Introduction: Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) resulting in injuries and death disproportionately involve impaired drivers. Those under the influence of alcohol also have a higher rate of presentation and admission to hospital for traumatic injuries. In an attempt to decrease impaired driving and alcohol-related MVCs and injuries, the government of Alberta introduced stricter impaired driving legislation in the summer of 2012. It has yet to be determined what impact this new legislation has had on traumatic injuries secondary to MVCs and alcohol impairment. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between the implementation of the new legislation and the proportion of alcohol-related MVC trauma presenting to the emergency department of a Level I Trauma Centre. Methods: A retrospective single centre cross-sectional chart review examining adult patients presenting to the ED of a major trauma centre who: a) require trauma team activation or consultation and b) have a MVC related injury. Of those charts meeting these criteria, the proportion of patients with positive blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was compared between the year before and the four years after implementation of the new legislation. Patients were identified using electronic medical record logs. We compared the proportion of impaired drivers by year using the SPSS software package and conducted an interrupted time series analysis in order to determine whether the implementation of the law directly affected the measured outcomes. Results: 1470 total MVC related trauma patients were identified during the study period (468 prior to legislation implementation [2010-2012] and 1002 after [2012-2016]). The proportion of drivers with BAC defined as legally impaired decreased significantly over this time period (p=0.003). Based on preliminary interrupted time series analysis we cannot conclude that the implementation of the new laws led to this significant change (p=0.524). When analyzing drivers between 16 to 25 years old, we noted a non-significant but notable decrease in the proportion of impaired drivers from 45.9% in 2011 to 21.1% in 2016 (p=0.173). Conclusion: While an impact was not seen immediately following the implementation of Alberta’s new impaired driving legislation, the proportion of impaired drivers requiring trauma team activation has decreased significantly since enactment of the new legislation from 28.9% in 2011 to 16.9% in 2016. However, based on interrupted time series analysis we cannot conclude the new legislation independently influenced this change. The impact of other factors including public education, societal preferences and generational changes cannot be excluded. There continues to be a dramatic decrease in the proportion of impaired drivers presenting with MVC related trauma under 25 years old This has not yet reached statistical significance probably due to small sample size but the trend is most prominent in this age group.

Introduction: Despite evidence that triage liaison physicians (TLP) effectively reduce emergency department (ED) overcrowding, support for these interventions is patchy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of a TLP-like ED Disposition and Care Consultant (EDC) shift at an academic tertiary care ED. Methods: A 24-week pilot project was conducted 11/16-04/17. Physicians worked 8- hour day (07-15:00) and/or evening (15:00-23:00) EDC shifts and performed immediate triage and patient care when needed, assisted triage RNs, answered all incoming calls, and managed administrative matters. Due to their voluntary nature, not all shifts were filled. This study compared active (EDC) and control (C) shifts on the following ED metrics: length of stay (LOS), proportions of patients who left without being seen (LWBS), and safety (return visits to ED). Descriptive (median and interquartile range {IQR} and proportions) and simple (Wilcoxson-Mann-Whitney, chi-square, z-proportion) tests are presented for continuous and dichotomous outcomes, respectively. Multiple linear regression identified factors associated with LOS. Results: Of 112 possible EDC shifts, 58 (52%) were filled involving 4289 patients and compared to 276 C shifts involving 21,358 patients. ED volume, patient age (49; IQR: 31, 66), mode of arrival (~30% EMS), triage levels (~51% level 3), and complaints were similar between the groups. Overall, the EDC group reduced LWBS by 16% (8.7% vs. 10.4%; p=0.001), ED LOS for discharged patients by 30 minutes (5.5 vs. 6.0 hours; p<0.001), and ED LOS for admitted patients by 42 minutes (9.7 vs. 10.4 hours; p=0.02). The EDC increased the proportion discharged <4 hours by 28% (20.1 vs. 15.7%; p<0.001) and increased the proportion admitted <8 hours by 17% (8.2% vs. 9.6%, p=0.002). ED relapses <72 hours were similar (9.3% vs. 8.9%; p=0.4); however, admissions were higher in the EDC shifts (25.3% vs. 23.8%; p=0.04). In addition to EDC coverage status, LOS was influenced by triage level (1.7%, p<0.001), disposition (19.6%, p<0.001), and age (4.8%, p<0.001). Conclusion: Our results indicate that an EDC shift, while unpopular with many physicians, provides valuable services to an overcrowded ED and that the implementation of this type of shift could reduce LOS and LWBS statistics in a tertiary care institution. Additional evaluations to examine this and other front-end interventions in other ED centers are indicated.

