Emergency Medicine - Adult and Pediatric
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When ED Is Crowded, Hospital Admission Becomes Less Likely
Patients are less likely to be admitted when the ED is crowded, according to the authors of a recent study. However, patients discharged during periods of crowding are not more likely to return to the ED within two weeks of discharge.
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Multiple Allegations Against EPs in Airway Management Cases
Airway management cases involving devastating outcomes are a significant source of liability for EDs. Some common allegations include using wrong-sized equipment and failure to verify tube placement after transport.
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Patients Want a Diagnosis, But a Premature One Can Fuel Lawsuit
Patients do not like leaving the ED without receiving a definite diagnosis. However, this kind of closure is not always possible in the ED, where many people are sent home with a symptom-based diagnosis.
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Measles Case in Waiting Room? Liability Exposure if Diagnosis Missed
Measles outbreaks have alarmed public health officials in many states. Many infected people end up in ED waiting rooms. If providers miss the measles diagnosis, there are potential liability risks for both ED providers and hospitals.
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ED Violence Often Unreported, Ignored by Prosecutors, Dismissed by Judges
Assaulting ED providers is a felony in many states. However, it is rare for anyone to press charges against assailants.
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Hypothermia and Frostbite
All emergency providers should be familiar with hypothermia regardless of the climate in which they practice. Hypothermia can occur in a variety of climates, indoors or outdoors, and in patients of all ages regardless of health status. Frostbite, chilblains, trench foot, and cold urticaria are cold-related injuries that may present to any emergency department during any time of year.
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Blunt Pelvic Trauma
The management of pelvic trauma has evolved significantly in the last 20 years, with advances in devices and procedures. The key to success is having a team of physicians, including specialists in emergency medicine, interventional radiology, and surgery, who can work together to provide each patient the best outcome possible.
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Managing Complications of New-Age Cancer Therapy
Cancer patients undergoing treatment are immunocompromised and at high risk for developing early complications leading to critical illness. Compared to complications encountered with conventional chemotherapy, new-generation immunotherapies pose unique diagnostic challenges because their presentation can be vague and nonspecific or can mimic autoimmune diseases.
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Acute Treatment of Pediatric Migraine
Migraines occur in young children, but may be challenging to diagnose. Migraines can have a great impact on pediatric patients’ quality of life with school absence and limitations on extracurricular activities. Treatment of pediatric migraines or possible migraines is difficult secondary to the lack of evidence for effective therapies in pediatric patients. Treatment includes traditional therapy with dopamine receptor antagonists (DRAs), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), triptans, and combination therapies. Newer therapies include magnesium, valproic acid (VPA), and peripheral nerve blocks. The authors review the clinical presentation of migraines in children, guidelines for diagnosis, and therapeutic options.
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EPs, Hospitals Face Liability for ED Nurse Practitioners’ Negligence
If an ED nurse practitioner is sued for malpractice, the hospital will “almost always” be named, says one attorney. However, the hospital may not rally behind the care given by the nurse defendant. For this reason, nurse practitioners should carry their own malpractice insurance.