Emergency
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Failure to Wean From the Ventilator: Is Pleural Effusion the Culprit?
The authors of a multicenter, prospective cohort study did not find an association between the presence of moderate or large pleural effusion and ventilator weaning failure.
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Functional Outcomes After Receiving Life-sustaining Therapy in the ICU
Among patients who have spent at least three days in an ICU and required even brief mechanical ventilation and/or vasopressor support, almost half are dead and only one-third return to their baseline at six months. Several factors present on the first day of admission are associated with not returning to baseline status.
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Thrombocytopenia in the Critically Ill
Thrombocytopenia is not only a pathologic entity, but the severity of thrombocytopenia and the recovery time of the platelets often predicts outcome, including overall mortality of ICU patients. Critically ill patients with moderate and severe thrombocytopenia demonstrate higher ICU and hospital mortality. If the recovery is delayed beyond day four, several studies have demonstrated higher morbidity and mortality.
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Emergency Management of Rabies Exposure
Rabies is an uncommon disease with a very high fatality rate. Recognition of a potential exposure and effective prophylaxis are critical in prevention of this devastating disease. The authors review recognition of suspicious bites/exposures, clinical presentation of rabies, and utilization of effective prevention strategies.
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Hospital-run Urgent Care Center Is Subject to EMTALA
ED staff need training to ensure compliance.
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ED Care Difficult to Defend if Patient Died Shortly After Discharge
Such cases are ‘every emergency physician’s greatest fear.’
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Don’t Blindside Consultants Legally: Be Up-front About Charting Practices
Prevent adversarial relationship during litigation.
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Med/Mal Suit Possible if EP’s Name Appears in Adverse Event Report
Federal investigators demand ‘anything and everything.’
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Hospitals Increasingly Held Liable for EPs’ Negligence
Plaintiffs might view an EP as another ‘deep pocket.’
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Report: 10% of ED Malpractice Claims Involve Medication Errors
Wrong drug orders and no drug orders are common reasons for lawsuits.