Difference between revisions of "Harbor:Operations manual"

Revision as of 01:35, 5 January 2017

ADULT ACUTE ED

Surge Plan

There are three levels of surge. The surge level is determined by meeting the "Resource Utilization Indicators" (see below). When a surge level is met, the patient flow facilitator, in consultation with the ED attending, will enact the surge plan. Alerts go out to all hospital departments. If you think criteria have been met to activate the Surge Plan - contact the Patient Flow Facilitator at x3434 or on Beeper x0939.

What Happens in the ED(1) at Different Surge Levels

Level 1
- Ambulance Diversion (Diversion is for ALS only, never BLS)
- Four RME Rooms should be converted to Fast Track if not already done
- Assign residents as available to staff the extra Fast Track rooms
- UR Nurse works with Hospitalist and Admitting Residents to identify 2.76 Transfers (Hospitalist and Nurse Analysts look for patients to transfer that County will find special funding for)
- Charge nurse facilitates full staffing of Gold Unit by reallocating staff as available

Level 2
- Above and:
- When beds are available upstairs, 4 OBS/CORE patients each hour are admitted and moved to inpatient beds. Hospitalist or CORE Cardiologist writes orders.

Level 3
- Above and:
- CMO or designee makes determination to go on Diversion to Trauma
- When beds are available upstairs, 6 OBS/CORE patients each hour are admitted and moved to inpatient beds. Hospitalist or CORE Cardiologist writes orders.

(1)There are multiple additional actions taken upstairs that are listed in the Surge Capacity Plan Policy (Hosp. Policy No. 337)

Resource Utilization Indicators (Need any 3, you no longer need a majority)

Level 1
- NEDOCS >140
- > 50 Patients in Triage/Waiting Room
- > 11 OBS/CORE/Boarders in AED
- Inpatient census > 320
- Low inpatient bed count (<16 Ward AND <5 ICU/PCU beds)

Level 2
- NEDOCS >180
- > 50 Patients in Triage/Waiting Room
- > 14 OBS/CORE/Boarders in AED
- Inpatient census > 330
- Lower inpatient bed count (<11 Ward AND <3 ICU/PCU beds AND No "Bump Bed" for Trauma or STEMI)
- 4 or more patients in the Recovery Room (PAR) awaiting ICU/PCU/SDU

Level 3
- NEDOCS 200
- > 75 Patients in Triage/Waiting Room
- > 17 OBS/CORE/Boarders in AED
- No available gurneys, chairs or monitors for new patients in ED
- Inpatient census > 345
- Low inpatient bed count (<5 ward AND 0 ICU/PCU beds with no "Bumps")
- 5 or more patients in the Recovery Room (PAR) awaiting ICU/PCU/SDU

(Hosp Policy 337)

Adult ED Attending Standard Work During Severe ED Overcrowding

1. Ensure that the MICN / Charge RN has updated the NEDOCS score.
2. If surge criteria met, call Patient Flow Facilitator to check if surge plan has been initiated.
3. If time allows, go through patient charts on the admissions track and contact admitting inpatient teams of patients that might be downgradable.
4. Consider using the RME Fast Track rooms to board admitted patients in order to free up more acute rooms.

(Director OPS, 3/13/17)

DISASTER INSTRUCTIONS

Detailed Instructions are in the CODE TRIAGE Notebook in the Radio Room

General Instructions

Everbridge System notification for callbacks if at home - REPORT to Treatment Area Manager for assignment
Activate “Code Triage” based on info from EMS/Reddinet: Criteria: Affects at least 10 patients and may exhaust the medical center’s resources (For less than 10 patients, can activate "Code Triage Alert")
Notify Incident Commander (IC)
1. Business day (M-F 8-5): Hosp Admin: x2101
2. After hours: House Supervisor: x3434
3. Request lockdown type from Administrator or House Supervisor
  1. No security threat anticipated: "Modified Lockdown"
  2. Possible security threat (including large number of family, etc) - "Full ED Lockdown"
4. Activate Trauma Team as appropriate
5. If HAZMAT -
  1. Charge RN assembles DECON team
  2. Small Scale - Decon Shower in ED - NA7 key
  3. If large scale - call mechanical to setup decon trailer x3301 (Takes up to 1 hour)
  4. (?) Consider activate 911 to get HAZMAT involved
Accept patients from EMS, generally we suggest the following initial maximums, but the situation will dictate need to exceed these numbers:
1. 10 Immediate
2. 20 Delayed
3. 20 Minor
4. Burns - we may need to accept up to 12 if system overwhelmed
A "sub-command" post will be set up and overseen by the Casualty Care Unit Leader (Nurse) in the Pedestrian Spine.
Assign roles:
1. Immediate Unit Leader (IUL): Purple (A) ED attending
  1. Location: Trauma Area, use AAED as needed
2. Delayed Unit Leader (DUL) - Green (B) Attending
  1. Location: AAED, RME, use Pedestrian Spine as needed
3. Pediatric Unit Leader (PUL) - Pediatric Attending
  1. Location: PED
Other Unit Leaders
- Casualty Care Unit Leader (ED=Casualty Care Unit) - Nurse Manager/RN
- Treatment Area Manager - Nurse Manager/RN
- Communications officer - MICN
- Triage Unit Leader - Overall Charge/Senior RN
- Expectant Unit Leader - RN
- DECON Unit Leader - Most experienced RN, NP, LVN, or NA on shift
IUL, DUL, PUL Responsibilities
1. Activate as per above
2. Put on vest
3. Inform CT, Xray of situation
4. Determine Spectra Phone numbers of other leaders (Additional Phones may be obtained from nursing office)
  - IUL________
  - DUL________
  - PUL_______
  - MTUL_________
  - Casualty Care Unit Leader (CCUL) (ED=Casualty Care Unit) _______
  - Treatment Area Manager (TAM)______
  - Communications officer (CO)_________
  - Triage Unit Leader (TUL) ________
  - Expectant Unit Leader (EUL)_________
  - DECON Unit Leader (DecoUL)_________
5. Facilitate transfers and DCs out of your area
6. Communicate situation with Trauma Attending
7. If additional staff needed - Notify TAM - can use Everbridge
8. For additional supplies/resources - notify TAM
9. Supervise care of patients in your area
10. At end - debrief with TAM
Minor Treatment Unit Leader (MTUL): Nurse Practitioner
1. Put on vest
2. Determine Spectra Phone numbers of other leaders (Additional Phones may be obtained from nursing office)
  - DUL________
  - PUL_______
  - MTUL_________
  - Casualty Care Unit Leader (CCUL) (ED=Casualty Care Unit) _______
  - Treatment Area Manager (TAM)______
  - Communications officer (CO)_________
  - Triage Unit Leader (TUL) ________
  - Expectant Unit Leader (EUL)_________
  - DECON Unit Leader (DecoUL)_________
3. Facilitate transfers and DCs out of your area
4. For additional supplies/resources - notify TAM
5. Supervise care of patients in your area
6. At end - debrief with TAM
Tracking Patients
1. Patients are initially tracked on paper form (HICS 254)
2. They are quick registered by Triage Unit as time permits
3. If can't quick register all - use disaster packets (Pedestrian spine storage by Router desk)
4. If disaster packets exhausted -- use Disaster Triage Tags (Pedestrian spine storage by Router desk)
Labor Pools
1. Physician – Resident’s Lounge
2. Other labor/Runners – Employee/Public Cafeteria
Communication Options
1. Spectra Phones - Primary communication tool in ED for Code Triage - Additional phones in nursing office.
2. Runners
3. Pay phones
  - Work on different system than hospital phones
4. Cell Phones
5. Reddi-net
  - Email to County Emergency Medical Services Agency and private EDs
6. Red Walkie-talkies - Channel 5 - Pedestrian Spine storage by Router Desk, for use by Casualty Care Unit Leader only, or all Unit leaders if Spectra phones do not work.
7. County-wide Integrated Radio System (CWIRS)
  - Long range
  - Links all County Depts/Facilites/Emerg Op Center

Area Setup

< 30 victims
- Triage - Triage Room and main entrance
- Post Triage - Pedestrian Spine
- Immediate - Trauma
- Delayed - AAED/PED
- Minor - RME
31-100 victims
- Triage - Triage Room and main entrance
- Post Triage
  - Immed and Delayed -Pedestrian Spine
  - Minor - Front of SE, possibly UCC WR or Old WR?
- Immediate - Trauma and AAED/PED
- Delayed - AAED/PED and RME
- Minor - UCC, Peds Clinic
>100 victims
- Triage - Triage Room and main entrance
- Post Triage
  - Immed -Pedestrian Spine
  - Delayed - Waiting Room
  - Minor - Public Walkway in Front of SE, possibly UCC WR or Old WR?
- Immediate - Trauma and AAED/PED and RME
- Delayed - RME. Pedestrian Spine
- Minor - UCC, OB-GYN Clinic, Peds Clinic
Pedestrian Spine
- Place color coded triage signs
- Place color coded cones for "post triage" areas
- Move 2 tray tables and 2 large trashcans to spine
- Move PPE cart w/ extra gloves to spine
Vehicle Entrance to Ambulance Ramp
- Line up wheelchairs, gurneys and spare backboards
- Housekeeping should get and assemble disaster gurneys from Trailer #2

Disaster Triage

ADULT AND YOUNG ADULT Triage Category Definitions
- Minor - Ambulates without assistance OR minor lower extremity injury
- Expectant - No spontaneous breathing after airway positioned
- Immediate
  - Apnea responds to positioning
  - RR >30
  - No palpable Radial Pulse/Cap refill > 2sec
  - AMS
- Delayed - Needs gurney but not immediate

CHILD Triage Category Definitions
- Minor - Ambulates without assistance OR minor lower extremity injury
- Expectant - No spontaneous breathing after airway positioned and 5 rescue breaths
- Immediate
  - Apnea responds to positioning or rescue breaths
  - RR <15 or >45
  - No palpable Radial Pulse/Cap refill > 2sec
  - Posturing or unresponsive
- Delayed - Needs gurney but not immediate

Supplies

Airway Cart –
Atropine - use ED supplies first- Mark I antidote stock in basement - requires MAC approval (see Code Triage Manual for Phone number)
Code Triage Packs - Wheelchair Storage Closet
Cones - Triage Color Coded - Wheelchair Storage Closet
Decon Team Supplies - Decon Closet - Second backboard closet outside of ambulance entrance - Keys in Pyxis in AAED (SE 1J25)
Decon Trailer - Trailer Lot
Disaster Cart - Central Supply and Linen Room SE BF09 - keys on big ring in Command Post (1L1) cupboard
Disaster Packets - (Pedestrian spine storage by Router desk)
Disaster Tags - (Pedestrian spine storage by Router desk)
Dosimeters - Radiation Safety Office Building N32
Geiger Counter
- 1 in ED Pyxis
- 6 in Radiation Safety Office Building N32
Gurneys, disaster – Trailer #3 - Give keys to housekeeping - they will open trailer and assemble gurneys
Keys - AAED Pyxis (SE 1J25)
- For instructions see disaster manual
Manuals for Area leaders- Wheelchair Storage Closet
PAPR - Decon Closet
PPE – Decon Team Supplies Closet - Second backboard closet outside of ambulance entrance - Keys in Pyxis in AAED (SE 1J25)
PPE - Level C - Decon Closet
Privacy Kits for Patients - Decon Trailer
Signs - Triage Station - Wheelchair Storage Closet
Trailers 1-5 [Whats in these?] - keys in Pyxis AAED
Vests - Wheelchair Storage Closet
Walkie-Talkies (Red) - (Pedestrian spine storage by Router desk)
Wheelchairs - (SE1A04) - NA7 Key

Dir OPS 9/14/16

iSTAT Tests

EG7: Na, K, Ca, Hgb/hematocrit, Blood Gas (pH, pCO2, pO2, TCO2, HCO3, base excess, sO2)

CG4: Lactate, Blood Gas (pH, pCO2, pO2, TCO2, HCO3, base excess, sO2)

Admitting a Patient

We have admitting privileges to all hospital services. Once a patient is admitted by us, the service has two hours to write admitting orders or the ED will do it for them. We should hold services to the two-hour time limit as closely as possible in order to expedite ED flow.

If you are not sure if a patient needs to be admitted, you may always consult the service instead. Please make sure that the residents make it clear to the service that they are either admitting or consult on a patient.

When admitting patients, please follow the "Admission and Consultation Guidelines" as closely as possible to determine which service to admit to. If not listed, emergency department determines the admitting service.

The admission process steps below should be followed in strict order to avoid admission errors.

