Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
-
ED injury surveillance requires accurate information about mechanism. This study explored the clinometric properties of an E-code system specifically designed to track ED injuries. ⋯ Injury coding using a truncated E-code system can provide valid and reliable data from the ED. Differences between nurses, physicians, and nosologists in the ability to accurately code using this system were minimal, thus eliminating the need for additional staff and resources.
-
To describe the spectrum of work-related injury evaluated in a rural ED population. ⋯ Occupational injuries contribute significantly to the overall incidence of injuries seen in this ED and are responsible for significant medical charges each year.
-
To identify patterns of nonfatal and fatal penetrating trauma among children and adults in New Mexico using ED and medical examiner data. ⋯ Nonfatal injury data suggest that nonfatal violence has increased; fatal injury data suggest that violent death rates have remained constant. Injury patterns vary by age, mechanism of trauma, and data source. These results suggest that ED and medical examiner data differ and that both are needed to guide injury prevention programs.
-
To determine: 1) provider behavior in screening for domestic violence (DV) and sexual assault (SA); 2) provider training in DV and SA; 3) provider knowledge of available protocols for DV and SA; and 4) provider perception of barriers to intervention. ⋯ Providers surveyed had received little training in and rarely screen for violence, and there are a range of personal and institutional barriers impeding intervention with victims of SA and DV. Institutional changes to enhance training and support providers working in the front line of this epidemic may improve services for victims of violence.
-
To determine the association of rural ED patient assessment documentation with state trauma system implementation, hospital trauma categorization level (i.e., Level-3 vs Level-4), injury diagnosis, and patient demographics. ⋯ The study found overall improved ED documentation of trauma patient status in association with implementation of a statewide trauma system. This improvement in documentation suggests an enhanced process of care with trauma system participation.