Annals of emergency medicine
-
Comparative Study
Endotracheal tube selection in children: a comparison of four methods.
To determine the accuracy of four methods of endotracheal tube size selection in the pediatric population. ⋯ Neither fifth finger width nor fifth finger diameter accurately predicts proper endotracheal tube size in most children. A more accurate estimation can be made using the age-based formula, but when the child's age is unknown or when calculation is awkward or impossible, an accurate estimate can be made using the width of the fifth fingernail.
-
To examine in children the relationship of wheezing to measurable environmental factors. ⋯ A high incidence of pediatric emergency department presentations for wheezing are associated with weather, infections, and months of the year.
-
To determine the relative importance of variables correlated with patient satisfaction with emergency department care and service. ⋯ The total time patients spend in the ED and patients' perceptions of their wait time for an ED bed are not as important to patient satisfaction as is receiving prompt and caring service. The above service variables are key areas that may be targeted to improve ED services.
-
To describe the characteristics of malpractice claims against emergency physicians and to identify causes and potential preventability of such claims. ⋯ Emergency physicians must have a particular awareness of their great risk exposure for missed myocardial infarction. Addition of dictation or voice-activated record generation systems, departmental protocols for radiograph follow-ups, and holding and re-evaluation of the intoxicated patient will help provide systems supports for reducing the liability of individual emergency physicians.