Emergency Medicine - Adult and Pediatric
RSSArticles
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The Unique Legal Risks of Treating Geriatric Patients
When compared to younger persons, older adults are more likely to experience missed or incorrect diagnoses and inadequate pain management. Older adults who are discharged from the ED are more likely to be readmitted. They also risk functional loss and higher rates of mortality. Whenever possible, and with the permission of the older adult, the ED nurse should include the patient’s significant other, family, or support person in the assessment process.
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ED Leaders Take Multiple Paths to Improve Geriatric Emergency Care
It has been several years since the Geriatric Emergency Department (GED) Guidelines were published and then endorsed by several groups. But although it is well understood the U.S. population is rapidly aging, experts agree only a few EDs provide the kind of care the GED Guidelines recommend. Where’s the disconnect?
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Community-Acquired Pneumonia in the Era of COVID-19
Community-acquired pneumonia is a leading infectious cause of hospitalization and mortality, with increased prevalence during the current COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to focus on appropriate testing, prompt treatment, and disposition to improve outcomes and maximize efficient use of limited resources during this global pandemic.
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Neurologists Add Nuance to Palliative Care Definition
Position paper authors underscore the importance of care goals discussions with patients and families throughout the disease course, not just at end of life.
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Report: Anxiety, Depression Up Significantly Among U.S. Children 2016-2020
Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health conditions among Americans age 3 to 17 years were trending negatively.
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Identifying and Managing MIS-C
Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infections are mild compared to adult infections. However, MIS-C, which typically develops four to six weeks after the initial infection, may be severe and characterized by multiorgan dysfunction resulting from hyperinflammation. This article includes critical information regarding MISC-C recognition and management.
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Managing Migraine in the Emergency Department
When a patient with a self-identified migraine presents to the emergency department, the emergency physician is tasked with sorting through the history to ensure that the diagnosis is correct, to reasonably exclude other causes of an acute headache, initiate treatment, assess the response, and make an appropriate disposition for the patient, with referral to primary care or specialists as needed. This article will focus on the acute treatment of migraines in the emergency department.
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Time-to-Disposition Delays Are Possible if Patient Is Seen Early
Recent study findings reflect the different types of work occurring during an ED shift. At the beginning of a shift, providers prioritize seeing new patients and initiating workups. At the end of a shift, providers transition to following up on lab or imaging results, and making decisions on whether to admit or discharge.
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Noncompliance with Sepsis Measures Used to Prove Care Was Negligent
Along with growing general awareness, there are several positive developments in ED sepsis care, including laboratory tests helpful in diagnosing sepsis cases that have improved substantially. Also, there are new biomarkers of sepsis that are promising, and new molecular tests allow a lab to identify blood-borne infections in hours instead of the days formerly required for blood cultures to grow.
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Crowding Linked to Higher Risk of Children Leaving Without Assessment
Researchers argue leave without being seen rates should no longer be considered an isolated problem, but rather a costly consequence of ED crowding resulting from poor patient flow through the hospital and across the system.