Bounce back
Formal Definition
A patient who returns to the emergency department shortly after a previous visit or discharge.
How It's Used on the Ward
"This is a bounce-back from yesterday" - signals the patient was recently seen and may have been inadequately treated.
Example
"Resident: "Heads up, bed 12 is a bounce-back. Came in last night with abdominal pain, was discharged, now back with worsening symptoms.""
Clinical Context
Bounce-backs are tracked as a quality metric. Too many suggest premature discharges. Important for M3s to understand the implications.
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