Christian Borbjerg Laursen

Point-of-care ultrasonography in patients admitted with respiratory symptoms: a single-blind, randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND When used with standard diagnostic testing, point-of-care ultrasonography might improve the proportion of patients admitted with respiratory symptoms who are correctly diagnosed 4 h after admission to the emergency department. We therefore assessed point-of-care ultrasonography of the heart, lungs, and deep veins in addition to the usual initial diagnostic testing in this patient population. METHODS In a prospective, parallel-group trial in the emergency department at Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark, patients (≥18 years) with a respiratory rate of more than 20 per min, oxygen saturation of less than 95%, oxygen therapy, dyspnoea, cough, or chest pain were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio with a computer-generated list to a standard diagnostic strategy (control group) or to standard diagnostic tests supplemented with point-of-care ultrasonography of the heart, lungs, and deep veins (point-of-care ultrasonography group). The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients with a correct presumptive diagnosis 4 h after admission to the emergency department. Only the physicians doing the primary clinical assessment and the auditors were masked. Analyses were by intention to treat. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01486394. FINDINGS Between Dec 7, 2011, and March 15, 2013, 320 patients were randomly assigned to the control group (n=160) and point-of-care ultrasonography group (n=160). 158 patients in the point-of-care ultrasonography group and 157 in the control group were analysed. 4 h after admission to the emergency department, 139 patients (88·0%; 95% CI 82·8-93·1) in the point-of-care ultrasonography group versus 100 (63·7%; 56·1-71·3) in the control group had correct presumptive diagnoses (p<0·0001). The absolute and relative effects were 24·3% (95% CI 15·0-33·1) and 1·38 (1·01-1·31), respectively. No adverse events were reported. INTERPRETATION Point-of-care ultrasonography is a feasible, radiation free, diagnostic test, which alongside standard diagnostic tests is superior to standard diagnostic tests alone for establishing a correct diagnosis within 4 h. It should therefore be considered for routine use as part of the standard diagnostic tests in the emergency department for patients admitted with respiratory symptoms. FUNDING University of Southern Denmark, Odense University Hospital, and Højbjerg Fund.

Ultrasonography for clinical decision-making and intervention in airway management: from the mouth to the lungs and pleurae

ObjectivesTo create a state-of-the-art overview of the new and expanding role of ultrasonography in clinical decision-making, intervention and management of the upper and lower airways, that is clinically relevant, up-to-date and practically useful for clinicians.MethodsThis is a narrative review combined with a structured Medline literature search.ResultsUltrasonography can be utilised to predict airway difficulty during induction of anaesthesia, evaluate if the stomach is empty or possesses gastric content that poses an aspiration risk, localise the essential cricothyroid membrane prior to difficult airway management, perform nerve blocks for awake intubation, confirm tracheal or oesophageal intubation and facilitate localisation of tracheal rings for tracheostomy. Ultrasonography is an excellent diagnostic tool in intraoperative and emergency diagnosis of pneumothorax. It also enables diagnosis and treatment of interstitial syndrome, lung consolidation, atelectasis, pleural effusion and differentiates causes of acute breathlessness during pregnancy. Patient safety can be enhanced by performing procedures under ultrasound guidance, e.g. thoracocentesis, vascular line access and help guide timing of removal of chest tubes by quantification of residual pneumothorax size.ConclusionsUltrasonography used in conjunction with hands-on management of the upper and lower airways has multiple advantages. There is a rapidly growing body of evidence showing its benefits.Teaching Points• Ultrasonography is becoming essential in management of the upper and lower airways.• The tracheal structures can be identified by ultrasonography, even when unidentifiable by palpation.• Ultrasonography is the primary diagnostic approach in suspicion of intraoperative pneumothorax.• Point-of-care ultrasonography of the airways has a steep learning curve.• Lung ultrasonography allows treatment of interstitial syndrome, consolidation, atelectasis and effusion.

Focused Sonography of the Heart, Lungs, and Deep Veins Identifies Missed Life-Threatening Conditions in Admitted Patients With Acute Respiratory Symptoms

BACKGROUND Patients with acute respiratory symptoms still remain a diagnostic challenge. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether focused sonography could potentially diagnose life-threatening conditions missed at the primary assessment in a patient population consisting of admitted patients with acute respiratory symptoms. METHODS A prospective blinded observational study was conducted in a medical ED. Inclusion criteria were the presence of one or more of the following: respiratory rate > 20/min, oxygen saturation < 95%, oxygen therapy initiated, dyspnea, cough, or chest pain. After the initial assessment, focused sonography of the heart, lungs, and deep veins was performed by a physician blinded to patient history and the results of the primary assessment. RESULTS One hundred thirty-nine patients were included. The focused sonographic examinations could be performed in 134 patients (96%). Focused sonography identified 19 patients (14%) with an acute life-threatening condition missed at the primary assessment. Diagnostic performance of focused sonography for the diagnosis of an acute life-threatening condition, when using audit as gold standard, was as follows: sensitivity, 100% (95% CI, 85.2%-100%); specificity, 93.3% (95% CI, 86.7%-97.3%); positive predictive value, 76.7% (95% CI, 57.7%-90.1%); and negative predictive value, 100% (95% CI, 96.3%-100%). CONCLUSIONS Focused sonography of the heart, lungs, and deep veins is fast, highly feasible, and able to diagnose life-threatening conditions missed at the primary assessment in admitted patients with acute respiratory symptoms. In an ED setting sonography can be used both for ruling in and ruling out acute life-threatening conditions in these patients.

