Miquel Sánchez

Bio: Miquel Sánchez is an academic researcher from University of Barcelona. The author has contributed to research in topics: Emergency department & Acute coronary syndrome. The author has an hindex of 27, co-authored 170 publications receiving 2830 citations.

Decreased health care quality associated with emergency department overcrowding

Abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the influence of overcrowding on health care quality provided by emergency departments (ED). The study was carried out in an urban, university tertiary care hospital. All patients seen at the internal medicine unit (IMU) of the ED who returned during the following 72 hours, and those who died in the ED rooms were included in the study. During a consecutive period of 2 years (104 weeks), we prospectively quantified the number of weekly visits, revisits and deaths. We calculated revisit and mortality rates (in respect of percentage of all visited patients) for each week. Correlation between the number of weekly visits, and revisit and mortality rates was assessed using a simple linear regression model. We consigned 81,301 visits, 1137 revisits and 648 deaths; mean (+/- SD) number of weekly visits, revisits and deaths were 782 (68), 10.93 (3.97) and 6.23 (3.04) respectively; weekly revisit rate was 1.40% (0.48%) and weekly mortality rate was 0.79% (0.36%). We observed a significant, positive correlation between mortality rates and weekly number of visits (p = 0.01). Although a similar trend was also found for revisit rates, such an increase did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.06). It is concluded that since revisit and mortality rates constitute good health care quality markers, present data demonstrate that ED overcrowding implies a decrease in the health care quality provided by it.

Analysis of patient flow in the emergency department and the effect of an extensive reorganisation

Abstract: Objectives: To evaluate the different internal factors influencing patient flow, effectiveness, and overcrowding in the emergency department (ED), as well as the effects of ED reorganisation on these indicators. Methods: The study compared measurements at regular intervals of three hours of patient arrivals and patient flow between two comparable periods (from 10 February to 2 March) of 1999 and 2000. In between, a structural and staff reorganisation of ED was undertaken. The main reason for each patient remaining in ED was recorded and allocated to one of four groups: (1) factors related to ED itself ; (2) factors related to ED-hospital interrelation; (3) factors related to hospital itself; and (4) factors related to neither ED nor hospital. The study measured the number of patients waiting to be seen and the waiting time to be seen as effectiveness markers, as well as the percentage of time that ED was overcrowded, as judged by numerical and functional criteria. Results: Effectiveness of ED was closely related with some ED related and hospital related factors. After the reorganisation, patients who remained in ED because of hospital related or non-ED-non-hospital related factors decreased. ED reorganisation reduced the number of patients waiting to be seen from 5.8 to 2.5 (p<0.001) and waiting time from 87 to 24 minutes (p<0.001). Before the reorganisation, 31% and 48% of the time was considered to be overcrowded in numerical and functional terms respectively. After the reorganisation, these figures were reduced to 8% and 15% respectively (p<0.001 for both). Conclusions: ED effectiveness and overcrowding are not only determined by external pressure, but also by internal factors. Measurement of patient flow across ED has proved useful in detecting these factors and in being used to plan an ED reorganisation.

Effects of a fast-track area on emergency department performance

Abstract: To determine if a fast-track area (FTA) would improve Emergency Department (ED) performance, a historical cohort study was performed in the ED of a tertiary care adult hospital in the United States. Two 1-year consecutive periods, pre fast track area (FTA) opening-from February 1, 2001 to January 31, 2002 and after FTA opening-from February 1, 2002 to January 31, 2003 were studied. Daily values of the following variables were obtained from the ED patient tracking system: 1) To assess ED effectiveness: waiting time to be seen (WT), length of stay (LOS); 2) To assess ED care quality: rate of patients left without being seen (LWBS), mortality, and revisits; 3) To assess determinants of patient homogeneity between periods: daily census, age, acuity index, admission rate and emergent patient rate. For comparisons, the Wilcoxon test and the Student's t-test were used to analyze the data. Results showed that despite an increase in the daily census (difference [diff] 8.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6 to 11.41), FTA was associated with a decrease in WT (diff -51 min, 95% CI [-56 to -46]), LOS (diff -28 min, 95% CI [-31 to -23]) and LWBS (diff -4.06, 95% CI [-4.48 to -3.46]), without change in the rates of mortality or revisits. In conclusion, the opening of a FTA improved ED effectiveness, measured by decreased WT and LOS, without deterioration in the quality of care provided, measured by rates of mortality and revisits.