Introduction: Emergency Physician (EP) performance comprises both quality of care and quantity of patients seen in a set time. Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding increases the importance of the ability of EPs to see patients as rapidly as is safely possible. Maximizing efficiency requires an understanding of variables that are associated with individual physician performance. While using the incidence of return visits within 48 hours as a quality measure is controversial, repeat visits do consume ED resources. Methods: We analysed the practice variables of 85 EPs working at a single academic ED, for the period from June 1, 2013 to May 31, 2017, using data from an emergency department information system (EDIS). Variables analysed included: number of shifts worked, number of patients seen per hour (pt/hr), an adjusted workload measurement (assigning a higher score to CTAS 1-3 patients), percentage of patients whose care involved an ED learner, and the percentage of patients who returned to the ED within 48 hours of ED discharge. Resource utilization was measured by percentage of diagnostic imaging (ultra sound (US), CT scan (CT), x-ray (XR)) ordered and percentage of patients referred to consulting services. We performed principal component analyses to identify bench marks of resource use, demographic (age, EM qualification, gender) and other practice related predictors of performances. Results: Mean pt/hr differed significantly by EM Qualification for CTAS 2-4, with 1.71/hr (95% Confidence Interval=1.63-1.77) by FRCPS physicians, compared to 1.89/hr by CCFP(EM) (CI=1.81-1.97). There were no differences for CTAS 1 and 5. Other variables associated with a significantly lower pt/hr, included a greater use of imaging, (CT: p=0.0003, XR: p=0.0008) although this was did not reach statistical significance with US (p=0.06%). Female gender, older age, number of patient consultations for CTAS 3 and more patients seen by a learner were all associated with lower pt/hr. Pt/hr was a better predictor (R2=45%) for EP resource utilization than adjusted workload measurement (R2 =35%). Higher use of CT was associated with fewer return visits in <48 hrs (0.13% lower). Male gender, younger age, number of patient consultation for CTAS 3 and fewer patients seen by a learner were all associated with an increase in return visits. Conclusion: We found a significant difference in pt/hr rates and return visits within 48 hours between EPs with different age ranges, gender, and EM certification. Increased use of CT scan and x-ray, and consultation for patients CTAS 3 were associated with lower pt/hr. Return visit rates also varied in association with diagnostic imagine use, age, gender and number of patients seen by a learner. Further research is needed to assess the association with these variables on quality of care.

Introduction: Much of the research presented at conference meetings never go on to be published in peer-reviewed literature, thereby limiting the dispersion of these findings to a larger audience. We sought to assess if this was true with regard to CAEP meetings, by establishing the publication rate and factors correlated with publication of CAEP abstracts in peer-reviewed journals from 2013-2017. Methods: We conducted a scoping review that included all CAEP abstracts from 2013-2017, obtained through the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine. Two reviewers screened and extracted data from all abstracts individually, with any conflicts resolved by a third reviewer. Data extracted from abstracts included province of authors, sample size, study design, the presence of statistically positive or negative findings, status of publication, date of acceptance to a journal, and journal of publication. Databases searched for publication status included MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library and Ovid Health Star. A level of evidence (LOE) was assigned using the 2011 Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine criteria. Results: All abstracts (1090) from 2014-2017 have been analyzed thus far. Inter-rater agreement for data extraction was high ( value 0.85). 17.1% (186/1090) of abstracts presented at the conference had a corresponding full text publication in the peer-reviewed literature. Articles were published in 102 different journals, with the greatest number of publications in the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine (CJEM) (15.1%, 28/186), followed by Academic Emergency Medicine (10.2%, 19/186). The mean time to publication was 51 weeks (95% CI 43,59). 30.6% (57/186) of published abstracts had statistically positive findings, while 10.8% (20/186) had negative findings. A significant difference was present between publication findings and publication status (p<0.0001, chi-squared). 68.8% (128/186) of published articles were of level III evidence. A statistical difference was found between LOE and publication status (p<0.0001, chi-squared). Conclusion: A large number of abstracts presented at CAEP are presently unpublished. There may be a publication bias in the literature as a greater number of studies with positive findings have been published. Additionally, two-thirds of studies published are of level III evidence. An increasing emphasis should be placed in publishing studies with higher levels of evidence, and more studies with negative findings.

Introduction: In addition to its clinical utility, the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) has become an administrative metric used by governments to estimate patient care requirements, ED funding and workload models. The Electronic Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (eCTAS) initiative aims to improve patient safety and quality of care by establishing an electronic triage decision support tool that standardizes the application of national triage guidelines (CTAS) across Ontario. The objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation of eCTAS in a variety of ED settings. Methods: This was a prospective, observational study conducted in 7 hospital EDs, selected to represent a mix of triage processes (electronic vs. manual), documentation practices (electronic vs. paper), hospital types (rural, community and teaching) and patient volumes (annual ED census ranged from 38,000 to 136,000). An expert CTAS auditor observed on-duty triage nurses in the ED and assigned independent CTAS in real time. Research assistants not involved in the triage process independently recorded the triage time. Interrater agreement was estimated using unweighted and quadratic-weighted kappa statistics with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: 1200 (738 pre-eCTAS, 462 post-implementation) individual patient CTAS assessments were audited over 33 (21 pre-eCTAS, 11 post-implementation) seven-hour triage shifts. Exact modal agreement was achieved for 554 (75.0%) patients pre-eCTAS, compared to 429 (93.0%) patients triaged with eCTAS. Using the auditors CTAS score as the reference standard, eCTAS significantly reduced the number of patients over-triaged (12.1% vs. 3.2%; 8.9, 95% CI: 5.7, 11.7) and under-triaged (12.9% vs. 3.9%; 9.0, 95% CI: 5.9, 12.0). Interrater agreement was higher with eCTAS (unweighted kappa 0.90 vs 0.63; quadratic-weighted kappa 0.79 vs. 0.94). Research assistants captured triage time for 4403 patients pre-eCTAS and 1849 post implementation of eCTAS. Median triage time was 304 seconds pre-eCTAS and 329 seconds with eCTAS ( 25 seconds, 95% CI: 18, 32 seconds). Conclusion: A standardized, electronic approach to performing CTAS assessments improves both clinical decision making and administrative data accuracy without substantially increasing triage time.

