Articles: emergency-department.
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Unscheduled return visits to the emergency department (ED) may reflect shortcomings in care. This study characterized ED return visits with respect to incidence, risk factors, reasons and post-ED disposition. We hypothesized that risk factors for unscheduled return and reasons for returning would differ from previous studies, due to differences in health care systems. ⋯ Apart from abdominal complaints, risk factors for unscheduled return differ from previous studies. Short-term follow-up at the outpatient clinic or general practitioner for patients with urgent triage levels and suffering from wounds or local infections, abdominal pain or urinary problem might prevent unscheduled return.
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Based on previous studies, cardiovascular diseases, traffic accidents, traumas and cancers are the most important etiology of mortalities in emergency departments (ED). However, contradictory findings have been reported in relation to mortality in emergency departments. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the role of clinical factors in mortality among patients referring to an emergency department in a third-level hospital in Tehran, Iran. ⋯ It appears the odds of mortality in patients referring to ED with cardiovascular complaints, a history of hypertensive, severe trauma, age over 60 and a final diagnosis of renal disease are higher versus other patients. In addition, the patients' odds of death increase with an increase in the number of risk factors. Such an increase is more noticeable at age over 60.
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Many factors may influence choice of care setting for treatment of acute infections. The authors evaluated a national sample of U.S. outpatient clinic and emergency department (ED) visits for three common infections (urinary tract infection [UTI], skin and soft tissue infection [SSTI], and upper respiratory infection [URI]), comparing setting, demographics, and care. ⋯ Emergency departments treated a considerable proportion of U.S. ambulatory infections from 2006 to 2010. Patient factors, including the presence of acute pain and access to care, appear to influence choice of care setting. Observed antibiotic use in both settings suggests a need for optimizing antibiotic use.
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ABSTRACTClinical practice guidelines are an important vehicle for knowledge translation and improving patient care. For most learners, these documents can be daunting and confusing. ⋯ We devised a system using near-peer mentors to generate a series of clinical education guideline learning materials created by residents and junior learners for the evaluation of undifferentiated chest pain in the ED. This process assisted in teaching residents and junior learners and generated an endurable educational product.
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In the light of the impact that pain has on patients, emergency department (ED) physicians need to be well versed in its management, particularly in its acute presentation. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of unrelieved acute pain during ED stay in a Moroccan ED, and to identify risk factors of unrelieved pain. ⋯ This study reported high levels of intense to severe pain at ED arrival. However, one quarter patients felt on discharge from the ED that their pain had not been relieved. The relief of pain in ED depend both sociodemographic, clinical, and pain characteristics factors.