Introduction Infection control is a crucial component of maintaining a safe, clean, and healthy environment for both patients and staff in the emergency department (ED). The ED presents unique challenges…
Introduction Women frequently present to the emergency department (ED) with obstetric (pregnancy-related) or gynecologic (non–pregnancy-related) symptoms that originate from issues of the female genital tract. As genital tract organs are…
Documentation in the healthcare setting should be clear, concise, objective, timely, and accurate. The medical record documents a patient’s trajectory through the healthcare system. It is used as a communication…
Introduction A significant amount of an emergency department (ED) technician’s (EDT’s) shift will be spent moving patients throughout the department and assisting them with various tasks outside the stretcher. Some…
Introduction From the horrors of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, to the chaos in the aftermath of the Joplin, Missouri, category EF5 tornado in 2011, disasters are a…
Patients present to the emergency department (ED) with a variety of complaints of varying severity. The process by which ED providers prioritize patient complaints is called “triage.” Triage originates from…
Introduction Every year 35 million people visit an emergency department (ED) because of an injury. Trauma is the leading cause of death in the United States for people under the…
General Approach Children are not just small adults. Pediatric patients include a spectrum of children up to 18 years of age: newborns, neonates, infants, toddlers, preschoolers, school-age children, preteens, and…
Introduction Ultrasound-guided insertion of an intravenous catheter (US IV) uses ultrasound (US) imaging to search for suitable peripheral veins that will support intravenous (IV) catheter placement, as well as visualize…
Introduction Medical ethics encompass the obligations health care professionals have to ensure patients’ overall well-being and to respect their fundamental human rights. Medical ethics applies to every healthcare provider and…
