-
Pertussis, commonly known as the "whooping cough," is an infection of the upper respiratory tract leading to a protracted cough illness. Emergency physicians should become familiar with the diagnosis and management of this disease, given the potential of pertussis infections to cause serious morbidity and mortality in young infants.
-
A lawsuit involving a terrible outcome, but good emergency department (ED) care, seemed "very defensible" to Matthew Rice, MD, JD, FACEP, former senior vice president and chief medical officer at Northwest Emergency Physicians of TEAMHealth in Federal Way, WA. Rice was about to recommend that the hospital vigorously defend the case, but it never got to that point.
-
Today, it is standard practice for attorneys to do an Internet search on any adverse party and witness, according to Robert D. Kreisman, a medical malpractice attorney with Kreisman Law Offices in Chicago.
-
If there was the potential for a better outcome if a patient was transferred, and the patient was harmed and can show that you breached the standard of care, a successful lawsuit could result, says Michael Blaivas, MD, RDMS, professor of emergency medicine in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Northside Hospital Forsyth in Cumming, GA.
-
With some hospitals being designated as demonstrating excellence in the care of stroke patients, does this mean a patient can successfully sue the ED if he or she is not treated at one of those facilities?
-
Online posts often contain more data than were really intended, says Michael Blaivas, MD, RDMS, professor of emergency medicine in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Northside Hospital Forsyth in Cumming, GA, and patients may be able to pick themselves out.
-
As ED overcrowding becomes more widespread, the companion problem of ambulance diversion becomes increasingly acute at EDs across the nation.
-
The patient asks, "Is it safe to take?" You pause, thinking, the FDA classifies it as a Category C, and everybody seems to use it, but how can anybody be sure? So, you finally respond, "It has been used a lot in pregnant patients and no harmful effects have been observed." But, you say to yourself, am I really confident? What would I do for myself or my spouse if in the same situation?
-
-
Emergency physicians (EPs) often are called upon to perform a myriad of procedures. These procedures often are invasive and can carry a significant amount of risk. Recent studies have emphasized that EPs should routinely use ultrasound to help guide common procedures performed in the emergency department (ED).
