ERs are a haven for defensive medicine, understandably so. Flea worries that some patients will think the overtesting and overtreatment performed in ERs is standard of care:
Here’s the problem: Overuse of emergency services for non-emergent complaints educates parents and their children that non-emergent conditions require emergency level of care. Thus when a toddler in my practice goes to the E.D. with cold symptoms and gets an I.V. (true story from last night), the parents learn that colds deserve I.V.’s.
