Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2012
Role of head computed tomography in the evaluation of children admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit with new-onset seizure.
The role of neuroimaging in children presenting with new-onset seizure is poorly defined. This study evaluates the incidence of abnormal CT findings in children admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with new-onset seizure and examines potential clinical variables associated with abnormal head CT findings. ⋯ In this highly selected group head CT findings are frequently abnormal and might change acute management. Children admitted to the PICU with first presentation of seizure who have multiple seizures and/or are aged <2 years should have immediate CT or MRI scanning.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2012
One hundred tasks an hour: an observational study of emergency department consultant activities.
To determine work activity patterns undertaken by ED consultants. ⋯ ED consultants have very high hourly task rates dominated by communication and clinical activities and frequently multitask. The activity is relatively constant throughout the week but is influenced by sex and role delineation. Appreciation of activity distribution might allow informed interventions to realign the workload or divert tasks to supporting resources.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2012
How useful are the Heart Foundation risk criteria for assessment of emergency department patients with chest pain?
To investigate the prognostic utility of Heart Foundation (Australia) risk stratification table in an ED chest pain population. ⋯ The Heart Foundation risk classification shows only fair predictive performance for MI, 7 and 30 day MACE. With specificity of approximately 50%, the recommendation for coronary care admission for all high-risk patients is hard to justify.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2012
Venous thromboembolism in emergency department patients with rigid immobilization for lower leg injury: Incidence and risk factors.
To determine the incidence and risk factors for symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) in adults who are discharged from the ED with rigid immobilization for lower limb injury. ⋯ The estimated VTE incidence was between 3% and 7% in this ED population with age and diagnosis of Achilles tendon rupture increasing risk. Prospective research to more accurately determine incidence, severity and risk stratification is required before firm recommendations on the likely risk versus benefit profile of thromboprophylaxis can be made for this population.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2012
Prevalence and characteristics of patients with risky alcohol consumption presenting to emergency departments in rural Australia.
This study measures the prevalence of problematic alcohol consumption in patients of EDs in rural areas of Australia, relative to the general population in the same rural communities. It also identifies the characteristics associated with risky drinking in rural ED patients. ⋯ Risky drinking, across a number of measures, is overrepresented in patients of rural Australian EDs relative to the general community, and this type of consumption is not limited to certain subgroups of patients. There is a need for interventions that address both heavy single occasion drinking and excessive regular consumption in patients of rural Australian EDs, with universal interventions recommended rather than targeted programmes.