Annals of emergency medicine
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The National Academy of Medicine has identified emergency department (ED) crowding as a health care delivery problem. Because the ED is a portal of entry to the hospital, 25% of all ED encounters are related to critical illness. ⋯ Crowding and boarding are multifactorial and complex issues, for which different models for delivery of critical care in the ED have been described. Herein, we provide a narrative review of different models of delivery of critical care reported in the literature and highlight aspects for consideration for successful local implementation.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
A Prospective Evaluation of Point-of-Care Ultrasonographic Diagnosis of Diverticulitis in the Emergency Department.
We evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of point-of-care ultrasonography, performed by ultrasonographic fellowship-trained emergency physicians and physician assistants, compared with computed tomography (CT) scan in diagnosing acute diverticulitis in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ In a convenience sample of ED patients with suspected diverticulitis, point-of-care ultrasonography performed by ultrasonographic fellowship-trained emergency physicians and physician assistants could be used as an imaging modality for diagnosing acute diverticulitis, with high sensitivity and specificity compared with CT scan.