The American journal of emergency medicine
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Carbon monoxide (CO) is an insidious gas responsible for approximately 21,000 emergency department visits, 2300 hospitalizations, and 500 deaths in the United States annually. We analyzed 10 combined years of data from two Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry acute hazardous substance release surveillance programs to evaluate CO incident-related injuries. ⋯ States have used the data to evaluate trends in CO poisoning and develop targeted public health outreach. Surveillance data are useful for setting new policies or supporting existing policy such as making CO poisoning a reportable condition at the state level and requiring CO alarms in all schools and housing. Public health needs to remain vigilant to the sources and causes of CO to help reduce this injury and death.
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People identified as Very Important Persons (VIPs) often present or are referred to the Emergency Department (ED). Celebrities are a small subset of this group, but many others are included. ⋯ Treatment also provides challenges with the risks of over testing, overtreatment, over consultation, and over or under admission to the hospital. This article presents a practical and ethical framework for addressing the care of VIPs in the ED.