We conducted a study to assess test characteristics of red-flag criteria for identifying cardiac disease causing chest pain and technical charges of low-probability referrals. Accuracy of red-flag criteria was ascertained through study of chest pain Standardized Clinical Assessment and Management Plans (SCAMPs®) data. Patients were divided into 2 groups: Group1 (concerning clinical elements) and Group2 (without). We compared incidence of cardiac disease causing chest pain between these 2 groups. Technical charges of Group 2 were analyzed using the Pediatric Health Information System database. Potential savings for the US population was estimated using National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data. Fifty-two percent of subjects formed Group 1. Cardiac disease causing chest pain was identified in 8/1656 (0.48%). No heart disease was identified in patients in Group 2 ( P = .03). Applying red-flags in determining need for referral identified patients with cardiac disease causing chest pain with 100% sensitivity. Median technical charges for Group 2, over a 4-year period, were US2014$775 559. Eliminating cardiac testing of low-probability referrals would save US2014$3 775 182 in technical charges annually. Red-flag criteria were an effective screen for children with chest pain. Eliminating cardiac testing in children without red-flags for referral has significant technical charge savings.
r | Abstracts: 10th World Congress on Emergency and Disaster Medicine 83/S15 the last few years with groups of patients who had to be admitted immediately. Several systems of tracking these patients were evaluated and the most simple and practical appiicable system was a bar-code system using the EAN (European Article Numbering) 128 symbol technique. This system is called the ABC (Automation Barcode and Chaos) system. Using this system, the team that is in charge of command and control has been able to maintain a continuous overview of the situation. Apart from patient identification and tracking, the system also includes in the registration process indicators of urgency and primary diagnoses. This system has been used during several accidents associated with the admission of multiple victims. The highest number of patients admitted using this system was 143 during the evacuation of another hospital because of the threat of a flood. It seems that less errors were made in comparison with manual registration while more information was stored. Pilot studies are being performed to evaluate this method by using it first in a prehospital environment. The ABC system already has attracted national and international attention. In principle, bar-codes can be used for regular care, replacing the existing hospital punch cards. In the Emergency Hospital, the system already has proven its value.
BackgroundLack of knowledge about their treatment is one of the main elements leading to an inappropriate use of medicines by patients. When starting a clinical trial, outpatients receive a large amount of information, which is sometimes difficult to understand.PurposeTo quantify and to analyse drug related problems (DRPs) in Oncohaematology outpatients included in clinical trials and to measure their knowledge about the treatment.Material and methodsA descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2014 in a general hospital.Oncohaematology outpatients starting treatment with oral investigational products (IPs) or who had been taking the treatment less than three months from the time of inclusion in the study were selected.The variables collected were: age, sex, diagnosis, department, previous participation in clinical trials, prescribed medicines, DRPs, knowledge about their treatment and pharmaceutical interventions.Results26 outpatients were included, 19 (73.1%) were females, and mean age 59.8. 84.6% belonged to the Oncology department. The main diagnosis was breast cancer: 11 (42.3%) patients.At the time of recruitment, 15 (57.7%) patients started treatment with IPs and 5 (19.2%) had previously participated in another clinical trial.109 drugs were evaluated, 32 (29.3%) were IPs. 10 DRP were detected in 7 (26.9%) patients. 6 (60%) of the DRPs detected were due to the IP.The most frequent DRPs were due to interactions [4 (40%)] and adverse events [4 (40%)]. Others were related to erroneous prescribing and incorrect self-administration. Mean DRPs per patient was 0.38. Prevalence of DRPs in outpatients starting treatment was 26.7%.We performed 23 pharmaceutical interventions, 18 (78.3%) were on information about treatment.Regarding the whole sample, the average score on the test of knowledge was 6.5/10, whereas in outpatients starting treatment it was 6.0/10.ConclusionThe high incidence of DRPs detected emphasises the necessity for Pharmaceutical Care programs to adequately inform patients included in clinical trials, and to prevent and detect DRPs, especially when starting new treatments.References and/or acknowledgementsNo conflict of interest.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.