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
Camphor-containing products may cause seizures in children
May 06, 2009 |
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Inappropriate use of camphor-containing products may be a common and underappreciated cause of seizures in young children, according to a new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. ...
Penicillin Allergy Not Always Accurate
Medicine & Health / Medications
Feb 26, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- If you think that you are allergic to penicillin, ask yourself this: How do you know?
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 ...
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 ...
Study shows asthma self-management programs improve drug adherence, disease control
May 06, 2009 |
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Asthma patients who spend as little as 30 minutes with a health care professional to develop a personalized self-management plan show improved adherence to medications and better disease control, according to a new study ...
Study: Furniture tip-over injuries rising
May 04, 2009 |
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Although most parents do not consider furniture and televisions to be dangerous, children are often injured when these items tip over. A recent study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research ...
Doctors' orders lost in translation
Jul 17, 2008 |
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When patients are discharged from the emergency department, their recovery depends on carefully following the doctors' instructions for their post care at home. Yet a vast majority of patients don't fully understand what ...
Don't add an ER visit to your holiday plans
Nov 18, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- UNC emergency physician Abhi Mehrotra, M.D., explains how you can avoid the most common injuries that land people in a hospital emergency department during the four-day Thanksgiving holiday period.
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 ...
Promising results for rapid viral diagnosis tests in emergency rooms
Oct 07, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
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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.
