Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
-
Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2013
Factors involved in intensive care unit mortality following medical retrieval: identifying differences between intensive care unit survivors and non-survivors.
The study aimed to determine factors related to ICU mortality in critically ill patients transferred by Adult Retrieval Victoria (ARV) medical staff. Patients who died in ICU after interhospital transfer were compared against those who survived. ⋯ Advanced age, lower mean arterial blood pressure and tachycardia towards the completion of transfer were associated with increased ICU mortality in this population. Clinicians should be aware of the additional risk for cardiac patients.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2013
Case ReportsDuboisia ingestion: An unusual cause of anticholinergic poisoning.
A male landscaper presented with an acute confusional state following intentional ingestion of Duboisia myoporoides. With supportive care, he made an uneventful recovery after 24 h. Clinical features, investigation and management of Duboisia poisoning are discussed.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2013
Use of ultrasound for non-trauma patients in the emergency department.
In the past decade, there has been substantial knowledge translation in the use of ultrasound (US) by critical care physicians to aid diagnosis of the non-trauma patient. This study aimed to determine emergency doctors' level of training in ultrasonography, pattern of US use in regular practice and barriers to US use for the non-trauma patient presenting to an emergency department. ⋯ Among ED personnel, use of US to diagnose several non-traumatic conditions was low, but specific training was associated with significantly more US use. Increased training and availability of US-experienced supervisors might further improve utility of this important adjunct to the practice of emergency medicine.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2013
Demography is destiny: an agenda for geriatric emergency medicine in Australasia.
The present paper presents an agenda for geriatric emergency medicine research, education and policy development. Herein we will argue: Population ageing is the definitive health policy challenge in Australasia, and the greatest stressor for emergency medicine posed by population ageing is the disproportionate contribution of older people to hospital occupancy. ED practices and models of care may on occasions contribute to rather than reduce high hospital occupancy in older people, benefitting neither individual patients nor the community at large. Geriatric emergency medicine priorities can be conceptualised using a simple framework, and this process will facilitate a research and policy focus on how to achieve equivalent or improved care for older people with less hospital occupancy.