Articles: emergency-department.
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National survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests are less than 5%, and substantial resources are associated with transporting cardiac arrest victims to hospital for emergency department (ED) resuscitation. The low overall survival rate and the identification of predictors of unsuccessful resuscitation have opened debate on the "futility" of transporting such patients to the ED. This study compares the costs of prehospital pronouncement of death to the costs of transporting patients to a hospital ED for physician pronouncement. ⋯ Paramedic pronouncement of death in the field is less costly than transporting patients to hospital for physician pronouncement. Pronouncement in the field requires more paramedic time but less physician time.
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Evaluation of physician practice is necessary, both to provide feedback for self-improvement and to guide department heads during yearly evaluations. ⋯ Physician evaluation by a single individual is probably unreliable. A useful physician peer evaluation tool can be developed. Most physicians view a personalized, broad-based, confidential peer review as valuable.
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Our goal was to determine the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at improving the emergency department (ED) documentation of pediatric injuries. ⋯ A simple intervention, consisting of staff training, chart modification, and visual flagging of charts, can increase the amount of injury information documented by ED clinicians. Efforts to improve ED charting are most likely to succeed if they include visual prompts for clinicians.
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To determine the prevalence and assess documentation by emergency department (ED) physicians (EPs) of impaired mental status in elderly ED patients. ⋯ Impairment in mental status is highly prevalent among older ED patients. Lack of documentation and referrals by EPs suggests lack of recognition of these problems. Further education of physicians is needed to improve care in these areas.