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Emergency Observation

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Practice Points

Look for Emergency Department Observation Unit admission in misdiagnosis of

1. Chest pain to rule out myocardial infarction

2. Abdominal pain to rule out acute appendicitis

3. Unexplained Loss of Consciousness

4. Head injury

5. Trauma - blunt or penetrating

6. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Emergency Department Observation Unit admission is appropriate for patients with chest pain who have a LOW probability of myocardial infarction

If an initial diagnosis of acute appendicitis cannot be made, re-examination every few hours is effective at preventing perforation and reducing rates of removal of a normal appendix

Patients with unexplained loss of consciousness should, if not hospitalised, be observed and investigated in the EDOU