Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
-
Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2009
Emergency Department management of Colles-type fractures: a prospective cohort study.
To assess radiographic outcomes from ED reduction of Colles-type fractures. ⋯ The study highlights the importance of the initial 'on arrival' and 'post-reduction' X-rays in the ED. Displaced fractures are more likely to go onto poor outcome, as are inadequately reduced fractures. Medical officers working in ED should be aware of the importance of measuring the dorsal angle. They should be referring patients with >15 degrees dorsal angulation to orthopaedics early. Reduction should not be accepted until the dorsal angle has been adequately corrected.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2009
Validation of a point of care troponin assay in real life Emergency Department conditions.
To validate the accuracy of a Point of care (POC) troponin device (Abbott i-Stat) in real life ED conditions. ⋯ The i-Stat POC device produces similar results in the hands of experienced and occasional operators in ED. There is good agreement between the POC and laboratory at levels used to diagnose infarction by older, more specific criteria. When compared using new lower cut-offs, the i-Stat had poor sensitivity.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2009
Multicenter StudyPain management practices in paediatric emergency departments in Australia and New Zealand: a clinical and organizational audit by National Health and Medical Research Council's National Institute of Clinical Studies and Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative.
To audit pain management practices and organization in paediatric ED across Australia and New Zealand. ⋯ We found a notable lack of pain assessment documentation and delays to analgesia. There is a need to improve pain assessment and management, although a majority of paediatric ED surveyed had important organizational and educational structures in place. Issues to explore include use of opioids in migraine and the underuse of femoral nerve blocks.