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A male patient in his 30s was seen at an emergency department (ED), where he displayed some evidence of epidural abscess, but was discharged with a diagnosis of back pain.
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An on-call specialist may have given recommendations for an emergency department (ED) patient's care, but that doesn't mean he or she is legally responsible.
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Patients are put at risk when EPs are not given key pieces of information.
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Errors in diagnosis are the most common medical factor in malpractice claims resulting in payouts against emergency physicians (EPs).
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It's not just about making people happy. It's about making people happy as a risk-management strategy.
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If an ED patient is admitted to a step-down unit and has a bad outcome, a plaintiff attorney might successfully argue that the patient should have been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) instead.
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The prescription drug abuse epidemic in this country is a serious problem with implications not only for at-risk patients, but for providers. Providers must be mindful to identify patients at risk for abuse/overdose. However, the pendulum must not swing too far, resulting in reduced access to care for those with chronic medical conditions and compliance problems with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA).
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In a recent malpractice case, a widow stated that her husband presented with crushing substernal chest pain with shortness of breath, but the emergency physician (EP) testified that the chest pain occurred with cough only.