Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35292071›Full record

Observational studyPhilosophy, ethics, and humanities in medicine : PEHM2022

Operation of a triage committee for advanced life support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Benjamín Herreros, Rafael Ruiz de Luna, Natalia de la Calle, Diego Gayoso, Paula Martínez, Karmele Olaciregui Dague, Gregorio Palacios

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Philosophy, ethics, and humanities in medicine : PEHM, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 47% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Benjamín HerrerosInternal Medicine Unit, Alcorcón Foundation University Hospital, Alcorcón, Spain. benjaminherreros@gmail.com.
Rafael Ruiz de LunaIntensive Medicine Unit, Alcorcón Foundation University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Natalia de la CalleIntensive Medicine Unit, Alcorcón Foundation University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Diego GayosoInternal Medicine Unit, Alcorcón Foundation University Hospital, Alcorcón, Spain.
Paula MartínezInternal Medicine Unit, Alcorcón Foundation University Hospital, Alcorcón, Spain.
Karmele Olaciregui DagueEpileptology Department, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Gregorio PalaciosInternal Medicine Unit, Alcorcón Foundation University Hospital, Alcorcón, Spain.
Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón · ESUniversity Hospital Bonn · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDuring the first weeks of March 2020 in Spain, the cases of severe respiratory failure progressively increased, generating an imbalance between the clinical needs for advanced life support (ALS) measures and the effective availability of ALS resources. To address this problem, the creation of triage committees (TC) was proposed, whose main function is to select the best candidates to receive ALS. The main objective of our study is to describe the clinical characteristics of the patients evaluated by the TC of the Alcorcón Foundation University Hospital (AFUH) during the first wave of SARS CoV-2. Other objectives are to determine if there are differences between the patients considered candidates / not candidates for ALS and to analyze the functioning of the TC.

methodsRetrospective observational study of all patients assessed by the AFUH TC.

resultsThere were 19 meetings, in which 181 patients were evaluated, 65.4% male and with a mean age of 70.1 years. 31% had some degree of functional dependence, the Barthel median was 100 and Charlson 4. 58.5% were not considered a candidate for ALS at that time. The patients considered candidates to receive ALS were younger (72 vs 66; p < 0.001), had less comorbidity (Charlson 4 vs 3; p < 0.001) and had a better previous functional situation. A median of 5 physicians participated in each meeting and, after being assessed by the TC, 13.6% received ALS: 29.3% of those considered candidates for ALS and 2% of the non-candidates.

conclusionsThe patients evaluated by the TC had a mean age of 70 years, high comorbidity and almost a third had some degree of functional dependence. More than half were not considered candidates for ALS at that time, these patients being older, with more comorbidity and a worse previous functional situation. TC decisions, based on objective clinical criteria, were almost always respected. Public institutions must get involved in triage procedures, which should and in our opinion must include the creation of TC in health centers. The implementation of Anticipated Decision programs (ADP) would help enable patients affected by triage decisions to participate in them.

Indexed as

COVID-19TriageAdvanced Cardiac Life SupportAgedFemaleHumansMalePandemicsRetrospective StudiesCOVID-19Decision-makingEthics Committees/ConsultationTriage

Identifiers

PMID35292071
PMCPMC8923824
OpenAlexW4221030809

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.