Patient violence one of many ED threats
In spite of heightened awareness of bioterrorism and the recent terrorist threat to hospitals in key U.S. cities, more than 90% of emergency department (ED) managers at VHA member hospitals polled at a recent conference cited patient violence as the greatest threat to ED personnel.
Roughly 66% of the 74 managers recently polled at the VHA Inc. Emergency Department Conference in Chicago saw the risk of contracting hepatitis C as the second-biggest threat. Roughly 70% of respondents indicated their hospitals were not prepared to deal with bioterrorist-related medical emergencies, down from 80% in 2001.
Nearly a third of respondents said a lack of acute and critical care beds to which ED patients can be transferred was the primary factor for overcrowding in EDs. Other primary reasons for overcrowding included work force and staffing issues (24%) and uninsured patients using the ED for primary care (19%). For more information, go to www.vha.com and click on "News Room."
In spite of heightened awareness of bioterrorism and the recent terrorist threat to hospitals in key U.S. cities, more than 90% of emergency department (ED) managers at VHA member hospitals polled at a recent conference cited patient violence as the greatest threat to ED personnel.
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