Place an 'Interqual Request' to begin Utilization Review (UR) process.
Resident or nurse practitioner in RME must discuss the case with the attending, who must agree with the admission.
The attending must write a note in the orchid specifying the following three things:
- Service to admit to (if to the general surgical service, It should be listed as "Acute-Care Surgery" for the admitting service, even though the trauma service officially does all of our consults in the emergency department. Observation patients are not technically admitted, for these put "OBS", and for CORE patients put "CORE".
- Reason for admission: if the service itself made the decision to admit, then put "at request of ______ (Service). Otherwise note the brief medical indication for admission. "Placement" may be used as a reason to place the patient observation service; we do not admit placement patients to the hospital. You may put a more detailed justification in your attending note.
- Level of care (Ward, PCU, ICU, Tele)
Once the admission note is placed by the attending, then the resident may contact the service to inform them of the admission. At this time the service can discuss the admission with emergency physician if they feel the admission is not justified or the patient should be admitted to another service. It is especially helpful if they have other information about the patient which may be important for a disposition decision. The final decision rests with emergency physicians, but if there is significant disagreement the ED attending should be involved in the discussion.
Once the service has been informed, the ED resident should place the order "Request for Inpatient Bed", which defines the time of admission decision. From this time the admitting service has two hours to disposition the patient. They may discharge the patient, write admitting orders for the patient, or transfer the patient to another service. ED department physicians should not be involved in these transfers; once the patient has been transferred to a new service, that service must contact the ED at which time a new two-hour period is established. The admitting service is responsible for the care of the patient once the "Request for Inpatient Bed" order is placed
if the admitting service does not write admitting orders within the two-hour timeframe, the ED resident should contact the admitting service, or if unable, have made a reasonable effort to contact it makes service to inform them that the ED is going to write admitting orders. The ED resident then should proceed to write a brief admitting order set. ED attendings need to encourage the writing of admission order sets by the ED as soon after the two-hour time limit is up in order to expedite flow.

Observation (Gold/CORE)

Any OOP patients needing observation or CORE services should be transferred to an in-network hospital if they are stable - Peterson 5/2016
Only patients with internal medicine (or family medicine) covered illness can be placed on obs. All other services require admission (or transfer) - Lewis 5/2016
If the hospitalist is capped (cap is 20 if single overnight hospitalist coverage, which includes Obs and CORE leftover from dayshift, new Obs or CORE, and new admissions), and you have a patient you’d like to place in Observation, CORE, or an admission:
- Do not place the order for obs placement, CORE, or the ‘request for admit’ order. This becomes confusing for nursing who is actually managing the patient. Only place this order when you have discussed the patient and the care officially transfers to the inpatient/obs/CORE physician.
- Continue to manage the patient until the next hospitalist shift starts (typically 7:30am) or the next medicine slot is available.
- Do put in an Attending Admit Note at the time of the actual admit decision but document in your notes that patient is being held in the ED due to lack of hospitalist/Medicine capacity.

Dir AED, 7/2016

Admissions

Admission and Consultation Guidelines

The following guidelines for specific medical disorders are intended to expedite care of ED patients. They have been reviewed and agreed upon by all Departments and Divisions that provide consultation to the Adult ED.

The detailed guidelines can be found in decommissioned hospital policy 312 [Link Coming Here] which remain the agreed upon criteria until such time that new agreements are reached by individual departments with all stakeholders. New agreements are so annotated below.

Aortic Aneurysms

Traumatic thoracic aortic injury: Admit to Trauma Surgery
Non-traumatic thoracic aortic dissections:
- Type A, or with complication (hypotension, aortic insufficiency, vascular occlusion, tamponade): Cardiothoracc Surgery
- Type B: Medicine, with CT Surgery consultation
Abdominal aortic aneurysm: Trauma surgery, or vascular surgery if immediately available

Brain Death

Admit to the service who would have cared for the primary illness or injury
Admitting service should notify organ donation agency

Burns

Transfer to a hospital with a burn unit, if admission is required
Trauma surgery to provide consultation and admission if burn unit bed unavailable

Cellulitis(Non-maxillofacial)

Admit to medicine with the following exceptions
- Upper extremity (hand to the antecubital fossa): Hand call (plastic surgery or ortho)
- Necrotizing fasciitis or requiring surgery in 24 hours: Trauma Surgery

Dialysis fistula/graft problem (e.g. bleeding or thrombosed)^[1]

Fistula/grafts that do NOT need to go immediately to the operating room: admit to medicine (with inpatient vascular surgery consultation)
- For example, the patient in whom there was some bleeding, but trauma surgery or EM was able to place a suture in the ED and achieved hemostasis – if this patient needs further evaluation via vascular duplex or interventional radiology, this patient would get admitted to medicine with consults to vascular and renal.
Fistulas/grafts that warrant immediate operative intervention: admit to Trauma (then transferred to Vascular the next day)
- For example, TTA patient
Patients recently post-op for their fistula should always have an urgent surgical consultation in the ED

Decubitus Ulcers

Wound care primary indication for admission: Plastic Surgery
Placement, management of medical problems: Medicine

Deep venous thrombosis

Women, suspected DVT< 6wk postpartum: OB
Women, followed by gyn-onc, OR < 6wk post-op by gyn-onc: Gynecology
Post-operative DVT, < 6wk post-op: Surgical service who performed operation
All other DVTs: Medicine

Delirium/Dementia

Acute delirium: Medicine
Established dementia: Medicine
New onset or previously undiagnosed dementia: Neurology

GI Bleeding

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding: Medicine, with trauma consultation if patient is unstable
Lower gastrointestinal bleeding: Trauma Surgery, with appropriate consultation as needed for unstable medical conditions

Hand Injuries

Open and closed fractures of the forearm and hand: Orthopedics
Soft tissue injuries of hand up to AC fossa: Hand call (ortho or plastics)

Intracranial mass lesions

Solitary lesion with no other significant medical problem: Neurology (note, HIV positive or suspected HIV infection does not constitute significant medical problem)
Non-hemorrhagic intracranial mass lesion with urgent or emergent medical problem: Medicine
Solitary intracranial lesion at risk of herniation: Neurosurgery

Lower back pain

With neurologic deficit (motor, sensory or reflex): Neurosurgery
Without neurologic deficit: Orthopedics

Maxillofacial trauma

Soft tissue and bony injury: Face call
Orbital floor fx with ocular injury: Ophthalmology

Maxillofacial infections

Infections involving orbit: Ophthalmology
Dental infection or odontogenic abscess: OMFS
- "Tooth Call" pager: 800-233-7231 x32831 (per ENT 10-2-16)
Infection of sinuses, complicated dental infection with facial and/or neck extension: Head and Neck Surgery
Other maxillofacial infections: Face Call

Meningitis

Even MRN: Medicine
Odd MRN: Neurology
Significant medical problem not including positive HIV: Medicine

Osteomyelitis requiring admission

Even MRN or with urgent/emergent medical problems: Medicine
Odd MRN or requiring surgical management: Orthopedics

Painless Jaundice

Medicine

Pancreatitis

Effective 3/31/16, the following change in this practice will be implemented as approved by the Chairs of IM, Surgery, and EM:
Patients seen in the Emergency Department with pancreatitis who require admission to the hospital will undergo a right upper quadrant ultrasound by either a certified emergency medicine provider or in Radiology to determine the presence of gallstones. For ultrasound images acquired by emergency medicine physicians, the adequacy of the images to determine the presence or absence of gallstones will be determined by the emergency medicine attending physician;
Patients who are found to have gallstones and pancreatitis requiring hospital admission will be admitted to the Trauma/Acute Care Surgery service; and
Patients who have pancreatitis requiring hospital admission who do not have gallstones will be admitted to the Internal Medicine service.

Pyelonephritis

Pregnant women: Obstetrics
Pyelo with nephrolithiasis or other urinary tract obstruction: Urology

ROSC (Approved by the Chairs of IM and EM 5/1/16)

Patients whose cardiac arrest was of a presumed cardiac etiology, who obtain a sustained ROSC, will be admitted to the C-team;
Patients whose cardiac arrest was of a presumed non-cardiac etiology, who obtain a sustained ROSC, will be admitted to Medical Intensive Care Unit team; and
The presumed etiology will be determined by the ED Attending physician supervising the ED care of the patient.

Septic Arthritis

Involving the shoulder or hips, unless concurrent medical condition requiring urgent/emergent intervention: Orthopedics
All other joints: Medicine

Spinal Injuries

Spine call rotates between Neurosurgery and Ortho Spine.
- When Ortho Spine is on call, they would like the Ortho resident p0345 to be called for the following indications: boney and structural spine problems, such as trauma, infection, degenerative, stenosis, disk, and boney tumors and diskitis /osteomyelitis for patients aged 18 and up with or without neurologic deficit.
- Neurosurgery will continue to see intradural pathologies and pediatric patients under the age 18. For patients with head trauma for which a neurosurgical consult is being obtained, it may be best for them to also be the consulting service for concomitant spine pathology, to ease the coordination of care.

How to know who is on call:
- Spine call has been added onto the ED Call List made the clerks each morning, please look there to see which service is on call for spine emergencies.
- You can also look on intranet page ‘Call Schedule’ link which takes you to MedHub (new amion) – if the Orthopedic Surgery Spine Call section is blank, that means Neurosurgery is on call. If there are names listed, then that means Ortho Spine is on call.

A.Wu, Dir AED 10/28/16

Stroke

Nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage requiring surgical intervention: Neurosurgery
Traumatic intracranial hemorrhage: Neurosurgery consultation, generally Trauma Surgery admission
Stroke and requiring urgent/emergent medical therapy: Medicine
All other strokes admitted to Neurology

See Harbor:Code stroke

Thyroid Masses

Refer to endocrinology

Trauma patients

Can admit to subspecialty service when only one organ system involved, at discretion of Trauma Surgery

Vaginal Bleeding

If symptomatic anemia from vaginal bleeding and requires extended stay and greater than 2U pRBC's, admit to Gyn (not obs)

Direct Admission after Hours

If a patient who appears stable presents to the ED stating they are a direct admission, they should be sent to ED registration
- ED registration will confirm with bed control/patient flow that the appropriate paperwork has been completed
  - If the patient was inadvertently registered prior to discovering they were a direct admit, they can be removed ("registration in error")
- If the paperwork has not been completed, ED registration will attempt to contact the admitting physician to complete the process
- If they are unable to contact an admitting physician, the patient should be directed back to the router for entry into the ED process
Patients may directly placed in CORE by cardiology without ED evaluation
All patients going to Observation must be evaluated in the ED with an ED Chart completed (no direct placements on Observation by clinics, etc.)
Any inpatient direct admissions presenting before 8pm on Weekdays: admitting physician directly contacts Bed Control (x2185) for Ward Beds or Patient Flow (x3434) for Tele/PCU beds
If after 8pm on weekdays, or weekends and holidays: Admitting physician completes "Clinic/Emergency/Urgent Admission Request Form" (can be obtained from ED registration window x2075/2076/2078 or Bed Control)

Admitting physician provides a copy of the request to ER Registration and they create a pre-admit FIN
Admitting physician provides a copy of the request to Bed Control/informs location of patient to release bed (ER)
1. UR (x3226) financially clears patient or calls to obtain authorization (if OOP) and informs Bed Control of approval or denial
  1. If the patient is denied, UR informs the admitting physician and Bed Control of denial
  2. Admitting physician then must decide whether this is urgent and needs to be seen in ED and transferred to in-network hospital or stable for outpatient treatment
  3. If patient is DHS (approved), admitting physician inputs the admitting order on the pre-admit FIN
ER Physician will document the patient's presence in AWR/ED as a Pre-arrival with name and patient location (AWR or room #) with brief note with admitting service and physician to contact for questions (pager #)
1. If a patient is stable, they should wait in AWR until upstairs bed is available; reassessment should occur per nursing protocol (q2 hours for ESI 2-3)
2. If the patient needs to be watched for any reason, they can be placed in an internal WR (RME 7, 8, or 12) until upstairs bed is ready
3. If a patient is in any way unstable or requires immediate intervention or cardiac monitoring, they should be registered and seen as an ED patient and the admitting team should be notified of the change in patient status as soon as possible
The Scheduled Admission Office (x2137) is open from 530am until 8pm, and admitting physicians should take stable patients there while awaiting a bed. If no bed is obtained by 8pm, then the admitting physician will be contacted and their service should take the patient to the ED to wait until a bed is obtained. They should be held in the WR and placed on the tracking board as a pre-arrival, but not registered in the ED as they already have admission orders.

Chappell 7/2016

Social Work Consultation Guidelines

Generally, please call Social Work early if you anticipate any issues so they can get things during business hours and get to families before they leave. Consult by placing a social work order in Orchid (documents consult time).

1. Transportation home:

bus:

a. during day 8-4:30 - send to s/w office / page s/w for bus fare voucher

b. nights/wkends/holidays - call nurings supervisor @ x3434 to approve bus token and then pt can pick it up from ER registration

taxi:

a. IF PT IS UNINSURED - limited number of vouchers - if MEDICALLY necessary (ie can't take bus for medical reason) - s/w can help with this -

b. IF PT IS INSURED (including medi-cal) - insurance company will pay for taxi (pt may have to wait a few hours) - consult s/w and they can help figure it out

ambulance:

a. IF PT IS INSURED (including medi-cal) if patient is insured (including Medi-Cal) - and they medically cannot take a taxi, the insurance company will pay for an ambulance home - (it has to be medically necessary - pt cannot ambulate, here w/o their wheelchair, etc).

kids without car seats:

(for kids who arrive (usually by ambulance) w/o a car seat), we do not have car seats available. however, options are:

a. take the bus home (no need for car seat)

b. have someone bring a car seat and pick them up or go home in a taxi w/ the car seat that is brought

2. Patient who are homeless:

a. Housing First - looking for patients with chronic illness (HTN, diabetes, psych, etc) who have had 2+ visits. Put in s/w consult and they will evaluate. If eligible - they will help sign up the patient - however,

b. Patients discharged overnight who are not safe to go out into the night CANNOT wait in the ED lobby. However, they can wait in the main hospital lobby in front of the social work offices to speak w/ s/w for resources on housing in the AM.

