Emergency Medicine Topics
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U.S. Public Health Officials Warn Frontline Providers to Watch for Malaria Cases
Clinicians should raise their suspicion levels for the mosquito-borne illness when patients present with fever with an unknown etiology, even if the patients have not traveled recently to a country where malaria is endemic.
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Prioritize Bed Placement for Older Patients to Shorten Stays, Prevent Delirium
A team of emergency physicians gathered data showing that among older patients, there is an association between time spent in the ED and the development of delirium. Researchers found that for every hour spent in the ED, the risk of developing delirium increased by roughly 2%.
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Make Headway Against Workplace Violence with Data Tracking, Interdisciplinary Initiatives
Two health systems have started several initiatives that attack the problem from different angles. Data show these systems are making a sizable dent in incidents of violence in their EDs and other vulnerable points. These leaders are sharing their roadmaps and best practices so others can benefit.
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Vital Signs Are Unreported During Most EMS Handoffs
EMS holds a wealth of information about a very critical time in the patient’s treatment and evaluation for that episode. Physicians, EMS agencies, and hospital leaders should collaborate to figure out what gaps exist and develop specific tools to close those gaps.
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Boarded Mental Health Patients: Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Many EDs routinely board mental health patients for days on end, awaiting transfer to a mental health facility. An expert offers tips to help emergency medicine providers alleviate safety and medical/legal risks.
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Consensus Panel Offers Guidance for Pediatric Mental Health Boarding
EDs nationwide continue to see pediatric mental health patients boarded in the department for long periods while awaiting inpatient bed placement. A group of 23 experts from 17 health systems sought to identify what EDs are facing, to learn how departments are handling the problem, and to offer recommendations to standardize practices.
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To Alleviate Boarding, Consider Creating Discharge Lounge
Several months into the new process, leaders at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital report they have shortened the average discharge process from four hours to one hour, they have halved the ED’s leave-without-being-seen rate, and patient satisfaction scores have begun to rise in both the ED and inpatient settings.
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Delivering an Evidence-Based Intervention to Latino Patients with Alcohol Use Disorders
Automated tools offer a viable approach for addressing alcohol-related healthcare disparities in busy emergency departments.
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ICU Admission Means Trouble for Alzheimer's and Dementia Patients
If they are released, such patients are twice as likely to die soon after discharge.
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Ethicists Hold Debriefings After Critical Patient Events
In the emotionally charged, fast-paced ICU, clinicians are faced with death and dying daily. Engaging in open, honest communication about these situations will help build a moral and ethical community.