Articles: emergency-department.
-
Urethral catheterization is a technique frequently used in the pediatric emergency department. Intravesicular knotting of the catheter is a rare but potentially preventable complication that can involve significant morbidity. ⋯ The risk of intravesicular catheter knotting can be reduced with proper technique and the correct choice of catheters. We present a case report and list recommendations to minimize the risk of occurrence.
-
To develop an operational definition and a parsimonious list of postulated determinants for urban emergency department (ED) overcrowding. ⋯ These results help to clarify the conceptual framework around ED overcrowding, and may provide a guide for future research. The relative importance of the determinants must be assessed by prospective studies.
-
To determine if peripheral venous blood gas values for pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (Pco(2)) and the resultant calculated bicarbonate (HCO(3)) predict arterial values accurately enough to replace them in a clinical setting. ⋯ Arterial and venous blood gas samples were strongly correlated, and there were only small differences between them. A survey of emergency physicians suggested that the differences are too large to allow for interchangeability of results; however, venous values may be valid if used in conjunction with a correction factor or for trending purposes.