3. Durable Medical Equipment (DME)

Order in ORCHID is "DME subphase." Items can be selected from a list of available supplies or enter item under ‘Misc’. MD also enters an end date, quantity, or refill amount.
Call Durable Medical Equipment (DME) office at ext 5497 Frank and provide patient’s MRN. Hours Mon-Fri 8 am to 5 pm, office is near old Ped ED, current Heart Station
Frank prints the ORCHID script and faxes to patient’s insurance company. Supplies will be delivered directly to patient’s address in approximately 4-5 days. If necessary, ensure patient has some supplies until delivery starts.

A.Wu, Dir AAED 12/7/16

walkers

a. first, MD enters prescription in ORCHID. Then call Frank who is w/ DME medical supply company - see above - during business hours - ext 5497.

b. if during business hours and no reply from Frank, consult s/w. s/w may help get patient home and then arrange for home walker delivery (see bullet a. - it may take a few days for insurance to approve). insurance may pay for it - but it may take a while

c. if after hours, there is a limited supply of walkers for use after hours when DME office is closed. Ask Charge Nurse to obtain from Nursing Supply Office.

d. if all else fails and pt is unsafe to go home, then we must place the patient in obs

A.Wu, Dir AAED 12/7/16

wheelchairs

a. same as above, except we do not have a secret stash

other DME

a. process is same - just for supplies - patients will not get delivery for 4-5 days - so make sure they have 4-5 day supply when they go home.

4. Patients whom family is no longer able to take care of

Please page social work asap - before family leaves - s/w will work with them to see if:

a. IN HOME SUPPORT SERVICES (IHSS) - Medi-Cal program - can either be started or have hours increased (to help w/ supervision, cooking, bathing, grocery shopping, other ADLs)

b. other community resources are available

c. help family brainstorm other ideas

d. if family dumps patient and doesn't respond, s/w may file an adult protective services report

e. if the patient truly needs to be placed and resources and strategies of a/b/c do not work, per Dr. Wu, please admit to obs and the inpatient team will work on placement from there

5. Pt/family not happy with current skilled nursing facility (SNF)

a. generally, this is not an appropriate use of the ED - the family needs to work with the SNF s/w to facilitate transfer to another SNF, exception point c. below

b. if actual abuse, s/w at Harbor can help w/ adult protective services report

c. APPROPRIATE if pt needs a HIGHER level of care b/c of medical needs - then s/w at Harbor can help

d. Different levels of care are outlined in slides (attached) - shelter vs respite vs board and care vs SNF vs ?

6. Clothing rack / clothing for patients

a. s/w has a small stash in ED - consult/page to get access

b. volunteers office has a slightly larger stash but only open 8-5 m-f (Dr. Solorio, Dr. Wu, and Dr. Hsieh are working on how to get after hours access 10/20/16)

c. ED stash - in need of donations for men's pants, flip flops, sweat pants, sweat shirts

7. Patients who need PT/OT for placement

a. place the patient in obs for placement and PT/OT evaluation - this way the hospitalist can then admit the patient from obs if they cannot get PT/OT (which they more likely than not cannot) - this is needed to document the need for PT/OT so we can get resources (it shows how many avoidable admissions there can be as the ED hospitalists are collecting this data manually).

Mandatory Reporting of Adverse Events

There are events which we must report to the state in a timely fashion or face being penalized by State Licensing. Below are some general guidelines for what to report. Please make sure that the ED attending is aware of these events and documents their involvement in the record.

Events must be reported within 4 hours to both of the following:

PSN (Patient Safety Net)
Risk Management x2168

Events to be Reported

Procedure performed on a wrong body part, patient, or the wrong procedure all together.
Retention of a foreign object (e.g. central line guidewire)
Patient death or serious disability through any actions or errors which are not an expected part of the patients medical condition or treatment, including elopement of an incompetent individual or minor, or an assault.
Visitor or staff death or severe disability while on hospital grounds for any reason.
An infant discharged to the wrong person.
A maternal death or serious disability within 42 days post delivery
Any instance of care ordered by or provided by someone impersonating a physician, nurse, pharmacist, or other licensed health care provider.
Any abduction or sexual assault of anyone on hospital grounds.

(Ref: Reporting Form – Adverse Events -Julie Rees)

(Hospital policies 612A, 612B 5/14)

Prescriptions

Lost Triplicate Prescriptions

If you find that your providers are missing prescriptions or are contacted from a pharmacy regarding suspected fraudulent prescriptions please do the following as required by the Department of Justice,.If you are unsure if you are missing any individual prescriptions, please assume that they have been stolen and report.

The loss or theft must be reported by the physician to local law enforcement. The physician should take note of the law enforcement agency report number.
The loss or theft must be reported by the physician to the Department of Justice Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) program. A law enforcement agency report number is required when submitting a report of lost or stolen prescription forms to CURES.
The physician should notify the California State Board of Pharmacy.
The physician should notify the Medical Board of California.
In addition, to the above 4 steps please email Dr. Harrington at dharrington@dhs.lacounty.gov.

D. Harrington, 11/3/16

Safe Pain Medication Prescribing Guidelines

We will be shortly launching the implementation of the Safe Pain Medication Prescribing Guidelines, a Los Angeles county-wide project to decrease inappropriate opioid prescriptions from the ED and other settings. Patients will receive upon discharge a color pamphlet (English or Spanish) explaining the project, including messages about how stolen prescriptions need to be reported to the police, that the ED does not refill pain pills and that pain pills for chronic pain should really come from a single, continuity provider. Residents, NPs, and nursing staff got some in-depth lectures about this. (Dir Adult ED 10/14/14)

Boarding

Boarding Patients Sent from Clinic

Just a reminder to the seniors in the Emergency Department running the board: the correct procedure for patients admitted from clinic who do not need a monitored bed, especially when the clinic is closing, is for the clinic to contact the patient flow facilitator to assist in locating a bed in the hospital, and only contact the emergency department to board the patient if the flow facilitator cannot make other arrangements.

Monitored bed patients can be sent from the clinic to the emergency department to board when we are out of monitored beds. If it does not sound like the patient needs a monitored bed, please talk to the ED attending.

Triaging Clinic Patients

Because we have a large volume of patients waiting at any given time, many of whom are quite ill, we support independent medical decision-making about whether a patient coming from a clinic needs immediate attention or can safely wait to be triaged.

We do ask however that when triaging clinic patients, you follow the same protocol we use for ambulance patients (see below 1.9.2). Specifically, should a resident decide that a clinic patient is stable to go wait in the waiting room, they discuss it with the attending and document that decision in the medical record. You can use the same autotext you'd use for an ambulance patient.

Regarding sending the patient to RME: we have no workflow that allows a patient to be placed directly into RME - please do not ask the nursing staff to do this. If you decide that the patient is not stable to go to the waiting room and be triaged, then please keep them in the AAED.

(Dir. OPS, February 03, 2015)

Triaging Ambulance Patients

We have no requirement that ambulance patients get an AAED room immediately, since often we have sicker patients waiting in the waiting room. Patients may be triaged out to the waiting room after arriving by ambulance, but the following procedure should be followed

An RN performs the initial triage and if the patient obviously needs a room the nurse should room the patient
If the nurse believes the patient is stable to be triaged normally, a resident should evaluate the patient. The attending is not required initially. This is the responsibility of the A Team Senior Resident.
If the resident feels the patient is stable to go to triage - they go to triage ONLY after discussion with the attending and a note documents this decision.
Use the dotphrase documentation ".edambulancetriage"

(Dir. OPS, February 03, 2015)

Follow up in CCC

Any questions, call CCC ext 8117, Monday - Friday 8AM-4:30PM
Step 1: The Continuity Care Clinic (CCC) is for patients WITHOUT any resources
- To check this:

Check the empaneled provider section in the banner bar.
Check to see if this patient has previously been seen in primary care or family medicine
OOP icon or MHLA icon (MyHealthLA)
DHS MediCal patients, have assigned PMD but patient may not know, need to call insurance.

If yes to any of the above, patient cannot go to CCC. They have to contact their clinic/provider and arrange follow up.
If they want to switch to Harbor UCLA, they can call their own insurance plan, or go to Member Services 1B1 for assistance, ext 5350. For MHLA patients, they can also contact MHLA directly and request the change
If they are Out of Country/County, they can go to Registration Rm 108, 1st floor main hospital), ext 8101 to change their address.
The only exception to this is for lab / symptom telephone follow up.

Step 2: CCC is only for patient's dispositioned HOME.
- If the patient was dispositioned to Obs/CORE/Psych ED/Admitted, they cannot go to CCC.
- Don’t place the ‘ED Post Visit Plan’ form for CCC referral until you’ve decided the patient’s final disposition. Otherwise, if you place it too early, you have to cancel or ‘place in error’ the referral form.

Step 3: CCC/PVCC Functions:
- CCC hours: Monday - Friday 8AM-4:30PM
- No abnormal lab result review after hours or on weekends
- If results addressed by ordering provider or ED, please document in ORCHID what was done.
- Lab / Symptom / Wound follow-up:
  - Be specific re: f/u time frame when filling out the PVCC form or clinical judgment will be used
- Referrals though e-consult: only non-urgent, not time-sensitive >2wks f/u
  - CCC review/submission: 24-72hrs
  - Specialist review: 72-96hrs, f/u time frame determined by specialist
  - Appointment Service Center (ASC) contacts patient to schedule the appointment. This is the rate limiting step.
    - To see if the e-consult was approved, you can check 'consultation notes.' If you find that the e-consult was approved, feel free to give the patient their e-consult ID number and the phone number to ASC to schedule their appointment. (855-521-1718).
  - If request for specialty visit <2wks, do not use CCC. Instead, call specialty consultant to schedule appt prior to d/c
  - ED can book directly into some clinics, such as 72 hour exercise treadmill tests, GYN UCC, Sports Med, Expedited Work Up Clinic, etc.
  - CCC does not have access to schedule 72 hour exercise treadmill tests or Sports Med.
  - To facilitate e-consult, if outside records available, ask ED clerk to copy and upload to ORCHID
- Bridge to getting a PMD if patient has Ambulatory Care Sensitive Condition
  - ACSC (Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions):
    - Chronic conditions which appropriate outpt care prevents inpt admission and/or complications.
    - Asthma, CHF, Cancer, CVA, ESRD, CF, DM, HIV/AIDS, IBD, Heart Dz, HL, Neuromuscular dz, Psych d/o, CKD, RA, Sz d/o, Substance abuse d/o, Specified debilitating conditions
    - CCC will work to transition to primary care via NERF submission

Step 4: fill out ‘ED Post Visit Plan’ in the Depart Process. Select ‘PVCC/CCC – Har’ and fill out the form to put patient on their tracking list.
- Permission for proxy to assist: Occasionally CCC will need to discuss prior certain health information with a proxy, family/friend of patient, if a patient is disabled with physical, psychological, or cognitive impairment. If you write in your PVCC referral: “{Patient} gives permission for {person's name and relationship} to discuss post ED visit plan of care” then CCC is able to use this as verbal consent for further care coordination.
- Forgot to do the form, patient off the tracking board. If the patient is already removed from the tracking list, and you want them on the follow up track, you have to go through a couple extra steps to put them on the follow up track. Time limit for delayed submission is 7 days.

1. Highlight your patient on the “HAR Look Up” track
2. Click ‘Modify Event’ on the toolbar.
3. Then, manually request the BOTH:
4. ‘Post Visit PVCC’ for adult patients or ‘Post Visit Peds’ for peds patients,
5. AND ALSO manually request ‘Post Visit Follow Up’ event to put the patient on the follow up track.

- If you placed the form by accident, cancel the PVCC form or place ‘in error’ notification. Example, if patient doesn’t get discharged from ED, need to cancel PVCC form if placed earlier.

Step 5: Finish your ED Provider Note. CCC can’t do anything until you’ve finished your note!
- I know we all get tired of writing notes at the end of our shift, but we MUST complete our ED Provider Note in a timely fashion, as the CCC can’t coordinate any care unless you’ve finished your note.

Please note:

CCC generally communicates with us through Message Center if there are any issues.
Be very careful about your messaging to the patient. They are going to receive a phone call in a few business days. Do not write that they will be contacted or seen within 1-2 days, as CCC needs a little more flexibility than that. CCC is diligent and thorough, your patients will not fall through the cracks. Some patients become angry when the CCC ends up just being a phone call symptom check vs face to face. If you think the patient really needs a face to face, tell them to go to Urgent Care.
Just like when we filled out the MLK referral form, patients who are being referred for elective cholecystectomy or hernia repair need a BMI in the chart. This determines which service will perform the surgery. You can ask and manually put in the weight. Then CCC staff can just put in the eConsult without having to bring the patient back for an in-person appointment and having all the relevant information easily at hand in the chart.
Please don't use CCC to obtain stress testing. Keep in mind that the CCC needs at least 2 business days to complete an action. If you want a stress test, please order it and have the clerk book an appointment.

