Emergency
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High-low Agreement Can Reduce Risk for Both Plaintiff and Defense
Some malpractice lawsuits carry high potential for damages because the plaintiff is very sympathetic. Yet, the EP defense team and the insurance company still believe the case is defensible and want to proceed to trial. With a high-low agreement, both the plaintiff and defendant receive protection from an excessive verdict.
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A Bad Outcome Does Not Necessarily Mean ED Gave Poor Care
One expert offers several suggestions for ED providers seeking to mitigate legal risks in real time.
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Mitigate Legal Risks Before Angry Patient Calls Attorney
Effective communication practices can mitigate malpractice risk in ED settings. Keep patients updated on the ED course, ensure patients and family are well-informed prior to leaving the ED, and encourage patients and family to vent frustration and anger.
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Did ED Personnel Review EMS Findings? If Not, Expect Negligence Allegations
To avoid trouble, create and follow a clearly defined process for how EMS gives information to ED personnel. Ensure that ED personnel receive complete information from field EMS providers. Further, EPs should review any EMS records available and consult with others who received verbal reports.
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When Closed Claims for Pediatric ED Patients Resulted in Plaintiff Payout
Appendicitis, cardiac or cardiorespiratory arrest, and disorder of male genital organs were the most common medical conditions triggering malpractice lawsuits involving pediatric ED patients, according to the authors of a recent analysis.
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Management of Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are complex injuries that the acute care physician must be prepared to assess and manage. In addition, an understanding of potential systemic effects from inhalation of toxic components in fires is critical to guide management. The authors provide a timely review of the critical aspects of assessment and management of burn patients.
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Creating a Standard of Care for Identifying, Managing Patients With Uncontrolled BP
Given the high prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension, investigators are looking at how emergency providers can play a role in identifying and intervening with patients who present to the ED with high blood pressure readings. The idea is to catch the condition at an earlier stage so that patients do not end up returning to the ED with strokes, heart attacks, and other serious cardiovascular consequences from uncontrolled hypertension.
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Innovative Staffing Model Reduces Handoffs, Boosts Provider Satisfaction
To address the patient safety risks associated with provider handoffs, Seattle Children’s Hospital designed a new staffing model that is built around waterfall-style shifts, in which a new attending physician arrives every three to five hours. The approach has significantly reduced the number of handoffs that occur without increasing attending physician hours. Further, it has won the approval of both providers and charge nurses.
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Frontline Providers Look for Answers Regarding Return of Acute Flaccid Myelitis
Confirmed cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) in 2018 reached 90 by the end of October, according to the CDC. While the CDC has yet to confirm what is causing AFM, experts strongly suspect that the disease stems from common viral infections. Still, it is not yet clear why just a small number of patients go on to experience paralysis in one or more limbs, a characteristic disease feature.
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The Influenza Virus: Winter Is Coming
Influenza is an acute respiratory illness responsible for significant seasonal epidemics each year. Despite commonly being a self-limited illness, the virus causes significant morbidity and mortality. During the winter months, emergency physicians should maintain a high suspicion for influenza in patients presenting with an acute febrile respiratory illness.