-related and knife-related penetrating trauma in one Canadian province.

All EDs in the province of Ontario (pop. approx. 12 400 000 at the time of the study) submit data on ED visits to the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System. This database includes patients' demographic information (i.e., age, sex and geographic area of residence), the reason for the visit, disposition (i.e., admitted to hospital or sent home), and other diagnostic information. For visits related to injuries, the cause of injury is also reported (e-codes according to the Canadian Enhancement to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th rev [ICD-10-CA]). All patients seen in Ontario EDs for an injury related to a firearm, knife, or sharp object, were included in our study.

Of the 1.2 million ED visits in 2002-03 for trauma in Ontario, 40 240 (3.4%) patients were treated for injuries relating to penetrating trauma. Most patients were male, and most were 15–24 years of age. Penetrating trauma was frequently a result of knives or sharp objects (39 654 visits or 98.5%); only 1.5% (n = 586) of these injuries were caused by firearms. Of those hospitalized, 151 were related to firearms and 1455 were related to knives/ sharp objects.

Analyzing administrative data provides an estimate of the impact of penetrating trauma on a population, thereby providing prevention programs with data upon which to design their strategies. Evidence-based prevention strategies are needed to reduce the burden of penetrating trauma. Monitoring ED and hospitalization data over time will help to assess trends and provide evidence for the effectiveness of such strategies.

The optimal approach to airway management in penetrating neck injuries (PNIs) remains controversial. The primary objective of this study was to review the method of endotracheal intubation in PNI at a Canadian tertiary trauma centre. Secondarily, we sought to determine the incidence of PNI in our trauma population and to describe the epidemiologic elements of this population.

We conducted a review of patients with PNIs who were enrolled in the Nova Scotia Trauma Registry database. We included all patients 16 years of age or under who presented between April 1, 1994 and March 31, 2005 with penetrating injuries of the neck and an Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 9 or less or who underwent Trauma Team activation at our Tertiary Trauma Centre (regardless of ISS) and/or who were identified upon admission as a “major” trauma case. The variables of interest were patient age and sex, injury mechanism, injury location, place of intubation and method of intubation.

There were 19 people who met inclusion criteria and they were enrolled in our study. The injury mechanisms involved knife (n = 13) or gunshot (n = 5) wounds (one patient's injuries were categorized as “other”). Three patients (15.8%) were not intubated. The remaining 16 patients were intubated during prehospital care (n = 5), in the emergency department (n = 6) or in the operating room (n = 5). Of these, 8 patients (42.1%) underwent awake intubation and 8 (42.1%) underwent rapid sequence intubation.

There is clear variability of airway management in PNI. We believe that such patients represent a heterogeneous group where the attending physician must have a conservative yet varied approach to airway management based on the individual clinical scenario.

Some low-acuity emergency department (ED) presentations are considered convenience visits and potentially avoidable with improved access to primary care services. This study assessed the frequency and determinants of patients' efforts to access alternative care before ED presentation.

Patients aged 17 years and older were randomly selected from 2 urban ED sites in Edmonton. Survey data were collected on use and characteristics of alternative care before the ED visit. Information was also collected on patient demographics and factors influencing their perception of whether the ED was the best care option.

Of the 1389 patients approached, 905 (65%) completed the survey and data from 894 participants were analyzed. Sixty-one percent reported that they sought alternative care before visiting the ED. Eighty-nine of the patients who attempted alternative access before the ED visit felt that the ED was their best care option. Results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that injury presentation, living arrangements, smoking status and whether or not patients had a family practitioner were predictors for seeking alternative care before visiting the ED.

Most ambulatory patients attempt to look for other sources of care before presenting to the ED. Despite this attempted access to alternative care, while patients wait for ED care, they perceive that the ED is their best care option at that point in time.

Emergency department (ED) triage prioritizes patients based on urgency of care, and the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) is the national standard. We describe the inter-rater agreement and manual overrides of nurses using a CTAS-compliant web-based triage tool (eTRIAGE) for 2 different intensities of staff training.

This prospective study was conducted in an urban tertiary care ED. In phase 1, eTRIAGE was deployed after a 3-hour training course for 24 triage nurses who were asked to share this knowledge during regular triage shifts with colleagues who had not received training (n = 77). In phase 2, a targeted group of 8 triage nurses underwent further training with eTRIAGE. In each phase, patients were assessed first by the duty triage nurse and then by a blinded independent study nurse, both using eTRIAGE. Inter-rater agreement was calculated using kappa (weighted κ) statistics.

