Early Point-Of-Care Blood Tests, ECG & X-rays in the Emergency Department
NCT ID: NCT03102216
Last Updated: 2017-08-09
Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
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COMPLETED
NA
1134 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2017-02-13
2017-06-30
Brief Summary
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In South African EDs, the target time for patients to be seen is dictated by their triage category. Patients triaged Red (critical) should ideally be seen immediately, Orange within 10 minutes, Yellow within 1 hour and Green within 4 hours of arrival. Whilst patients may initially be evaluated within the above time frames, there may be delays in their final disposition due to time lags in obtaining results from special tests and/or investigations. Traditionally, blood tests and other special investigations such as electrocardiograms (ECG) and radiological investigations (x-rays) take place after the doctor has evaluated the patient. Patients (and doctors) then have to wait for the results of these tests before a decision can be made regarding the patient's final disposition.
Instead of sending blood specimens to the laboratory for analysis, POC blood testing refers to selected tests which can be performed in the ED and provide immediate on-site results and thus have the potential to expedite patient management decisions. Similarly, low dose x-ray (LODOX®) is the radiological equivalent of a POC blood test providing a full body x-ray within 19 seconds. LODOX has been evaluated in trauma patients previously but its application as a screening tool for non-trauma patients in the ED has not been properly explored thus far. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) are commonly used in clinical medicine as a POC test to evaluate the heart. Locally, Helen Joseph Hospital ED in Johannesburg has a constant influx of critically ill and injured patients 24 hours a day. The aim of this investigator-initiated, prospective, randomised control trial is to compare and assess the standard workflow pathway currently in use in the ED to a modified pathway that makes use of upfront, early POC tests (blood tests, ECG and/or LODOX) to see if the use of such has any significant effect on costs, waiting times and associated patient flow patterns in the ED.
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Detailed Description
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EDs world-wide are constantly looking for ways to decrease patient over-crowding and waiting times. Suggested solutions have included the hiring of additional personnel, creating observation units, ambulance diversion and triage. Some have even tried to improve patient flow by placing a senior consultant in the triage area.
In South African EDs, the South African Triage Scale (SATS) is utilised to assess severity and acuity of patients presenting to the ED. The target time for patients to be seen is dictated by their triage category. Patients triaged Red should ideally be seen immediately, Orange within 10 minutes, Yellow within 1 hour and Green within 4 hours of arrival. Whilst patients may initially be evaluated within these time frames, there may be delays in their final disposition due to time lags in obtaining results from special investigations.
Traditionally, investigations in the ED take place after the doctor has evaluated the patient. Patients (and doctors) then have to wait for the results of the investigations. Further decisions on the patients' ultimate disposition (i.e. either discharged home or admitted for inpatient care) are thus contingent upon the results of the investigations.
POC blood testing (as opposed to sending blood to the laboratory to be analysed) has been shown to be accurate and assist in expediting patient management by decreasing the turnaround time for results. Low dose x-ray (LODOX®) has been marketed as a quick and easy radiological screening tool for trauma patients that can even be used as a triage tool. The LODOX can produce a full body antero-posterior x-ray image within 19 seconds. It is much quicker and exposes the patient to less radiation than a standard radiograph/x-ray. It can therefore also be categorised as the x-ray equivalent of a POC test. Its use has never been evaluated as a tool for non-trauma patients in the ED. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) are commonly used in clinical medicine as a POC test to evaluate the heart.
The aim of this study is therefore to assess whether, individually or in combination, upfront, early POC blood tests, ECGs and/or LODOX can decrease waiting times, reduce costs and improve patient flow in the ED.
Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
DIAGNOSTIC
NONE
Study Groups
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Enhanced workflow pathway ECG Lodox
Patients will receive LODOX and 12lead, v1R-v6R and V7-V9 ECG prior to seeing the doctor.
ECG
ElectroCardioGram
Lodox
Low dose x-ray
Enhanced workflow pathway iSTAT ECG Lodox
iSTAT point-of-care troponin, INR, CG4+ and chem8 tests; LODOX and 12lead, v1R-v6R and V7-V9 ECG prior to seeing the doctor
iSTAT
iSTAT troponin, INR, CG4+ and Chem8
ECG
ElectroCardioGram
Lodox
Low dose x-ray
Enhanced workflow pathway iSTAT CBC ECG Lodox
Patients will receive iSTAT point-of-care troponin, INR, CG4+ and chem8 tests; CBC, LODOX and 12lead, v1R-v6R and V7-V9 ECG prior to seeing the doctor.
iSTAT
iSTAT troponin, INR, CG4+ and Chem8
CBC
Complete Blood Count
ECG
ElectroCardioGram
Lodox
Low dose x-ray
Current workflow pathway
In the Current (normal) Workflow Pathway, after a patient is triaged, they are reviewed by the doctor. It is routine for the doctor to then order diagnostic tests/investigations that include blood tests, which are analysed at the laboratory, x-rays, which are performed in the Radiology department, and an ECG, which is performed by an ECG technician. Once the results of those tests are ready, the doctor will then review the patient a second time with all the results. The decision for patient disposition will then be made
No interventions assigned to this group
Enhanced workflow pathway iSTAT
Patients will receive i-STAT point-of-care troponin, INR (International Normalised Ratio), CG4(blood gas analysis) and chem8 tests prior to seeing the doctor.