Introduction: Translating research evidence into routine clinical practice in emergency departments (EDs) often requires changing the behavior(s) of one or more member of the healthcare team. Changing strongly entrenched behavior patterns or occasional behaviors that are impacted by psychological, social or environmental factors can be challenging. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify implementation strategies that have been evaluated to change ED provider behavior and promote the uptake of evidence in emergency practice settings. Methods: The following databases were systematically searched from inception to 2017 with the support of a library scientist: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase and Cochrane CENTRAL. We also manually searched the last 5 years of Annals of Emergency Medicine, Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine, and Implementation Science. Studies were assessed by two independent reviewers and retained if they included one or more of the implementation strategies listed in the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care (EPOC) Taxonomy, targeted any health care provider working in any type of emergency department. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to assess study quality. Results: Following review of 13,000 title and abstracts, 33 studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of included studies were randomized control trials (N=32) and 50% were published in the last seven years. Although poorly described, interventions targeted either physicians (n=12), nurses (n=8), pharmacists (n=1) or multi-disciplinary teams (n=12). Common behavioral targets included compliance with practice guidelines, test ordering and prescribing. According to the EPOC Taxonomy most implementation strategies were multi-component and could be categorized as either educational materials/meetings and/or reminders. Only one study author reported using evidence to inform the design of the implementation strategy. Effect sizes varied across relevant study outcomes but the direction of effect was positive in 22/33 included studies. Heterogeneity of study interventions and outcomes precluded meta-analysis. Conclusion: To strengthen the evidence base regarding implementation strategies that promote provider behavior change across different ED contexts, there is a critical need to improve both the design and reporting of implementation strategies in ED research.

Introduction: Utilization of CT imaging has risen dramatically with increases in availability, but without corresponding improvements in patient outcomes for many clinical scenarios. Previous attempts to improve imaging appropriateness have met with limited success, with commonly cited barriers including a lack of confidence in patient outcomes, medicolegal risk, and patient expectations. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of an electronic clinical decision support (CDS) intervention to reduce CT utilization for emergency department (ED) patients with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Methods: This was a cluster-randomized, controlled trial with physicians as the unit of randomization. All emergency physicians (EPs) at 4 urban adult EDs and 1 urgent care center were randomly assigned to receive evidence-based imaging CDS (intervention) or no CDS (control) for patients with MTBI over a 1-year study period. CDS was launched in an external web browser whenever an intervention EP ordered a non-enhanced head CT from the computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system for ED patients CTAS 2-5 with a CEDIS chief complaint of head injury; however, interaction with CDS was voluntary. The CDS tool provided detailed information to physicians about the Canadian CT Head Rule, including patient eligibility, exclusion criteria, risk factors and probability of serious injury, as well as an imaging recommendation (yes/no). CDS recommendations could be printed for the medical record as could educational patient handouts to support physician decision making. The primary outcome was CT utilization for patients with MTBI on the index visit. Secondary outcomes included ED length of stay (LOS), and return visits, CT use, hospital admission and traumatic head injury diagnoses over the next 30-days. This study was REB approved. Results: Physician demographics and baseline CT utilization for MTBI patients were similar among intervention and control EPs during a 2-year pre-intervention period. In the first 8-months following CDS implementation, 102 intervention EPs saw 2,189 eligible patients while 100 control EPs saw 1,707 patients. Intervention EPs voluntarily interacted with CDS on 36.2% of eligible encounters. Head CT utilization was lower among intervention EPs than controls (38.5% vs 45.1%, p<0.0001) as was ED LOS (201 vs 218.5 minutes, p<0.001). There was no difference in 30-day ED return visits, head CT utilization, hospital admission or traumatic head injury diagnoses. Conclusion: In one of the largest RCTs of CDS to date, exposure to CDS was associated with decreased head CT utilization and shorter LOS on the index visit, and no difference in 30-day head CT use, return ED visits or hospital admission. These results suggest that a comprehensive CDS implementation may be able to overcome several barriers to use of decision rules and may contribute to improved clinical decision making and decreased CT utilization.

