Em Test 1: Penney Intro; Kct

Front 1

Define an emergency.

Back 1

Any condition perceived by layperson as requiring immediate medical or surgical evaluation & tx.

Front 2

What is the Emergency Medical and Active Labor Act? In what year was it authorized?

Back 2

Mandates that all ED provide screening, stabilization, & appropriate transfer to all pts w/ any medical education.

Front 3

When did the first emergency medicine program begin?

Back 3

1970.

Front 4

List the principles of emergency medicine.

Back 4

1. Is the patient about to die?
2. Whats steps must be undertaken to stabilize the patient?
3. What are the most potentially serious causes of the patient's presentation?
4. Could there be multiple causes of the patient's presentation?
5. Can a treatment assist in the diagnosis in an otherwise undifferentiated illness?
6. Is the diagnosis mandatory or even possible?
7. Does the patient need to be admitted to the hospital?
8. If the patient is not being admitted, is the disposition safe and adequate for the patient?

Front 5

What are the 3 levels of patient acuity?

Back 5

1. Critical: pt has sx's consistent w/ life-threatening illness or injury w/ high probability of death if immediate intervention isn't begun
2. Emergent: pt has sx's of illness or injury that may progress in severity if tx is not begun quickly.
3. Nonurgent: pt has sx's that have a low probability of progression to a more serious condition.

Front 6

What effect has the legal defense system had on emergency care?

Back 6

inc attn to risk management, inc # of ER malpractice claims & size of malpractice judgments are increasing, and malpractice insurance crisis is brewing, net effect has made docs practice defensive medicine.

Front 7

What are the 2 types of law in the US and what are the differences?

Back 7

1. Criminal: state or federal government sues an individual for actions considered to be against public interest, such as theft, murder or rape. Intended to protect public by apprehending & punishing offender in particular case & by deterring others from similar harmful conduct.
2. Civil: involve dispute b/w 2 or more persons or parties in which suing party (plaintiff) seeks redress or compensation for an injury arising from alleged wrongdoing of defendent. Seeks to resolve dispute & if necessary, compensate the plaintiff, usually w/ money damages. Concerned less w/ punishment, usually w/ money.

Front 8

What is negligence?

Back 8

failure to do something that a reasonable person similarly situated would do, or doing something that a reasonable person similarly situated would not do

Front 9

___________ is the predominant but not sole theory of liability in medical practice cases.

Back 9

Negligence.

Front 10

To recover against a negligent doc, a plaintiff-pt must prove which 4 elements?

Back 10

1. Duty of care
2. Breach of that duty.
3. Proximate cause
4. Damages

Front 11

What is duty of care?

Back 11

doc's obligation to provide tx according to an accepted standard of care.

Front 12

When do you have a physician-patient relationship?

Back 12

when pt request treatment & doc agrees to provide it.

Front 13

What is breach of duty?

Back 13

when caring for a patient, a doc is obligated to provide tx w/ knowledge, skill & care ordinarily used by reasonably well-qualified docs practicing in similar circumstances and he doesn't do that.

Front 14

What is proximate cause?

Back 14

plaintiff must prove that defendent's negligence more likely than not CAUSED the injury sustained--the event would NOT have occurred w/o the defendent's conduct

Front 15

What are damages?

Back 15

Awarded as compensation for loss of injury suffered as proximate result of negligent conduct. In some states can also get punitive damages if act was done w/ malicious intent.