Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Review Comparative Study
Using medical screening examinations to reduce emergency department overcrowding.
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Patient falls are the most common adverse events reported in hospitals. There is a growing body of literature on inpatient falls but a lack of data on ED falls. We applied the Hendrich II Fall Risk Model to patients who fell during their ED stays and provided a description of the patients and their injuries. ⋯ The Hendrich II Fall Risk Model may not reliably identify patients at high risk of falling in the ED setting. It may be necessary to develop an emergency department-specific fall model considering additional factors, such as intoxication and receipt of potentially sedating medications.
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Patients who present to the ED for care and leave without being seen (LWBS) represent a significant problem. The objective of this study was to determine why patients LWBS, how long they perceived waiting versus actual time waited before leaving, and factors that might have prevented LWBS. ⋯ Most would return for future ED care. Most had a physician and were able to obtain care elsewhere. Reduced LWBS might be accomplished by triage testing, communication and attention to pain.