Introduction: Utilization of CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) to rule out pulmonary embolism (PE) has risen dramatically but diagnostic yield has fallen over the past several decades, suggesting that lower risk patients are being tested. Given little evidence to suggest improved patient outcomes with higher CTPA utilization, and increasing evidence of harm, evidence-based guidelines have been developed to reduce unnecessary CTPA use. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of an electronic clinical decision support (CDS) intervention to reduce unnecessary CTPA utilization for emergency department (ED) patients with suspected PE. Methods: This was a cluster-randomized, controlled trial with physicians as the unit of randomization. All emergency physicians (EPs) at 4 urban adult EDs and 1 urgent care center were randomly assigned to receive either evidence-based imaging CDS for patients with suspected PE (intervention) or no CDS (control) over a 1-year study period. CDS was launched in an external web browser whenever an intervention EP ordered a CTPA from the computerized physician order entry software for ED patients CTAS 2-5; however, physician interaction with CDS was voluntary. The CDS tool enabled calculation of patient-specific information, including the patients Wells score, PERC score, and age-adjusted D-dimer, as well as prediction of each patients pre-test risk of PE along with an imaging/no imaging recommendation. CDS recommendations could be printed for the medical record as could educational patient handouts to support physician decision-making. The primary outcome was CTPA utilization for patients with CEDIS chief complaints of shortness of breath or chest pain on the index visit. Secondary outcomes included index visit length of stay (LOS), and CTPA use or VTE diagnosis within 90-days. This study was REB approved. Results: Demographics were similar among intervention and control EPs; however, during a 2-year pre-intervention period control EPs had a higher baseline CTPA rate (8.5% vs 7.7%, p<0.001). In the first 8-months following CDS implementation, 94 intervention EPs saw 9,609 patients and voluntarily interacted with the CDS tool on 43.2% of eligible encounters while 91 control EPs saw 9,498 patients. CTPA utilization was higher among intervention EPs than control (9.6% vs 8.3%, p<0.001) as was ED LOS (302 vs 287 minutes, p<0.001). There was no difference in 90-day CTPA use or VTE diagnoses. Conclusion: In one of the largest RCTs of CDS to date, exposure to CDS was associated with higher rates of CTPA utilization and longer ED LOS on the index visit, and no difference in 90-day CT use or VTE diagnoses. These results differ from a concurrent study of CDS for patients with mild traumatic brain injury in the same physician population and may relate to the implementation of the CDS intervention and/or complexity of the underlying evidence-based algorithms.

Introduction: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common cardiovascular condition with high mortality rates if left untreated. Given the non-specific and varied symptoms of PE, its diagnosis remains challenging and approaches can lend themselves to inefficiencies through over-testing and over-diagnosis. Clinicians rely on a multi-component and sequential approach, including clinical risk assessment, rule-out biomarkers, and diagnostic imaging. This study assessed the potential cost-effectiveness of different diagnostic algorithms. Methods: A cost-utility model was developed with an upfront decision tree capturing the diagnostic accuracy and a Markov cohort model reflecting the lifetime disease progression and clinical utility of each diagnostic strategy. 57 diagnostic strategies were evaluated that were permutations of various clinical risk assessment, rule-out biomarkers and diagnostic imaging modalities. Diagnostic test accuracy was informed by systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and costs (2016 CAD) were obtained from Canadian costing databases to reflect a health-care payer perspective. Separate scenario analyses were conducted on patients contra-indicated for computed tomography (CT) or who are pregnant as this entails a comparison of a different set of diagnostic strategies. Results: Six diagnostic strategies formed the efficiency frontier. Diagnosing patients with PE was generally cost-effective if willingness-to-pay was greater than $1,481 per quality-adjusted-life year (QALY). CT dominated other imaging modality given its greater diagnostic accuracy, lower rates of non-diagnostic findings and lowest overall costs. The use of clinical prediction rules to determine clinical pre-test probability of PE and the application of rule-out test for patients with low-to-moderate risk of PE may be cost-effective while reducing the proportion of patients requiring CT and lowering radiation exposure. At a willingness-to-pay of $50,000 per QALY, the strategy of Wells (2 tier) --> d-dimer --> CT --> CT was the most likely cost-effective diagnostic strategy. However, different diagnostic strategies were considered cost-effective for pregnant patients and those contra-indicated for CT. Conclusion: This study highlighted the value of economic modelling to inform judicious use of resources in achieving a diagnosis for PE. These findings, in conjunction with a recent health technology assessment, may help to inform clinical practice and guidelines. Which strategy would be considered cost-effective reflected ones willingness to trade-off between misdiagnosis and over-diagnosis.

Introduction: Practice guidelines discourage routine imaging for low back pain and recommend selective use when serious underlying conditions are suspected. Evidence about prevalence of serious pathologies and accuracy of red flags for decision-making is limited. We describe rates of serious low back pathology, assess the accuracy of three red flags and model the utility of combining administratively available red flags to reduce imaging. Methods: A seven-year retrospective study of patients presenting with low back pain to four emergency departments in Nova Scotia, Canada. Patient characteristics were available from administrative data. We test sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and likelihood ratios of individual and combinations of red flags. We use decision curve analyses to assess the clinical utility of three red flags to inform imaging. Results: We included data from 38,714 patients presenting with low back pain. Serious low back pathology was diagnosed in 1196(3.09%): 847 (2.19%) were vertebral fractures, 184 (0.48%) unstable fracture, 262 (0.68%) cancer, 57 (0.15%) cauda equina syndrome, and 30 (0.08%) spinal infection. Value of combining three red flags (age>65, female sex, and trauma) was found: positive likelihood ratios of 4.36 and 9.74 for vertebral fracture and unstable fracture, respectively. Imaging for low back pain could be reduced by 28 per 100 patients using a model that incorporates sex, age >65, and trauma. Conclusion: Serious low back pathology is extremely rare in patients presenting with low back pain. Combinations of red flags readily available in emergency departments have the potential to reduce unnecessary imaging tests.

