Drowning rule-out with novices (DROWN) in ultrasound.

Objectives: Non-fatal drownings confer significant morbidity and mortality in the United States. Chest radiograph (CXR) is typically used as a screening modality for interstitial edema but lacks sensitivity early after submersion. No study has evaluated lung ultrasound in assessing for pulmonary edema after submersion events and we hypothesized that lung point-of-care (POC) ultrasound can identify interstitial edema in patients presenting after non-fatal drownings.

Influence of COVID-19 outbreak on emergency department Press Ganey scores of emergency physicians.

Background And Hypothesis: The authors investigate whether there is a difference in Press Ganey (PG; patient satisfaction scores) scores for the emergency physicians before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak at a regional group of emergency departments in the southeastern United States. The authors hypothesize that decreases in emergency department volume, less emergency department boarding of admissions, reduced use of hallway beds, and favorable attitudes toward emergency physicians during the COVID-19 outbreak may influence patient satisfaction scores measured in the Press Ganey surveys.

Study Design And Methods: The authors performed a retrospective review of PG scores obtained over the prior 7 months at 8 larger teaching hospitals in the Southeast region (Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina).