As ED overcrowding becomes more widespread, the companion problem of ambulance diversion becomes increasingly acute at EDs across the nation.
The patient asks, "Is it safe to take?" You pause, thinking, the FDA classifies it as a Category C, and everybody seems to use it, but how can anybody be sure? So, you finally respond, "It has been used a lot in pregnant patients and no harmful effects have been observed." But, you say to yourself, am I really confident? What would I do for myself or my spouse if in the same situation?
Emergency physicians (EPs) often are called upon to perform a myriad of procedures. These procedures often are invasive and can carry a significant amount of risk. Recent studies have emphasized that EPs should routinely use ultrasound to help guide common procedures performed in the emergency department (ED).
If you forget to tell an inpatient nurse that your ED patient has an allergy or was given a certain medication, the consequences could be dire.
Minor respiratory complaints were all that a man reported to ED nurses at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, but in fact, he was suicidal.
