Iowa hospital to close labor and delivery unit

From the Sioux City Journal:

Horn Memorial Hospital in Ida Grove, Iowa, is getting out of the baby business.

The hospital will close its obstetrical unit on June 1. Women with due dates after June 1 will be given a list of facilities that deliver babies.

Firework Removed from Minnesota Man’s Chest

From JEMS:

A man is in critical condition after the St. Paul Bomb Squad removed an unexploded firework from his chest over the holiday weekend.

The 31-year-old apparently was shooting off illegal fireworks when a firework intended for the sky penetrated his chest, according to Cmdr. Paul Sommer.

Tool Predicts Outcome After Cardiac Arrest

From MedPage Today:

A simple tool administered at the bedside can accurately predict the likelihood of survival without serious neurologic sequelae after cardiac arrest in the hospital, researchers reported.

Patients whose scores on the prediction tool were below 10 had a 70.7% probability of surviving with favorable neurologic status, while those with scores at or above 28 had a probability of only 2.8%, according to Paul S. Chan, MD, of the University of Missouri–Kansas City, and colleagues.

Number of ED visits attributed to walking and texting injuries doubled every year since 2006

From the Baltimore Sun:

Though researchers and lawmakers have spent considerable time and energy worrying about distracted driving, distracted walking is low on the radar, but possibly beginning to get a little bit of attention as both an annoying menace and possible danger.

What’s apparently the only serious study on the topic came out of Ohio State in 2008. Researchers found the number of emergency room visits attributed to walking and texting injuries doubled every year since 2006. The professor who led the study, Jack Nasar, told The Sun that unpublished follow-up data showed that the numbers continued to double through 2010.

Narcotic Painkiller Use Booming Among Elderly

From MedPage Today:

Opioids were prescribed primarily for cancer pain and short-term relief immediately after surgery or an accident.

But increasingly, the drugs have been prescribed for chronic pain, an area where their safety and effectiveness is unproven, especially for older patients, a Journal Sentinel/MedPage Todayinvestigation found.

This increased use of opioids for non-cancer pain prompted the FDA to convene a two-day public hearing today and tomorrow to investigate “available data on the efficacy of analgesics in the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain.”

Man waiting for treatment causes scene at hospital

From the Mohave Daily News:

A Las Vegas man was arrested at Western Arizona Regional Medical Center on Saturday morning after causing a disturbance in the emergency room over how long it was taking him to receive treatment.

Fabian Rodriguez, 31, arrived at WARMC in the wee hours of the morning Saturday, sporting a four-inch laceration on the back of his head. According to Bullhead City police Cpl. Shawn Brooks, Rodriguez had received a cursory examination after first arriving in the emergency room, but became increasingly agitated as he waited to be treated, despite repeated attempts by hospital staff to calm him down and explain that they would get to him when they could.

Illinois Bill Bans Cellphone Use at Emergency Scenes

From JEMS:

The legislation would make it illegal for drivers to make calls with a hand-held phone within 500 feet of an accident scene where emergency vehicles have flashing lights, except for reporting emergencies. It also bans sending picture and video messages while driving at any time.

ED Protocol Pegs Low-Risk Cardiac Patients Quickly

From MedPage Today:

An accelerated diagnostic protocol in the emergency department identified a sizable group of symptomatic patients who were at low risk of having a short-term major cardiac event and who could be safely discharged, according to an observational study.

Assessment with a combination of Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) score, electrocardiogram, and baseline plus 2-hour troponin levels had a sensitivity of 99.7% (95% CI 98.1 to 99.9) and a specificity of 23.4% (95% CI 21.4 to 25.4) for identifying patients at low risk, according to Martin Than, MBBS, of the University of Otago in Christchurch, New Zealand, and colleagues.

Do patients really need to go the ER?

From Fierce Healthcare:

Eighty-five percent of Americans who have been to the emergency department said they couldn’t wait to see their regular medical provider, according to a recent Harris poll from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).

Despite efforts to curb nonurgent and unnecessary use, one in five patients (20.1 percent) who went to the ED and weren’t admitted said it was because their primary care provider sent them, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.