Articles: emergency-services.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2015
Trends in access block 2011 to 2013: The Redcliffe National Emergency Access Target experience.
To evaluate the impact of the introduction of National Emergency Access Target (NEAT) on access block and long-stay patients in Redcliffe Hospital ED, and to evaluate the possibility of forward compliance with the 2014 and 2015 NEAT thresholds. ⋯ NEAT has been a driver of significant improvements in access block at our institution. We see significant issues with raising the NEAT threshold to the proposed 90% in 2015, and support recent calls for re-evaluation and modification of the target.
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Pediatric emergency care · Feb 2015
Comparative StudyRelative productivity of nurse practitioner and resident physician care models in the pediatric emergency department.
Duty hour restrictions limit the use of resident physicians in pediatric emergency departments (PEDs). We sought to determine the relative clinical productivity of PED attending physicians working with residents compared with PED attending physicians working with nurse practitioners (NPs). ⋯ Pediatric emergency department attending physicians in an NP care model had greater clinical productivity, measured by RVUs, than PED attending physicians in a resident care model while treating similar patient populations.
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Am J Health Syst Pharm · Feb 2015
Antiinfective therapy for pregnant or lactating patients in the emergency department.
Special considerations in pharmacotherapy for infectious diseases in pregnant and lactating women in the emergency department (ED) setting are reviewed. ⋯ The use of antiinfective agents in pregnant or lactating women requires consideration not only of the drugs' effectiveness but also their possible effects on the fetus or newborn and the nature of follow-up care. References are available to help clinicians make treatment decisions.
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An upward trend in the number of hospital emergency department (ED) visits frequently results in ED overcrowding. The concept of the emergency department observation unit (EDOU) was introduced to allow patients to transfer out of the ED and remain under observation for up to 24 hours before making a decision regarding the appropriate disposition. No study has yet been completed to describe physical therapist practice in the EDOU. ⋯ This study provides information on common patient groups seen in the EDOU, physical therapist service utilization, and discharge disposition that may guide facilities in anticipated staffing needs associated with providing physical therapist services in the EDOU.
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Internal medicine journal · Feb 2015
Characteristics favouring a delayed disposition decision in the emergency department.
The working hours of a hospital affects efficiency of care within the emergency department (ED). Understanding the influences on ED time intervals is crucial for process redesign to improve ED patient flow. ⋯ Extrinsic to the patients themselves and in addition to ED overcrowding, the working hours of the hospital affected efficiency of care within the ED. Not only should the whole of the hospital be involved in improving efficient and safe transit of patients through an ED, but the whole of the day and every day of the week deserve attention.