Introduction: Carotid artery stenosis (CAS) is a common cause of stroke. Patients with severe, symptomatic CAS can have their subsequent stroke risk reduced by carotid endarterectomy or stenting when completed soon after a TIA or non-disabling stroke. Patients presenting to a peripheral ED with TIA/stroke, may require transfer to another hospital for imaging to rule-out CAS. The purpose of this study was to determine the test characteristics of carotid artery POCUS in detecting greater than 50% stenosis in patients presenting with TIA/stroke. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study on a convenience sample of adult patients presenting to a tertiary care academic ED with TIA/stroke between June and October 2017. Carotid POCUS was performed by a trained medical student or a trained emergency physician. Our outcome measure, CAS >50% was determined by the final radiology report of CTA imaging by a trained radiologist, blinded to our study. A blinded POCUS expert reviewed the carotid POCUS scans. We calculated the sensitivity and specificity for CAS >50% using carotid POCUS versus the gold standard of CTA. Results: We enrolled 75 patients of which 5 did not meet inclusion criteria. The mean age was 70.4 years, 57% were male. 16% were diagnosed with greater than 50% CAS. 47% were stroke codes and 37% were admitted to hospital. Carotid POCUS had a sensitivity and specificity of 72% (46%-99%) and 88% (80%-96%) respectively. There were three false negatives of which two were exactly 50% ICA stenosis on CTA and the other was 100% occlusion of the distal ICA. Kappa coefficient for inter-rater reliability between standard and expert interpretation was 0.68 for moderate agreement. The scan took a mean time of 6.2 minutes to complete. Conclusion: Carotid POCUS has moderate correlation with CTA for detection of CAS greater than 50%. Carotid POCUS identified all the critical 70-99% stenosis lesions that would need urgent surgery. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.

Introduction: Our objective is to investigate predictors of adverse patient reported outcomes during the 10 days after an index emergency department (ED) encounter for ureteral colic. Methods: This prospective two-city patient experience survey enrolled ED patients with confirmed 2-10 mm ureteric stones. Researchers telephoned consenting patients 10 days post-ED visit and assessed quality of life (QoL) using survey items from the VR-12 Health Outcome Survey. We used five survey items and three other variables to derive a composite measure of patient adverse experience (AE). The association between patient characteristics, symptoms and perceptions of care with outcome was determined using multiple logistic regression. Results: Of 224 patients studied (68% male, mean age 52 years) 154 (68.8%) indicated that one or more of the following AEs occurred during their 10day followup interval: 103 (46%) reported that the impact of pain on their life was >4/10; 87 (39%) described poor or fair health status; 83 (37%) required >7days for return of normal function; 66 (27.7%) had >2 severe pain episodes per day; 62 (27.7%) required ED revisit or hospitalization; 47 (21%) found usual activities were limited most or all the time; 45 (20%) required >2 opioid doses/day; and 24 (10.7%) lost >7 work days. A composite measure derived from 3 survey items (days to normal, pain impact, health status) captured 92% of patients with adverse experiences. On multivariable logistic regression modeling, the strongest predictors of adverse (composite) outcome were male sex (adjusted OR=0.44; CI, 0.22-0.85), (excellent) quality of physician answers (OR=0.40; CI,0.2-0.77), proximal or mid-ureteric stone (OR=1.9; CI, 1.1-3.5), arrival pain severity (OR=1.18 per unit increase; CI,1.01-1.4), and perceived physician skill (OR=0.81; CI, 0.65-1.0). Patient age, stone size, pain duration, nausea, discharge pain and perceived ED care quality were not independent predictors of 10-day adverse patient experience in multivariate models. Conclusion: Patient sex, quality of physician communication, patient sex, arrival pain severity, and proximal stone location are highly associated with 10-day patient reported AE.

