Dataset Information

Point-of-care ultrasonography for risk stratification of non-critical COVID-19 patients on admission (POCUSCO): a study protocol of an international study.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, early identification of patients who are likely to get worse is a major concern. Severity mainly depends on the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with a predominance of subpleural lesions. Lung point-of-care ultrasonography (L-POCUS) is highly effective in detecting pulmonary peripheral patterns and may be appropriate for examining patients with COVID-19. We suggest that L-POCUS performed during the initial examination may identify patients with COVID-19 who are at a high risk of complicated treatment or unfavourable evolution.

Methods and analysis

Point-of-care ultrasonography for risk stratification of non-critical COVID-19 patients on admission is a prospective, multicentre study. Adult patients visiting the emergency department (ED) of participating centres for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are assessed for inclusion. Included patients have L-POCUS performed within 48 hours following ED admission. The severity of lung damage is assessed using the L-POCUS score based on 36 points for ARDS. Apart from the L-POCUS score assessment, patients are treated as recommended by the WHO. For hospitalised patients, a second L-POCUS is performed at day 5±3. A follow-up is carried out on day 14, and the patient's status according to the Ordinal Scale for Clinical Improvement for COVID-19 from the WHO is recorded.The primary outcome is the rate of patients requiring intubation or who are dead from any cause during the 14 days following inclusion. We will determine the area under the ROC curve of L-POCUS.

Ethics and dissemination

The protocol has been approved by the French and Belgian Ethics Committees and is carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice guidelines. The study is funding by a grant from the French Health Ministry, and its findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and at scientific conferences.

Trial registration number

NCT04338100.

SUBMITTER: Morin F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7878051 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Point-of-care ultrasonography for risk stratification of non-critical COVID-19 patients on admission (POCUSCO): a study protocol of an international study.

Morin François F Douillet Delphine D Hamel Jean-Francois JF Rakotonjanahary Josué J Dupriez Florence F Savary Dominique D Aubé Christophe C Riou Jeremie J Dubée Vincent V Roy Pierre-Marie PM

BMJ open 20210210 2

<h4>Introduction</h4>In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, early identification of patients who are likely to get worse is a major concern. Severity mainly depends on the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with a predominance of subpleural lesions. Lung point-of-care ultrasonography (L-POCUS) is highly effective in detecting pulmonary peripheral patterns and may be appropriate for examining patients with COVID-19. We suggest that L-POCUS performed during the initial exa ...[more]

PMID: 33568367

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) has recently become a useful tool that intensivists are incorporating into clinical practice. However, the incorporation of ultrasonography in critical care in developing countries is not straightforward. METHODS:Our objective was to investigate current practice and education regarding POCUS among Brazilian intensivists. A national survey was administered to Brazilian intensivists using an electronic questionnaire. Questions were selected by the Delphi method and assessed topics included organizational issues, POCUS technique and training patterns, machine availability, and main applications of POCUS in daily practice. RESULTS:Of 1533 intensivists who received the questionnaire, 322 responded from all of Brazil's regions. Two hundred and five (63.8%) reported having access to an ultrasound machine dedicated to the intensive care unit (ICU); however, this was more likely in university hospitals than in non-university hospitals (80.6 vs. 59.6%; risk ratio [RR]?=?1.35 [1.16-1.58], p?=?0.002). The main applications of POCUS were ultrasound-guided central vein catheterization (49.4%) and bedside echocardiographic assessment (33.9%). Two hundred and fifty-eight (80.0%) reported having at least one POCUS-trained intensivist in their staff (trained units). Trained units were more likely to perform routine ultrasound-guided jugular vein catheterization than non-trained units (38.6 vs. 16.4%; RR?=?2.35 [1.31-4.23], p?=?0.001). The proportion of POCUS-trained intensivists and availability of a dedicated ultrasound machine were both independently associated with performing ultrasound-guided jugular vein catheterization (RR?=?1.91 [1.32-2.77], p?=?0.001) and (RR?=?2.20 [1.26-3.29], p?=?0.005), respectively. CONCLUSIONS:A significant proportion of Brazilian ICUs had at least one intensivist with POCUS capability in their staff. Although ultrasound-guided central vein catheterization constitutes the main application of POCUS, adherence to guideline recommendations is still suboptimal.

