The American journal of emergency medicine
-
Emergency department boarding and crowding lead to worse patient outcomes and patient satisfaction. ⋯ We implemented an academic emergency department to partner community hospital transfer program that safely level-loads medical patients in a healthcare system.
-
Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy are living longer and are increasingly seen in Emergency Departments. Though the most common cause of death remains progressive respiratory failure, increased life expectancies have unmasked the significance of progressive myocardial dysfunction, now associated with nearly 40% of mortalities in the DMD population. ⋯ Emergency physicians may encounter DMD patients with untreated, undiagnosed or worsening of known heart disease. This review will initially familiarize the emergency physician with the pathophysiology and lifetime trajectory of care for these patients before describing specific emergency department evaluation and treatment.