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When a flash flood hit Columbus, IN, in June, Columbus Regional Hospital had to be evacuated. But just two weeks later, the ED was able to reopen, thanks to a mobile unit called the Carolinas MED (Mobile Emergency Department)-1, which was first deployed in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
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When an Aero Med helicopter crashed and burst into flames on the roof of an 11-story tower at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in downtown Grand Rapids, MI, on May 29, 2008, during a training run, the ED team swung immediately into action to get to the two victims and prepare the department to receive them.
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ED managers have the opportunity to increase reimbursements under the proposed 2009 rule for the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS), but they also will come under greater scrutiny by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the quality of their care.
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The successful repair of congenital heart diseases has led to an increase in the incidence of pediatric dysrhythmias. The presentation of dysrhythmias can be a diagnostic challenge to clinicians, and is especially difficult since most children present with vague and nonspecific symptoms such as "fussiness" or "difficulty feeding."
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Treatment of severe hypertension in today's busy emergency departments can be confusing and a large source of medical liability.
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Some studies suggest that drug screens rarely influence clinical interventions or disposition, but other authors support the use of routine drug screening in the ED. In addition to this dispute, the test itself is associated with problems that restrict its ability to provide real-time, clinically-relevant information and is often misunderstood by the ordering physician.
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A growing number of hospitals are allowing patients to view their own medical records electronically. Does this increase liability risks for emergency physicians?
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Which is the correct antibiotic? It's an increasingly complicated question for ED physicians, and presents significant liability risks.
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Many odors are noxious, but few are as repellent as the foul smell of massive hematochezia. Everybody in the emergency department knows something is wrong. Once you get past the smell, you realize you often have a very ill patient with a complex medical history and underlying comorbidities. Disposition decision is often easy ("ADMIT"), but to whom and where?
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Injuries of the wrist and elbow in children are frequently seen in the emergency department (ED), and as children and adolescents are participating in sports in record numbers, the frequency of these injuries is continuing to rise. Sports injuries in children and adolescents are by far the most common cause of musculoskeletal injuries treated in the ED, accounting for 41% of all musculoskeletal injuries.
