Journal article
Societal Costs of Inappropriate Emergency Department Thoracotomy
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Emergency department (ED) thoracotomy can be lifesaving. It can also lead to resource waste and exposure to blood-borne infections. We investigated the frequency with which ED thoracotomy was performed for inappropriate indications and the resulting societal costs.
STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective cohort study examined all trauma patients admitted directly from the scene of injury from 1992 to 2009 who underwent ED thoracotomy. The …
Authors
Passos EM; Engels PT; Doyle JD; Beckett A; Nascimento B; Rizoli SB; Tien HC
Journal
Journal of the American College of Surgeons, Vol. 214, No. 1, pp. 18–25
Publisher
Wolters Kluwer
Publication Date
January 2012
DOI
10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2011.09.020
ISSN
1072-7515