Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Children undergo many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in the ED. Although emergency staff can often intervene to reduce physical pain through topical anaesthesia, analgesia and sedation, much procedural distress can be addressed by better preparing patients and families for the procedures. ⋯ We present a practical language guide for procedures and equipment for use by clinicians in the ED before, during and after procedures. The language tables might be most usefully placed in the procedure rooms for easy reference or incorporated into clinical practice guidelines.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2012
Earthquake-related crush fractures and non-earthquake-related fractures of the extremities: a comparative radiological study.
To determine the features that differentiate earthquake-related crush extremity fractures from non-earthquake-related extremity fractures by using digital radiography (DR) and multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT). ⋯ Earthquake-related crush fractures of extremities are more likely than non-earthquake-related extremity fractures to involve multiple extremities, multiple bones and to be comminuted. The lower extremities, predominantly the tibia and fibula, are more likely to be involved. This has implications for emergency and disaster planning in earthquake-prone regions.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2012
Case ReportsPenetrating head injury with bilateral eye avulsion due to Himalayan bear bite.
The Himalayan black bear (Ursus thibetanus or Selenarctos thibetanus), although an omnivore, is more carnivorous than its American counterpart. It is also more aggressive towards humans and is a threatened species because of the deforestation in the Himalayas. Furthermore, poverty, encroachment of the forest, extensive deforestation, lack of education and living near the forest are factors that increase the probability of such animal injuries. We report the case of a 35-year-old woman who suffered a severe penetrating head injury with scalp and bilateral eye avulsion, which was managed successfully.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2012
Letter Case ReportsAxillary artery occlusion following central venous catheterisation.