Incidence rate of community-acquired sepsis among hospitalized acute medical patients-a population-based survey.

Objective:Sepsis is a frequent cause of admission, but incidence rates based on administrative data have previously produced large differences in estimates. The aim of the study was to estimate the incidence of community-acquired sepsis based on patients’ symptoms and clinical findings at arrival to the hospital. Design:Population-based survey. Setting:Medical emergency department from September 1, 2010, to August 31, 2011. Patients:All patients were manually reviewed using a structured protocol in order to identify the presence of infection. Vital signs and laboratory values were collected to define the presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome and organ dysfunction. Measurements and Main Results:Incidence rate of sepsis of any severity. Among 8,358 admissions to the medical emergency department, 1,713 patients presented with an incident admission of sepsis of any severity, median age 72 years (5–95%; range, 26–91 yr), 793 (46.3%) were men, 728 (42.5%) presented with a Charlson comorbidity index greater than 2,621 (36.3%) were admitted with sepsis, 1,071 (62.5%) with severe sepsis, and 21 (1.2%) with septic shock. Incidence rate was 731/100,000 person-years at risk (95% CI, 697–767) in patients with sepsis of any severity, 265/100,000 person-years at risk (95% CI, 245–287) in patients with sepsis, 457/100,000 person-years at risk (95% CI, 430–485) in patients with severe sepsis, and 9/100,000 person-years at risk (95% CI, 6–14) in patients with septic shock. Conclusions:Based on symptoms and clinical findings at arrival, incidence rates of patients admitted to a medical emergency department with sepsis and severe sepsis are more frequent than previously reported based on discharge diagnoses.

How Well Do Discharge Diagnoses Identify Hospitalised Patients with Community-Acquired Infections? – A Validation Study

Background Credible measures of disease incidence, trends and mortality can be obtained through surveillance using manual chart review, but this is both time-consuming and expensive. ICD-10 discharge diagnoses are used as surrogate markers of infection, but knowledge on the validity of infections in general is sparse. The aim of the study was to determine how well ICD-10 discharge diagnoses identify patients with community-acquired infections in a medical emergency department (ED), overall and related to sites of infection and patient characteristics. Methods We manually reviewed 5977 patients admitted to a medical ED in a one-year period (September 2010-August 2011), to establish if they were hospitalised with community-acquired infection. Using the manual review as gold standard, we calculated the sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratios of discharge diagnoses indicating infection. Results Two thousand five hundred eleven patients were identified with community-acquired infection according to chart review (42.0%, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 40.8–43.3%) compared to 2550 patients identified by ICD-10 diagnoses (42.8%, 95%CI: 41.6–44.1%). Sensitivity of the ICD-10 diagnoses was 79.9% (95%CI: 78.1–81.3%), specificity 83.9% (95%CI: 82.6–85.1%), positive likelihood ratio 4.95 (95%CI: 4.58–5.36) and negative likelihood ratio 0.24 (95%CI: 0.22–0.26). The two most common sites of infection, the lower respiratory tract and urinary tract, had positive likelihood ratios of 8.3 (95%CI: 7.5–9.2) and 11.3 (95%CI: 10.2–12.9) respectively. We identified significant variation in diagnostic validity related to age, comorbidity and disease severity. Conclusion ICD-10 discharge diagnoses identify specific sites of infection with a high degree of validity, but only a moderate degree when identifying infections in general.

Risk Factors for Hospitalization Due to Community-Acquired Sepsis – A Population-Based Case-Control Study

