Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2017
Patterns of paediatric emergency presentations to a tertiary referral centre in the Northern Territory.
To describe epidemiological data concerning paediatric attendances at the ED of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH). ⋯ This study provides important information regarding paediatric presentations to a major referral hospital in the Northern Territory. Overall, there was a disproportionate rate of presentation and admission among Indigenous children. Other key findings were higher proportions of cellulitis, head injury and adolescent presentations. These findings can assist in service planning and in directing future research specific to children in the Northern Territory.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2017
Do antiemetic drugs benefit adult emergency department patients with nausea? The literature says no, but is it right?
Nausea is a common problem in ED patients. Antiemetic drugs have been used in the ED for decades, but a recent Cochrane review found no convincing evidence for the benefit of antiemetic drugs over placebo. This was largely based on three placebo-controlled trials, which found mean Visual Analog Scale (VAS) changes for various drugs and placebo, to be similar. ⋯ Use of a VAS cut-off level indicative of clinically significant symptom improvement would allow comparison of numbers of patients with improved nausea ratings. This is proposed as the best option currently available. Preliminary testing of this outcome measure suggests that the conclusions of past studies may be misleading, and that the question of antiemetic efficacy for ED patients is not yet answered.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2017
ReviewReview article: Sepsis in the emergency department - Part 1: Definitions and outcomes.
Sepsis has recently been redefined as acute organ dysfunction due to infection. The ED plays a critical role in identifying patients with sepsis. ⋯ While overall mortality rates from sepsis appear to be falling, there is an increasing burden of morbidity among survivors. This largely reflects the growing proportion of older patients with comorbid illnesses among those treated for sepsis.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2017
Health promotion in Fiji: Is it feasible in the emergency department?
Complications of diabetes, hypertension and asthma are commonly seen in EDs in Fiji. Time spent in the ED offers an opportunity for health promotion activities. The aim of the intervention was to provide information on diabetes, hypertension and asthma to patients in the ED. The aim of the project was to determine whether such an intervention could be implemented using public health students. The aim of this paper is to document the experiences of those who delivered and supervised the intervention. ⋯ Health literacy among patients in Fiji is low and measures to address this must be taken. Intensive training and supervision is required for public health students to be able to deliver such activities in the ED setting.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2017
Letter Review Case ReportsTraumatic dislocation of the first rib: A case report and review of the literature.