Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2021
Observational StudyAssociation between shift work and cognitive performance on the Trail Making Test in emergency department health officers.
Shift work has been proposed to disturb alertness and decrease cognitive efficiency. However, studies so far have had varied findings. The aim of the present study was to compare cognitive function following shifts at different times of the day in an Australian ED context. ⋯ Night shift work was associated with a longer TMT time. This may indicate a decrease in cognitive performance, in particular, visual attention, processing speed, task switching and executive function and may implicate the quality of care for patients and worker safety.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2021
Adequacy of cool running water first aid by healthcare professionals in the treatment of paediatric burns: A cross-sectional study of 4537 children.
To determine the adequacy of cool running water first aid provided by healthcare professionals in the early management of children with thermal burn injuries. ⋯ Deficiencies remain in the cooling of paediatric burns patients at all levels of initial management. There is a need in the healthcare community for improved education regarding the parameters and clinical benefits of cool running water first aid.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2021
Observational StudyEffect of age and comorbidity on the ability of quick-Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score to predict outcome in emergency department patients with suspected infection.
To determine if a combination of the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and quick-Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score is superior to qSOFA alone for predicting the outcome of ED patients with suspected infection. ⋯ This generates the hypothesis that age and comorbid disease status augment the qSOFA score for predicting adverse outcome among patients with suspected infection in the ED. The results may reflect the predominance of these factors in determining suitability for admission to ICU. Reported limitations of qSOFA to detect the risk of adverse outcome may reflect the influence of unmeasured patient factors.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2021
Spatiotemporal characteristics of asthma emergency department presentations in diverse geographical and climatic regions, Queensland, Australia.
Sudden acute episodes of asthma exacerbation are often treated by hospital EDs. It is hypothesised that determinants of acute asthma would differ across geographic regions. The objective of the present study was to detail seasonality, trends and spatiotemporal patterns of asthma ED presentations across Queensland (QLD), Australia, a state covering 1.8 million square kilometres, spanning multiple climates. ⋯ Asthma-related ED presentations exhibit spatiotemporal variation across QLD, which appears to be related to climate. Furthermore, aeroallergens and respiratory viruses may be responsible for asthma ED peaks outside the winter period. Socioeconomic status may influence asthma ED presentation rates between regions. This knowledge can guide ongoing management and assist public health policy response.