Thus, most hospitals in my county have limited on-site or in-house behavioral or psychiatric resources; most patients are assessed in the emergency department (ED) and then transferred to mental health crisis centers or, if available, inpatient psychiatric units. The most common question by the accepting provider is, "Is this patient medically cleared?"
Emergency physicians are often required to adeptly manage patients with unique and challenging clinical problems. This is a two-part paper to provide the emergency physician with a clear, concise review of troubleshooting tubes and lines. Part I will deal with central venous catheters and tracheostomies. A later edition will deal with feeding and nephrostomy tubes.