Trends in Illicit Drug Emergencies: The Emerging Role of Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate

Abstract: Background: Previously used as a general anesthetic, γ-hydroxybutyrate is now used as a recreational drug. Not surprisingly, an increasing number of acute overdose cases requiring emergency medical care have been reported and described, especially in the United States. Objectives: To determine the number and percentage of γ-hydroxybutyrate overdoses over a 15-month period and to describe the clinical hallmarks and course of this new drug in overdose. Methods: All toxicological emergencies, including those caused by illicit drug consumption, were recorded for 15 months in an urban public hospital emergency department. Accurate toxicological history was obtained from the patients and, if γ-hydroxybutyrate was suspected, confirmation was performed by urine mass spectrometry. The study data were compared with data recorded in the same emergency department in 1989. Results: The total number of toxicological emergencies attended in our emergency department have remained unchanged during the last decade, with a ...

Oral Calcium Supplementation Reduces Intraplatelet Free Calcium Concentration and Insulin Resistance in Essential Hypertensive Patients

Abstract: We evaluated the effect of oral calcium supplemen- tatIon on blood pressure, calcium metabolism, and msuhn resis- tance m essential hypertension After receiving a standard diet with 500 mg of calcmm per day durmg a 4-week period, 20 nondiabetic, essential hypertensive patients were randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive oral calcium supplementation (1500 mg of calcium per day) or placebo for 8 weeks At the end of the 4-week period of low-calcium diet and after the 8-week period of intervention, we measured blood pressure (by both of- fice and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure momtonng), cal- aum-regulating hormones (urinary hydroxyprohne and serum osteocalcm, parathormone, and l,25(OH)2-vltamm DJ, mtra- platelet free calcium concentration, fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels, and the msuhn-sensitivity index (euglycenuc-hy- permsuhnetmc clamp). Compared with patients maintained at low calcium intake, essential hypertensive patients under oral cal- cium supplementation significantly reduced serum osteocalcm (from 222+1 9 to 17 9220 pg/L, P= 001.5), parathormone (from 4 2020 38 to 3 30?0 36 pmol/L; P= 0003), and 1,25(OH)2-vltarnm D1 (from 98 0211 0 to 61 625 7 pmol/L, P=.OO62) LIkewise, we found a significant reduction m mtra- platelet free calcium concentration (from 35 92 1.2 to 26 520 8 nmol/L; P= 0005) and fastmg plasma msulm levels (from 71 85.5 9 to 64 6?6 2 pmol/L, P= 05) and a significant increase m the msulm-sensitivity index (from 2 8920.77 to 4 0050 95 mg kg-' nun-', P= 0007) None of these parameters were significantly modified m patients maintained at low calcium rn- take Office and 24-hour mean values of systolic and dlastohc blood pressure did not change after 8 weeks of oral calcium supplementation or placebo (Hypertension. 1997;29(part 21: 531-536.)

2016 ESC Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation developed in collaboration with EACTS

Abstract: The Task Force for the management of atrial fibrillation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Developed with the special contribution of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) of the ESC Endorsed by the European Stroke Organisation (ESO)

International clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis and pyelonephritis in women: A 2010 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the European Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Abstract: A Panel of International Experts was convened by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) in collaboration with the European Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) to update the 1999 Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection Guidelines by the IDSA. Co-sponsoring organizations include the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Urological Association, Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases-Canada, and the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. The focus of this work is treatment of women with acute uncomplicated cystitis and pyelonephritis, diagnoses limited in these guidelines to premenopausal, non-pregnant women with no known urological abnormalities or co-morbidities. The issues of in vitro resistance prevalence and the ecological adverse effects of antimicrobial therapy (collateral damage) were considered as important factors in making optimal treatment choices and thus are reflected in the rankings of recommendations.

Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma: An endocrine society clinical practice guideline

Abstract: Objective: The aim was to formulate clinical practice guidelines for pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL). Participants: The Task Force included a chair selected by the Endocrine Society Clinical Guidelines Subcommittee (CGS), seven experts in the field, and a methodologist. The authors received no corporate funding or remuneration. Evidence: This evidence-based guideline was developed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system to describe both the strength of recommendations and the quality of evidence. The Task Force reviewed primary evidence and commissioned two additional systematic reviews. Consensus Process: One group meeting, several conference calls, and e-mail communications enabled consensus. Committees and members of the Endocrine Society, European Society of Endocrinology, and Americal Association for Clinical Chemistry reviewed drafts of the guidelines. Conclusions: The Task Force recommends that initial biochemical testing for PPGLs shou...