Articles: emergency-department.
-
Complicated UTIs (cUTIs) are defined by a heterogenous group of risk factors that place the patient at increased risk of treatment failure in whom urine cultures are recommended. We evaluated the ordering practices for urine cultures for cUTI patients and patient outcomes in an academic hospital setting. ⋯ Over a quarter of cUTI patients in this study did not receive a urine culture. Further studies are needed to assess if improving adherence to urine culturing practices for cUTIs will impact clinical outcomes.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2023
Observational StudyIs the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5th Edition a useful concussion assessment tool in head-injured patients presenting to the emergency department?
Concussion is a common ED complaint, but diagnosis is challenging as there are no validated objective measures. Use of concussion tools derived from sports medicine is common, but these tools are not well validated in ED settings. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5th Edition (SCAT5) to identify concussion in ED patients presenting following head injury. ⋯ The SCAT5 test had a low specificity, was long and was frequently interrupted. We suggest it is not an ideal assessment to use in ED. The PCSS score performed well and was easy to complete. It may be useful as a standalone tool to simplify ED concussion identification.
-
Pediatric emergency care · Jun 2023
Availability of Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinators in US Emergency Departments in 2018.
In 2007, the US Institute of Medicine recommended that every emergency department (ED) appoint pediatric emergency care coordinators (PECCs). Despite this recommendation, our national surveys showed that few (17%) US EDs reported at least 1 PECC in 2015. This number increased slightly to 19% in 2016 and 20% in 2017. The current study objectives were to determine the following: percent of US EDs with at least 1 PECC in 2018, factors associated with availability of at least 1 PECC in 2018, and factors associated with addition of at least 1 PECC between 2015 and 2018. ⋯ The availability of PECCs in EDs remains low (22%), with a small increase in national prevalence between 2015 and 2018. Northeast states report a high PECC prevalence, but more work is needed to appoint PECCs in all other regions.
-
Pediatric emergency care · Jun 2023
The Pediatric Emergency Department Nurse and Gastrostomy Tube Replacement: How Safe Is it?
To review the outcomes of a nurse-only guideline for replacement of gastrostomy tubes (g-tubes) in a pediatric emergency department (ED) and compare rates of success, failure, length of stay (LOS), and return visits with that of ED physicians. ⋯ - Demonstrates the safety and effectiveness of nurse-only g-tube replacement- Reports on the statistically significant difference in LOS between physician and nurse replacement of g-tubes in a pediatric ED- Has the ability to lead to policy change in the pediatric ED that will allow for greater patient satisfaction and decrease patient cost.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2023
Patterns of emergency department use in rural and metropolitan New South Wales by socioeconomic status: A population-based study.
To investigate the patterns of ED use in metropolitan and rural New South Wales (NSW) by socioeconomic status (SES). ⋯ Negative gradients in rates of ED presentations with increasing SES were observed in both metropolitan and rural NSW. At each SES quintile, rates of ED presentations were higher in rural compared to metropolitan areas. Further research exploring the underlying causal mechanisms leading to increased ED demand in rural NSW and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations is warranted.