Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2023
Using network analyses to characterise Australian and Canadian frequent attenders to the emergency department.
To explore and compare the characteristics of frequent attenders to the ED at an Australian and a Canadian tertiary hospitals by utilising a network analysis approach. ⋯ Younger, middle-aged and older frequent attenders have distinct characteristics, made readily apparent by using network analyses. Future interventions to reduce ED visits should consider the heterogeneity of frequent attenders who have needs specific to their age, presenting problems and jurisdiction.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2023
Observational StudyTelehealth consultation before inter-hospital transfer after falls in a subacute hospital (the PREVENT-2 study).
Inter-hospital transfers are increasingly common due to the regionalisation of healthcare, but are associated with patient discomfort, high costs and adverse events. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a trauma outreach service for preventing inter-hospital transfers to a major trauma centre. ⋯ Telehealth consultation with a trauma specialist was associated with significant reduction of inter-hospital transfers, and significant reduction of CT imaging. This supports continuation of the service with scope for expansion and evaluation of patient-centred outcomes.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2023
Missed presentations, missed opportunities: A cross-sectional study of mental health presentation undercounting in the emergency department.
The burden of mental illness is increasing across developed countries. EDs are often used as access points by people experiencing mental health crises, with such rising demand in Australasia. Accurate data is critical to track and address this need, but research suggests that current data collection methods undercount mental health presentations to the EDs. The present study aimed to quantify and characterise ED mental health presentations that were not identified by usual clinical coding processes. ⋯ The present study demonstrates that ED mental health presentations may be underestimated by nearly 5%, revealing greater mental health demand than current figures suggest.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2023
Outcomes in traumatic cardiac arrest patients who underwent advanced life support.
Survival following a traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) remains poor despite research focused on specific management and guideline adaptation. Previous research has identified factors including age, arresting rhythm, injury severity and distance from hospital to be associated with prehospital TCA outcomes. The present study aimed to review the local incidence of TCA to inform local practice within a mature trauma system. ⋯ These results support the identification and immediate management of TCA. No patients survived if they did not achieve ROSC by hospital arrival, questioning the role for aggressive management beyond the ED in this cohort. Future research will focus on the identification of patients with potentially positive survival outcomes and further define futile intervention factors.