title: Growing pains: status of emergency medicine in Nicaragua.
abstract: Nicaragua is one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere. The health of the population suffers as a result of poor nutrition, epidemic diseases, natural and manmade disasters, sporadic violence, urban industrial growth, and inadequate government funding for even basic medical equipment and supplies. Within this environment, emergency services development has been recognized as an important and cost-effective public health intervention. In recent years, government and nongovernmental agencies working together have had a dramatic positive impact on the quality of emergency care provided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Baptist Hospital, Managua, Nicaragua.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaitan
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mendez
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Sirker
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009527:Nicaragua