Tools and Links for CDU

CDU Signout Sheet            Useful Phone Numbers         CDU Daily Workflow          Protocols            How to Admit to CDU          How to Dispo from CDU 

Welcome to the CDU

Welcome to the internet home page for the Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) service of Integrative Emergency Serivces (IES)  in Denver, Colorado. This page is meant as a resource to providers and staff at the Hospital to facilitate work around the CDU and the Emergency Department. 

On this site you will find several useful tools including our CDU Protocols, Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria, contact information for CDU leadership, tutorials on CDU care, provider schedules and useful links. 

CDU vs ED Observation

In the past, when a patient needed to stay in the hospital under observation status, there was often a conversation with the possible admitting team to consider if the patient might get these observation services in the ED observation unit.    With the transition to CDU,  a patient staying in the hospital under "Observation" status is only eligible for care in the CDU if they fit into one of the established protocols, and are not excluded by other criteria.  The CDU should not be considered a place or service where observation patients in general routinely get their care.    

Flexibility moving forward

The protocols on this website serve as a starting point for our CDU service.  We will always be looking to improve our services and identify patients that we could serve in the CDU.  If there is no established protocol for a patient's condition, a patient is not eligible for CDU admission, however we can add and change protocols over time and welcome feedback from providers and staff alike on how to best serve our patients, the hospital and the dedicated staff who make it all happen. 

This site is maintained by the CDU Director, Dr. Daniel Zeccola.  Any questions or concerns regarding the content of this site should be directed to him.