Emergency Medicine Articles & News

Analyzing Operative Outcomes for Proximal Aortic Replacement

May 14, 2013

Outcomes for proximal aortic replacement appear to be excellent for elective repair, but research suggests that results deteriorate for non-elective procedures. Better screening and perhaps lowering thresholds for elective intervention could improve outcomes.

Assessing the Estimation of Blood Loss

In a study examining the accuracy of ED physicians estimating blood loss, estimates were more than 100% off from the actual amounts on average.

Personal Health Record Use in EDs: Willing, But Able?

May 13, 2013

Survey data suggest that the ED is a potential focal point for increased implementation of personal health records.

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Key Principles in Geriatric Surgery

With the aging population becoming perhaps the greatest force in healthcare, it’s time for most surgeons to consider themselves geriatric surgeons.

Surgical Catastrophes and Anesthesiology

March 5, 2013

The lasting impact of catastrophic events can turn anesthesiologists into a “second victim” of the incident. Healthcare organizations should establish well-defined responses to these situations.

Emergency Medicine Info on the Web

February 27, 2013

The accuracy of web-based health information has improved, but standards are needed to hold publishers accountable.

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BLOG

Psychiatric Emergencies: Some People Call It Angst

December 14, 2012

"... ED’s are not meant to handle these patients any longer than it takes to medically clear them. Leaving the patient to suffer the prejudice of those who don’t understand, or the silence of those frightened by the stigma of identifying with them..."

ERs Go Mobile with Reservations

November 29, 2012

More than 100 hospital emergency departments are borrowing an idea from the restaurant industry: online reservations. Additional concierge services such as mobile apps for wait times make ER experiences more agreeable.…

Shocker: Hospitalists’ “Unprofessional” Behavior is Normal

September 17, 2012

A recent paper assesses medical hospitalists’ participation in "unprofessional behaviors," but are they really that scandalous? Stay tuned for the inevitable corrective actions...

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NEWS BRIEFS

Reducing Bacteremia in Critically Ill Children

April 25, 2013

The incidence of bacteremia appears to be lower among critically ill children who receive daily chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing when compared with those who receive standard bathing. An analysis of nearly 5,000 pediatric ICU admissions demonstrated that the incidence of bacteremia was lower with CHG when compared with standard practices in both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses.…

Early ED Readmissions After Acute Care Discharge

ED visits within 30 days appear to be common after discharge from acute care hospitals, according to an analysis of adults in the United States. Such visits accounted for nearly 40% of post-discharge hospital-based acute care visits. For every 1,000 discharges, there were 97.5 ED treat-and-release visits and 147.6 hospital readmissions within 30 days.…

ED Visits in ADHD Patients Using Stimulants

April 24, 2013

A report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicates that the number of ED visits involving ADHD stimulants increased from 13,379 to 31,244 between 2005 and 2010. The report noted that no significant increases in such visits were observed among children younger than 18.…

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