A. Wu, Dir AAED Dec 6, 2016

Follow up In Other Clinics

How to Book
1. No Booking: Call the clinic directly and their unit clerk will book the appt
  1. Anticoagulation (Coumadin clinic), M-F 8am-4pm Ext. 5159, M-F after hours 4-9pm pager 9995, S- Sun 8am-8pm Pager 9995
  2. Mira Niko Cardiology/Anticoagulation Clinic Coordinator
  3. Cardiology (specialty services),Mira Niko/ kim Ext 5146 7am -11pm, Ok to book during after hours only 11pm -7am
  4. Breast Clinic, Pamela Ext 3475
  5. CCC, Marina ext: 8117
  6. Diabetes Clinic, Jose Ext 1864
2. OK to book: with consultant approval - get name of approving doctor
  1. ENT
  2. ORTHO
  3. GYN
  4. PEDS
  5. SURGERY
  6. UROLOGY
  7. OPHTHO
  8. 72 HRS STRESS TEST
  9. CARDIOLOGY (after hours only 11pm-7am)
  10. Expedited Work-up Clinic (EWC)- HAR PC Room 8 - see below section

Follow up in Expedited Work-up Clinic (EWC)

This clinic primary serves to avoid admitting stable patient for diagnostic evaluation. Ideal candidates are those patients that would be admitted in the absence of EWC, and do not have a primary care provider. Patients must have reliable contact information to attend this clinic.
The form that previously was required to be fax is no longer required/accepted. The clinic will be available every Tuesday PM in the PCDC Basement Clinics (B and C).
Katrina Pasion, RNI, is the EWC care coordinator. Please address any questions to her via ORCHID communication, Outlook email kpasion@dhs.lacounty.gov, or 310-222-2859.

Clinical Problems to be referred to EWC:

New onset ascites: This must be a new diagnosis and first presentation of ascites. Requires paracentesis performed in ED to rule out infection, SAAG >1.1, transaminases < 3x normal, rapid HIV, CBC, lipase, CMP. No referral for therapeutic paracentesis alone, No evidence of pancreatitis or biliary obstruction.
Anemia (Hgb< 8g/dL on initial presentation): Requires CBC, peripheral smear, CMP, rapid HIV, ECG, CXR, type and screen No evidence of pancytopenia, HIV, leukemia, active GI/GU bleeding, or evidence of hemolysis. Patients with suspected gynecologic etiology should be referred to the GYN service. Post transfusion CBC required.
Weight loss, unexplained >10% w/in 1 month or >15% in 6 months: Requires CBC, CMP, ECG, CXR, rapid HIV. Patients with prior imaging must have actual images or be instructed to retrieve images prior to clinic appointment.
Undiagnosed mass (excluding primary breast /brain masses): Requires results or radiographic imaging to confirm presence of mass. Patients with prior imaging must have actual images or be instructed to retrieve imaging prior to clinic appointment.
New onset pleural effusion: Requires thoracentesis, CMP, CBC, serum amylase, LDH, and pleural fluid analysis (predominant lymphocytic effusion or high suspicion for Tuberculosis must be admitted). Chest CT only if immediately clinically indicated (ie. suspicion for pulmonary embolism).

Clinical Criteria:
- Patient is stable (T< 38.3c, HR<100, RR <24, BP >110/50, BP <180/110, pulse ox >92% on room air, oriented x 4)
- Able to be seen in 2-10 business days without significant risk
- No ACTIVE co-morbidities (ie infection, CAD, CHF, stroke, metastatic cancer, renal failure, dyspnea).
- Patient has RELIABLE contact information.

Joy Lagrone, 10/12/16; A. Wu. Dir AED 10/27/16

Family Viewing of Deceased Patients

If you have a death in the ED, please don't direct family to the morgue and don't promise body viewing. If the death is potentially criminal (violence, hit and run, etc.), the family may not be allowed near the body for concerns of evidentiary integrity. For any death that we will be disclosing to the family, the ED social worker should be present to handle the details of discussing body and funeral preparations with the family.

Dir AAED Mar 29, 2015

Law Enforcement Escorting Patients Out Of the Emergency Department

Because of the potential conflicts with EMTALA law, it is important that a physician be involved in any decision to remove any patient or potential patient from the emergency department. For this reason, any time law enforcement is either requested by nursing staff, or decides on its own, to escort a patient from the emergency department (including the waiting room), an attending physician should be notified and agree with (and document) the decision. The House Supervisor should also be notified (x3434) before involving law enforcement. Documentation should specifically state that the patient has had a medical screening exam and does not have an emergency medical condition, or if there is an emergency medical condition that it has been appropriately stabilized. Obviously, it should also be safe for the patient to be removed from the emergency department.

Dir AED 5/26/16

Orders on Admitted Patients

Recently we had problems in the care of a patient due to both the emergency physician and the admitting team writing non-emergent orders on the patient at the same time.

Please do not write orders an admitted patient unless it is an emergency. If you do write an order on the an admitted patient, please communicate this as soon as reasonably possible to the admitting team. If nursing staff request that you write non-emergent orders on an admitted patient, please direct them to call the admitting team.

Admission officially occurs at the time you place the order "Request for Admit", and only after you've communicated with the admitting team about admission (or made a reasonable attempt to do so)

Dir OPS 5/5/15

Harbor Ebola Precautions

Never enter a room with an Ebola PUI (Person Under Investigation) without full Ebola level PPE.
The definition of a PUI is simple - possible exposure to Ebola and subjective complaints consistent with Ebola infection (basically viral syndrome symptoms or abdominal pain or bleeding). No fever or other visible findings are required to classify the patient as a PUI patient.
Currently countries identified as travel locations we should be concerned about are coded into the "ID Risk Screen" the routers perform and you can find on Cerner under "Provider Notes"
There are other ways to be exposed to Ebola virus: including sexual intercourse with a patient who has recovered from an Ebola infection.
As soon as the patient is identified as a PUI - they should go straight into isolation (in AAED or PED, not RME); all further evaluation is done there.
Residents should not be in a room with a PUI patient - only attendings and fellows acting as attendings should be involved in wearing PPE and entering a PUI room
Notify the infectious disease service that you have a PUI patient in the emergency department - they will guide further screening to determine if the patient can be cleared or not.
PUI patients are not allowed to use the sink or toilet. Mechanical should bring a porta-potty for patient use.
The policy of the County of Los Angeles is that any provider may decline to care for a PUI patient. Nursing has a list of nurses who have volunteered to care for PUI patients.
Extreme care should be taken in any situation where a PUI patient may undergo a procedure that aerosolizes body fluids - the best PPE in this case is a PAPR unit - which is a helmet with a positive pressure fan. We will receive additional training on these in the future.
There is a cart in the AAED that contains all of the PPE equipment to care for a PUI patient. It is currently across from the B side desk in the AAED, and looks like all the other yellow PPE carts. We are in the process of having it marked with a large "E" to distinguish it from the other PPE carts.
In the top drawer of the Ebola PPE cart is a binder that has step by step instructions for getting into and out of PPE for both the treating provider and that provider's "buddy". We will plan more training to refresh everyone on this.
The instruction book also contains a log to record who goes in and out of a PUI room.
UCLA Medical Center in Westwood will be our referral center for patients who cannot be cleared in a reasonable timeframe' or become confirmed Ebola patients. The decision for the timing of transfer will be made in conjunction with the infectious disease consultant.
EMS has a special unit to transport such patients - make sure they're aware that you have a PUI or confirmed case of Ebola.

M. Peterson 5/8/15

Contacting the Attending On-Call/Problems with On-Call Physicians

When you need to urgently contact the attending on a consulting or admitting service I would suggest your follow this approach, assuming the resident or fellow on the service hasn’t been able or willing to reach their attending and have them call you:

Check AMION to see if the attending’s pager, cell-phone, and home phone numbers are listed. If so, try those numbers, in that order;
If no information listed on AMION allows you to reach the attending, then call the hospital operator and ask the operator to contact the physician via his or her home number. (They may not release the number to you - in that case they should dial it for you.)
If you still have no luck, and it is a true emergency then please text Roger Lewis’ cell at 310-720-1661. You can also call Dr. Lewis but texting gives a better record of the issue and makes it easier to respond and address.

A true emergency is something in which a delay in care is likely to permanently affect outcome (e.g., STEMI, testicular torsion, SDH);

DEM Chair, Dir OPS 5/18/15

On Call Plan - Emergency Department Attending Physicians

When it becomes clear for any reason that an Attending Physician in the Adult or Pediatric ED will be unable to cover a scheduled shift due to illness or personal emergency, that physician should:

Send out a group wide email in an attempt to find coverage, as time permits.
Outside business hours, contact the attending on duty in emergency department, who will notify involved physicians that the shift extension backup plan is in effect (see section 5 below). Contact information for all ED physicians is available on our intranet website http://www.emedharbor.edu/private/
During business hours, call the Department Offices at 310 222-3500 and inform Maria Figueroa, or if unavailable, Juno Chen. Maria (or Juno) will contact the Chair, or in his absence, one of the Vice Chairs, who will initiate an e-mail attempt to arrange coverage. If no coverage is found, the Chair or Vice Chairs will notify the attending in the emergency department to activate the shift extension backup plan.
Part time hourly physicians and volunteer physicians are not obligated under this plan, but will be compensated for their time per their usual agreement should they decide to cover additional hours under this plan.
Shift Extension Back-up Plan: When no coverage can be found - the physicians working the shifts before and after the missed shift will extend their shifts to 12 hours to cover the missed shift. AAED A-team physicians are responsible to cover A-team absences and AAED B-Team for B-Team absences, and PED team physicians cover PEDS team absences.
In the event one of the covering physicians is a part-time physician and unable to extend their shift, the physician from the opposite team should extend their shift to 12 hours to help cover the missed shift.
A full-time faculty member or Fellow will generally be responsible for making up the first 2 shifts missed from any single incident. At the discretion of the Chair, the requirement to make up subsequent shifts may be waived.
- Faculty will not be required to pay back specific individuals who worked their missed shifts. Shift pay back will be accomplished through the regular scheduling process.
- Faculty working extra to cover missed shifts should notify the scheduler to ensure appropriate credit is given.

(Dir of OPS 6/2/15, Upheld by Fulltime Faculty Vote on 5/10/16)

Trauma Activations

In addition to the standard trauma activation criteria published on a badge card that everyone should carry and refer to, the Trauma Service can be activated in patients not meeting trauma criteria to help in several ways:

Getting CT scans READ quickly (Trauma will read them)
Getting lots of extra hands to do whatever needs to be done for the patient.
Getting surgical decisions made more quickly.

You can even activate the trauma service if you have a non-trauma patient that needs emergent surgical intervention.

All of these decisions are covered under "ED Judgment"

(Dir OPS 7/15)

Lab

Gonorrhea/Chlamydia
- Purple/White - cervical and urethral specimens
- Yellow - urine specimen
- Orange - vaginal specimen

Critical Lab/Radiology Results Callback

Lab or radiology calls ED for critical result, senior resident or attending takes the call
If patient is admitted, lab/radiology told to contact admitting team
If patient is discharged already, then patient is called back by senior resident/attending
Senior resident/attending documents a note of whether patient was able to be reached
If patient is returning to ED for re-evaluation, then place pre-arrival note and notify the charge nurse

Radiology

CT Scanner Specs

CT: Toshiba Aquilion Prime, Weight capacity: 660 lbs, Max Diameter (CT 2): 78 cm (approximately 30 inches).

Rules for Performing ED Ultrasounds

Always know ahead of time if the exam you are doing is "for the record" or for "training" only. ANY EXAM WHICH FACTORS IN ANY WAY INTO THE CARE OF YOUR PATIENT OR INTO YOUR DECISION MAKING AT ANY POINT IS "FOR THE RECORD"

"For the Record" Exams

Your attending MUST be approved in the exam you are doing EVEN if you also are. If your attending is not, you cannot do the exam. Ask your attending. If not sure, check WikEM Ultrasound Approval List.
If you are approved in the exam you may perform the exam and report and use the results without any attending over-read if you are confident with the results.
If you are NOT approved, your approved attending MUST confirm your findings BEFORE you report your results verbally (including calling out results in a trauma or discussing with a consultant) or in writing.
All "for the record" exam images must be uploaded to Synapse (except in cases where there isn't time to create an order). If you can't upload - note why in your ultrasound procedure note.
If you are not approved - your images should NOT be uploaded until reviewed by an approved attending.
All for the record exams should be documented in an Ultrasound Procedure note, along with your approved attending's name. Please DO NOT put results in your H&P, other than to mention "see Procedure Note". Procedure notes are designed to prevent you from over reporting on findings you are not trained in.

If your exam does not meet all the criteria for a "for the record" exam, it must be treated as a "training" exam , and any findings can not be reported or used to make decisions.

"Training" Exams

Ask the patient for verbal permission to perform. These are not covered by the ED consent the patient signs.
Never use info from a training exam for patient care decisions.
Do not record anything about the exam in a procedure note or in the medical record.
Do not upload any images from a training exam.
If asked by a consultant or the patient or anyone else what the US shows - say only "I'm training so I'm not allowed to comment on what I think I see in the exam"
During Trauma Activations - please delay training exams until after the initial resuscitation period, to avoid confusion. DO NOT CALL OUT RESULTS as the assumption will be that this was an exam "for the record".

