Articles: hospital-emergency-service.
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To analyze the frequency and clinical characteristics associated with erroneous initial classifications of noncardiac chest pain (NCP) in men and women. ⋯ More clinical characteristics are associated with an erroneous classification of NCP in women. Our findings underline the need to assess the possibility of acute coronary syndrome differently in women, in whom the signs have usually been considered to be atypical.
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Review
About time! A scoping review of public-facing emergency department wait time displays in Canada.
Waiting is a common experience for patients during an emergency department (ED) visit. While high acuity patients are seen with little delay, low acuity patients may experience dissatisfaction from prolonged wait times. One strategy to improve patient experience involves changing the perception of the wait by providing realistic expectations of wait times using public-facing wait time displays. The primary objective of this study is to quantify the number of Canadian EDs with online wait time displays and describe the features and type of information provided. ⋯ Currently, there is emerging use of wait time displays in Canada with considerable variability in the information communicated through these tools. Effectiveness of these displays and their content needs to be determined.
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Point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) is expanding as a diagnostic tool in pediatric emergency medicine. Pediatricians are apprehensive to take on the risk of malpractice from incorrect interpretation of PoCUS imaging, therefore limiting its use. Although current studies provide reassurance to this concern, none look directly at the risk for pediatric emergency medicine physicians. Our study aims to evaluate the current medicolegal risk landscape posed by PoCUS in pediatric emergency medicine. ⋯ PoCUS does not appear to pose a significant risk of malpractice litigation in pediatric emergency medicine.
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Aug 2022
ReviewNationwide study of the characteristics of frequent attenders with multiple emergency department attendance patterns.
The burden of frequent attenders (FAs) of emergency departments (EDs) on healthcare resources is underestimated when single-centre analyses do not account for utilisation of multiple EDs by FAs. We aimed to quantify the extent of multiple ED use by FAs and to characterise FAs. ⋯ A nationwide approach is needed to quantify the national FA burden. The multiple comorbidities and higher frequency of ED use associated with FAs who visited multiple EDs and mixed EDs, compared to those who visited a single ED, suggested a higher level of ED burden in these subgroups of patients. The distinct characteristics and needs of each FA subgroup should be considered in future healthcare interventions to reduce FA burden.
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This study examined three methods for retrospectively identifying infection in emergency department (ED) patients: modified objective definitions of infection (MODI) from the CDC/NHSN, physician adjudication determination of infection, and ED treating physician behavior. ⋯ Retrospective identification of infection poses a significant challenge in sepsis clinical trials. Using modified definitions of infection provides a standardized, less time consuming, and equally effective means of identifying infection compared to having multiple physicians adjudicate a patient's chart.