Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2007
Comparative StudyBest Guess method for age-based weight estimation in paediatric emergencies: validation and comparison with current methods.
During paediatric resuscitation, drug doses are calculated based upon weight. Age-based weight estimates are used when weighing children is impractical. The average weight of Australian children has increased, and widely used paediatric age-based formulae might underestimate weight. A modified age-based method for paediatric weight calculation, the 'Best Guess', has been described. ⋯ The Best Guess formulae is a valid method for age-based weight estimation in acutely unwell or injured children presenting to the ED and more accurately predicts mean weight than either APLS or ARC formulae.
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For many years, ambulance services throughout Australia have been administering methoxyflurane as a first-line analgesic agent. However, there is a paucity of literature regarding its efficacy, safety and usage profile. The present study was designed to examine the efficacy of methoxyflurane in adults. ⋯ The use of methoxyflurane as a prehospital analgesic significantly reduced pain in patients, with no significant side-effects attributed to its use. The majority of patients and paramedics interviewed were satisfied with its effects and indicated a willingness to use it again.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2007
Make your Best Guess: an updated method for paediatric weight estimation in emergencies.
For children requiring weight-based resuscitative measures, it is often difficult to obtain an accurate weight. In these cases, it is common practice to estimate the weight based on age. As the average weight of Australian children has increased over the last two decades, the widely used advanced paediatric life support (APLS) method might systematically underestimate weight in paediatric patients. ⋯ The present study devised an age-based method for paediatric weight estimation which should more accurately predict weight than the widely used APLS formula.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2007
External validation of the Best Guess formulae for paediatric weight estimation.
A new method for estimation of weight in children based on their age has been proposed. The present study aims to validate the Best Guess formulae in a new population of children. ⋯ The Best Guess formulae performed moderately well in estimating children's weight, but had a tendency to overestimate weight, particularly in children with lower body mass index.