Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health

Patients admitted to the hospital ward from the emergency department (ED) occasionally decompensate and require transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU). An emergency medicine (EM) curriculum focused on review of these ICU upgrade cases could improve resident knowledge related to patient acuity, critical illness, and appropriate disposition. Furthermore, initial identification of critical pathology in the ED and earlier admission to the ICU could reduce delays in care and improve patient outcomes.

We performed a retrospective analysis to determine the effectiveness of a resident quality improvement curriculum evaluating cases where patients require transfer from the inpatient floor to the ICU within 12 hours of admission from the ED. We compared postgraduate year 2 (PGY-2) EM residents who participated in the ICU upgrades curriculum during their first year to PGY-2 EM residents who did not participate in the curriculum.

Analysis of the 242 qualifying ICU upgrade cases from July 2019–October 2021 showed post-curriculum residents were responsible for an average of 1.0 upgrades per resident compared to an average of 1.54 upgrades per resident (P = 0.12) for pre-curriculum residents. Although there was no statistically significant difference in ICU upgrades between the groups, there was a trend toward decreased ICU upgrade cases for residents who participated in the curriculum. Common reasons for ICU upgrade included worsening respiratory distress requiring higher level of respiratory support, recurrent hypotension after initial intravenous fluid resuscitation requiring vasopressor support, and declining mental status.

This retrospective study showed no significant difference in the number of ICU upgrades for residents who completed the ICU upgrades curriculum compared to residents who were not enrolled in the course. However, the study was likely underpowered to detect a significant difference in the groups, and there was a trend toward reduced ICU upgrades for residents who completed the curriculum. ICU upgrade cases were frequently associated with worsening respiratory status, hypotension, and mental status. These findings highlight the importance of reassessment of vital signs and mental status prior to determining disposition from the ED. Additional, larger studies are needed to better determine the curriculum’s impact on resident proficiency in recognizing critical illness and reducing ICU upgrades.