Articles: hospital-emergency-service.
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The increasing number of deinstitutionalized patients in crisis are placing new demands on general hospital emergency rooms. The authors discuss the approaches used in staffing and operating a psychiatric emergency service at a large general hospital in western Massachusetts. ⋯ Subsequently a proposal was developed for a seven-bed emergency psychiatric treatment unit to provide brief, intensive psychiatric care for both voluntary and involuntary inpatients. The authors describe the staffing and layout of the unit, and the population to be served.
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A prospective observation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation was made at an active municipal pediatric emergency department. Pediatric cardiorespiratory arrest, documented in only 26 patients over a 12-month period, was unusual. Fifteen were less than 1 year old, and four children survived to discharge. ⋯ Congenital abnormalities were present in 23% of patients; however, these accounted for 50% of the survivors. The overall survival rate was 15.4%. Suggestions for termination of resuscitation are given.