Naloxone has saved thousands of lives. But can patients be safely discharged from the Emergency Department (ED) just an hour after they receive the medication that curtails drug overdoses? According to the St. Paul’s Early Discharge Rule developed in 2000, that’s how long providers should observe patients after naloxone treatment, so long as their vital… Continue reading After Naloxone, When Can Opioid Overdose Patients Be Safely Discharged?
Tag: emergency room
A New Weapon in The Fight against Sepsis
A type of molecule known as a “nanocarrier” may someday help to protect against sepsis, a life-threatening infection that kills one in three patients in the U.S. Sepsis is one of the leading causes of death in intensive care units and, with an estimated price tag of $20 billion in 2011, the most expensive condition… Continue reading A New Weapon in The Fight against Sepsis
Urgent Care Visits Increase as Emergency Room Visits Fall
Thanks to convenience and cost, more and more people are visiting urgent care centers for non-critical illnesses or conditions, while far fewer people are going to hospital emergency departments, according to new research. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, was conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers. The analysis looked at patterns among private… Continue reading Urgent Care Visits Increase as Emergency Room Visits Fall
3 Tips to Avoid the ER Due to Common Mistakes at The Gym
As 2017 comes to a close, it’s only natural that we’re starting to think about getting fitter, healthier, more mindful, etc. in the New Year. But while many of us are quick to double down on our workouts in an effort to burn off all those holiday calories, what we often fail to consider is… Continue reading 3 Tips to Avoid the ER Due to Common Mistakes at The Gym
A Non-Opioid Alternative for Pain in the ER
A combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen proved as good as opioids in treating arm or leg pain for adults coming to the emergency department, new research shows. According to a release from the JAMA Network Journals, in the randomized clinical trial researchers analyzed 416 patients, aged 21 to 64 years, in two urban emergency departments.… Continue reading A Non-Opioid Alternative for Pain in the ER
Making ER Visits Easier
A visit to the ER can be especially stressful. The experts from NIH SeniorHealth, a division of the National Institutes of Health, suggest some strategies for making it easier: The experts suggest that you come prepared with some documents, including your health insurance card or policy number; a list of your medications; a list of… Continue reading Making ER Visits Easier
1 in 4 Vacations Includes a Trip to the ER
If you’ve ever had to seek medical attention for an illness or an injury during a vacation, you’re not alone. A new national survey by Orlando Health finds one in four vacations includes a trip to the ER and doctors say many patients are simply not prepared for the situation. A release from Orlando Health… Continue reading 1 in 4 Vacations Includes a Trip to the ER
Elder Abuse Goes Undiagnosed in Emergency Rooms
Although elder abuse affects about 1 in 10 older people in the U.S., emergency rooms are missing many chances to diagnose it, according to new research. In the study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, a team of researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of California San… Continue reading Elder Abuse Goes Undiagnosed in Emergency Rooms
Fainting: When Is It Serious?
Emergency-room physicians, using a simple questionnaire, could uncover the dangerous hidden conditions that make some people faint, according to a study published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Fainting is fairly common – 35 to 40 percent of people faint at least once in their lives. But for about ten percent of people who… Continue reading Fainting: When Is It Serious?
10 Questions to Ask an Emergency Room Physician
Patients often find it difficult to talk to physicians when they don’t particularly feel well. They tend to lack self-respect in these situations, failing to speak up for themselves. Naturally, this sentiment reflects upon physicians who are seen as not treating patients with dignity. Dignity implies self-confidence and certainty, rarely afforded to patients. Patients are… Continue reading 10 Questions to Ask an Emergency Room Physician
Marijuana Tourists in Colorado Are Spending More Time in The E.R.
Out-of-towners using marijuana in Colorado — which has legally allowed sales of the drug since 2014 – are increasinglyl ending up in the emergency room, according to new research. Investigators from Northwestern Medicine and the University of Colorado School of Medicine published their findings in the New England Journal of Medicine. “Emergency room visits related… Continue reading Marijuana Tourists in Colorado Are Spending More Time in The E.R.
Hospital Practices Can Make Patients Sicker
Up to half of seriously ill patients are sickened further by avoidable and risky bouts of food and sleep deprivation, according to a Johns Hopkins surgeon and prominent patient safety. researcher is calling on hospitals to reform emergency room, surgical and other medical protocols that sicken up to half of already seriously ill patients —… Continue reading Hospital Practices Can Make Patients Sicker
When Hospitalization Happens to Dementia Patients
From the National Institute on Aging A trip to the hospital with a person who has memory loss or dementia can be stressful for both of you. This outline, from experts at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), can relieve some of that stress by helping you prepare for both unexpected and planned hospital visits.… Continue reading When Hospitalization Happens to Dementia Patients
ER Patients Need to Know More about Pain Management
Patients in the emergency room want to know more about the possibilities for pain management than their doctors are telling them. They also want to know about the risk of opioid dependency. The study, by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, used semi-structured open-ended telephone interviews with 23 patients… Continue reading ER Patients Need to Know More about Pain Management