ED Management – December 1, 2017
December 1, 2017
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How Las Vegas Hospitals Responded to Nation’s Deadliest Mass Shooting
Las Vegas medical professionals describe their experience responding to the nation's deadliest mass shooting that occurred in October. These providers also emphasize the importance of developing a versatile emergency response process that can be deployed in any type of mass casualty event.
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Electronic Tool, Clinical Judgment Replace Electronic Severity Index Triage System
Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore has replaced a widely used triage system with a new decision-support tool that enables nurses at triage in the ED to better differentiate patients based on acuity level. The electronic tool, dubbed e-triage, is able to quickly factor in a patient’s medical history, vital signs, and chief complaint, and compare this information to thousands of other patients.
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Two-stage Screening Tool Improves Identification of Young Sepsis Patients in ED
Investigators at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have developed a two-stage process to better identify children with sepsis while also minimizing alert fatigue. The approach includes an electronic alert tool that flags children with abnormal vital signs, but includes screening questions that enable clinicians to eliminate patients with no sign of infection. This approach is paired with a sepsis huddle to bring clinician judgment into the equation.
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Revised Standards on Pain Assessment and Management Reflect Concerns About Opioid Epidemic
As of Jan. 1, 2018, The Joint Commission will judge accredited hospitals according to newly revised standards for pain assessment and management. The standards are intended to address some of the unintended consequences of a nationwide focus on the under-treatment of pain, reflected in earlier versions. The revised standards push practitioners to offer alternatives to opioids when appropriate, and to engage patients in treatment planning for their pain so that realistic expectations are established.