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Most of the attention on catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSI) in the ICU focuses on central venous catheters (CVC), a bias that likely derives, in part, from the 2002 Centers for Disease Control guidelines which stipulate that arterial catheters (AC) have "low infection ratesrarely associated with bloodstream infections.
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Exposures to toxic alcohols such as methanol, ethylene glycol, and isopropanol have been reported in the medical literature for decades. These agents are found in a variety of household products, leading to accidental ingestion in the pediatric population and intentional ingestion in the adult population as a suicidal agent or as an inexpensive substitute for ethanol.
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Two-part series on complications of pregnancy.
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There are, of course, a number of chart documentation methods and the goals of the various methods are all the same: 1) to memorialize the patient encounter for future reference by other caregivers; 2) to provide information for billing purposes; and 3) to create a legal document that allows quality review whether in the medical setting or in the courtroom.
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Do you believe that once your patient is evaluated by an on-call consultant in your ED, you are abdicated from any future liability? "ED physicians frequently believe this, but this is absolutely not true," says James Hubler, MD, JD, assistant clinical professor of emergency medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria.
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The introduction of vaccines that prevent bacteremia has significantly reduced the risk of serious bacterial infections associated with Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. How does this impact liability risks when caring for febrile children?
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Guidelines for the management of febrile children dating back to 1993 have complicated liability risks for EDs since they were published, and continue to play a role in ED medical malpractice litigation, says Jim Wilde, MD, director of pediatric emergency medicine at the Medical College of Georgia, who also is fellowship-trained in pediatric infectious diseases.
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Large ED verdicts, all from 2007, may seem to be bellwether cases that portend a change in jury opinions. On the other hand, a recent report says that ED claims have decreased, with claims per 100,000 visits dropping to 3.4 in 2006, down from 5.8 in 2001.
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The number of patients between the ages of 65 and 74 who visit the nation's EDs annually is likely to double from 6.4 million in 2003 to 11.7 million by 2013, according to a new study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.1 This growth, the authors warn, could lead to catastrophic overcrowding.
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When you're planning a geriatric ED or looking to transform part of your department into a geriatric wing, there are several design and staffing considerations the ED manager must take into account, advises Robert Fitzgerald, MD, FACEP, an attending physician in the ED at Boswell Hospital in Sun City, AZ.
