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In this issue: FDA warning on topical anesthetics; antipsychotics increase sudden cardiac death; the step up vs step down debate; treating pain, fatigue, mood, and sleep in fibromyalgia; FDA Actions.
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When Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) was brought to the ED at Washington (DC) Hospital Center on Jan. 20, 2009, following a seizure, the department was well prepared.
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By implementing a Lean process change that it calls TAPP (Team Assessment Pull Process), the ED leadership in the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta system has realized a 25-minute reduction in median overall turnaround time, from 192 minutes to 167 minutes, excluding its fast track.
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In February 2008, 12% of the patients who presented to the ED at Gaston Memorial Hospital in Gastonia, NC, left without being treated.
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No ED cuts its average door-to-doc time from 93 minutes to 20 minutes by accident. The success story at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center in Houston was the result of discovering a patient flow model at another facility that was superior to theirs, and then continuing to search out additional models to come up with their own system that best addressed their specific needs.
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The malpractice case had all the makings of a large jury verdict: It was emotionally charged, with a tragic outcome for the patient, who was a quadruple amputee.
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Abuse of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs is bringing more patients to the ED, according to a new report from the Drug Abuse Warning Network. The study found that ED visits related to abuse of pharmaceuticals alone, with no other type of drug involved, increased 44% from 2004 to 2006.
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There is a way to recognize the potential for appendicitis before your patient even says a word.
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A patient's chart is unavailable. Verbal orders are not yet written in the patient's chart. The identification bracelet is not yet on your patient. These are three reasons that an ED nurse may fail to comply with one of The Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs): the requirement for use of at least two patient identifiers.
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A 3-year-old boy with gastroenteritis presents with dry mucous membranes, and his mother tells you he has been sick for several days. This child is at high risk for acidosis, according to a new study.
