Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2019
Characteristics of accidental injuries from power tools treated at two emergency departments in Queensland.
Injuries are a major burden on the Australian healthcare system. Power tool usage is a common cause of accidental injury. A better understanding of the trends of power tool injuries will inform prevention strategies and potentially mitigate costs. ⋯ Accidental injuries from power tool use have a considerable impact on ED resources and can affect the long-term quality of life of those injured. Effective education about safe usage and protection may prevent many injuries.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2019
Observational StudyImpact of acutely behavioural disturbed patients in the emergency department: A prospective observational study.
The present study describes patients with acute behavioural disturbance presenting to the ED, the impact they have on the department and any complications that occur. ⋯ Patients with acute behavioural disturbance often have a history of mental illnesses and are commonly intoxicated. These patients have impacts on healthcare resources and pose risks to staff safety, but significant complications to patients do not occur frequently.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2019
The Sydney Triage to Admission Risk Tool (START2) using machine learning techniques to support disposition decision-making.
To further develop and refine an Emergency Department (ED) in-patient admission prediction model using machine learning techniques. ⋯ Machine learning methods demonstrate similar performance to logistic regression for ED disposition prediction models using basic triage information. This should be investigated further, especially for larger data sets with more complex clinical information.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2019
Effective triage in the Pacific region: The development and implementation of the Solomon Islands Triage Scale.
The ED at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara, Solomon Islands, receives approximately 50 000 patients per year. A 2014 review of ED functioning identified deficiencies in triage processes. Placement of Australian volunteer advisors provided an opportunity to develop and implement a purpose-designed triage system. ⋯ Solomon Islands Triage Scale is the first three-tier triage scale to be implemented in the Pacific region and appears to have adequate validity and reliability. The partnership between Australian volunteers and local clinicians is a positive example of capacity development and represents a model that could be implemented in other resource-limited settings.