CJEM Visual Abstract – Emergency department crowding negatively influences outcomes for adults presenting with COPD

In Infographics by Samuel WilsonLeave a Comment

In this issue, we collaborated with CJEM team to present “Emergency department crowding negatively influences outcomes for adults presenting with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease”​1​ in a visual abstract format.

In the ED, patients with respiratory pathology present on a shiftly basis. A majority of these patients are affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The milder CTAS 4/5 patients you may see on your ambulatory side. Over in the resuscitation bay, a CTAS 1 patient in an acute respiratory emergency is equally conceivable. 

This study, by Rosychuk et al., examines how patients with COPD have been affected by ED crowding. Previous research established that patients with respiratory conditions like COPD are especially vulnerable to crowding-related delays. They asked what associations exist between ED crowding metrics and COPD patient outcomes. 

For a summary of what the authors found, a .pdf version of a visual abstract on the topic can be found below:

CJEM visual abstract
  1. 1.
    Ortiz SS, Huang Y, Rowe BH, Zheng B, Rosychuk RJ. Emergency department crowding negatively influences outcomes for adults presenting for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Can J Emerg Med. Published online April 22, 2023:411-420. doi:10.1007/s43678-023-00502-5
Samuel Wilson

Samuel Wilson

Sam is a third-year Emergency Medicine FRCPC resident at The Ottawa Hospital. He is the CanadiEM/CJEM Infographic editor, interested in PoCUS, trauma, knowledge dissemination, and all things chess.