Emergency
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Analysis of Closed Malpractice Cases Reveals Lost Chances to Avoid Problems
A recent analysis of several dozen closed ED malpractice claims revealed failed opportunities to avert diagnostic errors and bad outcomes. Investigators analyzed 62 claims that closed between 2008 and 2015 at a large malpractice insurer, discovering some common final diagnoses in the cases in which errors were made.
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Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and Intracranial Hemorrhage
Time is of the essence in management of intracranial hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. The longer it takes to make the diagnosis and initiate treatment, whether it is surgical intervention or simply aggressive primary stabilization, the greater the risk to the patient regarding both morbidity and mortality.
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Study: Drug-resistant Bacteria Increasingly Common in Urinary Tract Infection Patients
New research suggests that antibiotic-resistant infections remain a challenging problem, leaving frontline providers with few options when tried-and-true medicines fail to knock out invading bacteria.
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The Case for Broader ED-based Screening Strategies for Hepatitis C
Although the CDC recommends frontline providers use a targeted screening strategy for the hepatitis C virus (HCV), some EDs are finding that nontargeted approaches are more effective at uncovering new infections. Further, investigators note there is a new surge in HCV infections among younger people that is associated with the opioid epidemic. Such individuals often are reluctant to disclose their use of injectable drugs or other behaviors that put them at risk for HCV.
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Higher STD Rates Alarm Investigators
Researchers from the CDC report that STD diagnoses are at the highest they have ever been in the United States, signaling what some are calling a public health crisis.
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Medical Centers Employ Rapid Response Teams to Treat Difficult Airways
While emergency providers are trained in the management of difficult airways, there are times when added multidisciplinary expertise can be essential to ensuring a good outcome. To address these instances, some medical centers have established rapid response teams that will come to the bedside of patients with known difficult airways or new complications that make airway access problematic.
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Tickborne Illnesses
Blood-feeding ticks can transmit a wide variety of pathogens to people, which can result in significant infection and morbidity. During the past 10 years, the incidence of these diseases has increased rapidly, and the geographical regions where they occur has expanded. Recognizing symptoms that often are nonspecific and initiating appropriate treatment are critical to patient outcomes.
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Negative Fluid Balance on Day 3 Associated With Improved Outcomes in Critical Illness
In critically ill patients, a negative fluid balance on day 3 either spontaneously or with deresuscitative measures may be associated with lower mortality.
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ECMO vs. Optimal Protective Ventilation and Ancillary Therapies in Severe ARDS
Treatment of very severe acute respiratory distress syndrome with venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation vs. lung-protective ventilation with aggressive ancillary therapy use demonstrated only a trend toward improved 60-day mortality.
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The Opioid Crisis in the ICU
A detailed exploration of the background of the opioid crisis and how it affects the ICU.