Clinical Decision Rules in the Emergency Department to Improve the Management of Acute Respiratory Infection and Acute Infectious Diarrhea

Acute Respiratory Infections : Inclusion Criteria: 1. 18 years of age or older; 2. Able to consent to the study; 3. Reachable by phone; 4. Consent to be reached directly by phone; 5. At least one of the following respiratory symptoms consistent with an acute respiratory infection for 10 days or less, i. Cough and/or ii. Purulent sputum and/or iii. Pharyngeal pain and/or iv. Nasal congestion and/or v. Rhinorrhea and/or vi. Agueusia and/or vii. Anosmia; 6. A triage score of 3 (30 minutes), 4 (60 minutes) or 5 (120 minutes) on the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS); 7. Triaged by the ED nurse and managed according to standard ED care protocols; 8. Resident of Québec; 9. Holder of a Québec health insurance number. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Cognitive impairment that prevents the patient from reliably answering the risk stratification tool or research questions; 2. Resident of a long-term care facility; 3. Refusal of nasopharyngeal swab. Acute infectious diarrhea : Inclusion Criteria: 1. 18 years of age or older; 2. Able to consent to the study; 3. Reachable by phone; 4. Consent to be reached directly by phone; 5. At least three loose or liquid stools over a 24-hour period and for 10 days or less; 6. A triage score of 3 (30 minutes), 4 (60 minutes) or 5 (120 minutes) on the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS); 7. Triaged by the ED nurse and managed according to standard ED care protocols; 8. Resident of Québec. 9. Holder of a Québec health insurance number. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Known neutropenia (\<500 neutrophils); 2. Active inflammatory bowel disease; 3. Anorectal pathology; 4. Recent colonic surgery (\< 6 months); 5. Cognitive impairment preventing the patient from reliably answering the risk stratification tool or research questions; 6. Resident of a long-term care facility; 7. Refusal of the rectal swab.