Experience With a Care Process Model in the Evaluation of Pediatric Musculoskeletal Infections in a Pediatric Emergency Department

This study describes the implementation and impact of a CPM for the evaluation of musculoskeletal infections in a pediatric emergency department (ED). Methods A retrospective pre-post intervention study was performed to analyze the impact of a musculoskeletal infection CPM. Patients were identified retrospectively through electronic order history for imaging of an extremity or joint and recommended laboratory tests. Clinical outcomes evaluated included hospital length of stay (LOS), time to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), time to administration of antibiotics, hospital admission rate, and 30-day readmission rate. Results Musculoskeletal infection evaluations completed in the ED were reviewed from 1 year before implementation (n = 383) and 2 years after implementation (n = 1219) of the CPM. A significant improvement in the time to antibiotic administration for all patients (4.3 vs 3.7 hours, P
Source: Pediatric Emergency Care - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research