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Effectiveness of the Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus protocol in enhancing the function of an Emergency Department in Qatar.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Varughese, S; Read, JG; Al-Khal, A; Abo Salah, S; El Deeb, Y; Cameron, PA
Published in: European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
October 2015

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) surveillance protocol in the Emergency Department (ED) at Hamad General Hospital. Effectiveness was measured by: (a) reduction in the number of patients admitted into the MERS-CoV tracking system; (b) identification of positive MERS-CoV cases; (c) containment of cross infectivity; and (d) increased efficiency in ED functioning.A retrospective chart review was carried out of all ED patients suspected of MERS-CoV during the height of the epidemic (August to October 2013). An algorithm was created on the basis of international guidelines to screen and triage suspected MERS-CoV patients. Once identified, patients were isolated, had a chest roentgenogram [chest radiography (CXR)] taken, and a nasopharyngeal swab for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was sent with sputum samples for testing. Patients with normal CXR and mild respiratory symptoms were discharged with home isolation instructions until nasopharyngeal and sputum PCR results were available. Patients with fever and acute respiratory distress, with or without abnormal CXR, were treated in the hospital until tests proved negative for MERS-CoV.The protocol successfully reduced the number of patients who needed to be tested for MERS-CoV from 12,563 to 514, identified seven positive cases, and did not lead to apparent cross infectivity that resulted in serious illness or death. The protocol also increased the efficiency of ED and cut the turnaround time for nasopharyngeal swab and sputum results from 3 days to 1 day.A highly protocolized surveillance system limited the impact of MERS-CoV on ED functioning by identifying and prioritizing high-risk patients. The emergence of new infectious diseases requires constant monitoring of interventions to reduce the impact of epidemics on population health and health services.

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Published In

European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine

DOI

EISSN

1473-5695

ISSN

0969-9546

Publication Date

October 2015

Volume

22

Issue

5

Start / End Page

316 / 320

Related Subject Headings

  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tertiary Care Centers
  • Survival Rate
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Risk Assessment
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Quality of Health Care
  • Qatar
  • Prevalence
  • Patient Isolation
 

Citation

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Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Varughese, S., Read, J. G., Al-Khal, A., Abo Salah, S., El Deeb, Y., & Cameron, P. A. (2015). Effectiveness of the Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus protocol in enhancing the function of an Emergency Department in Qatar. European Journal of Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine, 22(5), 316–320. https://doi.org/10.1097/mej.0000000000000285
Varughese, Shinu, Jennan G. Read, Abdullatif Al-Khal, Salem Abo Salah, Yasser El Deeb, and Peter A. Cameron. “Effectiveness of the Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus protocol in enhancing the function of an Emergency Department in Qatar.European Journal of Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine 22, no. 5 (October 2015): 316–20. https://doi.org/10.1097/mej.0000000000000285.
Varughese S, Read JG, Al-Khal A, Abo Salah S, El Deeb Y, Cameron PA. Effectiveness of the Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus protocol in enhancing the function of an Emergency Department in Qatar. European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine. 2015 Oct;22(5):316–20.
Varughese, Shinu, et al. “Effectiveness of the Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus protocol in enhancing the function of an Emergency Department in Qatar.European Journal of Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine, vol. 22, no. 5, Oct. 2015, pp. 316–20. Epmc, doi:10.1097/mej.0000000000000285.
Varughese S, Read JG, Al-Khal A, Abo Salah S, El Deeb Y, Cameron PA. Effectiveness of the Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus protocol in enhancing the function of an Emergency Department in Qatar. European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine. 2015 Oct;22(5):316–320.

Published In

European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine

DOI

EISSN

1473-5695

ISSN

0969-9546

Publication Date

October 2015

Volume

22

Issue

5

Start / End Page

316 / 320

Related Subject Headings

  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tertiary Care Centers
  • Survival Rate
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Risk Assessment
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Quality of Health Care
  • Qatar
  • Prevalence
  • Patient Isolation