T. Jang, Dir. of ED Ultrasound 11/3/16

Occupational Exposure

Charge RN has the exposure packet that needs to be filled out to avoid employee getting the bill
Check hep C on patient (consent not needed) and ensure employee has Hep B vaccine; no blood testing of the employee in the ED
- if patient refuses HIV, it can be added on to a pre-existing blood specimen but the results may not be shared with the patient
Call HIV service (501-4260) if rapid HIV is positive and clinically meaningful exposure (penetration of skin or mucosal exposure with blood or CSF)
Message Erika Sweet at employee health after any exposure to ensure follow-up

Weapons in ED

As a general rule, no patients should have weapons on them, even if they have concealed weapons permit.
No visitors should have weapons. The only exception to visitors carrying weapons are active peace officers.
We are working with hospital administration to make this hospital policy for campus grounds.
If you encounter issues, call the Sheriffs Department for assistance.

A.Wu, Dir AAED, 12/9/16

RME/TRIAGE

RME Phones

RME Charge x23930
Martee x23973

MSE Resident x23223
MSE NP x23209
FT Resident x23210
FT NP x23203
FT NP #2 x23222

USA M-F 7a-11p x29736 (Francisco 7a-3p, XXXXX 3p-11p)

Chappell 10/2016

RME Patient Flow

Patient arrival --> router who assign triage priority (cardiac, high, normal) and quick reg so orders can be placed
Team Triage --> VS by RN with required questions, MSE by Physician/NP
1. Designate patient end location
  1. AED/12 (task then RME 12 - notify RME charge if next back),
  2. AED/AWR (task then waiting room - can be converted to RME2 once workup is negative, but likely AED patient based on ESI 2-3 workup),
  3. RME (will be a RME discharge but something is ordered that will not be immediately resulted - UA, etc),
  4. RME2 (ready for d/c, just needs to be typed up ... Rx, work note, CCC)
2. Designate next room location (change on the tracking board)
  1. RME2 - registration will escort to FT WR's (RME 2-3) for discharge
  2. RME6 - registration will escort to tasking area (RME 6-9) for initiation of workup/treatment
3. If arrival to triage is >60 minutes, an additional RN should assist with triage (and provider should be pulled from FastTrack if needed to keep up with the screening)
Registration (behind triage 3)
1. Patients sit in chairs in hall until seen by registration staff; if no staff, then registration will be done in the back
2. At a minimum, the "financial screening" to determine DHS eligibility will occur, but if slow arrival flow of patients, can perform complete registration at this point
3. There should be a second registration clerk in RME who can catch any missed patients (ie, bypassed triage for ECG)
FastTrack
1. If patient is eligible for UCC (ESI 4-5 with little white stick man with red check mark), pull the patient in your room, let them know they are eligible to be seen at the Urgent Care which will likely be a shorter wait, and if they say yes, then the USA or NA can take them over
2. ED R4 Fast Track Note
Tasking
1. USA/NA to assist with patient movement to AED, FT, UCC, AWR
Reassessment
1. 2 hours for ESI 2
2. 4 hours for ESI 3-5
3. 30 min for IM/IV pain meds, 60 min for PO pain meds (CAP)

Criteria for an immediate transfer to Chest Pain Room

Router RN identifies patient with Triage Priority CP
Router RN calls CP Triage RN.
CP Triage RN performs assessment to determine if patient meets criteria for ECG:
1. Chest, arm, neck, jaw, upper back, or epigastric, pain/pressure/heaviness/discomfort concerning for a cardiac etiology, in a patient > 30 yrs old.
2. Shortness of breath, weakness, or arm/hand numbness, in a patient > 30 yrs old, concerning for a cardiac etiology and without another explanation
3. Nausea, lightheadedness, “indigestion”, or "dizziness" in any diabetic OR elderly patient (>65 yrs) concerning for a cardiac etiology and without another explanation
4. Syncope with age > 30 yrs
5. If clinical concern persists despite absence of 1-4

TRANSFER TO CHEST PAIN ROOM and PERFORM IMMEDIATE ECG

Chappell 8/2016

ECG Screening by Providers

CP patient from Triage needs an ECG in RME 11 CP room.
ECG tech hands ECG to Provider.
Who can sign ECG's electronically:
- ED Attendings and PGY-4's can sign electronically ("No STEMI Activation")
- NP's can sign electronically in ORCHID only for ECGs that say “Normal Sinus Rhythm.”
  - For ECGs that say anything else, if the ECG is already uploaded into ORCHID, the NP can call an ED attending (x23202 or 23206) for the electronic ECG screen
  - If the ECG is not yet uploaded, the NP need to hand to an ED attending who will perform the electronic ECG screen.
- PGY 1-3's can only visually review the ECG but then must hand off to or call an Attending or R4 to sign electronically

Chappell 8/2016

Transfer of Low Acuity Patients to UCC

UCC Charge RN: x8111, 8110; RME Charge x3900 - 23930
- Once patient has been triaged/received MSE and designated as ESI 4-5, they will be financially screened by registration for DHS eligibility and then placed in RME 2-3
  - If the patient is eligible for UCC (as designated by the white stick figure with red check mark), the patient should be offered the opportunity to be seen at UCC as it will likely be a shorter wait; if the patient declines, they will remain in FastTrack
    - Eligible patients include DHS, MHLA, and Self Pay
    - Financial Screening - once financial screening is done, the patient will be assigned the white stick figure with red checkmark indicating "ok for UCC" or the orange OOP icon meaning they must stay in the ED; NOTE: the golden key will not disappear when only the financial screen has been performed (only when full registration is complete)
  - UCC hours of transfer are:
    - Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm with the exception of no transfers Tuesdays 8am to noon
    - Saturday and Sunday 8am - 1pm

Once the patient is taken to UCC, they need to be moved in Orchid to UCWR
UCC Nuances
1. There is no maximum number on the subjective pain scale that precludes transfer to UCC -- CAP policy will be re-written
2. No pain meds should be given prior to sending to UCC; Debbie Terrel is currently working on a process to allow MIT and reassess/document pain level prior to transfer to UCC
3. It is ok to transfer a patient who has received an MSE and work-up has been initiated (i.e., x-rays ordered/performed); any medications that have been ordered should be cancelled prior to transfer to UCC
4. UCC is unable to do CCC but can request e-consult
5. The UCC has full access to ortho via the cast room
If the decision is made to transfer a patient back to the ED, there must be a physician to physician conversation as to why the patient’s workup cannot be completed in the UCC
Despite best efforts to properly screen the patients, if it is later determined that a patient is OOP, they will still be seen in UCC and not returned to the ED simply for financial concerns in the spirit of patient-centered care.

Chappell 9/2016

NP Independent Workup Guidelines

Nurse practitioners may independently order any imaging study listed below. Other studies not listed require physician consultation prior to test being ordered.
- Standard X-rays, keeping in mind evaluation of joints above and below for concomitant injury
- Non-contrast CT of the brain for symptoms of “sudden onset” headache or “worst headache of life”
  - consider CTA Brain for aneurysm if patient is unwilling to have lumbar puncture (discuss CTA with attending)
- Non-contrast CT of the brain for patients who have minor head trauma following ACEP Clinical Policy Statement:
  - Loss of consciousness or post-traumatic amnesia PLUS one of the following
    - Headache, vomiting, age>60, drug or alcohol intoxication, short-term memory deficits, physical evidence of trauma above the clavicles, post-traumatic seizure, GCS <15, focal neurological deficits, or coagulopathy (including blood thinning medication)
  - Consider if no loss of consciousness but presence of:
    - focal neurological deficit, vomiting, severe headache, age >65, signs of basilar skull fracture, GCS<15, coagulopathy (including blood thinning medications), ejection from MVA, vehicle vs pedestrian, or fall >3 feet or 5 stairs
- CT brain with IV contrast – for patients being evaluated for mass/tumor or those with HIV and new onset headache
- Non-contrast CT of cervical spine if any of the NEXUS criteria is present:
  - Midline cervical tenderness, focal neurologic deficit, ALOC, intoxication, or significant distracting injuries; the patient should be placed in a cervical collar and placed in AED
- Non-contrast CT of the abdomen/pelvis for patients with signs or symptoms suggestive of ureterolithiasis (“kidney stone”) who do not already have an imaging study in the Harbor database confirming this diagnosis
  - If previous CT confirms stone, consider renal ultrasound to evaluate for hydronephrosis or pyelonephritis
- Limited Right upper quadrant ultrasound for patients with concern for cholecystitis (fever, RUQ tenderness, N/V)
- Abdominal ultrasound for patients with high suspicion for first episode of pancreatitis
- Pelvic ultrasound for patients with a positive pregnancy test AND abdominal pain/cramping OR vaginal bleeding.
- Risk Stratification for DVT
  - Well’s Criteria: Calf swelling >3cm compared to unaffected leg (+1), entire leg swollen (+1), localized tenderness along deep venous system (+1), pitting edema to symptomatic leg (+1), varicose veins present (+1), paralysis/immobilization (casting)/bedridden >3 days/surgery within 12 weeks (+1), active cancer (+1), previous DVT (+1), and alternative diagnosis as likely (-2)
    - If low-risk Well’s (score of 0-1), order d-dimer
    - If score greater than 1, order formal (not bedside) Lower Extremity Doppler US
- Risk Stratification for PE
  - If low pre-test probability and PERC negative, no further testing for PE necessary
    - PERC measures: Age <50, HR<100, O2 sat >94% on RA, no exogenous estrogen use, no history of DVT, no unilateral leg swelling, no hemoptysis, no trauma or surgery is last 4 weeks
  - If patient falls out of PERC, then apply Well’s criteria:
    - Clinical signs and symptoms of DVT (+3), PE #1 diagnosis (+3), HR >100 (+1.5), immobilized >3 days or surgery in past 4 weeks (+1.5), Previous PE/DVT (+1.5), Hemoptysis (+1), malignancy in past 6 months (+1)
      - If score <2, order d-dimer
      - If Score 2 or greater, CTA or VQ scan (if contra-indication to CTA)
      - If pregnant, discuss with attending
- Chest Pain: NP should obtain a brief history on any patient with signs or symptoms of cardiac ischemia or with ECG read that is not “normal sinus rhythm” then present the ECG to the Attending

Chappell 8/2016

Being Seen by Consultants Prior to ED Evaluation

ED Policy 3.3
- A consultant may request from RME/AED attending or senior resident to see or take a patient to clinic
- Once the specialty evaluation is completed, documentation of both exam and assessment/plan should be in ORCHID and communicated to the ED provider
- ED to disposition the patient after evaluating for any other needs (full chart)
Alternately, if the patient has already been evaluated in the ED and found to have an isolated problem that is best cared for by the consulting specialist, care of the patient should be transferred from the ED to the specialist who should discharge them from clinic unless there are extenuating circumstances

Chappell 8/2016

NP Consultation Guidelines

Any case potentially needing a consultant evaluation in the ED should be staffed with an Attending prior to initiating the consult

If communication is made with a consultant to simply assure appropriate close follow-up, these do not need to be staffed with an attending.
If a consultation is needed, place order in ORCHID (creates a timestamp on the chart) and alpha-page the consult service.

Patients with isolated ophthalmology complaints may be referred to clinic without attending pre-approval, but if the patient returns to the ED [not discharged directly from clinic], the case must be staffed with an attending
- If ophthalmology is initiating the consult (without being requested), they must discuss the case with the ED attending or senior resident prior to taking the patient out of the department for evaluation

Chappell 8/2016

NP Consultation with the Attending Physician

As defined in the Standardized Procedures:

Patient has unstable vital signs.
There is an acute focal neurological deficit.
The diagnosis/problem is not covered by these standardized procedures.
There is an emergent condition requiring prompt medical intervention.
Patient and/or family requests to be seen by a physician.

Any case requiring admission, observation, or going directly to the OR should be staffed with an attending. All admissions performed by an NP require an Attending Admission Note (see "Admit Process" for contents of note)
If an NP wishes to disposition any patient they have consulted an attending physician on (even if the patient's condition is on the independent disposition list), the attending MUST sign the chart.
- NPs will refer all such charts to the attending for signature.
It is expected that on any case that an attending has been consulted, the NP will discuss the disposition of the patient with the attending before actual disposition.
- It is at the discretion of the attending whether or not to personally evaluate the patient, however the attending physician will be responsible for the care delivered to the patient.
- Patients who are under the care of an NP but have been discussed with an attending physician may have the attending's name placed in the attending column but should NOT be given a team color.

