ED Management – March 1, 2018
March 1, 2018
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EDs Confront Surge in Hospitalizations and Deaths From Flu-related Complications
By mid-January, flu was widespread in every state except Hawaii, posing big challenges to frontline providers doing their best to stay ahead of the deluge in patients. Hospitals are using an array of strategies to manage spikes in volume. Some are canceling elective surgeries and limiting visitation, while others are creating additional treatment areas in their EDs to manage the demand.
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ED-based Screening Efforts Help Identify Patients With HIV, Reduce Risk of Transmissions
Although an estimated 85% of people infected with HIV in the United States are aware of their diagnosis, more than 160,000 people remain unaware, leaving them without needed treatment and raising the risk of further transmissions. Experts note there are many missed opportunities to diagnose these patients and connect them to care, as patients at high risk for the virus often are not offered tests when they visit a healthcare provider. However, ED-based HIV screening programs are making progress in this area, with some using new-generation tests to identify more cases, even at the earliest acute stage.
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Lack of Concussion Diagnoses in Dedicated Pediatric ED Raises Concerns
A new study by investigators from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School’s department of emergency medicine suggests that concussions are “grossly” underdiagnosed in pediatric patients who present to the ED, but it is not clear why or what the ramifications are for patients who do not receive an explicit diagnosis of concussion. The single-center study involved chart reviews of patients who presented to the pediatric ED at University Hospital in Newark, NJ, during an 18-month study period.
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ED-based Universal Screening Helps Identify Patients at Risk for Suicide
The ED at Parkland Hospital & Health System in Dallas has implemented a universal screening program to identify patients at risk for suicide. A six-item suicide screen is administered at triage, with patients stratified into three risk groups based on their answers: no risk identified, moderate risk identified, and high risk identified. Patients receive specific interventions based on their risk group.