Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2005
Processes and impediments in moving patients from the emergency department: pilot study.
To assess the impact of an ED-designed interim orders sheet on patient flow through the ED, and the safety of ED-directed admission. ⋯ There was no difference in the time to patient admission, or IPLOS, with the different processes. Almost half of the average ED stay of adults and about one-third of that of paediatric admissions occurred after the decision to admit was made. Transfer of patients to the ward without inpatient review is appropriate and effective.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2005
Update on the fellowship exam and its relation to modern educational principles and clinical competency.
The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine is committed to a long term process of quality improvement in the fellowship examination and the training programme leading up to it. The process of quality improvement and the rationale for current and future processes are not always clear to the fellowship as a whole. ⋯ More research is required into the relevance of each component of the fellowship exam and its relation to clinical competency, key competencies and good clinical practice. Any subsequent changes to the exam structure must take into account the evidence and be balanced by what is practicable, reasonable and deliverable.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2005
Comparative StudyEmergency weight estimation in Pacific Island and Maori children who are large-for-age.
Methods to estimate weights of children requiring resuscitation appeared to underestimate the weight of Pacific Island and Maori children. This study sought to quantify differences between real and estimated weights, study links with ethnicity and derive a new estimation method for large-for-age children. ⋯ Current emergency methods underestimate weight in Pacific Island and Maori children. We recommend a new chart for these children.
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To identify the reasons why patients with chest pain delay in seeking hospital medical care and do or do not use an ambulance. ⋯ Education programmes should continue to emphasize that chest pain is a potential medical emergency and an ambulance should be called. GPs should consider developing an action plan to manage patients presenting with chest pain.
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To determine the ED consumers' level of understanding, acceptance and desire for knowledge regarding the Australasian Triage Scale (ATS), and to determine the ED staff's attitudes towards open provision of ATS information. ⋯ Patients do not understand the ATS well, and would like to be provided with more specific initial and ongoing information, but staff uncertainty needs to be overcome before consumers' wishes can be better addressed.