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Intimate Partner Violence

Domestic violence and abuse is a national and global healthcare problem with massive consequences, affecting men, women, and children, which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Awareness, recognition, and resource allocation, in addition to trauma management, is an important aspect of emergent care of the trauma patient possibly injured in a domestic violence incident.

Florida Hospital Tests Safety Bundle to Improve Alarm Management

With better communication and training, staff on a surgical ICU improved their responses to emergency alarms and alleviated alert fatigue.

Congressional Proposal Would Reward Clinicians Who Practice in Rural Areas

The bill would expand medical school loan forgiveness in exchange for working in remote, underserved areas.

A Review of Depression in the Emergency Department

Depression is a worldwide public health problem. A disproportionate number of patients experiencing depression will be seen in emergency departments, many of them for unrelated medical issues.

Feds Greenlight Expanded Naloxone Availability

The FDA has approved the nasal spray version of the opioid overdose reversal agent for over-the-counter sales.

Endotracheal Intubation Lawsuits Often Name ED Providers

After analyzing 214 relevant claims, researchers reported payments averaged $2.5 million. Intubation injuries occurred in the operating room most often, followed by the ED (16.3% of cases). Most cases involving the ED resulted in some type of payout (either a settlement or a jury award). Anesthesiologists were most likely to be named in the lawsuits (59.8%), and EPs were second most likely (19.2%) to be named. The vast majority of claims (89.2%) alleged permanent deficits, half the cases involved death, and 37.4% of the cases involved anoxic brain injury.

Pediatric Mental Health Crisis Is ECRI’s Top Safety Concern for 2023

The ED assessment should include appropriate triage: screening for harm of self or others, a thorough assessment, and consideration of social determinants of health.

ED Makes Discharge Safer for Pediatric Patients

Preventable, serious safety events related to discharge from the ED motivated clinicians at Boston Children’s Hospital to implement a standardized process. Staff follow and review all events locally within the department of emergency medicine, which can include some return visits. The emphasis is on family engagement and multidisciplinary communication.

New Processes ‘Close the Loop’ on Imaging Findings

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, radiologists report imaging findings through a standardized form integrated in dictation software. This automatically sends an email to a nurse navigator, who documents the findings and coordinates follow-up with patients, primary care providers, and specialists. From July 2021 to May 2022, 1,207 incidental finding reports were submitted, with the vast majority identified on CT scans. Ten new cancers were detected as a result of the program.

EDs Can Mitigate Malpractice Perils of High-Risk Medications

Many emergency providers are hesitant to deprescribe medications taken by a patient they just met. Some are more open to the idea in certain cases, such as blood pressure medications associated with side effects or adverse outcomes. But if patients cannot identify the high-risk medications they are taking, or if the link between the medication and the chief complaint is weak, it makes the task harder.