Emergency
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Acute Kidney Injury in Patients With Cirrhosis
Acute kidney injury and hepatorenal syndrome are common conditions found in patients with cirrhosis, due to the systemic vasodilation and systemic inflammation frequently found in this population.
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Diagnosis and Management of Infants With Critical Congenital Heart Disease in the Emergency Department
Critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children. When children with undiagnosed congenital heart disease (CHD) present acutely, the challenge of diagnosis and the importance of timely management can be daunting for any physician in an emergency setting. The children with the highest morbidity and mortality from critical congenital heart disease are infants younger than 1 year of age.
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EMTALA, Malpractice Implications for Patients Transferred 100 Miles Away
There are some situations in which hospitals violate EMTALA, or the standard of care, by making unreasonable transfer arrangements that result in untoward outcomes. Potential liability exposure for the transferring hospital makes it important to document that the closer hospitals rejected the transfer and why the benefits of transferring the patient to a particular hospital outweigh the risks.
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Higher Emotional Intelligence Linked to Less Malpractice Litigation
Researchers have found an indirect negative correlation between a physician’s emotional intelligence and litigation risk. One possible explanation: Better communication skills mean happier patients.
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Abnormal Vital Signs Often Found in ED Chart During Malpractice Litigation
If abnormal vital signs are documented clearly, but are unexplained and seemingly unnoticed, it complicates malpractice defense.
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Legal Exposure for ED When Overdose Patients Refuse Care
One concern is that whatever the patient overdosed on, which often is unknown, will outlast the duration of the reversal agent.
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Hospital Sole Defendant in Some ED Malpractice Claims
Hospitals can argue that they are not liable for the emergency physician's negligence because he or she is not an employee. Yet, it is increasingly difficult for hospitals to avoid this “vicarious liability.”
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Vascular Events, Infections Top Misdiagnosed Conditions in ED Malpractice Claims
The lead author of a recent study expounds on high-severity misdiagnosis cases and what those mean for EDs in terms of patient safety and malpractice risk.
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Dementia Update
Dementia is a common and growing problem that is associated with significant caregiver burden and immense cost. A growing focus on disease prevention and management of risk factors in mid-life is vital to attempt to mitigate the daunting impact of this illness on patients, caregivers, and the healthcare system as a whole.
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Feds Mandate Hospitals Develop and Maintain Antibiotic Stewardship Programs
The move is seen as a big step against multidrug-resistant organisms and the misuse of antibiotics.