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In this study, 750 severely ill patients requiring initial hemodialysis were randomized to receive either jugular or femoral vein catheterization. Jugular catheterization significantly increased the incidence of catheter colonization in patients with body mass index (BMI) < 24.2, whereas jugular catheterization decreased the incidence in patients with BMI > 28.4. Across all BMI strata, there was no significant difference in catheter-related blood stream infections in patients who underwent femoral vs jugular catheterization.
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Treatment of severe hypertension in today's busy emergency departments can be confusing and a large source of medical liability.
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Some studies suggest that drug screens rarely influence clinical interventions or disposition, but other authors support the use of routine drug screening in the ED. In addition to this dispute, the test itself is associated with problems that restrict its ability to provide real-time, clinically-relevant information and is often misunderstood by the ordering physician.
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A growing number of hospitals are allowing patients to view their own medical records electronically. Does this increase liability risks for emergency physicians?
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Which is the correct antibiotic? It's an increasingly complicated question for ED physicians, and presents significant liability risks.
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When your average employee is making $12 an hour, you face distinct and unique challenges.
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While a recent study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine showed that English-speaking adults often have difficulty understanding physicians' instructions, patients who don't understand English present an additional challenge for ED managers.
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The ED at Metro Health Medical Center in Cleveland began considering a new policy for patients with minor ailments about two years ago, recalls Charles L. Emerman, MD, chairman of the department of emergency medicine. "Our ED was designed for 100,000 patients a year, and it had become apparent we were going to hit that fairly quickly," he explains.