If an emergency department (ED) patient with impending sepsis is discharged, returns hours later in septic shock, and dies or develops organ failure, "you're likely to get sued," warns Bruce Wapen, MD, an emergency physician with Mills-Peninsula Emergency Medical Associates in Burlingame, CA.
Head trauma is a common presenting problem among emergency department (ED) patients. It has been estimated that 1-2 million Americans sustain traumatic brain injury (TBI) annually.
Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome with far-reaching systemic sequelae. The release of intracellular components into the vascular space following striated muscle injury produces tissue necrosis, end-organ damage, and metabolic derangements.
Hospitals that receive federal funds are required by law to offer language assistance to patients with limited English proficiency (LEP).
