Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
-
Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2012
Demand for public hospital emergency department services in Australia: 2000-2001 to 2009-2010.
Hospital EDs are a significant and high-profile component of Australia's health-care system, which in recent years have experienced considerable crowding. This crowding is caused by the combination of increasing demand, throughput and output factors. The aim of the present article is to clarify trends in the use of public ED services across Australia with a view to providing an evidence basis for future policy analysis and discussion. ⋯ This growth in demand exceeds general population growth, and the variability between states both in utilization rates and overall trends defies immediate explanation. The growth in demand for ED services is a partial contributor to the crowding being experienced in EDs across Australia. There is a need for more detailed study, including qualitative analysis of patient motivations in order to identify the factors driving this growth in demand.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2012
Exposure of Iranian emergency medical technicians to workplace violence: a cross-sectional analysis.
Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in Iran experience concerning levels of workplace violence, although until now there has been no investigation of this phenomenon. The objectives of the present study were to describe the exposure of Iranian EMTs to workplace violence and to identify the importance of related factors from their viewpoint. ⋯ Iranian EMTs experience a considerable amount of workplace violence. The present study highlights the recommendation for formal training programmes and clearer protocols about how to manage workplace violence, especially verbal abuse in the Iranian prehospital setting.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2012
Comparison of radiation exposure of trauma patients from diagnostic radiology procedures before and after the introduction of a panscan protocol.
To compare the proportion of patients exposed to a radiation dose in excess of 20 mSv, and to document missed injuries before and after the introduction of a panscan protocol for blunt trauma. ⋯ Introduction of a panscan protocol increased the proportion of trauma patients receiving a radiation dose >20 mSv. This increased risk occurred regardless of age or injury severity.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2012
Hydrofluoric acid poisoning: data from the Victorian Poisons Information Centre.
To determine the epidemiology of hydrofluoric acid (HF) exposures, over an extended time period, in Victoria, Australia. ⋯ Calls to the VPIC regarding HF are relatively rare, but almost all calls regarding HF taken by the VPIC required hospital evaluation. The majority of exposures were accidental occupational dermal exposures in male adults and most of these were minor, requiring topical calcium gel only. Small exposures with higher concentrated HF can be fatal; however, there were no cases of severe toxicity in the present study.