Citation

Dissanayake VL, Nasr I. West. J. Emerg. Med. 2014; 15(1): 31-34.

Affiliation

John H Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Department of Emergency Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, California Chapter of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine)

DOI

10.5811/westjem.2013.6.16138

PMID

24578766

PMCID

PMC3935786

Abstract

Social networking sites (SNS), the modern mainstay of adolescent expression, may provide vital information to physicians. The emergency department (ED) is a setting where SNS may be helpful. A reticent 19-year-old in the ED prompted a search for pertinent information on the Internet, where a profile on www.myspace.com relayed a troubled post. The patient was admitted for psychiatric evaluation due to intentional overdose. These SNS may provide a venue for physicians to learn about risky behaviors and life stressors that would help identify underlying medical issues in young adults. We provide a guideline on how to utilize SNS with privacy rights in mind.

Language: en