ED Management articles from April 2004

ED Management archives from April 2004

How can you keep average wait less than 1 hour? VHA shares its strategies: triage nurses greet ED patients at door and send patients directly to beds.(Voluntary Hospitals Association)(emergency department)
April 1, 2004... Executive Summary Waiting times in the ED can be reduced by making better use of triage nurses as greeters and by giving them more authority to send patients directly back to open beds. * The VHA network of hospitals reports average...

Initiate account number at, or before, triage.
April 1, 2004... Irving, TX-based VHA reduced waiting times by initiating an account number at or before triage, says Jeanne McGrayne, RN, MSN, director of emergency department consulting. This tactic doesn't necessarily get patients in the room faster,...

Media campaign educates public on ED overcrowding.(emergency department)
April 1, 2004... Executive Summary A Tennessee health care system is reducing overcrowding in its EDs with a media campaign that urges patients with nonurgent needs to seek other care options. * The campaign has contributed to a 5% decrease in ED...

Better cardiac monitoring boosts patient outcomes.
April 1, 2004... Executive Summary A 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) could improve emergency cardiac care if employed by paramedics in the field. * The system is inexpensive and simple to use. * Patients may be directed to other care instead of...

Case shows value of new 12-lead monitor in field.
April 1, 2004... Your ED can be significantly better prepared for cardiac patients if you receive more complete monitor data while the patient is en route to the hospital, say sources interviewed by ED Management. Need convincing? Consider this dramatic...

EMTALA Q&A.(Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act )
April 1, 2004... Executive Summary The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) still may apply once a patient's initial emergency medical condition has been resolved. * Another emergency that arises while the patient still is in your ED...

Goldman RD, Scolnik D. Underdosing of acetaminophen by parents and emergency department utilization.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Goldman RD, Scolnik D. Underdosing of acetaminophen by parents and emergency department utilization. Pediatr Emerg Care 2004; 20:89-93. Because parents frequently bring children to the ED for fever, these researchers studied the accuracy of...

Clark S, Bock SA, Gaeta TJ, et al. Multicenter study of emergency department visits for food allergies.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Clark S, Bock SA, Gaeta TJ, et al. Multicenter study of emergency department visits for food allergies. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2004; 113:347-352. ED management of patients with acute allergic reaction remains uncertain because relatively...

Sethi D, Watts S, Zwi A, et al. Experience of domestic violence by women attending an innercity accident and emergency department.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Sethi D, Watts S, Zwi A, et al. Experience of domestic violence by women attending an innercity accident and emergency department. Emerg Med J 2004; 21:180-184. These researchers studied 198 women seeking emergency care at an inner-city...

ACEP offers materials to educate ED patients.(American College of Emergency Physicians)(Emergency Department )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... If you don't have thousands of dollars to educate your community about ED issues, a free resource is available. The American College of Emergency Physicians, based in Irving, TX, offers free fliers that can be downloaded and handed out to...

Clarification.(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2004... An article in the March 2004 ED Management implied that rapid administration of tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) is the standard of care for stroke patients, when in fact it is not. There have been lawsuits against those who used TPA and...

CE/CME questions.
April 1, 2004... For more information about the CE/CME program, contact customer service at (800) 688-2124 1. What is a primary fear some hospitals have that makes them resist the idea of triage nurses assigning account numbers at the door to the ED, says...

Evaluation and management of blunt and penetrating thoracic trauma.
April 1, 2004... Trauma to the thoracic cavity is responsible for approximately 10-25% of all trauma-related deaths, (1,2) with the majority of these deaths occurring after arrival at the emergency department (ED). The mortality for isolated chest injury is...

CE/CME questions.
April 1, 2004... 1. The most commonly injured structure(s) in the thorax is/are: A. the sternum. B. the clavicle. C. the ribs. D. the lungs. 2. The indication for surgical exploration or videothoroscopic evaluation of hemothorax in a...