Emergency Medicine - Adult and Pediatric
RSSArticles
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Sexually Transmitted Infections in Adolescents
Unfortunately, adolescents are at increased risk for sexually transmitted infections secondary to high-risk sexual behavior, victims of commercial sexual exploitation, or sexual experimentation. The consequences can be devastating in the long term. Clinicians must maintain a high degree of suspicion and sensitivity (since most teenagers are reluctant to seek medical care and may not share all the information the clinician needs) to make this diagnosis, minimize complications, and optimize outcome for this vulnerable population.
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Excessive Wait Times Common Issue in ED Malpractice Litigation
Attorneys allege patient should have been seen immediately.
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Unexpected Legal Risks of ED Patients With ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ Orders
Patients or families could sue for unwanted interventions or for withholding resuscitative efforts.
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Psych Patients Awaiting Transfer From ED Are High Legal Risks
Legal risks include security, deterioration of the patient’s condition, and unsafe handoffs.
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Recent Cases Spotlight Pressure to Admit ED Patients
Anything not in patient’s best interest ‘unacceptable.’
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ED Patients in Observation Status Are Focus of Recent Med/Mal Cases
Sending a patient to an observation unit is not legally analogous to admitting a patient to the hospital.
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Deconstructing the Duty to Warn Doctrine
It has been the generally accepted standard that a provider must warn a third party of the potential harm from a patient when there is significant threat of harm toward a reasonably identifiable person. However, the delicate balance of these ethical challenges has come under recent assault.
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Penetrating Neck Trauma
Penetrating neck trauma presents a clinical challenge to the emergency physician. Clinicians must have a planned approach to these patients to optimize outcomes.
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Evaluation and Management of Seizures in the Emergency Department
Seizures are a common complaint in both children and adults presenting to the emergency department. Seizures may stop prior to physician evaluation, may be ongoing upon presentation, or may occur after the patient is brought to the ED. Patients may be experiencing a seizure for the first time in their lives or may be suffering from chronic epilepsy.
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Non-Traumatic Ocular Emergencies
Evaluating eye-related complaints in the ED requires a good understanding of the anatomy and potential implications of failure to treat. Although most ED presentations are nonemergent, it is important that the emergency physician identify the emergent presentations and manage them promptly to prevent potential vision loss.