Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialA double-blind, randomized trial of intravenous versus intramuscular antivenom for red-back spider envenoming.
To compare the efficacy of intravenous versus intramuscular antivenom (AV) in the treatment of Red-back spider (RBS) envenoming. ⋯ Red-back spider antivenom was initially effective by both i.m. and i.v. routes. The study generates the hypothesis that at 24 h, significantly more patients are pain-free with i.v. administration. Definitive recommendations on the optimal route of administration of RBS AV await the results of further studies.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2005
Patient perceptions of privacy infringements in an emergency department.
To identify the nature, severity, impact, frequency and risk factors for patient perceived privacy infringements in the ED of St Vincent's Health Melbourne with 32,000 emergency attendances per annum. ⋯ Patient privacy incidents occur frequently in an ED, risk factors being length of stay and absence of a walled cubicle. Patients who have their conversations overheard are more likely to withhold information from staff and less likely to have had their expectations of privacy met.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2005
Challenges in arranging interhospital transfers from a small regional hospital: an observational study.
To describe the process of interhospital transfer from a small regional hospital ED. ⋯ There is wide variation in the time taken and the number of phone calls to arrange an interhospital transfer, with some patient groups requiring more effort to organize a transfer.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2005
The status of emergency medicine in Makira Ulawa Province, Solomon Islands.
This Perspective reports on the challenges that face a solo doctor in a provincial hospital in the Solomon Islands following the civil disturbances of 1998-2003. The Health Service is seriously constrained by a paucity of funding, supplies and personnel. ⋯ Further training of nurses, midwives and doctors is required. Emergency medicine, as a generalist discipline, provides a foundation to improve the delivery of care to the acutely ill and injured in these circumstances.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2005
Comparative StudyHow accurate is weight estimation in the emergency department?
To determine the accuracy of medical staff, nursing staff and patients for estimating weight in an ED population. ⋯ Patients are generally accurate in estimating their true weight and health care workers showed only moderate accuracy. Where possible, drug dose calculations should be based on measured weight and if this is not possible, patient estimate of weight should be sought. Health care worker estimation should be used only when this is not possible.