Project description:OBJECTIVES:To describe how general practitioners (GPs) use point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) and how it influences the diagnostic process and treatment of patients. DESIGN:Prospective observational study using an online questionnaire before and after POCUS. SETTING:Office-based general practice. PARTICIPANTS:Twenty GPs consecutively recruited all patients examined with POCUS in 1 month. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES:We estimated the use of POCUS through the indication for use, the frequency of use, the time consumption, the extent of modification of the examination and the findings.The influence on the diagnostic process was estimated through change in the tentative diagnoses, change in confidence, the ability to produce ultrasound images and the relationship between confidence and organs scanned or tentative diagnoses.The influence of POCUS on patient treatment was estimated through change in plan for the patient, change in patient's treatment and the relationship between such changes and certain findings. RESULTS:The GPs included 574 patients in the study. POCUS was used in patient consultations with a median frequency of 8.6% (IQR: 4.9-12.6). Many different organs were scanned covering more than 100 different tentative diagnoses. The median time taken to perform POCUS was 5 min (IQR: 3-8). Across applications and GPs, POCUS entailed a change in diagnoses in 49.4% of patients; increased confidence in a diagnosis in 89.2% of patients; a change in the management plan for 50.9% of patients including an absolute reduction in intended referrals to secondary care from 49.2% to 25.6%; and a change in treatment for 26.5% of patients. CONCLUSIONS:The clinical utilisation of POCUS was highly variable among the GPs included in this study in terms of the indication for performing POCUS, examined scanning modalities and frequency of use. Overall, using POCUS altered the GPs' diagnostic process and clinical decision-making in nearly three out of four consultations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:NCT03375333.

Project description:INTRODUCTION:The admission of high-risk patients to critical care after surgery is a recommended standard of care. Nevertheless, poor compliance against this recommendation has been repeatedly demonstrated in large epidemiological studies. It is unclear whether this is due to reasons of capacity, equipoise, poor quality clinical care or because hospitals are working creatively to create capacity for augmented care on normal surgical wards. The EPIdemiology of Critical Care after Surgery study aims to address these uncertainties. METHODS AND ANALYSIS:One-week observational cohort study in the UK and Australasia. All patients undergoing inpatient (overnight stay) surgery will be included. All will have prospective data collection on risk factors, surgical procedure and postoperative outcomes including the primary outcome of morbidity (measured using the Postoperative Morbidity Survey on day 7 after surgery) and secondary outcomes including length of stay and mortality. Data will also be collected on critical care referral and admission, surgical cancellations and critical care occupancy. The epidemiology of patient characteristics, processes and outcomes will be described. Inferential techniques (multilevel multivariable regression, propensity score matching and instrumental variable analysis) will be used to evaluate the relationship between critical care admission and postoperative outcome. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION:The study has received ethical approval from the National Research Ethics Service in the UK and equivalent in Australasia. The collection of patient identifiable data without prior consent has been approved by the Confidentiality Advisory Group (England and Wales) and the Public Privacy and Patient Benefit Panel (Scotland). In these countries, patient identifiable data will be used to link prospectively collected data with national registers of death and inpatient administrative data. The study findings will be disseminated using a multimedia approach with the support of our lay collaborators, to patients, public, policy-makers, clinical and academic audiences.

Project description:BACKGROUND:General practitioners increasingly use point-of-care ultrasonography despite a lack of evidence-based guidelines for their appropriate use in primary care. Little is known about the integration of ultrasonography in general practice consultations and the impact of its use on patient care. The purpose of this study was to explore general practitioners' experiences of using ultrasonography in the primary care setting. METHODS:Adopting an explorative phenomenological approach, we performed semi-structured interviews with general practitioners who used ultrasonography in their daily work. Thirteen general practitioners were recruited stepwise, aiming for maximum variation in background characteristics. Interviews were conducted at the general practitioner's own clinic. Transcription and systematic text condensation analysis began immediately after conducting each interview. RESULTS:The general practitioners described using ultrasonography for both selected focused examinations and for explorative examinations. The two types of examinations were described differently for each of the following emerging themes: motivation for using ultrasonography, ultrasonography as part of the consultation, selection of an ultrasound catalogue, and consequences of the general practitioner's ultrasound examination. The general practitioners had chosen and integrated their own individual ultrasound catalogue of focused examinations as a natural part of their consultations. The focused examinations were used to answer simple clinical questions and they had a significant impact on the patients' diagnoses, clinical pathways and treatments. The general practitioners considered their own catalogue of focused examinations as their comfort zone. However, they also performed explorative ultrasound examinations outside their catalogue. These scans were performed to train, gain or maintain ultrasound competences or as explorative examinations driven by curiosity. The explorative ultrasound examinations rarely had an impact on patient care. CONCLUSIONS:This study describes how general practitioners found their own way of using ultrasonography in general practice and selected a personal catalogue of ultrasound examinations that was applicable, relevant and meaningful for their daily clinical routines. This study may serve to inform implementation strategies in general practice by offering insights into central aspects that drive general practitioners' behaviours.

Dataset Information

Point-of-care ultrasonography for risk stratification of non-critical COVID-19 patients on admission (POCUSCO): a study protocol of an international study.

Introduction

Methods and analysis

Ethics and dissemination

Trial registration number

Publications

Point-of-care ultrasonography for risk stratification of non-critical COVID-19 patients on admission (POCUSCO): a study protocol of an international study.

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