Annals of emergency medicine
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Comparative Study
Efficacy of nurses suturing pediatric dermal lacerations in an emergency department.
To assess the efficacy of nurses suturing pediatric dermal lacerations in an emergency department. ⋯ Nurses who complete a standardized training program in wound management and repair are capable of providing high-quality, definitive care for children with dermal lacerations, thus allowing physicians to use their time more effectively in managing general patient care in the ED.
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Review Historical Article
The emergency physician and patient confidentiality: a review.
Confidentiality is a promise rooted in tradition, law, and medical ethics. Emergency physicians treat a variety of patients to whom confidentiality is of vital importance: employees, celebrities, victims of violence or disaster, minors, students, criminals, drug abusers, and patients with STDs. ⋯ Various laws mandate disclosure of certain patient information; in addition, an overriding moral duty may occasionally require a breach of confidentiality. As Beauchamp and Childress noted, "the therapeutic role may sometimes have to yield to one's role as citizen and as protector of the interests of others." In general, however, circumstances requiring a breach of confidentiality are rare.
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Emergency department patients who leave without seeing a physician: the Toronto Hospital experience.
To determine why emergency department patients leave without being seen by a physician and whether they receive alternate medical care. ⋯ The majority of survey respondents had a low acuity rating and left because of prolonged waiting times. Most of these patients sought alternate medical care through their personal physician or other EDs.