Gather "Round": An Integrated Care Model for the Emergency Department Multi-Visit Patient.

Purpose: Emergency departments (EDs) are a vital component of the United States healthcare system and care for over 130 million patient visits annually. Nonurgent ED visits can contribute to crowding, delays in care, and adverse effects. Many high-utilizing ED patients may present with complex medical, behavioral, and social needs that are not necessarily emergent or urgent in nature.

A Physician Nurse Team Adjacent to Triage Improves Length of Stay and Decreases Left Without Being Seen.

Introduction: Staffing significantly influences ED throughput, however there is a shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs), impacting ED flow and crowding. Non-RN providers, like Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), could potentially assist with tasks traditionally assigned to RNs. To improve the front-end ED process, we implemented an Attending Physician-Licensed Practical Nurse Team (PNT) positioned next to triage and utilized existing ED hallway space.

Improving Time to Antibiotics for Long-Bone Open Fractures: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Open fractures, which are exposed to the external environment, are at a high risk of infection. Administering antibiotics within 60 minutes of emergency department (ED) arrival is crucial to prevent infection. However, this is difficult to achieve due to high ED patient volumes.

Transdermal fentanyl: pharmacology and toxicology.

Objective: To evaluate the underlying pharmacology, safety, and misuse/abuse of transdermal fentanyl, one of the cornerstone pharmacotherapies for patients with chronic pain.

Methods: Literature was identified through searches of Medline (PubMed) and several textbooks in the areas of pharmacology, toxicology, and pain management. A bibliographical review of articles identified by these searches was also performed.