Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Vitamin B17 tablets are sold (online) as an alternative cancer therapy medication. Its use however is not benign, given that it is metabolised into hydrogen cyanide. We aimed to measure the number of calls received by the New South Wales Poisons Information Centre (NSW PIC) regarding Amygdalin exposures. ⋯ There is a significant burden of concern generated from the misuse of cyanogenic glycoside products for cancer prevention and treatment, which can result in hospital admission carrying significant health risk and expenditure.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2024
Vital sign measurements demonstrate terminal digit bias and boundary effects.
The measurement and recording of vital signs may be impacted by biases, including preferences for even and round numbers. However, other biases, such as variation due to defined numerical boundaries (also known as boundary effects), may be present in vital signs data and have not yet been investigated in a medical setting. We aimed to assess vital signs data for such biases. These parameters are clinically significant as they influence care escalation. ⋯ Although often considered objective, vital signs data are affected by bias. These biases may impact the care patients receive. Additionally, it may have implications for creating and training machine learning models that utilise vital signs data.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2024
First French and Indonesian university medical cooperation for promoting emergency medicine.
Indonesia and French Guiana share many geographic and medical concerns regarding access to care. The organisational needs in emergency management, particularly in the prehospital phase, are similar. Whereas emergency medicine (EM) is an academic and entire speciality in France, it is still under construction in Indonesia. ⋯ The first student class was launched in August 2022 and involved 50 Indonesian doctors who graduated in August 2023. The implementation and success of this Franco-Indonesian cooperation were supported by political and academic partners from the two sides. Given the first student class's success, we aim to continue this programme, in line with Indonesia and World Health Organization's plan to establish a multi-country training hub for health emergency operational readiness and Emergency Medical Teams.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2024
Supporting equitable care of patients transferred from police watch-houses to the emergency department: A qualitative study of the perspectives of emergency doctors.
People detained in short-term police custody often have complex health conditions that may necessitate emergency care, yet little is known about their management in EDs. The present study aimed to understand ED doctors' experiences and perceptions regarding the appropriateness and management of detainee transfers from police watch-houses to the EDs. ⋯ Providing equitable healthcare to patients transported from watch-houses to the EDs is challenging but essential. Numerous opportunities exist to enhance the delivery of optimal care for this underserved population.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2024
Emergency department staff opinion on newly introduced phlebotomy services in the department. A cross-sectional study incorporating thematic analysis.
The demand for ED services, both in terms of patient numbers and complexity has risen over the past decades. According to reports, there has been an increase in the ED patient presentation rate from 330 per 1000 to 334 per 1000 between 2018-2019 and 2022-2023. Consequently, new care models have been introduced to address this surge in demand, mitigate associated risks and improve overall safety. Among these models is the concept of 'front loading' clinical care, involving the initiation of interventions at the point of arrival. The present study evaluates the impact of introducing phlebotomists at triage. ⋯ Staff expressed satisfaction that patient care now begins in the waiting room, especially after extended waiting periods prior to cubicle allocation. They assert that this improvement significantly enhances timely treatment and disposition decisions, as well as overall patient satisfaction.