Clinical review: Emergency department overcrowding and the potential impact on the critically ill.
Critical care constitutes a significant and growing proportion of the practice of emergency medicine. Emergency department (ED) overcrowding in the USA represents an emerging threat to patient safety and could have a significant impact on the critically ill. This review describes the causes and effects of ED overcrowding; explores the potential impact that ED overcrowding has on care of the critically ill ED patient; and identifies possible solutions, focusing on ED based critical care.
Department of Emergency Medicine, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Camden, New Jersey, USA. cowan-robert@cooperhealth.edu
Robert M
RM
Cowan
Stephen
S
Trzeciak
D003422:Critical Care / Q000639:trends*; D003441:Crowding; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans