European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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There is an apparent conflict between published evidence and UK emergency medicine (EM) physician practice with regard to the use of intravenous fluids to treat patients intoxicated with alcohol. We conducted a survey of all EM physicians in North East (NE) England to determine opinion with regard to this therapy, and compared this with the available evidence for its benefit. ⋯ The use of intravenous fluids to treat intoxication is common practice among EM physicians in NE England. The available literature states that this practice is futile. However, there are significant limitations in these studies. This suggests that EM physicians might be using intravenous fluids therapy (IVT) because they are finding in their own practice it is effective. We hypothesize that IVT should improve care in most intoxicated patients as the result of a direct dilutional effect. Further research is required to establish the validity of existing EM physician's practice of using IVT.
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In hospital emergency services, the prevalence of alcohol-related admissions is about 20%, of which 80% display elevated γ-glutamyl transpeptidase or carbohydrate deficient transferring (CDT). We investigated whether intensive case management (ICM) that included cognitive behavior-oriented brief intervention could decrease patient morbidity. ⋯ ICM in an emergency ward can successfully treat patients with alcohol problems and reduce relapse rate. Alcohol intervention should be part of the standard care in alcohol-related emergency admissions. It treats the alcohol problem early, effectively, and at low cost, and can have a major impact on long-term patient health.
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We aimed to determine the epidemiology of chemical eye exposures reported to the Victorian Poisons Information Centre, Australia. ⋯ Most exposures are of little consequence. However, there are clear epidemiological differences between sex and age groups. These findings will help inform prevention strategies.