Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2009
Emergency Department access block occupancy predicts delay to surgery in patients with fractured neck of femur.
The present study aimed to identify any relationship between existing access block occupancy (ABO) at the time of patient presentation and delay to definitive procedure. ⋯ The number of access block patients at the time of arrival directly predicts delay to operation in this setting. This suggests that access block occupancy is a marker of hospital dysfunction.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2009
Emergency Department management of Colles-type fractures: a prospective cohort study.
To assess radiographic outcomes from ED reduction of Colles-type fractures. ⋯ The study highlights the importance of the initial 'on arrival' and 'post-reduction' X-rays in the ED. Displaced fractures are more likely to go onto poor outcome, as are inadequately reduced fractures. Medical officers working in ED should be aware of the importance of measuring the dorsal angle. They should be referring patients with >15 degrees dorsal angulation to orthopaedics early. Reduction should not be accepted until the dorsal angle has been adequately corrected.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2009
Validation of a point of care troponin assay in real life Emergency Department conditions.
To validate the accuracy of a Point of care (POC) troponin device (Abbott i-Stat) in real life ED conditions. ⋯ The i-Stat POC device produces similar results in the hands of experienced and occasional operators in ED. There is good agreement between the POC and laboratory at levels used to diagnose infarction by older, more specific criteria. When compared using new lower cut-offs, the i-Stat had poor sensitivity.