Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2013
Effect of interprofessional student-led beds on emergency department performance indicators.
The study aims to compare ED performance indicators between patients managed by students in an inter-professional learning (IPL) programme and comparable patients receiving usual ED care. ⋯ There was little difference in performance indicators between patients managed by student teams as part of an IPL programme and a similar group receiving usual ED care.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2013
Letter Case ReportsDiagnosis of triceps tendon rupture with bedside ultrasonography.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2013
Level of agreement between prehospital and emergency department vital signs in trauma patients.
Describe the level of agreement between prehospital (emergency medical service [EMS]) and ED vital signs in a group of trauma patients transported to an inner city Major Trauma Centre. We also sought to determine factors associated with differences in recorded vital sign measurements. ⋯ Agreement was demonstrated between EMS and ED GCS scores but not RR and SBP recordings. Discrepancies appeared to reflect physiological changes in response to EMS initiated interventions. Trauma triage algorithms and risk models might need to take these measurement differences, and factors associated with them, into account.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2013
Comparative StudyTaking blood cultures from a newly established intravenous catheter in the emergency department does not increase the rate of contaminated blood cultures.
It has been suggested that blood cultures drawn from vascular catheters have a higher false positive rate than those drawn by venepuncture. In the face of institutionally imposed practice change prohibiting obtaining blood cultures from intravenous (i.v.) catheters in the ED, our aim of was to compare the rate of contaminated blood cultures between those taken from recently placed i.v. catheters and those taken by direct venepuncture. ⋯ We found no difference in contaminated blood culture rate between recently placed i.v. catheters and direct venepuncture when infection control procedures were followed.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2013
Accuracy of computed tomography of the kidneys, ureters and bladder interpretation by emergency physicians.
The study aims to determine the interpretation accuracy of computed tomography of the kidneys, ureters and bladder (CT-KUB) by emergency physicians (EPs) compared with the formal radiology report, as the reference standard, in patients with suspected acute urinary tract calculous disease. ⋯ EPs can accurately detect clinically significant acute calculous disease and signs of obstruction on CT-KUB, allowing for ongoing acute management and early disposition of the patient. However, their findings should be verified against the formal radiology report when available.