Articles: emergency-services.
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Every source quoted in this study has clearly refuted the need for emergency transport and care of an uncomplicated grand mal seizure in a managed epileptic patient. This review of a large patient population has determined that 27% of emergency department seizures were uncomplicated and occurred in patients already under care. ⋯ It is hoped that further education of the public, medical community, and epileptic patients will produce a comfort level that permits decisions about emergency transport and care of seizures. These savings could translate into basic health insurance for thousands of our medically deprived citizens.
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To demonstrate the use of the computer as a tool for information storage and analysis in the emergency department (ED) with the objective of improving ED efficiency, the authors conducted a prospective study from April through September 1991. Information from charts of patients who came into the medical emergency department (MED) and surgical emergency department (SED) were checked and input into the computer. This information included triage classification, registration time, time seen, disposition, disposition time, physician's impression as well as the reasons for delayed disposition. ⋯ A commitment to providing quality care in the ED sometimes results in unreasonable waiting times for triage 3 and 4 patients, causing patient dissatisfaction. Readjustment of staffing and space use is needed. Equipping the ED with facilities to provide sonography and computed tomography would enhance patient flow; this needs further study to evaluate cost effectiveness.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)