%0 Journal Article
%T A prospective registry of emergency department patients admitted with infection
%A Julian M Williams
%A Jaimi H Greenslade
%A Juliet V McKenzie
%A Kevin H Chu
%A Anthony FT Brown
%A David Paterson
%A Jeffrey Lipman
%J BMC Infectious Diseases
%D 2011
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1471-2334-11-27
%X ED patients admitted with infection will be identified through daily review of the computerised database of ED admissions, and clinical information such as site of infection, physiological status in the ED, and components of management abstracted from patients' charts. This information will be supplemented by further data regarding results of investigations, microbiological isolates, and length of stay (LOS) from hospital electronic databases. Outcome measures will be hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) LOS, and mortality endpoints derived from a national death registry.This database will provide substantial insights into the characteristics, microbiological profile, and outcomes of emergency patients admitted with infections. It will become the nidus for a programme of research into compliance with evidence-based guidelines, optimisation of empiric antimicrobial regimens, validation of clinical decision rules and identification of outcome determinants. The detailed observational data obtained will provide a solid baseline to inform the design of further controlled trials planned to optimise treatment and outcomes for emergency patients admitted with infections.Patients with infections ranging in severity from uncomplicated cellulitis to fulminant septic shock account for a significant proportion of Emergency Department (ED) workload [1]. Furthermore, studies based in the intensive care unit (ICU) reveal that the majority of patients with severe infections are admitted after first presenting to the ED and receiving initial diagnostic workup and treatment [2]. Given the key role of the ED in diagnosis, risk stratification and initial treatment of patients with infection, it is clear that ED clinicians are ideally placed to contribute significantly to research in this area. Collecting rigorous, quality observational data in this setting will provide the foundation for a significant programme of clinical research.The benefits of establishing a comprehensive and deta
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/11/27