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Ian Colman

Publications and source records attributed to Ian Colman.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Incidental vertebral fractures discovered with chest radiography in the emergency department: prevalence, recognition, and osteoporosis management in a cohort of elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: Vertebral fractures are common and usually an indication for osteoporosis treatment. However, screening is not recommended, and many fractures go undetected. Our objectives were to determine the utility of chest radiographs for detecting previously unrecognized vertebral fractures; document rates of recognition; and evaluate osteoporosis treatments. METHODS: In 2001, we conducted a cohort study in a random sample of 500 patients older than 60 years who presented to our emergency department and underwent chest radiography for any indication. The primary outcome was prevalence of moderate-to-severe vertebral fractures determined by independent radiograph review using validated semiquantitative techniques. Secondary outcomes were rates of fracture recognition according to official radiologists' reports and rates of osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment. We conducted multivariable regression analyses to determine correlates of study-defined and officially reported fractures. RESULTS: We excluded 36 patients with inadequate radiographs and 5 for other reasons. Mean age was 75.2 years; 47% were women; and 80% were white. The prevalence of moderate-to-severe vertebral fractures according to independent review was 72 (16%) of 459; 29 (40%) of these fractures were not recorded in the official radiologists' report (kappa = 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53-0.75). A history of osteoporosis was the only independent correlate of having a vertebral fracture identified by independent review (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.18; 95% CI, 1.14-4.17) or by official report (adjusted OR, 4.97; 95% CI, 0.95-25.86). Of the 72 patients with fractures, only 18 (25%) had histories of osteoporosis or received osteoporosis medications. CONCLUSIONS: One in 6 elderly patients who underwent chest radiography in our emergency department had clinically important vertebral fractures. Nevertheless, only 43 (60%) of these fractures were reported, and only 25% of patients with fractures received a diagnosis of or treatment for osteoporosis.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2005

Parenteral dihydroergotamine for acute migraine headache: a systematic review of the literature.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Many therapies are used in the treatment of acute migraine headache, with little agreement on effectiveness. This systematic review is designed to determine the effectiveness of parenteral dihydroergotamine in reducing pain, nausea, and relapse for episodes of acute migraine in adults. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials were identified using MEDLINE, EMBASE, other computerized databases, hand searching, bibliographies, and contacts with industry and authors. Studies in which dihydroergotamine (alone or in combination with an antiemetic) was compared with placebo or any other common migraine therapy were considered. Relevance, inclusion, and study quality were assessed independently by 2 reviewers. RESULTS: From 281 potentially relevant abstracts, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. Solitary dihydroergotamine use was compared to sumatriptan and phenothiazines in 3 studies; results failed to demonstrate a significant benefit of dihydroergotamine over these therapies. In 8 combination treatment studies, heterogeneity in study methodology prevented statistical pooling. However, dihydroergotamine administered with an antiemetic was as effective as or more effective than meperidine, valproate, or ketorolac across all pain, nausea, and relapse outcomes reported in all studies. CONCLUSION: This evidence suggests that dihydroergotamine is not as effective as sumatriptan or phenothiazines as a single agent for treatment of acute migraine headache; however, when administered with an antiemetic, dihydroergotamine appears to be as effective as opiates, ketorolac, or valproate. Given its nonnarcotic properties, parenteral dihydroergotamine combined with an antiemetic should be considered as effective initial therapy in clinical practice.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Emergency triage: comparing a novel computer triage program with standard triage.

BACKGROUND: Emergency department (ED) triage prioritizes patients based on urgency of care; however, little previous testing of triage tools in a live ED environment has been performed. OBJECTIVES: To determine the agreement between a computer decision tool and memory-based triage. METHODS: Consecutive patients presenting to a large, urban, tertiary care ED were assessed in the usual fashion and by a blinded study nurse using a computerized decision support tool. Triage score distribution and agreement between the two triage methods were reported. A random subset of patients was selected and reviewed by a blinded expert panel as a consensus standard. RESULTS: Over five weeks, 722 ED patients were assessed; complete data were available from 693 (96%) score pairs. Agreement between the two methods was poor (kappa = 0.202; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.150 to 0.254); however, agreement improved when using weighted kappa (0.360; 95% CI = 0.305 to 0.415) or "within one" level kappa (0.732; 95% CI = 0.644 to 0.821). When compared with the expert panel, the nurse triage scores showed lower agreement (0.263; 95% CI = 0.133 to 0.394) than the tool (kappa = 0.426; 95% CI = 0.289 to 0.564). There was a significant down-triaging of patients when patients were triaged without the computerized tool. Admission rates also differed between the triage systems. CONCLUSIONS: There was significant discrepancy by nurses using memory-based triage when compared with a computer tool. Triage decision support tools can mitigate this drift, which has administrative implications for EDs.

