Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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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
Observational StudyFireworks injuries in children: A prospective study during the festival of lights.
We studied the epidemiology of paediatric firework-related injury in the urban population of Delhi during the festival of lights (Diwali). ⋯ We recommend parental supervision especially for males, wearing non-synthetic and non-flowing clothes, promoting branded crackers and educational campaigns in schools to curtail the rising trend in firework-related injuries in the paediatric population.
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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
Improvement in emergency department length of stay using an early senior medical assessment and streaming model of care: A cohort study.
Australian EDs are required to conform to the National Emergency Access Target (NEAT): patients must be discharged within 4 h of arrival. The aim of the present study was to determine if a model of care called Senior Assessment and Streaming (SAS) would increase the proportion of patients achieving NEAT. ⋯ Through the introduction of SAS, the present study has demonstrated that providing early senior medical assessment can improve an ED's ability to meet NEAT.