Deferred Care for Emergency Department Users with Nonacute Conditions
Authors: Stephen R. Pitts
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2003)

Letters16 September 2003Deferred Care for Emergency Department Users with Nonacute ConditionsStephen R. Pitts, MD, MPHStephen R. Pitts, MD, MPHFrom Emory Crawford Long Hospital; Atlanta, GA 30328.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-139-6-200309160-00020 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:The prominence with which Annals featured the trial by Washington and colleagues (1) is welcome. However, I would like to emphasize the authors' observation that even though this study randomly assigned and evaluated patients carefully, it should be viewed as a pilot study. I disagree with the proposal that the rule is now ready for validation in other settings.The development of useful triage criteria should adhere to the standards proposed for other clinical decision rules [2]. There should be an orderly sequence of studies, as follows: 1) explicit definition of adverse events using data and consensus ...References1. Washington DL, Stevens CD, Shekelle PG, Henneman PL, Brook RH. Next-day care for emergency department users with nonacute conditions. A randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2002;137:707-14. [PMID: 12416944] LinkGoogle Scholar2. McGinn TG, Guyatt GH, Wyer PC, Naylor CD, Stiell IG, Richardson WS. Users' guides to the medical literature: XXII: how to use articles about clinical decision rules. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA. 2000;284:79-84. [PMID: 10872017] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Auleley GR, Ravaud P, Giraudeau B, Kerboull L, Nizard R, Massin P, . Implementation of the Ottawa ankle rules in France. A multicenter randomized, controlled trial. JAMA. 1997;277:1935-9. [PMID: 9200633] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Marrie TJ, Lau CY, Wheeler SL, Wong CJ, Vandervoort MK, Feagan BG. A controlled trial of a critical pathway for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia. CAPITAL Study Investigators. Community-Acquired Pneumonia Intervention Trial Assessing Levofloxacin. JAMA. 2000;283:749-55. [PMID: 10683053] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Emory Crawford Long Hospital; Atlanta, GA 30328. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoNext-Day Care for Emergency Department Users with Nonacute Conditions Donna L. Washington , Carl D. Stevens , Paul G. Shekelle , Philip L. Henneman , and Robert H. Brook Deferred Care for Emergency Department Users with Nonacute Conditions Arthur L. Kellermann Deferred Care for Emergency Department Users with Nonacute Conditions Donna L. Washington , Paul G. Shekelle , and Carl D. Stevens Deferred Care for Emergency Department Users with Nonacute Conditions Robert A. Lowe , K John McConnell , and Stephanie B. Abbuhl Metrics 16 September 2003Volume 139, Issue 6Page: 526KeywordsAdverse eventsAnklesEmergency departmentMyocardial infarctionPharyngitisPilot studiesPneumoniaReproducibilityTriage ePublished: 16 September 2003 Issue Published: 16 September 2003 CopyrightCopyright © 2003 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...