Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2008
Emergency medicine in Sri Lanka: the inevitable evolution to a new specialty.
Sri Lanka is a low-income country with a relatively advanced, equitable and accessible health-care system offered to its 20 million populations free of charge through a national pro-poor health policy. Its weaknesses in emergency services, however, surfaced in 2004 when it faced the Tsunami, the worst natural disaster of the world of the 21st century. Since then, the local health community with the assistance of the government and foreign aid agencies have embarked on a path to establish emergency services, improve its preparedness for disaster management and establishment of emergency medicine training. The present article traces this path and how it is evolving in the country.
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To determine whether the introduction of a designated fast-track area altered the time to care and patient flow in an Australian mixed adult and paediatric ED. ⋯ Fast track in an Australian mixed ED can help meet the demand of increasing patient attendances, allowing lower-acuity patients to be seen quickly without a negative impact on high-acuity patients.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2008
Safety of interhospital transport of cardiac patients and the need for medical escorts.
To review the safety of the current retrieval service procedures and identify factors associated with the need for a medical escort. ⋯ Transport of cardiac patients by the Townsville Hospital Emergency Department retrieval service were safely staffed and performed, guided by the expert decision making and clinical support of the clinical coordinators. Patients with a provisional diagnosis at the time of referral of myocardial infarction, a history of receiving lysis or cardiac arrest, or on a drug infusion were more likely to require the expertise of a doctor during transport.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2007
Comparative StudyBest Guess method for age-based weight estimation in paediatric emergencies: validation and comparison with current methods.
During paediatric resuscitation, drug doses are calculated based upon weight. Age-based weight estimates are used when weighing children is impractical. The average weight of Australian children has increased, and widely used paediatric age-based formulae might underestimate weight. A modified age-based method for paediatric weight calculation, the 'Best Guess', has been described. ⋯ The Best Guess formulae is a valid method for age-based weight estimation in acutely unwell or injured children presenting to the ED and more accurately predicts mean weight than either APLS or ARC formulae.
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For many years, ambulance services throughout Australia have been administering methoxyflurane as a first-line analgesic agent. However, there is a paucity of literature regarding its efficacy, safety and usage profile. The present study was designed to examine the efficacy of methoxyflurane in adults. ⋯ The use of methoxyflurane as a prehospital analgesic significantly reduced pain in patients, with no significant side-effects attributed to its use. The majority of patients and paramedics interviewed were satisfied with its effects and indicated a willingness to use it again.