European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
The prediction of 24-h mortality by the respiratory rate and oxygenation index compared with National Early Warning Score in emergency department patients: an observational study.
The ROX index combines respiratory rate and oxygenation to predict the response to oxygen therapy in pneumonia. It is calculated by dividing the patient's oxygen saturation, by the inspired oxygen concentration, and then by the respiratory rate (e.g. 95%/0.21/16 = 28). Since this index includes the most essential physiological variables to detect deterioration, it may be a helpful risk tool in the emergency department (ED). Although small studies suggest it can predict early mortality, no large study has compared it with the National Early Warning Score (NEWS), the most widely validated risk score for death within 24 h. ⋯ The prediction of 24-h mortality by the ROX index is more accurate than NEWS for most patients likely to be encountered in the ED. ROX may be used as a first screening tool in the ED.
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Multicenter Study
Effect of diagnosis level of certainty on adherence to antibiotics' guidelines in ED patients with pneumonia: a post-hoc analysis of an interventional trial.
Clinical diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is difficult to establish with certainty. Adherence to antibiotic guidelines independently affects the prognosis of CAP patients. ⋯ Antibiotic guidelines' adherence was poor and positively related to CAP diagnosis level of certainty. The results suggest that improvements in CAP diagnosis may increase adherence to antibiotic guidelines. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01574066).