International Journal of COPD
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Original Research
International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease downloaded from https://www.dovepress.com/ by 178.159.97.78 on 29-Aug-2018 For personal use only.
Open Access Full Text Article
Use of a care bundle in the emergency department for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a feasibility study This article was published in the following Dove Press journal: International Journal of COPD 28 November 2013 Number of times this article has been viewed
Cormac McCarthy 1 John R Brennan 1 Lindsay Brown 1 Deirdre Donaghy 1 Patricia Jones 1 Rory Whelan 2 Niamh McCormack 3 Ian Callanan 4 John Ryan 2 Timothy J McDonnell 1,3 Department of Respiratory Medicine, St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; 2Department of Emergency Medicine, St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; 3 Clinical Strategy and Programmes Directorate, Health Service Executive, Dublin, Ireland; 4Department of Audit, St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland 1
Introduction
Correspondence: Cormac McCarthy Education and Research Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland Tel +353 1809 3796 Email [email protected]
Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) account for a considerable number of acute medical admissions, with the majority being admitted through the emergency department (ED). There were 10,863 admissions in Ireland for COPD in 2010, which account for 2.3% of all hospital inpatients, excluding maternity services, and COPD exacerbations were the most common single reason for hospital admission.1 The mean length of stay was 9.5 days, creating a considerable burden on health services. There is a high mortality rate associated with exacerbations of COPD, and many patients are readmitted within 90 days of discharge.2–4 Many studies have commented on the varying levels of care and outcomes of these admissions and highlighted the need for more systematic, consistent, evidence-based quality improvement approaches to improving outcomes from COPD exacerbations.5,6 In an analysis of almost
605
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International Journal of COPD 2013:8 605–611
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© 2013 McCarthy et al. This work is published by Dove Medical Press Limited, and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. The full terms of the License are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. Permissions beyond the scope of the License are administered by Dove Medical Press Limited. Information on how to request permission may be found at: http://www.dovepress.com/permissions.php
http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/COPD.S52883 Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
Aim: To determine the efficacy and usefulness of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) care bundle designed for the initial management of acute exacerbations of COPD and to assess whether it improves quality of care and provides better outcomes. Introduction: The level of care provided in the emergency department (ED) for COPD exacerbations varies greatly, and there is a need for a more systematic, consistent, evidence-based quality improvement approach to improve outcomes and costs. Methods: A prospective before and after study was carried out in a university teaching hospital. Fifty consecutive patients were identified in the ED with COPD exacerbations and their management was reviewed. Following the education of ED staff and the implementation of a COPD care bundle, the outcome for 51 consecutive patients was analyzed. This COPD care bundle consisted of ten elements considered essential to the management of COPD exacerbations and was scored 0–10 according to the number of items on the checklist implemented correctly. Results: Following implementation, the mean bundle score out of 10 improved from 4.6 to 7 (P,0.001). There was a significant decrease in the unnecessary use of intravenous corticosteroids from 60% to 32% (P=0.003) and also a marked improvement in the use of oxygen therapy, with appropriate treatment increasing from 76% to 96% (P=0.003). Prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism also improved from 54% to 73% (P=0.054). The 30-day readmission rate did not significantly improve. Conclusion: The use of a bundle improves the delivery of care for COPD exacerbations in the ED. There is more appropriate use of therapeutic interventions, especially oxygen therapy and intravenous corticosteroids. Keywords: COPD, checklist, bundle, exacerbations, steroids
International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease downloaded from https://www.dovepress.com/ by 178.159.97.78 on 29-Aug-2018 For personal use only.
