OBJECTIVE To characterize practices related to observation care and to examine the current models of pediatric observation medicine in US children's hospitals. DESIGN We utilized 2 web-based surveys to examine observation care in the 42 hospitals participating in the Pediatric Health Information System database. We obtained information regarding the designation of observation status, includin...

INTRODUCTION Prognostic impact of delayed intensive care unit(ICU) admission in critically ill cancer patients remains debatable. We determined predictive factors for later ICU admission and mortality in cancer patients initially not admitted after their first ICU request. METHODS All cancer patients referred for an emergency ICU admission between 1 January 2012 and 31 August 2013 were includ...

AIM To examine a model for the evaluation of appropriateness of testing in an emergency biochemistry laboratory. METHODS A model was devised in which incoming emergency test requests were categorised as appropriate or inappropriate. Explicit criteria were used to define eight minor categories, which were chosen to reflect accurately current working practice within the hospital and laboratory....

OBJECTIVE To investigate organised teaching in accident and emergency (A&E) departments in England and Wales. METHODS A survey was carried out by postal questionnaire. Directed to senior house officers (SHOs), the questionnaire examined the nature and extent of departmental teaching, and measured the availability, suitability, and actual use made of guidelines. Of 231 questionnaires sent, 164...

© 2008 Elsevier. All rights reserved. Received: Oct 17, 2007 Accepted: Dec 10, 2007 Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Dr Hsin-Su Yu, Department of Dermatology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, 100 Tzyou 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan. E-mail: [email protected] LOW-ENERGY HELIUM-NEON LASER THERAPY INDUCES REPIGMENTATION AND IMPROVES THE ABNORMALITIES OF CUTANEOUS MICROCIRCUL...

OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of the introduction of NHS Direct on advice seeking calls to an accident and emergency (A&E) department. METHODS Review of departmental telephone advice logbook before and after the introduction of NHS Direct together with recording of the number of calls redirected to NHS Direct by the hospital switchboard and the A&E department. RESULTS The number of advice...

From the Liver Unit, Hospital Clinic and University of Barcelona, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi-Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain (P.G., A.C., V.A., J.R.); and the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston (A.C.). Address reprint requests to Dr. Ginès at the Liver Unit, Hospital Clinic, Villarroel 170, 08036 Bar...

The transfer of medical records is a task all physicians must deal with constantly in daily practice. How often do physicians request medical information from their new patient’s former physician and receive a pile of illegible, poorly organized progress notes along with copies of hospital, emergency, or laboratory records that they do not need? The answer to this question is often. Further, be...