Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2020
Randomized Controlled TrialEffect of personalised, mobile-accessible discharge instructions for patients leaving the emergency department: A randomised controlled trial.
This pilot study assessed the efficacy of personalised, printed and mobile-accessible discharge instructions for pain relief for patients discharged from the ED. ⋯ Patients who received personalised printed and mobile-accessible ED discharge instructions for pain relief reported higher levels of satisfaction with their instructions, had better recall of their pain relief medications advice and received more information on medication side-effects.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2020
Randomized Controlled TrialBedside ultrasound in the emergency department for reduction and radial manipulation of distal radial fractures.
Distal radial fracture reduction is a common procedure in the ED. Previous studies have suggested that ultrasound (US)-guided reduction improves outcomes for patients who undergo manipulation and reduction of distal radial fractures in the ED. We aimed to investigate this with the first randomised controlled trial looking at US-guided distal radial fracture reduction. Our primary objective was to compare rates of operative intervention between the study groups. Rate of re-manipulation was compared as a secondary outcome. ⋯ US-guided reduction of dorsally displaced, distal radius fractures in the ED setting, did not improve measured clinical outcomes.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2020
The impact of patient isolation on emergency department length of stay: a retrospective cohort study using the Registry for Emergency Care (REC-1).
The number of patients with suspected COVID-19 presenting to Australian EDs continues to impose a burden on healthcare services. Isolation is an important aspect of infection prevention and control, but has been associated with undesirable consequences among hospital inpatients. The aim of the present study was to determine if isolation is associated with an increased length of stay (LOS) in the ED. ⋯ Consistent with the anecdotal experience of Australian ED clinicians, the present study demonstrated an increased ED LOS for patients managed in isolation. Enhanced infection prevention and control precautions will be required during and beyond the current pandemic, creating significant ongoing challenges for emergency care systems.
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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.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2020
Observational StudyImpact of COVID-19 State of Emergency restrictions on presentations to two Victorian emergency departments.
To determine if COVID-19 State of Emergency (SOE) restrictions were associated with a reduction in presentations to two urban EDs in Melbourne, Victoria. ⋯ SOE restrictions were associated with a significant reduction in ED presentations across a range of triage categories and diagnoses. Public health messaging should emphasise the importance of timely ED attendance for acute illness and injury.