In the event of a large-scale terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other public health emergency, hospitals could not absorb the thousands of victims generated by the catastrophe. Even if hospitals can increase bed capacity by 20% to 30%, as some suggest, the problem of staffing these beds remains unresolved. One possibility is to rapidly increase hospital staff by providing emergency credentialing to volunteer health care professionals. Several organizations and systems currently exist that can deliver medical providers to a stricken area. Unfortunately, all of these have serious limitations that would make it difficult for hospitals to use the health care workers provided by such entities. We propose a unique concept that will allow hospitals to rapidly expand their staff with practitioners that meet their credentialing requirements. The concept is a database created by each hospital in a community that includes credentialed physicians, nurses, behavioral health professionals, and ancillary staff. The database will be limited to physicians with full privileges and all licensed hospital employees in good standing not currently facing disciplinary issues or practice restrictions. The individual databases would then be combined and stored on a single computer system housed at the county health care agency or other mutually acceptable organization, with copies sent back to participating hospitals and the state. After a large disaster, health care workers from unaffected areas, including other states, can approach affected hospitals and volunteer their services. Practitioners listed on the database could be given privileges in their specialties for 72 hours. This process is accurate, inexpensive, efficient, sustainable, and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations compliant and permits the immediate credentialing of large numbers of medical volunteers.

Background: In 2005, Orange County California Emergency Medical Services (EMS) initiated a field 12-lead program to minimize time to emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for field-identified acute myocardial infarction (MI). As the program matured, “false-positive” (defined as no PCI or coronary artery occlusion upon PCI) field MI activations have been identified as a problem for the program.

Objectives: To identify potentially correctable factors associated with false-positive EMS triage to PCI centers.

Methods: This was a retrospective, outcome study of EMS 12-lead cases from February 2006 to June 2007. The study system exclusively used cardiac monitor internal interpretation algorithms indicating an acute myocardial infarction as the basis for triage. Indicators and variables were defined prior to the study. Data, including outcome, was from the Orange County EMS database, which included copies of 12-lead ECGs used for field triage. Negative odds ratios (OR) of less than 1.0 for positive PCI were the statistical measure of interest.

Results: Five hundred forty-eight patients were triaged from the field for PCI. We excluded 19 cases from the study because of death prior to PCI, refusal of PCI, and co-morbid illness (sepsis, altered consciousness) that precluded PCI. Three hundred ninety-three (74.3%) patients had PCI with significant coronary lesions found. False-positive field triages were associated with underlying cardiac rhythm of sinus tachycardia [OR = 0.38 (95% CI 0.23, 0.62)]; atrial fibrillation [OR = 0.43 (95% CI = 0.20, 0.94)]; an ECG lead not recorded [OR = 0.39 (95% CI = 0.20, 0.76)]; poor ECG baseline [OR = 0.59 (95% CI = 0.25, 1.37)]; One of three brands of monitors used in the field [OR = 0.35 (95% CI = 0.21, 0.59)]; and female gender [OR = 0.50 (95% CI = 0.34, 0.75)]. Age was not associated with false-positive triage as determined by ordinal regression (p=1.00).

Conclusion: For the urban-suburban EMS field 12-lead program studied, age was not associated with false-positive triage. It was unexpected that female gender was associated with false-positive triage. False-positive triage from the field was associated with poor ECG acquisition, underlying rhythms of atrial fibrillation and sinus tachycardia, and one brand of 12-lead monitor.

[West J Emerg Med. 2009;10(4):208-212]

Background and purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Organized systems of care have the potential to improve acute stroke care delivery. The current report describes the experience of implementing a countywide system of spoke-and-hub Stroke Neurology Receiving Centers (SNRC) that incorporated several comprehensive stroke center recommendations.

Observational study of patients with suspected stroke <5 hours duration transported by Emergency Medical System personnel to an SNRC during the first year of this system.

A total of 1,360 patients with suspected stroke were evaluated at 9 hub SNRCs, of which 553 (40.7%) had a discharge diagnosis of ischemic stroke. Of these 553, intravenous (IV) tPA was given to 110 patients (19.9% of ischemic strokes). Care at the 6 neurointerventional-ready SNRC was a major focus, where 25.1% (99/395) of the patients with ischemic stroke received acute IV or intraarterial reperfusion therapy, and where provision of such therapies was less common with milder stroke, higher age, and Hispanic origin. The door-to-needle time for IV tPA met the <60 minute target in only 25% of patients and was 37% longer (p=0.0001) when SNRCs were neurointerventional-ready.

A stroke system that incorporates features of comprehensive stroke centers can be effectively implemented, and with substantial rates of acute reperfusion therapy administration. Experiences potentially useful to broader implementation of comprehensive stroke centers are considered.