Articles: emergency-services.
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Documentation practices of staff physicians, residents, and nurses managing critically ill children were reviewed for completion of standard documentation requirements. ⋯ ED record documentation of pediatric patients treated in a cardiopulmonary/trauma resuscitation room often does not meet standard guidelines. Complete documentation is important due to the frequency of legal review of these records and the need to ensure post-ED continuity of care.
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QA is a logical, interesting, and rewarding process, from which many benefits can be derived if a positive approach is taken. The process is undoubtedly time-consuming, and staff involvement, and administrative commitment to providing required resources are critical to ensuring improvements in care.
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Southern medical journal · Jun 1991
Comparative StudyPoison control centers: can their value be measured?
Most regions of the United States are served by poison control centers that provide 24-hour toxicologic guidance resulting in the home management of most poison exposures. It has been suggested that without public access to a poison control hotline the majority of poison-exposed patients would seek medical care in emergency departments or other outpatient visits. ⋯ Before the closing of the Louisiana center, Alabama and Louisiana triage patterns for poison exposures were nearly identical. The maximum annual cost attributable to unnecessary outpatient service utilization in Louisiana was estimated to be $1.4 million, an amount more than three times the annual poison control center state appropriation.
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Successful treatment of acute intoxications should include early urgent measures, use of specific antidotes, polysymptomatic and polysyndromic treatment. It is an error to delay intensive care until laboratory identification of the toxicant. Only combined use of methods directed to potentiate natural urocesses, intra--and extracorporal detoxication allows to improve treatment results of treating acute intoxications.