Introduction: Pulse check by manual palpation (MP) is an unreliable skill even in the hands of healthcare professionals. In the context of cardiac arrest, this may translate into inappropriate chest compressions when a pulse is present, or conversely omitting chest compressions when one is absent. To date, no study has assessed the utility of B-mode ultrasound (US) for the detection of a carotid pulse. The primary objective of this study is to assess the time required to detect a carotid pulse in live subjects using US compared to the standard MP method. Methods: This is a prospective randomized controlled cross-over non-inferiority trial. Health care professionals from various backgrounds were invited to participate. They attended a 15 minute focused US workshop on identification of the carotid pulse. Following a washout period, they were randomized to detect a pulse in live subjects either by MP first or by US first. Both pulse check methods were timed for each participant on 2 different subjects. The primary outcome measure was time to carotid pulse detection in seconds. Secondary outcome measures included comfort levels of carotid pulse detection measured on a 100mm visual analog scale (VAS), and rates of prolonged pulse checks (greater than 5 or 10 seconds) for each technique. Mean pulse detection times were compared using Students t-test. The study was powered to determine whether US was not slower than MP by greater than 2 seconds. Results: A total of 93 participants completed the study. Time to detect pulse was 4.2 (SD=3.4) seconds by US compared with 4.7 (SD=6.5) seconds by MP (P=0.43). Seventeen (18%) participants took >5 seconds to identify the carotid pulse using US compared to 19 (20%) by MP (P=0.74). Eight (9%) candidates took >10 seconds to identify the pulse using US compared to 9 (10%) by MP (P=0.81). Prior to training, participants had a higher comfort level using MP than US pulse checks (67 vs 26 mm, P<0.001). Following the study, participants reported higher comfort levels using US than MP (88 vs 78 mm, P<0.001). Conclusion: Carotid pulse detection in live subjects was not slower using US as compared to MP in this study. A brief teaching session was sufficient to improve confidence of carotid pulse identification even in those with little to no previous US training. The preliminary results from this study provide the groundwork for larger studies to evaluate this pulse check method for patients in actual cardiac arrest.

Introduction: Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) is rapidly being integrated into Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM), and image interpretation is an important component of this skill. Currently, PEM physicians often rely on case-by-case exposure and feedback by a POCUS expert physician to learn this skill; however, this may not be efficient, reliable or feasible. Thus, there is a pressing need to develop effective POCUS image interpretation learning and assessment tools. We developed an on-line learning platform that allowed for the deliberate practice of images in four POCUS applications [soft tissue, lung, cardiac and Focused Assessment Sonography for Trauma (FAST)], and determined the quantity of participant skill acquisition by deriving performance metrics and learning curves. Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study administered via an on-line learning and measurement platform. Images were acquired from a pediatric emergency department and each POCUS application contained 100 still/video images. Final diagnosis of each image was determined via the consensus of three PEM POCUS experts. PEM fellow and attending study participants were recruited from the USA and Canada and were required to complete the cases of at least one application. We aimed to enroll 200 participants who had to complete a minimum of 100 cases which, based on prior work, would provide sufficient raters for item analyses and comparisons between PEM attendings and fellows. To derive reference standard performance metrics and to validate image interpretations, a unique set of five PEM POCUS experts completed each application. Results: We enrolled 225 PEM physicians, 74 fellows and 151 attendings. For all applications, the Cohens d effect size was large at 0.87, and there was no difference between PEM attendings and fellows with respect to summary performance metrics (accuracy, p= 0.29; sensitivity, p=0.13; specificity, p=0.92). Final accuracy soft tissue, lung, cardiac, and FAST for all participants was 86.4%, 89.6%, 81.6%, 88.0%, respectively, and the corresponding accuracy of PEM POCUS experts for each application was 96.0%, 96.0%, 90.0%, and 93.0%. Learning curves show maximal learning gains (inflection point) up until 65 cases for soft tissue, 70 for FAST, 75 for lung, and 85 for cardiac. Conclusion: Deliberate practice of POCUS image interpretation was effective for ensuring broad domain coverage and predictable skill improvement. Specifically, there was a large learning effect after 100 case interpretations, and 65-85 case interpretations were needed to reach an accuracy threshold of approximately 85%.

Introduction: In high-income countries, vomiting often impedes oral rehydration therapy, leading to intravenous rehydration fluid administration to children with acute gastroenteritis. Ondansetron administration reduces vomiting and intravenous fluid administration in this population. We evaluated whether ondansetron is similarly effective when employed in Pakistan. Methods: In this 2-hospital, double-blind, placebo-controlled, emergency department-based, randomized trial, we recruited children aged 0·5 to 5·0 years, without dehydration, who had diarrhea and 1 episode of vomiting within 4 hours of arrival. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1), via an internet-based randomization service, using a stratified, variable block randomization scheme, to receive a single dose of oral ondansetron or placebo. The primary endpoint was intravenous rehydration (administration of 20 ml/kg over 4 hours of an isotonic fluid) within 72 hours of randomization. All randomized children were analysed. Results: From July 3, 2014, to January 12, 2017, 626 children were randomized. Intravenous rehydration was provided to 10.8% (34/314) and 10.3% (27/312) of children administered placebo and ondansetron, respectively (OR: 0.946; 95% CI: 0.564, 1.587; P=0.834). A regression model fitted with treatment group and adjusted for antiemetic administration and vomiting frequency in the preceding 24 hours, yielded similar results; OR=0.952; 95% CI: 0.570, 1.589; P=0.850. There was no evidence of interaction between treatment group and age (P=0.974), 3 diarrheal stools in the preceding 24 hours (P=0.983) or 3 vomits in the preceding 24 hours (P=0.554). During the 4-hour study observation period, 24.0% (75/314) and 19.6% (61/312) of children in the placebo and ondansetron groups vomited, respectively; OR: 0.774; 95%CI: 0.528, 1.133; P=0.187. Conclusion: Ondansetron administration did not significantly reduce intravenous rehydration use, suggesting that in children without dehydration, ondansetron administration does not significantly alter the disease course and should not be administered to this group of children.