Chappell 8/2016

NP Independent Discharge Guidelines

NPs may independently discharge patients whose complaints are limited to the following and only if they feel physician consultation is not warranted:
- Allergic reactions (without signs of anaphylaxis)
- Asthma exacerbation that responds to Albuterol, not immune compromised
- Bell’s Palsy with complete unilateral facial paralysis and no other focal neurological deficits
- Breast Complaints
- Superficial (1st) and Partial Thickness (2nd) Burns which do not meet Burn Center Referral Criteria (3rd degree, 2nd degree with greater than 10% total body surface area, burns of eyes, face, hands, feet, perineum, electrical injuries, inhalation injuries)
- Chest pain (low risk – HEART Score <4, age < 30, no syncope/SOB, no drugs, no significant family history of early cardiac disease or sudden death, no tachycardia, normal ECG without arrhythmia)
- Conjunctivitis
- Constipation without signs of obstruction
- Dental Complaints
- Dizziness consistent with Peripheral Vertigo (normal HiNTS exam, no cerebellar findings)
- Ear, Nose and Throat (no angioedema, drooling, phonation changes, or stridor)
- Epistaxis (no active bleeding, no coagulopathy, normal hemoglobin)
- Genitourinary, minor complaints (male and female, no torsion)
- Gynecological, minor complaints (not pregnant, no active bleed, hemoglobin >8)
- Hemorrhoids
- Hyperglycemia (asymptomatic, no DKA/HHS)
- Hypertension (asymptomatic)
- Lacerations (not crossing vermillion border, joints, associated with a fracture, or tendon injury)
- Low back pain without associated fever or neurologic deficits
- Medication Refill
- Minor head or facial trauma
- Musculoskeletal injuries/musculoskeletal pain
- Nausea and vomiting without significant abdominal pain
- Ocular complaints (no significant acute decreased vision, no trauma)
- Orthopedic conditions that can be managed in the ED with Orthopedic follow-up (must be neurovascular intact; ED clerk can overbook into orthopedic fracture clinic):
  - Clavicle: <5mm mid-shaft; sling, ortho in 2 weeks
  - Shoulder dislocation: after reduction, place in shoulder immobilizer, ortho 1 week
  - Humerus:
    - Proximal: non-displaced; sling, ortho in 1 week
    - Shaft: non-displaced; sugar tong/sling, ortho 1 week
  - Radius:
    - Non-displaced distal or shaft; volar splint, ortho 2 weeks
    - Non-displaced head with good ROM: sling, ortho in 2 weeks
  - Ulna: non-displaced; volar splint, ortho 2 weeks
  - Metacarpal: non-displaced shaft and neck
    - MCP 2&3: Radial gutter splint, ortho 3 weeks
  - MCP 4&5: Ulnar gutter splint, ortho 3 weeks
  -  MCP 2&3: Radial gutter splint, ortho 3 weeks
  - PIP/DIP dislocations: simple, no fracture; buddy tape/splint, ortho 1 week
  - Hand Distal Phalanx: buddy tape/alumiform splint, ortho in 3 weeks
  - Occult Scaphoid: thumb spica splint, ortho in 3 weeks
  - Metatarsal 2/3/4 with <2mm displacement and no rotational deformity: post op shoe, ortho in 2 weeks
  - Foot Non-displaced phalanx fracture: buddy tape, ortho in 2 weeks
  - Chronic or non-healing fracture: e-consult or CCC (call ortho if needs closer follow-up)
- Palpitations
- Psychiatric Patients without psychosis, homicidal ideation, or suicidality (but these patient may be screened for medical conditions and sent directly to the Psychiatric ED if it is deemed no other medical workup is necessary prior to psychiatric evaluation)
- Rash (no petechiae/purpura)
- Seizures (known disorder, no new trauma)
- Soft tissue infection or simple abscess
- Simple UTI
- STI exposure
- URI
Exclusion: Any cases not specifically listed on the inclusion list
Prior to discharge of any patient with a persistent vital sign abnormality needs consultation with a physician:
- Temp >38F
- HR > 110 or <50
- RR> 20, Pox <92% on room air
- SBP >210 or <100, DBP >120 or <50

Rapid Discharge Procedure

If patient needs an appointment (stress test, CCC, etc), this must be done by the clerk first
Ensure IV has been removed
If vital signs have not been recorded in the past 4 hours, these need to be repeated and recorded prior to discharge
Include CHC referral sheet (at RME clerk computer) if patient has no PCP
SIGN and TIME paper discharge instruction sheet
option#1: Give ED copy of the signed discharge papers to the RN/LVN who can discharge them with the appropriate timestamp to accurately capture LOS
option#2: When completing the admit/discharge screen, click the bottom box (yellow highlight) "patient demonstrates understanding of instructions given"
1. click the "discharge" button
2. Enter discharge disposition: "home"
3. Enter discharge date
4. Enter discharge time
5. Click complete
6. Give signed discharge papers to the patient's nurse or place in bottom slot of black divider at RME Clerk desk

Chappell 5/2016

EMS

Responding to a Helicopter Landing

Requires 2-3 trained individuals, does NOT require a physician, though one may elect to go.
Only individuals with helicopter safety training should respond to a helicopter landing.
Must wear following (available in radio room):
- Eye protection
- Gloves
- Ear plugs

FOR SAFETY:
- Secure loose equipment, they may become a projectile.
- Face shields are not permitted.
- Stethoscopes are not to be worn around the neck.
- Items are not to be left on top of the gurney

Closing to EMS (ALS) Ambulances

The decision to close to ALS ambulances should be made as a joint decision by the AED charge nurse and the ED attending. Although looking at the NEDOCS score can be a helpful indicator of the level of congestion, it does not need to be the only factor that goes into determining the need to close to ALS ambulances. With our recent adjustment of the equation to calculate the NEDOCS score (we now have the accurate ED bed count in the equation) - you may find at times that you need to close at lower NEDOCS scores.

As always, the decision to close should be carefully considered, as it results in longer transport times for potentially critically ill patients.

Screening Ambulance Patients

Stable for AWR
- If the nurse believes the patient is stable to be triaged normally, the purple team senior resident should perform a brief assessment and determine if patient may go to the waiting room, or needs to stay in the AED.
- If the resident feels the patient is stable to go to triage - they go to triage ONLY after discussion with the attending and a note documents this decision.
  - Use the dotphrase documentation ".edambulancetriage"
  - In general, we aren't really supposed to send out any transfers (MLK, Harbor on-campus clinic, Harbor Urgent Care) or ED trauma patients to triage, but in severely overcrowded cases, it can be done, just run it by the attending

If the patient needs to stay in the AED (cannot go to waiting room), the charge nurse will assign the patient to a team in alternating fashion and placed in room "ATri"
- The senior resident or attending should screen the patient within 20 minutes of being assigned to the team.
  - Write your initials and the word "screen" in MD comments so everyone knows the patient was screened.
  - A brief assessment and MSE note should be completed and screening orders can be placed (appropriate labs, minimal medications, imaging if needed). Inform the Charge RN of any pending critical orders. Items such as cardiac monitors, IVF, and Td should be ordered once the patient is in a room.
  - Reassess the patient as needed until an open room is available.
- If the patient is found to need a room immediately, all efforts should be made with the Charge RN to find an open room as soon as possible.

--Chappell, 4/18/16

Transfers

Transferring patients out for HLOC - Time Sensitive Life/Limb Threatening Conditions

Some tips below regarding transferring patients to higher level of care (HLOC) out of Harbor for time sensitive issues. Occasionally, we need to transfer patients out of Harbor UCLA to another hospital for HLOC, (examples, hand/finger reimplantation and burns). Some of those patients have time sensitive life/limb threatening issues that need timely transfers. If you find that the ETA given by MAC is too long, you have a few options to consider:

1. Notify the Medical Alert Center Coordinator that this is an 'Emergent Urgent' transfer (When the patient is located in the ED) and “Emergency Life Threatening Condition Transfer” (When Patient is considered inpatient). This triggers a set of procedures with prioritization of the transfer, and applies only for transfer to another County facility. It is most commonly used by Olive View and we receive these transfers, but Harbor can also use it for transfers out that truly are life/limb threatening.

2. Consider requesting aeromedical transport. LA County Fire may be contacted to request ALS-level care; the Air Captain number is 818-890-5755. Private air ambulance provider should be considered for those air ambulance transfers that require critical care team (CCT) level of transfer. Reach Medical: (800) 338-4045 or Mercy Air: (800) 222-3456). The hospital may consider sending RN, MD or RT staff with LA County fire when CCT level of air ambulance transport is required and private CCT is unavailable or the ETA is too long.

3. Ask to speak to the EMS Agency Administrator on Duty or Medical Director regarding the case if these options still do not result in an acceptable transport time. (Thanks in advance to Nichole and Marianne, since they often are on call).

4. Consider using our on campus ambulance, which is available until about 1130p (Code Assist EMT is not a paramedic, just EMT) +/- our own RN or MD with transport if indicated as a last resort.

5. Or 911 can certainly be used, as a last resort. Keep in mind that you would take the local unit of paramedics out of service for an extensive period of time. (So if transferring a patient to USC, at least 1 hour). Additionally, if the patient requires any critical care outside the scope of paramedics (management of a drip, pump, ventilator, etc.) it would require that one of our staff nurses or physicians also accompany the patient during transfer.

These options have been vetted by Drs. Bosson, D. Patel, Peterson, myself, Joy LaGrone and MAC.

(A. Wu, Dir. AED 4/18/16)

FINANCE

ORCHID (CERNER)

Attending Documentation

For all patients physically present in the department at change of shift (whether dispositioned or not) attendings should write and save one note (ED Attending Note), to be modified by the subsequent attending as needed for that episode of care. This note will include all attending documentation, including language regarding admission or change in status (observation or CORE). Attendings should make sure notes are completed prior to leaving the ED.

For patients seen only on your shift and that depart prior to the end of your shift: attendings have the option of modifying the residents note with an attending note OR completing a separate attending note. These notes can be completed within the 72 hour documentation completion timeline.

Interqual documentation will always be in a separate note, called "Interqual Override Note".

(T. Horezcko 7/7/15, Clarification 9/28/15, Dir OPS 9/28/15)

Minimum Content for Attending Notes

For patients ADMITTED or PLACED ON OBSERVATION OR CORE STATUS
- Acute problem list (should justify the need for Admission/OBS/CORE)
- Brief history supporting admission/OBS/CORE required only if problem list does not support your decision
- Care Level (ICU/PCU/Tele/Ward, etc.)
- Admitting Service

(Note should be placed prior to or as close to the time of the order for this activity (Admission/OBS/CORE) as possible.)

For patients STILL ON THE TRACKING BOARD at time of sign out (INCLUDING discharged patients still on board)
- Acute problem list
- Brief plan, if known
- Disposition, if already determined or discussed with housestaff, that the attending would feel comfortable with without further involvement of the oncoming attending.
For all DISCHARGED patients (NOT left over on TRACKING BOARD - but departed ED during your shift)
- Documentation is at the discretion of the attending. No specific or minimum documentation (other than a signature on the housestaff H&P.) is required. If documentation is desired, it can be made either as an addendum to the H&P or in a separate Attending Note

(Faculty Agreement 11/16)

Resident Documentation

1. All charts should mention which attending you formulated the plan with in the text of the H&P. For example: "Case discussed with Dr. Attending".
2. If you are a senior seeing and discharging a patient independently and discharge without presenting the patient, please use the phrase "Seen under supervision of Dr. Attending".
3. When working with an intern or NP, its always important that you independently confirm the key elements of the intern or NP's history and physical. When documenting involvement, residents should:
- a) Have the intern submit the chart to you for SIGNATURE, not just REVIEW
- b) Do not insert your note into the body of the intern's note, place it at the end as an ADDENDUM
- c) Your ADDENDUM must at a minimum state what you did independently.
- d) Remember, medical student patients require a completely separate and complete H & P.
4. Try not to put raw data into your note that exists elsewhere in the EHR. Instead, you should comment on your interpretation of that data.
5. All acceptance ("sign out") notes should at a minimum contain an acute problem list, Please send these notes to your attending for signature.

Downtime

ED Computer Downtime Emergency Instructions
This document contains information on both unplanned and planned downtimes. Information for planned downtimes is in [].

Identify affected systems and request a fix
- Assigned Staff: Any tech savvy staff member.
- Check which of the following systems are affected:
  - ORCHID
  - Computer network
  - Landline phones
  - Spectralink Phones
  - Paging system
  - Synapse
- Assign someone to see if any of the affected systems can be used from nearby locations outside the SE building, such as the psych ED, D-9, or the nursing administration office in the hallway leading to the cafeteria.
- Call the Help Desk at x5059 or 323-409-8000 to report the problem.

View the ORCHID 724 Backup

- Assigned Staff: Any tech savvy staff member.
- There are two levels of 724 backup computer:

Level 2: There are nine computers designated as level 2 backups. These computers are always available, and can print the state of the ED at the time of the downtime as well as limited information for visits going back three weeks. At downtime, a login and password will be distributed throughout the hospital.

- Locations of the level 2 backup computers:
  - ED Pediatric Nursing Office SE141
    - Charge nurses have a key to this office
    - This computer can be connected directly to the printer with a USB cable in case of a complete network outage.
    - Peds Nursing Station 200HUMDSK45054
    - Trauma Nursing Station 200HUMDSK45265
    - RME Nursing Station 200HUMDSK45527
    - ED Registration Office 200HUMDSK45588
    - Acute Adult Front Nursing Station HARSE1J2572401
    - Gold Unit 200HUMDSK45604
    - Psych ED Station #1 200HUMDSK42257
    - Psych ED Station #2 200HUMDSK42668
    - Urgent Care 200HUMDSK43298

Open the “724AccessViewer” from the desktop.
Login using the ID and Password that will be distributed at the downtime.
Click on the “Firstnet Search” tab
Choose the Tracking Group “HAR ED”
Click the “Tracking Location” column to sort by that. You could also sort by DOB to bring the pediatric patients to the top.
Click “Print List”
Choose “Landscape” orientation and only the essential columns. If you choose them all, they will not fit on the page.
Print a copy for each pod and distribute them.

To read a patient’s chart, double click on it. There is a button at the top left to print the chart.
Assign someone to staple them, sort by pod, and distribute to each pod and triage.

Level 1:

If a downtime is planned or prolonged, a level 1 viewer will be activated on ALL computers. This will require at least 30 minutes after the beginning of the downtime. This is a read-only version of FirstNet as it was at downtime and includes full information about previous visits.