In phase 1, 569 patients were enrolled with 513 (90.2%) complete records; 577 patients were enrolled in phase 2 with 555 (96.2%) complete records. Inter-rater agreement during phase 1 was moderate (weighted κ = 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49–0.62); agreement improved in phase 2 (weighted κ = 0.65; 95% CI 0.60–0.70). Manual overrides of eTRIAGE scores were infrequent (approximately 10%) during both periods.

Agreement between study nurses and duty triage nurses, both using eTRIAGE, was moderate to good, with a trend toward improvement with additional training. Triage overrides were infrequent. Continued attempts to refine the triage process and training appear warranted.

We describe the epidemiology of emergency department (ED) visits for acetaminophen overdose in a large Canadian health region, with a focus on sociodemographic risk factors and temporal trends.

Patients presenting to an ED in the Calgary Health Region (population ~ 1.1 million) for acetaminophen overdose between 1997 and 2002 were identified using regional administrative data.

A total of 2699 patients made 3015 ED visits for acetaminophen overdose between 1997 and 2002, corresponding to an age- and sex-adjusted incidence of 45.7 per 100 000 population. Alcohol-related disorders were common (19%) and overdose rates were higher in females, younger patients, Aboriginals and social assistance recipients. The incidence decreased from 52.6 per 100 000 in 1997 to 35.1 per 100 000 in 2002 (34% relative reduction; p < 0.0005). When classified according to suicidal intent, the rates of intentional and unintentional overdose (69% and 25% of all overdoses, respectively) showed similar temporal trends. A marked seasonality was observed, with a peak in spring and early summer.

ED visit rates for acetaminophen overdose fell between 1997 and 2002. High-risk groups, including young females and marginalized populations, may benefit from preventive and educational initiatives.

Numerous patients are assessed in the emergency department (ED) for chest pain suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and subsequently discharged if found to be at low risk. Exercise stress testing is frequently advised as a follow-up investigation for low-risk patients; however, compliance with such recommendations is poorly understood. We sought to determine if compliance with follow-up for exercise stress testing is higher in patients for whom the investigation is ordered at the time of ED discharge, compared with patients who are advised to arrange testing through their family physician (FP).

Low-risk chest pain patients being discharged from the ED for outpatient exercise stress test and FP follow-up were randomized into 2 groups. ED staff ordered an exercise stress test for the intervention group, and the control group was advised to contact their FP to arrange testing. The primary outcome was completion of an exercise stress test at 30 days, confirmed through both patient contact and stress test results. Patients were unaware that our primary interest was their compliance with the exercise stress testing recommendations.

Two-hundred and thirty-one patients were enrolled and baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. Completion of an exercise stress test at 30 days occurred in 87 out of 120 (72.5%) patients in the intervention group and 60 out of 107 (56.1%) patients in the control group. The difference in compliance rates (16.4%) between the 2 groups was statistically significant (χ2 = 6.69, p < 0.001) with a relative risk of 1.29 (95% confidence interval 1.18–1.40), and the results remained significant after a “worst case” sensitivity analysis involving 4 control group cases lost to follow-up. When subjects were contacted by telephone 30 days after the ED visit, 60% of those who were noncompliant patients felt they did not have a heart problem and that further testing was unnecessary.

When ED staff order an outpatient exercise stress test following investigation for potential ACS, patients are more likely to complete the test if it is booked for them before ED discharge. After discharge, many low-risk chest pain patients feel they are not at risk and do not return to their FP for further testing in a timely manner as advised. Changing to a strategy of ED booking of exercise stress testing may help earlier identification of patients with coronary heart disease.

There is controversy over who should serve as the Trauma Team Leader (TTL) at trauma-receiving centres. This study compared survival and emergency department (ED) length-of-stay between patients cared for by 3 different groups of TTLs: surgeons, emergency physicians (EPs) on call for trauma cases and EPs on shift in the ED.

