Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2009
Malnutrition associated with increased risk of frail mechanical falls among older people presenting to an emergency department.
To identify associations between malnutrition falls risk and hospital admission among older people presenting to ED. ⋯ Older people presenting to ED should be nutritionally screened. Malnutrition prevalence of 15% was documented and was associated with an increased risk of frail mechanical falls and hospital admission. The Malnutrition Screening Tool was a simple and practical screen for ED.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2009
Injuries significantly associated with thoracic spine fractures: a case-control study.
To determine injuries significantly associated with traumatic thoracic spine (T-spine) fractures ⋯ Cervical and lumbar spine injuries and rib fractures are significantly associated with T-spine fracture. The presence of these injuries should raise suspicion of concomitant T-spine injury.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2009
ReviewReview article: inotrope and vasopressor use in the emergency department.
Shock is a common presentation to the ED, with the incidence of septic shock increasing in Australasia over the last decade. The choice of inotropic agent is likely dependent on previous experience and local practices of the emergency and other critical care departments. ⋯ Delays in transfer to inpatient facilities means that patients receive advanced critical care within the ED for longer, requiring initiation and titration of vasoactive agents in the ED. This article discusses the general concepts of shock and the indicators for inotrope and vasopressor use, revises the various agents available and reviews the current evidence for their use.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2009
ReviewReview article: Convulsive and non-convulsive status epilepticus: an emergency medicine perspective.
Status epilepticus (SE) is divided into convulsive and non-convulsive types; both are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although convulsive SE is easily recognized, non-convulsive SE remains an elusive diagnosis as physical signs are varied and subtle. ⋯ Benzodiazepines, specifically lorazepam, continue to be the most commonly recommended first-line therapy; best treatment for refractory status cases depends on resources available and must be tailored to the individual institution. In order to facilitate care, it is recommended that each institution develop a management protocol for these patients.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2009
Knowledge and attitude towards paediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation among the carers of patients attending the Emergency Department of the Children's Hospital at Westmead.
The present study aimed to describe the knowledge and attitudes of parents and carers in performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on infants and children. A self-administered questionnaire distributed to a convenience sample of parents and carers attending the Emergency Department of The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia from February to March 2008. Main outcome measures were the prevalence of previous cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, willingness and confidence to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on infants and children compared with adults, and an objective assessment of knowledge of current resuscitation guidelines. ⋯ Parents and carers are willing to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, especially on family members. However, their knowledge of the current guidelines was poor. More public education is required to update those with previous training and to encourage those who haven't to be trained.