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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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.
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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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Approximately two-thirds of patients discharged from an emergency department (ED) are prescribed at least one medication. Prescription clarification by outpatient pharmacies for ED patients can lead to delays for patients and added workload. ⋯ Clarification of directions for use, insurance or affordability issues, and clarification of the dose were the most common reasons that outpatient pharmacies contacted an ED regarding a prescription for a recently discharged patient.