McCarthy et al
70,000 admissions with exacerbations of COPD in the United States, Lindenauer et al6 noted that only 66% of patients received the entire set of recommended care processes. A similar study from Canada showed deficits in the administration of bronchodilators, steroids, antibiotics, and oxygen in the care of patients hospitalized with acute exacerbations of COPD.7 Inappropriate high-flow oxygen administration prior to hospital admission may give rise to hypercapnia, respiratory acidosis, and increased mortality compared with titrated oxygen in patients with exacerbations of COPD.8 With the increasing complexity of management and pressure on time in delivering acute medical care, critical components of appropriate care may be overlooked. One approach to the issue of ensuring adequate delivery of goodquality, safe health care has been the utilization of checklists or bundles of care. These provide in pro forma form a series of key steps that should not be overlooked in the assessment and management of a clinical condition. They have been demonstrated in surgery and in the management of indwelling catheters to improve safety.9,10 Recently, Robb et al11 have used a series of bundles for a number of medical conditions to improve overall hospital mortality. This study aimed to develop and implement a COPD admission bundle for use in the ED and assess whether it improved overall care in the acute setting. A COPD bundle was developed based on best international evidence and practice. The care and outcome of patients with COPD exacerbations before and after the implementation of the bundle were measured.
Methods Study design and patient demographics The study was carried out in the ED of a university teaching hospital in Dublin, Ireland. Inclusion criteria were any patient admitted through the ED with a diagnosis of COPD and evidence of an acute exacerbation with no other acute medical issue at the time of presentation. A diagnosis of COPD was made on the available clinical information, including general practitioner referral letters, spirometry, if available, and clinical assessment. An exacerbation was defined on clinical assessment by the ED physician as the presence of at least one of the following: increased dyspnea, increased sputum volume, or increased sputum purulence. The study consisted of two separate periods. The initial phase involved a 3-month period to analyze all COPD admissions during this time and retrospectively review the management in the ED and the eventual outcomes. The second phase of the study consisted of a prospective analysis of the management and outcomes in patients with COPD following 606
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submit your manuscript | www.dovepress.com
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the implementation of a care bundle designed for patients with COPD exacerbations. This was a pilot feasibility study, as no power calculation was performed; instead, an arbitrary 3-month period was used to assess the use of a care bundle preimplementation and postimplementation. The design of the COPD bundle consisted of selecting items based on national and international guidelines, a systematic literature review, and input from a multidisciplinary project team.12,13 The goal of the bundle was to be accurate, inclusive, and simple to follow. The COPD bundle from Robb et al11 was modified to incorporate ten elements that should all be implemented within 24 hours of admission. Items were selected for the bundle based on their importance in the management of COPD exacerbations but particularly if they were perceived as being poorly implemented in usual care. Examples of poorly implemented components of acute COPD care were noted from the literature and input from the multidisciplinary team. The clinical advisory group to the COPD program of the Clinical Strategy and Programmes Directorate of the Health Service Executive, Dublin, Ireland, was also canvassed for input. The ten elements selected for inclusion in the bundle were: 1. Correct administration of supplemental oxygen 2. Checking an arterial blood gas 3. Administration of bronchodilators 4. Reviewing laboratory results 5. Obtaining a chest radiograph 6. Administration of oral antibiotics if no evidence of pneumonia 7. Administration of oral corticosteroids 8. Consideration for COPD outreach program 9. Referral to respiratory service 10. Commencement of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. The elements of the bundles were made available to clinicians in a printed bundle, which was attached to the ED notes (see Figure 1). This study involved the closure of an audit loop. One of the authors was chairman of the local audit committee and was involved with development of the study from the outset. Ethical approval was consequently not required. The Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE)14 guidelines were utilized in the framing of this report. The COPD outreach program is a service designed to provide a safe, planned, early discharge home from hospital or the ED for patients with an acute exacerbation of COPD. Suitable patients (approximately 20%–25% of patients) are International Journal of COPD 2013:8
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Care bundle for acute exacerbations of COPD
International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease downloaded from https://www.dovepress.com/ by 178.159.97.78 on 29-Aug-2018 For personal use only.
COPD acute management bundle Patient presents to ED/AMU/MAU Patient assessed by EM/AMU/MAU clinician and appropriate investigations ordered CXR, ECG, ABGs, blood tests FBC, U+E, LFTS, CRP (if available) Time completed or reason for variation
Action Administration of O2 (FiO2 2L via nasal cannula or 28% via mask) Maintain SaO2 of >88%
Dovepress open access to scientific and medical research
Original Research
International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease downloaded from https://www.dovepress.com/ by 178.159.97.78 on 29-Aug-2018 For personal use only.
