Emergency medicine clinics of North America
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ED observation units (EDOUs) are designed for patients who require diagnostics or therapeutics beyond the initial ED visit to determine the need for hospital admission. Best evidence is that this care be delivered via ordersets or protocols. ⋯ This article details a few of these conditions: abnormal uterine bleeding, allergic reaction, alcohol intoxication, acetaminophen overdose and sickle cell vaso-occlusive crisis. It is not meant to be exhaustive as patient care needs can vary hospital to hospital.
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Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. · Aug 2017
ReviewCare of Special Populations in an Observation Unit: Pediatrics and Geriatrics.
Infants and children and the elderly comprise a large and growing (especially the elderly) segment of the US population. The benefits of observation medicine have been documented in these two age groups: Based on the success of observation medicine, and recognizing the growth of these special populations, it is likely that observation medicine will be expanding in the future, especially within the pediatric and geriatric populations. Future studies should be able to provide further evidence regarding the value of observation medicine in these two diverse population age groups.