ED Operations

Six Vital Signs? Should We Measure ETCO2 in Triage?

Spoon Feed
ETCO2 measured during emergency department triage outperforms standard vital signs in predicting in-hospital mortality, ICU admission, and correlates with markers of metabolic acidosis.

Source
End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide Measured at Emergency Department Triage Outperforms Standard Triage Vital Signs in Predicting In-Hospital Mortality and ICU admission. Acad Emerg Med. 2023 Feb 21. doi: 10.1111/acem.14703. Epub ahead of print.

The Human Cost of 24/7/365

Spoon Feed
Emergency physicians (EPs) suffer from poor sleep quality and lower sleep quantity than recommended. EPs were also objectively more fatigued during late afternoon and evening shifts and spend almost a quarter of their shift in a fatigued state. 

Source
Objective assessment of sleep and fatigue risk in emergency medicine physicians. Acad Emerg Med. 2022 Oct 14. doi: 10.1111/acem.14606. Epub ahead of print.

How to Keep Kids Safer in General Emergency Departments

Spoon Feed
This is a joint policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) to optimize safety in the care of pediatric patients in emergency care settings.

Source
Optimizing Pediatric Patient Safety in the Emergency Care Setting. Pediatrics. 2022 Oct 3;e2022059673. doi: 10.1542/peds.2022-059673. Online ahead of print.

New RCT – Teamwork Makes the… Hospital Work

Spoon Feed
Resident and nurse teams that worked together exclusively performed better on advanced medical simulations, were more likely to have nurses present on patient rounds, and had improved teamwork earlier in the year than rotating resident/nurse teams.

Source
Effect of Increased Interprofessional Familiarity on Team Performance, Communication, and Psychological Safety on Inpatient Medical Teams: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2022 Oct 10. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.4373. Online ahead of print.

Incidental Isn’t Inconsequential – How to Follow Up Incidental Findings on Radiographs

Spoon Feed
A novel comprehensive methodized process is presented for the proper disclosure of incidental findings on ED imaging and for ensuring proper follow up and subsequent management.

Source
Catching Those Who Fall Through the Cracks: Integrating a Follow-Up Process for Emergency Department Patients with Incidental Radiologic Findings. Ann Emerg Med. 2022 Sep;80(3):235-242. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2022.04.026. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Corporate Control of Emergency Departments – A Growing Monster?

Spoon Feed
There is undeniable corporate influence in the practice of emergency medicine, and this could cause problems for patients or for those of us who care for them. We need to thoughtfully consider this.

Source
Corporate Control of Emergency Departments: Dangers from the Growing Monster. J Emerg Med. 2022 Apr 7;S0736-4679(22)00074-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2022.01.026. Online ahead of print.

Scroll to Top