Complete upper airway obstruction is a rare complication of disease entities in the pediatric patient population; however, it needs to remain high on the differential diagnosis because it can abruptly become a life or death scenario. Respiratory compromise has long been known to be the leading cause of cardiac arrest in children.
Despite continuing pressure to streamline operations, a small but growing number of EDs are adding clinical pharmacists with specialized training in emergency medicine to their ranks.
When Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton, NJ, redesigned the ED to handle increasing patient volume back in 2001, its guarantee to see and treat patients quickly kind of "went by the wayside," explains Lisa Breza, RN, BSN, the hospital's chief nursing officer.
With surging demand for emergency care, many hospitals across the country are building larger EDs or expanding existing facilities to make room for more beds.
