Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2009
Patterns of presentation to the Australian and New Zealand Paediatric Emergency Research Network.
To describe epidemiological data concerning paediatric ED visits to an Australian and New Zealand research network. ⋯ This is the first description of the epidemiology of patient presentations to major paediatric ED in Australia and New Zealand. It details baseline data important to future collaborative studies and for planning health services for children.
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The development of clinical practice guidelines (CPG) is a core task in EDs and CPGs are widely used. The process of CPGs development in Australian and New Zealand ED is unknown. We aim to describe this process in paediatric EDs and examine the feasibility of developing collaborative guidelines. ⋯ Paediatric EDs expend significant resources to develop CPGs. Collaborative guidelines would likely decrease duplication of effort and increase the number of available, current and evidence-based CPGs.
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Although human interaction with leeches is common in Australia, there is little documented literature on ocular injuries as a result of contact with a leech. We report a case of ocular leech attachment and a previously undocumented method of removal with hypertonic saline solution.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2009
How would Australian hospital staff react to an avian influenza admission, or an influenza pandemic?
To estimate the expected staff absentee rates and work attitudes in an Australian tertiary hospital workforce in two hypothetical scenarios: (i) a single admission of avian influenza; and (ii) multiple admissions of human pandemic influenza. ⋯ High absenteeism among hospital staff should be anticipated if patients are admitted with either avian or pandemic influenza, particularly if specific antiviral preventative measures are not immediately available. Measures to maximize the safety of staff and their families would be important incentives to attend work. Education on realistic level of risk from avian and pandemic influenza, as well as the effectiveness of basic infection control procedures and personal protective equipment, would be useful in improving willingness to work.