Gather your forms

There is a cabinet in each of the four pod nursing stations and the triage hallway labeled “Downtime Forms” stocked with forms for about 200 patients. There is a list of the contents and number of each form on the door. There is one extra set in the “Pediatric Nursing Office” SE1E41, across from the large supply room between peds and RME.
Labs and radiology orders will be transcribed onto the one page radiology and lab requisition forms. The triplicate forms for the individual lab areas are no longer in use.
[Prior to a planned downtime, forms will be set out in each area. Packets will be prepared in advance for newly arriving patients containing a physician documentation form (253), nursing note/MAR (or PEDS version), MSE form, and order sheet].

Waiting room and triage

Print the Level 2 724 charts of patients in the waiting room.
Registration will enter patients who arrive during downtime on a log with name, mode of arrival, DOB, arrival time, and chief complaint at the router desk.
Registration will perform quick registration into the downtime registration program (ADR). They will print patient stickers and place a blue armband on the patient. The patient will being given an MRN (old MRN if it can be found in the level 1 724 or patient’s documents) and new FIN, assigned by the downtime registration system (ADR).
Registration will give each patient’s chart a preassembled packet including: MD note (253), nursing note/MAR, MSE note, and order sheet.
The Router will start the nursing triage note on each patient with name, sex, chief complaint, arrival time and triage priority. These forms will be taken to the triage nurse.
A senior triage nurse will be assigned the sole job of managing waiting flow of waiting room patients from router to triage to MSE to final room. She will use stacks of sorted patient charts and/or a list.
Patients who are “bring back now” or have chest pain of cardiac origin will be taking directly to a treatment area and will be quick registered by the registration staff in those areas.
Stable patients will wait in the waiting room and will be called to the registration windows for full registration.
The triage nurse will sort the triage forms by acuity and arrival time and call patients in order.
If the patient is sent to a room for RME or treatment, their forms will accompany them.
If the patient is sent back to the waiting room, the triage form will be sorted by ESI score and arrival time and kept on the triage counter.
Sort the 724 printouts on patients that were in the ED prior to downtime in with the forms of newly triaged patients.
A nurse will visit each patient in the waiting room to create a list of all patients. This list will be compared to the piles of charts in waiting for room and waiting for triage stacks to ensure that no body has been missed. [This will not be necessary for a planned downtime, as the time of the switch from regular registration to downtime registration should be clear].
Consider calling the sheriff for assistance with crowd control if needed to separate patients from family members if needed to determine who has been accounted for.

Medical Screening Exam/RME

MSE/RME providers will come to the waiting room flow coordinator to be told who the next patient is for MSE
Providers doing a screening MSE will use the MSE form.

AED, PEDS, RME and Psych ED patient tracking

Assigned staff member: Area charge RNs
The charts of new patients waiting to be seen will be placed in a basket in the physician workroom.
Write patients on the white boards. In the AED, color code green and purple team patients.
Continue documentation on the HH107 (adult) HH868 (peds) and Addendum HH107A
The ED clerk will keep a set of logs of patient departure times and dispositions.

Order Managements

Move each pod's chart rack to the front counter.
After the clerk has transcribed orders from the order sheet to the lab and radiology requisition forms, he will place them standing up in the chart rack, signifying there are orders to be done.
When the orders have been completed, the nurse will place the chart down on its side in the folder.

Lab Ordering

Call the laboratory supervisor to notify him or her of the problem.
Providers will write all orders on generic order sheets.
Clerk will transcribe to a one-page lab requisition form. Clerk will notify nurse that there are new orders.
Nurse will draw (or call phlebotomy), label with timed patient stickers, and place in tube with requisitions and tube to lab.

Lab Results

The lab will print lab results and fax them to the PED at 310-212-0109. The tube system can also be used.
Designate a runner to distribute the results to providers around the ED. They will attempt to find the appropriate workroom based on age and the white boards in RME and the AED.

Radiology ordering

Provider will order on order sheet.
Clerk will transcribe to a radiology requisition form.
Clerk will notify nurse that there is a new order
Nurse will be responsible for communicating with technician and getting them the requisition form and getting the patient to the study or the portable tech to the patient.

Radiology Results

If Synapse is down, you will need to view images on the machine on which they were shot (eg, CT scanner, X-ray machine, or portable x-ray machine). For CT reads, call the reading room x7295 (daytime). At night page the radiology resident at 5814 to come down and make preliminary reads on the scanner. Ask if radiology can dedicate a staff member to the ED. If Synapse remains operational, residents may continue to place preliminary reads in Synapse. If the downtime occurs during a US Radiology reading time, will need to confirm how these will be reported with or without Synapse.

Medication ordering

Providers will write orders on an order sheet and give it to the area clerk. For urgent orders, the provider will notify the nurse.
The clerk will copy the order form and place a copy in the bin at each nursing station for collection by the pharmacist.
The pharmacist will review antibiotics, anticoagulants, and drips prior to administration. The collected order sheets will be needed for use by pharmacy at recovery.

Medication Administration

Nurses will be notified by the provider (urgent meds), clerk, or pharmacists that there are medication orders and will review the order sheet.
For patients who were not in the Pyxis prior to downtime, the nurse will add the patient to the Pyxis. [Cang will distribute a job aid]. If patients move from Acute ED to boarding, they will need to be moved from the acute Pyxis to the boarding Pyxis.

Nursing documentation

Nurses will document on the nursing note/MAR form. There is an addendum page that can be added if necessary.
The nurse will keep her documentation in the chart rack that will be placed on the counter.

Physician documentation

Physicians should document on the 253 forms. Providers will need to start one on each of their patients if they did not come with one from the waiting room.

Divert patients and notify necessary stakeholders

Assigned staff: Attending MD
The extent of the closure should be determined by the attending, charge nurse, and administrator on duty. For example, a crash of FirstNet only may allow us to remain open to trauma, while failure of all network systems might require diversion of all ambulance traffic.
- “ED Saturation” is a closure to Advanced Life Support ambulances, remaining open to trauma, STEMI, and BLS ambulances.
- “Internal Disaster” closes to ALL ambulances, including trauma and STEMI. Consider involving the trauma and cardiology attending in the decision to go on internal disaster.
Notify the nursing supervisor, who will call the administrator on duty. Discuss whether to open the hospital emergency operations center to provide additional planning resources.
Notify the MICN to place us on the appropriate level of diversion to ambulance traffic.
- If access to Redinet is down, the MICN should call the MAC, who can update Redinet
- If needed, the nursing supervisor can call MLK and ask them to stop sending patients.
- Email (and call during daytime hours hours) Ross Fleischman

Admissions

Providers will write the Request for Admit order on an order sheet, including service, attending, diagnosis, and level of care.
Registration will perform hourly rounds to identify patients needing admission.
The clerk will call bed control with each admission so they can search for a bed.
Bed control will call the clerk when a bed has been found.

Discharges

The nurse will check with registration that they have completed full registration prior to discharging patients.
The 253 form has a section for your handwritten discharge instructions. Give the carbon copy to the patient.
Write prescriptions on paper with the patient’s MRN and note them on the 253
Discharge instructions can be printed from the 724. Go to the FirstNet Search Tab. Choose any patient and click the "Patient ED" button on the left. You can search through any standard discharge instruction and modify as you wish. Print it. There are no custom DHS instructions. There is no record kept of what was written or printed.
Nurses will depart discharged patients from the board when they have departed from the ED. Lab and radiology will ensure that the necessary orders are in on the back end as part of their recovery process.

Follow Up

Providers will be responsible for arranging follow up after go live, having appropriate appointments made, and communicating this to the patient after recovery.

Orders for admitted patients

Write on paper. Fax medications to pharmacy.

After recovery

[For a long, planned downtime, a team may be allowed back into the system prior to the system being release for everyone. Their priorities will be: 1. Entering patients into ORCHID that arrived during downtime. 2. Moving patients to their correct rooms in ORCHID. 3. Removing patients who were discharged during the downtime and entering: arrival time, diagnosis [Best ICD10 guess], disposition, providers, last room (or just AOF or POF for adult vs peds), and time left ED entered in ORCHID].
For a short or unplanned downtime, registration will enter patients who arrived during downtime into ORCHID. There is a “downtime registration” box on the quick registration page that allows using the MRN that was assigned during downtime. Registration will register the patients who are on boarding status or already admitted. Bed control will change the encounter status to inpatient for the admitted patients.
When the system comes back up, clinicians should stop documenting on paper and continue documentation in ORCHID.
Providers will enter all ongoing orders except medications for patients still in the ED at recovery. This will include entering the Request for Admit and diagnoses.
For patients who were admitted during downtime but are still physically in the ED, the ED provider will enter the Request for Admit and diagnoses into ORCHID. Other orders will be responsibility of the inpatient teams caring for the patients.
For patients that were admitted and have departed the ED at recovery, back-entry of information into ORCHID will be the responsibility of the personnel on the units caring for them at that time.

Medication documentation after recovery

For all patients who are still in the ED or were admitted at the end of downtime, pharmacy will back-enter all medications orders placed during downtime. For patients who were discharged during the downtime, pharmacy will enter only narcotic medications. Bedside nurses will chart the administration of these medications on their patients based on the written record.

Preparation Checklist for Planned Long Downtime
T-2 Weeks:

Check with Elaine and Mario that forms are stocked
Assemble 100 packets of MD 253, nursing note/MAR page 1 (20 with peds nursing note for PED), MSE, and order form
Registration checks stocks of downtime forms, labels, wristbands

T-2 Days:

Registration sets up files to be moved to Router counter for quick registration

T-2 hours:

Check that 724 Level 2 computers are running
Put out forms

T-1 hour:

Go on ED Saturation to EMS. Remain open to STEMI and trauma
Registration will take over quick reg, but will continue entering patients in ORCHID up until T-0.
Pharmacy will print the MAR on boarding patients

T-30 minutes:

Patient arriving at this point will still be registered into ORCHID, but will have clinical documentation started on paper.
Write patients on white boards
Print charts from level 2 724

Day after recovery:

Email Elaine and Mario that there was a downtime so they can check the levels of forms.

HARBOR ED POLICY MANUAL

3.0 Admissions and Consultations

3.4: Guidelines for Flow of patients between the Psychiatric and Adult Emergency Departments

Ambulatory Patients: Patients presenting with abnormal behavior WITHOUT prior psych diagnoses or with acute ALOC are initially evaluated in the adult ED
Patients with a known psych history and behavior consistent with their previous diagnosis, without apparent acute medical condition requiring intervention, are initially evaluated by the Psych ED
Patients arriving by ambulance with psych complaints but not under a 5150 should be triaged by a physician in the adult ED then directed to appropriate location
Psychiatric Consultations in the ED: patients requesting voluntary evaluation by a psychiatrist are transferred to the psych ED after medical clearance for evaluation and should be transferred to the psych ED as soon as there is space available; ED physician to psych physician discussion should occur prior to transfer
All patients on a 5150 hold

With ETOH>200, delirium, complicated alcohol withdrawal, drug overdose, or acute medical problems should be evaluated in the adult ED
Require psych evaluation prior to discharge or transfer to medical unit; this should be done within 30 minutes of request for consult

Patients in the psych ED that require medical evaluation (or re-evaluation) should be transferred to the adult ED as soon as a bed is available; prior to the transfer, the psych physician should discuss the case with the ED physician; exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis
Patients in the Psych ED who require treatment with sedatives and are deemed to be at risk for significant oxygen desaturation should be transferred to a monitored bed in the adult ED; these patients are co-managed by the physicians from both areas
Psychiatric patients with chronic disorders who require placement are managed in the Psych ED

Approved June 2015, Chappell 2/22/16

21.3 Respiratory Isolation Patient Protocol^[2]

All adult patients presenting to the DEM will be screened at the time of triage by a RN for risk factors, symptoms or complaints of respiratory/tuberculosis (TB) using the RIPT criteria in the EHR; five points or greater indicates the need for immediate initiation of the RIPT procedure.

A mask will be placed on the patient and PA/Lateral chest x-ray will be ordered by the triage nurse with a DEM Attending on duty as ordering physician.
The patient will be escorted to the radiology waiting area, and the triage nurse will hand off communication to the Area Charge Nurse (ACN).
On completion of the chest x-ray, the ACN will follow-up with the R-3 or Attending Physician for interpretation of the chest x-ray. The decision to release the patient back to the waiting area or continue isolation in a designated isolation room will be made by the provider at that time.

