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While flu vaccination rates are inching up among health care workers, there is still room for improvement. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that slightly more than 75% of health care workers received the flu vaccination during the 2013-14 season — an increase of roughly 3% over the 2012-13 season.
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New research suggests there is considerable variation in the decisions emergency providers make regarding whether to admit patients with certain common, low-mortality conditions.
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An outbreak of a rarely seen virus in the United States is spiking volumes at pediatric EDs across the country, with children typically presenting with asthma-like symptoms.
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Allegations made against a hospital for delaying evaluation and treatment and causing the patient to deteriorate can easily be extended to the emergency physician (EP).
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Health care providers are very fortunate to be compensated while performing a vital public service. However, most are honored to provide volunteer service, giving selflessly to their friends, communities, and often strangers. What could be more rewarding than serving mankind? What are the downsides?
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Given the soaring stress levels and high stakes of medical malpractice litigation, it’s probably not uncommon for an emergency physician (EP) defendant to have a fleeting thought of giving incorrect information during the discovery process.
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If a patient’s bad outcome is clearly due to inadequate ED nursing staffing, the emergency physician (EP) on duty could end up being liable, even if he or she provided entirely appropriate care.
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Emergency physicians (EP) can expect to be named in any malpractice lawsuit involving care provided by a physician assistant (PA), but the question then becomes “Will the EP get dropped from the case?”
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Syncope is the sudden loss of consciousness and postural tone with spontaneous recovery precipitated by cerebral dysfunction.
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(Editor's note: This is a two-part series on prevention of hospital-acquired infections in the ED. This month's issue provides information on avoiding infections when invasive procedures are performed, reducing the risk of infection with peripheral IV insertion, using alternatives to invasive procedures, giving central line education to ED nurses, and decreasing the use of central lines and urinary catheters. Next month, we'll cover how to determine if your patient has arrived at the ED with an infection, tips for cleaning the equipment you use, and strategies to improve compliance with hand hygiene.)