Background The aim of the study was to estimate risk factors for hospitalization due to sepsis and to determine whether these risk factors vary by age and gender. Methods We performed a population-based case-control study of all adult patients admitted to a medical ED from September 2010 to August 2011. Controls were sampled within the hospital catchment-area. All potential cases were manually validated using a structured protocol. Vital signs and laboratory values measured at arrival were registered to define systemic inflammatory response syndrome and organ dysfunction. Multivariable logistic regression was used to elucidate which predefined risk factors were associated with an increased or decreased risk hospitalization due to sepsis. Results A total of 1713 patients were admitted with sepsis of any severity. The median age was 72 years (interquartile range: 57–81 years) and 793 (46.3%) were male. 621 (36.3%) patients were admitted with sepsis, 1071 (62.5%) with severe sepsis and 21 (1.2%) with septic shock. Episodes with sepsis of any severity were associated with older age (85+ years adjusted OR 6.02 [95%CI: 5.09–7.12]), immunosuppression (4.41 [3.83–5.09]), alcoholism-related conditions (2.90 [2.41–3.50]), and certain comorbidities: psychotic disorder (1.90 [1.58–2.27]), neurological (1.98 [1.73–2.26]), respiratory (3.58 [3.16–4.06]), cardiovascular (1.62 [1.41–1.85]), diabetes (1.82 [1.57–2.12]), cancer (1.44 [1.22–1.68]), gastrointestinal (1.71 [1.44–2.05]) and renal (1.46 [1.13–1.89]). The strength of the observed associations for comorbid factors was strongest among younger individuals. Conclusions Hospitalization due to sepsis of any severity was associated with several independent risk factors, including age and comorbid factors.

A framework for implementation, education, research and clinical use of ultrasound in emergency departments by the Danish Society for Emergency Medicine

The first Danish Society for Emergency Medicine (DASEM) recommendations for the use of clinical ultrasound in emergency departments has been made. The recommendations describes what DASEM believes as being current best practice for training, certification, maintenance of acquired competencies, quality assurance, collaboration and research in the field of clinical US used in an ED.

A randomised, controlled, double-blind trial of ultrasound-guided phrenic nerve block to prevent shoulder pain after thoracic surgery

Moderate to severe ipsilateral shoulder pain is a common complaint following thoracic surgery. In this prospective, parallel‐group study at Odense University Hospital, 76 patients (aged > 18 years) scheduled for lobectomy or pneumonectomy were randomised 1:1 using a computer‐generated list to receive an ultrasound‐guided supraclavicular phrenic nerve block with 10 ml ropivacaine or 10 ml saline (placebo) immediately following surgery. A nerve catheter was subsequently inserted and treatment continued for 3 days. The study drug was pharmaceutically pre‐packed in sequentially numbered identical vials assuring that all participants, healthcare providers and data collectors were blinded. The primary outcome was the incidence of unilateral shoulder pain within the first 6 h after surgery. Pain was evaluated using a numeric rating scale. Nine of 38 patients in the ropivacaine group and 26 of 38 patients in the placebo group experienced shoulder pain during the first 6 h after surgery (absolute risk reduction 44% (95% CI 22–67%), relative risk reduction 65% (95% CI 41–80%); p = 0.00009). No major complications, including respiratory compromise or nerve injury, were observed. We conclude that ultrasound‐guided supraclavicular phrenic nerve block is an effective technique for reducing the incidence of ipsilateral shoulder pain after thoracic surgery.

Developing an emergency ultrasound app - a collaborative project between clinicians from different universities

Focused emergency ultrasound is rapidly evolving as a clinical skill for bedside examination by physicians at all levels of education. Ultrasound is highly operator-dependent and relevant training is essential to ensure appropriate use. When supplementing hands-on focused ultrasound courses, e-learning can increase the learning effect. We developed an emergency ultrasound app to enable onsite e-learning for trainees. In this paper, we share our experiences in the development of this app and present the final product.

Time to initial antibiotic administration, and short-term mortality among patients admitted with community-acquired severe infections with and without the presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome: a follow-up study

Background The prognosis for patients with severe infection is related to early treatment, including early administration of antibiotics. The study aim was to compare the short-term mortality among patients admitted with severe infection with and without systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) at arrival, and to ascertain whether the presence of SIRS might affect the timing of antibiotic administration. Methods In this retrospective follow-up study, we included all adult patients (≥15 years) presenting to a medical emergency department in the period between September 2010 and August 2011 with a first-time admission of community-acquired severe infection (infection with evidence of organ dysfunction), with and without SIRS at arrival. The presence of SIRS was defined as two or more of the criteria according to the American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine (ACCP/SCCM) definitions. Cases were identified by manual chart review using predefined criteria of infection. Data on vital signs, laboratory values and antibiotic treatment were obtained electronically. Results We included 1169 patients with infection and organ dysfunction, treated with antibiotics within 24 h after arrival (median age 76.1 years (IQR 63.1–83.5), 567 (48.5%) men). In all, 886 (75.8%) presented with SIRS, and 283 (24.2%) presented without SIRS. Median time to antibiotics was 4.6 h (IQR 2.9–7.0) in patients with SIRS and 6.7 h (IQR 4.5–10.3) in patients without SIRS (p<0.0001). Thirty-day mortality in patients with and without SIRS was 18.4% (95% CI 15.9% to 21.1%) and 16.6% (95% CI 12.5% to 21.5%), respectively. Conclusions SIRS was absent in one-quarter of patients admitted with severe infection. The ‘door-to-antibiotics’ time was significantly shorter for patients with SIRS compared with patients without SIRS, but no difference was found in 30-day mortality.