Annals of emergency medicine
-
Urinary catheters are often placed in the emergency department (ED) and are associated with an increased safety risk for hospitalized patients. We evaluate the effect of an intervention to reduce unnecessary placement of urinary catheters in the ED. ⋯ The implementation of institutional guidelines for urinary catheter placement in the ED, coupled with the support of clearly identified physician and nurse champions, is associated with a reduction in unnecessary urinary catheter placement. The effort has a substantial potential of reducing patient harm hospital-wide.
-
Transgender, transsexual, or transitioned (trans) people have reported avoiding medical care because of negative experiences or fear of such experiences. The extent of trans-specific negative emergency department (ED) experiences, and of ED avoidance, has not been documented. ⋯ This first exploratory analysis of ED avoidance, utilization, and experiences by trans persons documented ED avoidance and possible unmet need for emergency care among trans Ontarians. Additional research, including validation of measures, is needed.