Canada↗
PubMed2004

Parenteral metoclopramide for acute migraine: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the evidence from controlled trials on the efficacy and tolerability of parenteral metoclopramide for acute migraine in adults. DATA SOURCES: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, Embase, LILACS, CINAHL, conference proceedings, clinical practice guidelines, and other sources. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials of parenteral metoclopramide for acute migraine in adults. RESULTS: We reviewed 596 potentially relevant abstracts and found 13 eligible trials totalling 655 adults. In studies comparing metoclopramide with placebo, metoclopramide was more likely to provide significant reduction in migraine pain (odds ratio 2.84, 95% confidence interval 1.05 to 7.68). Used as the only agent, metoclopramide showed mixed effectiveness when compared with other single agents. Heterogeneity of studies for combination treatment prevented statistical pooling. Treatments that did include metoclopramide were as, or more, effective than comparison treatments for pain, nausea, and relapse outcomes reported in all studies. CONCLUSIONS: Metoclopramide is an effective treatment for migraine headache and may be effective when combined with other treatments. Given its non-narcotic and antiemetic properties, metoclopramide should be considered a primary agent in the treatment of acute migraines in emergency departments.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Supporting clinical practice at the bedside using wireless technology.

OBJECTIVES: Despite studies that show improvements in both standards of care and outcomes with the judicious application of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), their clinical utilization remains low. This randomized controlled trial examined the use of a wirelessly networked mobile computer (MC) by physicians at the bedside with access to an emergency department information system, decision support tools (DSTs), and other software options. METHODS: Each of ten volunteer emergency physicians was randomized using a matched-pair design to work five shifts in standard fashion (desktop computer [DC] access) and five shifts with a wirelessly networked MC. Work pattern issues and electronic CPG/DST use were compared using end-of-shift satisfaction questionnaires and review of a CPG/DST database. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to examine between-shift differences. RESULTS: A total of 100 eight-hour shifts were evaluated; 99% compliance with postshift questionnaires was achieved. Using a seven-point Likert scale (MC values first), MCs were rated as being as fast (5.04 vs. 4.54; p=0.13) and convenient (5.08 vs. 4.14; p=0.07) as DCs. Overall, physicians rated MCs to be less efficient (3.18 vs. 4.30; p=0.02) but encouraged more frequent use of DSTs (4.10 vs. 3.47; p=0.03) without impacting doctor-patient communication (2.78 vs. 2.96; p=0.51). During the study period, physician use of an intranet Web application (eCPG) was more frequent during shifts assigned to the MC when compared with the DC (eCPG uses/shift, 3.6 vs. 2.0; p=0.033). CONCLUSIONS: The MC technology permitted physicians to access information at the bedside and increased the use of CPG/DST tools. According to physicians, patients appeared to accept their use of information technology to assist in decision making. Development of improved computer technology may address the major limitation of MC portability.

Computers↗
PubMed2004

Utilization of the emergency department after self-inflicted injury.

OBJECTIVES: To compare emergency department (ED) utilization by individuals who present with self-inflicted injuries with utilization by control populations. Individuals with self-inflicted injuries commonly present to the ED, yet little research has been conducted on this population in this setting. METHODS: Individuals who had an ED presentation in 1995-1996 for a self-inflicted injury were tracked prospectively for three to four years of follow-up. This group was matched by age and gender to two groups: individuals who presented with asthma and individuals who presented with other complaints. Data on return visits to the ED were collected from an administrative database. Groups were compared on rates of return visits. RESULTS: There were 478 individuals randomly selected for each group. Individuals in the self-inflicted injury group had higher rates of return visits to the ED over the follow-up period: 232.7 visits per 100 person-years for the self-inflicted injury group, compared with 117.6 for the asthma group, and 83.0 for the "other" group (p < 0.001). The self-inflicted injury group had higher rates for many types of diagnoses: self-inflicted injuries, mental disorders, substance abuse, unintentional injuries, assault, headache pain, and other complaints (all p < 0.001). Patients with more than three repeat visits per year were more common in the self-inflicted injury group (20.1%) than the asthma or "other" groups (9.2% and 5.6%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals who harm themselves are chronic users of the ED. The ED represents an opportune setting from which individuals can be directed to appropriate treatment programs.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Gambling decisions: an early intervention program for problem gamblers.

An implementation and one-year follow-up of the Gambling Decisions program attempted to answer several important questions. First, is controlled gambling a viable treatment option for some gamblers? Can earlier stage problem gamblers be separated for treatment from those with more severe problems? Finally, would problem gamblers utilize a community health agency for treatment of their excessive gambling? A pretest/posttest design was chosen where the efficacy of the program was assessed using repeated measures ANOVA analysis. Results showed that an average loss of $608 over a 4-week period was reduced to $113 immediately after the 6-week program and to a loss of $73 at 12 months. The average number of hours spent gambling per 4 weeks was significantly reduced from 23.5 at pretest to 6.5 at the 12 month posttest. Significant decreases were also observed in the number of days per week that clients gambled, and clients reported significant reductions in everyday life problems related to gambling after completing the program.

Adult↗