21.4 Care of Potential Myocardial Ischemia Patient in Triage

All adult patients presenting to the DEM triage area with a chief complaint suggestive of myocardial ischemia will be screened rapidly by the Router RN to determine the need for immediate intervention using the following criteria:

Age >35 AND chest, arm, neck, jaw pain that is described as pressure, heaviness, or discomfort.
Age >45 AND Shortness of Breath, weakness, or arm numbness, CONCERNING FOR A CARDIAC ETIOLOGY and without other explanation
Age > 65 AND Nausea, lightheadedness, “indigestion”, or “dizziness" CONCERNING FOR A CARDIAC ETIOLOGY and without other explanation
Clinical concern for myocardial ischemia exists despite absence of 1-3

If the patient meets the above criteria the Router RN will assign a triage priority of cardiac and notify the triage RN via phone; the patient will be placed in room 11 in the RME area

The triage nurse performs the complete focused assessment and appropriately orders the ECG under the DEM Attending on duty
Once the ECG has been completed, the triage nurse will notify the RME provider who will review the ECG

Approved June 2015, Chappell 2/22/16

21.5 Medications in Triage: Standardized Procedure

Administration of medications in triage (MIT) is to provide timely treatment for patients arriving to the ED with pain, fever, dyspepsia, or nausea and vomiting at the time of triage/assessment and reassessment. Available medications include Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Maalox, or Ondansetron.
- PAIN: All patients who arrive to the ED Triage area will have their level of pain assessed and documented in the EMR. The pain scales used are FLACC, Numeric, and Faces, depending upon the age of the patient.
- FEVER: All patients who present to the ED Triage area will have their temperatures taken and documented in the electronic medical record. All patients who present with a temperature > 100.4º F (38º C) [can be axillary, rectal, or oral temperature] shall be offered acetaminophen or ibuprofen. If a previous antipyretic has been given (either at home or in triage), an alternate antipyretic will be given if temperature >100.4º F (38º C). Rectal temperatures must be obtained for all of the following pediatric patients: Infants less than 2 months old, Children less than 2 years old with the exception of children presenting with minor trauma, & Active seizure patients up to 3 years old
Assessment of the patient’s symptoms (pain, fever, gastritis symptoms, nausea and/or vomiting) should be reassessed within 1 hours of the medication given in triage.
- Patients who after reassessment of pain (within one hour of receiving the 1st dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen) continue to complain of pain and desire further analgesic treatment will then be offered acetaminophen or ibuprofen alternating from the previous medication administration.
- Patients who continue to complain of pain and/or fever may have a repeat dose of acetaminophen 4 hours after the initial dose, and/or a repeat dose of ibuprofen 6 hours after the initial dose.
- Patients who continue to complain of dyspepsia may have a repeat dose of aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide antacid (Mag-Al Plus) 6 hours after the initial dose.
A nurse practitioner or physician provider will be notified of any patient that:
- The triage nurse assesses to require more analgesia than oral acetaminophen or ibuprofen or aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide antacid (Mag-Al Plus) can provide

Approved November 2015, Chappell 2/22/16

SEPSIS CORE MEASURE

Joint Commission/Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) determined national standard of quality: early management bundle for severe sepsis and septic shock patients
Time sensitive management and documentation requirements must be met
Compliance has financial implications, publicly reported
Clock starts when patient meets criteria for severe sepsis or septic shock
Inclusion:

**Age 18 and older

Exclusion:
- Comfort care
- Transferred from another acute care facility
- Expire within 3 hrs of severe sepsis presentation or 6 hrs of septic shock presentation
- Received IV antibiotics more than 24 hrs prior
- Documented treatment refusal

Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) definition
- Fever (temperature >38.3 C or >100.9 F) or hypothermia (temperature <36 C or 96.8 F)
- HR >90
- RR >20
- WBC >12 or <4 or >10% bands

Sepsis definition (not included in Core Measure)
- At least 2/4 SIRS + Infection Source

*Severe Sepsis (included in Core Measure)

- Sepsis + acute organ dysfunction
- Acute organ dysfunction = 1 or more of the following:
  - Hypotension: SBP < 90 or MAP < 65 or SBP decrease >40
  - Acute respiratory failure (Sat <92% without oxygen)
  - Kidney Injury: creatinine > 2 or UOP < 0.5 ml/kg/hr
  - DIC: PLT < 100, INR > 1.5
  - Hepatic dysfunction: bilirubin > 2
  - Lactate > 2
- Actions required for severe sepsis:
  - Use the ED Sepsis Orderset, and .sepsisseveresepsis autotext for documentation
  - Start 30ml/kg IVF bolus and the below required actions
  - 3 hour bundle:
    - Draw initial lactate
    - Obtain blood cultures prior to antibiotics
    - Administer broad spectrum antibiotics targeted at source
  - 6 hour bundle:
    - Repeat lactate if initially 2 or greater

Septic Shock (included in Core Measure)
- Severe sepsis + persistent hypotension despite 30ml/kg IVF bolus OR,
- Lactic acid > 4
- Actions required for septic shock:
  - Use the ED Sepsis Orderset, and .sepsissepticshock autotext for documentation
  - 3 hour bundle: (in addition to the above requirements of sending initial lactate, blood cultures, and antibiotic administration within 3 hours)
    - Start 30ml/kg IVF bolus (order needs to include duration over which IVF were given, so use the order in the ED Sepsis Order Set, which has this prefilled for you)
    - Currently no exclusion for fluid overloaded patient, but use your clinical judgement, and document accordingly.
  - 6 hour bundle:
    - Start vasopressors if no improvement
    - Perform repeat focused exam of “volume status & tissue perfusion assessment” within 1 hour after giving 30/ml IVF bolus
      - Option 1 (most used): Must include all elements below
        Vital signs: Must include actual Temp, HR, RR, BP. In the 'reexamination/reevaluation' section of your provider note, in the 'vital signs' area, click on 'results included from flowsheet' to automatically drop in a selected set of vitals
        
        Heart exam: RRR, Irregular, S3, S4
        
        Lung exam: Clear, wheezes, crackles, diminished
        
        Pulses: 2+, 1+
        
        Cap Refill: <2 sec, >2 sec
        
        Skin: Must include color. Mottled, not mottled, pale, pink
      - Option 2: Need 2 of the following
        Central line: CVP, SCVO2
        
        Bedside ultrasound cardiovascular/volume assessment (such as IVC, systolic function, pulmonary edema, etc.)
        
        Passive leg raise or fluid challenge

- If you see the SIRS/Sepsis screening icon or think your patient may have severe sepsis or septic shock, use the ED Sepsis Order Set. Has recommended antibiotics based on source of infection, labs, and IVF orders with duration times, etc. Also has some informational text about definitions and management.
- Use the .sepsis autotext phrases for documentation (.sepsisseveresepsis, and .sepsissepticshock)

A.Wu AED Director 6/13/16

INVOLUNTARY HOLDS, CODE GOLD, COLD GREEN

Psychiatric reason:
- 5150 (Adult) / 5585 (Peds) legal holds may be placed only on patients who are suspected of being a danger to themselves or others, or gravely disabled, for a mental health disorder. Patients who are danger to themselves or others or gravely disabled for medical reasons cannot be placed on a 5150/5585. Patients who voluntarily remain for treatment or evaluation are usually not placed on a 5150/5585, but can be if necessary. Non-psychiatric medical personnel can detain anyone who meets 5150/5585 criteria until they can be evaluated by a psychiatrist.

Medical reason:
- Patients who suffer from acute or global cognitive impairments (coma, advanced dementia, altered mental status, delirium) lack capacity to make decisions and sign out AMA. The basis of the capacity decision rests on the patient’s ability to communicate to the assessing physician the risks, benefits, and alternative to treatment/decision. If the patient cannot do that, then they don’t have capacity. If they try to elope, call a Code Gold (see below). These patients can be held against their will for their own safety, which can include physical and chemical restraints. A sitter may be requested in lieu of restraints, if appropriate. There is no specific hold form for this action, other than the typical documentation for placement of restraints for patients who lack capacity. Therefore, it is important that justification is clearly documented in the provider notes. If the note assessing capacity is not yet written, it should be done by the treating physician while the Code Gold team is present and de-escalating/redirecting the patient.

Code GOLD:
- This activation is appropriate for patients who become physically aggressive, either from psychiatric or medical reasons, while in the department who need hard restraints. Call x111. The Code Gold team will help you physically restrain the patient. There is no requirement that the patient be on a 5150/5585 for the Code Gold team to respond and assist.
- On arrival, the leader of the Behavioral Response Team (BRT) will identify themselves to the ED nurse(s) and physician(s) caring for the patient. The most knowledgeable medical team member will inform the BRT leader of the reason for the initiation of the Code Gold. The Code GOLD team typically only uses hard restraints.
- LASD is not part of the Code Gold Team, though they will respond to standby as they are available. The BRT leader may elect to turn the situation over to LASD as they see fit. LASD can generally only get involved if a crime has been committed or is about to be committed.

Code GREEN:
- This activation is appropriate for patients are already on or eligible for a 5150/5585 hold who are a danger to themselves or others or who are identified as a "safety risk", and who are attempting to, or have physically left the department. Direct call to sheriff, x3311.
- LASD will respond to a Code Green, but unless the patient is on a 5150 hold, or the officers deem that the patient is appropriate for initiation of a 5150 hold (which they can do), they do not have authority to forcibly return the patient to the department. In these cases they can only attempt to convince the patient to return.
- It is helpful in such cases to get as much information to the officers about why the patient is a danger to themselves and should be returned to the emergency department. It is also important to inform the officers of whether or not the patient is on a 5150 hold. It is also prudent to document in the medical record the initiation of a Code Green, and officers involved should a decision being made not return the patient to medical custody.

The above is summarized based on the below references from Hospital Policies, and was vetted by Law Enforcement, Psychiatry, Behavioral Response Team, ED Leadership, and Nursing leadership.
- 436 Procedures in Cases To Be Reported to Are Investigated by Law Enforcement Authorities
- 301 Discharge Policy, Procedures, and Guidelines Including Elopement and AMA
- 138 Law Enforcement Use of Force on Harbor-UCLA Campus
- 347A The Use of Restraints Including Seclusion
- 346 Involuntary Holds on and on Psychiatric Units and Emergency Medical Department
- 379 Safety Attendant (Continuous in Person Monitoring)
- 453 Patients in Police Custody
- 347B Code Gold-Behavioral Response Team
- 620 Consent for Medical Treatment for Patient Lacking the Capacity to Provide Consent
- Sheriff "Cheat Sheet" for Code Green and Code Gold

Dir AED, 10/28/16

CODE ASSIST

Physicians are NOT part of the ED Code Assist Team. The ED Code Assist team is comprised of nurses.
The ED Code Assist Team covers the first floor and basement, but NOT 1 South.
The rest of the hospital and 1 South are covered by the Inpatient Code Assist Team.

CODE BLUE

All Code Blues are covered by the Inpatient Code Blue Team (Not the ED)

References

↑ Putnam/Kaji email 8/5/16
↑ Approved June 2015, Chappell 2/22/16

Authors

Mike Peterson, Bradley Chappell, Ross Donaldson, Andrea Wu, Dennis Hsieh, Andrea Wu, Jaskaran, Neil Young, Ross Fleischman, Michael O'Brien, MD, Michael Holtz, Daniel Ostermayer, Kian Preston-Suni, Babak Missaghi

[1] Putnam/Kaji email 8/5/16

[2] Approved June 2015, Chappell 2/22/16

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 989: / Line 989: @@
 * The rest of the hospital and 1 South are covered by the Inpatient Code Assist Team.
-==Code BLUE==
+==CODE BLUE==
 *All Code Blues are covered by the Inpatient Code Blue Team (Not the ED)

Difference between revisions of "Harbor:Operations manual"

Revision as of 01:35, 5 January 2017

Contents

ADULT ACUTE ED

Surge Plan

What Happens in the ED(1) at Different Surge Levels

Resource Utilization Indicators (Need any 3, you no longer need a majority)

Adult ED Attending Standard Work During Severe ED Overcrowding

DISASTER INSTRUCTIONS

General Instructions

Area Setup

Disaster Triage

Supplies

iSTAT Tests

Admitting a Patient

Observation (Gold/CORE)

Admissions

Admission and Consultation Guidelines

Aortic Aneurysms

Brain Death

Cellulitis(Non-maxillofacial)

Dialysis fistula/graft problem (e.g. bleeding or thrombosed)[1]

Decubitus Ulcers

Delirium/Dementia

GI Bleeding

Hand Injuries

Intracranial mass lesions

Maxillofacial infections

Osteomyelitis requiring admission

Painless Jaundice

ROSC (Approved by the Chairs of IM and EM 5/1/16)

Spinal Injuries

Thyroid Masses

Trauma patients

Vaginal Bleeding

Direct Admission after Hours

Social Work Consultation Guidelines

1. Transportation home:

bus:

taxi:

ambulance:

kids without car seats:

2. Patient who are homeless:

3. Durable Medical Equipment (DME)

walkers

wheelchairs

other DME

4. Patients whom family is no longer able to take care of

5. Pt/family not happy with current skilled nursing facility (SNF)

6. Clothing rack / clothing for patients

7. Patients who need PT/OT for placement

Mandatory Reporting of Adverse Events

Prescriptions

Lost Triplicate Prescriptions

Safe Pain Medication Prescribing Guidelines

Boarding

Boarding Patients Sent from Clinic

Triaging Clinic Patients

Follow up in CCC

Follow up In Other Clinics

Follow up in Expedited Work-up Clinic (EWC)

Family Viewing of Deceased Patients

Law Enforcement Escorting Patients Out Of the Emergency Department

Orders on Admitted Patients

Harbor Ebola Precautions

Contacting the Attending On-Call/Problems with On-Call Physicians

On Call Plan - Emergency Department Attending Physicians

Trauma Activations

Lab

Critical Lab/Radiology Results Callback

Radiology

CT Scanner Specs

Rules for Performing ED Ultrasounds

Occupational Exposure

Weapons in ED

RME/TRIAGE

RME Phones

RME Patient Flow

Criteria for an immediate transfer to Chest Pain Room

ECG Screening by Providers

Dialysis fistula/graft problem (e.g. bleeding or thrombosed)^[1]

21.3 Respiratory Isolation Patient Protocol^[2]