Predictors for Delayed Emergency Department Care in Medical Patients with Acute Infections - An International Prospective Observational Study.
- Kutz A Division of General and Emergency Medicine, University Department of Medicine, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland.
- Florin J Division of General and Emergency Medicine, University Department of Medicine, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland.
- Hausfater P Emergency department, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Paris, France.
- Amin D Morton Plant Hospital, Clearwater, FL, United States of America.
- Amin A Morton Plant Hospital, Clearwater, FL, United States of America.
- Haubitz S Division of General and Emergency Medicine, University Department of Medicine, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland.
- Conca A Department of Clinical Nursing Science, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland.
- Reutlinger B Department of Clinical Nursing Science, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland.
- Canavaggio P Emergency department, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Paris, France.
- Sauvin G Emergency department, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Paris, France.
- Bernard M Biochemistry Department, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière and Univ-Paris Descartes, Paris, France.
- Huber A Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland.
- Mueller B Division of General and Emergency Medicine, University Department of Medicine, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland.
- Schuetz P Division of General and Emergency Medicine, University Department of Medicine, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland.
- 2016-05-13
Published in:
- PloS one. - 2016
Acute Disease
Aged
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Communicable Diseases
Emergency Medical Services
Emergency Service, Hospital
Female
Humans
Internationality
Male
Prospective Studies
Time Factors
English
INTRODUCTION
In overcrowded emergency department (ED) care, short time to start effective antibiotic treatment has been evidenced to improve infection-related clinical outcomes. Our objective was to study factors associated with delays in initial ED care within an international prospective medical ED patient population presenting with acute infections.
METHODS
We report data from an international prospective observational cohort study including patients with a main diagnosis of infection from three tertiary care hospitals in Switzerland, France and the United States (US). We studied predictors for delays in starting antibiotic treatment by using multivariate regression analyses.
RESULTS
Overall, 544 medical ED patients with a main diagnosis of acute infection and antibiotic treatment were included, mainly pneumonia (n = 218; 40.1%), urinary tract (n = 141; 25.9%), and gastrointestinal infections (n = 58; 10.7%). The overall median time to start antibiotic therapy was 214 minutes (95% CI: 199, 228), with a median length of ED stay (ED LOS) of 322 minutes (95% CI: 308, 335). We found large variations of time to start antibiotic treatment depending on hospital centre and type of infection. The diagnosis of a gastrointestinal infection was the most significant predictor for delay in antibiotic treatment (+119 minutes compared to patients with pneumonia; 95% CI: 58, 181; p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
We found high variations in hospital ED performance in regard to start antibiotic treatment. The implementation of measures to reduce treatment times has the potential to improve patient care.
In overcrowded emergency department (ED) care, short time to start effective antibiotic treatment has been evidenced to improve infection-related clinical outcomes. Our objective was to study factors associated with delays in initial ED care within an international prospective medical ED patient population presenting with acute infections.
METHODS
We report data from an international prospective observational cohort study including patients with a main diagnosis of infection from three tertiary care hospitals in Switzerland, France and the United States (US). We studied predictors for delays in starting antibiotic treatment by using multivariate regression analyses.
RESULTS
Overall, 544 medical ED patients with a main diagnosis of acute infection and antibiotic treatment were included, mainly pneumonia (n = 218; 40.1%), urinary tract (n = 141; 25.9%), and gastrointestinal infections (n = 58; 10.7%). The overall median time to start antibiotic therapy was 214 minutes (95% CI: 199, 228), with a median length of ED stay (ED LOS) of 322 minutes (95% CI: 308, 335). We found large variations of time to start antibiotic treatment depending on hospital centre and type of infection. The diagnosis of a gastrointestinal infection was the most significant predictor for delay in antibiotic treatment (+119 minutes compared to patients with pneumonia; 95% CI: 58, 181; p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
We found high variations in hospital ED performance in regard to start antibiotic treatment. The implementation of measures to reduce treatment times has the potential to improve patient care.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- gold
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0155363
- PMID 27171476
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/278035
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