Pandemic influenza extension areas in an urban pediatric hospital

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine
Rachel L CharneyRobert G Flood

Abstract

The 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic created a surge of patients with low-acuity influenza-like-illness (ILI) to hospital Emergency Departments (EDs). The development and results of a tiered surge plan to care for these patients at a Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) were studied. By providing standard assessment and treatment algorithms within physically separate ILI Extension Areas, it was hypothesized that patient care could be streamlined and the quality of care maintained. Hospital administrators created the tiered H1N1 surge plan within the framework of the existing emergency operations plan (EOP). After the initial expansion of space and staff utilization within the existing PED footprint, ILI Extension Areas were opened and staffed by non-ED physicians and nursing to provide care rapidly for ILI patients after Registered Nurse (RN) screening. Volumes, length of stay (LOS), left without being seen (LWBS) rates, patient satisfaction, and costs were tracked and measured. Significantly elevated volumes of patients were seen in the months of September and October of 2009 (42.0% and 32.7% increase over 2008). During this time, 612 patients were triaged to the ILI Extension Areas. The LOS was similar to that experienced in prio...Continue Reading

References

Oct 4, 2006·Academic Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine·Brent R AsplinBradley D Gordon
Nov 30, 2007·Academic Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine·Jesse M PinesJudd E Hollander
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Oct 22, 2009·AAOHN Journal : Official Journal of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses·Joyce Hood, Lisa LaCoe
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Dec 17, 2009·Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness·Andrew R RoszakMichael T Handrigan

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Citations

Nov 5, 2015·Academic Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine·Melinda J MortonGabor D Kelen

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