Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
-
The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of exercise-associated hyponatraemia in hikers/trekkers along the Kokoda Trail. ⋯ Exercise-associated hyponatraemia occurs in trekkers on the Kokoda Trail. Strategies for prevention of exercise-associated hyponatraemia should be delivered to trekkers via the trekking companies, chiefly focussing on only drinking in response to thirst.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2011
Mental health-related learning needs of clinicians working in Australian emergency departments: a national survey of self-reported confidence and knowledge.
To identify the mental health-related learning needs of doctors and nurses working in Australian EDs. ⋯ Doctors and nurses reported deficits in confidence and knowledge in tasks and patient presentations that they might frequently be expected to manage. These data can be used to inform future curricula at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Ultimately, this might pave the way for improved care and management of patients with mental health problems presenting to the ED.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2011
Case ReportsSudden near-fatal tracheal aspiration of an undiagnosed nasal foreign body in a small child.
Foreign body aspiration is a commonly encountered emergency in children. Foreign body can lodge in any site from supra-glottis to the terminal bronchioles. Symptoms might range from none to respiratory compromise, cardiac arrest and even death depending on location and size. We report successful management of a child who aspirated a nasal foreign body during physical examination in an outpatient department causing complete airway obstruction with special mention about different management options available for managing near total respiratory arrest from an aspirated foreign body in the ED.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2011
Case ReportsSevere hypothermia in myxoedema coma: a rewarming by extracorporeal circulation.
Myxoedema coma is the most lethal manifestation of hypothyroidism. It represents a true medical emergency, especially in the case of cardiovascular instability. ⋯ We report the case of an 84-year-old woman who presented to the ED with accidental hypothermia associated with myxoedema that was successfully managed by veno-arterial extracorporeal blood rewarming. This case suggests that veno-arterial extracorporeal rewarming appears to achieve a rapid and consistent rewarming rate and is less invasive and more readily available than cardiopulmonary bypass.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2011
Optimal management of mental health patients in Australian emergency departments: barriers and solutions.
The study aimed to describe: (i) the perceived barriers faced by emergency clinicians in the assessment and management of patients presenting with a mental health complaint to Australian hospital EDs; and (ii) perceived strategies to optimize care of the mentally unwell in the ED. ⋯ Although the provision of timely and quality care is expected for all patients attending EDs, there exist multiple barriers to provision of adequate care for ED patients presenting with mental illness. Many of these are systems-based and thus require systems-based solutions. ED clinician's perceive that improved educational opportunities in mental health, however, might alleviate some barriers they face. Consideration should be given to a comprehensive, quantitative mental health-related learning needs analysis of ED clinicians.