J Emerg Med
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Urgent care centers (UCCs) provide an alternative to emergency departments (EDs) for low-acuity acute care, as they are convenient with shorter wait time, but little is known about the quality of care at UCCs. ⋯ We found that after an urgent care visit, patients who were sent to the ED by a UCC provider were not more likely than self-referred patients to be admitted to an observation unit or hospital from the ED. Significant predictors for observation unit or hospital admission after UCC discharge were specialist consultation and type of insurance.
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Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a lifelong illness affecting many individuals in the United States. Proper management of SCD is imperative, however, the unpredictability of pain crises may lead to frequent emergency department (ED) visits. This SCD feature has led to health-related stigmatization via labels and other terminology within clinical settings, which may be translated through medical research. Thus, it is important for medical literature to adhere to person-centered language (PCL) to diminish such stigmas from transcending into the clinical setting. ⋯ Our study suggests a widespread adherence to PCL in recent SCD literature. However, findings suggest a major disconnect between education and practice, as recent publications document the use of non-PCL terminology within EDs. Health care providers should be aware of biases and institutional resources should be allocated toward raising awareness.
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Hand and finger lacerations presenting to U.S. emergency departments (EDs) are common, although the burden of these injuries is not well understood. ⋯ Hand and finger lacerations result in a significant number of ED visits. A better understanding of injury trends and presentations can guide injury prevention in manufacturing, education, and public health.
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COVID-19 has been associated with increased risk of thromboembolism in critically ill patients. ⋯ In contrast to other reports, results from this large, hetereogenous national sample of ED patients tested for SARS-CoV-2, showed no association between vascular thrombosis and COVID-19 test positivity.