EPMonthly.com

Is There a Future for EM Research?

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:00:02 +0100

“I am not sure that any research should be performed in emergency department settings, and I suspect that many grant review study sections feel the same way. Patients come to the ED with an acute problem and they need clinical care, not research protocols and consent forms.”

Unforeseen Effects

Wed, 16 May 2012 05:00:00 +0100

One of the primary expectations from the passage of the Affordable Care Act was that fewer people would go to the nation’s emergency departments rather than their primary physicians, thereby reducing the overall cost of health care.

Bypass the OR: ECMO in the ED

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:07:20 +0100

We just finished a two-part series with one of our former Chief Residents, Dr. Zachary Shinar. Zach has been working in San Diego at Sharp Memorial Hospital and more recently at UC San Diego. What he has been up to down there is nothing short of incredible.

Open Mic Weekend

Sat, 12 May 2012 11:36:04 +0100

Back by popular request ... All weekend everyone is welcome to post any medically-related comments, questions, observations in the comments section. Only rules are that there are no personal attacks and that the comments are medically related. I don...

Soon To Be Unemployed

Fri, 11 May 2012 11:03:02 +0100

It is with a heavy heart that I tell you all that someone else is going to be taking over my duties in the emergency department and on this blog from this point forward. Below is the story why. --------- Something didn't look right when the very lar...

Dead Bill Walking

Thu, 10 May 2012 17:52:42 +0100

On March 22, the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR-5 – the Protecting Access to Healthcare Act – by a vote of 234-173. The Act, which went strongly down the party line (only 11 democrats voted for the bill) had broad support from ACEP as well as the AMA and a range of other medical organizations.

Microbial Armageddon

Wed, 09 May 2012 07:28:57 +0100

Any patient who demands a ZeePack for a runny nose, who wants amoxicillin for sinus congestion, or who wants Levaquin to "keep this bronchitis from developing into pneumonia" needs to read this Bloomberg article. We are heading toward a situation where...

Is There an A.P.P. for That?

Tue, 08 May 2012 13:09:59 +0100

Dear Director,
Our physician assistants are fantastic and have functioned independently for a long time, but recently we had a bad outcome and now the hospital wants us to supervise all PA cases. This seems like a waste of time and it will slow down our docs. What do we do?

Dr. Google, meet Pharmacist Bing

Tue, 08 May 2012 10:36:17 +0100

FDA decides whether to allow patients to purchase prescription medications over the counter for many common ailments. This idea is controversial. On one hand, deregulation would remove one of the largest barriers to receiving treatment for some cond...

Healthcare Update -- 05-07-2012

Mon, 07 May 2012 05:00:03 +0100

Want to score some narcotics and some inappropriate antibiotics? Go to an emergency department complaining of a toothache. 75% of patients complaining of toothaches are prescribed Vicodin. The article also notes how patient satisfaction ratings contribute...