Articles: emergency-department.
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Accurate triage assessment by emergency nurses is essential for prioritizing patient care and providing appropriate treatment. Undertriage and overtriage remain an ongoing issue in care of patients who present to the emergency department. The purpose of this literature review was to examine factors associated with triage accuracy in the emergency department. ⋯ This review underscores the complex nature of ED triage accuracy. It highlights the importance of nurse experience, training programs, patient characteristics, and the work environment in enhancing triage decision making. Enhanced understanding of these factors can inform strategies to optimize triage accuracy and improve patient outcomes.
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Emergency practitioners use ultrasound-guided nerve blocks to alleviate pain. This study represents the largest registry of single-injection ultrasound-guided nerve blocks performed in an emergency department (ED) to date. We wished to assess the safety and pain score reductions associated with ED-performed ultrasound-guided nerve blocks. The main outcomes of interest were ultrasound-guided nerve block complication rates and change in patient-reported pain (0 to 10 on the VAS) pre and post ultrasound-guided nerve blocks. Other variables of interest were ultrasound-guided nerve block types and indications during the study period. ⋯ This 1-year retrospective study supports that emergency practitioner-performed ultrasound-guided nerve blocks have a low complication rate and are associated with reduced pain.
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Background: The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) is a widely used quality-of-life measure. However, no studies have examined the FACT-G among patients with life-limiting illnesses who present to emergency departments (EDs). Objective: The goal of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the FACT-G among patients with life-limiting illnesses who present to EDs in the United States. ⋯ The six-factor structure comprised the physical, emotional, work and daily activities-related functional well-being, and the family and friends-related social well-being domains. Conclusions: The FACT-G is a reliable measure of health-related quality of life among patients with life-limiting illnesses who present to the ED. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT03325985.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jan 2024
Development and Internal Validation of a Multivariable Prediction Model to Predict Repeat Attendances in the Pediatric Emergency Department: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
Unplanned reattendances to the pediatric emergency department (PED) occur commonly in clinical practice. Multiple factors influence the decision to return to care, and understanding risk factors may allow for better design of clinical services. We developed a clinical prediction model to predict return to the PED within 72 hours from the index visit. ⋯ We developed and internally validated a clinical prediction model for unplanned reattendance to the PED using routinely collected clinical data, including markers of socioeconomic deprivation. This model allows for easy identification of children at the greatest risk of return to PED.
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Older adults have complex, often overlapping, medical conditions requiring careful management that may lead to increased emergency department usage compared to younger adults. Parkinson's disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by distinct motor and nonmotor features, frequently occurs with additional comorbid disease. Classifying comorbid conditions into clinical subgroups allows for further understanding of the heterogeneity in outcomes in patients with PD. The current study examines the reasons for emergency department (ED) visits in a cohort of patients with PD and identifies comorbidities that are potential risk factors for specific ED presenting conditions. ⋯ Patients with PD who present to the emergency department with injuries are more likely to be in poor health overall with a high comorbidity burden. Clarifying the complex medical needs of patients with PD is the first step to further individualize care, which may reduce ED visits in this population, improve quality of life, and lessen the footprint on the healthcare system.