ED Management – April 1, 2012
April 1, 2012
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EDs struggle with increased demand from patients with behavioral health concerns
Already burdened with increased demand for medical services, EDs across the country are also seeing a spike in the number of patients who present with behavioral health issues. -
Use routine chart reviews, training, and careful staffing decisions to root out under-triage in the ED
Under-triage, or assessing patients as being less ill than they actually are, can lead to treatment delays and adverse outcomes, including serious injury and even death. -
Study: Reconsider the use of CT scans for patients who present with dizziness
When patients present to the ED with dizziness, oftentimes the provider will order a computed tomography (CT) scan to rule out serious medical problems, such as intracranial bleeding or stroke. However, a new study suggests that such scans may not be worth the expense in the vast majority of cases. -
Study: New imaging efficiency measure for ED use of CT for headaches not reliable or accurate
A new study suggests that there are serious problems with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) new imaging efficiency measure for ED use of computed tomography (CT) for headaches.