iSTAT
iSTAT troponin, INR, CG4+ and Chem8
Enhanced workflow pathway iSTAT CBC
Patients will receive iSTAT point-of-care troponin, INR, CG4+ and chem8 tests as well as a CBC prior to seeing the doctor.
iSTAT
iSTAT troponin, INR, CG4+ and Chem8
CBC
Complete Blood Count
Enhanced workflow pathway ECG
Patients will receive a 12lead, v1R-v6R(right sided ECG leads) and V7-V9 ECG prior to seeing the doctor.
ECG
ElectroCardioGram
Enhanced workflow pathway Lodox
Patients will receive a supine AP and lateral lodox (low dose x-ray) of their chest and abdomen prior to seeing the doctor.
Lodox
Low dose x-ray
Enhanced workflow pathway iSTAT ECG
Patients will receive iSTAT point-of-care troponin, INR, CG4+ and chem8 tests as well as 12lead, v1R-v6R and V7-V9 ECG prior to seeing the doctor.
iSTAT
iSTAT troponin, INR, CG4+ and Chem8
ECG
ElectroCardioGram
Enhanced workflow pathway iSTAT, CBC ECG
Patients will receive iSTAT point-of-care troponin, INR, CG4+ and chem8 tests, CBC and 12lead, v1R-v6R and V7-V9 ECG prior to seeing the doctor.
iSTAT
iSTAT troponin, INR, CG4+ and Chem8
CBC
Complete Blood Count
ECG
ElectroCardioGram
Enhanced workflow pathway iSTAT lodox
Patients will receive iSTAT point-of-care troponin, INR, CG4+ and chem8 tests and Lodox prior to seeing the doctor.
iSTAT
iSTAT troponin, INR, CG4+ and Chem8
Lodox
Low dose x-ray
Enhanced workflow pathway iSTAT CBC Lodox
iSTAT point-of-care troponin, INR, CG4+ and chem8 tests; CBC and Lodox prior to seeing the doctor.
iSTAT
iSTAT troponin, INR, CG4+ and Chem8
CBC
Complete Blood Count
Lodox
Low dose x-ray
Interventions
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iSTAT
iSTAT troponin, INR, CG4+ and Chem8
CBC
Complete Blood Count
ECG
ElectroCardioGram
Lodox
Low dose x-ray
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
Presenting symptom groups:
* Abdominal/epigastric/stomach pain/vomiting
* Psychosis/aggression/hallucinations (see Ethical Considerations)
* Shortness of breath/dyspnoea/cough/chest pain/syncope
* General body pain/weakness
* Overdose
Exclusion Criteria
* Pregnant patients
* Patients who require immediate resuscitation
18 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
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Abbott Point of Care
INDUSTRY
University of Johannesburg
OTHER
Lodox Systems (Ltd)
UNKNOWN
Helen Joseph Hospital
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Dr LN Goldstein
Head: Department of Emergency Medicine
Locations
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Helen Joseph Hospital Emergency Department
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Countries
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References
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Altman DG, Bland JM. How to randomise. BMJ. 1999 Sep 11;319(7211):703-4. doi: 10.1136/bmj.319.7211.703. No abstract available.
Hoot NR, Aronsky D. Systematic review of emergency department crowding: causes, effects, and solutions. Ann Emerg Med. 2008 Aug;52(2):126-36. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2008.03.014. Epub 2008 Apr 23.
Jarvis P, Davies T, Mitchell K, Taylor I, Baker M. Does rapid assessment shorten the amount of time patients spend in the emergency department? Br J Hosp Med (Lond). 2014 Nov;75(11):648-51. doi: 10.12968/hmed.2014.75.11.648.
Stotler BA, Kratz A. Analytical and clinical performance of the epoc blood analysis system: experience at a large tertiary academic medical center. Am J Clin Pathol. 2013 Nov;140(5):715-20. doi: 10.1309/AJCP7QB3QQIBZPEK.
Terris J, Leman P, O'Connor N, Wood R. Making an IMPACT on emergency department flow: improving patient processing assisted by consultant at triage. Emerg Med J. 2004 Sep;21(5):537-41. doi: 10.1136/emj.2002.003913.
Whiley SP, Alves H, Grace S. Full-body x-ray imaging to facilitate triage: a potential aid in high-volume emergency departments. Emerg Med Int. 2013;2013:437078. doi: 10.1155/2013/437078. Epub 2013 Sep 24.
Goldstein LN, Wells M, Vincent-Lambert C. The cost-effectiveness of upfront point-of-care testing in the emergency department: a secondary analysis of a randomised, controlled trial. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2019 Dec 11;27(1):110. doi: 10.1186/s13049-019-0687-2.
Other Identifiers
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EPOC-BEX-ED
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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