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Was an abnormal lab result missed, such as a potassium level of 2.5? Was an incorrect medication prescribed? Or was a radiology study misinterpreted which revealed a pneumothorax? In every one of these scenarios, it is necessary for the ED physician to call the patient...
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How's this for a practice gap? It's estimated that 1 in 10 suicide victims are people seen in the emergency department within 2 months of dying. Suicide is an issue of public health, which, in today's medical system, is often the domain of the emergency physician (EP).
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Abdominal pain in childhood is a common presentation to the emergency department (ED). While most cases are benign, they frequently create a diagnostic dilemma. The spectrum of disease varies widely from neonates to infants, children, and adolescents, and requires the clinician to rapidly differentiate between a benign medical diagnosis versus a potential surgical abdomen to minimize morbidity and mortality.
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Recognizing that ED wait times and throughput are affected by the entire hospital, the leaders at King's Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, KY, engaged all the departments that interface with the ED and slashed the rate at which ED patients leave before treatment from 5% to 0.5%.
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A change in documentation procedures in the ED played a significant role in making it possible for Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver to receive certification as an advanced primary stroke center by The Joint Commission.
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Many facilities and EDs use the tool called the modified early warning score (MEWS), which includes questions about the patient's health state, to determine if patients are getting sicker and if they require transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU).
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A review of the literature has revealed that injuries in the elderly resulting from motor vehicle crashes has been underdetected, and resulted in patients being inappropriately treated or assigned to nontrauma centers. The article was published in the January 2010 issue of the Journal of Emergency Nursing.
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With the release of the National Health Security Strategy (www.hhs.gov/disasters) and interim implementation guide for protecting public health in a large-scale emergency, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has taken the first step toward the realization of a vision long held by emergency response individuals and organizations: a cohesive plan to be followed by everyone in the nation who is involved in disaster response.
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An adverse event in the ED at University Medical Center (UMC) in Las Vegas might have drawn negative media coverage and state and federal investigations, but it also led to process changes that the ED managers say have made a world of difference in patient satisfaction and quality.
