Articles: emergency-services.
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The overcrowding of emergency departments (EDs) with inpatients results in an increased average inpatient length of stay; therefore, overcrowded hospitals have increased costs per patient. All admissions through the ED to our institution for 1988, 1989, and 1990 were reviewed. These admissions were analyzed based on whether they had spent less than 1 day or more than 1 day in the ED, after they had been admitted to the hospital and were waiting for a bed assignment. ⋯ In 1989, 32% of admissions via the ED remained in the ED for more than 1 day and had a 13% increase in total hospital length of stay. In 1990, 25% of admissions via the ED spent more than 1 day in the ED and had a 10% increase in total hospital length of stay. Inpatients who remained in the ED after admission had a greater average length of stay than those who were promptly transferred to inpatient units.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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To assess emergency medicine residents' perspectives on violence and personal safety in the emergency department. ⋯ Violence and personal safety in the ED are major concerns of emergency medicine residents.
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Hospital disaster planning should encompass events that affect the safety of the hospital environment and address those measures that ensure the availability of necessary services. Although most of the emphasis has been placed on general disaster planning, there is little written about disasters occurring within a hospital. In recent years, several incidents at our medical center involving fire, flood, and power failure resulted in a reevaluation of our preparedness to handle such situations. These experiences prompted this discussion and literature review of internal disaster plan because it is likely that at some time an internal emergency may occur.