Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2011
Comparative StudyComparison of visual analogue and Likert scales in evaluation of an emergency department bedside teaching programme.
The present study compares visual analogue scale (VAS) to Likert-type scale (LTS) instruments in evaluating perceptions of an ED bedside clinical teaching programme. A prospective study was conducted in the ED of an urban, adult tertiary hospital. Prospective pairing occurred of a teaching consultant and registrar who were relatively quarantined from normal clinical duties. ⋯ An ED bedside teaching programme is perceived to be a beneficial educational intervention. The VAS is a reliable and valid alternative to the LTS for educational evaluation and might provide advantages in educational measurement. Further research into the significance of extreme values and educationally important changes in scores is required.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2011
Case ReportsErythema multiforme major due to occupational exposure to the herbicides alachlor and butachlor.
Alachlor and butachlor are commonly used chloroacetanilide herbicides. They are cytotoxic, but there have been rare reported cases of alachlor or butachlor induced erythema multiforme major. We report the case of a 38-year-old farmer with erythema multiforme major due to the occupational exposure to alachlor/butachlor. ⋯ These results confirmed the diagnosis of erythema multiforme major. The patient was admitted and received systemic and topical steroids. After 18 days, most lesions had healed, and he was discharged.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2011
Comparative StudySick leave in the emergency department: staff attitudes and the impact of job designation and psychosocial work conditions.
To examine patterns of, and attitudes to, sick leave taken by ED and other hospital staff and to compare ED doctor and nurse psychosocial work conditions. ⋯ Emergency department staff generally report healthy psychosocial work conditions. However, the high rate of ED nurse sick leave might be related to their considerable psychological job demand and perceived lack of supervisor support.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2011
Comparative StudyNo effect of time of day at presentation to the emergency department on the outcome of patients who are admitted to the intensive care unit.
To determine if an association exists between the time of day when a patient presents to ED and their outcome for those admitted directly to the ICU. ⋯ The time of day patients arrive at the ED has no association with length of stay in ED, intensive care or hospital, time on the ventilator, or mortality for those who are admitted to the ICU.