Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Timely reperfusion is necessary to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Initial care by facilities with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) capabilities reduces time to reperfusion. We sought to examine whether insurance status was associated with initial care at emergency departments (EDs) with PCI capabilities among adult patients with STEMI. ⋯ Uninsured patients with STEMI had significantly lower odds of first receiving care at facilities with PCI capabilities. Our results suggest potential disparities in accessing high-quality and time-sensitive treatment for uninsured patients with STEMI.
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Written a year and a half into the pandemic during a particularly difficult week, this poem explores the moral injury and emotional distress that emergency physicians encounter and must process daily. These repeated microtraumas throughout our day frequently contribute to depersonalization and it is important to recognize those factors that "break the routine" and help to improve physician well-being.