Objectives Performing lung ultrasound during the clinical assessment of patients with suspicion of noncritical COVID‐19 may increase the diagnostic rate of pulmonary involvement over other diagnostic techniques used in routine clinical practice. This study aims to compare complications (readmissions, emergency department [ED] visits, and length of outpatient follow‐up) in the first 30 days after ED discharge in patients with confirmed COVID‐19 who were managed with versus without lung ultrasound. Materials and Methods Prospective, observational, analytical study in noncritical patients with confirmed respiratory disease due to SARS‐CoV‐2, assessed in the ED of a tertiary Spanish hospital in March and April 2020. We compared 2 cohorts, differentiated by the use of lung ultrasound as a diagnostic tool. Complications were assessed (hospital admissions, ED revisits and days of outpatient follow‐up) at 30 days postdischarge. Results Of the 88 included patients, 31% (n = 27) underwent an initial lung ultrasound, while 61 (68%) did not. In 82.5% of the patients evaluated with ultrasound, the most predominant areas affected were the posterobasal regions, in the form of focalized and confluent B‐lines; 70.4% showed pleural irregularity in these same areas. Use of the lung ultrasound was associated with a greater probability of hospital admission (odds ratio 5.63, 95% confidence interval 3.31 to 9.57; p < 0.001). However, it was not significantly associated with mortality or short‐term complications. Conclusions Lung ultrasound could identify noncritical patients with lung impairment due to SARS‐CoV‐2, in whom other tests used routinely show no abnormalities. However, it has not shown a prognostic value in these patients and could generate a higher percentage of hospital admissions. More studies are still needed to demonstrate the clear benefit of this use.

Aims: To systematically describe the factors influencing the perception of feeling safe among patients receiving pre-hospital emergency care. Background: Patient safety is a top priority worldwide. Little is known about how patients perceive safety during emergency health care and what the related factors are. Design: A mixed-methods systematic review.Methods: Six databases were searched to December 2021. Inclusion criteria were as follows: studies with patients of any age, framed in pre-hospital emergency care settings, referring to patient safety, addressing the perception of safety, and with a quantitative or qualitative research design. Exclusion criteria were as follows: conference records, abstracts, supplements, letters, editorials and reviews. The quality of the evidence was assessed with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklists. A convergent integrated approach was followed according to the JBI methodology. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022306337). PRISMA 2020 guidelines were followed in reporting this review.Results: Among the 5223 records identified, the whole texts of 35 articles were reviewed. Ten studies were relevant to the research question. Seven followed a qualitative methodology, with interviews or focus group. Three involved a quantitative methodology, with questionnaires or validated measures. The 74 findings were organised into 11 categories and then grouped into four dimensions: 'receiving a satisfying response from healthcare professionals when I need it', 'EMS personnel's professional competence', 'the variable and unfamiliar settings of pre-hospital emergencies', and 'patients' personal characteristics'. Conclusions:The perception of safety is influenced by many factors, which can be grouped into four independent dimensions. Quantitative and qualitative studies can provide us with complementary findings. Scopus (emotions OR feeling OR perception OR experience) AND ("patient safety" OR safe OR safety) AND (ambulances OR "emergency medical services" OR "prehospital emergency care") Web of Science (WOS) (emotions OR feeling OR perception OR experience) AND ("patient safety" OR safe OR safety) AND (ambulances OR "emergency medical services" OR "prehospital emergency care") PsycInfo (emotions OR feeling OR perception OR experience) AND ("patient safety" OR safe OR safety) AND (ambulances OR "emergency medical services" OR "prehospital emergency care")

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