Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2016
Trends and characteristics of short-term and frequent representations to emergency departments: A population-based study from New South Wales, Australia.
The objective of this study is to describe the trends and characteristics of short-term and frequent representations to EDs in New South Wales, Australia. ⋯ In this population-based study, short-term representations were highest in the infant patient population, in-patient readmission rates were highest in the elderly and very frequent representations to ED were characterised by middle-aged patients with mental health or drug and alcohol related presentations.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2016
Pre-clinical medical students' perceptions of their patient safety skills in a simulated emergency department.
Patient safety has emerged as an important topic for inclusion in medical curricula. However, there is limited literature describing how medical students are taught, learn and self-assess patient safety skills. The present study aimed to seek pre-clinical medical students' perceptions of (i) their individual performance at a range of safety skills; and (ii) how they define patient safety in a simulated ED. ⋯ Students had a favourable opinion of their own safety skills. However, answers to free text question revealed misconceptions about the nature of patient safety despite significant teaching on this topic.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2016
Pacific ethnic groups and frequent hospital presentation: A fair target?
In New Zealand, Pacific health figures are traditionally presented for all Pacific ethnic groups combined. Use of EDs and urgent care clinics is high compared with Maori and non-Maori, non-Pacific (nMnP) use. By controlling for proximity to the hospital and socioeconomic status, we demonstrate greater variation between Pacific ethnic groups than between Pacific and nMnP, or between Maori and nMnP groups. We discuss the significance of subpopulation variation in use of urgent care services.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2016
Multicenter Study Observational StudyOutcome at 30 days for low-risk chest pain patients assessed using an accelerated diagnostic pathway in the emergency department.
Primary: to determine incidence of 30 day major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients discharged from the ED following assessment using an accelerated diagnostic pathway (ADP). Secondary: to determine incidence of 30 day MACE for all ADP patients. ⋯ The ADP supports safe, early discharge of low-risk chest pain patients from the ED.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2016
Multicenter StudySystemic inflammatory response syndrome-based severe sepsis screening algorithms in emergency department patients with suspected sepsis.
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)-based severe sepsis screening algorithms have been utilised in stratification and initiation of early broad spectrum antibiotics for patients presenting to EDs with suspected sepsis. We aimed to investigate the performance of some of these algorithms on a cohort of suspected sepsis patients. ⋯ We found the Ireland and JFK Medical Center sepsis algorithms performed modestly in stratifying suspected sepsis patients into high-risk groups. Algorithms with lactate levels thresholds of >2 mmol/L rather than >4 mmol/L performed better. ED sepsis registry-based characterisation of patients may help further refine sepsis definitions of the future.