ED Management articles from October 2004

ED Management archives from October 2004

When disaster strikes: treating patients when your department shuts down: response to Hurricane Charley holds lessons for all ED managers.
October 1, 2004... Executive Summary You can't anticipate every possibility, but planning ahead can eliminate some potential problems when disaster strikes. * By conducting drills at least once a year, you can uncover and correct flaws in time to...

Space, staff key concerns in ED surge capacity plans: emphasize adequate pharmaceuticals, equipment.
October 1, 2004... Executive Summary As the community's front door, the ED is the first to feel the impact of a sudden influx of patients following a disaster. * Make sure you have a plan in place to use unconventional space, such as the cafeteria,...

ED managers should interface with community.
October 1, 2004... While health care facility surge capacity is the prime concern of ED managers, it is also important for them to interface with community officials--both before and after a major disastrous event. "I think ED management really needs to know...

ED sees 50% reduction in time from triage to ED bed: define problems and then benchmark.
October 1, 2004... Executive Summary You can see dramatic real-world improvements with benchmarking. Some facilities benchmark by modeling a single facility with a successful program. * Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, PA, reduced its time from...

Child life services can provide competitive edge: boost satisfaction with modest investment.
October 1, 2004... Executive Summary Adding child life services to your ED can yield big dividends in patient compliance and satisfaction. * Distraction techniques often can eliminate the need for pharmacological intervention in pain management. *...

Daily satisfaction surveys yield weekly improvements: real-time data address staff, patient concerns.
October 1, 2004... Executive Summary By regularly surveying patients and staff, you can stay on top of key issues that need to be addressed. * Dairy surveys are easily done with a representative sampling of patient census and key staff members. *...

Conference prepares your facility for flu season.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Flu season is right around the corner. Is your facility prepared? If an influenza pandemic hits, the entire U.S. population could be at risk. The annual impact of influenza on the United States is staggering: 10% to 20% of the population...

CE/CME questions.
October 1, 2004... 1. According to Emory Petrack, MD, FAAP, FACER you must see how many pediatric patients annually to justify hiring a child life specialist? A. 5,000-10,000 B. 7,500-12,500 C. 10,000-15,000 D. 15,000-20,000 2. According...

The evaluation and clearance of the cervical spine in adult trauma patients: clinical concepts, controversies, and advances, part 2.
October 1, 2004... Cervical spine injuries, although uncommon (0.9-6% of blunt trauma patients), (1-5) have the potential to result in permanent neurologic devastation for the patient. Appropriate suspicion for cervical spine injury, immobilization, and the...

CE/CME questions.
October 1, 2004... 1. Which of the following statements is true regarding the role of computerized tomography (CT) in evaluating patients for cervical spine injury? A. CT of the cervical spine may be able to detect cervical spine injuries not readily...