Open Access Full Text Article
Use of a care bundle in the emergency department for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a feasibility study This article was published in the following Dove Press journal: International Journal of COPD 28 November 2013 Number of times this article has been viewed
Cormac McCarthy 1 John R Brennan 1 Lindsay Brown 1 Deirdre Donaghy 1 Patricia Jones 1 Rory Whelan 2 Niamh McCormack 3 Ian Callanan 4 John Ryan 2 Timothy J McDonnell 1,3 Department of Respiratory Medicine, St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; 2Department of Emergency Medicine, St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; 3 Clinical Strategy and Programmes Directorate, Health Service Executive, Dublin, Ireland; 4Department of Audit, St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland 1
Introduction
Correspondence: Cormac McCarthy Education and Research Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland Tel +353 1809 3796 Email [email protected]
Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) account for a considerable number of acute medical admissions, with the majority being admitted through the emergency department (ED). There were 10,863 admissions in Ireland for COPD in 2010, which account for 2.3% of all hospital inpatients, excluding maternity services, and COPD exacerbations were the most common single reason for hospital admission.1 The mean length of stay was 9.5 days, creating a considerable burden on health services. There is a high mortality rate associated with exacerbations of COPD, and many patients are readmitted within 90 days of discharge.2–4 Many studies have commented on the varying levels of care and outcomes of these admissions and highlighted the need for more systematic, consistent, evidence-based quality improvement approaches to improving outcomes from COPD exacerbations.5,6 In an analysis of almost
605
submit your manuscript | www.dovepress.com
International Journal of COPD 2013:8 605–611
Dovepress
© 2013 McCarthy et al. This work is published by Dove Medical Press Limited, and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. The full terms of the License are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. Permissions beyond the scope of the License are administered by Dove Medical Press Limited. Information on how to request permission may be found at: http://www.dovepress.com/permissions.php
http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/COPD.S52883 Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
Aim: To determine the efficacy and usefulness of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) care bundle designed for the initial management of acute exacerbations of COPD and to assess whether it improves quality of care and provides better outcomes. Introduction: The level of care provided in the emergency department (ED) for COPD exacerbations varies greatly, and there is a need for a more systematic, consistent, evidence-based quality improvement approach to improve outcomes and costs. Methods: A prospective before and after study was carried out in a university teaching hospital. Fifty consecutive patients were identified in the ED with COPD exacerbations and their management was reviewed. Following the education of ED staff and the implementation of a COPD care bundle, the outcome for 51 consecutive patients was analyzed. This COPD care bundle consisted of ten elements considered essential to the management of COPD exacerbations and was scored 0–10 according to the number of items on the checklist implemented correctly. Results: Following implementation, the mean bundle score out of 10 improved from 4.6 to 7 (P,0.001). There was a significant decrease in the unnecessary use of intravenous corticosteroids from 60% to 32% (P=0.003) and also a marked improvement in the use of oxygen therapy, with appropriate treatment increasing from 76% to 96% (P=0.003). Prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism also improved from 54% to 73% (P=0.054). The 30-day readmission rate did not significantly improve. Conclusion: The use of a bundle improves the delivery of care for COPD exacerbations in the ED. There is more appropriate use of therapeutic interventions, especially oxygen therapy and intravenous corticosteroids. Keywords: COPD, checklist, bundle, exacerbations, steroids
International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease downloaded from https://www.dovepress.com/ by 178.159.97.78 on 29-Aug-2018 For personal use only.
