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Flexibility is the key word when developing a policy on family access, says Stephen Epstein, MD, MPP, spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians and clinical operations director at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Understanding the familys needs is important, but they must be balanced with patient safety.
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Very few hospitals have policies that allow family access during resuscitation and other treatment in the ED, even though research has shown that the public overwhelmingly desires it and a growing number of emergency physicians and nurses support the idea.
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When the lights go out, brace yourself for a surge in patients even if things seem relatively peaceful. That was the lesson learned during the blackout that recently crippled the northeastern United States.
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To provide you with critical information on the updated regulations from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Thomson American Health Consultants offers "New EMTALA Regulations: Are They Too Good to be True?" an audio conference on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2:30-3:30 p.m. ET.
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"EMTALA: The Essential Guide to Compliance" from Thomson American Health Consultants, publisher of ED Legal Letter and Hospital Risk Management, explains how the changes to EMTALA will affect emergency departments and off-campus clinics. In-depth articles, at-a-glance tables, and Q-and-A discussions of real-life situations are presented, and key differences between the old EMTALA and the new changes are succinctly explained.
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Historically, ED Legal Letter has evaluated the mistakes of physicians after the fact. The diagnosis has been missed, the case has been litigated and decided. The benefit of hindsight provides an essential learning and risk management opportunity for the reader. This months issue will evaluate the thinking and behavior of physicians that lead to errors in diagnosis. An analysis of the cognitive errors in the ED by physicians will provide reflection on future premature or inaccurate diagnosis in the ED. This issue will allow physicians to recognize that certain types of thinking and behavior can be harmful to the patient. Acknowledging these faults will reduce bad outcomes and prevent future litigation.
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Of 26 mechanically ventilated patients, 22 developed bacterial lower respiratory tract colonization, and in 15 patients anaerobes were recovered; 2 of 5 patients diagnosed with ventilator-associated pneumonia had anaerobes present in sufficient quantity to suggest that they were considered pathogenic.
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The FDA has approved vardenafil (LevitraBayer and GlaxoSmithKline) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men. Vardenafil joins sildenafil (Viagra) as the only 2 drugs approved for this indication in this country.
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Specialty beds marketed for ICU patients range from simple air-filled mattresses designed for use on ordinary hospital beds to high-tech, electronically controlled rotating or vibrating devices.
