Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2023
Early prediction of hospital admission of emergency department patients.
The early prediction of hospital admission is important to ED patient management. Using available electronic data, we aimed to develop a predictive model for hospital admission. ⋯ We combined available electronic data and ML technology to achieve excellent predictive performance for subsequent hospital admission. Such prediction may assist with patient flow.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2023
Spread of stinging ants to oceanic islands, and the need to raise awareness of prevention and treatment of ant stings.
Venomous invasive ants are rapidly dispersing throughout oceanic islands. Medics unfamiliar with envenomation or venom-induced anaphylaxis may be unprepared for the range of possible reactions and corresponding treatments. We detail the suboptimal treatment of a patient suffering anaphylaxis from an ant sting on a remote island and describe what treatment should have been provided. ⋯ A rise in invasive hymenopteran stings on oceanic islands is inevitable, and proactively improving public awareness and medical training could save lives.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2023
Observational StudyWrist, hand and finger injuries in Australian football: A prospective observational study of emergency department presentations.
Investigate the characteristics of wrist, hand and finger (WHF) injuries in Australian footballers presenting to EDs and determine if injury profiles differed between females and males, and between children and adults. ⋯ Differences in injury type, location and mechanism between females and males, and children and adults, suggest an opportunity for customised injury prevention and management strategies by sex and age.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2023
Planning for the next pandemic: Reflections on lessons from the uncontained transmission phases of the COVID-19 pandemic and their impacts on emergency departments in Australia.
Australia was a world leader in managing the earlier waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, three major turning points changed the trajectory of the pandemic: mass vaccinations, emergence of more transmissible variants and re-opening of Australia's borders. However, there were also concomitant missteps and premature shifts in pandemic response policy that led to mixed messaging, slow initial vaccination uptake and minimal mitigation measures in response to the Omicron variant. ⋯ This led to an exponential increase in cases and significant impacts on the health system, particularly, EDs. This paper reflects on this phase of the pandemic to urge for system-level changes that instal better safeguards for ED capacity, safety and staff well-being for future pandemics. This is essential to strengthening our health system's resilience and to better protecting our communities against such emergencies.