Articles: emergency-department.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Intensified screening for SARS-CoV-2 in 18 emergency departments in the Paris metropolitan area, France (DEPIST-COVID): A cluster-randomized, two-period, crossover trial.
Asymptomatic and paucisymptomatic infections account for a substantial portion of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmissions. The value of intensified screening strategies, especially in emergency departments (EDs), in reaching asymptomatic and paucisymptomatic patients and helping to improve detection and reduce transmission has not been documented. The objective of this study was to evaluate in EDs whether an intensified SARS-CoV-2 screening strategy combining nurse-driven screening for asymptomatic/paucisymptomatic patients with routine practice (intervention) could contribute to higher detection of SARS-CoV-2 infections compared to routine practice alone, including screening for symptomatic or hospitalized patients (control). ⋯ The results of this study showed that intensified screening for SARS-CoV-2 in EDs was unlikely to identify a higher proportion of newly diagnosed patients.
-
The length and redundancy of notes authored by clinicians has significantly increased, giving rise to the term "note bloat." We analyzed the impact of new coding guidelines and documentation best practices on the length of emergency department (ED) notes and the amount of time clinicians spent documenting. ⋯ Embracing new guidelines and practices, we reduced the length of ED provider notes by 872 words. Despite this, the time clinicians spent documenting did not change significantly. We provide an early report of success in reducing note bloat in the ED to help guide future efforts to reduce overall documentation burden.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2023
Editorial CommentVirtual emergency department: It is not all in the name.
-
Vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) cause debilitating pain and are a common cause of emergency department (ED) visits, for people with sickle cell disease (SCD). Strategies for achieving optimal pain control vary widely despite evidence-based guidelines. We tested existing guidelines and hypothesized that a patient-specific pain protocol (PSP) written by their SCD provider may be more effective than weight-based (WB) dosing of parenteral opiate medication, in relieving pain. ⋯ We found a shorter ED length of stay for patients assigned to a PSP. Patients in both groups experienced good pain relief without significant side effects.