Department of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43035, USA.
Clin Geriatr Med. 2013 Feb;29(1):71-89. doi: 10.1016/j.cger.2012.09.002.
An increasing number of emergency departments (EDs) are providing extended care and monitoring of patients in ED observation units (EDOUs). EDOUs can be useful for older adults as an alternative to hospitalization and as a means of risk stratification for older adults with unclear presentations. They can also provide a period of therapeutic intervention and reassessment for older patients in whom the appropriateness and safety of immediate outpatient care are unclear. This article discusses the general characteristics of EDOUs, reviews appropriate entry and exclusion criteria for older adults in EDOUs, and discusses regulatory implications of observation status for patients with Medicare.
越来越多的急诊部门(EDs)正在 ED 观察单位(EDOUs)为患者提供延长护理和监测。EDOUs 对于老年人来说是一种替代住院的有用方法,也是对表现不明确的老年人进行风险分层的一种手段。它们还可以为那些其立即进行门诊治疗的适当性和安全性尚不清楚的老年患者提供一段治疗干预和重新评估的时间。本文讨论了 EDOUs 的一般特征,回顾了 EDOUs 中老年人的适当进入和排除标准,并讨论了观察状态对 Medicare 患者的监管影响。