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 room
Parent mentors can improve the asthmatic care of minority children, researchers find
Nov 30, 2009 |
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UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found that informed adults can help families stave off complications associated with asthma. The findings, available online and in the December issue of Pediatrics, suggest that i ...
Ultrasound imaging now possible with a smartphone
Apr 21, 2009 |
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Computer engineers at Washington University in St. Louis are bringing the minimalist approach to medical care and computing by coupling USB-based ultrasound probe technology with a smartphone, enabling a compact, ...
Study: CT scans rule out heart attacks faster
Nov 18, 2009 |
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(AP) -- A new study suggests that a type of "super X-ray" can give a faster, cheaper way to tell whether a chest pain sufferer is really having a heart attack.
FDA panel: Lower maximum daily dose of Tylenol
Medicine & Health / Medications
Jun 30, 2009 |
1.5 / 5 (2) |
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(AP) -- Government experts called for sweeping safety restrictions Tuesday on the most widely used painkiller, including reducing the maximum dose of Tylenol and eliminating prescription drugs such as Vicodin ...
Report concludes uninsured are costly for all
May 28, 2009 |
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(AP) -- The average family with health insurance shells out an extra $1,000 a year in premiums to pay for health care for the uninsured, a new report finds.
Obama declares swine flu a national emergency
Oct 25, 2009 |
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(AP) -- President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect noninfected ...
Google lets patients share health records
Mar 05, 2009 |
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Google is letting patients share electronic medical records with loved ones or care providers who may be needed to help in emergencies.
Danger of swine flu is not what it is, but what it could become
Sep 28, 2009 |
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Swine flu is not a danger for what it is, the experts say. It's a danger for what it could be. That's why officials are pushing swine flu vaccine, which should start arriving as early as Oct. 6.
Cheap, quick bedside 'eye movement' exam outperforms MRI for diagnosing stroke in patients
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Sep 18, 2009 |
3.7 / 5 (3) |
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In a small "proof of principle" study, stroke researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Illinois have found that a simple, one-minute eye movement exam performed at the bedside worked better than an MRI to distinguish ...
Teen trippin' on ADHD drugs can be a real downer
Aug 24, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Calls to poison control centers about teens abusing attention-deficit drugs soared 76 percent over eight years, sobering evidence about the dangerous consequences of prescription misuse, a study shows.
Web tool helps advise when flu needs a doctor
Oct 07, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Wondering if swine flu's bad enough to require a doctor's attention? An interactive Web site may help you decide, using the same type of triage calculations that doctors at Emory University use.
Swine flu prompts hundreds of schools to close
Oct 28, 2009 |
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(AP) -- The number of students staying home sick with the flu is multiplying nationwide and normally quiet school nurses' offices suddenly look like big city emergency rooms, packed with students too ill ...
Probing question: What is 'Talk and Die' Syndrome?
Jun 25, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
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Ah, summer! Season of baseball, bike rides, barbecues -- and head injuries. There’s nothing like warm weather to get people outside and active, and nothing like activity to fill up an emergency room.
FDA weighs options to reduce painkiller overdoses
Medicine & Health / Medications
Jun 29, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Tylenol, Excedrin, NyQuil. These household brands and others have come to symbolize safe, convenient relief from the aches and pains of everyday life. But this week the Food and Drug Administration ...
Suffer stroke symptoms? Second strokes often follow within hours
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Jun 01, 2009 |
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About half of all people who have a major stroke following a warning stroke (a transient ischemic attack or mild stroke) have it within 24 hours of the first event, according to research published in the June 2, 2009, print ...
