The Applicability of New Orleans Criteria for Head Computed Tomography in Inpatient Falls With Injury

Background: Inpatient falls are a patient safety concern. Limited data exist on the utility of head computed tomography (CT) for inpatient falls. The New Orleans Criteria (NOC) is a validated tool to determine the appropriateness of neuroimaging in the emergency department for falls with minor head injury. This study aimed to evaluate whether the NOC could be applied to inpatient falls. Methods: This retrospective cohort study assessed 1 year of inpatient falls with injury at 5 inpatient facilities. Records were reviewed for demographic data, fall circumstances, laboratory results, components of the NOC, and head CT results. Cohorts included positive NOC (≥1 NOC finding) and negative NOC. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for the NOC alone, NOC plus coagulopathy, and NOC or coagulopathy for acute intracranial process. Results: Of 332 inpatient falls with injury, 188 (57%) received a head CT. Of the 250 (75.3%) NOC-positive cases, 159 (63.6%) received a head CT. Of all patients who received a head CT, 7 (2.1%) showed a significant acute intracranial process. The NOC was positive in 6 of the 7 cases (sensitivity 85.7% and specificity 23.8%); the other case had a significant coagulopathy. New Orleans Criteria or coagulopathy had 100% sensitivity and 23.4% specificity. Conclusions: Our findings show that use of the NOC to evaluate potential intracranial injury in inpatient falls is limited. Adding criteria to the NOC may improve its test characteristics, with a sensitivity of 100% for the NOC or coagulopathy, suggesting potential clinical utility

Implementing Prone Positioning for COVID-19 Patients Outside the Intensive Care Unit

Background: Proning intubated intensive care unit patients for the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome is an accepted standard of practice. We examined the nursing climate in 4 units and its impact on implementing a novel self-proning protocol to treat COVID-19 patients outside the intensive care unit. Local Problem: Nursing units previously designated for medical/surgical populations had to adjust quickly to provide evidence-based care for COVID-19 patients attempting self-proning. Methods: Nurses from 4 nursing units were surveyed about the implementation process on the self-proning protocol. Their perception of unit implementation was assessed via the Implementation Climate Scale. Interventions: A new self-proning nursing protocol was implemented outside the intensive care unit. Results: Consistent education on the protocol, belief in the effectiveness of the intervention, and a strong unit-based climate of evidence-based practice contributed to greater implementation of the protocol. Conclusions: Implementation of a new nursing protocol is possible with strong unit-based support, even during a pandemic

Implementation and Assessment of a Proning Protocol for Nonintubated Patients With COVID-19

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused over 1,250,000 deaths worldwide. With limited therapeutic options, proning nonintubated patients emerged as a safe and affordable intervention to manage hypoxemia. Methods: A proning protocol to identify and prone eligible patients was implemented. Patients were encouraged to self-prone for 2-3 hours, 3 times daily. Investigators created educational materials for nurses and patients and developed a COVID-19-specific proning order within the electronic health record (EHR). Investigators completed an 800-person retrospective chart review to study the implementation of this protocol. Results: From March 22, 2020, to June 5, 2020, 586 patients were admitted to the COVID-19 floor. Of these patients, 42.8% were eligible for proning. Common contraindications were lack of hypoxia, altered mental status, and fall risk. The proning protocol led to a significant improvement in provider awareness of patients appropriate for proning, increasing from 12% to 83%, as measured by placement of a proning order into the EHR. There was a significant improvement in all appropriate patients documented as proned, increasing from 18% to 45% of eligible patients. Conclusions: The creation of an effective hospital-wide proning protocol to address the exigencies of the COVID-19 pandemic is possible and may be accomplished in a short period of time