Can You Catch It? Lessons Learned and Modification of ED Triage Symptom- and Travel-Screening Strategy

Abstract

The current literature indicates that prompt identification and isolation of both common illnesses (eg, seasonal influenza) as well as highly hazardous communicable diseases (eg, coronavirus disease 2019 and Ebola virus disease) can mitigate exposures to and transmissions of these diseases in clinical settings. This article contributes to the finding that this practice improvement project led to a decrease in the number of infection control exposure investigations in the emergency department. Key implications for emergency nursing practice found in this article are that the availability of this electronic screening algorithm arms emergency nurses to identify promptly and isolate both at-risk patients with common illnesses and highly hazardous communicable diseases, thereby reducing subsequent exposure.

Challenge of COVID-19 crisis managed by emergency department of a big tertiary centre in Saudi Arabia

“…We implemented a joint standard operating procedure (SOP), whereby the patients’ admission by the specialties would not be delayed, once the “decision to admit” was made by the ED. Anticipatory approach, through learning of the disease pattern, can help tailor a proportionate response [ 18 , 19 ].…”

Electronic medical record platform enhancements duringCOVID‐19 to supportidentify‐isolate‐informstrategy for initial detection and management of patients

“…Following the outbreak of COVID‐19, the department introduced a quick screening tool based on the Ministry of Health (MOH) criteria to sieve out suspect cases. A quick pre‐triage screening was initiated at the entrance to our ED and the patients with risk for COVID‐19 were segregated into two risk‐stratified areas to segregate high‐risk and low‐risk patients within our isolation facility 3,4 . This workflow was essential to quickly identify, isolate to help containing the disease and prevent community spread.…”

“…Providing MC to rest and monitor for resolution of symptoms allowed identification of patients who had prolonged ARI as candidates for swab testing. Subsequently, COVID‐19 Stay Orders Regulations 2020 of the Infectious Disease Act, 3 cited that ‘Any individual who is issued a medical certificate by a medical practitioner with a valid practicing certificate, certifying that the individual has acute respiratory symptoms must not leave the individual's place of accommodation for a period of 5 days starting on the day the medical certificate is issued’.…”

Infection Control and Vaccine Hesitancy in the Emergency Department

“…2 This JEN issue also includes 7 COVID-19-specific manuscripts. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9] As the state of knowledge and evidence-based practice have been rapidly evolving in the pandemic, the manuscripts reflect updated knowledge at the time of submission. These manuscripts provide crucial evidence and practice application for both the ongoing pandemic response as well as reference material for future infectious disease prevention and response stages.…”

“…These manuscripts provide crucial evidence and practice application for both the ongoing pandemic response as well as reference material for future infectious disease prevention and response stages. Before community spread, Schwedhelm et al 7 relay their continuous improvement updates on their facility's triage symptom and travel management intervention to rapidly identify highly hazardous communicable diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, SARS, and Ebola. The authors provide a noteworthy example to all emergency departments about the importance of maintaining infectious disease screening practices and quality improvement efforts between epidemics and pandemics as a proactive, and not just reactionary, strategy to protect ED personnel and other patients from pathogen exposure and cross-infection in the waiting and treatment areas.…”