emDocs - December 8, 2015 - Author: Bakhsh A // Editor: Bright J
"Definition:
The ACEP Crowding Resources Task Force adopted the following definition of ED crowding: “A situation in which theidentified need for emergency services outstrips available resources in the ED. This situation occurs in hospital EDs when there are more patients than staffed ED treatment beds and wait times exceed a reasonable period [80]. Crowding involves an inability to appropriately triage patients, with large numbers of patients accumulating in the ED waiting area of any triage assessment category.” This crowding causes patients to be evaluated and monitored in less than ideal settings – such as in the ED waiting room or hallways – as they await an ED treatment bed...
Dangers of ED Crowding:
Emergency department crowding threatens quality and access to health care. Delays to analgesia, antibiotic therapy, thrombolysis, or percutaneous coronary intervention as a result of ED crowding are all well described. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients boarding in the ED subjected to a delay of more than 6 hours in transfer to an ICU had increased hospital length of stay (7 versus 6 days), and higher mortality rates (10.7% versus 8.4%). Crowding also impairs dignity, privacy, and completeness of care. Errors are increased with ED crowding. Many of these are errors of omission rather than errors ofcommission since the emergency staff must simultaneously care for inpatients and focus on the new emergencies coming in the door..."
http://www.emdocs.net/edcrowding/