Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2016
Observational StudyThe VHOT (Vindaloo Hastens Outpouring of Troponins) Study.
Multiple cardiac and non-cardiac processes may cause an elevated highly sensitive troponin (hsTn). We postulated that the consumption of a seriously hot vindaloo could cause an increase in hsTn levels in seemingly healthy volunteers. ⋯ Eating a seriously hot vindaloo does not appear to be a risk factor for troponitis, and people may consume vindaloo safely with the knowledge that this is unlikely to result in significant damage to their myocardium. However, clinicians should be aware of the biological variability of hsTn and exercise caution when interpreting apparent changes within the normal range.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2016
Description of the ambulance services participating in the Aus-ROC Australian and New Zealand out-of-hospital cardiac arrest Epistry.
The present study aimed to describe and examine similarities and differences in the current service provision and resuscitation protocols of the ambulance services participating in the Aus-ROC Australian and New Zealand out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) Epistry. Understanding these similarities and differences is important in identifying ambulance service factors that might explain regional variation in survival of OHCA in the Aus-ROC Epistry. ⋯ There is marked variation between ambulance services currently participating in the Aus-ROC Australian and New Zealand OHCA Epistry with respect to workforce characteristics and key variable definitions. This variation between ambulance services might account for a proportion of the regional variation in survival of OHCA.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2016
Observational StudyFinger counting method is more accurate than age-based weight estimation formulae in estimating the weight of Hong Kong children presenting to the emergency department.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the finger counting method and compare its performance with four commonly used age-based weight estimation formulae in children aged 1-9 years presenting to the ED in Hong Kong. ⋯ The finger counting method outperforms the commonly used age-based weight estimation formulae in children aged 1-9 years presenting to the ED in Hong Kong.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2016
Improving clean-catch contamination rates: A prospective interventional cohort study.
The clean-catch method of urine collection carries a high contamination rate. This study aims to evaluate the effects on contamination rate of providing a parent handout and pre-made urine collection pack for clean-catch urine collection. ⋯ The contamination rate of clean-catch urine did not improve with the implementation of a pre-made urine collection pack including standardised written instructions.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2016
Which patients should be transported to the emergency department? A perpetual prehospital dilemma.
To examine the ability of paramedics to identify patients who could be managed in the community and to identify predictors that could be used to accurately identify patients who should be transported to EDs. ⋯ Lower acuity patients who could be treated in the community were not accurately identified by paramedics. This process requires further evaluation.