Are PAs called in for consults in hospital settings?

[futurePAS]

Pardon my ignorance.. just curious, do PAs in the hospital ever get called in for consults for whatever specialty they're in ie. if a pt in the ER presents with some sort of skin disease, would they page an actual dermatologist/specialist, or are PAs used for this purpose as well?

[UGoLong]

Yes. In my case, I cover hospitals for my SP, who I usually call with a summary afterwards.

[GreatChecko]

Where I work, the trauma and ortho PA's do a great deal of consults in the ED. For the serious stuff, the doc comes down, but usually with their trusty PA at their side.

 

Checko

[polarbebe]

PAs can cover consults for almost all specialities in the ED in emergent or urgent settings with physician backup (if the patient situation is not so serious the patient can be seen by the specialty as an outpatient or on the floor when admitted).

 

I worked in stroke for almost 2 years (pretty serious). ED doc would suspect a stroke or receive via EMS pre-notification of an arriving pt with stroke like symptoms and a stroke code was called. My beeper went off and most of the time I would be there before the neurologist (either seeing patients elsewhere or at home). Make a quick assessment, do my preliminary read of a CT and then page the neurologist and/or neuro-interventionist Position had some serious time pressures which made it interesting and very good autonomy for me when I was a new grad... great learning experience.

 

Just an FYI, there are very few reasons why a dermatological consult would be called in the ED (derm emergencies are usually rare and burns go to a burn center).

[futurePAS]

PAs can cover consults for almost all specialities in the ED in emergent or urgent settings with physician backup (if the patient situation is not so serious the patient can be seen by the specialty as an outpatient or on the floor when admitted).

 

I worked in stroke for almost 2 years (pretty serious). ED doc would suspect a stroke or receive via EMS pre-notification of an arriving pt with stroke like symptoms and a stroke code was called. My beeper went off and most of the time I would be there before the neurologist (either seeing patients elsewhere or at home). Make a quick assessment, do my preliminary read of a CT and then page the neurologist and/or neuro-interventionist Position had some serious time pressures which made it interesting and very good autonomy for me when I was a new grad... great learning experience.

 

Just an FYI, there are very few reasons why a dermatological consult would be called in the ED (derm emergencies are usually rare and burns go to a burn center).

 

Thank you for this, it was extremely insightful. It seems like it was a great position.