Emergency Medicine - Adult and Pediatric
RSSArticles
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Ethicists Offer Much-Needed Support to Clinicians with Moral Distress
The issue of moral distress is nothing new in healthcare, but the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the problem. Read on to learn how ethicists can help colleagues sort through unusual feelings.
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Making Critical Care Triage Policies Transparent to Patients, Community
Certain hospitals are including information on their critical care triage policies in admission packets to explain how care or supplies will be allocated if rationing becomes necessary. Some clinicians feel ethically obligated to inform everyone up front of the possibility. Others think it is better to do so only if and when it becomes necessary.
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Investigators Uncover More Troubling Data About the Adverse Health Effects of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
Recent study revealed women who consume just one such beverage per day were at a much higher risk for stroke and cardiovascular disease.
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Infections and Prophylaxis in Pediatric Trauma Patients
The emergency medicine physician serves a critical role for trauma and surgical patients. Early recognition of infections and understanding the indications for prophylaxis are critical for management of pediatric trauma patients. The authors explore the most common etiologic agents by body system and prophylactic and therapeutic strategies.
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Shipments of Remdesivir Begin Arriving at U.S. Hospitals
HHS requests facilities submit weekly data to facilitate distribution of the COVID-19 therapeutic.
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Liability Protection Not Absolute for ED Volunteers
Volunteer emergency department providers should verify their malpractice insurance covers voluntary service. Hospitals should check that volunteer providers are covered under the hospital’s malpractice insurance. Additionally, leaders should look to relevant state law to determine the extent of liability protections related to volunteers.
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Psychiatric Patients Pose Unique Legal Risks During Pandemic
If an emergency department is packed with respiratory patients, psychiatric patients could end up boarded for hours or days. This is not good for patients, and creates liability exposure.
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Delayed Care, Misdiagnoses Still Happening, Regardless of COVID-19 Surges
Just because there are surges of respiratory patients in the emergency department does not mean there are any fewer stroke, heart attack, or septic patients. There will not be fewer lawsuits, either, if any of these patients receive delayed care or are misdiagnosed.
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No ICU Bed? ED Patients ‘Fall into Black Hole’
In terms of malpractice, the main question is going to be: Did the emergency department (ED) patient receive treatment as fast as he or she should have, given the relevant circumstances? EDs in known COVID-19 hotspots with long waits for intensive care unit beds probably will be treated somewhat differently than smaller community EDs, where it was mostly business as usual.
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Enforcement Action Likely if Hospital Retaliates Against ED Staff
Some emergency department doctors and nurses allege they were disciplined or fired after complaining about inadequate personal protective equipment, or for refusing to treat COVID-19 patients without N95 masks.