This issue is the second part of our discussion of sudden vision loss, stressing conditions that present to the emergency department. You will note the utility of ocular ultrasound in diagnosing many of these conditions. This review was helpful to me as a practicing emergency physician. -- J. Stephan Stapczynski, MD, FACEP, Editor
Hospitals around the country have stepped up their efforts to train staff and implement procedures to ensure the safe identification and management of any patients with signs of Ebola virus disease (EVD).
Informed by the cases of two nurses who contracted Ebola virus disease (EVD) while caring for a patient with the disease in Dallas, TX, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA, has unveiled strengthened guidance for health care workers. Further, nursing organizations are pledging to work together to identify gaps and make system-level improvements to protect both patients and caregivers.
There are many ways an ED practice can lose revenue. Todays complex medical payment systems require constant monitoring and analysis to stay ahead. Without a flexible data management tool/dashboard to identify outliers and compare provider productivity and quality, it may be difficult to manage your ED appropriately.
HIV may be acquired either vertically or horizontally. Vertical, or perinatal, transmission occurs when the virus is transmitted from mother to child in utero, during labor and delivery, or through breastfeeding. Horizontal transmission occurs when the virus is acquired behaviorally through the exchange of bodily fluids, typically through sexual contact or needle sharing.
When Childrens Medical Center in Dallas, TX, decided to place specially trained pharmacists on site in the ED around the clock, medication errors went from 8% to less than 1%.
Even though research suggests that codeine should generally not be given to children, plenty of emergency providers are still prescribing the drug to pediatric patients, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics.
Faced with rising demand from patients with mental health problems, Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael, CA, is using telemedicine to connect many of these patients with psychiatrists. With input from the psychiatrists, emergency physicians feel more comfortable initiating treatment for these patients, many of whom can then be discharged with instructions to pursue outpatient follow-up.
The Joint Commission (TJC) is calling on health care organizations to develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent the misuse of vials.
Unsafe injection practices with respect to the misuse and unsafe use of vials is being targeted by The Joint Commission (TJC).
