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There is much myth, controversy, and misunderstanding surrounding the safe and medical legally sound disposition of patients who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
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Chart could shift responsibility for bad outcomes
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Did an emergency department (ED) experience a sudden surge in volume at the same time a particular patient presented, who later filed a malpractice suit?
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According to the nursing notes, a 15-year-old boy presented to the ED with headache, neck pain, nausea, and vomiting.
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Was a frequent ED patient discharged after complaining of chest pain, and later suffered a myocardial infarction (MI)? In this scenario, the emergency physician (EP) can expect a lawsuit if she sent the patient home without assessing and treating the patient as she would any other patient with the same complaint, says Jonathan T. Brollier, JD, an attorney at Bricker & Eckler in Columbus, OH.
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The fast pace of a busy ED can make it difficult to focus in on processes that could be improved, but leadership and commitment can move the needle in the right direction as long as emergency personnel understand why change is important.
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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, GA, reports that every year more than 130,000 children younger than the age of 13 are rushed to the ED for treatment following motor vehicle accidents on the nations roadways.
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Fortunately, terrorist attacks are not a common occurrence in America. But ever since the World Trade Center towers were struck down by extremists in September 2001 in New York City, hospitals around the country have been honing the way they drill so that they will not be caught off guard in the unlikely event that a terrorist act triggers mass casualties in their region.
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Two days after bombs went off near the finish line at the Boston Marathon, another horrific disaster rocked the tiny community of West, TX. In that incident, a reported fire at a fertilizer plant was followed by a huge explosion that leveled four blocks of the city. The blast killed 14 people, most of whom were emergency responders, and injured more than 200 others.
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There are specific injury mechanisms that should lead the practitioner to suspect the presence of intra-abdominal injury, such as a handlebar injury to the upper abdomen and seat belt signs from a motor vehicle accident.