Introduction: Correctly identifying pathology in pre-pubertal females is a high-stakes physical examination skill. Currently, learning this skill relies heavily on case-by-case exposure, which is variable, limited and often results in suboptimal skill. Thus, there is a need to develop and evaluate learning platforms that simulate the presentation and diagnosis of this important clinical task. We developed an on-line learning and assessment platform that allowed the deliberate practice of 158 pre-pubertal female genital image interpretations . We examined the quantity of skill acquisition by deriving performance metrics and learning curves. Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study administered via an on-line learning and assessment platform. Colposcopic images were acquired from a child abuse clinic. Two child abuse experts interpreted images to determine case solutions and 40% of cases had medical or traumatic pathology. Further, to validate image interpretations, a unique set of five child abuse and pediatric gynaecology experts reviewed the cases. Study participants were recruited from the USA and Canada and were required to complete all 158 cases. For each image, learners designated cases as normal or abnormal and if abnormal indicated the abnormal area on the image. The primary outcome was the change in accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. Results: We enrolled 107 participants, 26 medical students, 31 pediatric residents, 24 pediatric emergency fellows, and 26 pediatric emergency attendings. For all participants, the change in accuracy was +9.6% for accuracy (<0.001), +1.4% for sensitivity (p=0.6) and +15.7% (p<0.001) for specificity. The final score for accuracy, sensitivity and specificity was 79.5%, 66.1%, and 87.8%, respectively. There was no difference between learner types with respect to summary performance metrics (accuracy, p=0.15; sensitivity, p=0.44; specificity, p=0.54). Learning curves show maximal learning gains (inflection point) up until 100 cases. Conclusion: Deliberate practice of pre-pubertal female image interpretation was effective for ensuring predictable skill improvement for normal cases but was less effective for abnormal cases. Future research could examine how to refine the education tool to better serve diagnostic skill of abnormal cases.

Introduction: The diagnosis of Salter-Harris Type 1 fractures in the Emergency Department (ED) is primarily clinical, as radiographs are usually unrevealing. We hypothesize that bilateral asymmetry of the growth plate, detected using bedside ultrasound (US), could improve the accuracy of this diagnosis in the ED. This study seeks to determine growth plate size according to age, and to establish normal variation in bilateral symmetry of growth plate cartilage, for the ulna, radius, tibia, and fibula, using bedside US in normal healthy children. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in a convenience sample of children ages 0-17 during planned visits to an elementary school, high school, and an outpatient pediatric clinic. A sample size of 177 was determined with a linear regression model using previously published data on the subject. The study was approved by the hospital and universitys ethics board. After a medical questionnaire with a research nurse, the participants underwent ultrasound evaluation of bilateral ulnae, radii, fibulae, and tibiae, to obtain still images of the physes from two orthogonal views. The evaluations were performed by 3 medical residents, 1 medical student, and by the supervising emergency physician. All ultrasonographers were EDE1 certified and specifically trained for growth plate imagery. The still images were evaluated ulteriorly and measurements taken of the physeal cartilage. Ten percent of the patients had their images re-evaluated by the supervising physician to determine inter-rater reliability. Results: A total of 227 patients were recruited. The median age was 8 years old with an interquartile range of (3;14). Mean growth plate size by age was determined, confirming decreasing growth plate size with advancing age for all articulations. The percentage of absolute difference between right and left, for all growth plates together, was a mean of 17% with a 95% CI of 16-19%. The overall inter-rater reliability was excellent at 0.84. Conclusion: This study establishes a reproducible technique of measuring growth plates with ultrasound. We suspect that increased asymmetry at the growth plate, beyond this established normal variation, may signify a physis widening or hematoma consistent with a Salter-Harris Type 1 fracture; this will be evaluated in a second study.

Introduction: The opioid crisis in North America has led to more rigorous prescribing guidelines in various practice settings. Recent studies suggest that the Emergency Department is an environment with increased opioid prescribing, leading to increased rates of long-term use and dependence in opioid naive patients. Prior reviews of international opioid prescribing guidelines have demonstrated overall congruence of practice recommendations, although these are focused on primary care prescribers. The goal of this study was to review international opioid prescribing guidelines for recommendations relevant to emergency department practitioners. Methods: The search strategies of prior congruence studies were reproduced, updated and supplemented by electronic database and specialty organization searches. Only the most recent iteration of a published guideline was included, unless it was a limited update of a prior more comprehensive guideline, in which case both were assessed. Prescribing guidelines were included if they represented national practice statements, national or international specialty organizations generating guidelines. Sub-national or regional guidelines were excluded due to local practice bias tendency. Included guidelines were independently reviewed for evidence evaluation and recommendation formulation frameworks, relevance of recommendations for emergency medicine (EM) practice (and supporting levels of evidence), inclusion of EM authors (and corresponding conflict of interest statements), and involvement of EM-relevant stakeholders in reviewing guideline publications. Results: Sixteen international and specialty organization guidelines were included in the review. Evidence evaluation and recommendation formulation frameworks were incompletely reported (12/16), and used a multitude of evaluation processes when reported. Two guidelines included EM-relevant recommendations based on weak evidence. Three guidelines included EM authors, one of which reported a conflict of interest. None of the included guidelines were reviewed by EM-relevant stakeholder organizations prior to publication. Conclusion: International and specialty organization opioid prescribing guidelines virtually ignore relevant recommendations for EM practice, and any supporting evidence is weak. Emergency practitioners are nearly absent from authorship groups, and are excluded from external review of draft documents prior to final publication. This study reinforces the urgent need for EM organizations to create guidance documents around opioid prescribing for their own practitioners, and involving appropriate EM stakeholders.

