title: Pitfalls in emergency care.
abstract: The provision of effective emergency care for patients with life-threatening problems requires a disciplined and systematic approach to comprehensive evaluation and management. It is unfortunately not unusual for serious problems to go unrecognized, for diagnosis to be delayed or for inappropriate treatment to be instituted because one or another basic principle of care is overlooked. This paper presents illustrative cases which stress the importance of 13 common principles for good emergency care: careful history, adequate airway, complete physical examination, evacuation of the stomach, adequate laboratory studies, appropriate follow-up of laboratory results, adequate x-ray examinations, complete patient instructions, avoidance of premature conclusions, adequate preparation for transportation, appropriate timing of discharge, careful establishment of priorities, and adequate records.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000517:prevention & control; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000517:prevention & control; D003142:Communication; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000628:therapy; D003422:Critical Care / Q000592:standards*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004358:Drug Therapy; D004630:Emergencies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010348:Patient Care Team; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000097:blood; D010808:Physical Examination; D011041:Poisoning / Q000097:blood; D011859:Radiography; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations