Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2008
Prevalence of morphine use and time to initial analgesia in an Australian emergency department.
To explore the association of morphine use with factors influencing time to initial analgesia (T-A). ⋯ T-A is an important indicator of the quality of ED services. Severity of illness and patient volume were significant factors associated with extended T-A. Strategies for improving pain management in the complex ED environment are discussed.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2008
Handover from paramedics: observations and emergency department clinician perceptions.
1. To evaluate emergency clinician attitudes towards handover from prehospital paramedics. 2. To determine the content and methods of paramedic handover delivery to emergency clinicians. ⋯ Although there is satisfaction in paramedic handover, prehospital notification and emergency physician contact with paramedics is uncommon for low acuity patients, who constitute the majority of ambulance attendances and hospital admissions. Scope for improved direct doctor-paramedic communication exists.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2008
In the wake of Sri Lanka's tsunami: the health for the south capacity-building project.
In response to the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, the Health for the South Project was developed for Sri Lanka. The capacity-building component of this project involves the provision of trauma and emergency care training to the staff of Teaching Hospital Karapitiya (THK) in Galle, Sri Lanka. ⋯ Key elements of the capacity-building programme include the on-site emergency care training by teams of Australian emergency physicians and emergency nurses, working alongside the staff of the Emergency Treatment Unit in THK. It is expected that the programme will continue for at least 2 years, during which time a new Emergency and Trauma Centre will be constructed.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2008
Editorial CommentSedation of agitated patients in the emergency department.