Irish medical journal
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Irish medical journal · Mar 2009
Waiting room oral rehydration in the paediatric emergency department.
Oral rehydration is well established in the treatment of acute gastroenteritis, however it is profoundly underutilised as a treatment in the hospital setting. We introduced a protocol of waiting room oral rehydration for children presenting to the Paediatric Emergency Department with vomiting and/or diarrhoea. These children were given oral rehydration from the time of triage prior to medical assessment. ⋯ During the study period, 58 children (28%) were given intravenous fluids and 47 (23%) were admitted, compared with 72 (56%) given intravenous fluids and 42 (32%) admitted in the comparison group. This protocol is now part of our routine management of children presenting with symptoms of acute gastroenteritis. Waiting room oral rehydration is a simple yet successful intervention that can be implemented in any Emergency Department.
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Irish medical journal · Feb 2009
Comment Letter Case ReportsAccidental ecstasy ingestion in a two year old.
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In response to persistent overcrowding of Emergency Departments in Ireland, the Department of Health and Health Service Executive provided funding for "Transit Lounge" areas to be built. These lounges were to provide a location for patients to wait in beds pending the availability of a ward bed. This research was performed to assess the impact of such a lounge on the overcrowding of the Emergency Department and on patient outcomes. ⋯ The Transit Lounge delivers a comfortable place for patients to wait. It does not reduce Emergency Department overcrowding and has been associated with an increased time waiting for a ward bed. The solution to overcrowding is the creation of real capacity in the system so that ward beds are available in acute hospitals for the "unscheduled unwell".