Medical Malpractice Cases Involving Medical Students.

Purpose: This study uses a large national legal database to analyze characteristics of malpractice claims involving U.S. medical students.

Adult Congenital Heart Disease in the Emergency Department.

While congenital heart disease historically was a pathology primarily restricted to specialized pediatric centers, advances in technology have dramatically increased the number of people living into adulthood, the number of complications faced by these patients, and the number of patients visiting non-specialized emergency departments for these concerns. Clinicians need to be aware of the issues specific to patients' individual congenital defects but also have an understanding of how typical cardiac pathology may manifest in this special group of patients. This manuscript attempts to provide an overview of this diverse but increasingly common group of adult patients with congenital heart diseases, including a review of their anatomical variants, the complications they face at the highest rates, and ways that emergency physicians may need to manage these patients differently to avoid causing harm.

A review of medical malpractice cases involving trainees in the emergency department.

Background: This study characterizes medical malpractice lawsuits involving trainees providing care in the emergency department (ED), affording insight into the types of patients involved, clinical scenarios, and legal outcomes of these cases.

Methods: Cases were identified using the legal database, Westlaw. Per chart review methods, relevant information was abstracted by 2 trained reviewers onto a standardized data abstraction form, with a senior author arbitrating disagreements.

Return Rates for Opioid versus Nonopioid Management of Patients with Abdominal Pain in the Emergency Department.

Background: Research suggests that opioid treatment for abdominal pain, which comprises a large proportion of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED), may contribute to long-term opioid use without significant benefits with regard to symptom management.

Objectives: This study seeks to assess the association between opioid use for management of abdominal pain in the ED and return ED visits for abdominal pain within 30 days for patients discharged from the ED at initial presentation.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, multicenter observational study of adult patients presenting to and discharged from 21 EDs with a chief concern of abdominal pain between November 2018 and April 2020.

Stercoral Colitis in the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Review of Presentation, Management, and Outcomes.

Study Objective: Stercoral colitis is inflammation of the bowel wall caused by fecal impaction. Despite reported high morbidity and risk of perforation, little research assessing outcomes is available. This study characterizes the presentation, management, and outcomes of emergency department patients with stercoral colitis.