Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2020
Personal Protective Equipment in the Paediatric Emergency Department during the COVID-19 pandemic. Estimating requirements based on staff numbers and patient presentations.
To estimate the personal protective equipment (PPE) required in a paediatric ED during the COVID-19 pandemic comparing the use per patient to use per patient zone, based on the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) guidelines in place at the time of the study. ⋯ This study has demonstrated the considerable requirement for PPE in a paediatric ED, which varies according to presentation type and the background prevalence of COVID-19 in the community.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2020
Early lessons from COVID-19 that may reduce future emergency department crowding.
The COVID-19 pandemic has produced significant changes in emergency medicine patient volumes, clinical practice, and has accelerated a number of systems-level developments. Many of these changes produced efficiencies in emergency care systems and contributed to a reduction in crowding and access block. In this paper, we explore these changes, analyse their risks and benefits and examine their sustainability for the future to the extent that they may combat crowding. We also examine the necessity of a system-wide approach in addressing ED crowding and access block.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2020
Interventions to support Choosing Wisely for coagulation studies in the emergency department.
To evaluate the effectiveness of two different strategies designed to facilitate implementation of Choosing Wisely Australia guidelines, aiming to reduce unnecessary coagulation study blood tests in patients presenting to a metropolitan hospital ED. ⋯ Physically removing coagulation pathology tubes from the trolleys was found to be effective at reducing unnecessary testing.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2020
Presentations of stroke and acute myocardial infarction in the first 28 days following the introduction of state of emergency restrictions for COVID-19.
To determine if Victorian State of Emergency (SOE) measures to combat COVID-19 were associated with delayed presentations or management of acute stroke and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). ⋯ In the first 28 days, SOE measures to combat COVID-19 were not associated with delays in presentation or life-saving interventions for patients with acute stroke and AMI.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2020
Observational StudyExamining emergency department inequities: Descriptive analysis of national data (2006-2012).
Internationally, Indigenous and minoritised ethnic groups experience longer wait times, differential pain management and less evaluation and treatment for acute conditions within emergency medicine care. Examining ED Inequities (EEDI) aims to investigate whether inequities between Māori and non-Māori exist within EDs in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). This article presents the descriptive findings for the present study. ⋯ Our findings show that there are different patterns of ED usage when comparing Māori and non-Māori events. The next level of analysis of the EEDI dataset will be to examine whether there are any associations between ethnicity and ED outcomes for Māori and non-Māori patients.