7 research outputs found

    SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Prevalence Among Healthcare Workers and First Responders, Florida, May-June, 2020

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    Background: The SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for severe respiratory infection associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first confirmed in Florida on March 1, 2020. Responding to the pandemic, multi-agency collaborative partnerships put in place actions integrating point-of-care antibody testing at established large-scale COVID-19 testing sites where the baseline seropositivity of COVID-19 in health care workers and first responders in Florida at the start of the pandemic was established. Purpose: Determine the seropositivity of healthcare workers and first responders at five drive thru testing sites using a rapid SARS-CoV-2 antibody test in Florida from May 6 through June 3, 2020. Methods: The first drive-thru SARS-CoV-2 antibody test site was opened at Miami Hard Rock Stadium, May 6, 2020. Testing expanded to three additional sites on May 9, 2020: Jacksonville, Orlando, and Palm Beach. The fifth and final site, Miami Beach, began testing on May 21, 2020. Healthcare workers and first responder’s self-seeking SARS-CoV-2 testing were designated for antibody testing and completed a laboratory collection form on-site for the point-of-care test. All testing was performed on whole blood specimens (obtained by venipuncture) using the Cellex Inc. qSARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM Rapid Test. Seropositivity was assessed by univariate analysis and by logistic regression including the covariates age, sex, race/ethnicity, and testing location. Results and Discussion: As of June 3, 2020, of 5,779 healthcare workers and first responders tested, 4.1% were seropositive (range 2.6–8.2%). SARS-COV-2 antibody tests had higher odds of being positive for persons testing at the Miami Hard Rock Stadium (aOR 2.24 [95% C.I. 1.48-3.39]), persons of Haitian/Creole ethnicity (aOR 3.28 [95% C.I. 1.23-8.72]), Hispanic/Latino(a) ethnicity (aOR 2.17 [95% C.I. 1.50-3.13], and Black non-Hispanic persons (aOR 1.63 [95% C.I. 1.08-2.46]). SARS-COV-2 antibody prevalence among first responders and healthcare workers in five sites in Florida varied by race and ethnicity and by testing location

    Prehospital Use of IM Ketamine for Sedation of Violent and Agitated Patients

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    Introduction: Violent and agitated patients pose a serious challenge for emergency medical services (EMS) personnel. Rapid control of these patients is paramount to successful prehospital evaluation and also for the safety of both the patient and crew. Sedation is often required for these patients, but the ideal choice of medication is not clear. The objective is to demonstrate that ketamine, given as a single intramuscular injection for violent and agitated patients, including those with suspected excited delirium syndrome (ExDS), is both safe and effective during the prehospital phase of care, and allows for the rapid sedation and control of this difficult patient population.Methods: We reviewed paramedic run sheets from five different catchment areas in suburban Florida communities. We identified 52 patients as having been given intramuscular ketamine 4mg/kg IM, following a specific protocol devised by the EMS medical director of these jurisdictions, to treat agitated and violent patients, including a subset of which would be expected to suffer from ExDS. Twenty-six of 52 patients were also given parenteral midazolam after medical control was obtained to prevent emergence reactions associated with ketamine.Results: Review of records demonstrated that almost all patients (50/52) were rapidly sedated and in all but three patients no negative side effects were noted during the prehospital care. All patients were subsequently transported to the hospital before ketamine effects wore off.Conclusion: Ketamine may be safely and effectively used by trained paramedics following a specific protocol. The drug provides excellent efficacy and few clinically significant side effects in the prehospital phase of care, making it an attractive choice in those situations requiring rapid and safe sedation especially without intravenous access. [West J Emerg Med. 2014;15(7):–0.

    259 Eighty-six-fold increase in HIV diagnosis with “Opt-out” Screening: Frontlines of Communities in the U.S. (FOCUS) Program in the UHealth Tower (UHT) Emergency Department (ED) - path to eliminate HIV transmission in the U.S

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    OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Early HIV detection and treatment are key to reducing patient morbidity and mortality, yet 40% of people living with HIV do not know their status. “OPT-OUT” approaches to hiv testing, in which patients #_MSOCOM_1 are informed that an HIV test will be conducted unless they decline, are being increasingly recognized as a means to increase HIV testing. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: the ed at Uhealth tower (UHT) implemented #_MSOCOM_1 the focus program that integrates routine “opt-out” HIV screening into the existing electronic medical record workflow to increase the number of individuals who know their HIV status, optimize linkage to care, and reduce stigma associated with HIV. the emr facilitates the opt-out screening model and maximizes the use of information systems to seamlessly integrate screening as a routine practice in a high-volume ed. our partnership with the florida department of health in miami dade (FDOH) allows uht to verify whether cases are new or known /out-of-care, link individuals immediately to care, and increase efficiencies with real-time data reconciliation. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: since implementation#_MSOCOM_1, from October 2019 - Dec 2022, the UHT ED screened 34, 314 eligible patients for HIV, of which, 17, 850 were tested. 228 people with hiv were identified; 37 were newly diagnosed. of HIV+ Diagnoses, 54.67% of HIV+ individuals were black and 36.89% HISPANIC. HIV+ individuals were referred to the doh with linkage to care at 81%. comparatively, before the onset of focus, the ED ordered 38 HIV tests, with one positive from Oct 2018 TO Sept. 2019. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: UHT ED’s focus “OPT-OUT” HIV testing is a valuable conduit for HIV detection, prevention, and care. OPT-OUT screening removes the stigma associated with hiv testing, fosters earlier diagnoses and treatment, reduces health disparities, and decreases the risk of transmission

    Rationale and Strategies for Development of an Optimal Bundle of Management for Cardiac Arrest

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    Objectives: To construct a highly detailed yet practical, attainable roadmap for enhancing the likelihood of neurologically intact survival following sudden cardiac arrest. Design Setting and Patients: Population-based outcomes following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were collated for 10 U.S. counties in Alaska, California, Florida, Ohio, Minnesota, Utah, and Washington. The 10 identified emergency medical services systems were those that had recently reported significant improvements in neurologically intact survival after introducing a more comprehensive approach involving citizens, hospitals, and evolving strategies for incorporating technology-based, highly choreographed care and training. Detailed inventories of in-common elements were collated from the ten 9-1-1 agencies and assimilated. For reference, combined averaged outcomes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest occurring January 1, 2017, to February 28, 2018, were compared with concurrent U.S. outcomes reported by the well-established Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival. Interventions: Most commonly, interventions and components from the ten 9-1-1 systems consistently included extensive public cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, 9-1-1 system-connected smart phone applications, expedited dispatcher procedures, cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality monitoring, mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation, devices for enhancing negative intrathoracic pressure regulation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation protocols, body temperature management procedures, rapid cardiac angiography, and intensive involvement of medical directors, operational and quality assurance officers, and training staff. Measurements and Main Results: Compared with Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (n = 78,704), the cohorts from the 10 emergency medical services agencies examined (n = 2,911) demonstrated significantly increased likelihoods of return of spontaneous circulation (mean 37.4% vs 31.5%; p < 0.001) and neurologically favorable hospital discharge, particularly after witnessed collapses involving bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and shockable cardiac rhythms (mean 10.7% vs 8.4%; p < 0.001; and 41.6% vs 29.2%; p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: The likelihood of neurologically favorable survival following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest can improve substantially in communities that conscientiously and meticulously introduce a well-sequenced, highly choreographed, system-wide portfolio of both traditional and nonconventional approaches to training, technologies, and physiologic management. The commonalities found in the analyzed systems create a compelling case that other communities can also improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes significantly by conscientiously exploring and adopting similar bundles of system organization and care
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