Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2011
Case ReportsSubclavian artery laceration: A serious complication of needle decompression.
A 31-year-old woman presented with spontaneous tension pneumothorax. This was initially treated with needle decompression, which led to massive haemothorax. Treatment and methods to reduce the likelihood of this complication are discussed.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2011
ReviewReview article: People who present on multiple occasions to emergency departments.
Research about people who present on multiple occasions to the ED began in the 1980s. Despite this, little is known of their journey as patients. Understanding ED use as a journey can help clinicians improve how they meet the needs of this patient group. ⋯ This patient group often have high and complex health needs, engage extensively with other health services and have poor long-term health outcomes. The issue of multiple presentations to the ED is complex and ongoing because of the morbidity of the people concerned, the preference of patients to attend, the purpose of the ED and preparation and role of the personnel and the difficulties with continuity of care. The provision of care for people who present on multiple occasions can be improved within the ED and health services generally through a better understanding of presentations.
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The aim of the present study was to investigate the feasibility of using a store-and-forward Skin Emergency Telemedicine Service (SETS) to provide rapid specialist diagnostic and management advice for dermatological cases in an ED. ⋯ The present study has shown that SETS can provide rapid and accurate diagnostic and treatment advice from a specialist for dermatological presentations to the ED.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2011
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Influenza in Australia: Absenteeism and redeployment of emergency medicine and nursing staff.
The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of Pandemic (H(1)N(1)) 2009 Influenza on the Australian emergency nursing and medicine workforce, specifically absenteeism and deployment. ⋯ Future research related to absenteeism, redeployment during actual pandemic events is urgently needed. Workforce data collection should be an integral part of organizational pandemic planning.