Deaths in three accident and emergency departments.
A survey of three London hospitals found that approximately 0.45 patients per thousand new attenders die in the accident and emergency department and that there is evidence of poor management in about 10% of these deaths. The commonest faults were excessive delay before starting appropriate treatment and neglect of the basic principles of emergency medicine. These points need to be emphasized in the training of accident and emergency staff.
Beckett
M W
MW
Accident and Emergency Department, West Middlesex University Hospital, England.
Longstaff
P M
PM
McCabe
M J
MJ
Sulch
D A
DA
Ward
M J
MJ
D002423:Cause of Death; D004630:Emergencies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality*