Browse Emergency Medicine Topics Articles by Topic

Many Patients Avoid Going to EDs Because of Fear of Boarding, Delays

Emergency physicians should convey to patients that they will receive care, regardless of the boarding crisis. Stick to the foundation of emergency medical care: stabilize, ensure patients are not experiencing a life-threatening emergency, and manage their urgent conditions.

Calling ED Boarding a Public Health Crisis, ACEP Pushes Policymakers to Act

Although there are many possible solutions, both legislative and administrative, the industry continues searching for the right formula to solve the problem.

EMTALA Concerns if Patients Ask About Delays

Are discouraging comments an EMTALA violation? Investigators would examine factors such as what exactly was stated, under what circumstances the comment was made, whether the information was truthful and accurate, and whether it discouraged the patient from staying in the ED and receiving care.

Computer-Interpreted ECGs Sometimes Miss Acute Coronary Occlusion

Emergency physicians can shield against risk by viewing ECGs of chest pain patients immediately to identify subtle signs of acute coronary occlusion.

Tachycardia in the Emergency Department: Part II

This issue completes the two-part series on tachycardia. This issue will finish the discussion of additional causes of tachycardia, address management, and conclude by covering some challenging issues with this arrhythmia.

Poll: Many Americans Delay Emergency Care Over Boarding Concerns

A survey by the American College of Emergency Physicians reveals nearly half of U.S. adults worry they will have to wait many hours before admission or transfer.

Tachycardia in the Emergency Department: Part I

This issue is the first of a two-part discussion of tachycardia, the most common rhythm abnormality seen in the emergency department. Part I will discuss the epidemiology, etiology, and characteristics of the different tachycardic arrhythmias. Part II will discuss conditions affecting other organ systems that can produce tachycardia, then finish by reviewing the assessment and management of these patients. We hope these two issues will be useful to your clinical practice.

Clinicians Consider Many Factors When Deciding on Mechanical Ventilation After Sepsis

Identifying patients at high risk and crafting timely, targeted interventions can improve outcomes.

Emergency Medicine Residents Should Be Aware of Legal Exposure

To alleviate malpractice risks involving residents, attendings should implement a reasonable and adequate plan for the patient along with the resident; review the patient’s lab and imaging results; and, ultimately, be the decision-maker as to the patient’s ultimate disposition.

Is ED Patient Rude or Insulting? Risk Mitigation Needed

Patients who behave in this manner could be at risk for a missed diagnosis caused by poor communication with the treatment team. They may be so difficult to tolerate that they receive less attention and nursing care than they would have otherwise. The best approach is to recognize the risks with these types of patients and mitigate them.