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Blunt Abdominal Trauma
Blunt abdominal trauma is commonly encountered in any acute care center. Prompt recognition, assessment, diagnostic evaluation, and disposition are critical aspects that must be a part of every clinician’s expertise.
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State Malpractice Claim Rate Tied to Low-Risk Syncope Admissions
The frequency of malpractice claims is associated with higher rates of hospital admission for ED patients with lower-risk syncope, according to the results of a recent study.
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Template Charting on Nursing Notes Complicates Med/Mal Defense
Instead of making blanket statements about review of nursing notes, the emergency physician should document accurately. If the physician did not actually review the nursing notes, stay silent on it.
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Communication and Resolution Programs Are Alternative to Malpractice Claims
Considering signs of financial uncertainty in liability insurance markets, it is an excellent time for EDs to study communication and resolution programs as an alternative to malpractice litigation, the authors of a recent paper argued.
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When Urgent Care Center Refers Patient to ED, Reasons Might Be Unclear
Ensure all ED patients experience the best attainable outcomes, and devote extra thought to scenarios in which mistakes are less likely to be forgiven. For patients sent by urgent care centers, be sure to fully understand why the patient is there.
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‘Total Breakdown in Communication’ Led to Settlement of Advance Directive Case
EDs can learn a lot from this particular case about how to avoid litigation for disregarding advance directives.
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EDs Face Legal Trouble if Patient’s Advance Directive Not Followed
Emergency physicians worry about litigation because they did not save a patient’s life. However, few realize there are considerable legal risks if aggressive end-of-life care is provided against the patient’s wishes. Several recent million-dollar settlements have involved ED patients who were resuscitated or intubated against the documented wishes in their advance directives.
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Social Media Fuels COVID-19 Vaccine Fear
To fight the proliferation of vaccine misinformation and disinformation spreading on social media, public health agencies and academic partners have created a vaccine misinformation field guide outlining how to respond to the misinformation that is undermining uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines.
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Needlestick Risks at COVID-19 Vaccination Sites
Needlesticks are threatening to move beyond the hospital in a big way. With a variety of people with various skill sets administering COVID-19 vaccines — sometimes in unusual situations — there is understandable concern about sharps injuries at immunization sites. As COVID-19 vaccine guidelines expand to more age groups and populations, occupational health experts are reminding HCWs that needlesticks could lead to transmission of bloodborne pathogens.
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Good News for Pregnant Healthcare Workers
Pregnant healthcare workers face a personal choice to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, although emerging evidence suggests contracting the virus outweighs the risk of immunization. The CDC recommends lactating women can be vaccinated. However, the effects of the vaccines on pregnancy are unknown, though emerging trends look good.