Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2022
The Emerging Drugs Network of Australia: A toxicosurveillance system of illicit and emerging drugs in the emergency department.
The unprecedented rise in synthetic drugs, many containing unknown toxic agents, has made timely analytical diagnosis more difficult, and has reduced the confidence of clinicians providing ED management to this population of patients. This has also impacted the quality of evidence informing harm reduction responses. The Emerging Drugs Network of Australia (EDNA) brings together emergency physicians, toxicologists and forensic laboratories to establish a standardised ED toxicosurveillance system in Australia. ⋯ Our work represents a collaborative response to calls for more sophisticated data on emerging drug trends in Australia. EDNA will improve coordination between clinicians and analytical services by way of its standardised approach to surveillance and reporting.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2022
Observational StudyValidity and reliability of the Interagency Integrated Triage Tool in a regional emergency department in Papua New Guinea.
The Interagency Integrated Triage Tool (IITT) is a novel, three-tier triage system recommended by the World Health Organization. The present study sought to assess the validity and reliability of a pilot version of the tool in a resource-limited ED in regional Papua New Guinea. ⋯ There is limited published data regarding the predictive validity and inter-rater reliability of the IITT. In this pragmatic study, the pilot version of the tool demonstrated adequate performance. Evaluation in other emergency care settings is recommended.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2022
Characteristics of patients with COVID-19 hospitalised in South Australia during the first wave of the pandemic.
To describe the first wave of hospitalisations of patients testing positive for COVID-19 in South Australia. ⋯ The study sheds light on the characteristics of patients with COVID-19 hospitalised in South Australia.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2022
The HEART score to identify emergency department patients suspected of an acute coronary syndrome who can be removed from cardiac monitoring: A retrospective chart review.
Continuous cardiac monitoring has been recommended for ED patients being evaluated for possible acute coronary syndrome (ACS) due to concern for arrhythmia, although evidence suggests this risk is low. Indiscriminate use of monitored beds restricts access for other critically unwell patients and contributes to overcrowding. The objective of the present study was to determine if a low/intermediate-risk HEART score identified patients at very low risk for a clinically important arrhythmia who could be removed from cardiac monitoring. ⋯ Among ED patients presenting with a possible ACS, a low/intermediate-risk HEART score identified those at very low risk for having a clinically important arrhythmia while in ED.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2022
Pre-hospital intraosseous use in children: Indications and success rate.
Intraosseous (IO) needle insertion is an effective method to obtain circulatory access in unwell children. ⋯ While IO placement is uncommonly performed pre-hospital, in critical situations there is a high success rate.