ED Management articles from January 2002

ED Management archives from January 2002

Don't miss smallpox/plague outbreaks: adapt strategies to track bioterrorism: your ED can't afford to miss suspicious symptoms.
January 1, 2002... Executive Summary Your strategy for tracking bioterrorism should focus on early recognition of unusual disease patterns, prompt notification of public health agencies, and informing staff about additional precautions to take if an outbreak...

Cutting-edge system spots outbreaks before you do.(Trip Wire Public Health Network from New Wave Software)
January 1, 2002... Experts agree that the ED is on the front lines of tracking a possible bioterrorism attack, but until now, that tracking has depended on individual clinicians reporting their suspicions. New cutting-edge technology allows ED computer...

Here's what new ED ultrasound guidelines say.(from the American College of Emergency Physicians)
January 1, 2002... Executive Summary New ED ultrasound guidelines from the American College of Emergency Physicians give recommendations for training, scope of practice, quality assurance, and certification. * The guidelines recommend that 150 ultrasound...

Suggested optimal guidelines for implementation of an introductory emergency ultrasound course for emergency physicians (excerpt).
January 1, 2002... Resources: Training courses in emergency ultrasonography require a substantial resource commitment and significant advance planning, The below are the basic components necessary for emergency ultrasound courses. Instructors: Instructors...

Does EMTALA apply during a disaster?(Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act)
January 1, 2002... Executive Summary A statement from Medicare says that disaster plans for transferring triaged patients may supercede the usual EMTALA requirements, but this is true only in certain scenarios. * During a disaster, it's unacceptable to...

EMTALA Q & A.(Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act)
January 1, 2002... [Editor's note: This column is part of an ongoing series that will address reader questions about the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). If you have a question you'd like answered, contact Editor Staci Kusterbeck. Telephone:...

Characteristics of the trauma recidivist: An exploratory descriptive study. (Journal Review).
January 1, 2002... Keogh V, Lanuza D, Jennrich J, et al. Characteristics of the trauma recidivist: An exploratory descriptive study. J Emerg Nurs 2001; 27:340-346. More than one-third of ED trauma patients were recidivists, says this study from Loyola...

Don't stop restocking of ambulance supplies.
January 1, 2002... Are you confused about whether you can legally restock supplies of paramedics who bring patients to your ED? Many EDs have stopped restocking altogether because they fear violations of the federal anti-kickback statute, but this is a mistake,...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2002... In the December 2001 issue of ED Management, we advised readers to determine their current supplies to treat biological agents. The story should have said "determine your current supply of... antibiotic stores for biological agents." EDM...

CE/CME questions.(continuing medical education questions)
January 1, 2002... 19. Which is a recommended strategy to track bioterrorism, according to Ann Stangby? A. providing only general awareness training to ED staff B. having staff report unusual cases that occur after-hours by telephone instead of filing a...

Distinguishing smallpox from chickenpox.
January 1, 2002... Distinguishing Smallpox from Chickenpox Characteristic Smallpox Chickenpox Mode of Airborne droplets plus Airborne droplets plus Transmission contact with lesions contact with...

Distinguishing influenza-like illness from inhalational anthrax.
January 1, 2002... Distinguishing Influenza-like Illness from Inhalational Anthrax Influenza-like Illness Inhalational Anthrax Epidemiological * Millions of cases of * At press time, only 10 Considerations ...

Emergency medicine ultrasound course curriculum: Medical College of Georgia Department of Emergency Medicine.
January 1, 2002... Lecture 1: Introduction --Indications, Applications and Uses Lecture 2: Ultrasound Fundamentals --Physics of Ultrasound Technology Lecture 3: Basic Ultrasound Skills -- Machine Capabilities/Limits, Anatomical Considerations &...

Emergency medicine ultrasound course curriculum quality assurance and data management: Medical College of Georgia Department of Emergency Medicine.
January 1, 2002... Quality assurance will be maintained for each ultrasound performed in the emergency department (ED). Each physician who performs an ultrasound will be evaluated on his/her skills, technique and interpretation of the ultrasound. To assure this,...

Ob/Gyn Ultrasonography: Medical College of Georgia Department of Emergency Medicine.
January 1, 2002... MEDICAL COLLEGE OF GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE Doctors Name: -- Date: -- Patient Name: -- MR# -- 1. Clinical suspicion: low med high 2....

Patient information sheet: anthrax.
January 1, 2002... While there have been only a few cases of anthrax diagnosed recently in the United States, many people are concerned about contracting this infectious disease. The average American is extremely unlikely to acquire anthrax. Even if you do...

Credentialing criteria for independent privileges in emergency ultrasonography.
January 1, 2002... All physicians applying for privileges to independently perform and interpret emergency ultrasonography in the Department of Emergency Medicine shall be licensed in the state of New York and have a thorough understanding of the indications and...

Scope of practice.(emergency physician credentialing guidelines for the use and interpretation of ultrasonic diagnosis)
January 1, 2002... The scope of practice outlines for applications in the Emergency Department All examinations will be performed consistent with established credentialing guidelines. Persons that are not credentialed to perform bedside emergency...

9/01/01.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2002... James V Rawson, MD Interim Department Chairman Medical College Of Georgia Augusta, GA 30912 Dr Rawson, During our recent telephone conversation, you expressed concern with our use of ultrasound technology in the emergency...

Ring of fire: CDC plan to immunize around first smallpox cases has the devil in the details: used successfully to eradicate smallpox in 1980.
January 1, 2002... Should a bioterrorist strike with smallpox, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) recently released response plan calls for investigators to rapidly immunize a "ring" around the first cases. The ring concept calls for...

Health workers, contacts priority for vaccination: others include lab personnel and waste disposal.(smallpox vaccination)
January 1, 2002... According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following groups should be a high priority for smallpox vaccination should a bioterrorism release of the pathogen occur: 1. Face-to-face close contacts (less than or...

Smallpox or chickenpox? How to make the diagnosis: rash progression, location, will be different.
January 1, 2002... Smallpox or chickenpox? That clinical question has been long confined to the academic dustbin in the United States, where the last case of smallpox (variola) was diagnosed in 1949 in Texas. Smallpox has been vanquished yet is still feared;...

Infectious agents as biological weapons.
January 1, 2002... INFECTIOUS AGENTS AS BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiologist Carolinas Medical Center Disease Signs and Symptoms Incubation Time (Range)...