Articles: emergency-services.
-
Cleaning smartphones of healthcare workers (HCWs) is generally recommended; however, most previous studies on bacterial contamination of smartphones assessed touchscreens alone. This study compared the prevalence of bacterial contamination on touchscreens and posterior surfaces of smartphones owned by HCWs. ⋯ The posterior surface of a smartphone was more significantly contaminated with bacteria than the touchscreen. Both surfaces of smartphones need to be cleaned to prevent bacterial contamination in healthcare environments.
-
Observational Study
An Outcome Comparison Between Geriatric and Nongeriatric Emergency Departments.
We sought to describe diagnosis rates and compare common process outcomes between geriatric emergency departments (EDs) and nongeriatric EDs participating in the American College of Emergency Physicians Clinical Emergency Data Registry (CEDR). ⋯ Geriatric EDs had higher geriatric syndrome diagnosis rates, lower ED lengths of stay, and similar discharge and 72-hour revisit rates when compared with nongeriatric EDs in the CEDR. These findings provide the first benchmarks for emergency care process outcomes in geriatric EDs compared with nongeriatric EDs.
-
Acute heart failure (AHF) is a common condition evaluated in the emergency department (ED). Patients may present with a wide range of signs and symptoms, comorbidities, exacerbating factors, and ability to follow-up. Having a decision tool to objectively assess the risk of near-term events would help guide disposition decisions in these patients. ⋯ Based on the available literature, risk scores, including the OHFRS; EHMRG; EHMRG30-ST; MEESSI-AHF; and STRATIFY, can help identify short-term risk of adverse events, but are insufficient in isolation. Clinicians should use these tools in conjunction with other factors, such as the patient's symptom trajectory, hemodynamics, and access to follow-up care.