Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
-
Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2017
Letter Case ReportsSimple and effective paediatric retrieval treatment.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2017
Pre-hospital and retrieval medicine: Clinical governance and workforce models.
Pre-hospital and retrieval medicine (PHARM) has developed significantly in the past decade. This perspective article proposes that PHARM should develop with a clear focus on contemporary health governance principles, and that its workforce and models of care adopt modern interdisciplinary approaches. Many of the older systems of managing clinical standards, and outdated cultural approaches to professional 'turf', workforce and scope of practice have little place in high-performance organisations. This paper calls us to attention with a recommendation that best and safest systems of care, structured to optimise patient outcomes and system performance should be our goal.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2017
Impact of emergency department discharge stream short stay unit performance and hospital bed occupancy rates on access and patient flowmeasures: A single site study.
The ED discharge stream short stay units (EDSSUs) aim to facilitate patient flows through EDs. We investigate the relationship between EDSSU census and hospital bed occupancy rates (BORs) on National Emergency Access Target (NEAT) performance and did-not-wait (DNW) rates at a tertiary metropolitan adult ED in Sydney, Australia. ⋯ Appropriate use of EDSSU provides effective conduit for ongoing patients' management beyond mandated timelines. Health systems should focus on reducing hospital BORs to mitigate exclusive ED pressure to deliver NEAT performance targets.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2017
Observational StudyUsefulness of laboratory and radiological investigations in the management of supraventricular tachycardia.
Although ED patients presenting with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) are commonly investigated, the value of these investigations has been questioned. We aimed to determine the frequency and utility of investigations in patients with SVT. ⋯ Patients with uncomplicated SVT are over-investigated. Guidelines for ED SVT investigation are recommended. Further research is recommended to determine the indications for each investigation in the setting of SVT.