Articles: emergency-services.
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Observational Study
Assessment of frontal QRS-T angle in distinguishing mild and severe acute pancreatitis in emergency department: A retrospective study.
Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a disease that poses significant health risks with potential severe outcomes. Identifying markers for severity can aid in early intervention and improve prognoses. This study, conducted in the emergency department, investigates the QRS-T angle as a potential indicator of severity in patients with acute pancreatitis. ⋯ Additionally, severe pancreatitis group showed higher QRS-T angle (P < .001), higher rates of abnormal QRS angles (31.8% vs 10.1%, P = .002), and QRS-T angles (31.8% vs 8.1%, P < .001). The QRS-T angle may serve as a valuable clinical tool for differentiating between mild and severe forms of acute pancreatitis. This could potentially help clinicians in stratifying patients according to their risk and tailoring their management accordingly.
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Transfer of patients between hospitals is common, costly, and over 20 % are estimated to be avoidable, meaning patients do not receive specialized interventions once transferred. Older adults are more likely to be transferred and may be at increased risk for developing delirium or other complications due to transfer. We aimed to determine the frequency of potentially avoidable transfer (PAT) among older adults; identify conditions most likely to involve a PAT; and describe factors associated with PAT. ⋯ PATs were common in transfers of older adults, particularly among a subset of neurologic, cardiovascular, and injury-related conditions. These conditions may represent ideal targets for intervention to decrease rates of avoidable transfer. Research exploring hospital variation in transfer practices and the impact of PAT on older adults' health outcomes are also needed.