-
Emergency physicians are often consulted by patients experiencing ocular symptoms. It is estimated that more than two million emergency department (ED) visits occur in the United States every year (approximately 3% of total ED visits) due to ocular complaints. Acute vision loss is an especially frightening experience that leads many patients to seek emergency care. Although this symptom is rarely life-threatening, early recognition and treatment of the cause is of paramount importance, as the patient may permanently lose sight in the affected eye(s). Emergency physicians (EPs) should be adept at diagnosing, treating, and obtaining appropriate ophthalmology consultation and follow up for this reason.
-
Post-extubation laryngeal edema, although infrequent, can necessitate reintubation and lead to other complications.
-
Despite concerns that recombinant human Activated Protein C (rhAPC) is associated with an increased risk of bleeding, the FDA failed to list several of the bleeding-related exclusion criteria used in the PROWESS trial as contraindications to use of this agent.
-
Pulmonary hypertension (ph) is common among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). In fact, many ICU clinicians simply view PH the same way they view leukocytosis as an expected finding caused by the "bigger problems" of sepsis, respiratory failure, congestive heart failure, volume overload, and myocardial infarction.
-
This study from the University of Toronto sought to quantify the number of individual pieces of clinical information entered into the medical record on each patient in the ICU each day.
-
-
In this issue: FDA warning on topical anesthetics; antipsychotics increase sudden cardiac death; the step up vs step down debate; treating pain, fatigue, mood, and sleep in fibromyalgia; FDA Actions.
-
When Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) was brought to the ED at Washington (DC) Hospital Center on Jan. 20, 2009, following a seizure, the department was well prepared.
-
By implementing a Lean process change that it calls TAPP (Team Assessment Pull Process), the ED leadership in the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta system has realized a 25-minute reduction in median overall turnaround time, from 192 minutes to 167 minutes, excluding its fast track.
-
In February 2008, 12% of the patients who presented to the ED at Gaston Memorial Hospital in Gastonia, NC, left without being treated.
