Healthcare Update — 03-25-2013

This study showed that in more than 4 of 5 obese children, the subcutaneous fat layer was too thick for an IM injection one quarter of the way down the thigh. In nearly 1 of 5 obese children, the subcutaneous fat layer was too thick three quarters of the way down the thigh. In those patients, the study suggested injecting the calf. I suppose the manufacturer could be forced to make autoinjectors with longer needles, but then non-obese patients would theoretically risk getting a bone marrow injection of epinephrine. How good are emergency physicians at dispositioning psychiatric patients when compared to psychiatrists? Not horrible, not great. 95% of patients assessed as “definitely admit” were admitted by the psychiatrist. For other emergency department psychiatric patients, there was an 87-90% concordance rate. Sugary drinks may kill 25,000 people each year. That’s nothing. SALT [allegedly] causes one out of 10 deaths in this country each year and more than 2.3 million deaths worldwide in 2010. Wonder what that sphincter Michael Bloomberg is going to do with this information. Salt tax? Force NY City hospitals to draw serum sodium levels on all patients? Outlaw salt shakers in restaurants? Or maybe he could just go after the salt shakers with the larger holes and call them “asSALT” weapons. Bwaaaaaahahaha. Sometimes I crack myself up. Another nice article by Alicia Gallegos at AM News. Liability involving patients who overdose on medications is increasing. Families ...
Source: WhiteCoat's Call Room - Category: Emergency Medicine Doctors Authors: Tags: Healthcare Update Source Type: blogs