Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2021
Time to amiodarone administration and survival outcomes in refractory ventricular fibrillation.
International guidelines recommend amiodarone for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in refractory ventricular fibrillation (VF). While early appropriate interventions have been shown to improve OHCA survival, the association between time to amiodarone and survival remains to be established. ⋯ Earlier amiodarone administration was associated with improved survival. Strategies aimed at reducing delay to amiodarone administration have the potential to improve outcome.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2021
Changes in emergency department blood product use for major paediatric trauma following the implementation of a major haemorrhage protocol.
Fixed ratio blood product administration may improve outcomes in trauma patients with massive blood loss. The present study aimed to describe the impact of a major haemorrhage protocol (MHP) on the ratio of blood products administered for paediatric major trauma. ⋯ The implementation of a MHP did not change the ratio of blood product administration in this cohort of patients because of the infrequency of massive blood loss. Future studies may focus on the impact of treating coagulopathy and hypofibrinogenaemia on patient-centred outcomes.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2021
Characteristics of emergency patients admitted to hospital with asthma: A population-based cohort study in Queensland, Australia.
Patient characteristics with exacerbation of asthma accessing care in the ED who are at risk of hospital admission have not been determined in subtropical climates. The objective of the study was to investigate the spatiotemporal burden of asthma hospital admissions across Queensland (QLD) and model risk factors for asthma hospital admission following an ED visit. ⋯ Asthma hospital admissions appear to be increasing in QLD, largely driven by utilisation of the SSU admissions for asthma. With large variation in both incidence and proportion admitted across different regions, routinely collected data can in part be used to understand risk factors for asthma-related hospital admission following an ED presentation and further inform public health policy development.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2021
Observational StudyBenign paroxysmal positional vertigo in the emergency department: An observational study of an Australian regional hospital's acute clinical practice.
To analyse adherence to evidence based practice in the diagnosis and treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in a regional ED. ⋯ Adherence to best practice diagnosis and management of BPPV was low in Wyong Hospital's ED. Although low, Wyong Hospital's ED appeared to perform better in compliance to the clinical guidelines to its metropolitan Australian peer. There is opportunity to improve the efficiency and effectiveness in the management of acute peripheral dizziness in EDs.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2021
Is COVID-19 the straw that broke the back of the emergency nursing workforce?
To explore the intentions of Australian emergency nurses to remain in or leave emergency nursing after the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. ⋯ The data suggest that approximately 1 year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, a high proportion of ED nurses intend to leave ED nursing within 5 years, which will exacerbate pre-existing shortages. Active strategies to address this are urgently needed.