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Toxicology

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  • Boost outcomes, shave LOS with ED-based intervention

    Hip fractures are among the most debilitating and expensive diagnoses to treat, but you can significantly improve outcomes and lower costs if you get hip-fracture patients into surgery quickly, explains Anthony Balsamo, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and head of the Geriatric Fracture Care Program (GFCP) at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
  • Survey: On-call surgical specialists hard to find; lack of incentives may be a root case

    With all the talk about the shortage of primary care physicians, one would think there is an abundance of surgical specialty care providers ready and willing to answer the call.
  • Medical-Legal Pitfalls in Managing Acetaminophen Toxicity

    Case: A 40-year-old man with a history of hepatitis C and alcoholism presents to the ED with dental caries. A brief history and unremarkable physical examination is documented. The patient is discharged and fills his prescription for hydrocodone 5 mg/acetaminophen 500 mg (1-2 tablets every 4-6 hours as needed, #25).
  • Will Camera Photos from Your ED Wind Up on the Web — or in Court?

    Given the fact that almost every patient, family member, and ED staff member is carrying a cell phone, it's not surprising that inappropriate photos or videos have been posted online which means increased legal risks for EDs.
  • ED Patient's Pic Posted? HIPAA Violation Possible

    Corey M. Slovis, MD, professor and chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, says to remember that requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) apply not only to words, but also to images.
  • Reduce Legal Risks of "No-Show" ED Consultants

    Did an ear, nose and throat consultant refuse to come in for a critical-airway patient, a neurosurgeon for an intracranial bleed, or a hand surgeon for a patient with a tendon rupture? "Any of these instances could lead to poor or unsafe patient care and strained future relationships," says Chad Kessler, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, section chief of emergency medicine at Jesse Brown VA Hospital in Chicago.
  • If a Consultant Doesn't Show, What Can You Prove in Court?

    Michael Blaivas, MD, RDMS, professor of emergency medicine in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Northside Hospital Forsyth in Cumming, GA, says he has reviewed multiple cases involving consultants refusing to come to the ED, with a bad outcome resulting. "Mostly, this means an unhappy patient, but in critically ill ones can mean a lawsuit," he says.
  • Pediatric Corner: Give life-saving meds faster with new e-Broselow system

    Dosages based on the color-coded Broselow Pediatric Emergency tape will soon be displayed on a large LCD monitor for all ED staff to see, says Andre A. Muelenaer Jr., part of the product's developmental team and an associate professor of pediatrics at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke.
  • Do this immediately for heat-injured ED patients

    Exertional heat-related injuries are on the rise in EDs, with an estimated 54,000 patients treated over a 10-year period a 133% increase that was not linked to increased seasonal temperatures, according to a new study.
  • Be ready for sudden change in asthma patients' status

    "Normal-looking" asthma patients, whose condition is poorly controlled with treatment, or patients who are not compliant with treatment, may show up in your ED after weeks of deteriorating gradually, warns Anissa Washington, RN, BSN, ED nurse at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis, MO.