We performed a retrospective cohort study involving all adult major blunt trauma patients (aged 17 and older) who were admitted to 2 level I trauma centres and who were entered into a provincial Trauma Registry between March 2000 and April 2002. The study was designed to compare the effect of TTL-type on survival and ED length-of-stay, while controlling for sex, age, and trauma severity as defined by the Injury Severity Score (ISS) and the Revised Trauma Score (RTS). Analysis was performed using linear regression modeling (for the ED lenght-of-stay outcome variable), and logistic regression modeling (for the surivial outcome variable).

There were 1412 patients enrolled in the study. The study population comprised 74% men and 26% women, with a mean age of 44.7 years (43.1, 46.6 and 42.8 years for surgeons, on-call EPs and on-shift EPs, respectively). The overall mean ISS was 23.2 (23.7 for surgeons, 22.9 for on-call EPs and 23.3 for on-shift EPs) and the overall average RTS was 7.6 (7.6 for surgeons, 7.6 for on-call EPs and 7.5 for on-shift EPs). The overall median ED length-of-stay was 5.3 hours (4.5, 5.3 and 5.6 hours for surgeons, on-call EPs and on-shift EPs, respectively; p = 0.07) and the overall survival was 87% (86% surgeon, 88% on-call EP, 87% on-shift EP; p = 0.08). No statistically significant relationship was found between TTL-type and ED length-of-stay (p = 0.42) or survival (p = 0.43) using multivariate modeling.

Our results suggest that surgeons, on-call EPs, or on-shift EPs can act as the TTL without a negative impact on patient survival or ED length-of-stay.

Alternative Funding Agreements (AFAs) were in place in 41 hospital emergency departments (EDs) in Ontario at the time of this survey (May to August 2005). Each of these 41 hospitals works with its own internal administrative model. The primary objective of this paper was to document the administrative models used in these Ontario EDs. The secondary objective was to inform current and future AFA EDs of the potential models.

Telephone surveys were conducted with a member of each of the 41 AFA workload model hospitals.

All hospitals provided at least 1 emergency physician to answer the questionnaire. Although most AFA hospitals divide the AFA fund pool on an hourly basis, there is impressive variation on premium values awarded for day, evening, weekend and night shifts. Other variations included holdback of funds for bonuses, distribution of non-OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) dollars, on-call allowances, and different pay scales for the general practitioners and locums working in some departments.

Allowing flexibility in distribution of AFA dollars to physicians in each group has helped make this program more acceptable. Many issues unrelated to funding remain to be resolved in order to stabilize ED recruitment and retention as well as improve work satisfaction. Further research on these latter topics is required to develop a fair and equitable funding arrangement that supports and enhances physician coverage in EDs across Canada.

Evidence and consensus on best practices on the management of human bite injuries is lacking. Our objective was to identify factors that are associated with delay to emergency department (ED) presentation, antibiotic usage and patient admission.

We present a retrospective chart review of adults treated for human bites. Multivariable logistic regression models used demographic characteristics and bite circumstances and characteristics as factors associated with ED presentation more than 24 hours after the bite, antibiotic usage and hospital admission.

Of the 388 patients evaluated for a human bite, 66.5% were bitten during an altercation; 23.8% presented more than 24 hours after the bite; 50.3% were bitten on the hands or fingers, 23.5% on an extremity and 17.8% on the head or neck. Only 7.7% of all patients sustained closed-fist injuries; the majority had occlusional or other kinds of bites. The majority of patients (77.3%) received antibiotics and 11.1% were admitted to hospital. Patients who had greater odds of presenting more than 24 hours after the bite were black (odds ratio [OR] 1.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–3.13), Hispanic (OR 2.68, 95% CI 1.22–5.89) and those who had a non-occupational bite (OR 3.87, 95% CI, 1.68–8.90). Patients had a greater chance of receiving antibiotics if they were bitten during an altercation (OR 1.87, 95% CI, 1.09–3.20) and were bitten on the hands or fingers (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.31-3.80). Patients had a greater chance of being admitted to the hospital if they were bitten during an altercation (OR 4.91, 95% CI 1.65–14.64), bitten on the hands or fingers (OR 5.26, 95% CI, 1.74–15.87) and if they presented ≥ 24 hours after the bite.

Most patients presented to the ED within 24 hours of their injury and received antibiotics. The circumstances surrounding the bite appeared to be associated with delay to ED presentation, receipt of antibiotics and admission to the hospital. There are ethnic background differences in delay to ED presentation. ED clinicians in our study favour antibiotic usage and admission based on the body location of the bite, despite little evidence to support these practices.