Articles: emergency-services.
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Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) · Feb 1985
Reducing errors in the accident department: a simple method using radiographers.
The assessments by radiographers of 1628 consecutive patients referred for radiography in the casualty department were analysed. The radiographers missed abnormalities in the radiographs in 68 of the cases. ⋯ Twenty eight of the radiographs interpreted wrongly by casualty officers were interpreted correctly by radiographers; 16 of these 28 were thought by the accident and emergency consultant to be clinically important. It is suggested that a system whereby radiographers signal abnormalities should be standard practice.
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A coordinated approach to quality assurance is essential for managing the complexities of health care in the emergency department. Nearly every activity in the emergency care setting has implications that fall under the quality assurance umbrella. ⋯ The program follows traditional quality assurance concepts for monitoring structure, process, and outcome elements of emergency care. Key principles that are the foundation of the program include active participation by all staff levels (clinical and nonclinical), standardized documentation, and specifically defined review mechanisms.
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The resuscitation of the severely injured in the accident and emergency department--a medical audit.
An audit of the medical care of the severely injured was conducted in the Accident and Emergency Department of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast. Over a 6-month period the management of all patients admitted with an Injury Severity Score of 16 or over was critically assessed. ⋯ They were mainly related to the fact that 78 per cent of the patients arrived outside normal office hours when only inexperienced junior doctors staffed the department. The findings have drawn our attention to the need for both altering staffing arrangements and improving training in our department.