Emergency Department Models of Care July 2012 NSW MINISTRY OF HEALTH 73 Miller Street NORTH SYDNEY NSW 2060 Tel. (02) 9391 9000 Fax. (02) 9391 9101 TTY. (02) 9391 9900 www.health.nsw.gov.au This work is copyright. It may be reproduced in whole or in part for study or training purposes subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source. It may not be reproduced for commercial usage or sale. Reproduction for purposes other than those indicated above requires written permission from the…

‘Sepsis’, a lame man might hear of this word and have no clue or whatsoever of what this is – but in the real world it’s not something to be happy about and has been a major issue in the medical field. Sepsis is a complex condition which doesn’t have a specific definition, diagnosis or treatment but one thing the medical practitioners are specific of is the origin. Sepsis is from a Greek word called “Sepo” which means “decay” idiomatically known as “Blood poisoning” (Steen C., 2009). The medical…

Introduction Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication caused by the body’s response to an infection. Our immune system protects us against threats, which include viruses, bacteria and parasites that cause infectious diseases. Our immune system responds by triggering an inflammatory response to bacteria in the blood. However, with sepsis the response is massive and the inflammation that occurs can cause a ripple effect of changes that may lead to damage of multiple organ systems, causing…

A three year old male patient came to the floor from the emergency department for treatment of unexplained fever and bradycardia. Upon arrival to the floor, patients PEWS score was a one and no immediate interventions were needed. Urine specimen was taken, initial results were positive for a urinary tract infection. The patient denies pain while voiding. Intravenous antibiotics were started. According to the head to toe check list, the patient had no variances to chart. The patient was stable and…

The Effects of Overcrowding In Emergency Departments Emergency Departments (ED) are a crucial part of the medical field, because you can receive emergency care 24/7 and 365 days a year. EDs were designed to provide immediate and stabilizing care to patients with medical emergencies (Derlet & Richards & Kravitz, 2001). The current problem in EDs is overcrowding of patients. The cause of overcrowded EDs is multifactorial, but the main causes are inadequate inpatient capacity, ED closures and a shortage…

Emergency department (ED) overcrowding has become an international health crisis and been identified as a major threaten to public health. As defined by Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, overcrowding is a situation in which ED patients’ demand for services exceeds the staffing capacity to provide care within a reasonable length of time, thereby impeding ED function. Some has called ED as the safety net of the health care system, given its unique role in public health. However, the increasing…

Sepsis is the body’s response to infection. The onset of sepsis is often undetected until the condition has become critical. Sepsis progresses into severe sepsis, septic shock, and eventually death; typically from organ failure. The condition affects over 500,000 individuals annually, has a mortality rate of over 25%, and presents a risk to patients in every inpatient setting regardless of acuity level (Whelchel et al., 2011). My first experience with sepsis was enlightening because it affected…

male was admitted to the emergency department of a county hospital. The patient was complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath. This patient has a history of COPD, type-two diabetes and has quit smoking for nearly seven years. In the emergency department, the patient had labored breathing and a SpO2 of 72% on room air. This patient was then placed on BiPAP. His weight is 117kg and temperature of 99.1. Blood pressure was 61/41 on arrival to the emergency department and the patient was tachycardic…

Early Sepsis Protocol The early sepsis protocol has a huge impact on Emergency Department (ED) patients that are suspected of sepsis. The studies have shown that early recognition has a significant effect on the patient’s outcome. My paper will only analyze data collected in the critical care settings and focus mainly on the importance of early recognition of the signs and symptoms of sepsis to meet the three hour window treatment as recommended by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC). Importance…

Catheter Use in the Emergency Department Safe, effective, patient-centered care delivered in a timely and efficient manner is the goal of quality healthcare. Unfortunately, the delivery of such quality faces serious concerns. The Institute of Medicine (2001) describes the quality gap in healthcare as having three types of problems, “overuse, underuse, and misuse” (p. 23). In recent years, emphasis on improving the quality of care has increased (IOM, 2001). Quality improvement methods, such as…