title: Reducing risk in emergency department wound management.
abstract: Although substantial dollar amounts are not involved, wound-care litigation constitutes a significant number of lawsuits to emergency medicine physicians, resulting in an increased drain on the physician's time and exposing the physician to all the psychosocial effects involved in the medicolegal process. The procedures outlined in this article-paying attention to wound-care principles, involving patients in the medical decision-making process, and ensuring appropriate medical follow-up-can, it is hoped, reduce the incidence of medical claims.
authors.affiliation: San Antonio Uniformed Health Services Health Education Consortium Emergency Medicine Residency, San Antonio, TX, USA. james.pfaff@amedd.army.mil
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pfaff
authors.forename: Gregory P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008318:Malpractice / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents