Journal of accident & emergency medicine
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To design and test a simple scale for measuring the severity of diagnostic errors occurring in accident and emergency (A&E) departments. ⋯ The MSS proved useful in describing the errors made in an A&E department.
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Comparative Study
The misdiagnosis severity score and doctors' perception of the severity of diagnostic errors.
To test the previously described misdiagnosis severity score (MSS) by comparing it with doctors' perceptions of the severity of diagnostic errors. ⋯ It is reasonable to use the MSS as a measure of the severity of diagnostic errors.
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To examine the adequacy of assessment and management of deliberate self harm (DSH) undertaken by accident and emergency (A&E) medical staff. ⋯ With over half the sample not admitted, the responsibility for the initial risk assessment lies with A&E medical staff. The study reveals a need for improved planning and delivery of services.
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To determine how the introduction of a new small team consultation system could reduce the average waiting time of patients in the busy accident and emergency (A&E) department of a Hong Kong hospital. ⋯ A small team consultation system can reduce the average waiting time of patients without compromising the existing quality of service.
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Spontaneous pneumomediastinum, or Hamman's syndrome, is a rare condition which may present with the symptoms of chest pain, dyspnoea, dysphagia, or neck pain. The signs of subcutaneous emphysema and Hamman's crunch (the presence of a crepitance sound that varies with the heartbeat on auscultation of the precordium) are usually present. A case of this syndrome occurring in an elderly patient with none of the recognised risk factors is presented.