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BackgroundWhen medical wards become saturated, the common practice is to resort to outlying patients in another ward until a bed becomes free.ObjectivesCompare the quality of care provided for inpatients who are outlying (O) in inappropriate wards because of lack of vacant beds in appropriate specialty wards to the care given to non outlying (NO) patients.MethodsWe propose a matched-pair cluster study. The exposed group consisted of inpatients that were outliers in inappropriate wards because of lack of available beds. Non-exposed subjects (the control group) were those patients who were hospitalized in the ward that corresponded to the reason for their admission. Each patient of the exposed group was matched to a specific control subject. The principal objective was to prospectively measure differences in the length of hospital stays, the secondary objectives were to assess mortality, rate of re-admission at 28 days, and rate of transfer into intensive care.Results238 were included in the NO group, 245 in the O group. More patients in the O group (86% vs 76%) were transferred into a ward with prescription completed. O patients remained in hospital for 8 days [4-15] vs 7 days [4-13] for NO patients (p = 0.04). 124 (52%) of the NO patients received heparin-based thromboembolic prevention during their stay in hospital vs 104 (42%) of the O patient group (p = 0.03). 66 (27%) O patients were re-admitted to hospital within 28 days vs 40 (17%) NO patients (p = 0.008).ConclusionO patients had a worse prognosis than NO patients.

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BackgroundUltrasound (US) guidance has yet to prove its applicability in radial arterial blood gas analysis (ABGA) punctures. The main objective of our study was to compare the number of first-attempt successes (NFAS) for radial arterial puncture in difficult patients with or without US guidance. The Secondary aims were to compare the number of punctures (NOP), puncture time, and patient pain.MethodsIn this single-center, randomized controlled trial, patients who required a radial ABGA and in whom the arterial puncture was assessed as difficult (because of non-palpable radial arteries or two previous puncture failures by a nurse) were assigned to the US group or no-US (NUS) group (procedure performed by a trained physician).ResultsThirty-six patients were included in the US group and 37 in the NUS groups. The NFAS was 7 (19%) in the NUS group and 19 (53%) in the US group. The relative risk of success in the US group was 2.79 (95% CI,1.34 to 5.82), p = 0.01. In the NUS and US groups, respectively, the median NOP was 3 [2; 6] vs. 1 [1; 2], estimated difference −2.0 (95%CI, −3.4 to −0.6), p < 0.01; the respective puncture time was 3.1 [1.6; 5.4] vs. 1.4 [0.6; 3.1] min, estimated difference −1.45 (95%CI, −2.57 to −0.39), p = 0.01; the respective median patient pain was 6 [4; 8] vs. 2 [1; 4], estimated difference −4.0 (95%CI, −5.8 to −2.3); p < 0.01.ConclusionUS guidance by a trained physician significantly improves the rate of success in difficult radial ABGA patients.

IntroductionTranscutaneous CO 2 (PtCO 2) is a continuous and non-invasive measure recommended by scientific societies in the management of respiratory distress. The objective of this study is to evaluate the correlation between PtCO 2 and blood pressure of CO 2 (PaCO 2) by blood gas analysis in emergency patients with dyspnoea and to determine the factors that interfere in this correlation.MethodsFrom January to June 2014, all patients admitted to resuscitation room of the emergency department targeted for arterial blood gases were included prospectively. A sensor measuring the PtCO 2 was attached to the ear lobe of the patient before the gas analysis. Anamnesis, clinical and laboratory parameters were identified.Results90 patients with dyspnoea were included (with 104 pairs of measurements), the median age was 79 years [69-85]. The correlation between PtCO 2 and PaCO 2 was R 2= 0.83 (p <0.001) but became lower for values of PaCO 2>60 mm Hg. The mean bias (±SD) between the two methods of measurement (Bland-Altman analysis) was -1.4 mm Hg (±7.7) with limits of agreement of -16.4 to 13.7 mm Hg. In univariate analysis, PaO 2 interfered in this correlation. After multivariate analysis, the temperature (OR = 3.01, 95% CI = 1.16-7.09) and the PaO 2 (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.02-1.47) were found to be significant.ConclusionsIn patients admitted in emergency unit for acute respiratory failure, there is a significant correlation between PaCO 2 and PtCO 2, mainly for values below 60 mm Hg. The two limiting factors of use are hyperthermia and users training.