Characterization of Emergency Department Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Procedures with an Infectious Diseases Clinic Referral Process.

Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (rPEP) in the emergency department (ED) is associated with high costs, complicated administration protocols, and a time-sensitive vaccination series that often requires ED follow-up visits for subsequent vaccine administration. This study sought to characterize the number of redirected vaccine administrations in those patients referred to ID Clinic, guideline compliance, and opportunities for improvement. Retrospective chart review of adult and pediatric patients presenting to the ED from 2016 to 2019 and prescribed rabies immunoglobulin.

Antibiotic Prescribing Errors in Patients Discharged From the Pediatric Emergency Department.

Objectives: The pediatric emergency department (PED) is an especially high-risk setting for medication errors. Several factors contribute to this risk including the need to provide care to complex patients who are unknown to staff, the frequent use of verbal orders, and the necessity of weight-based dosing. This investigation sought to assess one potentially error-prone event, antibiotic prescriptions written for patients being discharged from the PED, and to characterize the occurrence of medication errors to identify opportunities for improvement.

Abdominal Distention and Emesis in a Term Neonate.

Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a gastrointestinal emergency characterized by ischemic necrosis of the intestinal mucosa, leading to bacterial translocation and pneumatosis of the bowel wall. Although there are numerous studies on clinical presentations of preterm NEC, approximately 10-15% of cases occur in full-term neonates. Nearly 10% of all infants with NEC will develop a rapidly progressive and fatal form of the disease called NEC totalis.