Articles: emergency-services.
-
Pediatric emergency care · Jun 1991
Complaints and compliments in the pediatric emergency department.
We conducted an analysis of all communications received from patients or their families by the director of a pediatric emergency department over a three-year period, during which approximately 150,000 visits occurred. Communications were characterized as complaint or compliment and subclassified by type: waiting time, staff attitude, quality of medical care, and billing. ⋯ The problems that we identified might be addressed by providing families improved access to non-emergency department care sources, education regarding the role of an emergency department, and better explanation of billing procedures during the registration process. Additionally, our findings serve as a reminder that many parents appreciate the care given to their children, particularly for life-threatening emergencies.
-
Pediatric emergency care · Jun 1991
Toxic exposures and ingestions in Honolulu: I. A prospective pediatric ED cohort; II. A prospective poison center cohort.
Poisonings and toxic exposures are a frequent cause of preventable morbidity in children requiring emergency care. Ingestions and toxic substance exposures were studied in two prospective cohorts in Hawaii to examine the epidemiology of these events in this community in order to assess the effectiveness of current poison prevention practices and to identify additional measures to further prevent and reduce morbidity and mortality. During a 12-month period ending on 11/30/88, data were collected on 286 pediatric patients visiting a pediatric ED with an ingestion or a toxic substance exposure. ⋯ Although ipecac is widely recommended as a pre-hospital intervention, it use is limited owing to unavailability in the home and the short period of time during which it must be given. Since the dispensing of pharmaceuticals in limited quantities and in childproof containers began, it appears that other measures to further reduce morbidity and mortality owing to poisonings have had less additional effect. It appears that serious morbidity and mortality from poisonings in this cohort were uncommon.
-
Four per cent of patients attend the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) present with chest pain. In this prospective study of 297 patients the value of chest radiography is assessed. ⋯ Twenty-nine per cent of CXRs were misinterpreted by Casualty Officers but resulted in the mismanagement of only six patients (3.3%). Potentially serious errors were averted by early CXR audit by a Radiologist.
-
The eye care provided by an Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department was prospectively studied over a 2-month period. Six out of a total of 506 patients were deemed to have been treated unsatisfactorily by the A&E Department. None of these patients suffered serious sequelae. Approximately one in three of those patients seen solely by A&E staff failed to have their visual acuity recorded.
-
To examine the variability and define the normal ranges of orthostatic vital signs in an emergency department population. ⋯ The data from this study indicate that there is a wider than expected variation in orthostatic vital signs among presumed euvolemic ED patients.