Emergency department
hideThe emergency department (ED), sometimes termed the emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW), accident & emergency (A&E) department or casualty department is a hospital or primary care department that provides initial treatment to patients with a broad spectrum of illnesses and injuries, some of which may be life-threatening and requiring immediate attention. Emergency departments developed during the 20th century in response to an increased need for rapid assessment and management of critical illnesses. In some countries, emergency departments have become important entry points for those without other means of access to medical care. The abbreviation ER is generally used throughout the United States, while A&E is used in many Commonwealth nations. ED is preferred in Canada and Australia, and Casualty is common in Scotland.
Upon arrival to the ED, people typically undergo a brief triage, or sorting, interview to help determine the nature and severity of their illness. Individuals with serious illnesses are then seen by a physician more rapidly than those with less severe symptoms or injuries. After initial assessment and treatment, patients are either admitted to the hospital, stabilized and transferred to another hospital for various reasons, or discharged. The staff in emergency departments can include not only doctors and nurses, but physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners with specialized training in emergency medicine and in house Paramedics and/or emergency medical technicians, respiratory therapists, radiologic technologists, Healthcare Assistants (HCAs), medical scribes, volunteers, and other support staff who all work as a team to treat emergency patients and provide support to anxious family members. The emergency departments of most hospitals operate around the clock, although staffing levels are usually much lower at night. Since a diagnosis must be made by an attending physician, the patient is initially assigned a chief complaint rather than a diagnosis. This is usually a symptom: headache, nausea, loss of consciousness. The chief complaint remains a primary fact until the attending physician eventually makes a diagnosis.
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News tagged with emergency department
Experts offer strategies for working with immigrant victims of violence (w/ Video)
Nov 10, 2009 |
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Last year, the United States provided asylum and resettlement assistance for nearly 80,700 people from other countries, an increase from 71,300 individuals in 2007, according to the U.S. Committee for Refugees ...
Fewer emergency patients seen within recommended time frame
Nov 09, 2009 |
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One in four emergency department patients in 2006 waited longer to be evaluated by a clinician than recommended at triage, an increase from one in five in 1997, according to a report in the November 9 issue of Archives of ...
Calling it in: New emergency medical service system may predict caller's fate
Oct 21, 2009 |
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Japanese researchers have developed a computer program which may be able tell from an emergency call if you are about to die. Research published in the open access journal BMC Emergency Medicine shows that a computer algori ...
Promising results for rapid viral diagnosis tests in emergency rooms
Oct 07, 2009 |
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Rapid viral diagnosis tests for respiratory diseases in children who arrive in emergency departments have the potential to reduce pressures on health systems by enabling doctors to reach a quicker diagnosis, according to ...
Pediatrics: Kids need specialized care in hospital emergency departments
Sep 21, 2009 |
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According to a recent IOM report, only 6 percent of U.S. hospital emergency departments are fully equipped to properly care for children. With high rates of novel H1N1 (swine) flu expected this winter, the time to address ...
Majority of unintended incidents in the ER are caused by human error
Sep 17, 2009 |
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Sixty percent of the causes of unintended incidents in the emergency department that could have compromised patient safety are related to human failures, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Emergency Me ...
Firms, researchers aim to keep seniors steadier on their feet
Sep 08, 2009 |
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Rocky Miller has just made a career change that's likely to turn a few heads. After years of selling motorcycles, the 60-year-old Plano, Texas, resident has launched a business, Slip Doctors, that will treat floors with a ...
Will safety net hospitals survive health reform?
Sep 08, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Janie Johnson has no health insurance, so when she cut her toe while giving herself a pedicure, she limped to the emergency room at one of Chicago's safety net hospitals and waited her turn.
Trauma 411: Prolonged surgery should be avoided in certain cases
Sep 01, 2009 |
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Trauma patients who sustain multiple fractures are often in serious condition when they arrive at the emergency department. A review article published in the September 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of ...
Statewide program to improve emergency care for children
Aug 14, 2009 |
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An initiative is underway to improve emergency medical care for Illinois' youngest patients. Loyola University Health System (LUHS), in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Public Health and other area hospitals, ...
Aging with GRACE: New health care delivery model improves outcomes, saves money
Aug 11, 2009 |
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A team approach to preventive healthcare delivery for older adults developed by researchers from Indiana University and the Regenstrief Institute improves health and quality of life, decreased emergency department ...
New national study finds increase in P.E. class-related injuries
Aug 03, 2009 |
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Physical education (PE) in schools is one of the main tools used to increase physical activity and to prevent childhood obesity, and PE-related injuries are on the rise. Although increasing physical activity may reduce obesity, ...
Cardiac CT is more cost effective when managing low-risk patients with chest pain
Jul 09, 2009 |
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The use of cardiac CT for low-risk chest pain patients in the emergency department, instead of the traditional standard of care (SOC) workup, may reduce a patient’s length of stay and hospital charges, according to a study ...
Crowded emergency departments pose greater risks for patients with heart attacks
Jun 04, 2009 |
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June 04, 2009 - Patients with heart attacks and other forms of chest pain are three to five times more likely to experience serious complications after hospital admission when they are treated in a crowded emergency department ...
Mobile health clinics: Saving lives and money
Jun 01, 2009 |
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Every $1 invested in mobile healthcare for the medically disenfranchised saves $36 in combined emergency department costs avoided and value of life years saved. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Medicine sugges ...
