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Emergency Department Operations

Cross-Continuum Tool Is Associated with Reduced Utilization and Cost for Frequent High-Need Users

Author Affiliation Lauran Hardin, MSN, RN-BC, CNL Trinity Health-Michigan dba Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, Grand Rapids, Michigan; National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs, Camden, New Jersey Adam Kilian, MD Trinity Health-Michigan dba Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, Grand Rapids, Michigan; University of Utah Health Care, Department of Internal Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah Leslie […]

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Prevalence of Horizontal Violence Among Emergency Attending Physicians, Residents, and Physician Assistants

Nico B. Volz, BS et al.

Horizontal violence (HV) is malicious behavior perpetrated by healthcare workers against each other. These include bullying, verbal or physical threats, purposeful disruptive behavior, and other malicious behaviors. This pilot study investigates the prevalence of HV among emergency department (ED) attending physicians, residents, and mid-level providers (MLPs).

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Community Paramedicine: 911 Alternative Destinations Are a Patient Safety Issue

Author Affiliation Nick T. Sawyer, MD, MBA University of California, Davis, Department of Emergency Medicine, Sacramento, California; California American College of Emergency Physicians Board of Directors John D. Coburn, MD The Permanente Medical Group, South Sacramento Kaiser, Department of Emergency Medicine, Sacramento, California; California American College of Emergency Physicians Board of Directors Under-triage is a […]

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Comments on “Emergency Medicine Resident Rotations Abroad: Current Status and Next Steps”

Gabrielle A. Jacquet, MD, MPH, et al.

Morris and Schroeder have highlighted the need for a uniform and comprehensive national education program for emergency medicine residents doing international rotations. As faculty for a newly released course, The Practitioner’s Guide to Global Health, we wanted to call your attention to this innovative resource for preparing resident physicians, medical students, and other trainees to participate in safe and sustainable global health rotations.

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American Association for Emergency Psychiatry Task Force on Medical Clearance of Adults Part I: Introduction, Review and Evidence-Based Guidelines

Author Affiliation Eric L. Anderson, MD University of Maryland, Department of Psychiatry, College Park, Maryland Kimberly Nordstrom, MD, JD University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Aurora, Colorado; Denver Health Medical Center, Emergency Psychiatry, Denver, Colorado Michael P. Wilson, MD, PhD Department of Emergency Medicine Behavioral Emergencies Research lab, University of Arkansas for […]

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Management of Sickle Cell Disease Super Utilizers

Author Affiliation Gary A. Johnson, MD SUNY Upstate Medical University, Department of Emergency Medicine, Syracuse, New York   Much attention has been directed toward super utilizers of emergency department (ED) and hospital services. Often these patients have a chronic illness with significant potential for acute morbidity. In many settings, adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) […]

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Serum Lactate Predicts Adverse Outcomes in Emergency Department Patients With and Without Infection

Kimie Oedorf, MD

Lactate levels are increasingly used to risk stratify emergency department (ED) patients with and without infection. Whether a serum lactate provides similar prognostic value across diseases is not fully elucidated. This study assesses the prognostic value of serum lactate in ED patients with and without infection to both report and compare relative predictive value across etiologies.

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Caudal Edge of the Liver in the Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ) View Is the Most Sensitive Area for Free Fluid on the FAST Exam

Viveta Lobo, MD

The focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) exam is a critical diagnostic test for intraperitoneal free fluid (FF). Current teaching is that fluid accumulates first in Morison’s pouch. The goal of this study was to evaluate the “sub-quadrants” of traditional FAST views to determine the most sensitive areas for FF accumulation.

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Academic Primer Series: Eight Key Papers about Education Theory

Michael Gottlieb, MD, RDMS

Many teachers adopt instructional methods based on assumptions of best practices without attention to or knowledge of supporting education theory. Familiarity with a variety of theories informs education that is efficient, strategic, and evidence-based. As part of the Academic Life in Emergency Medicine Faculty Incubator Program, a list of key education theories for junior faculty was developed.

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Blog and Podcast Watch: Cutaneous Emergencies

Andrew Grock, MD, et al.

The WestJEM Blog and Podcast Watch presents high quality open-access educational blogs and podcasts in emergency medicine (EM) based on the ongoing Academic Life in Emergency Medicine (ALiEM) Approved Instructional Resources (AIR) and AIR-Professional series.

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Contact Information

WestJEM/ Department of Emergency Medicine
UC Irvine Health

3800 W Chapman Ave Ste 3200
Orange, CA 92868, USA
Phone: 1-714-456-6389
Email: editor@westjem.org

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WestJEM
ISSN: 1936-900X
e-ISSN: 1936-9018

CPC-EM
ISSN: 2474-252X

Our Philosophy

Emergency Medicine is a specialty which closely reflects societal challenges and consequences of public policy decisions. The emergency department specifically deals with social injustice, health and economic disparities, violence, substance abuse, and disaster preparedness and response. This journal focuses on how emergency care affects the health of the community and population, and conversely, how these societal challenges affect the composition of the patient population who seek care in the emergency department. The development of better systems to provide emergency care, including technology solutions, is critical to enhancing population health.