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A new study strongly suggests that for children who present to the ED with minor blunt head traumas, a short period of observation can make an important difference in helping clinicians determine whether to order computed tomography (CT) scans or not.
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While EDs are designed to respond to acute care needs, they are often inundated by patients with complex medical, social, and behavioral health problems that require comprehensive solutions. Not surprisingly, the results of this mismatch can involve long wait times, inefficient care, and less than satisfactory outcomes.
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Malpractice claims alleging missed or delayed diagnosis of sepsis, in which a patient is initially brought to the emergency department (ED) and ultimately dies or suffers a highly adverse outcome, can rarely be traced to a single mistake, according to Damian D. Capozzola, JD, of The Law Offices of Damian D. Capozzola in Los Angeles, CA.
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Since ancient times, caring for alcohol-intoxicated patients in the emergency department has always been troubling and risky for emergency physicians and hospital staff. In a high-profile case in New York, the state's highest court essentially held that physicians and hospitals are not thy intoxicated brother's keeper.
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After a patient on a psychiatric hold managed to escape restraints, he ran out of the emergency department (ED) and was hit by a truck.
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Even if a patient with a suspected stroke meets the criteria for tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), emergency physicians (EPs) are sometimes reluctant to administer it without having a neurologist evaluate the patient, says Joseph Shiber, MD, FACEP, FACP, FCCM, associate professor of emergency medicine and critical care at University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville.
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The most common scenario in malpractice lawsuits involving frequent ED patients is failure to adequately diagnose, treat, and stabilize an emergent medical condition, says John Burton, MD, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, VA.
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Emergency providers are trained to deal with crises, but it can be frustrating to see the same patients rotating through time and time again.
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Great strides have been made in the treatment of sickle cell disease, the inherited blood disorder that occurs most commonly in African-Americans.
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An unprecedented, state-wide effort aimed at curbing non-essential use of the ED by Medicaid recipients appears to be making an impact in Washington state.
