Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2011
Multicenter StudyRisk factors for sedation-related events during procedural sedation in the emergency department.
To determine the nature, incidence and risk factors for sedation-related events during ED procedural sedation, with particular focus on the drugs administered. ⋯ Sedation-related events, especially airway events, are common but very rarely have an adverse outcome. Elderly patients, deeply sedated with short-acting agents, are at particular risk. The results will help tailor sedation to individual patients.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2011
Hazardous alcohol use interventions with emergency patients: Self-reported practices of nurses, and predictors of behaviour.
The present study examined Australian ED nurses' practices in asking patients about alcohol and assisting them to manage their alcohol consumption. It also investigated strategies to support ED nurses in these interventions. ⋯ Nurses appear positively disposed to engage with patients in regard to alcohol. However, greater support is needed to achieve the considerable significant public health benefits from this engagement. The findings point to several practical strategies that could be pursued to provide this support.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2011
Multicenter StudyFactors associated with failure to successfully complete a procedure during emergency department sedation.
To determine factors associated with failure to successfully complete a procedure during sedation in the ED. ⋯ Procedures performed under sedation in the ED have a low failure rate. However, increased body weight and specific procedures, such as hip reduction, are associated with significantly higher failure rates. Special consideration should be given to these patient groups before undertaking sedation in the ED.
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Luxatio erecta is the rarest form of shoulder dislocation, accounting for 0.5% of all glenohumeral dislocations. Bilateral cases are rarer still with only 12 accounts described in medical literature. We describe an unusual case and its management.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2011
Quantitative rt-PCR holds promise as a screening tool for patients with severe sepsis.
The aim of the present study was to determine if the quantification of bacterial 16S rDNA could be clinically useful in predicting patients at increased risk of developing septic shock. ⋯ The quantitative assay for 16S rDNA might be a useful screening tool to detect severe sepsis in those whom it might not be clinically suspected. However, prospective studies are required to further assess the clinical usefulness of this assay.