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Older Adults with Abdominal Pain Risk Mistriage, Inadequate Diagnostic Tests
ED providers should not think of abdominal pain in older adults as the same as abdominal pain in younger patients. At the department level, consider adding abdominal pain in older patients to the list of automatic ECG criteria.
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CT Scans Rarely Change Management of Acute Pancreatitis
For acute pancreatitis patients, efficient and clinically accurate triage is the singular most vital function to help eliminate potential claims — but more importantly, to provide safe and effective treatment to ED patients.
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Unexpected Gaps in Opioid Overdose Treatments
Patients presenting to EDs for opioid overdose should go home with a naloxone prescription or a naloxone take-home kit. Alternatively, these patients could start buprenorphine when it is clinically feasible, or they could be connected directly to outpatient treatment for opioid use disorder.
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Ransomware Attacks Pose Unique Danger to ED Patients
Integrate ransomware response training with emergency preparedness training. To stay ahead of this risk, leaders can create packets with all documents needed to convert to non-digital care on short notice. Staff can switch to manual processes for ordering labs and imaging, following care protocols, and calculating drug dosages.
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Few EDs Screen Patients for Excessive Alcohol Use
The ED is where patients often go during their most vulnerable times. Emergency providers can help vulnerable patients prevent a future crisis if they can show patients that help is available and how to access it.
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ED Visits for Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders Surging Nationally
Presentations often are bundled with a host of comorbid conditions and chronic or acute traumatic events. Providers should suspect and expect an underlying potentially serious coexisting medical complication in each patient encountered until proven otherwise.
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Underpayment Is Major Concern for EDs with New Surprise Billing Law
This landmark consumer protection took effect Jan. 1, but litigation from advocacy groups is pending as insurers are jockeying with providers for reimbursement rate advantages.
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Post-Exercise Premature Ventricular Contraction, or Aberrancy?
The ECG in the figure is a post-exercise tracing. There are four wider and slightly early occurring beats in the long lead rhythm strips. Are these beats premature ventricular contractions or premature atrial contractions conducted with aberration?
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Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir Tablets (Paxlovid)
The FDA has issued an emergency use authorization for the first oral regimen for the treatment of COVID-19.
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Incidence, Prevalence, and Long-Term Consequences of Small Fiber Neuropathy
Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) associated with diabetes and other causes is more likely to progress to large-fiber polyneuropathy, deteriorate faster, and cause worse disability vs. slow progression with idiopathic SFN.