J Emerg Med
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Urinary tract infections (UTI) are among the most prevalent infectious diseases, and their financial burden on society is substantial. Management of UTIs has been complicated by the emergence of resistance to most commonly used antibiotics. Increasing prevalence of resistance has led to a gradual evolution in the antibiotics used to treat UTIs. ⋯ In the treatment of UTIs in our patient population, the most prescribed antibiotics were FQs. At the same time it was found that resistance rates against FQ antibiotics are as high as 16.4%. Unfortunately, in our population, in the near future, empiric FQ use may result in bacterial resistance.
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Immunity protection and delayed transfer of patient care by EMS providers: a medical-legal analysis.
In emergency medical service (EMS) systems, the transfer of patient care to persons at the receiving facility is delayed when EMS providers stop en route to the facility, or postpone entering after arrival, to perform tasks. When these tasks are prolonged and inessential, the delay in transferring care is judged to be inappropriate. ⋯ Loss of statutory immunity may occur for reasons of public policy, as reflected in case law and under the reasonableness standard. Without immunity, persons involved in the transfer of patients to receiving facilities may be subject to liability under ordinary rather than gross negligence standards.
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Prior studies have found that > 50% of prehospital intravenous catheters (i.v.s) were unutilized for treatment; however, few data are available regarding which patients benefit. The objective of this study was to examine the association between i.v. utilization in the field, paramedic primary impression, and patient presentation. Prehospital records for 34,585 patients were evaluated for i.v. placement and utilization in the field. ⋯ Certain primary impressions are associated with high i.v. initiation rates but infrequent utilization. High utilization rates were associated with hypotension, bradycardia, bradypnea, and abnormal skin signs. Study of high-frequency, low-utilization groups could reduce unnecessary i.v. placement.
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In 2004, a hepatitis A outbreak occurred in Boston, Massachusetts with an incident rate of 14.8 per 100,000, compared to 4.2 in 2003. The majority of cases had risk factors of homelessness, injection drug use, or incarceration. In September 2004, the Boston Public Health Commission began an immunization campaign partnering with health centers, detoxification centers, homeless shelters, and our Emergency Department (ED) to increase the number of hepatitis A vaccinations and stem the epidemic. ⋯ There was a 51% decrease in the number of cases of Hepatitis A in Boston in the first 4 months of 2005. As a partner, the ED helped stem the epidemic by rapidly providing vaccinations to those most vulnerable. This project provides a model for future collaborations between EDs and local, state, and federal organizations to address epidemics.