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Introduction SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus, manifests as a respiratory syndrome (COVID-19) and is the cause of an ongoing pandemic. The response to COVID-19 in the United States has been hampered by an overall lack of diagnostic testing capacity. To address uncertainty about ongoing levels of SARS-CoV-2 community transmission early in the pandemic, we aimed to develop a surveillance tool using readily available emergency department (ED) operations data extracted from the electronic health record (EHR). This involved optimizing the identification of acute respiratory infection (ARI)-related encounters and then comparing metrics for these encounters before and after the confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 community transmission. Methods We performed an observational study using operational EHR data from two Midwest EDs with a combined annual census of over 80,000. Data were collected three weeks before and after the first confirmed case of local SARS-CoV-2 community transmission. To optimize capture of ARI cases, we compared various metrics including chief complaint, discharge diagnoses, and ARI-related orders. Operational metrics for ARI cases, including volume, pathogen identification, and illness severity, were compared between the preand post-community transmission timeframes using chi-square tests of independence. Results Compared to our combined definition of ARI, chief complaint, discharge diagnoses, and isolation orders individually identified less than half of the cases. Respiratory pathogen testing was the top performing individual ARI definition but still only identified 72.2% of cases. From the pre to post periods, we observed significant increases in ED volumes due to ARI and ARI cases without identified pathogen. Conclusion Certain methods for identifying ARI cases in the ED may be inadequate and multiple criteria should be used to optimize capture. In the absence of widely available SARS-CoV-2 testing, operational metrics for ARI-related encounters, especially the proportion of cases involving negative pathogen testing, are useful indicators for active surveillance of potential COVID-19 related ED visits.

Hernia is defined as an abnormal protrusion of an organ or tissue through a pathologic defect in its surrounding wall. Overall, hernia is common and is generally believed to be a benign condition associated with some morbidity, although it is not thought to be associated with significant mortality. Between 2001 and 2010, 2.3 million inpatient abdominal hernia repairs were performed in the United States, of which 567,000 were performed emergently. In some cases, a hernia can be a deadly condition. In 2002, hernia was listed as the cause of death for 1,595 US citizens. This review covers the pathophysiology, stabilization and assessment, diagnosis and treatment, and disposition and outcomes of hernia. Figures show anatomic locations of the various abdominal wall, groin, lumbar, and pelvic floor hernias; a direct inguinal hernia; an indirect inguinal hernia; point-of-care sonograms showing a ventral wall hernia and an abdominal wall hernia; and the differential diagnosis of an abdominal mass based on anatomic location. Tables list risk factors for the development of inguinal hernia, sex-based differences in inguinal hernia development, risk factors for the development of incisional hernia, factors to consider when assessing the patient for a hernia, and factors associated with the highest rates of incarceration in patients with groin hernia. Key words: emergent hernia, hernia incarceration, incisional hernia, inguinal hernia, strangulated hernia This review contains 6 highly rendered figures, 5 tables, and 66 references.