McCarthy et al
70,000 admissions with exacerbations of COPD in the United States, Lindenauer et al6 noted that only 66% of patients received the entire set of recommended care processes. A similar study from Canada showed deficits in the administration of bronchodilators, steroids, antibiotics, and oxygen in the care of patients hospitalized with acute exacerbations of COPD.7 Inappropriate high-flow oxygen administration prior to hospital admission may give rise to hypercapnia, respiratory acidosis, and increased mortality compared with titrated oxygen in patients with exacerbations of COPD.8 With the increasing complexity of management and pressure on time in delivering acute medical care, critical components of appropriate care may be overlooked. One approach to the issue of ensuring adequate delivery of goodquality, safe health care has been the utilization of checklists or bundles of care. These provide in pro forma form a series of key steps that should not be overlooked in the assessment and management of a clinical condition. They have been demonstrated in surgery and in the management of indwelling catheters to improve safety.9,10 Recently, Robb et al11 have used a series of bundles for a number of medical conditions to improve overall hospital mortality. This study aimed to develop and implement a COPD admission bundle for use in the ED and assess whether it improved overall care in the acute setting. A COPD bundle was developed based on best international evidence and practice. The care and outcome of patients with COPD exacerbations before and after the implementation of the bundle were measured.
Methods Study design and patient demographics The study was carried out in the ED of a university teaching hospital in Dublin, Ireland. Inclusion criteria were any patient admitted through the ED with a diagnosis of COPD and evidence of an acute exacerbation with no other acute medical issue at the time of presentation. A diagnosis of COPD was made on the available clinical information, including general practitioner referral letters, spirometry, if available, and clinical assessment. An exacerbation was defined on clinical assessment by the ED physician as the presence of at least one of the following: increased dyspnea, increased sputum volume, or increased sputum purulence. The study consisted of two separate periods. The initial phase involved a 3-month period to analyze all COPD admissions during this time and retrospectively review the management in the ED and the eventual outcomes. The second phase of the study consisted of a prospective analysis of the management and outcomes in patients with COPD following 606
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
submit your manuscript | www.dovepress.com
Dovepress
Dovepress
the implementation of a care bundle designed for patients with COPD exacerbations. This was a pilot feasibility study, as no power calculation was performed; instead, an arbitrary 3-month period was used to assess the use of a care bundle preimplementation and postimplementation. The design of the COPD bundle consisted of selecting items based on national and international guidelines, a systematic literature review, and input from a multidisciplinary project team.12,13 The goal of the bundle was to be accurate, inclusive, and simple to follow. The COPD bundle from Robb et al11 was modified to incorporate ten elements that should all be implemented within 24 hours of admission. Items were selected for the bundle based on their importance in the management of COPD exacerbations but particularly if they were perceived as being poorly implemented in usual care. Examples of poorly implemented components of acute COPD care were noted from the literature and input from the multidisciplinary team. The clinical advisory group to the COPD program of the Clinical Strategy and Programmes Directorate of the Health Service Executive, Dublin, Ireland, was also canvassed for input. The ten elements selected for inclusion in the bundle were: 1. Correct administration of supplemental oxygen 2. Checking an arterial blood gas 3. Administration of bronchodilators 4. Reviewing laboratory results 5. Obtaining a chest radiograph 6. Administration of oral antibiotics if no evidence of pneumonia 7. Administration of oral corticosteroids 8. Consideration for COPD outreach program 9. Referral to respiratory service 10. Commencement of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. The elements of the bundles were made available to clinicians in a printed bundle, which was attached to the ED notes (see Figure 1). This study involved the closure of an audit loop. One of the authors was chairman of the local audit committee and was involved with development of the study from the outset. Ethical approval was consequently not required. The Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE)14 guidelines were utilized in the framing of this report. The COPD outreach program is a service designed to provide a safe, planned, early discharge home from hospital or the ED for patients with an acute exacerbation of COPD. Suitable patients (approximately 20%–25% of patients) are International Journal of COPD 2013:8
Dovepress
Care bundle for acute exacerbations of COPD
International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease downloaded from https://www.dovepress.com/ by 178.159.97.78 on 29-Aug-2018 For personal use only.
COPD acute management bundle Patient presents to ED/AMU/MAU Patient assessed by EM/AMU/MAU clinician and appropriate investigations ordered CXR, ECG, ABGs, blood tests FBC, U+E, LFTS, CRP (if available) Time completed or reason for variation
Action Administration of O2 (FiO2 2L via nasal cannula or 28% via mask) Maintain SaO2 of >88%
