Emergency physician awareness of prehospital procedures and medications.

Introduction: Maintaining patient safety during transition from prehospital to emergency department (ED) care depends on effective handoff communication between providers. We sought to determine emergency physicians' (EP) knowledge of the care provided by paramedics in terms of both procedures and medications, and whether the use of a verbal report improved physician accuracy.

Methods: We conducted a 2-phase observational survey of a convenience sample of EPs in an urban, academic ED.

Use of cellular telephones and transmission of pathogens by medical staff in New York and Israel.

Hands and instruments used by healthcare workers may serve as vectors for the nosocomial transmission of microorganisms. The use of cellular telephones by medical personnel and the associated nosocomial transmission of pathogens have not been thoroughly examined. Findings from our study show that cellular telephones are commonly used by hospital personnel, even during patient contact.

Case studies in acute aortic dissection: strategies to avoid a catastrophic outcome.

Aortic dissection is a catastrophic illness that is a significant source of liability for hospitals if diagnosis and treatment are not done promptly. The diagnosis is often difficult to make because not all dissections have the typical presentation of sudden severe chest pain radiating to the back. Symptoms often include abdominal pain, flu-like complaints, vomiting and diarrhea, low back pain, stroke syndromes and syncope.