Emergency Medicine - Adult and Pediatric
RSSArticles
-
Legalities if Law Enforcement Responds to ED Violence
The presence of law enforcement can agitate some patients, or cause others to withhold information over fears the information will be disclosed to police. It creates a situation where state or federal privacy laws can be violated. Emergency clinicians should consult hospital security, risk management, legal counsel, or leadership for guidance on policies and applicable laws.
-
Recurring Fact Patterns in Triage-Related Med/Mal Claims
Some malpractice lawsuits stem from what happens when the patient arrived at the ED — the triage nurse misses an emergency medical condition. If the triage process failed to identify a high-acuity patient requiring expedited care, then a plaintiff could allege the triage nurse breached the standard of care.
-
Properly Used Decision Aids Can Help Defend Malpractice Claims
Researchers recently concluded there is a high risk of EDs overlooking serious coronary artery disease in women. Using validated diagnostic tools can help alleviate this.
-
Simulated Deposition Teaches Emergency Clinicians About Malpractice Claims
ED providers often worry about lawsuits, yet many lack basic knowledge of malpractice litigation. A simulation tool that teaches curricular objectives and reinforces medical knowledge on resuscitation, communication, procedural skills, and other topics could help fills the gaps.
-
Educators Hope Emergency Nurse Residency Program Can Improve Retention, Prevent Burnout
What is the best way to prepare a new nurse for the challenges and requirements of an ED? The answer might be a comprehensive emergency nurse residency program capable of providing graduates and nurses new to the emergency environment with the judgment, skills, and resilience to launch long and successful careers.
-
To Bolster Antibiotic Stewardship, Refine Culture Follow-Up Process
Appoint a dedicated person who sifts through culture reports, reviews old culture data, and follows up with patients. Ideally, this person would be an expert around the antibiotic spectrum who could tailor therapy to culture results.
-
Experts Urge ED Leaders to Refocus Efforts on Antimicrobial Stewardship
Early advocates of antimicrobial stewardship tended to focus on prescribing in outpatient settings. In recent years, attention has shifted toward the ED — and there are many good reasons for this shift.
-
Unusual Hepatitis Ailment Puzzles Investigators, Frontline Providers
Emergency clinicians have another novel illness to be concerned about. Investigators are uncovering a small, but growing number of unusual cases of hepatitis in young children that is putting many of these patients at risk for bad outcomes.
-
Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) is a common cause of presentation to the emergency department. There is a wide array of clinical presentations and causes of LGIB. This article will focus mainly on acute LGIB, including small bowel bleeding, in the adult patient.
-
Major Traumatic Brain Injury Can Raise Dementia Risk
Patients with brain bleeding and a long hospital stay were 1.5 times more likely to develop dementia compared to those with no injury.