Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2011
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Influenza in Australia: Absenteeism and redeployment of emergency medicine and nursing staff.
The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of Pandemic (H(1)N(1)) 2009 Influenza on the Australian emergency nursing and medicine workforce, specifically absenteeism and deployment. ⋯ Future research related to absenteeism, redeployment during actual pandemic events is urgently needed. Workforce data collection should be an integral part of organizational pandemic planning.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2011
Point prevalence of access block and overcrowding in New Zealand emergency departments in 2010 and their relationship to the 'Shorter Stays in ED' target.
To document the extent of access block and ED overcrowding in New Zealand in 2010 and to determine whether these were linked to the hospital's ability to meet the Shorter Stays in ED target. ⋯ Hospital access block was seen more often in larger hospitals and significantly associated with failure to meet the 'Shorter Stays in ED' health target, whereas ED overcrowding was seen in both small and large hospitals, but not associated with failure to meet the target.
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Debate around medical futility has produced a vast literature that continues to grow. Largely absent from the broader literature is the role of emergency medicine in either starting measures that prove to be futile, withholding treatment or starting the end of life communication process with patients and families. ⋯ We conclude that emergency physicians have the clinical ability and the legal and moral standing to resist providing futile treatment. In these situations they can take a different path that focuses on comfort care thereby initiating the process of the much sought after 'good death'.
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To describe in-hospital resuscitation outcomes and factors associated with survival at Auckland City Hospital, New Zealand. ⋯ Survival from cardiac arrest in our hospital compared well to similar centres and good neurological outcome was higher than reported previously. Reduced survival during the 'After-Hours' period is cause for concern, and further research into the factors underlying this is required.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2011
Australasian College for Emergency Medicine examiner peer review process: Development and implementation.
In 2005, the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine set out to refine the selection, training and development of examiners. Part of this included development of an examiner peer review process. ⋯ The present article describes the development of a list of optimal examiner attributes, followed by implementation of an examiner peer review process. The authors recommend examiner peer review for high-stakes examinations.