Contamination of health care workers (HCWs) with body fluids is a frequent occurrence in the emergency department (ED). A survey of ED and trauma staff found that almost half reported a needlestick injury within the preceding year. Body fluids often…
Assessment of Urine Obtaining a Urine Specimen Several methods are available for obtaining a urine specimen. They can be found in Table 67.1 and are listed in order of increasingly precise collection techniques. They come at the cost of increasing…
Bedside ultrasound has become an indispensable tool in the emergency department (ED). It has enabled physicians to make a rapid diagnosis at the bedside and formulate a plan of care. Perhaps most importantly, ultrasound has revolutionized procedures performed in the…
Procedures Pertaining to Hypothermia With an increase in outdoor activities, changing weather patterns, and the growing epidemic of homelessness in our country, issues pertaining to hypothermia remain in the forefront. Hypothermia is not only a common diagnosis in rural areas…
Complaints pertaining to the teeth and supporting maxillofacial structures are common, and patients frequently go to the emergency department (ED) for evaluation. Complaints may range in scope from a simple chipped tooth to an odontogenic deep space infection or a…
The procedures presented in this chapter are most effectively performed with special equipment and techniques ( Videos 63.1 – 63.10 ). Some are within the realm of general emergency medicine clinical expertise; others are not. They are reviewed from the…
The following discussion focuses on procedures performed by emergency clinicians during the evaluation and treatment of injuries and diseases of the eye. Emphasis is placed on practical application of the techniques; cautions to be heeded by the emergency clinician are…
Evaluation of the Comatose Patient Coma is defined as a state of deeply reduced consciousness from which a patient cannot be aroused by verbal, tactile, or noxious external stimuli. This subsection will review procedures that have important diagnostic and prognostic…
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination is performed in the emergency department (ED) to obtain information relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of specific disease entities. Many urgent and life-threatening conditions require immediate and accurate knowledge of the nature of the CSF.…
Headache and head injury are encountered commonly in the emergency department (ED). If either is accompanied by vomiting, decreased level of consciousness, or abnormal vital signs, the possibility of increased intracranial pressure (ICP) should be considered. Acutely increased ICP is…