Introduction: The Canadian Institute for Health Information reports the rate of child and youth emergency department (ED) visits for mental health complaints increased by 50% between 2007 and 2015. Improving care for these patients is a major priority of Alberta Health Services (AHS). As part of a multi-phased approach to improving care, the Emergency and the Addiction and Mental Health Strategic Clinical Networks (SCNs) surveyed youth who had presented to an ED for mental health or substance use concerns and their families/caregivers. Methods: The online survey contained closed- and open-ended questions on reasons for ED visits, expectations about and experiences during their visits, and areas for improvement. An ethics approved survey was conducted for 4 weeks. Participants were recruited across the province using an extensive array of social media platforms. For each survey, we randomly selected a sample of open-ended responses to thematically analyze to the point of informational redundancy. Results: The Youth survey received 992 responses and the Family survey received 553. A small number of overarching themes emerged. For both surveys, the major themes were 1) Wait times and access: participants were disappointed with lengthy wait times and services in the community. Youth said this made them question their decision to seek help and left them feeling hopeless. 2) Care provider training: participants were unhappy with the quality of care provided (e.g., lack of compassion, minimizing symptoms). They felt better training would improve care and attitudes towards mental health patients. 3) Environment: participants were uncomfortable with the lack of privacy for discussing sensitive topics; youth also requested items such as pens/paper and phone chargers to make the stay more comfortable and provide distractions. An additional theme emerged in the Youth survey regarding family involvement; participants wanted to decide how much/what information is shared with their families. Youth noted they were less likely to be honest with family present. Communication and navigation were mentioned frequently in the Family survey; participants noted the complexity of the mental health care system and felt frustrated by the lack of information to help them access additional resources. Conclusion: There are a number of areas in need of improvement to provide high-quality, patient-centred care to youth with mental health or substance use concerns that present to the Emergency Department. Phase II of this project will involve a review of the themes and determine priorities and strategies to address the themes that could be implemented into the workflow.

Introduction: Inadequate pain management in children is ubiquitous in the emergency department (ED). As the current national opioid crisis has highlighted, physicians are caught between balancing pain management and the risk of long term opioid dependence. This study aimed to describe pediatric emergency physicians (PEPs) willingness to prescribe opioids to children in the ED and at discharge. Methods: A unique survey tool was created using published methodology guidelines. Information regarding practices, knowledge, attitudes, perceived barriers, facilitators and demographics were collected. The survey was distributed to all physician members of Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC), using a modified Dillmans Tailored Design method, from October to December 2017. Results: The response rate was 49.7% (124/242); 53% (57/107) were female, mean age was 43.6 years (+/− 8.7), and 58% (72/124) had pediatric emergency subspecialty training. The most common first line ED pain medication was ibuprofen for mild, moderate and severe musculoskeletal injury (MSK-I)-related pain (94.4% (117/124), 89.5% (111/124), and 62.9% (78/124), respectively). For moderate and severe MSK-I, intranasal fentanyl was the most common opioid for first (35.5% (44/124) and 61.3% (76/124), respectively) and second line pain management (41.1% (51/124) and 20.2% (25/124), respectively). 74.8% (89/119) of PEPs reported that an opioid protocol would be helpful, specifically for morphine, fentanyl, and hydromorphone. Using a 0-100 scale, physicians minimally worried about physical dependence (13.3 +/−19.3), addiction (16.6 +/−19.8), and diversion of opioids (32.8+/−26.4) when prescribing short-term opioids to children. They reported that the current opioid crisis minimally influenced their willingness to prescribe opioids (30.0 +/−26.2). Physicians reported rarely (36%; 45/125) or never (28%; 35/125) completing a screening risk assessment prior to prescribing opioids. Conclusion: Ibuprofen remains the most common medication recommended for MSK-I pain in the ED and at discharge. Intranasal fentanyl was the top opioid for all pain intensities. PEPs are minimally concerned regarding dependence, addiction, and the current opioid crisis when prescribing short-term opioids to children. There is an urgent need for robust evidence regarding the dependence and addiction risk for children receiving short term opioids in order to create knowledge translation tools for ED physicians. Opioid specific protocols for both in the ED and at discharge would likely improve physician comfort in responsible and adequate pain management for children.