INTRODUCTION: The purpose of the study was to identify factors that affect transfer times between the emergency department and the intensive care unit (ICU) in a community hospital. Patients who are transferred from the emergency department to the ICU are usually in critical condition and in need of prompt treatment by qualified personnel. As a result of delayed transfers, a patient may experience complications, such as increased mortality rates and longer hospital stays. METHODS: A quantitative descriptive correlational design was used in this study. Data were collected from the charts of 75 patients who were transferred from the emergency department to the ICU of a 142-bed community hospital in the eastern United States. "Delayed patients" were identified as those who were transferred after more than 4 hours. RESULTS: Forty-four patients (58.7%) spent more than 4 hours in the emergency department. Nineteen out of 25 patients (76%) with an Emergency Severity Index designation of 3 were identified as delayed. Delayed status and an Emergency Severity Index designation of 3 showed a significant correlation (r = -.339, P = .004). Eleven patients (64.7%) diagnosed with sepsis were delayed, compared with 6 who were not delayed. A total of 70.4% of female patients were delayed, compared with 52.1% of male patients. DISCUSSION: This study provides a more comprehensive view of the factors involved in delayed patient transfer and provides data needed for effective interventions to be developed. The results suggest significant problems with the under-triage of critically ill patients, specifically patients with sepsis. Future research should include a larger group of subjects and a multifactorial analysis.
INTRODUCTION: The purpose of the study was to identify factors that affect transfer times between the emergency department and the intensive care unit (ICU) in a community hospital. Patients who are transferred from the emergency department to the ICU are usually in critical condition and in need of prompt treatment by qualified personnel. As a result of delayed transfers, a patient may experience complications, such as increased mortality rates and longer hospital stays. METHODS: A quantitative descriptive correlational design was used in this study. Data were collected from the charts of 75 patients who were transferred from the emergency department to the ICU of a 142-bed community hospital in the eastern United States. "Delayed patients" were identified as those who were transferred after more than 4 hours. RESULTS: Forty-four patients (58.7%) spent more than 4 hours in the emergency department. Nineteen out of 25 patients (76%) with an Emergency Severity Index designation of 3 were identified as delayed. Delayed status and an Emergency Severity Index designation of 3 showed a significant correlation (r = -.339, P = .004). Eleven patients (64.7%) diagnosed with sepsis were delayed, compared with 6 who were not delayed. A total of 70.4% of female patients were delayed, compared with 52.1% of male patients. DISCUSSION: This study provides a more comprehensive view of the factors involved in delayed patient transfer and provides data needed for effective interventions to be developed. The results suggest significant problems with the under-triage of critically ill patients, specifically patients with sepsis. Future research should include a larger group of subjects and a multifactorial analysis.
Authors: Shelley L McLeod; Cameron Thompson; Bjug Borgundvaag; Lehana Thabane; Howard Ovens; Steve Scott; Tamer Ahmed; Keerat Grewal; Joy McCarron; Brooke Filsinger; Nicole Mittmann; Andrew Worster; Thomas Agoritsas; Michael Bullard; Gordon Guyatt Journal: J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open Date: 2020-04-21
Authors: Florian F Grossmann; Thomas Zumbrunn; Sandro Ciprian; Frank-Peter Stephan; Natascha Woy; Roland Bingisser; Christian H Nickel Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-08-25 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Jeremiah S Hinson; Diego A Martinez; Paulo S K Schmitz; Matthew Toerper; Danieli Radu; James Scheulen; Sarah A Stewart de Ramirez; Scott Levin Journal: Int J Emerg Med Date: 2018-01-15
Authors: Marta Fernandes; Rúben Mendes; Susana M Vieira; Francisca Leite; Carlos Palos; Alistair Johnson; Stan Finkelstein; Steven Horng; Leo Anthony Celi Journal: PLoS One Date: 2020-04-02 Impact factor: 3.240