Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Multiply injured patients represent a particularly demanding subgroup of trauma patients as they require urgent simultaneous clinical assessments using physical examination, ultrasound and invasive monitoring together with critical management, including tracheal intubation, thoracostomies and central venous access. Concurrent access to multiple body regions is essential to facilitate the concept of 'horizontal' resuscitation. ⋯ Instead, the therapeutic cruciform positioning, with arms abducted at 90°, allows planning and performing of multiple life-saving interventions simultaneously. This positioning also provides a practical surgical field with improved sterility and procedural access.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2017
Feeling the HEAT: Using Hourly Emergency Activity Tracking to demonstrate a novel method of describing activity and patient flow.
The objective of the present study is to demonstrate a novel method of mapping ED activity to analyse patterns presentations, occupancy and performance trends. ⋯ HEAT maps may be used to facilitate further analyses of ED demand, patterns of patient presentations and patient flow and future health system redesign.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2017
Observational StudyRetrospective review of Prothrombinex use by SAAS MedSTAR.
The aim of this study was to review and describe the use of Prothrombinex by a physician-led retrieval service based remote from a hospital blood bank. ⋯ Prothrombinex is a clinically useful product that can be relatively easily stored and used by retrieval services, even if they are based in isolation from a hospital blood bank. More research is required to look at the utility of Prothrombinex for non-warfarin-related bleeding in the pre-hospital and retrieval environment.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2017
Computed tomography for head injuries in children: Change in Australian usage rates over time.
Paediatric head injury is a common presentation to the ED. North American studies demonstrate increasing use of computed tomography (CT) brain scan (CTB) to investigate head injury. No such data exists for Australian EDs. The aim of this study was to describe CTB use in head injury over time in eight Australian EDs. ⋯ CTB use in head injuries did not increase during the study period, and rates of CTB were less than reported for North America.