Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2020
Personal Protective Equipment in the Paediatric Emergency Department during the COVID-19 pandemic. Estimating requirements based on staff numbers and patient presentations.
To estimate the personal protective equipment (PPE) required in a paediatric ED during the COVID-19 pandemic comparing the use per patient to use per patient zone, based on the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) guidelines in place at the time of the study. ⋯ This study has demonstrated the considerable requirement for PPE in a paediatric ED, which varies according to presentation type and the background prevalence of COVID-19 in the community.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2020
Randomized Controlled TrialEffect of personalised, mobile-accessible discharge instructions for patients leaving the emergency department: A randomised controlled trial.
This pilot study assessed the efficacy of personalised, printed and mobile-accessible discharge instructions for pain relief for patients discharged from the ED. ⋯ Patients who received personalised printed and mobile-accessible ED discharge instructions for pain relief reported higher levels of satisfaction with their instructions, had better recall of their pain relief medications advice and received more information on medication side-effects.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2020
Randomized Controlled TrialBedside ultrasound in the emergency department for reduction and radial manipulation of distal radial fractures.
Distal radial fracture reduction is a common procedure in the ED. Previous studies have suggested that ultrasound (US)-guided reduction improves outcomes for patients who undergo manipulation and reduction of distal radial fractures in the ED. We aimed to investigate this with the first randomised controlled trial looking at US-guided distal radial fracture reduction. Our primary objective was to compare rates of operative intervention between the study groups. Rate of re-manipulation was compared as a secondary outcome. ⋯ US-guided reduction of dorsally displaced, distal radius fractures in the ED setting, did not improve measured clinical outcomes.
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Homeless individuals face many barriers to accessing healthcare, and EDs are often their primary entry point to the healthcare system. The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to exacerbate existing social inequities and health disparities, including barriers to accessing social services and healthcare. Addressing the complex social and chronic health issues associated with homelessness can be challenging within the acute care environment. This perspective reflects upon the delivery of emergency healthcare to patients experiencing homelessness, and highlights strategies for optimising health outcomes during and beyond the pandemic.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2020
Observational StudyExamining emergency department inequities: Descriptive analysis of national data (2006-2012).
Internationally, Indigenous and minoritised ethnic groups experience longer wait times, differential pain management and less evaluation and treatment for acute conditions within emergency medicine care. Examining ED Inequities (EEDI) aims to investigate whether inequities between Māori and non-Māori exist within EDs in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). This article presents the descriptive findings for the present study. ⋯ Our findings show that there are different patterns of ED usage when comparing Māori and non-Māori events. The next level of analysis of the EEDI dataset will be to examine whether there are any associations between ethnicity and ED outcomes for Māori and non-Māori patients.